Josephina Colbert: Our next match up is a Last Man Standing Match for the Tao of Valor Championship!

The crowd goes from nearly silent as they stewed between matches to a near roaring ovation, obviously excited about the match about to get underway. The people who were thinking about going to use the bathroom or get something from the snack bar or merch table quickly rush to get back to their seat, which is hard with just about everyone standing.

Jimmy Yates: This is a bigger reaction than I’ve heard in a long while for a match placed in the middle of the card.

Alan Ducard: I believe that has a lot to do with the high quality of their first match, which happened back in late June at the Call to Arms pay per view event.

Bryan Harris: John Thomas won that match, and he’s going to win this one.

Josephina Colbert: Introducing first, the Challenger…

"That's Why I Say Hey Man Nice Shot!"

The remixed version of Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot" starts playing, the rolling bassline coming to a jazzy crescendo. One by one, members of San Antonio’s Finest begin stepping out from the curtain, five officers of the law coming out onto the stage. When the fans see the policemen, the volume level of their booing increases significantly.

Bryan Harris: Those men are paid to protect and serve in one of the most thankless jobs out there, and this is how they’re greeted? These LEGACY fans should be ashamed of themselves.

Jimmy Yates: These people don’t have any problems with the police officers themselves, this reaction is because there’s no need for John Thomas to get a security escort!

Alan Ducard: There’s plenty of dislike for John Thomas, but I would agree, he doesn’t need to have men armed with pistols and night sticks to escort him down the isle, a riot’s not going to break out.

Bryan Harris: Not that I expect either of you two to understand, or even these fans, but this is a smart move. John Thomas is a smart man to have a security escort to the ring, not because the fans might riot and attack him, but because he deserves to get a clean start to this match, and without these men in blue, John Thomas is vulnerable to an attack from X-Calibur during his entrance, because as I think we’ve all seen, X-Calibur is quite frankly a little crazy as of late, something that his neurologist would attest to… if there weren’t such a thing as Doctor / Patient Confidentiality.

The booing intensity increases even more as John Thomas steps through the curtain, wearing a matching outfit of a blue hooded robe with white lining and blue and white long tights. The design pattern on both the tights and the robe is the same: the blue looks textured like rock, and in various places there appear to be cracks in the rock, but it’s still all in one piece. On the back of the robe are giant white “JT” letters, which also appear on either side of his white wrestling boots, though on the boots they appear in blue. Keeping his hood down, he basically refuses to acknowledge the fans in attendance as he stands atop the entrance ramp, who are booing him mercilessly anyway.

Josephina Colbert: Weighing in at 214 pounds and hailing from Poolesville, Maryland in the suburbs of our Nation’s Capital Washington, D.C… he is “The Durable One”… JOHN!! THOMAS!!!

After he is joined by three more police officers, allowing the group to encircle him, the group of nine make their way down the ramp. The entire way to the ring, John keeps his sights focused on the squared circle ahead of him, put at ease by the fact that he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder for his opponent. Occasionally the police officers have to push someone’s out-stretched hand away, keeping it out of John’s face, but that doesn’t bother him. Once they reach ringside, they escort him to the bottom of the steel steps, and he walks up, gets on the apron, wipes his boots on the apron a couple times and then ducks under the top rope and enters the ring. Only now does he pull back his hood as he takes off his robe to give to the time keeper. Glancing to his side, John locks eyes for a moment with Josephina Colbert, and then John’s gaze turns towards the top of the entrance ramp. The arena lights go out, and a familiar voice cuts through the arena.

“HO! HO! HOOOOOO!”

Suddenly, a familiar guitar riff pierces through the air waves, followed by another.

“The LEGEND.. .Has ARRIVED!!”

Bryan Harris: Not quite the “bow down, bitches” we usually hear before an X-Calibur match, is it?

Having struck the audience a little oddly, the usual entrance routine ensues. A lone spotlight shines down upon the entrance ramp as the rest of the arena remains in darkness, and normally, “Fistful of Steel” would blast in all its rhythmic splendor. But this time, the sound of bells jingling started sounding off all through out the arena.

Alan Ducard: What is this?

Bryan Harris: Oh dear God... please tell me he’s n-

The graceful opening notes of “Carol of the Bells” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra slowly begin to play.

Bryan Harris: For cryin’ out loud!

Jimmy Yates: I love this song!!!

Alan Ducard: So do a lot of people... listen to this arena go crazy!

The orchestra picks up the pace some, and the classic blend of guitars quickly sinks into every watching eye in the arena. Soon, a man wearing a red suit with a sack over his shoulder and a long white beard steps out into the spotlight and looks all around the arena at everybody in attendance.

Bryan Harris: That is NOT X-Calibur!

Alan Ducard: I would like to think so... but I don’t know. It sure doesn’t look like him!

Jimmy Yates: Who booked Santa Claus?!

Suddenly, green and red fireworks blast all around the entrance way, and the lights finally turn on. “Santa Claus”, as it were, bearing a big red sack, a jolly ole red and white outfit, and a trademark Santa hat, walked merrily down the ramp way. Every ten feet or so he reached down into the sack he had slung over his shoulder and pulled out a nicely wrapped present which was then given to an outstretched hand in the front row. Laughing heartily and giving an audible “Ho! Ho! Ho!” here and there, Santa Claus made his way down to the ring side area and looked up at John Thomas who stared back with a look of complete incredulity.

Josephina Colbert: And his opponent... weighing in at a slim and trim 247lbs... from The North Pole... he is the current reigning TAO of VALOR Champion... SAAAAAAANTAAAAAAA CLAAAAAAAAAAUSE!!!!!

Bryan Harris: This is disgusting. John Thomas came to fight and win the Tao of Valor title, and X-Calibur came to play dress-up! What a lousy champion this guy is! Show LEGACY some respect you pompous jerk!

Jimmy Yates: Ease up, Ebenezer!

Bryan Harris: Bah!

Alan Ducard: Humbug?

Bryan Harris: Yeah! I mean, no! I mean... UGH!!!!!

“Santa Claus” makes his way around the perimeter of the ring, handing out gifts from the sack until its contents were completely emptied. Then, looking around the arena, “Santa Claus”climbed up the steel steps and into the ring very carefully as to not cause the hat fall off. The guitars in the song, meanwhile, had finally reached the fast-paced, highly inspirational pace that would get most people’s souls glowing with pride and joy. At this point though, “Santa Claus” climbs the second rope, rips off his beard and throws it into the audience.

Jimmy Yates: This... is classic.

Alan Ducard: This is blood terrific! What a showman!

Climbing down from the top turnbuckle, who is now obviously X-Calibur, turns around to face John Thomas. Then, methodically, X begins unfastening the big black belt and soon begins unbuttoning his red and white Santa suit. Staring ahead at John Thomas and the referee, Santa opens the suit up to reveal LEGACY’S Tao of Valor Championship, glistening in the arena light.

Alan Ducard: Why, Santa Claus is the Tao of Valor Champion!

Jimmy Yates: He robbed X-Calibur! Incredible!

Bryan Harris: You guys are idiots.

Eating up every minute of X’s ensemble, the fans roar with approval as John Thomas paces back and forth on the outside. X-Calibur then rips off his Santa hat and throws it into the audience as the Trans-Siberian orchestra raises the level of anticipation for the match to an almost impossible degree. Finally pulling away the red and white top to his suit, X-Calibur tosses it at the referee, revealing his chiseled physique and numerous tattoos.

Alan Ducard: The Tao of Valor Champion looks like he’s in tremendous shape, as always.

Bryan Harris: That’s nice. Lets just get this match started already. X is stalling... and I think he is afraid of John Thomas.

Jimmy Yates: Couldn’t disagree with you any more than I do, Bryan. It’s almost Christmas, Bryan. X-Calibur is just spreading the Christmas cheer!

X-Calibur steps out of his Santa pants to reveal, not the pink and black wrestling pants he had been wearing for a month and a half, but once again stylish new digs. Instead, one leg has a solid RED color and a GREEN snowflake design in the middle while the other leg is completely reversed with a solid GREEN color and a RED snowflake design. Completing the ensemble are his elbow pads with a “X” in the middle, and a t-shirt that reads “Season’s Beatings” with the words “From: DADDY (AKA X-Calibur)” written on a label-like design embedded on the shirt.

Bryan Harris: Just when you think X-Calibur shouldn’t try to get any more festive… someone came up with a new shirt for him to wear. God I hope we won’t be seeing that on LEGACY Merch anytime soon.

Alan Ducard: No, I am being told in my earpiece that the shirt he’s wearing will be sold tonight and at our next show only, added to the Merch stands directly after the show.

Jimmy Yates: Come on, Harris, you know you’re going to pick one up.

Bryan Harris: Wanna make some money, Jimmy? Track down Ron Bailey and bet against it.

Cracking his neck from side to side real quick, X-Calibur turns towards the referee and removes the Tao of Valor Championship from his waist. Just as he hands it to him, John Thomas tries to make the most of the opportunity with an attack from behind. However, X-Calibur turns around and catches JT, who then quickly backtracks, drops to the mat and rolls to the side, exiting the ring. Looking none too please, X-Calibur looks around at everybody in attendance, pumps his fists up into the air, and then back at Thomas, where he motions for him to “bring it”.

Jimmy Yates: Now who’s the one stalling? If anybody is afraid, it’s John Thomas!

Bryan Harris: He’s cautious, that’s all. Now see? He’s getting up onto the apron, and we’re going to get this thing started if X-Calibur can figuratively “keep it in his pants” until the ref rings the bell to start things off.

Alan Ducard: I believe he was about to do just that a few moments ago before John Thomas decided that attacking X-Calibur was not the prudent course of action and decided to put off the start for another minute.

The challenger gets back into the ring now and the referee signals towards him, making sure John’s finally ready. Turning his gaze back towards X-Calibur, John nods his head. The referee makes the same check with X-Calibur, who also nods his head, and then the ref turns and signals for the bell.

Bryan Harris: Here we go, the end of X-Calibur’s time with the Tao of Valor belt begins!

