Fight Grid
(COLD OPEN – Thursday Night Empire General Manager Flannery McCoy is standing in the middle of the ring with a mic, before a sold out crowd. The arena grows silent before she speaks.)
Flannery McCoy: Hello EAW Universe. My name is Flannery McCoy and I welcome you to another exciting season of Thursday Night Empire. Last season’s iteration saw the legendary rise and fall of the Face of Empire – and EAW itself – and the dawn of an Iconic War Queen. We witnessed surprise retirements and the passing of one of pro wrestling’s beloved icons. There was the arrival of the REVOLT! Roster, which included their Freeweight division, consisting of some of the fiercest talent to ever lace a pair of wrestling boots. At this year’s Pain for Pride Festival over a hundred thousand in attendance witnessed the unification of two titles: the EAW Women’s World Championship and the REVOLT! Freeweight Championship by our now EAW Unified Women’s Champion, Stephanie Matsuda. We also witnessed the birth of the EAW Empire Tag Team Championship, won by the Crowe’s Nest and later by Jaded Hearts at PFP. As we move on to the new season, I have a couple of special announcements to make. The first is in regards a change in the administrative and production structure of Thursday Night Empire. Our dear Gia Cervantes is longer on commentary, and instead has moved on to bigger things – hosting her own show on ESPN!
(The crowd cheers and chants “Thank You Gia!”)
Flannery McCoy: But in her place, is a very recognizable face in the wrestling and music scene. She has her own video blog and has interviewed the biggest names in both industries! Please welcome, Alicia Amby!
(The camera shows Alicia Amby waving from the commentary table with SG1)
Flannery: Now, for the administrative side of things. It has been decided by the EAW Board of Directors, that due to the several controversial incidents that happened during episodes of Thursday Night Empire, that I would share my duties with an Assistant General Manager! This new authority figure was already chosen and will be working directly under me. They will be introduced at next week’s Empire. Speaking of next week’s Empire, it’s time I reveal the biggest news of this season: the 2018 Empress of Elite tournament!
(“Crown” by Camila & Grey plays as the titantron shows the Empress of Elite 2018 graphic. The fans are on their feet.)
Flannery: A 16-woman single elimination tournament where the finalists will headline Empire’s NEWEST FPV event, MANIFEST DESTINY! LIVE, FROM THE BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN, NY ON AUGUST 18TH!
(The crowd stands from their seats cheering at a fever pitch.)
Flannery: The winner will be 2018’s Empress of Elite, a title she’ll have throughout the entire season! The winner will also be awarded an automatic title shot for the EAW Unified Women’s Championship at December’s Road to Redemption event!
(The crowd chants “Yes!” over and over)
Flannery: Now, to introduce to you this year’s contestants…
(Flannery points at the titantron as the following names appear, alongside their respective headshots:)
Layla Lockhart
Consuela Rose Ava
Tyler Wolfe
Chelsea Crowe
Sonya Correa
Andrea Valentine
Sienna Jade
Raven Roberts
Daisy Thrash
Mali Evans
Revy
Jael Arcana-Rosario
Remy Skyfire
Kassidy Heart
Madison Kaline
And…
(A dual graphic of Stephanie Matsuda and Astraea Jordan appear)
Flannery: Whoever loses tonight will get a shot at redemption for a chance to win the Empress of Elite crown and the EAW Unified Women’s Championship at Road to Redemption! And about that whole next week thing? That’s when THE FIRST ROUND OF EOE 2018 BEGINS! This weekend, the tournament bracket will go up so each and every one of you can keep track of the EOE standings wherever you go! Once again, thank each and every one of you for making Thursday Night Empire the top show on EAW! Here! We! GO!
(“Girl Gang” by Leikeli47 plays as the NEW intro for Thursday Night Empire is shown, which includes the current champions and new faces Toni Gunn and Mali Evans! The intro ends by showing the Jaded Hearts, Remi Skyfire, and finally Stephanie Matsuda.)
SG1: WELCOME TO THE SEASON 12 PREMIERE OF THURSDAY NIGHT EMPIRE!!
(An explosion of pyro erupts from the stage as the camera shows the sold out crowd throughout the interior of the arena)
(SCREEN BAR – LIVE! From Charlotte, NC!)
SG1: We are surrounded by over 20,000 of the EAW faithful! I’m your “Friendly Neighborhood Vixen” SG1! Sitting here with me is my new partner Alicia Amby!
Alicia Amby: Thank you SG! I’m EXCITED to be here on Thursday Night Empire! The vibe is almost electric right now! It’s my first night of work and I’m going to witness Stephanie Matsuda vs Astraea Jordan LIVE!
(MATCH CARD – Stephanie Matsuda vs Astraea Jordan – EAW Women’s Unified Championship)
SG1: That’s right! After a historic victory at Pain for Pride, the Iconic War Queen finds a Chiraq Savage in her path! Will Stephanie be able to move past this roadblock, or will we witness a NEW unified champion tonight?!
Alicia: Oh man I can’t wait! But for now, let’s get this show started! Take it away Cori Simmons!
(Empire’s NEW announcer, Cori Simmons is standing in the middle of the ring with a mic)
Cori Simmons: The following match is set for one fall! Introducing first, from Birmingham, England, weighing in at one hundred and twenty seven pounds, The Suplex Queen, Mali Evans!
“The Enemy” by the Commonjets plays as Mali Evans walks out on the stage.
Alicia Amby: Newcomer Mali Evans looking to make her mark here in the opening episode of Season twelve, she wants to put the whole roster knows she’s not anyone to mess with!
SG-1: That’s right, Alicia, Mali calls herself the Suplex Queen and for good reason, she’s well versed in punishing her opponents with a wide variety of suplexes. Her opponent will have to be on top of their game tonight, otherwise it could be a long night!
Mali enters the ring and walks to her corner as her music fades .
Cori: Introducing her opponent, from York, North Yorkshire, England, weighing in at one hundred and thirty four pounds, The Rat Daddy, Tonio Gunn!
The lights go down as ‘Hahaha’ by Death Grips begins to play. As the lyrics kick in, Toni Gunn explodes onto the stage with a bottle of Yorkshire lager in hand, followed by her own ho train called the Gunn Gals. She makes her way down the ramp feeling the transcendent lyrics of Hahaha, singing along with her favourite part which is of course “HAHAHA BITCH”. Climbing the ring apron, Toni takes a sip (I mean a BIG ASS MOUTHFUL) of lager and then spits it out into the air before entering the ring. She throws the bottle towards the commentary table and does a “wanker” gesture towards Mali before walking back to her corner.
Alicia: The Rat Daddy, Toni Gunn making her debut tonight, but she’s no newcomer to wrestling. I understand that she’s a multiple time champion, holding both singles and tag titles on the independents. She’s bringing her unique style here to Empire and, like Mali, looks to make an impact early on in season twelve!
SG-1: I just hope she takes a shower at some point this season, that lady looks like a staph infection just waiting to happen! I mean, seriously, don’t we have some kind of hygiene rules around here?
Alicia: The referee is going over final instructions before calling for the bell
DING! DING! DING!
That’s the bell, and Toni and Mali circle each other in the ring, neither wanting to give any ground to the other. Mali shoots in with a double leg takedown! She’s got the Rat Daddy on the mat, and locks in a deep front face lock, attempting to control the pace of the match! Toni is scrambling to escape and manages to get her foot to the bottom rope! The referee breaks the hold, forcing Mali to let Toni to her feet!
SG-1: Mali showing early dominance, but she needs to be a bit more ring aware. Toni is back to a vertical base now and delivers a stiff forearm to the face of Mali, but the Suplex Queen isn’t moved! She fires back with a forearm of her own! Toni, undaunted, fires right back, and so does Mali! Ladies and gentlemen, neither woman here wants to give any ground! Oh, what’s this? Toni ducks a forearm and slips behind Toni! She links her hands around her waist…german suplex!
Alicia: Toni is left in a heap after that suplex, and this could be exactly what you were talking about, SG-1, Mali is pulling Toni to her feet and gerrint her in a double underhook! Tiger Suplex! Toni has again been driven into the mat, and Mali still isn’t done as she once again pulls Toni to her feet and hooks The Rat Daddy’s waistband and hits a snap suplex! Mali Evans is firmly in control of this match as the crowd shows their appreciation for her technical prowess!
SG-1: Looks like Mali wants to keep things at her pace as she once again applies a chin lock, but Toni is able to fight back! She starts biting at Mali’s fingers! C’mon ref! That’s not legal!
Alicia: It seems effective though!
