Fight Grid
(“Thought Contagion” by Muse plays as highlights of Season 12 of Showdown so far play including Diamond Cage’s dominance as EAW Champion, the formation of NEO Syndicate, Ahren Fournier’s back and forth with Heart Break Boy, Malcolm Jones & Astraea Jordan winning the tag team championships, and the rise of several up and coming talents. The video package ends as it transitions into an aerial shot of the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The arena isn’t yet completely filled as fans are still arriving and it then zooms into a commentary booth above the crowd as a panel of EAW analysts and Fight Grid correspondants such as EAW Hall of Famer Alexander Da Vinci, EAW CFO Andy Dominguez, Kathy Kush, & Michael Lanza.)
Kathy Kush: Hey everybody I’m Kathy Kush alongside my partners tonight, Andy Dominguez, Alexander Da Vinci, and Michael Lanza! Welcome everybody back for one of the most integral marquee events in EAW’s illustrious history, one of the most popular and trailblazing events ever, back by popular demand… MIDSUMMER MASSACRE!
(The crowd of fans in the background of the booth can be seen cheering)
Crowd: MSM! MSM! MSM! MSM! MSM!
Andy: These fans are rabid and deservedly so! They made their voices heard and we listened, we brought back Midsummer Massacre and we brought it in a major way… to our backyard in Newark, New Jersey!
ADV: That’s right Andy! It just feels right to have Midsummer Massacre, one of the very events that made EAW into what it is today back in full form.
Lanza: Now wait a minute guys. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, full form would be ya know, an interbranded event that ALL brands could participate in, rather than just Showdown. Besides, Dia Del Diablo was perfectly fine in my opinion.
ADV: Great the smark-God has spoken. (ADV rolls his eyes)
Andy: Well Dia Del Diablo comments aside Alex, he kinda has a point here. Midsummer Massacre was always a big four event for EAW. That’s why LC and I made sure that the brand we’re on at least had one match representing it. There was no way in hell we were gonna miss this show!
Kathy: Oh that’s right, you and LC actually have a lot of history at this very event don’t you? You play a very big part in the luster and folklore of this event considering you were the poster boy of the very first MSM.
(The MSM 2008 poster flashes across the screen as the fans cheer)
Andy: Yep that’s right. A whole decade ago in 2008. It was at this very event where I walked in as the first ever Mr. Cash in the Vault and defeated the Heart Break Boy rather quickly might I add.
ADV: I remember that moment. Too bad my good friend ended up passing you up in the long run old man.
Andy: You got a point there.
Kathy: Midsummer Massacre is an event that has several classic moments that we can all look back to and refer as our favorite moment, for me personally it was seeing Jaywalker ride off in that hovercraft after his retirement! I thought he was so cool back then!
ADV: Yeah that was great until the old hag couldn’t help himself and came back.
Lanza: Well we all know retirement in EAW is like Mr. DEDEDE in bed with his multiple backpage thots, it just doesn’t last. Personally my favorite Midsummer Massacre moment was when it was announced defunct.
ADV: Why the hell is this guy even here?
Lanza: No in all seriousness, my favorite moment was when Lethal Consequences made his debut. Nobody knew who he was but Ronn Banks himself, he was disguised as a referee in Ronn’s classic bout against HRDO and then the ultimate twist happened. The referee attacks HRDO and sets him on fire, like who would have guessed that? Extreme Answers Wrestling was quite the atmosphere.
Andy: Indeed. My favorite moment was probably the climax of Midsummer Massacre 2012 when the Prince of Phenomenal joined Project EGO. Now THAT was a twist no one saw coming. The man sold his soul to the devil and never looked back and boy did that moment have EAW at the time buzzing for weeks! It lead to one of the most dominant stables in the history of this business, and of course the amazing match that POP had with HBB at the last Pain for Pride five years later. Amazing.
ADV: Those two are going to be pretty hard to top, but I’d say my favorite moment is.. and yes I know I’m going to sound biased but I don’t care. Team Burial, the team of Banks and I laying absolute waste to our opponents in 2011 to the point where we didn’t even care about winning the tag team championships, we just wanted to.. well.. bury somebody.
Kathy: All classic moments and things I can remember off the back of my head like it was just yesterday! Hopefully tonight’s show brings us even more moments we can look back on. Speaking of which, let’s run down the matches for tonight as we have an action packed show lined up for you guys!
(The Showdown Showcase elimination match card flashes across the screen)
Kathy: So at the end of this pre-show we’ll be treated to a match to kick things off here on Showdown. It’ll be an elimination match featuring some of the brightest young talent on Showdown, who do you guys think has a chance to win?