Slowly circling the ring, John Thomas is looking to see when and how X-Calibur is going to attack, expecting him to fly off the handle and just go crazy, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is a look in his eye that lets you know that X plans to start things off slowly and methodically, and John begins to sense it. The two stop circling and head right for each other and lock up in the middle of the ring, and the crowd is into it already, expecting fireworks.

Alan Ducard: X-Calibur gets the first advantage as he pulls John around into a side headlock. Bringing his hands up, John tries to pry himself out of the champion’s grasp.

Jimmy Yates: Better try a different strategy, John, he’s much too strong for you to do that here in the opening moments.

Bryan Harris: He’ll figure it out, Jimmy, don’t you worry.

Backing up a few steps, John hits the ropes and gets some momentum and then pushes X-Calibur forwards, launching him towards the opposite ropes at a full sprint. John follows a few feet behind him, and as soon as X-Calibur rebounds off the ropes, John takes a quick step to the side and puts X-Calibur down onto the mat face first with a drop toe hold.

Alan Ducard: The first takedown goes to John Thomas, though we aren’t scoring this one on points.

Bryan Harris: Nice follow up by The Durable One! X-Calibur started to get to his feet, and John Thomas was there to take him right back down to the mat with a bulldog. Takedown two – John Thomas!

Flipping over and spinning around, John locks X-Calibur around the neck with his other arm and then the two start getting back to their feet, John obviously in control, though not by much. On the way up, John brings his knee up and connects with the chest of his opponent.

Bryan Harris: I guarantee you that’s a little trick taught to him by Ron Bailey, and that’s why it pays to have friends in this business!

Jimmy Yates: I’m sure you’re right, Bryan, and I know John Thomas got a lot of help early on in his career from both Gryffin Anselm and Loco Martinez after that, but all that help is going to go for nothing unless he can find a way to keep X-Calibur on that mat for the ten count.

Pulling X-Calibur’s arm up over his head, JT attempts to go for a vertical suplex, but a moment after his feet come up off the mat, X-Calibur shakes his feet and shifts his balance, blocking the move. Immediately thereafter, X-Calibur gets his feet onto the mat and he springs himself backwards, laying out flat and bringing John down to the mat, getting a good ovation from the fans. Keeping his grip around John’s neck, X-Calibur wrenches in with a front facelock.

Alan Ducard: Skillful defensive turnaround for the champion, putting himself on the offensive.

Jimmy Yates: That’s why he’s so dangerous, he can turn things around in an instant.

As John tries to figure a way out of the hold, X-Calibur suddenly releases it, which is enough of a surprise to John that it buys X-Calibur an extra second or two before John could get up off the mat, and X springs to his feet and dives forwards and hits an elbow drop to the middle of John’s back. Unrelenting, X-Calibur gets back to his feet and quickly hits another elbow drop to the same spot. Sending the fans into a frenzy of cheers, X-Calibur gets to his feet and hits a third elbow drop. When X-Calibur attempts a fourth elbow drop, John rolls aside just in time for X-Calibur to connect with nothing but mat, and John then kips up to his feet.

Bryan Harris: Show him who’s boss, JT!!

As X-Calibur gets back to his feet, he’s met with a hard right hand from John Thomas, rocking him back a step, followed by another right hand. Before John can connect with a third, X-Calibur throws up a block with his left hand, and then he swings in hard, connecting with a haymaker that spins John around. Stepping forward, X-Calibur grabs John Thomas around the waist from behind and connects with a German Suplex. Not letting go, X-Calibur brings John up to his feet and hits a second straight German Suplex. The fans excitement level gets louder as X-Calibur maintains his grasp and pulls John up off the mat again, and this time when he hits John with a German Suplex, he releases him just before they reach the apex of the move, and John flies backwards and lands face down on the mat.

Jimmy Yates: What a HUGE German Release Suplex from X-Calibur!

Bryan Harris: Even paired with the elbows to the back, that’s not going to be enough to keep a guy like John Thomas down for the count. X-Calibur’s going to have to do a lot more than that…

Alan Ducard: It appears he’s about to!

Spinning around and taking a couple quick steps forwards, X-Calibur gets to John Thomas’ feet. Grabbing him by the ankle, X-Calibur quickly flips him over onto his back, crosses one leg over the other and locks John into the set-up for the Texas Cloverleaf. Stepping over and arching back, X-Calibur bends John Thomas over backwards, face down on the mat with the elevated Texas Cloverleaf he calls the Legendary Pain, and the crowd goes wild!

Jimmy Yates: Legendary Pain! I can’t believe X-Calibur got this locked in so early into the match!

Alan Ducard: And that may very well play to his advantage, because you know John Thomas couldn’t have been expecting it. Now all that damage X-Calibur has been doing to the back of the challenger is compiling on to the strain caused by this hold.

Bryan Harris: If X were smarter, he would’ve gone after John’s legs or his shoulders instead of his back, something that would have lasting effects later on in the match.

Alan Ducard: I’m not sure when the last time it was you had a lower back injury, but I can assure you, it has an impact in every physical thing you do. Standing, sitting, lifting, anything, really.

Bryan Harris: It’s unfair to compare what a back injury would do to a us with what a back injury would do to a world class competitor like John Thomas. There’s no way this is going to directly lead to the ending of this match… No. Chance.

Jimmy Yates: I don’t know, it looks like John Thomas has had about enough!

Lifting his hand up off the mat, John squints his eyes, obviously in a lot of pain, struggling to keep his hand from doing what his entire body so obviously wants to do, and suddenly he starts slamming it down against the mat. Not releasing the hold, X-Calibur turns his head and looks back at John. Highly confused, X-Calibur releases the hold and asks the referee a question, and as the referee shakes his head “no”, X-Calibur turns his attention back to his opponent, only to see John Thomas roll sideways, ending up out on the apron where he puts his feet down on the outside, getting to his feet, finding a chance to catch a breather.

Jimmy Yates: Well isn’t this classic? First he finds a way to trick X-Calibur into releasing the hold, and then he just escapes the ring, looking for a timeout.

Bryan Harris: He just needs a quick chance to regroup, that’s all.

Alan Ducard: It appears X-Calibur isn’t going to allow it to be any longer than it’s already been!

Measuring John up, X-Calibur runs into the opposite ropes, rebounding with extra momentum and then slides underneath the bottom rope with a baseball slide to the outside. At the last second John Thomas is able to take a couple quick steps away, avoiding a collision. The champion lands on his feet and then runs in for a clothesline attempt, but John Thomas is able to duck underneath it. Turning around as quickly as he can, John runs forwards and shoves X-Calibur shoulder-first into the steel corner ring post.

Bryan Harris: Now you’re about to see a totally different side of things, and any of you who thought a couple minutes ago that X-Calibur was destined to retain his title? You better hope you didn’t call your bookies!

Alan Ducard: X-Calibur certainly connected hard with that unforgiving steel right with his shoulder, and I don’t believe the targeting on that one was any kind of mistake, because this is John Thomas’ Modus Operandi.

Holding his shoulder, X-Calibur had slumped down to a knee, wincing in a little bit of pain, but not wanting it to put him in a bad spot, he got right back up to his feet as quickly as he could. The moment was just enough time for John Thomas, though, and he moves in, scoops X-Calibur up off his feet, momentarily rests him on his shoulder, only to take a couple steps forward and hit a shoulder-breaker, dropping X-Calibur down onto the arena floor.

Jimmy Yates: I don’t like this one bit. By all rights, John Thomas should still be in the middle of the ring trying to figure out a way to free himself from the Legendary Pain!

Bryan Harris: Tell you what, Jimmy, how about you cry about how crafty John Thomas is while Alan and I go ahead and do our jobs and pick up the slack for you, how about that?

Scooping X-Calibur up off the arena floor, John rolls him into the ring under the bottom rope, keeping him near the corner.

Jimmy Yates: Hey, you have your opinions on what’s right and what’s wrong, and so can I. I just happen to think that John Thomas took a shortcut.

Bryan Harris: A shortcut X-Calibur fell for!

Grabbing X-Calibur by the wrist from outside the ring, John Thomas pulls his opponent deeper into the corner ringpost, positioning the champion’s head on one side of the ringpost, his arm on the other. Putting his foot up on the ringpost for balance and leverage, John Thomas wrenches back on X-Calibur’s arm, putting tons of strain on the shoulder.

Jimmy Yates: Isn’t that illegal somehow?

Bryan Harris: You wish, Jimmy. Last Man Standing matches have very loose rules, remember?

Alan Ducard: That doesn’t mean that rope breaks are out of the question, though.

Jimmy Yates: That’s what I mean!

With his other arm, X-Calibur grabs hold onto the bottom rope and the referee starts yelling at John Thomas, telling him to relinquish his hold. Letting go, John immediately leaps up and connects with a dropkick right to X-Calibur’s shoulder, which is momentarily caught between John’s feet and the corner ringpost.

Alan Ducard: Well John Thomas may have landed awkwardly after that dropkick, but by the look on X-Calibur’s face, that impromptu kick certainly found its mark.

Bryan Harris: I’ll clue you in on something, Alan, it wasn’t a mistake what John Thomas just did. He knew what kind of damage that dropkick was going to do on X-Calibur and had been planning on that since even before he hit that shoulder breaker. Just like a good chess player, John Thomas is three or four moves ahead.

Putting his knee underneath him, John grabs the bottom rope and slides him into the ring under the bottom rope and then gets up to his feet. With John standing, the referee backs him up towards the middle of the ring and then begins to administer his count.

…One.

…Two.

…Three.

…Four.

Rolling over onto his stomach, X-Calibur pulls himself out of the corner.

…Five.

Holding his shoulder, X-Calibur brings himself back up to his feet, breaking the referee’s count. Not missing a beat, John Thomas moves in and grabs X-Calibur by the arm of the shoulder which he has been working over and twists around into a standing armbar. Backing up into the middle of the ring and pulling X-Calibur with him, John positions himself slightly behind his opponent and then leaps up as high as he can and connects with a standing dropkick to the shoulder. As soon as the impact strikes and John lets go of the wrist, X-Calibur drops down to one knee.