SG-1: Fair point, Mali has released the hold and is now complaining to the referee about the biting, but she needs to watch out! Toni has rolled to the apron and is pulling herself back to her feet using the ropes! Looks like Mali sees it though! She runs to the far side ropes and comes rushing back! SPEAR! Mali Evans dove through the top and middle ropes, spearing Toni Gunn to the ringside area!
Alicia: OHMIGAWD it looks like Toni’s head and back bounced off the barricade from that impact. How in the world is she still moving? What’s Mali up to now? She’s on the apron and looks to be waiting for Toni to move! The Rat Daddy yet again is pulling herself to her feet using her sheer will power! HERE COMES MALI…METEORA! NO! Right before impact Toni is able to just dodge the meteora, causing Mali to go crashing knees first into the floor!
SG-1: The referee hadn’t yet had a chance to begin their count in all that carnage, but it’s about to start now!
1!
2!
Toni rolls in the ting, the immediately back out to come face to face with the staggered Suplex Queen, who has just managed to reach her feet, but her knees have to be shot after that miss! Toni is making a…well, lewd gesture with her left hand, what is she doing? Looks like Mali is confused too as she is – No! Sucker punch from the Rat Daddy, stunning Mali, who then gets rolled back into the ring! Toni manages to hook Mali for a German Suplex of her own!
Alicia: Looks like that missed meteora was the turning point in this match as Toni Gunn is now firmly in control of things! Toni is pulling Mali to her feet, but LOOK OUT! Evans pushes Toni back…Toni stumbles back to the rope, and drops between the middle and top ropes! THE RAT DADDY COMETH! She hits that rebound lariat, turning Mali inside out! Ladies and Gentlemen, this match is all but over!
SG-1: Looks like you may be right, Toni is calling for her finish! She puts Mali in position…ON THE ROCKS! The inverted Package Piledriver drives Mali’s skull into the mat…Toni Gunn with the pin!
One!!!!!
TWO!!!!
THREE!!!!
THAT’S IT, Toni Gunn has won in her debut here on Empire!
Alicia: The Rat Daddy cometh indeed! Very impressive showing from both women here tonight, but that missed meteora spelled disaster for Mali as Toni was able to rely on her resilience and pulled it out at the end!
“Hahaha” begins playing as Toni grabs her bottle and drinks in celebration on her way back up the ramp!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK – Adobehousemusic.com ad featuring Lethal Consequences!)
(The camera opens to Jael Arcana-Rosario pacing back and forth in the Crowe’s Nest locker room. Raven Roberts is staring at her phone with a weird smile on her face. Braxton DeVil stands nearby, watching Jael pace around)
Braxton DeVil: You okay over there? You look like you’re about to skin someone alive with your own hands.
Jael Arcana-Rosario: Well that would be the Jaded Hearts, but apparently they’re not here! It just…feels wrong to not have our Empire Tag Team Championship belts! And on top of that Chelsea lost her Specialist Championship! We were on top of the world! And what happens!? We lose everything in the course of THREE DAYS! I swear to God on everything that is holy I will TEAR the spine from the backs of Jaded Hearts, and those Lesbos Remy Skyfire and Revy-
(Jael stops in her tracks when she sees Chelsea Crowe walk into the room)
Chelsea Crowe: My, my Jael! We’re on FOX now! It’s disrespectful to say such offensive things! Some of our fans are lovers of women!
(Jael raises an eyebrow)
Jael: And since when did you care about what other people think?
(Raven looks up from her phone as Chelsea smiles at her stable)
Chelsea Crowe: Since the day Rupert Murdoch decided we’re worth a billion dollars. Think about it – who held the majority of Empire’s titles around the time this deal was made?
Raven Roberts: We were.
Chelsea: Exactly! Which means titles or no titles, the Crowe’s Nest are the true stars of Thursday Night Empire! In fact, a Fox exec was quoted saying it was the “Thursday Night Crowe’s Nest” episode that intrigued the network the most! And while they had nice things to say about these other twits, the real takeaway from that deal is that a company worth over 66 BILLION DOLLARS think we’re the most interesting thing on TV! I don’t know about you guys, but that is worth more than any championship belt…though I do miss having Specialist gold wrapped around my waist!
Braxton: Heh, I can see the cogs turning in that head of yours my dear. What’s next?
Chelsea: Well, I overheard some producers talking about how some Fox executives are going to stop by next week to observe the the opening round of the Empress of Elite tournament. There’s also going to be a meeting backstage with these execs, Flannery McCoy, and this new assistant general manager! I don’t know about you guys, but I think good ‘ol Flan could use a couple of ambassadors to keep our new masters happy.
(Raven, Jael, and Braxton look at each other. A moment later, they all smile in unison)
Jael: Time to get rich – well richer than we are already.
Raven: I think the good people at Fox could benefit some insight into the culture of Thursday Night Empire.
Braxton: I grew up on Family Guy. I think it’s time I gave back.
Chelsea: (smiles) Then we’re all in agreement then. The Crowe’s Nest will become the official corporate c–ts of Thursday Night Empire.
(Raven stands up as everyone surround each other, excited about what’s about to happen next)
Raven: Our match is coming up. Let’s show these pests who still runs this place.
(The Crowe’s Nest leave the locker room)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK – EAW Supercard ad featuring Pain for Pride editions of your favorite elitists!)
(The camera cuts to Cori Simmons in the ring.)
Cori Simmons: The following is a Six Woman Tag Team Match and it is scheduled for one fall!!!
(Remi Skyfire, Layla Lockhart, and Revy are shown in the ring having entered during the commercial break.)
Cori Simmons: Introducing first they are the team of Remi Skyfire, Layla Lockhart, and Revy!!!!
(The cheers from the crowd are drowned out as “Glory and Gore” by Lorde hits to loud boos from the crowd.)
Cori Simmons: Introducing first they are the team of Chelsea Crowe, Jael Arcana-Rosario, and Raven Roberts… THE CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROWE’S NEST!!!
(The Crowe’s Nest makes its way down to the ring accompanied by Braxton DeVil as they ignore the hate the crowd is raining down upon them.)
Alicia Amby: I’m scurred.
SG1: Same.
(DING! DING! DING!)
Alicia Amby: It appears that Remi Skyfire and Chelsea Crowe are starting things off in the ring! Chelsea charges in but Remi drops to the mat and Chelsea leaps over her! Chelsea off the ropes as she turns around… right into a Spear from Remi! Remi mounts Chelsea as she starts throwing punches into her face! Absolute savage! But Chelsea throws her off as she rolls back up to her feet. Remi charges in with a hard blow to the face knocking Chelsea back into the corner!
SG1: A hard back chop from Remi across the chest of Chelsea in the corner as she winces in pain and walks across the ring. Remi kicks her into the corner yet again as she chops her hard across the chest one more time! Remi grabs Chelsea by the arm whipping her across the ring…
Alicia Amby: NO! Chelsea reverses it holding onto the arm and pulling Remi’s head in underneath…. DDT connects! The cover by Chelsea!
ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SG1: The kickout by Remi! Remi rolls to her side as Chelsea is back up… Remi punches upwards staggering her opponent as she returns to her feet. But Chelsea catches Remi with a thumb to the eye!!! Remi holding her eye but she turns around and charges at Chelsea… but Chelsea ducks under Remi tossing her up into the air! Remi goes over the top rope but lands on her feet on the apron! Remi leaps over the top rope grabbing Chelsea with a Sunset Flip into a pinning combination!!!
ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alicia: The kickout by Chelsea! Remi up and she looks fired up as she runs across the ring. Chelsea back up… Crossbody connects! Remi rolling as she looks to try it again! Remi running across the ring… Crossbody!
SG1: NO! Chelsea counters with a Dropkick in mid-air taking down Remi! Chelsea stalking Remi as she lifts her up over her shoulders… Samoan Drop connects! OH SHIT!
Alicia: Remi countered the Samoan Drop into a Crossface! Remi wrenching on that Crossface! Will Chelsea tap out! TAP! TAP! TAP!
SG1: NO! Chelsea made it to the ropes and the referee is forcing the break! Remi is enraged and lets go but keeps stomping away at her opponent! Chelsea now pulling herself back up as Remi charges in with a knee to the head! Remi looking pissed off as her partners call her back into the corner. Remi tags in Revy
Alicia: I ship Remi and Revy so much right now <3
SG1: :whoa: Let’s just call the match Alicia. Comments like that will lead to Empire’s Morally Progressive Female Ring Announcer making her return and nobody wants that.
Alicia: Revy has entered the ring and she charges in taking down her opponent Chelsea with a shoulder thrust! Chelsea is knocked back across the ring and she falls back in her corner looking shocked at the powerful force that Revy just unleashed! Chelsea quickly raises up her hand and tags in Jael!
