Post by Project: Honor on Jul 17, 2021 21:02:17 GMT -5
LARRY KACHOW: Last time on Proving Ground we saw the beginning of The Friends Like These Tournament...
Lil Petey is quick to his feet going to help Ace back up, only Ace manages to push Petey on his ass and then is blindsided by a tag from Brandon who gets in the ring telling Ace to get out. Petey takes that opportunity and dropkicks Brandon, knocking him into Ace which then sends Ace out of the ring through the ropes. Lil Petey jumps up onto the turnbuckle and jumps off hitting the Freaky Bomb (Swanton Bomb) on Hendrix and goes for the pin!
ONE…
TWO…
THREE!!!
HOLLY PEREZ: The winner of this match by PINFALL… Liiilll Peeettteeeyyy and Scccoootttttt Oaaasssiiisss!!!
At this point, both Big Match John and Mark Kelly re-enter the ring as the series of blind tags seems to have worn thin on both sides of the match. Blade and Kelly exchange a series of punches until John finally shoves Kelly away with all his strength. The push sends Kelly right into Ackerman, interrupting his planned attack on the dazed Tara Fenix. The Captain responds by sending a clothesline towards Kelly, who ducks underneath! Ackerman collides with John Blade, sending the Big Match playa out of the ring! When The Captain spins around, he’s met by the Such Is Life knee strike from his own frustrated partner! Kelly then leaves the ring to take out his frustrations on John Blade, as Ackerman pulls himself back up, just in time for Tara to leap off the top with Heaven’s Fury!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
HOLLY PEREZ: Your winners of the match...JOHN BLADE AND TARA FENIX!!!
The referee drops down to ask her, but she refuses! Violently shaking her head as Riley tightens his grasp around her arm, bending it as far as it can go- SHE'S SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER, BUT SHE STILL REFUSES- OH WAIT, RILEY HAS HER WRIST AND HER FINGERS, BENDING HER DIGITS ALMOST SO FAR BACK THEY'LL TOUCH THE BACK OF HER HAND- THE REFEREE HAS SEEN ENOUGH AND CALLS THE MATCH BEFORE SHE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED! RILEY LETS GO!
DING! DING! DING!
HOLLY PEREZ: And your winners by referee decision, ULF HEDNIIIIRRRRRRRR AND WILL RILEEEEEYYYYY!
LARRY KACHOW: ...along with some other impressive contests from the brand’s rising and established stars...
It would seem as if Arata could pin Serrano and be done with the match at this point, but The One Real Shogun has not released all of his frustrations just yet. He makes his way to the corner and ascends to the top turnbuckle, taking his time as Serrano has yet to move from his prone position. He then launches himself off the top with the picture-perfect splash known as The Golden Dragon, adding insult to injury on his outmatched opposition. Arata then rises to his feet, and instead of making any concentrated effort to pin Serrano, he simply places his foot on top of The Heater’s chest.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
HOLLY PEREZ: Your winner of the match by pinfall...ARATA ASAKURA!
Dickie takes a look at the fallen Pat and springs himself up to the top turnbuckle, the crowd roaring in excitement as he takes off… DICKIE NAILS PAT WITH THE ADRENALINE!!!
TREY BOOKER: Phoenix Splash!!!
Dickie Watson covers Pat…
ONE
TWO
THREE!!! DICKIE WATSON WINS IN DOMINANT FASHION!!!
DING! DING! DING!
TREY BOOKER: He’s back and he hasn’t missed a damn step.
HOLLY PEREZ: THE WINNER BY PINFALL… THE MOLOTOV… DICKIE WATSON!!!
Sauce, even though Emmanuelle still had the Armbar locked in, is doing everything he can to not tap out. Eventually Sauce gets close enough to the ropes to grab hold of it forcing Emmanuelle to have to let go of the Armbar. Emmanuelle gets back up to her feet and gets Sauce up to his feet too. Only Sauce isn’t on his feet long before Emmanuelle takes him down with the Pasadena Bomb (Double Underhook Sitout Powerbomb) and goes for the pin.
ONE…
TWO…
THREE!!!
HOLLY PEREZ: The winner of this match by PINFALL is the team of EMMMMMMAAANNNUUUEEELLLLLLEEE and MYYYOOOJJJIIINNN!!!
LARRY KACHOW: ...ominous words from our new Grand Champion...
OZYMANDIAS: It seems even with this Grand Championship in my grasp you people do not recognize true power, true leadership… so be it. I will watch this fight to come, I will consider our future Legacy champion. Elena DeDraca, Mark Hunter, Dickie Watson, Lance Williams… it matters not. If it means I must sit on that throne to make you all kneel, then so be it.
The crowd pops for each of the names listed, but the boos return just as quickly.
OZYMANDIAS: For now I am your Grand Champion but soon… the Legacy of this place will be mine. Feel the rain… recognize my reign… for those of you that the sea rejects, the inferno will feast.