Alan Ducard: So methodical is John Thomas, attacking that shoulder over and over again.

Jimmy Yates: Let me put the question back on the two of you that was posed earlier about X-Calibur’s choice of offense: how does John Thomas propose to keep X-Calibur down on the mat for the ten count by focusing his attack on a shoulder?

Bryan Harris: I’m sure he’ll find a way, Jimmy, don’t worry your little head over it.

Taking X-Calibur by the wrist of the hurt shoulder’s arm, JT twists the arm around into a hammerlock, and after switching the arm he’s holding X-Calibur’s wrist with, John moves around in front of his opponent, grabs him by the head and then pulls back with both arms and drops him head-first onto the mat with a DDT.

Alan Ducard: That move obviously serving a dual purpose of both putting strain on X-Calibur’s shoulder as John pulled backwards on the hammer-locked arm, as well as the added benefits of a DDT.

Jimmy Yates: X-Calibur might be down, but that Hammerlock DDT didn’t knock him out!

Bryan Harris: Hey, would you look at that? It looks like John realizes the same thing you do, Jimmy.

Pulling X-Calibur up off the mat by his wrist, John again twists around into a standing armber, only this time instead of going towards the middle of the ring, he backs up towards the corner and begins climbing the turnbuckle.

Alan Ducard: In continuing the strategy he has been using for the past several minutes, it appears John Thomas is going for the New School!

Positioning himself on the top turnbuckle, John makes sure to balance himself, and then be begins walking across the top rope. Not even halfway down the length of the ring apron, John starts to lose his balance a little bit, and X-Calibur twists around a little bit with his arm, backs up a step and pulls John down off the top rope. As soon as John’s feet land on the mat, X-Calibur grabs him with his free arm underneath John’s leg, lifts it up, then throws him backwards with a capture suplex.

Jimmy Yates: John Thomas losing his balance just a little bit, and that’s all it took for X-Calibur to not only keep himself from having more pain in that shoulder as a result of getting hit with the New School, but it also gives him the opportunity to hit that Capture Suplex.

Alan Ducard: More than likely all the damage X-Calibur has done to John’s back made it significantly more difficult to hold his balance while walking the tight rope, as it were.

Moving directly for John Thomas’ feet, X-Calibur takes an ankle in each of his hands and lifts up, and after a stomp down on John Thomas’ stomach, X-Calibur begins intertwining their legs together. After putting on the grapevine, he leans in to try to turn the move over into a Sharpshooter, but when X-Calibur gets his head close enough John Thomas reaches up, grabs him by the back of the head, unhooks his legs and throws X-Calibur forwards. Spinning his legs around to the side, John Thomas traps X-Calibur’s injured arm in between his legs, wraps his arms around X-Calibur’s throat and wrenches back into a crossface submission.

Bryan Harris: Look at John Thomas turn this match around back in his favor!

Alan Ducard: The challenger’s really got that hold locked in, putting plenty of torque not only on the neck, but with his knee in X-Calibur’s armpit, he’s also working on displacing the shoulder.

Bryan Harris: The longer John can keep this locked in the better, wearing down X-Calibur even more as well as giving himself a little bit of time to recuperate.

Jimmy Yates: X-Calibur wants to get out of that move as quickly as possible, and he’s shifting his body around… he gets his foot on the rope! How’s that for ring positioning?

Bryan Harris: Hey, no reason to fault John Thomas on that one. He was lucky to avoid the Sharpshooter and get that crossface submission locked in, let alone worry about ring-placement.

Alan Ducard: The referee forces John Thomas to relinquish his hold on the champion, and John does so reluctantly when he starts getting threatened with a disqualification.

Easily the first of the two men up off the mat, John grabs X-Calibur around the neck and helps him to his feet, only to grab underneath X-Calibur’s leg, hooking him into a fisherman’s position. Not wasting another moment, John Thomas whips his opponent up and over with a Suplex, but instead of dropping him onto his back, John twists slightly and drives him down onto the shoulder he’s been working over.

Bryan Harris: Just another example of how great a competitor John Thomas has become. He could’ve gone for any move right there, but what did he do? He took a moderately difficult move – a fisherman’s suplex – and changes it slightly to make it work to his advantage, still working over that shoulder.

Alan Ducard: Certainly a skillful maneuver by young Thomas, and X-Calibur is certainly in a lot of pain there with his shoulder. You wonder if that’s going to have much effect if and when he tries to grab on to John’s head for the X-Terminator.

Jimmy Yates: Eryk is a tough guy, and if he finds an opening to hit the X-Terminator, I think he’ll fight through the pain.

Getting to his feet, John Thomas backs up a few feet, backs himself into the ropes and then runs forward and stomps down onto X-Calibur’s shoulder, flattening him back down to the mat. The referee tries to say something to John, but he doesn’t stick around long enough to listen, instead deciding to exit the ring going out down to the floor. Looking under the ring, John pulls a steel chair out from behind the apron and slides it under the bottom rope, following it back into the ring.

Alan Ducard: I don’t know what John Thomas has planned for that chair, but the referee certainly doesn’t want it to happen.

Bryan Harris: It doesn’t really matter, Alan, because I don’t think he’s going to end this thing in a disqualification. Unless it gets too bad, he’s going to let things go, as I’m sure he was instructed by the front office earlier tonight.

After setting up the chair, John grabs X-Calibur by the wrist and not only lifts him up off the mat, but sends him into the ropes with an irish whip. On the return, John steps up and tries for the drop toe hold, but as John tries to swing his leg over to complete the move, the champion hops up off the mat, avoiding being taken down. X-Calibur turns around and as John tries to get up to his feet, the champion lifts him up off the mat and puts him up onto his non-injured shoulder. Backing up a few steps, X-Calibur then runs forward and nails a running powerslam, driving John Thomas down onto the chair he had set up, breaking the seat and sending bolts everywhere.

Crowd: OOOOHHHH!!!

Jimmy Yates: X-Calibur looked to be in trouble there for a couple of minutes, and right there he finds a way to turn things back into his favor with a very explosive powerslam that John Thomas had brought into the match!

Alan Ducard: Well if John Thomas had been able to hit that drop toe hold he was going for, probably hoping to drive X-Calibur’s shoulder down onto the unforgiving steel, this match could be almost over in the next couple minutes.

Bryan Harris: Well don’t start talking about how X-Calibur is going to win just yet, because John Thomas somehow just found a way to roll out of the ring, so if the champion wants to keep in on the offensive, he’s going to have to give chase.

Jimmy Yates: That’s exactly what he’s doing!

Moving at a steady rate, X-Calibur heads over to the ropes, gets out onto the apron, then moves as fast as he can, jumping off the apron and drilling John Thomas with a double axhandle, sending him down to the arena floor after he stumbles into the steel ring steps, jarring them apart. Looking at the two pieces to the steel steps, X-Calibur gets an idea and pulls the bottom piece away from the corner ringpost, then walks over to where John Thomas is laying.

Bryan Harris: What in the hell is X-Calibur about to do?!

Alan Ducard: Whatever it is, I believe John Thomas isn’t going to like it.

Jimmy Yates: Yeah, probably not, but he doesn’t look like he’s in any position to stop it from happening.

Lifting John Thomas up off the arena floor, X-Calibur drags him over towards the steel steps, then scoops his opponent up off his feet with his uninjured arm, steps up onto the steel steps, still holding John in a tombstone position, then he hops ever so slightly and drives John’s head downwards onto the steel steps before letting him go.

Crowd: OOOOHHH!!! LE-GA-SEE! LE-GA-SEE! LE-GA-SEE!

Alan Ducard: That move could win X-Calibur the match and allow him to retain the championship he brought into this contest.

Jimmy Yates: He’s not done just yet, he wants to make sure without a doubt that John is down for the count.

Bryan Harris: The last thing you want to do is to stand back and let the referee count, only for John Thomas to get up before 10. That basically just gives John a 9 second rest, and that’s a bit too much time to give a competitor like John Thomas… unless you want John to beat you.

Grabbing John by the wrist, X-Calibur pulls his opponent away from the steel steps, dragging him about ten feet away, stopping over by the announcer’s table. After stopping for a moment, X-Calibur pulls John Thomas up off the arena floor and sets him up on the announce table.

Alan Ducard: Oh no… He’s going to destroy our table, isn’t he?

Jimmy Yates: Uh… yeah, I’d say it’s highly likely.

Bryan Harris: I know someone backstage can hear me right now… one of you all should start making plans to replace this table as soon as this match is over, because it’s about to get destroyed.

Leaving the announce table alone, for now, X-Calibur walks over and rolls into the ring under the bottom rope, then uses the ropes to help pull himself up to his feet. Ignoring some words from the referee, X-Calibur makes his way over to the corner and begins climbing the turnbuckles, getting to the top rope. When he gets to the top, you can feel the excitement all over the arena growing, though the noise level is significantly dropping as the people wait on the edge of their seats, watching as X-Calibur sizes John up, with the announce trio getting up from their seats and moving back. Confident that he can make the jump, X-Calibur dives in the direction of the announce table, raising his uninjured arm up into a bent position, going for the Hang Time Elbow…

Bryan Harris: JOHN THOMAS MOVED! HE ROLLED OFF THE TABLE!!!

Crowd: HO-LY SHIT! HO-LY SHIT! HO-LY SHIT!

Alan Ducard: John Thomas rolled off the table just in time, and X-Calibur goes crashing through it, ending up amongst the wreckage here in front of us with what used to be our announce table!

Reaching up and grabbing on to the edge of the apron, John Thomas barely finds a way to get back up to his feet, grabbing the ropes to help pull himself up onto the apron. Once he’s back in the ring, John grabs onto the middle rope, begins pulling himself up, then grabs the top rope to hold himself up. Back on his feet, John yells to the referee.

John Thomas: COUNT DAMN IT!!