ADV: As somebody who’s worked closely with all of these young men at the EAW Performance Center right down the block, and I know it’s cliche to say but, each and every one of these men have a chance. If you make it to the big leagues in EAW you have a chance. The grueling process that we put these elitists through on a daily basis just to see if they have what it takes is no joke. These men have made it this far and I honestly believe this is anyone’s game.
Lanza: Fair assessment Alex, I can’t disagree with your point about it taking a lot to make it this far in EAW, however we can’t just gloss over the fact that some people are simply better than others. As far as this match is concerned, I’m sticking to my guns. I was able to get a first hand witness of Pain for Pride week where I documented my experience and shared it to the world. I also walked away with a pretty good grasp of who to expect to become breakout stars this season, and on my list Damon Diesel was one of those men. Damon Diesel is my pick to win it all guys. He’s the second in command of the newly formed stable NEO Syndicate which has all of EA buzzing right now. Although MSM might look like the leader Rev’s night, the capo in Damon Diesel just might have something to say about that.
Andy: Well if Jackson Blayde was in this match it wouldn’t even be a question. Luckily for the men in this match he’s in a superior brand of Voltage where he’ll be main eventing tomorrow like the true star he is. However, if I had to choose from the bunch I’m going to go with Rico Core. There’s just something about those Core Bro’s guys I’m telling you. They’re improving at a rapid rate and this just might be their time to shine.
Kathy: Me personally, I think I’m gonna go with Shane Gates. Gates has been waiting for a breakout moment on Showdown all year, he might be still considered an up and comer but he’s technically the veteran out of the bunch having the most main roster experience, I believe that will come to play in tonight’s bout. Speaking of up and coming talents, we also have a New Breed Championship match as Xander Payne defends his title against Tayo!
(Xander vs Tayo match card flashes across the screen)
ADV: I’m going to go with Xander on this one. The sky is the limit for that guy and I’ve seen him rise up the rankings of the New Breed Division in just a short amount of time. He won’t be dropping that title just yet especially if he’s a fighting champion like I know he is.
Andy: I’m with you ADV, it may be MSM.. but Payne for Pride is eternal! Plus I gotta represent for the gold brand.
Lanza: Personal feelings aside, logic would tell you that your first title defense against a 6’9 unorthodox competitor such as Tayo will not be an easy feat. I expect the mind games and pure strength to overwhelm Xander, and we will be seeing Tayo walk out as the champion.
Kathy: Well I’m with Andy and ADV, Xander all the way! Next match we have Cody Marshall taking on TLA in a number one contenders match for the EAW Championship!
ADV: Well like Lanza over there I’m going to go with the big man for this match, but unlike Lanza my prediction will actually be correct. I think it’s simply Cody Marshall’s time. The man has a lot of star potential and he’s just hidden in plain sight. I honestly feel he can be amongst the top competitors in this company and this will be a great opportunity to prove that. I love TLA but… he had his shot plenty of times and we’ve saw how it ended. Cody needs this more and that’s why he has more of an incentive to secure the victory.
Lanza: I think experience will play a factor here and TLA will overcome Cody. TLA is found himself in big match situations over the past two years now and he’s always come up short, at some point you realize where you went wrong, you get tired of underachieving, and you put your all into overcoming your obstacles. This is the night TLA does that.
Andy: I’m gonna have to keep it in the family on this one. TLA all the way. Cody Marshall is a great talent but TLA has IT, and he’ll show that tonight. TLA is one of the main guys on the Showdown roster who I feel could very well be holding onto that EAW Championship this season and perhaps now is the time to put that in motion.
Kathy: I’m gonna go with Cody, he’s been severely underrated his whole career and being on a brand like Showdown that isn’t too top heavy with a pretty wide open landscape to really break out and shine will help him. He’s shined so far and he’ll simply just want it more than TLA does. Up next we have the Openweight Championship on the line! The beautiful Ms. Andrea Valentine versus the hungry veteran in Terry Chambers!
(The match card of Terry Chambers vs Andrea Valentine flashes across the screen)
ADV: I was on my way out of the business when Terry was just entering, but Terry was a guy who stood out from the bunch of rookies and was destined for greatness. He’s been sidetracked a lot on his journey but I honestly feel like this era is the era where he finally realizes his destiny and wins a championship here in EAW. You wanna talk about hungry? Terry has sat back as factors beyond his control lead to him sitting there and watching all of his contemporaries pass him up and accomplish things. He just wants to hold that gold, and what better way to win your first championship than it being the Openweight Championship?