SG1: Jael enters the ring and immediately collides with Revy! Both women stagger back from the force of their impact. They literally just ran into each other didn’t even go for a move. Revy backing up against the ropes she nearly fell out of the ring but Jael comes back grabbing her by the hair pulling her back into the ring. Jael takes Revy down with a vicious clothesline! Jael grabs Revy and tosses her into the turnbuckle shoulder first! Jael grabs Revy and slams her hard down on the mat as she goes in for the cover.
ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alicia: The kickout by Revy! Jael back up as she stomps away at Revy down on the mat. Jael grabs Revy by the hair and whips her across the ring and looks like she might have torn some hair out there! Revy looks horrified as she slides back into her corner and makes the tag to Layla!
SG1: Here comes Layla Lockhart jumping over the top rope into the ring… Springboard Dropkick connects! Jael sent flying back into her corner as she makes the tag to Raven Roberts! Raven surprised at the tag but gets into the ring and looks ready to throw down with Layla!
Alicia: All six women have been in the match but these two are the most fresh as Raven and Layla lock up in the middle of the ring! Layla shoves Raven back into the corner as they are still locked up with force as it appears that Layla is trying to choke out her opponent but the referee forces her off! Layla shoves Raven hard back into the corner but Raven side steps it back out into the ring and chops Layla hard across the chest! But Layla responds with a savage chop of her own!
SG1: Raven falls down to the mat clutching her chest in pain but quickly gets back up and runs right into a kick from Layla! Layla hooks the arm and hits a Snap Suplex on Raven! Raven falls back into a corner and pulls herself up to the top rope! But Layla is still standing and grabs her off the top and throws her down to the mat! Layla picks Raven back up sideways and slams her down hard with a vicious Press Slam! Raven now trying to roll out of the ring as the dirty cuck Braxton Devil is shown comforting her at ringside.
Braxton: You stay away from her!
Alicia: Oh god Braxton is now entering the ring and threatening to fight Layla! The referee is ordering him out of the ring! Wait what is this! From behind Jael and Chelsea attack Layla in the ring! The referee turning around as he orders them out of the ring! But here comes the reinforcements! Remi and Revy my number one ship have entered the ring and clotheslined Chelsea and Jael to the outside! Remi and Revy run the ropes and hit Suicide Dives to the outside as they continue to fight their opponents!
SG1: The referee freaking out as he has lost control of this match!
Referee: Why can’t you bitches be as easy to control as my wife?
Alicia: The referee distracted as Braxton Devil is shown pulling out a pair of brass knuckles! HE PUNCHES LAYLA RIGHT IN THE FACE! Braxton laughing as he slips out of the ring! Wait look Raven is on the top rope! Raven leaps into the air! RAVEN’S WINGS CONNECTS!!! THE COVER!!
ONE!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
Cori: Here is your winners… THE CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROWE’S NEST!!!
(“Glory and Gore” by Lorde hits to loud boos from the crowd as Braxton jumps into the ring and hugs Raven who pulls away but then pats him on the head out of appreciation.)
SG1: I am so appalled by this cheating! Raven didn’t earn this win!
Alicia: Braxton’s thirst is unparalleled! He will never give up until he gets some!
SG1: Well it remains to be seen if he will. Tune into Empire every week to find out!
Alicia: That’s not what this is about… This is about The Crowe’s Next getting a big victory!
SG1: A screwjob victory Alicia… It don’t mean shit!
Alicia: Well it does mean that The Crowe’s Nest gets a W in the record book and I am sure that is all that they give a damn about!
(The camera cuts to a commercial for the upcoming documentary on the EAW Network The E-Files hosted by former EAW Elitist Orion Vileheart. The truth is out there!)
(Somewhere in the Caribbean. The new EAW Empire Tag Team Champions, Jaded Hearts – Sienna Jade and Kassidy Heart – are relaxing on the beach, dressed in bikinis, oversized sunglasses, and sun hats tilted to the side. Their bodies are tanned from the tropical sun, and their tag titles rest comfortably next to their cocktails.)
Sienna Jade: Kass, you’re a genius. This vacation from everything is making me forget about that fluke of a win by Stephanie Matsuda! By the way, do you know she’s running around calling herself the LAST Revolt Freeweight Champion!? Vile!
Kassidy Heart: I wouldn’t worry too much. She’s going to lose to ratchet Astraea Jordan and you’ll get it back. And, you’re something that she’ll never be: a tag team champion. Hell, she couldn’t even win tag belts when she was back in Japan! And, at Pain for Pride YOU was a double champion! So screw Dykesuda and everyone else who stands in our way! We’re going to hold these belts for a very long time my dear.
Sienna: It’s going to be a #JadedSummer
Kassidy: Damn right, Sien.
(Kassidy takes a sip from her drink and calls to her waiter)
Kassidy: Javier! Oh, my dear and sweet Javier!
(A handsome gentleman who looks like he came straight out of a romance novel walks up to Kassidy, who’s pointing at her drink)
Javier: Yes, Ms. Heart?
Kassidy: Another one of these, please?
Javier: Your wish my my command Ms. Heart. Does Ms. Jade want another drink?
Sienna: Do me too – uh I mean me too!
(Sienna turns away blushing)
Javier: Will do Ms. Jade
(Javier winks and walks away. Kassidy hits Sienna on the arm)
Kassidy: Javier’s mine! I already shipped us in several branching story arcs!
Sienna: Please don’t tell me they all end in disaster!
Kassidy: True love demands sacrifice Sienna!
Sienna: Here we go again…
(As Kassidy goes into detail about tragic romance, the camera pulls away and slowly fades to black, showing ‘#JadedSummer’ on the screen)
Cori Simmons: The following contest is scheduled for one fall!!!
Crowd: ONE FALL!!
(“Murderer(Instrumental)” by Impending Doom hits and Sonya Correa makes her entrance)
Cori Simmons: Introducing first, making her way to the ring, from Medellin, Colombia, standing at six feet, two inches tall, weighing in at one hundred and sixty-nine pounds… SOOOOONNNYYYAAA COOOORRRREEEAAA!!!!!!!!
SG1: Sonya formerly worked as Stella Star’s bodyguard. But now she’s signed a contract as Empire’s newest debutante!
Alicia: Well she’s got a real litmus test here tonight!
(“Roll With Me” by Charli XCX hits and Andrea Valentine makes her entrance with the Openweight title proudly displayed around her waist, Andrea has a giant smile as the crowd welcomes the conquering hero back to Empire)
Cori Simmons: And her opponent, making her way to the ring, from Orlando, Florida, standing at five feet, four inches tall, weighing in at one hundred and ten pounds… she is the EAW Openweight Champion… ANDREEEEEEAAAAAAAAA VALLLLEEENNNNNNTTIIIIIINNNEEEE!!!!!!!!!
Alicia: Andrea overcame the odds and brought the Openweight title home to Empire. She still has to keep an eye on the three defenses she needs to qualify for a world title opportunity, but with everything that belt represents, you know the Heart of Empire is riding high!
SG1: But for tonight she has to worry about Sonya Correa. Sonya is easily one of the most physically imposing women we’ve had here. Currently the largest woman on the roster, pure lean muscle, and an MMA background to boot.
Alicia: Well there’s only one way to see how this goes. Looks like referee Jesse Clarkson is ready to go!
(Ding! Ding! Ding!)
SG1: That’s Jesse CARLTON, Alicia. You’re new. You’ll learn.
Alicia: Eep! Sorry. Well anyway… both women seem to be eyeing each other. Sonya is looking for an opening. Andrea is simply watching the rookie to figure out how her move. Sonya is stepping towards Andrea, trying to close the gap and take advantage of her own striking ability. She’s approaching, and Andrea steps out so not to be caught in a corner… Andrea charges in for a tie up! Lightning fast! She obviously wanted to close the gap and get away from the reach advantage of Sonya!
SG1: Smart play there by Andrea but how smart depends on what happens next! OOF! Sonya with rough knees to Andrea’s midsection! And now she goes for a side takedown and into a headlock! Andrea is on the ground and Sonya has control! Last place she wants to be against a fighter of Sonya’s size!
Alicia: But Andrea slips out of the headlock and pulls Sonya’s arm through! She stands to her feet as she takes control of the rear wrist lock! Andrea used her smaller frame to slip through Sonya’s clutches! She’s wrenching on Sonya’s wrist but now Sonya showing her power! She slowly but surely powers her arm out from Andrea’s grasp!
SG1: Sonya with a quick kick to the midsection! She grabs Andrea’s arm!!! KIMURA LOCK IS APPLIED! And Sonya leaps her legs around the smaller woman to pull guard! Andrea is in major trouble! You can hear her screaming in pain!!!