Jimmy Yates: With John Thomas on his feet and X-Calibur laid out on his back, the referee is going to make the count, but he’s going to do so reluctantly.

…One.

…Two.

Bryan Harris: Why the hell should he be reluctive in making this count? It’s his job! Just because X-Calibur ended up like this by his own failed move?!

…Three.

…Four.

…Five.

…Six.

Jimmy Yates: Here we go, X-Calibur’s starting to stir.

…Seven.

Putting his uninjured arm underneath himself, X-Calibur grabs a part of the broken announce table and puts the end of it down on the arena floor.

…Eight!

Holding on to it with two hands, X-Calibur pulls his knee for one of his legs up underneath him.

…Nine!!

Pushing with all his strength, X-Calibur pushes himself up onto his feet, and the fans cheer as the referee stops his count. The wild reaction turns into a round of clapping, proud of X-Calibur’s valiant effort to keep the match going. When he sees X-Calibur on his feet, John Thomas lets go of the top rope, letting himself fall down to his knees. Waiting on the mat, John Thomas yells something between the ropes towards X-Calibur begging him to get back into the ring. Not one to disappoint, X-Calibur tosses down the table leg, staggers forwards and grabs the bottom rope, rolling into the ring under the bottom rope. As X-Calibur starts pulling himself up off the mat with the help of the ropes, John Thomas gets to his feet and moves a lot faster than anyone expected, moving in behind X-Calibur, twisting his arm around his back.

Bryan Harris: John throws his other arm around X-Calibur’s throat… He’s going to lock X-Calibur into the crossface chicken wing!

Jimmy Yates: X-Calibur blocks it! He reaches back… He’s going for the X-Terminator...!

Alan Ducard: John feels X-Calibur trying to lock him in, he fights back… and now John has the crossface chicken wing locked in securely.

Bryan Harris: You KNEW it was only a matter of time before he went for this move, and now the submission hold that he has used to win many a match thus far in his career has come into play for John Thomas in this Last Man Standing Match!

Alan Ducard: Just as we saw earlier in this match, tapping out is not an option, so John Thomas is probably hoping that X-Calibur will pass out from the pain!

Jimmy Yates: The champ’s shoulder has taken a lot of damage already in this match, and combined with the injury he sustained to that same shoulder earlier in his career, I think there’s a significant chance that X-Calibur could very easily pass out from the pain.

Bryan Harris: John Thomas is a ring GENERAL! Just before he got that move locked in, he backed up a couple of steps and made sure that the ropes were out of reach!

Alan Ducard: A couple moments ago X-Calibur stopped struggling, and as soon as John releases the hold the referee can administer the count.

Satisfied with the lack of struggle from his opponent, John Thomas releases the chicken wing submission and rolls away from X-Calibur, grabbing onto the ropes and pulling himself back up to his feet. Backing up a few steps, John hits the turnbuckle and throws his arms over the adjoining ropes and watches as the referee makes the count.

Bryan Harris: Here we go…

…One.

…Two.

…Three.

Jimmy Yates: This absolutely sucks.

…Four.

…Five.

…Six.

Alan Ducard: A look of satisfaction is beginning to form on the face of John Thomas, and the fans aren’t happy about this at all.

…Seven.

Jimmy Yates: Well now they’re getting something to cheer about!

X-Calibur rolls over onto his stomach, realizes that he rolled away from the ropes, and then rolls in the opposite direction.

…Eight!

X-Calibur forces a knee underneath himself…

…Nine!

Putting a foot underneath himself, X-Calibur shoves himself up off the mat, reaching out and grabbing the top rope with both arms, planting both feet underneath him, standing. As the referee waives off the count, the crowd goes wild.

Jimmy Yates: And the match will continue!!

Bryan Harris: He’s just delaying the inevitable, he should’ve given up right there and just stayed down!

Alan Ducard: I think fans all over the world would rather he kept fighting, Bryan.

Trying to find a place where he’ll get more support, X-Calibur slides across the ropes, trying to get to the corner. Not happy with what he has seen, John Thomas staggers forwards towards the corner that John Thomas just reached, and after lifting his arms, John hits a double ax handle smash directly to the injured shoulder of X-Calibur. Grabbing his opponent around the waist, John hoists him up and puts him up onto the top rope.

Jimmy Yates: What the heck?! Why is John Thomas putting X-Calibur on the top rope?

Bryan Harris: I think he’s going to try that reverse falling neckbreaker of his from about five extra feet up off the mat… and if that’s not enough to keep X-Calibur down for the count, then I don’t know what the hell is!

Alan Ducard: John Thomas climbing up behind the Tao of Valor Champion… He grabs him by the arm…

Jimmy Yates: And X-Calibur swings a back elbow that connects with the side of John’s head! There’s a second one!

Disrupting John’s balance, the back elbow shots buy X-Calibur just enough time… he reaches backwards over his shoulder… he grabs John around the neck…

He pushes off the corner ringpost with one leg, moves the other leg to the side and pushes off the rope, spinning himself around slightly and pushing away from the corner…

Alan Ducard: Super X-Terminator from X-Calibur!

Jimmy Yates: John Thomas is out cold!

Bryan Harris: He’s out right now, but the referee can’t start his count until X-Calibur gets to his feet, and there’s no way John will still be on the mat for a ten count that can’t start until X-Calibur gets up.

Alan Ducard: I can’t imagine either of these competitors doing much of anything from this point on, as both of them appear to have put it out on the table, but there must be a winner in this match.

Bryan Harris: Don’t just assume that X-Calibur’s going to be getting up from what just happened. He might not have been pulled off the top rope like John Thomas was, but he still fell a few feet.

Alan Ducard: X-Calibur had taken quite a beating leading up to that move, so it could be close.

Jimmy Yates: The Tao of Valor champion is stirring, and the fans are absolutely loving it!

Struggling, X-Calibur tries to get his knee underneath himself, but the first try fails.

Bryan Harris: He’s got nothing left! Your champion has nothing left, and it’s only a matter of time before John Thomas gets back to his feet and takes home the belt, but X-Calibur’s got NOTHING!!

Slowly, X-Calibur starts dragging himself across the mat towards the corner, and he reaches out and grabs the bottom rope.

Jimmy Yates: It might not matter!

Pulling his chest all the way up to the rope itself, X-Calibur pulls himself over to the corner a few feet away and then grabs on to the middle rope.

Alan Ducard: He’s halfway up, now getting a knee underneath himself.

Reaching up, X-Calibur grabs the top rope and pulls himself all the way up to his feet, getting a HUGE ovation from the fans. Seeing that one of the competitors is on their feet, the referee begins his count while the fans all over the arena count along with him.

…ONE!

…TWO!

…THREE!

No movement from John Thomas.

…FOUR!

…FIVE!

…SIX!

Still no movement from John Thomas, and with an emotionless look on his face, X-Calibur watches on.

…SEVEN!

…EIGHT!

Still nothing.

…NINE!

STILL NOTHING…

…TEN!

The referee immediately calls for the bell.

Jimmy Yates: He did it! X-Calibur finds a way to retain the title!

Josephina Colbert: Here is your winner… and STILL the TAO OF VALOR CHAMPION... The LAST. MAN. STANDING…. X-CALIBURRRR!!!

Jimmy Yates: Despite the scheming and planning and training... John Thomas couldn't get the job done!

Bryan Harris: I have to hand it to X-Calibur, he found a way to keep John Thomas down for the count... and if he wants to feel like he accomplished something great just because he paid the referee to make slow counts when he was down, only to speed up a bit when John was down... to me, that's not something to be proud of.

Alan Ducard: Are you meaning to insinuate that there was something of a bribe involved in the finish of that match? Because nothing I saw would speak to that end at all, absolutely nothing. It all looked completely fair to me, and in the end, X-Calibur is just a tough guy to keep down for the ten count.

Jimmy Yates: I'm not the biggest fan of John Thomas and the attitude he's had the past year or so, but even I can admit he fought well tonight. More than once I really thought he was going to be the new champ.

Bryan Harris: You know what? Let's just move on, because I don't want to get fined or fired because I'm implicating the referee in any shady business affairs, though it's been known to happen.

Jimmy Yates: Obviously that's not the case here tonight, but whatever, let's move on.

Seated in the catering room with his feet up on the table in front of him, Kevin Oppenheimer snacks on a piece of celery while he talks to Katsuro Yoshida, who is also seated at the table. They are mid-discussion when the video feed joins them.

Kevin Oppenheimer: Hell, I could've called a lawyer or whatever when they told me that I wasn't getting Hector's spot in that ladder match, but really? It's no big deal.

After taking another bite of the celery stick, he shrugs while he chews.

Kevin Oppenheimer: Do I think I would've done well? Hell yeah I would've, I've always done well in ladder matches. Do I think it would've served my credibility well to show what I can do against guys like Greyson Blade and Mirage and Lucien Gray and Eli Storm and the rest of them? You bet, but the fact is: I didn't beat Hector, so I've got nothin' to complain about.

Katsuro slowly nods his head.

Kevin Oppenheimer: Sometimes Hector beats me, sometimes I beat Hector, but this time around, even with a big opportunity looming in the horizon if I won - I couldn't get the job done, and honestly? It doesn't bother me.

The voice of someone off-screen listening on chimes in.

"Well maybe it should bother you..."

Turning their heads, Kevin and Katsuro both look to see who said that, and we see Diego de Cardenas join the scene, Hannah Perez behind him and his friend Alfie rounding out the trio.

Diego de Cardenas - ...or maybe you're in the wrong business.

Diego turns his attention on Katsuro Yoshida for a minute.

Diego de Cardenas - Wait, you're not still on the LEGACY roster, are you? I haven't seen you since I took the No Limits Title from you a while back.

Hannah Perez: Actually, Diego, he was in that four corners match that you and Hector won back at the last Strife.

Diego looks a little surprised.

Diego de Cardenas - Really? Huh. Guess maybe you need to start trying to make a bigger impression on people, huh? Of course, maybe that's what you're trying to do by hanging out with this guy.