Andy: Agreed, Terry Chambers in my opinion is a late bloomer here in EAW. All of the tools to be a star but everything hadn’t quite been put together….. until now. His performance at Pain for Pride was a career making one, his performance tonight will be a career defining one.
Lanza: I have to agree with my two colleagues here. I think it’s written in the stars for Terry to finally reach his destiny and etch himself in the history books with a title reign here in EAW. Andrea is a great competitor but let’s be honest here, she won that title with a rollup. While her performance at Pain for Pride was an amazing effort given the odds stacked up against her, she won’t have the advantage of her opponent not being focused on her because of other men in the match. This will be a one on one bout where Andrea will be Terry’s main focus and head to head I just don’t see her overpowering the physical force that is Terry Chambers.
Kathy: Well I believe in Andrea. Girl power is real guys. She didn’t win that title by luck, Hurricane Hawk should have been able to easily kick out of her roll up pin but he didn’t because Andrea was just too much in that Openweight match at Pain for Pride. Terry has tried to play mind games with Andrea week after week by emphasizing on the fact that he’s a man and she’s a woman as if that matters anything. Our last Openweight Champion was a woman, we had an EAW Champion as a woman, one half of the last two tag team champions have been women. Being a misogynist pig won’t win you the match! Andrea will pull it off.
ADV: You sound passionate about this match.
Kathy: I am, Andrea is the future of women’s wrestling here in EAW, I wholeheartedly believe she will be the Women’s World Champion one day. Terry Chambers won’t be stopping that. Speaking of girl power, our next match we have Drillmatic versus the Dragon Slayers! Team Astraea!
ADV: Okay I’m actually with you on this one. Astraea Jordan and Malcolm Jones were two absolute standouts in the EAW Performance Center during their time here late 2017. Astraea set off records never seen before at the NEO Combine and put the whole company on notice. If there’s anybody who I believe can compete with the men on a realistic level, it’s Astraea, a true beast of an athlete. Malcolm Jones is a person who the moment DEDEDE brought him in to the PC we saw dollar signs so nothing he’s doing right now is surprising me. This tandem is definitely retaining tonight.
Lanza: I’m going to have to agree and that isn’t a knock on the Dragon Slayers, but Drillmatic may very well be on the echelon of all time great tag teams when it’s all said and done. Now I know it may be too early to tell but look at the career trajectory of both Astraea Jordan and Malcolm Jones. Two obvious future, or rather CURRENT faces of this company that I feel will define an era as singles competitors, so them coming together as a tag team is just overkill.
Andy: And to add onto that point, these two are still doing their singles thing while competing in the tag team division. Astraea Jordan is a semi-finalist in the Empress of Elite tournament while in the same week defending her newly won tag team championship, that’s very impressive! I believe she’s going to make it win number two this week as Drillmatic continues their dominance. The Dragon Slayers will have their time in the sun one day, but today isn’t the day.
Kathy: I’m glad we can ALL finally be on the same page with a prediction. Drillmatic all the way! Midsummer Massacre will be graced with two future Women’s World Champions in both Andrea Valentine and Astraea Jordan.
Lanza: Is that your pick to win the Empress of Elite tournament?
Kathy: You know with these semis on the horizon it’s really hard to tell. I can’t put anything past Tyler Wolfe who has used this tournament as a coming out party of sorts, the Jaded Hearts are also a force to be reckoned with, but if I was a betting woman and I was asked to give my take? I’d say…… #AstraeaBetter!
ADV: I’m a Kassidy Heart guy myself.
Lanza: Personally I think Tyler will keep slipping through the cracks and go all the way.
Andy: Sienna Jade was the face of the freeweights for a reason. Empress of Elite is hers for the taking. But let’s not get too off track guys.
Kathy: You’re right, I just had to plug the ladies for a brief moment. Up next we have, oh you’re gonna love this one Andy… The Enterprises own Lethal Consequences taking on Devan Dubian!
(LC vs Dub’s match card flashes across the screen)
Kathy: It’s a battle of two Hall of Famers and boy is it looking like one for the ages. Let’s start with you ADV since you came up alongside these two men, who do you think has the advantage going in and will come out on top?
ADV: You know this is a tough one, I’ve had my battles with both men in my heyday but these are not the same men from 2011-2012, ya know? Especially Dub who has evolved into one of the greatest performers to ever grace this company. LC is finally finding his footing in EAW after several returns gone wrong, but Dub has BEEN here leaving his mark. But with the man sitting to the left of me on the horizon, I don’t put anything past The Enterprise.