Alicia: Andrea is looking around for the ropes but she’s in the center of the ring and she’ll have to drag Sonya’s body weight with her! WAIT! Andrea drives with her legs and rolls Sonya onto her shoulders! Jesse Carlton counts the pin!!
ONNNEEEE!!!
TWWWOOO!!!
TH—
And Sonya wisely releases the hold! But she’s up and right back on offense! Andrea is backing into a corner grabbing the damaged shoulder!! But Sonya follows! Raining shots down on Andrea against the turnbuckles! She’s beating the Openweight champion into a pulp!
SG1: Give credit to the new girl. Tenacity is key here on Empire. But keeping your opponent cornered like that— yep. Here’s the ref to break it up. Sonya is now told to stop for winning too much.
Alicia: Well that’s an overstatement SG1. But the ref is checking on Andrea who is making her way out of the corner. But Sonya is hitting the ropes? HIGHWAY TO HELL CONNECTS! THE RUNNING KNEE LIFT DIRECTLY TO ANDREA’S JAW!!! LATERAL PRESS COVER!!!
ONNNNEEEE!!!!
TWWWOOOOOO!!!
THRREE—
Kickout! Andrea is still alive! But what a shot she just took!
SG1: you have to wonder if Andrea is all thee right now after a shot that would concuss a normal person. What a showing here by the young rookie and this match is only just started! And still Sonya keeps the pressure on! She’s got Andrea by the hair now! Pulls her up! Irish whip!
Alicia: Andrea is thrown into the ropes, Sonya looks to be in position! UP AND DOWN—
SG1: ATOMIC BLONDE!!!! SONYA WENT FOR THE UP AND DOWN POP UP POWERBOMB BUT ANDREA HAD IT SCOUTED PERFECTLY!! SHE SWIRLED AROUND INTO POSITION FOR THAT REVERSE FRANKENSTEINER FROM STANDING!!! COVER!!!
ONNNEEEE!!!
TWWWOOOOOOO!!!
THRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
(Ding! Ding! Ding!)
(“Roll With Me” by Charli XCX hits as Andrea rolls off of Sonya, still clutching at her jaw. But the referee hands her the Openweight title belt and she holds it high for the fans to see)
Cori Simmons: Here is your winner by pinfall… The EAW Openweight Champion… ANDREEEEAAAAAA VAAALLLLEEENNNNNTTTIIINNNEEE!!!!
Alicia: I guess Andrea was still more there than we thought! She executed perfectly and picks up a good win here tonight!
SG1: And take nothing away from Sonya. She stood toe to toe with one of the best Empire has to offer!
(Commercial for “The Lion Queen” new animated film featuring voices by Cloud Matsuda and Little Astraea Jordan)
(The camera opens to the exterior of the Spectrum Arena. The scene transitions to SG1 and Alicia Amby sitting at the commentary table)
SG1: Welcome back to Thursday Night Empire! We are just moments from tonight’s epic encounter between Astraea Jordan and Unified Women’s Champion Stephanie Matsuda, and two weeks removed from the spectacular event that led us down this road. Let’s take a look back at Pain for Pride Festival!
(An aerial view of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is shown on the first day of PFP. The scene changes to thousands of fans entering the arena, with several people showing off their ticket stubs to the camera)
Random fan: PAIN FOR PRIDE! WOO!!!
(Several areas of the festival is shown, including concerts performed by some of music hottest names. Fans are seen riding the various rides offered, including a montage of several close-ups. A group of teenagers stand in a circle, yelling ‘F–K!’ repeatedly. This is followed by showing a montage of the EAW Empire Tag Team Championship match. The Crowe’s Nest is seen taking control for the majority of the match, followed by Sienna making the hot tag. Kassidy is shown saving her partner several times, followed by the ending of the match with Sienna pulling off a RDG on Raven Roberts.)
Zakkii’s Voice: This may be my last match…but I will go out on top.
Cameron Ella Ava’s Voice: I’m the Goddess of EAW, Zakkii. I’m sorry, but this story won’t end well.
(A montage of Zakkii vs Cameron Ella Ava. Cam and Zakkii is seen going back and forth, with Cam maintaining a strong position. After an epic sequence, Zakkii pulls off her Veritas finisher, followed by a Gloria Swanton Bomb that she paid tribute to Extreme Enigma for before leaping off the top rope for the victory. Cam and Zakkii embrace in the ring.)
(DAY THREE)
Chelsea Crowe’s Voice: Everybody wants to be me, but they don’t know what it takes to be special. And that’s why, I’m the EAW Specialist Champion.
Remy Skyfire’s Voice: Hmph. We’ll see.
(Clips from the Specialist Scramble is shown, ending with Remy Skyfire pulling off a surprise victory within the last seconds of the match to win the Specialist Championship.)
Sienna Jade’s Voice: I am and always will be the one and only REVOLT! Freeweight Champion!
Stephanie Matsuda’s Voice: I came this far. I absolutely refuse to turn back now!
(Clips from the day three main event of Stephanie Matsuda vs Sienna Jade is shown. Jade has the upperhand for the first part of the match, but Matsuda pulls through. Kassidy Heart and Kendra Shamez take a bullet for Sienna, but that wasn’t enough to stop Cloud from delivering a variation of her Endless World electric chair suplex finisher to Sienna to win the match. A final clip of Cloud’s victory is shown)
(DAY FOUR)
Madison Kaline’s Voice: I’m the Empress and I’ll show you why.
Astraea Jordan’s Voice: You nearly ended my career It’s time to pay up.
(The back and forth epic of Astraea Jordan vs Madison Kaline is shown. After a brutal match, Astraea Jordan is shown standing tall. The scene changes to a split screen of Stephanie Matsuda and Astraea, displaying the phrase ‘WHO WILL RULE?’)
(Astraea Jordan is seen standing in gorilla with boyfriend and Showdown elitist Malcolm Jones)
Malcolm Jones: You ready?
Astraea Jordan: Hell yeah.
(“Party Going Dumb” by Rico Nasty plays as Astraea Jordan walks out to an ecstatic crowd with Malcolm Jones trailing behind. The Chiraq savage surveys the crowd for a moment)
SG1: Ladies and gentlemen, Astraea Jordan. She had to get past rival Madison Kaline to get this far, but now she finds herself in what might be the biggest match of her career.
Alicia Amby: I never seen Astraea so focused before. Maybe it’s because of Malcolm’s presence, but she seems confident that she’s going to walk out of the Spectrum Arena as the new Unified Women’s Champion.
SG1: After a disappointing title loss at King of Elite, she has a second chance to become the face of Empire. But I have to say, the Iconic War Queen she’s about to face is not the Queen of Empire who reigned prior. She’s a different animal, one that adapts with each encounter. I’m willing to say the Stephanie Matsuda who exists now is better than the Aria Jaxon who existed then.
Alicia: That may be true, but this Astraea, THIS Astraea Jordan isn’t the same from January. She’s learned from her past mistakes. So maybe it’s Matsuda who needs to worry.
(Astraea Jordan climbs into the rin while Malcolm waits ring side. Jordan leans against the ropes and blows a kiss to the crowd as her music fades. Several moments later, Stephanie “Cloud” Matsuda is seen walking down the corridor wearing her War Queen bandanna over her face with a C9 snapback backwards on her back. Her blue dyed hair is long than it was last season as it drapes past her shoulders. Walking next to her is fiancee and manager Monica Vaughan. The duo come upon stage as “Kill Jill (remix)” by Archie and Sizzle begins to play. The camera pulls back, showing the EAW Unified Women’s Championship around her waist.)
SG1: Stephanie Matsuda looks ready. There’s almost a chill up my spine. She’s in full War Queen mode!
Alicia: Stephanie is over ninety days in as world champion with three successful defenses to boot. She knows how much is hanging in the balance.
SG1: She’s mentioned on record that she wants a record breaking reign. Astraea Jordan will be the one deciding whether or not that happens.
(Stephanie slides into the ring while Monica waits ringside. She climbs the nearest turnbuckle and raises her title belt. She jumps down, runs the ropes, and tosses her hat into the crowd. She then meets Astraea in the middle of the ring and hands the belt to the ref.)
Cori Simmons: The following match is scheduled for ONE FALL!
Crowd: ONE FALL!
Cori: And it is for the EAW UNIFIED WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP!
(Crowd cheers)
Cori: First, the challenger! From Chicago, IL! Weighing in at 155lbs! ASTRAAAAAEA! JOOOOOOOOORDAN!
(Astraea throws up her hands)
Crowd: ASTRAEA BETTER!
Cori: Her opponent! From Brooklyn, NY! Weighing in at 132lbs! She is the reigning and defending EAW UNIFIED WOMEN’S CHAMPION! STEPHANIE! “CLOUD!” MATSUUUUUUUUUDAAAAAAAA!