Kevin leans forward in his seat and looks into Diego's eyes.

Kevin Oppenheimer: You know what, Diego? I'm sure your loss earlier tonight is really chewing you up from the inside out, so if you don't have anything else you want to talk about - like what would happen if Katsuro and I teamed up and got into the ring against you and Hector in a two-on-two - then how about you and your posse leave us alone. Sound alright with you?

Diego laughs.

Diego de Cardenas - What would happen? You'd get the same basic result that you got a couple nights ago when you faced Hector...

Diego turns his attention to Katsuro.

Diego de Cardenas - Don't worry, Yoshida, I'm not going to let this conversation go any further. It'd be unfair to put you on the spot and make you commit to stepping into the ring with this guy again... or having to step into the ring with me again.

After another quick chuckle from Diego, the trio start walking off, but they don't get far.

Katsuro Yoshida: We will be seeing you soon, I'm sure.

Diego stops, turns his head and looks back at Katsuro, glaring at him, and then he walks off.

The camera once again heads backstage to the dressing room area and we find Trent Logan, standing in front of Domination who appear primed and ready for battle. Logan is dressed in a khaki-colored suit and matching tie, and in contrast his monsters are decked out in black wrestling gear and the “Logan’s Guns” Domination t-shirt.

Trent Logan: We came a hell of a long way in a short amount of time gentlemen, and the fact that we have had one title shot is amazing.

He looks directly at Steve O’Reily.

Trent Logan: The fact that we have fought our way to a second opportunity is incredible. However, opportunity is not meant to be squandered.

He then turns and looks at Ben Murdock.

Trent Logan: Just because you are still young and still learning and will obviously become better with time does not mean that these same opportunities are going to be in store for you time and time again. Tonight you have a chance to become LEGAY World Tag Team Champions.

He takes a step back and looks at both of them together.

Trent Logan: Tonight you have the chance to be recognized as the top tag team in this entire industry. Understand what that means gentlemen. Understand the spoils of victory here at Elevated Tensions.

He pauses briefly.

Trent Logan: We were cheated once before because of Ron Bailey, but tonight there is no Ron Bailey. There is no outside bullshit factor standing in our way. Tonight the only things that can cheat you, is yourselves. Do not cheat yourselves and give those sons of bitches the fights of their lives.

He pauses again, seemingly to calm down just a little.

Trent Logan: No matter what happens tonight in that ring, do not surrender, do not give up, do not fall, and do NOT accept anything less than victory, and above all else, do what you do best … Dominate.

With that Trent Logan turns from the monsters who nod to each other and all three men exit the dressing room.

Josephina Colbert: Our next match is set for one fall and is for the World Tag Team Championship! Introducing first…

The lights dim and four pounding sounds are heard over the sound system, almost as if someone is using a sledge hammer to drive a railroad stake, and then "Fear" by Disturbed hits the speakers, and the fans all over the arena immediately begin to cheer.

Josephina Colbert: Lead to the ring by their manager Trent Logan… Weighing in at a combined 380 pounds… “RAGE” Ben Murdock… “VENOM” Steve O’Reily… DOM-IN-ATION!!!

Jimmy Yates: Do you hear that? That’s the sound of hope. These fans obviously don’t like the fact that Gryffin Anselm and James Win still have the World Tag Team Championships, and the reaction you’re hearing right now is a sign that they’re hoping Domination leave this arena here tonight with the tag team titles.

Bryan Harris: They sure as hell didn’t get it done at DESTINED FOR GREATNESS.

Alan Ducard: Well I don’t believe Ron Bailey or anyone else has attempted any tom-foolery with Domination this time around, and I think that’s what it would take to keep them from winning this match.

Decked out in his suit, Trent Logan is the first of the trio to step out through the curtain. He gets a decent reaction from the fans, but the noise level increases significantly when Ben Murdock and Steve O’Reily walk out onto the entrance stage, both sporting the new "Logan's Guns" t-shirts. Not basking in their big ovation from the crowd, the trio don’t stop at the top of the ramp, instead continuing down the ramp. When they get they get to the bottom, Trent Logan turns around and huddles with them, talking for a moment and then letting them step forward and hop up onto the apron.

Jimmy Yates: One final bit of pre-match advice before he unleashes the hounds, and you have to think that in less than an hour’s time, Trent Logan may find himself backstage having just directed his clients to their first taste of LEGACY championship gold.

Bryan Harris: If anyone’s going to beat The Diabolik, it might be Domination, but I don’t get the feeling that tonight is going to be their night. I don’t know why, but it just feels like things aren’t going to play out the way Trent Logan and his boys are hoping.

Alan Ducard: On the contrary, I spoke with the trio earlier today and Trent, Ben, and Steve are all well aware of the fact that if they can’t leave the Alamo Dome here tonight with the World Tag Team Championships, they might not get another chance for quite some time.

Jimmy Yates: Desperation like that often leads to big time victories.

Bryan Harris: Au contraire, when guys get desperate, they get careless, and when they get careless they make more mistakes than they normally would, and that plays oh so well into the hands of Gryffin Anselm, James Win, and the rest of the Diabolik family. No “altered waterbottles” needed for this one, this is going to be a clean title defense, just wait and see.

The fans are all buzzing loudly, anticipating the arrival of Allen Franks and Jerry Starr, and all of a sudden something strange happens.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW!!!!!!

Bryan Harris: *coughing*

Alan Ducard: You okay, Bryan?

Bryan Harris: *still coughing*

Jimmy Yates: I apologize, folks. Bryan was taking a drink of his water bottle when someone shouted yee-haw over the public announce system. Probably some practical joker.

Josephina Colbert: And introducing the other challengers….

The lights go out.

Y’ALL READY?!

Alan Ducard: I don’t think that’s a practical joker, Jimmy.

"Rodeo : Hoe-Down" by Aaron Copeland begins playing over the announce system and the fans continue buzzing, not sure what to make of the situation. Suddenly two white spotlights shine down and two horses.... yes, horses... one black and one brown, appear from behind the curtains. Each horse has a man riding it, both wearing cowboy hats and chaps. Stopping just before the main aisle way, the fans go absolutely bonkers when they realize it is Jerry Starr and Allen Franks.

Bryan Harris: What the h- *coughs*. What the hell?!

Alan Ducard: Looks like Starr and Franks are REALLY getting into the whole tag team name!

Jimmy Yates: My God! Look who it is!!!

All of a sudden another spotlight shines down and out from the curtains and walking between both Starr and Franks up on their high horses, is Calgary Carl. Wearing chaps and and a cowboy hat he looks around at everybody in attendance and raises his arms to a thunderous reaction as the lights shine down more brightly from the rafters.

Josephina Colbert: Lead to the ring by their manager Calgary Carl… Weighing in at a combined 452 pounds… “The Elite” Jerry Starr… and “The Montreal Kid” Allen Franks… The Canuckin’ Cowboys!!!

Alan Ducard: All right!!!

Bryan Harris: Oh great... just when I thought he was all out of our lives... Carl’s back.

Jimmy Yates: You can tell with that smile on Carl’s face and the way he’s soaking up the audience’s reaction, he’s more than glad to be back.

Bryan Harris: What a ham!

Starr and Franks toss their reigns down to Carl, who then walks towards the ring with both of his cowboys in tow. Jerry and Allen tip their cowboy hats at various fans at ringside, who are in awe over the beautiful horses walking down the aisle during a wrestling broadcast. Finally, making their way to the ringside area , Jerry and Allen dismount off of their horses and sprint towards the ring, sliding underneath the bottom rope. Starr and Franks toss their cowboy hats out to the crowd in their respective corners and the fans eat up every bit of their unexpected entrance as they remove their chaps, their wrestling gear underneath.

Alan Ducard: As we heard and saw this past week, Calgary Carl was no longer being held hostage…

Bryan Harris: Excuse me, there was no evidence of foul play, so I think you mean he’s no longer missing.

Jimmy Yates: Whatever you want to call it, the big guy is back at the side of the Canuckin’ Cowboys, and that could be a huge difference maker in tonight’s match.

Bryan Harris: Any influence he might have on this match is going to have to be through whatever training and strategy tips he’s given them in the past couple days and the extra power they might get from the cheers of the fans at ringside, because Carl’s not going to be allowed to stick around!

Jimmy Yates: Wait, what the…?

Alan Ducard: That’s right, as you can see, the referee is asking Trent Logan and Calgary Carl to please head back to the locker room area, the front office wanting this match to be as fair and equitable as possible to all six competitors, and that means banning all individuals – and horses – from ringside area from now until well after the final bell.

Once Trent Logan disappears through the curtain and is followed moments later by Calgary Carl and the horses, Josephina Colbert gets back on the mic, and the anticipatory booing begins, albeit at a low level.

Josephina Colbert: And now introducing the reigning World Tag Team Champions…

The lights go out, and apart from the boos from the crowd which are getting increasingly louder, there’s no noise. Red spotlights shine down from all over the arena – some from the rafters, some from each side of the entrance ramp, and spotlights all around the LEGACY Vision jumbotron. The entire arena – the ring, the entrance ramp, and the crowd. That’s when “The Mirror” by Dream Theater begins to play over the speakers.

Josephina Colbert: Weighing in at a combined 526 pounds… “The All Star” James Win and “The Eliminator” William “Gryffin” Anselm… The Diabolik!!

The red strobe lights kick in, making for an added annoyance to the all red glow which is covering the scene. As you might expect, the booing kicks up a couple notches as The Diabolik make their entrance, James Win the first of the duo coming out from the back.

Bryan Harris: Would you look at that? Even with all this red, James Win still looks great in his shiny gold attire, which matches perfectly with that championship belt around his waist and his goldeny locks flowing from his head down onto his shoulders.

Jimmy Yates: Gee, Bryan, commenting on both the fashion sense and hair of James Win? What’s that all about?

Bryan Harris: Hey, just because you’re not a renaissance man doesn’t mean other straight guys can’t be.