Andy: LC doesn’t need me to defeat Dub, he can handle it on his own. Am I happy about being attacked by Dub on the last Voltage? Of course not but he’s going to pay for those actions in the ring with LC. I am very well aware that the career trajectory for LC and Dub has gone in complete opposite directions over the last few years, but this is a tide shifting match. The glory shall be restored to the name of Lethal Consequences!
Lanza: Honestly, LC is at the point of no return. The damage was done the moment he lost to Jacob Senn in an LC’s world match years ago, the luster died there. Actually, the luster died in 2012 when he got fired. That “most unique” title died a long time ago. He represents an older era that has long been passed up while the likes of Devan Dubian has passed him up and defined eras. There’s a reason why he’s clinging onto the novelty of this event, because it represents a time when he was actually relevant. Devan Dubian should be taking this one rather easily.
ADV: Let me back my chair up incase Andy decides to start handing out pink slips..
Andy: Haha you’re all good ADV, I’ll let this idiot talk his crap so he can look like the dumbass that he is when it’s all said and done. And I expect an article on Fight Grid written about how wrong you were too.
Lanza: Fair enough.
Kathy: I think Dub is going to win for no reason other than the fact that he’s way hotter, I’m sorry I just had to put it out there!
ADV: Isn’t he taken?
Andy: Last I heard he was with She-
Kathy: We will not speak of her name on this platform! Anyways moving alonggg… oh this is a big one. The GOAT Champion Ahren Fournier vs.. well…. the actual GOAT in Heart Break Boy! Interwire Championship on the line!
ADV: Oh that’s an easy one. HBB all the way, never count out my old Dynasty X partner.
Andy: I’m with you there ADV, HBB all the way. Team oldheads!
Lanza: I beg to differ on quite a few points.
ADV: Of course you do.
Lanza: For one, the actual GOAT is a man by the name of Ryan Adams, perhaps you’ve heard of him. HBB’s claim to that name has long washed away.
ADV: Says who?
Lanza: Anybody who’s been watching the product for the past, what, 4 years?
ADV: That’s bullshit and you know it. His shortcomings will never take away what he did in this business. Not to mention whenever he feels like it he performs at a level as high as anyone in this business.
Lanza: That’s the problem, he doesn’t feel like it often. Anyways, I see Ahren taking this one as he is one of the top performers in this whole company period. Quote me on this, if Ahren Fournier isn’t a world champion by the end of season 12 then you guys can fire me. That’s how confident I am in his abilities.
ADV: Well I don’t think you need Ahren to get you fired, you’re well on your way without it.
Kathy: I’m going with HBB. He’s one of my favorite elitists of all time. Growing up I had HBB posters all over my wall and I was there live to personally witness him defeat Banks at Pain for Pride 5. There isn’t anybody walking this earth as good of a performer as HBB at his best.
Lanza: Ugh… nostalgia goggles.
Kathy: Up next we have, that’s right ladies and gentlemen… our MAIN EVENT! EAW Championship on the line, Diamond Cage versus The Revenant!
ADV: Oh this is gonna be a big one.
Kathy: It sure is! You got the NEO Syndicate lurking in the shadows as well as Rev who’s a force in his own right taking on Cage who’s in the prime of his career right now.
Andy: And how about Rev bouncing completely back from that PFP loss and inserting himself into the main event scene? What a comeup.
ADV: For sure, this is a guy who was another standout at the EAW Performance Center during his time on NEO. There’s a reason why he headlined Frontline only a few weeks into his career facing the veteran Shackleford. Despite losing the match at the time as he was still green, we all knew who would end up in a better position in their careers in the long run as long as he stayed focus. Not even a year into his career and he’s headlining a marquee event and that is impressive.
Lanza: The Revenant is truly an interesting case. He’s somebody who can easily dominate the midcard division but he’s ascended straight to the top and I can’t blame him for that. I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew with Cage however. Cage has fought for years to get to the position he is currently in. From disappointing returns to disappointing losses they’ve all built character for him and he used it to make himself stronger. He’s been through the ringer and has seen it all, and this also isn’t his first run in with a stable trying to hold him back. I’m going with the vet here.
ADV: I’m going with The Revenant.
(The countdown clock reaches the final thirty seconds)
Kathy: Alright guys the elimination match is about to start so we have to wrap this thing up. Final predictions Andy?
Andy: Cage all the way. NEO Syndicate is no Enterprise.
Kathy: I’m going to go with The Revenant! That’s all the time we have for you tonight guys, now is the time for the moment we’ve waited years for…. The return…. of MIDSUMMER MASSACRE!!
(The camera zooms away from the panel and fades to black, it then comes back on air as we are focused on the announcer in the ring)