(Cloud takes off her bandanna and tosses it into the crowd)
SG1: Stephanie Matsuda vs Astraea Jordan. Here we go!
(DING! DING! DING!)
SG1: Referee Jesse Carlton calls for the bell! Cloud and Astraea are circling one another, taking in this electric atmosphere! We have the Iconic War Queen vs the Chiraq Savage!
Crowd: LET’S GO CLOUD-Y!
Crowd: AS-TRA-EA!
SG1: Cloud and Astraea lock-up! It’s a battle for supremacy as both women try to find their footing! Neither woman is faltering at the moment! Astraea is quickly gaining leverage over Matsuda! Cloud finds herself knocked back with a single push! This is the raw power of Astraea Jordan!
Alicia: Cloud looks quite surprised! She picks herself up while eyeing her opponent carefully. This is similar to the beginning of King of Elite where Aria was overpowered by Astraea. It surprises me that people still underestimate her strength!
SG1: Cloud is taking her time to reassess the situation. Malcolm Jones is cheering on his girlfriend ringside, while Monica is studying the situation with careful eyes. It’s interesting to see how she’s progressed as Cloud’s manager. Meanwhile Astraea is goading Matsuda into another collar-and-elbow attempt! Cloud takes the bait and assumes a catch position! The two go in for the tie-up! Cloud ducks under and goes behind for a waist-lock! Astraea counters with a hip toss! Cloud rolls to her feet and hits a SURPRISE BASEMENT DROPKICK SQUARE IN THE FACE!
Alicia: That’s the genius of Stephanie Matsuda! I’m willing to bet she allowed herself to be countered so she can pull off the surprise attack! Astraea is holding her face as she scowls at an expressionless Matsuda. I think she understood the message: strength isn’t everything.
SG1: Now it’s Clouds turn to initiate the third tie-up. Astraea accepts and gets to her feet. Stiff kick to the gut! It looks like Jordan has changed her mind! Cloud’s doubled over as Astraea rains down a series of clubbing blows to the back! She picks up Cloud like nothing! MILITARY PRESS RIB BREAKER! MY OH MY!
Malcolm Jones: (off mic) That’s right girl! Get ‘em!
Alicia: Matsuda felt that one, but has no time to recuperate as Astraea applies the grounded headlock! This is NOT the situation Cloud wants to be this early in the match! She tried to have an honorable contest of wits, but it looks like Astraea doesn’t want to play anymore!
SG1: This is the main event, Alicia! A match for the Unified Women’s Championship! Empire’s crown jewel! This is no time for fun and games! Astarea transitions to a body scissors choke hold, squeezing the life out of Stephanie Matsuda! You can see the pained look in Cloud’s eyes as Astraea has wrapped herself around her foe like a viper!
Alicia: Cloud needs to find a way out of this situation! Jesse Carlton is asking her whether or not she is able to stay in this! Matsuda tries to answer back, but is barely able to! She shifts her body, forcing Astraea to roll with her! Cloud reaches the ropes!
Ref: One!
Two!
Three!
Four!
Alicia: Astraea is forcing to let go, but gives Cloud a reminder of the experience by patting her on the head!
SG1: Matsuda doesn’t look to happy about that! She picks herself up by the ropes, sticking to the edge of the ring! Astraea is forced to backup from Cloud to give her space –
Alicia: CLOUD DRIVE! A CLOUD DRIVE OUT OF NOWHERE! MATSUDA WENT OVER THE REF WITH THE SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT AND PULLS OFF THE INVERTED DDT ON ASTRAEA ALONG THE WAY DOWN! SHE FOLDS HER IN HALF FOR THE PIN!
Ref: OOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWOOOOOOOOOOO!
SG1: Astraea kicks out with a shocked look on her face! Nobody saw that coming! Cloud took advantage of the ref’s separation of her and the opponent! Did you see how much height she got from springboarding off the third rope!? Let’s take a look!
(A replay shows Stephanie Matsuda pulling off her signature springboard moonsault inverted DDT, going over the ref and landing behind Astraea Jordan to execute the final half of the move.)
SG1: We now have ourselves a match! Astraea looks beside herself but Cloud decides to waste no more time and takes her down on her backside with a snapmare! She hits the ropes! Running Yakuza kick to Astraea’s head! Jumping knee drop to the gut! Cloud takes a moment to measure her opponent…she starts unleashing several vicious stomps on the right shoulder of Astrea! Jordan’s trying to roll away in pain, but Cloud jumps over to the other side and starts attacking the previous injured leg!
Alicia: That Cloud Drive was all Matsuda needed to get the ball back in her court! The most dangerous thing about Matsuda’s moveset is that she can hit her opponent in different ways with a single move!
SG1: Bruce Lee said it himself “fear not the man who has practiced 10000 kicks once, but fear the man who has practiced one kick 10000 times!” Matsuda has taken that mantra to heart and has practiced every move to perfection!
Alicia: Speaking of kicks, Cloud has unleaded several upon a standing Astraea! A low kick to the thigh! Spin kick to the gut! Axe kick to the back – wait! Astraea has the leg! SNAP SCOOP POWERSLAM! The mat has rocked from the force of that slam! It looks like Jordan is adapting to Cloud’s unique lucharesu fighting style!
SG1: This is a woman who trained under the best of the best: Mr. DEDEDE himself! She is a member of the Gawd Complex – an elite group of young talent trained by Ryan Adams at his home! I wouldn’t be surprised if he gave her some pointers for this match!
Alicia: Astraea Jordan is walking around Matsuda, thinking about what she’s going to do next! She grabs hold of the legs and pulls her close! Oh my…Astraea has DEADLIFTED MATSUDA IN THE AIR! RELEASE POWERBOMB! MATSUDA’S BODY BOUNCED OFF THE MAT LIKE A TENNIS BALL! Astraea’s power might be too much for the War Queen if she keeps on taking moves like that!
SG1: Astraea turns Cloud over onto her stomach! She starts dropping down elbow drop after elbow drop to the lower back! This is a smart play by Jordan, who wants to eliminate the power of the Cloud City straight-jacket suplex!
Alicia: Cloud’s in pain and tries to rolls away, but Astraea is pushing her boot in Cloud’s face as if she’s playing with her food! I’m surprised by the steady pace of this match!
SG1: You shouldn’t be, Alicia. Astraea knows that Cloud thrives in high speed situations. She’s taking a book from Madison Kaline and slowing things down so she can dismantle Matsuda piece by piece! She DEADLIFTS Cloud once more! Over the shoulder back-to-belly piledriver onto the knee! Just like Cloud’s Air Raid Crash Neckbreaker! Astraea’s not done yet! Stomp to the hand!
Alicia: Matsuda’s curled up in a ball, trying to avoid any more serious damage! Astraea Jordan seems to have her number! She picks Cloud up to her feet! Headbutt! A second one! A third one! God this is hard to watch! She leans back for a fourth – STO COUNTER BY MATSUDA!
SG1: There goes that battle instinct from Cloud! She used the momentum Astraea’s headbutt to create a whiplash-like effect! Jordan looks like she doesn’t know where she is at the moment! Cloud stares at Malcolm Jones with a grin on her face! It looks like she has something sinister in mind! Matsuda grabs Astraea’s legs and applies the Straight Shooter! She has the signature figure-four sharpshooter locked in tight! This is almost as dangerous as her Blasian Sunrise! She’s pulling Astarea good leg back while sitting on Jordan’s previously injured leg, applying tons of pressure from her weight alone! Astraea is in pain city right now, trapped between a rock and a hard place!
Alicia: Cloud has her nearly dead center in the ring to, positioned in a way where Astraea’s face in MJ’s line of vision! This is a direct message to the Joneset leader! Matsuda wants Astraea to tap out in front of her man on live television! Jordan is attempting to pull herself forward! Matsuda ts trying to reign her back in! MJ is hitting the mat, trying to encourage his woman to crawl forward! AJ is going to need all of the strength in the world to get herself out of this situation! Monica is telling Cloud to step it up! Matsuda is trying to pull her in, but she’s losing her grip! This hold isn’t made for maneuvering the opponent around! Cloud loses her grip! Astraea turns on her back and pushes Cloud away with her feet! Matsuda falls down up kip-ups – SPEAR!! ASTRAEA JORDAN WITH THE SURPRISE SPEAR FROM OUT OF NOWHERE! SHADES OF MR. DEDEDE! She makes the cover!
Ref: OOOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO!
Alicia: Matsuda gets the shoulder up!