Getting to the top of the ramp, James Win puts a hand on either side of his jacket and rips it open to the sides, proudly displaying the World Tag Team Championship belt around his waist. As he stands there, the booing gets a lot louder, about as loud as it has been all night as Gryffin Anselm steps out from the back, wearing a pair of red, black, and white camouflage-print cargo pants and the “D” tshirt with the sleeves ripped off as per usual. Just as he has for every show for the past 300 days, Gryffin has his World Tag Team Championship belt over his shoulder.

Alan Ducard: There are the duo who are highly considered the top tag team in the business today, the LEGACY World Tag Team Champions – the Diabolik.

Bryan Harris: If you look at the stipulations surrounding this match, it’ll tell you that neither Gryffin Anselm nor James Win have to get pinned for them to lose the championship belts, but if Domination or the Canuckin’ Cowboys want to have an honest claim to those belts, they need to get a pinfall or submission on Gryffin or The All Star, because The Diabolik hold a victory over Domination and the Cowboys in their last two meetings.

Jimmy Yates: I think both the Canuckin’ Cowboys and Domination are looking to take out The Diabolik first and foremost. They might fight each other to get an advantage in the match, but if you would ask Ben Murdock, Steve O’Reily, Allen Franks, or Jerry Starr who they’re gunning for in that match, it’s Gryffin Anselm and James Win, hands down.

Alan Ducard: And I expect that Calgary Carl and Trent Logan both instructed the men they manage to not just focus on the Diabolik, but with the circumstances surrounding Calgary Carl’s absence for the past few weeks and the way things transpired at DESTINED FOR GREATNESS, it’ll take a conscious effort for those two teams to focus on each other.

Jimmy Yates: Anselm and Win have found ways to extend their title reign this long, but in a sense they’ve drawn targets on their backs for more than one team to gun for.

Bryan Harris: And I’ve seen nothing to make me think they’d have it any other way.

With the booing all around them, the Diabolik have slowly been making their way down the ramp, Anselm not acknowledging anyone or anything, but James Win taunts each and every fan that he can, getting riled up and more ready for the match. The duo get to the bottom of the ramp and James Win walks over and makes his way up the steel steps, while Gryffin takes a hop and is now standing up on the apron. Taking the belt off his shoulder, Anselm ducks into the ring under the top rope and then holds the belt high above his head, staring down his four opponents. James Win hops over the top rope and takes the belt off from around his waist and holds it in front of him, also taunting his opponents. Having seen enough, Murdock and O’Reily look at each other, nod, and then sprint forward and go after James Win. As soon as they realize what’s happening, Allen Franks and Jerry Starr go after Gryffin Anselm, who was attempting to help keep Domination from double-teaming The All Star.

Jimmy Yates: I was wondering how long those guys were going to stand by and let the Diabolik taunt them!!

Alan Ducard: I’m not surprised to see things get started like this, but this match is still a tag team match, not an all out war, so this is going to have to get calmed down and order needs to be restored.

The referee runs over and calls for the bell and then yells at all six men, getting into the thick of things and trying to push people back, not having an easy time of it. Pulling Allen Franks back a bit, the referee gets in between Starr and Anselm, telling both of them to go out to their respective corners. Anselm turns to leave, but then he runs in and tackles Ben Murdock off of James Win, rolling over on the ground and throwing RAGE out of the ring under the bottom rope. The referee runs over and makes sure that when Gryffin gets up, he exits out onto the apron.

Bryan Harris: Look at that, Gryffin Anselm actually doing something to help out the ref.

Jimmy Yates: Now THAT’s a first.

In the midst of all the craziness, Jerry Starr tells Allen Franks to go to the apron instead of going himself, and then Jerry Starr runs in and hits Steve O’Reily with a dropkick to the back, knocking him away from the already dazed James Win. As quickly as he can, Starr gets to his feet and dives forwards, connecting with a double-axhandle smash to the back of Venom’s head, dropping him back down to the mat. Putting a knee in between Steve’s shoulderblades, Jerry reaches forward and puts his hand on Venom’s forehead, basically grabbing him by the eye sockets and pulling back, putting tons of strain on O’Reily’s neck.

Alan Ducard: Jerry Starr really wrenching back, and it’s easy to see from the look on his face that Steve O’Reily wants to get out of this move as soon as possible, reaching back, trying to grab on to The Elite One and force him to release.

Bryan Harris: He’s about to get a little help!

Having just rebounded off the ropes, James Win connects with a dropkick to the exposed ribs of Jerry Starr, knocking him off of Venom’s back. Getting right up to his feet, James Win spins around and drops an elbow down into Jerry Starr’s chest, keeping him down on the mat. Staying on a knee, James Win takes a quick moment to taunt Jerry Starr. Before he gets back up to his feet, James Win gets drilled in the back with a clubbing blow from Steve O’Reily.

Jimmy Yates: Maybe The All Star will think twice before he makes a rookie mistake like that again.

Bryan Harris: As much as I’d like to say he will, he’ll probably go for the taunt 10 times out of 10, but you can’t underestimate the mental effect that taunting might have on Jerry Starr.

Alan Ducard: It might actually serve as more motivation.

Bryan Harris: If Jerry Starr needs more motivation in this match, something’s really wrong.

Ripping James Win up off his feet, Steve O’Reily hoists him up into the air into a gorilla press position, moving around a bit, showing off his strength to the crowd before dropping The All Star onto his shoulder and immediately powerslamming him down to the mat. Hopping up to his feet, Steve takes a few steps towards the corner where Gryffin Anselm is standing, glaring right at the other half of the tag team champions.

Jimmy Yates: Steve O’Reily sending a message to Anselm, doing a little taunting of his own.

Bryan Harris: Yeah, and just like it didn’t work out well for James Win, I think the man who calls himself Venom needs to turn around and get back to work.

Alan Ducard: Well Jerry Starr just got back to his feet, and he moves in and hits a chop block from behind to the back of Steve’s leg!

Having just put O’Reily down onto the mat, Jerry Starr gets back to his feet and backs up a few steps, looking really confident and trying to plot his next move. As Steve gets back up off the mat, the look on Starr’s face changes a bit. He takes a step forwards and drills the big man in the head with a hard right hand, but Steve retaliates and forces Jerry back a step with a right hand of his own. Before Steve can hit another one, Jerry Starr pivots and grabs him by the arm and sends him to the far side of the ring with an irish whip, then quickly turns and tags in Allen Franks. Taking a couple steps down the apron on the outside, Allen Franks puts both hands on the top rope, bends down slightly and then leaps upwards, getting high enough to get his feet on the top rope, and he springboards himself forward towards an on-coming Steve O’Reily. Lifting his legs up to his chest, Allen drills Venom right in the face with his knees.

Crowd: OOOOHHH!!!!

Jimmy Yates: What a move from Allen Franks, and he flattens the Domination member!!

Alan Ducard: Call it a springboard flying knee battering ram, come up with another name for it if you want, but the key to that move’s effectiveness is the teamwork involved.

Bryan Harris: Steve O’Reily didn’t see Allen Franks coming until it was too late, and I bet even when he saw the knees coming right at his face, he probably though Jerry Starr was the legal man. That’s something he won’t have to think about for a minute or two, because right now he’s knocked out, laid out on his back!

Having just gotten up off the mat, James Win charges forward towards Allen Franks, but Jerry Starr steps up and the Canuckin’ Cowboys execute a tandem armdrag takedown, sending The All Star back down to the mat. Spotting the double team, Gryffin Anselm gets into the ring and charges at the Cowboys, but Allen and Jerry instinctively duck the double clothesline attempt. Anselm keeps running, hitting the ropes for more momentum, but Franks and Starr turn around and leap into the air, both connecting with a dropkick, all four feet hitting Gryffin on the chest and knocking him backwards and down onto the mat. The referee doesn’t like the double teaming, so he moves in, first saying something to Ben Murdock to keep him on the apron, then he tells Jerry Starr to exit onto the apron, which he does. The referee then moves over and makes sure that Gryffin Anselm rolls out of the ring under the bottom rope.

Jimmy Yates: When they first debuted as a team a few months ago, I never thought I’d say this, but here we are in a World Tag Team Title match, and the Canuckin’ Cowboys are in the driver’s seat!

Bryan Harris: Don’t get too excited, Jimmy, this can’t go on much longer.

Looking at both of his opponents, Allen Franks sees that Steve O’Reily is still down, significantly dazed from the flying knee to the forehead, and then he notices that James Win is working on getting up off the mat. The Montreal native heads in The All Star’s direction, and when he gets there he grabs him by the head and attempts to hit a suplex of some sort, but Win swings his arm and drills Allen with a right hand to the rib, then breaks up the tie-up. Taking a step back, James goes for a kick to the midsection, but Franks grabs James by the ankle and then immediately pivots to the side and throws Win across his body and down to the mat.

Alan Ducard: Textbook dragon screw leg whip by Allen Franks, and he’s immediately right back onto his feet, still holding on to James’ ankle. He twists around…

Jimmy Yates: Allen Franks with a picture perfect Figure Four Leg Lock on The All Star in the middle of the ring!

Bryan Harris: Don’t get your hopes up of James Win tapping out to this move. Even if he can’t get out of this on his own, The Golden One can easily withstand the pain long enough to let Steve O’Reily wake back up and force Allen to release him.

Alan Ducard: I believe you are correct, Mr. Harris, but I also believe that Allen’s purpose of locking on this submission maneuver might not be solely to get a submission, but rather to weaken the legs of his otherwise speedy opponent.

Jimmy Yates: Allen Franks and James Win are inarguably the fastest two competitors in this match, and this could be a clear-cut opportunity for Allen Franks to earn his team an advantage!

Alan Ducard: You can see by the look on his face that this move is clearly something that “The All Star” James Win would like to escape from, but thus far Allen Franks has been able to keep James from turning the move over, and he’s certainly too far away from the ropes to force a break.

Bryan Harris: Well now you’re going to see exactly what I was talking about, because Steve O’Reily is getting up off the mat, and he’s going to get James out of the Figure Four.