Ozymandias turns to walk away on screen, the imagery of the rain falling spreads back to the arena as the sprinklers go off once more but only in a burst. Enough to cause a bit more chaos in the crowds. As soon as he is off screen the lights and arena return to normal.
LARRY KACHOW: ...the escalation of one of the brand’s most personal rivalries…
With such mass and force behind the charge, even the steel cell cannot hold and Lance bursts through the wall and onto the floor. It’s clear he’s been dazed by the move as he gets back to his feet, which Marcus is quick to take advantage of, grabbing him in a cradle position and lifting his feet off the ground for The Mercy Killer! The piledriver sends Lance’s skull down to the steel fencing on the concrete floor, and as his body slumps, it’s all Marcus can do to lay an arm over his chest for the cover…
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
HOLLY PEREZ: Your winner of the match, and advancing to Gold, Guts, and Glory for a shot at The Project: Honor Legacy Title...MARCUS HUNTINGTON!!!
TREY BOOKER: My god, what a match! Marcus Huntington has avenged his family and now Mark Hunter will face Elena DeDraca at Fallout’s next Pay Per View!
LARRY KACHOW: ...and the introduction to the greatest General Manager in Professional Wrestling history!
ROCK JOHNSON: Proving Ground’s General Manager isn’t here tonight. He has a sprained ego or some kind of cramps. The assistant GM is awol, I think we may have left him behind in Greece. The bottom line is, even an underling like you can see how busy I am.
Johnson gestures towards the women on either side of him by moving his head from one side to the other.
ROCK JOHNSON: I just don’t have time to pick up Indy Darling’s slack tonight, so I’m looking for the kind of person who’s willing to step up and take charge for the evening. You follow me, Harry?
Larry ignores the fact that Johnson got his name wrong as he responds.
LARRY KACHOW: Oh, absolutely sir! Are you sure I’m qualified for such an important job? I’d hate to let you down.
Johnson laughs to himself, clearly amused by the flattery and subservience that KaChow has heaped upon him.
ROCK JOHNSON: If that Make-A-Wish kid could cover for DeMarco, I’m pretty sure you can cover for Darling. Just make sure I’m not bothered tonight, and don’t do anything to embarrass me. Can you do that, Barry?
Still ignoring the mispronunciation of his name, Larry nods his head enthusiastically.
LARRY KACHOW: Absolutely, sir! Unlike some people who can’t be bothered to show up for work, you can count on me!
ROCK JOHNSON: That’s what I like to hear, now if you’ll excuse me…
Johnson continues on his way with his two female friends, leaving Larry KaChow alone in the hallway as he beams from ear to ear. Once the owner is out of earshot, the interim GM begins to laugh, starting with a soft chuckle until it morphs into the cackling of a madman.
LARRY KACHOW: Heh...hehehe...Ha...HA HA...BWHA HA HA HA!!!!
LARRY KACHOW: For the first time ever, Proving Ground will have an over-the-top-rope gauntlet match with participants entering at random every two minutes! The last person standing will earn a shot at The Grand Championship and if the current champion, Ozymandias, wins the match, he’ll have the opportunity to determine the stipulation in his first Grand Title Defense! It’s a little something I like to call ‘Lucky Larry’s Lethal Limbo’ and it’s better than anything Darling or DeMarco could ever hope to come up with!
Despite the interest in the match he’s proposed, Larry continues to be booed by the audience. He does his best to ignore the negative response as he tosses the microphone aside and begins to make his way out of the ring.
J.T. PRICE: Wait...he basically just announced a 20 person Royal Rumble, didn’t he? Can we legally use that name? Why not just call it The Grand Gauntlet?
TREY BOOKER: I don’t know, but it’s a lot better than Lucky Larry’s Lethal Limbo. No matter what we call it, opportunity will knock for one competitor at Proving Ground XIX!
J.T. PRICE: That’s it, Trey! You’re a genius! It’s the first ever Opportunity Knocks Match in Project: Honor history!
♫ No, you're never gonna lie to me
Your mouth moves, but you never speak
And nobody can fuck with me
So get up, get up, or get out ♫
As “This Is War” begins to play over the brand new opening credits, we see Ace Sky hitting a perfect Shooting Star Press from the top rope, immediately followed by the determined face of Will Riley as he executes a Fujiwara Armbar. We then see flashes of Scott Oasis nailing his Seek n’ Destroy Psycho Driver and Tara Fenix hitting her Phoenix Wings double arm tornado DDT. As the song continues, John Blade is shown waving his hand in front of his face, thus making himself practically invisible.
♫ I know you're scared of catastrophe
Paranoid when you feel the heat
We'll start a riot, one, two, three
So get up, get up, or get out ♫
The arrogant smile of Cadillac Jackson appears on the screen, immediately followed by his execution of The Test Drive. We are also treated to Arata Asakura’s impeccable Golden Dragon, the Royal Crown from Daniel Ackerman, and Ulf Hednir’s Thor Punch! Then, from perfectly executed moves to expertly executed lyrics, all three members of Big Drip are featured as they drop their signature style of drip from inside the ring.