SG1: Astarea has turn the tables, but you can tell Cloud did a number on her legs and lower back! Matsuda his clutching her chest from the impact of that spear. It was a desperate attempt that was pulled off quite well! Astraea climbs upon Cloud and starts raining down a series of mounted punches! One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Astraea’s struggling to get to her feet with Matsuda! She whips her to the corner! The running big boot lands perfectly on Cloud’s face! Uh oh, Astraea’s limping a little after that sequence!
Alicia: The thing about Astraea Jordan is that she’s a freaking tank! That’s also the downside of her physical ability! Sometimes she’s so determined to pull through, she doesn’t notice things such as how damaged her legs are!
SG1: Can you blame her? This is a woman who had to work day and night to get back into fighting shape! There’s no way she’s going to show the opposition any form of weakness! After a few stiff forearms, Astraea has positioned herself on the second turnbuckle! She lifts Cloud in the air in a hanging powerbomb position! SHE LIFTS HER UP FOR THE RICOLA BOMB! MATSUDA COUNTERS WITH A FRANKENSTEINER! ASTRAEA LANDS ON FEET, ALMOST STUMBLING FORWARD! SHE TURNS AROUND WITH A WILD SWING! CLOUD DUCKS AND COUNTERS WITH A ROLLING KNEE BAR! CLOUD HAS KNEEBAR APPLIED ON THE LEG THAT KEPT ASTRAEA OUT FOR MONTHS! THIS IS THE SAME MOVE THAT MADE CHELSEA CROWE TAP! THIS IS THE SAME SUBMISSION THAT HELPED CLOUD BECOME THE SECOND LONGEST JET WORLD CHAMPION! ASTRAEA’S REACHING OUT FOR THE ROPES! SHE NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THIS SITUATION! MJ’S RUNNING OVER! THE REF DOESN’T SEE HIM! HE GRABS ASTREA’S HAND AND PUTS IT ON THE ROPES! MONICA IS SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER AT HIM! MJ IS YELLING AT JESSE CARLTON, FORCING HER TO MAKE THE CALL!
Ref: One!
Two!
Three!
Four!
SG1: Cloud is forced to let go of the rope!
Alicia: Neither Cloud or Monica seem happy about what just transpired! Malcolm Jones brought it upon himself to intervene and now Monica is in his face, screaming up a storm! Malcolm has his hand up! Cloud gets to her feet and leans against the ropes, telling for MJ to stay away from her woman! Jesse Carlton is ordering both outside parties to separate! MJ and Monica part ways for the time being, allowing for Cloud to turn her focus back to Astraea! The Iconic War Queen picks her up and leans her against the ropes! The superkick connects, knocking Astraea Jordan out of the ring! Cloud takes a knee in the middle of the ring as the crowd starts clapping and stomping to the tune of the Terminator theme!
Crowd: (CLAP-CLAP CLAP CLAP-CLAP! STOMP-STOMP STOMP STOMP-STOMP)
Alicia: Cloud rebounds from the ropes! ROPE-STEP TOPE CON HILO! MALCOLM JONES GETS IN THE WAY AND TAKES THE FALL AS CLOUD FLIES INTO HIM! MATSUDA BARELY LANDS ON HER FEET – SPINNING HEEL KICK TO THE FACE BY ASTRAEA JORDAN! MJ TOOK A HIT SO ASTRAEA CAN TURN THIS THING AROUND! MONICA IS LIVID! Astraea falls to her knees while Matsuda is stunned on the ground!
SG1: Astraea used everything in her power to stop Cloud’s momentum, thanks to Malcolm! Looks like love prevails after all!
Ref: One!
(A replay of Cloud’s rope-step tope con hilo is shown, ending with her flying into Malcolm Jones. This is followed by Astraea getting the drop on Cloud)
SG1: Astraea’s stomping away at Cloud, digging in deep! She can’t allow Matsuda to take advantage! You can tell she’s hurting in the lower half of her body, but she’ll need to end things as quickly as possible!
Ref: Two!
Alicia: Astraea picks up Cloud and slams her face into the apron! Matsuda’s stumbling about – SPEAR INTO THE STEEL STEPS BY ASTRAEA JORDAN! THE CHIRAQ SAVAGE JUST WENT FULL SPEED LIKE A BULLET TRAIN INTO STEPHANIE MATSUDA! OH MY GOD! CLOUD’S LOWER BACK WENT RIGHT INTO THE SHARP EDGE OF THOSE STAIRS! You can see the blood trickling from her back!
(A replay of Astraea’s spear into Cloud is shown with a close-up of Cloud’s lower back hitting the middle edge on the third step)
Ref: Three!
SG1: Astraea picks-up Cloud by her hair! SHE SLAMS MATSUDA’S FACE INTO THE STEEL POST! CLOUD’S HEAD HAS BUSTED OPEN! MATSUDA’S ON HER HANDS AND KNEES, BLEEDING FROM HER FOREHEAD!
(Astraea turns to the crowd)
Astraea: (yells) IS THIS YOUR QUEEN!?
SG1: Cloud is on her knees! Astraea grabs Matsuda by the throat with both hands and LIFTS HER OFF HER FEET AND SLAMS HER AGAINST THE APRON! MY GOD ASTRAEA IS COMPLETELY DOMINATING MATSUDA!
Ref: Four!
SG1: Astraea rolls into the ring, and rolls back out! She wants to keep this match outside! Malcolm Jones is back on his feet, ignoring Monica who is yelling at him to go to the back! He’s more focused on checking on his girlfriend, who seems to be doing quite fine!
Ref: One!
SG1: Astraea is leading Matsuda by the hair and it looks like she’s going to send her into another set of stairs – MATSUDA REVERSES AND SENDS ASTRAEA INTO THE STAIRS KNEE FIRST! Cloud drops to a knee, exhausted from digging deep! You can tell that was a desperate attempt!
Alicia: Cloud is leaning against the apron, wondering what to do next! She’s better off taking this back into the ring! Astraea’s trying to get back on her feet – SLIDING FOREARM SMASH FROM MATSUDA! JORDAN IS KNOCKED SILLY, HER HEAD HITTING THE LOPSIDED STAIRS!
Ref: Two!
SG1: This sudden comeback from Matsuda is taking a lot out of her! It’s not her style, but she’ll need to slow things down before she builds up momentum! Cloud is grabbing Astraea by the braid! She’s tying the braid around the ringpost! Astraea’s struggling, but Cloud moves away from her kicking legs! Kick to the gut! Elbow smash to the face! Cloud continues her onslaught with a series of kicks to the midsection and forearms to the face! Cloud steps back…
Ref: Three!
Alicia: C-TRIGGER!!!!
SG1: THE SIGNATURE BICYCLE KNEE FINDS ITS TARGET, KNOCKING ASTRAEA OUT! JORDAN’S HEAD SMACKED AGAINST THE RING POST! SHE MIGHT BE DONE FOR!
Ref: Four!
Alicia: Cloud untied Astraea’s braid and places her onto the apron! She slowly climbs up and puts her underneath. Matsuda lifts her up…SPECIAL DELIVERY!!! CLOUD JUST DROVE ASTRAEA’S HEAD ONTO THE APRON WITH HER PACKAGE PILEDRIVER! WHAT THE HELL! Jordan’s head bounced off the apron as she hit the ground hard! MJ’s making his way over to Matsuda getting in between her and AJ once more – HURRICANRANA OUT OF NOWHERE BY MONICA TO MJ! SHE’S HAD ENOUGH OF HIS INTERFERENCE!
Ref: Five!
SG1: MJ’s sprawled out onto the floor! Matsuda drops down and rolls Astraea back into the ring! She slides after her! Instead of making the pin, Cloud makes her way to the nearest turnbuckle! She’s moving a bit slower than usual from the wear and tear of this match! Cloud climbs to the top! She’s perched up high! We all know what’s about to happen next! Matsuda takes off as Astarea kip-ups!
Alicia: C-9! SHE HITS THE CLOUD 9 TO A STANDING ASTREA! BOTH WOMEN FALLS BACKWARDS!
SG1: Wait! Both women roll through! ASTRAEA HAS CLOUD ON HER SHOULDERS!? THE CHIRAQ SAVAGE, THIS HULK OF A HUMAN BEING IS GETTING BACK TO HER FEET WITH CLOUD OVER HER SHOULDERS IN A FIREMAN’S CARRY POSITION! She drops Cloud for a moment and knees her in the gut and lifts her for a powerbomb –
Alicia: LATE REGISTRATION! ASTRAEA HITS THE SNAP POWERBOMB CUTTER! MATSUDA IS OUT! WE’RE ABOUT TO HAVE A NEW WORLD CHAMPION!!! ASTRAEA MAKES THE COVER!