Jimmy Yates: It looks like he’s going to let Ben Murdock take care of it for him!

Shaking some cobwebs, Steve O’Reily gets to his feet and stumbles over towards his corner, reaching out and tagging in Ben Murdock, who looks more than anxious to get into the ring. RAGE ducks under the top rope and as soon as he puts his foot into the ring as the legal man, he runs right over and stomps down onto the chest of Allen Franks a couple times, forcing Allen to release the hold. Instead of following up on Franks, though, Ben first turns and stomps down onto James Win a couple of times. As Allen starts to get up off the mat, Ben drills him with a hard left, then grabs him by the arm, backs him up a few steps into the ropes, then irish whips him across the ring. Backing up a couple of steps and pushing off the ropes with his back for some momentum, Murdock runs towards the oncoming Allen Franks, leaps off the mat and takes Franks down to the mat with a Lou Thesz Press, immediately drilling Allen in the face with hard right and left hands repeatedly.

Bryan Harris: Ha ha! Looks like old Ben Murdock wasn’t too happy with what Allen Franks did a couple minutes ago to his partner, and now he’s takin’ out ALL that aggression on “The Montreal Kid”.

Alan Ducard: I’m not convinced it’s that, exactly. He might just be going after young Master Franks because he’s the freshest person in the match.

Bryan Harris: Yeaaaah, riiiight. If there’s one person in this match who isn’t thinking about much strategy, it’s Ben Murdock. If there were two people, Steve O’Reily would be the second. Trent Logan doesn’t let those guys think for themselves, and they’d be damn lost without him!

Jimmy Yates: Even without the master strategist, they’d still be two of the biggest, strongest, toughest guys on the roster, and the last I checked, this is wrestling, it doesn’t necessarily take a rocket scientist to figure out how to go in there and beat the hell out of your opponent.

Satisfied with the number of times he’s hit Allen in the head, Ben Murdock moves off of his opponent and grabs Franks and lifts him up off the mat. Grabbing Allen’s wrist, RAGE sends Franks hard back first into the opposite turnbuckle, and then Ben runs in and hits a running forearm shot to the face that drops Allen down onto his ass, his back still to the turnbuckle. Murdock doesn’t relent, stomping in on Allen Franks’ chest a few times, Franks trying to stop him on the first couple, but nearly completely defenseless on the last couple.

Bryan Harris: Allen Franks is lucky that Ben Murdock decided to stop, because any more of those kicks and his chest might’ve caved in.

Jimmy Yates: Not a pretty sight for his friends and family back up in Montreal and other parts of Canada.

Bryan Harris: Who cares about Canada anyway? Isn’t it basically just a collection of land that places like Montana and North Dakota and Vermont and Maine didn’t want?

Alan Ducard: Hardly, but this isn’t the time for a geography lesson or a tourist briefing.

Making his way across the ring, Ben Murdock is in complete control as he grabs James Win and rips him away from the ropes, which The All Star was using to help himself up off the mat. Grabbing him into a hold that almost looks like a bear hug, Murdock takes a step backwards and then lifts up, pivots and drives Win down into the mat with a belly to belly suplex.

Jimmy Yates: Ben Murdock just throwing James Win and Allen Franks around like rag dolls!

Bryan Harris: Just wait until Gryffin Anselm gets into the match, he’ll change all that.

Lifting Win up off the mat by the hair, Murdock drags James over to the nearest corner, lifts him up off the mat and places him up onto the top turnbuckle. Slowly, Ben climbs up the turnbuckles after The All Star, hooking his arm around James’ neck, signaling with his free arm, and then lifting Win way up off the top rope, sending him up, over, and ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE MAT!

Jimmy Yates: Beautiful Superplex there by Ben Murdock, and if James Win weren’t in trouble with the Figure Four… or the Belly to Belly Suplex… he’s in trouble now!

Bryan Harris: Yeah, you know what that idiot just did? He took his attention off of Allen Franks, and now Jerry Starr just made the tag back into this match!

Alan Ducard: Franks might’ve just become the legal man for his team in this match, but he didn’t get into the ring.

Instead of entering the ring, Jerry Starr runs to the only neutral corner in the ring which happens to be right down the apron from his corner, and as he climbs to the top turnbuckle, Allen Franks does the same in the corner in which he just made the tag out of the match. As Ben Murdock gets up off the mat after having just hit a Superplex from the corner where Jerry Starr is standing, he stumbles backwards a couple steps, proud of what he just did, putting him a little closer to the corner of the Canuckin’ Cowboys. As RAGE turns around, both Jerry Starr and Allen Franks leap off of their respective corners and simultaneously connect with a double missile dropkick, hitting with all four of their collective feet on Ben’s chest, knocking him backwards down onto the mat, somersaulting backwards and landing on his chest.

Jimmy Yates: Unbelievable!

Alan Ducard: I can’t believe that Allen Franks had the strength left in his legs to leap as far as he did.

Bryan Harris: That kid looks about SPENT! Look at him, he’s not even going to get up off the mat before he exits out onto the apron, he’s just gonna roll!

Jimmy Yates: There’s nobody to stop him, and there’s no need for him to be in any kind of hurry, so why not roll?

Running in, Jerry Starr drops an elbow to the middle of Murdock’s back. Putting his feet back underneath himself, Jerry grabs one of Ben’s arms, twists it around his back into a chicken wing position and then without letting go, Starr drives his knee down into RAGE’s shoulder. He then backs his feet up a couple steps, lifts them into the air, almost doing a hand-stand, and then he drives his knee downwards into the shoulder for a second time. Putting his feet underneath himself again, Starr begins stomping down on Murdock, and then suddenly he stops.

Bryan Harris: Oh, what’s this? Did “The Elite One” just realize something? Oh, he left James Win all alone, and The All Star is about to tag in the one man who can turn this match back around for his team!

Alan Ducard: Gryffin Anselm really wants his tag team partner to get to the corner and make the tag, but Jerry Starr is going to do whatever he can to prevent it from happening.

Running over, Jerry Starr grabs James Win by the wrist, pulling him away from the Diabolik corner, and immediately goes for the irish whip towards the opposite ropes. Shuffling his feet, James Win reverses the irish whip and stands motionless as Starr hits the ropes and comes barreling back towards him full speed. At what seems like the last second, James Win drops and throws his feet forwards, connecting with a dropkick that connects with the shin of Jerry Starr, dropping him face first onto the mat.

Bryan Harris: Oh now here we go, nothing is going to stop James Win from making the tag in to William. Gryffin. Anselm.

Jimmy Yates: I hate to say it, but I agree with you there. Ben Murdock is trying to get up, but he’s in no position to stop what’s about to happen.

Alan Ducard: And… there it is, James Win got up to his knees, out stretched his arm, and he was able to make the tag in to Gryffin Anselm, who enters this match for the first time tonight.

Bryan Harris: They say good tag team wrestling is all about tagging in and out with your partners as frequently as possible, but this match is living proof of the fact that even with all the best teamwork in the world against you, when you’ve got the freshest man in the match, sometimes that’s all that matters.

Slowly making his way into the ring, Gryffin lifts Jerry Starr up off the mat, hooking him by the arm and using a modified hiptoss throw, launching him halfway across the ring. Anselm then turns his attention to Ben Murdock, the Domination member working his way up off the mat. Moving in, Gryffin hits a double axhandle smash to the upper shoulder region that Jerry Starr was working over a couple minutes ago, and RAGE falls back down to the mat, though struggles and tries to get his knee underneath him to get back to his feet. Not relenting, Gryffin Anselm grabs Murdock into a gutwrench position, looks behind him and hits the gutwrench suplex.

Bryan Harris: How EFFORTLESS did that look?! Gryffin Anselm is about to put this match in the bag, another successful title defense.

Jimmy Yates: And just like a couple minutes ago you pointed out that other people were careless in their attention to all of their opponents, Jerry Starr is back over in his corner.

Bryan Harris: It’s not going to matter, Jimmy.

Alan Ducard: There’s the tag, and now both members of the Canuckin’ Cowboys are in the ring.

Jerry Starr says something to Allen Franks, who nods in understanding. As soon as Gryffin Anselm turns around to see where his other opponent is, Franks and Starr both run in and spin around, both thrusting their elbows forwards, simultaneously connecting with the sternum of Anselm. Seeing that the big man didn’t go down, Allen points to the opposite ropes, Starr nods, and the two men run into the ropes, rebounding off with momentum. As they take a couple steps closer, Gryffin turns around, sprints forwards and takes them both down with a double clothesline.

Bryan Harris: What in the world were those two thinking? Did they think those elbows were enough to daze a guy like Anselm for any significant amount of time?

Alan Ducard: Gryffin Anselm just too fresh, too strong, and now Allen Franks is back in this match despite Jerry Starr being the better rested member of his team.

Gryffin quickly looks around the ring and walks over to where Ben Murdock is working his way up off the mat, and Anselm looks him in the eye and raises his hands, challenging his opponent to a test of strength. Ben Murdock looks side to side, doing an impromptu poll of the crowd to see whether he should get involved, and then just stands right up and locks hands. Initially, Gryffin gets the advantage, but when Murdock changes his footing, he starts to put Anselm back a couple steps. Not happy with the way things are going, Gryffin takes a step forward and kicks Murdock between the legs, causing him to let go of the test of strength, slightly doubled over in pain, looking like he just had the wind knocked out of him.

Jimmy Yates: What a cowardly move there by Gryffin Anselm!! He’s the one who called for the test of strength to begin with!

Bryan Harris: It’s all strategy, Jimmy, strategy.

Backing up a few steps, Gryffin turns and hits the ropes, gaining a bunch of momentum and then charges back towards Murdock full steam. A couple feet away, Anselm pulls his arm all the way back, obviously going for a clothesline, but Ben takes a step forwards, ducks down a little bit and then lifts Gryffin clear up off the mat and all in one motion turns around and drives Anselm down into the mat with a huge spinebuster.

Alan Ducard: How was Ben Murdock able to muster that much strength so quickly after the low kick?