Ref/Crowd: OOOOOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
THRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
SG1: Wait! Jesse Carlton just noticed Matsuda’s foot is on the ropes! Monica Vaughan snuck over and placed Cloud’s foot on the ropes! She’s fighting fire with fire-
Alicia: SUPERKICK OUT OF NOWHERE BY JONES! MALCOLM JONES JUST SUPERKICKED CLOUD’S FIANCEE! PAYBACK FOR THAT HURRICANRANA! MONICA’S KNOCKED OUT! CLOUD IS TOO STUNNED TO NOTICED WHAT JUST HAPPENED!
Malcolm Jones: (yelling) DON’T YOU EVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON ME!
SG1: MJ is signaling to AJ to end this match! He’s telling her to go to the top! To end this how she ended her match with Madison Kaline! Astarea makes her way over to the corner! It’s her turn to climb the ropes! She somehow successfully countered one of Cloud’s deadliest finishers, the Cloud 9! She’s climbing to the top, taking longer than usual! Astraea usually doesn’t fly, but when she does it’s a sight to behold! She’s perched! She has her eyes on Cloud! She’s seconds from having the whole world in her hands!
Alicia: LOVE SOSA!!!! SHE FLIPS FORWARD WITH THE 450 SPLASH!
SG1: MATSUDA HAD THE LEGS UP AND JORDAN GOES CRASHING ONTO HER KNEES! SOMEHOW! SOMEWAY STEPHANIE MATSUDA HAD ENOUGH AWARENESS TO BLOCK THE 450 SPLASH!
Alicia: Originally called the Scorpio Splash, this was a move innovated by Michael “Black Scorpio” Hunter! Matsuda had to time it to perfect, despite being in No Man’s Land when Astarea took flight! Jordan is curled up in a ball, the damaged she sustained in this match catching up to her! Cloud is slow to move around as well! The ref is making her count as both competitors are on their backs! Someone has to get to their feet!
Crowd: THIS IS AWESOME! (CLAP-CLAP CLAP-CLAP-CLAP)
SG1: Malcolm Jones is hitting his hands on the mat, yelling at AJ to get to her feet! Cloud is using the ropes to help her back up! You can look into her eyes and see that she’s just realizing where she’s at! Astarea is still laying on her side! Cloud is looking over the ropes! She sees Monica is laying on the floor! She takes a look at Malcolm Jones!
Alicia: Cloud looks livid…
SG1: The War Queen runs to the opposite side of the ring and bounces back…
Alicia: SUICIDE DIVE!!! SHE GOES CRASHING INTO MJ!!! MATSUDA HAS FOUND A REASON TO FIGHT ON! SHE ROLLS BACK INTO THE RING LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL! SHE RUNS TO THE OTHER SIDE AGAINST AND CHARGES BACK AS MJ GETS TO HIS FEET – A SECOND SUICIDE DIVE KNOCKS HIM INTO THE BARRICADE! JESSE CARLTON IS TELLING CLOUD TO FOCUS ON THE MATCH OR SHE’LL DISQUALIFY HER! CLOUD’S ALREADY IN MOMENTUM! SHE’S ABOUT TO TAKE MJ BACK TO THE FUTURE…
SG1: MATSUDA SPRINGBOARDS AND HIT A SURPRISE MOONSAULT ONTO ASTRAEA JORDAN! SHE MAKES THE COVER!
Ref: OOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
TWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
THREEE-
SG1: ASTRAEA KICKS OUT AT THE TWO-AND-A-HALF MARK!!! Even with a surprise moonsault, AJ finds a way to dig in deep and stay in this! Cloud is grabbing at her hair, wondering what to do next! Her back might be too damaged to take Astraea to Cloud City! If she loses too much blood, she may not have enough in the tank to pull off another C9! She’s slowly getting to her feet with Astraea in a face lock! SAITO SUPLEX! Cloud sits up, recovering while wondering what to do next!
Alicia: It looks like she’s going back to basics, wearing AJ down as much as she can! I can’t even imagine how much pain either woman must be in right now! Cloud is getting back to her feet with Astraea in tow! Jordan is on one knee fighting back with forearms to the gut! Matsuda’s doubled over! VERTICAL SUPLEX BY ASTRAEA! WAIT! SHE HAS CLOUD STILL IN HER GRASP! A SECOND VERTICAL SUPLEX! SHE’S NOT FINISHED! HOW!? HOW DOES SHE HAVE THIS MUCH LEFT IN THE TANK!? A THIRD VERTICAL SUPLEX! IF SHE KEEPS THIS UP, IT’S OVER FOR MATSUDA!
SG1: Astarea has been known to do TEN of these in a row! I doubt she has enough to pull for ten this late in this match! Not with the amount of damage she’s accumulated! Huh!? She’s going for another one!? ANOTHER VERTICAL SUPLEX!
Crowd: FOUR!
SG1: She’s losing her grip, but you can see the stubborn glare in Astraea Jordan’s eyes! She’s biting her lip to the point where it’s bleeding! She’s grinding her teeth, digging in deep with everything she has! She has Cloud in her clutches once more!
Crowd: FIVE!
Alicia: FIVE! FIVE VERTICAL SUPLEXES SG! AND SHE STILL HAS MATSUDA IN HER CLUTCHES! HOW!? HOW IS THIS POSSI-
Crowd: SIX!
Alicia: Oh my GOD! Wow, I-I have nothing left to say! SIX VERTICAL SUPLEXES IN A ROW! MATSUDA LOOKS DEAD!
SG1: Astraea looks possessed! If I was a spiritual person I would say this isn’t Astraea Jordan we’re seeing but the DEVIL INCARNATE!
Crowd: SEVEN!
Alicia: Matsuda is gone at this point. Jesse Carlton is checking on her! Both Malcolm and Monica are getting to their feet! If She has a white towel, she might have to throw it in now!
Crowd: EIGHT!
Alicia: H-how SG!? HOW DOES ASTRAEA JORDAN HAVE ALL THIS STAMINA!? I NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! AND SHE’S NOT FINISHED!?
Crowd: NINE!
SG1: NINE VERTICAL SUPLEXES! VERY RARELY DO WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS! ASTRAEA JORDAN HAS PROVEN HERSELF TO BE ONE OF- OR QUITE POSSIBLY THE MOST DANGEROUS WOMAN ON THURSDAY NIGHT EMPIRE! SHE LIFTS CLOUD ONCE MORE! SHE HAS STEPHANIE MATSUDA HIGH IN THE AIR! WHAT LOOKS LIKE TO BE THE FINAL SUPLEX – CAN YOU COUNT TO TEN SHE CALLS IT – THIS DELAYED SUPLEX! ALL OF THE BLOOD IS RUSHING TO THE HEAD OF STEPHANIE MATSUDA RIGHT NOW! MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE DEAD AT THIS POINT –
Crowd: TEEEEEEEEEEEEN!
SG1: TEN! TEN VERTICAL SUPLEXES! ASTRAEA JORDAN HAS JUST ASKED THE WORLD CAN WE COUNT TO TEN! AND WE JUST DID! IT MIGHT AS WELL BE OVER AT THIS POINT FOR THE ICONIC WAR QUEEN!
Alicia: Astraea is taking her time getting to her feet! She should cover Matsuda right now, but it looks like she has more things in mind! I can’t see what else she can do to the champ at this point! Astraea is standing over Stephanie Matsuda, catching her breath! I never seen her look at anyone like this before! It’s not the rage she has for Madison Kaline…but something else.
SG1: She’s twirling her braid too…
Astraea: Don’t.
SG1: ASTREA JUST WHIPPED HER BRAID ACROSS CLOUD’S MIDSECTION!
Astraea: You.
SG1: A second whip attack!
Astraea: EVER!
SG1: A third!
Astraea: Touch!
SG1: A fifth!
Astarea: My! (whip) HAIR! (whip) OR! (whip) MY MAN! (whip-whip) A- (whips) -GAIN! (whip) POP! (whip) AWF-
Alicia: CLOUD JUST GRABBED THE BRAID! She looks unconscious, but MATSUDA HAS ASTRAEA’S BRAID IN HER HAND! ASTRAEA’S TRYING TO PULL AWAY BUT MATSUDA’S NOT BUDGING! ASTRAEA STOMPS AT HER FACE! CLOUD CATCHES HER FOOT WITH HER OTHER HAND! SHE PULLS THE LEG MAKING ASTAREA FALL! SOMEHOW CLOUD IS COMING TO! SHE’S ROLLING ON HER SIDE WITH ASTRAEA’S BRAID IN HER HAND! SHE’S CLIMBING OVER ASTRAEA! SHE’S WRAPPING THE BRAID AROUND HER HAND AS SHE MAKES A FIST! THERE’S THIS VENOMOUS GLARE IN HER EYES! CLOUD’S FACE IS AS RED AS HELL ITSELF!
Cloud: (off mic) Stay woke bitch…
Alicia: CLOUD IS LAYING INTO ASTAREA WITH HER OWN BRAID DELIVERING FISTS OF FIRE AND FURY TO THE SIDE OF HER HEAD! JESSE CARLTON IS SHOUTING A WARNING BUT MATSUDA IS TOO FAR GONE! SHE’S SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER FROM THE THE TOP OF HER LUNGS! AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TO MONICA SHE MIGHT HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO! ASTRAEA’S FOREHEAD IS BLEEDING NOW! THERE’S BLOOD IN HER OWN BRAID!
SG1: Cloud gets to her feet somehow, pulling at the braid. She’s forcing Astraea to sit up…
Alicia: CLOUD TRIGGER!!!!!
SG1: THE KNEE CONNECTS WITH ASTRAEA’S CHIN! A FEW MORE OF THOSE AND IT MAY BE OVER FOR THE CHIRAQ SAVAGE! CLOUD STILL HAS THE BRAID IN HER HAND!
Alicia: A SECOND C-TRIGGER!!!!
SG1: THAT’S A SECOND BICYCLE KNEE TO THE FACE! Matsuda is in War Queen mode! This is who Astraea Jordan wanted to fight! This is the woman she wanted to meet in the ring! The undisputed, undeniable force of nature that is the Iconic War Queen! Your EAW Unified Women’s Champion of Thursday Night Empire! Her face is a blood mask right now! You can tell she’s beyond her limits at this point!
Crowd: THREE!
SG1: A THIRD C-TRIGGER! CLOUD IS GIVING ASTRAEA IS TASTE OF HER OWN MEDICINE! THE CUT ON AJ’S FOREHEAD IS EVEN DEEPER! THERE’S MORE BLOOD COMING DOWN HER FACE! YOU CAN SEE THE RAGE SEETHING IN BOTH WOMEN’S EYES! CLOUD LOOKS LIKE SHE’S NOWHERE NEAR FINI-
Crowd: FOUR!
Alicia: SG! This has to be hard for a lot of people to watch! Astraea’s eyes looks like they’re rolled to the back of her head! Malcolm Jones is hitting the mat once more, as is Monica Vaughan! They’re more invested in this match instead of each other!
Crowd: FIVE!
Alicia: A FIFTH BICYCLE KNEE TO THE FACE! HELL, IT JUST TAKES ONE OR TWO OF JAMIE O’HARA’S IN EXCELSIS TO KNOCK SOMEONE OUT FOR GOOD!
SG1: Maybe the wear and tear of this match has lessen the effectiveness of Cloud’s signature-
Crowd: SIX!
Alicia: I can’t understand how Malcolm Jones is able to watch this! Wait, he has his phone out! It looks like he’s texting someone…
SG1: Astraea’s nearly gone at this point… Cloud is rearing back for another…
Crowd: SEVEN-
Alicia: ASTREA GOES UNDER MATSUDA! SHE PULLS HER LEGS DOWN! SHE TURNS MATSUDA OVER! THE THOT BREAKER! SHE HAS HER FOOT ON MATSUDA’S HEAD! THE BOSTON CRAB TAKES A WHILE TO BE LOCKED IN BUT IT LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS IT! SHE’S PULLING BACK! CLOUD’S LOWER BACK IS BEING STRETCHED TO ITS LIMIT!
Crowd: BE-GONE THOT! BE-GONE THOT! BE-GONE THOT!
SG1: Astarea has the Thot Breaker applied after a successful counter! Cloud’s in serious pain! Her back might snap from the pressure!
Alicia: Wait! Who are these people!?
SG1: I recognize them from the World Heavyweight Championship match at Pain for Pride! It’s MJ’s Joneset! They’re coming down to the ring! Malcolm is directing traffic as they make their way down the ramp, surrounding the ring! Jesse Carlton is too focused on the two competitors right now! Who’s allowing this to happen!? Where’s Flannery McCoy! Where’s our-
Alicia: Is that Kendra Shamez!?
(Kendra Shamez walks out from the back, watching the match from the stage. She folds her arms with her eyes narrowed.)
SG1: What the hell is going on!? Why is McCoy allowing this to happen!? MJ is a Showdown Elitist! This is Thursday Night Empire! Monica is trying to get everyone to leave! She’s trying to get Jesse’s attention to get everyone out of there! Wait! One of the Joneset has Monica in his arms, pulling her away from the ring with a hand over her mouth! Monica’s kicking and screaming!
Alicia: Astarea looks like she’s losing her grip on Matsuda! She used up so much energy in this match already! She also lost a lot of blood in this match! Matsuda manages to turn over, flipping Jordan on her back! Basement dropkick to the face! Members of the Joneset are climbing upon the apron! Cloud scrambles to her feet!
SG1: This is madness…
Alicia: C-TRIGGER TO A JONESET MEMBER! CLOUD RACES ACROSS THE RING, ALMOST STUMBLING FROM EXHAUSTION! A SECOND C-TIGGER TO ANOTHER JONESET MEMBER! SHE TURNS DIRECTION! A THIRD C-TIGGER!!! ANOTHER MEMBER GETS KNOCKED OFF THE APRON! ONE MORE IS REMAINING! A FOURTH C-TRIGGER!
SG1: I don’t know if Astraea realizes what’s going on outside the ring! Cloud is like Sonic the Hedgehog right now! She’s racing back towards Astarea-
Alicia: FREE SMOKE!!!!
SG1: CLOUD SLIDES UNDER THE REVERSE ROUNDHOUSE! LAST SURPRISE!!! CLOUD WITH THE SLING BLADE OUT OF NOWHERE!!!! SHE’S CRAWLING TOWARDS THE NEAREST CORNER! IS IS SHE REALLY GOING FOR WHAT I THINK SHE IS!? THERE’S NOTHING LEFT IN THE TANK! SHE’S SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES! KENDRA SHAMEZ HAS HER EYE ON THE SITUATION AND THERE’S NO GENERAL MANAGER IN SIGHT! CLOUD IS TAKING HER TIME CLIMBING THE NEAREST TURNBUCKLE!
Alicia: She looks too weak to be pulling off her finisher! Astraea might be out, but she could still come out with the surprise counter! MJ jumps atop of the apron! Monica elbows her attacker in the gut and runs back to the ring! She’s pulling at MJ’s foot! Matsuda barely notices him! She’s perched up high! MJ’s kicks Monica away! CLOUD TAKES FLIGHT!
SG1: CLOUD 9!!!! SHE HITS THE C-9!!!! THE CORKSCREW SHOOTING STAR FINDS ITS TARGET! CLOUD MAKES THE COVER!
Ref/Crowd: OOOOONEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
(DING! DING! DING!)
(Both MJ and Monica slide into the ring as “Kill Jill (remix)” by Archie & Sizzle begins to play)
Cori Simmons: Your winner by pinfall, and STILL your EAW Unified Women’s Champion…Stephanie! “Cloud!” Matsuuuuuudaaaaaaa!
(MJ pushes Cloud off of Astarea and cradles her in his arms. Monica goes to check on Cloud)
Alicia: Holy crap. She did it! Stephanie Matsuda has successfully defended her newly renamed title!
SG1: After an amazing match at Pain for Pride, she has upped the ante and went past the limit with Astarea Jordan who may have outclassed Matsuda if this match went any further than it should’ve!
Alicia: I thought it was all over when Astarea had the Thot Breaker applied! Most of the arena was beginning to get behind her!
(Jesse Carlton hands Cloud the EAW Unified Women’s Championship while Monica cradles her head. MJ orders several members of the Joneset to carry a half-conscious Astraea Jordan out of the ring.)
Alicia: I have a bad feeling about this…
SG1: MJ’s walking towards Cloud and Monica. His face looks like it’s past anger and fury! Astarea stumbles out of the arms of one of the Joneset members and starts tugging at Malcolm! She’s shaking her head, telling him to fall back! Monica and Cloud look on with defiant eyes! I doubt either of them have anything left to protect themselves at this point! They’re completely at MJ’s mercy as Kendra looks on with eyes of malice!
(MJ nods at Astraea and orders the Joneset to fall back. Astarea falls on her knees, exhausted from the match. The camera shows the back of Cloud and Monica as they look up at a furious Malcolm Jones. He eyes the couple up and down before helping AJ out of the ring.)
SG1: I have a feeling this isn’t over…
(The camera shows Malcolm and Astarea going up the ramp and turns back to Cloud and Monica holding each other in the ring.)
(EAW logo buzzes)