Jimmy Yates: I don’t know, but the fans are loving it, and so am I!!!

Bryan Harris: That big dumb ox better follow that up with something quick, or he’s gonna have a wasted opportunity.

Alan Ducard: I don’t know how much he has left in him to do something more.

Getting to his feet, Ben Murdock stomps down onto Gryffin Anselm’s stomach, then follows it up with another before backing up into the ropes, getting a little bit of momentum before he charges forwards, diving down with his elbows extended, driving them into Gryffin’s gut.

Jimmy Yates: Keep it up, RAGE!!

Alan Ducard: The more Ben Murdock inflicts pain on the abdominal muscles of Gryffin Anselm, the harder it’s going to be for him to be able to get up off the mat to continue fighting.

Lifting Gryffin up off the mat, Ben Murdock spins him around into a reverse ddt position and then yells to his tag team partner, and almost immediately Steve O’Reily gets to the top rope. Not wasting a moment, VENOM leaps off the top rope and hits a double ax handle smash down onto Gryffin’s gut, forcing Ben Murdock to drop Anselm to the mat with a reverse ddt. Moving in, the referee tells Steve O’Reily to exit the ring since he’s not the legal man.

Bryan Harris: There you go, ref, let’s keep this all legal!

Having been waiting and resting outside the ring for the past couple minutes, both Jerry Starr and Allen Franks get into the ring, each running and hitting the ropes on opposite sides of the ring. By the time Murdock realizes Jerry Star is in the ring, he sees him flying towards him with a dropkick. At the very moment he gets hit in the chest with that move by Starr, Ben Murdock is also hit from behind with a flying back heel kick to the back of his head, the combined impact flattening him down to the mat. Having momentarily taken out the Domination member, the Cowboys turn their attention towards Gryffin Anselm.

Alan Ducard: After having just broken up a double-team by Domination, the referee looks like he wants to get one of the members of the Canuckin’ Cowboys out of the ring, but he can’t figure out which one of them is the legal man.

Jimmy Yates: I’ve been trying to keep an eye on that, and even I don’t know which one should be allowed to stay!

Taking advantage of the confusion, both Jerry and Allen both grab a hold onto one of Gryffin’s ankles and lift up, putting him into a wishbone position. After first cracking out to the sides to put strain on Anselm’s groin, the each lift up, pulling Gryffin up off the mat as they fall backwards, lifting him up and over their heads, slamming him down onto the mat face first to a good ovation from the fans.

Alan Ducard: The great teamwork from the Canuckin’ Cowboys continues, and they’re certainly lucky to have gotten Calgary Carl back this past week, as you can be sure that he’s had some impact on their preparation and teamwork.

Jimmy Yates: And now Domination’s going to get into the double team action!

Bryan Harris: Somebody get another referee out there, because clearly this referee has lost control of this match!

Getting back into the action, Steve O’Reily steps in and first clotheslines Allen Franks down to the mat, then scoops Jerry Starr up off his feet and bodyslams him. With Ben Murdock getting up off the mat, VENOM says something to his tag team partner, and then both members of Domination each grab a Canuckin’ Cowboy, setting them up into vertical head scissors. Not wasting a bit of time, Domination collectively deliver stereo powerbombs on the Canuckin’ Cowboys.

Crowd: OOOOHH!!!!

Bryan Harris: That should spell the end of the Canuckin’ Cowboys’ involvement in this match, because after getting driven into the mat as hard as they were just now, I don’t see either of them getting up.

Alan Ducard: It could very well come down to just Domination and the Diabolik, and it appears that’s the strategy they’re going for, as both Steve O’Reily and Ben Murdock are shoving Jerry Starr and Allen Franks out of the ring under the bottom rope.

Jimmy Yates: Now the referee can figure out which one of these guys is the legal man.

Yelling at Steve O’Reily, the referee forces him to get out onto the apron, though as soon as he gets out there, Steve O’Reily gets tagged into the match by Ben Murdock. When VENOM gets into the ring, he moves over to attack Gryffin Anselm, but when he gets there, Steve gets drilled in the gut and doubled over with a hard right hand from Anselm, who then gets to his feet, turns, and runs into the ropes. When he gets to his opponent, Gryffin hits a rising knee shot to the chest and face of O’Reily, dropping him down onto his back.

Bryan Harris: Just like that, The Diabolik are back in this thing, and now they’re going to be doing what they do best, using teamwork to keep control of the offensive, with Gryffin moving over and tagging in James Win.

Alan Ducard: Win into the ring and immediately runs towards the opposite ropes. Gryffin lifts O’Reily up off the mat, turns around and lifts him up into a position for an inverted atomic drop…

Jimmy Yates: James With with an impressive flying clothesline, taking VENOM right out of the hands of Gryffin and sending him down hard onto his back!

Now the legal man, James Win gets out onto the apron and moves over to the corner where he begins to climb the turnbuckle. As he ascends, he doesn’t notice as Allen Franks gets up on the apron in a nearby corner, Jerry Starr getting into the ring. Reaching over, Jerry Starr makes the tag to Allen Franks, who joins him in the ring.

Alan Ducard: I suppose we haven’t seen the last of the Canuckin’ Cowboys!

As soon as he makes the tag, Jerry Starr quickly makes his way over to the corner where James Win has just gotten to the top turnbuckle. Climbing the turnbuckles on the inside of the ring as quickly as he can, Jerry Starr greets James Win on the top rope and then leaps upwards as soon as his feet hit the top rope, wrapping his legs around James’s neck, throwing him backwards into a hurricanrana…

Jimmy Yates: Hurricanrana… AND ALLEN FRANKS SLIDES IN, BRINGING HIS KNEES UP IN FRONT OF HIM, AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE JAMES WIN’S BACK LANDS!!!

Alan Ducard: That’s certainly a nasty fall.

Bryan Harris: You know what that is? That’s more example of illegal double-teaming, that’s what that is.

Obviously in a lot of pain, James Win rolls around on the mat holding his back. Somehow able to roll over to his corner, James Win reaches up and tags Gryffin into the match. When Gryffin gets into the ring, he charges over and takes Jerry Starr off his feet with a wicked clothesline, turning him inside out. He then turns and drills Allen Franks with a hard right hand, picking him up and throwing him over onto Steve O’Reily, knocking him down and sending him out of the ring.

Lifting Franks up off the mat, Gryffin Anselm tosses him out of the ring between the ropes, then goes over and picks Jerry Starr up off the mat. Putting Starr into a modified front facelock, Gryffin jumps up off the mat, lifting his knee, and as they come back down, Gryffin holds Jerry’s head against his knee, connecting with a jawbreaker. Backing up into his own corner, Anselm tags in James Win, who gets back into the ring, grabs Jerry Starr with a side-held double underhook, then drops him to the mat with a double arm DDT.

Alan Ducard: Nice move to keep the offensive for The Diabolik, but now James Win is making the tag back in to Gryffin, and he must be hurting if he’s getting out of the ring so soon.

Bryan Harris: I think he just wants to keep people guessing.

Returning to the ring, Gryffin lifts Jerry Starr up off the mat, hooks his head under his arm and then lifts him up into the air, high off the mat, holding him there for a moment before twisting and slamming him down onto the mat with a fierce jackhammer suplex.

Bryan Harris: That’s the Eliminator Jackhammer from Gryffin Anselm… he hooks the leg, this is going to be all over right here…

Alan Ducard: The referee refuses to count, and I believe he’s telling Gryffin that Jerry Starr is not the legal man.

Jimmy Yates: That was a huge lapse in concentration by The Diabolik!

Moving in from behind, Ben Murdock hits a double axhandle smash onto Anselm, keeping him from getting right back up to his feet. Lifting Gryffin up off the mat, Murdock grabs Gryffin around the waist and lifts him up into position for an inverted atomic drop, and he then falls backwards, letting Anselm’s neck fall over the top rope.

Alan Ducard: Now Ben Murdock signals to his tag team partner, and they might be looking to finish things here in a minute.

Picking Anselm up and putting him into a standing head scissors, hooking him around the abdomen. Behind Murdock, Steve O’Reily climbs the turnbuckle in the corner, and the excitement that has started already continues to grow. The Canuckin’ Cowboys both still laid out and James Win with absolutely no energy, no one is around to stop Domination, and Ben Murdock lifts Gryffin up off the mat into a powerbomb position, holding him high up into the air as Steve O’Reily leaps off the top rope, connecting with a clothesline that helps propel Gryffin down into the mat.

Jimmy Yates: TOTAL DOMINATION!!

Alan Ducard: Steve O’Reily rolls out of the ring… Ben Murdock going for the pinfall…

Bryan Harris: This can’t be happening! Someone get out there!!

One!

TWO!!

THREE!!!

The fans all over the arena go absolutely ballistic in a huge amount of cheering as the referee signals for the bell.

Josephina Colbert: Here are your winners…. and NEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS…

Running as fast as he can, Trent Logan makes his way down the ramp, a huge smile on his face, and he gets up the steel steps and into the ring just as Ben Murdock and Steve O’Reily are being presented with the World Tag Team Titles.

Josephina Colbert: BEN MURDOCK! STEVE O’REILY! DOM-IN-ATION!!!!!!!

Jimmy Yates: Over three hundred days after their reign began, The Diabolik's reign over the World Tag Team Championship division is over!!

Bryan Harris: It's a sad, sad day in LEGACY now that THE GREATEST TAG TEAM OF OUR TIME is no longer reigning over our tag team division, and a pair of meatheads are now holding the belts which signify the most talented division in our business today.

Alan Ducard: Ben Murdock and Steve O'Reily are a great team, two of the strongest fighters in the business, and with the leadership of Trent Logan at the helm, Domination could very well hold those belts for a considerable amount of time.

Bryan Harris: They'd better hope they don't have to defend against Gryffin Anselm and James Win for a while, because when this rematch happens, The Diabolik are getting their belts back.

Jimmy Yates: What are they going to do, find a way to give Domination tainted water bottles again? Because that's the only way I see it happening.