♫It's annihilation
Hell is in the air, it's hard to breathe
Sick of all the hatred
So I'm holding on, holding on ♫
The bloody yet determined face of Emmanuelle appears on the screen as she clutches her Warrior Rising Title before the opening transitions to Brandon Hendrix hitting his diving spear. A pair of Australia’s finest are featured as Aiden Reynolds hits his Gold Coast Cutter and Mark Kelly executes his Swan River Dive. Finally we see Valkyrie giving off a primal roar while decked out her complete Norse tribal attire.
♫In the trenches stuck
We've gone too far
Are you ready to die?
This is war!♫
The incomparable Dickie Watson is the next to be featured as he hits Dickie’s Revenge, before we see MYOJIN in all of his flamboyant glory, sliding his mask to the side as his piercing blue eyes stare at the camera. We then see a cocky Lance Williams holding up The X-Factor Championship seconds before the scene switches to Mark Hunter hitting The Mercy Killer. Finally, the Proving Ground logo begins to emerge, while hovering behind it like a monster rising from the depths is Ozymandias, the Grand Championship over his massive shoulder.
♫ When every step you take is do or die
When every breath you take is filled with lies
And you can't deny you're feeling like you're paralyzed
So it's time to settle the score
This is war ♫
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS...
The opening music begins to fade as the live audience in The Sydney Super Dome comes alive for another exciting edition of Proving Ground! The cameras scan around the arena as pyrotechnics erupt from the entrance stage, ramp, and ring posts, until the lights finally rise to reveal the crowd in its full glory.
“KACHOW FOR PRIME MINISTER”
“WELCOME HOME AIDEN”
“OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS FOR TARA FENIX”
“TJ IS THE THE DEFINITION OF CAUCASITY”
“I CAN’T SEE JOHN BLADE...WINNING”
Finally, one of the cameras settles on the announce team of Trey Booker and J.T. Price as they welcome viewers from around the world to another exciting episode of Proving Ground!
TREY BOOKER: Welcome to Sydney, Australia, as we bring you the first ever 20 person over-the-top-rope gauntlet in Project: Honor history! Call it Opportunity Knocks...call it a Grand Gauntlet...you can even call it Lucky Larry’s Lethal Limbo, but don’t call it your average episode of Proving Ground! Trey Booker here to call all of the action alongside my insightful colleague, J.T. Price!
J.T. PRICE: Thanks, Trey! I cannot wait to get this one underway, but I’ve just got to ask, who’s your pick to win it all tonight?
TREY BOOKER: I don’t know how you could go wrong by picking John Blade! He came out here to fire up the crowd with a live rap before the cameras started rolling, and Sydney is hyped up for this one! How about you, partner?
J.T. PRICE: I’m thinking the bigger threats in this one are literally the bigger competitors! Pat the Postman should be right at home in there, and you can’t rule out Victoria McKenzie!
TREY BOOKER: Interesting choices! Something tells me we’re both way off the mark, but there’s only one way to find out! Let’s get this party started!
The camera quickly cuts backstage where Lil Petey is walking around mindlessly. He looks at the wall and gives it a big hug.
LIL PETEY: Damn, baby. You look fuckin’ fine today! What you doin’?
Backstage personnel start to gather around as he continues to interact with the wall.
LIL PETEY: You know I just won that shot so why don’t we go celebrate? SHEEEEEESH!
A couple of the personnel pull out their phones, but the boys of Big Drip are quick to stop them before they get anything on video. Instead, they just all watched as Petey continued to make a fool out of himself.
LIL PETEY: Where you goin’ baby? We was just about to get FREAKY!
Petey started moving his hips against the wall with his hands on his head like he was about to get some. Little does he know… it’s just a wall.
LIL PETEY: What you mean, girl? It’s all about the motion of the ocean and you got some cushion for the pushin’!
Before things got any worse than they already were. Dickie Watson walks into sight with a bucket in his hands.
DICKIE WATSON: Move.
Personnel clear the way as Dickie dumps the bucket of water onto Petey. He immediately falls to the ground. Once the water is emptied, Dickie throws the bucket at him and hits him directly on the head.
DICKIE WATSON: Get your fuckin’ shit together.
Without stopping for a second to see if he was okay, Dickie walked away. Yung Sauce and TJ Thompson stop enjoying the scene from behind and walk up to Petey who seems to be regaining consciousness.
YUNG SAUCE: Breh, you good?
TJ THOMPSON: You just got knocked the fuck out!
A few seconds go by as the boys help Petey sit up against the wall he was just molesting. Petey shakes his head and water flies from his hair all around.
LIL PETEY: Where the hell am I?
Both TJ and Sauce stare at each other for a second before looking back at Petey.
YUNG SAUCE: Breh, we’re at Proving Ground. Your match is about to start…
LIL PETEY: What? I just won it, what do you mean?
TJ THOMPSON: No, you idiot. You were on something and just dreaming. Like legit, your match is about to start and from what I’m hearing… you’re coming in at #2!
Petey immediately becomes erect. Not like that you sick-minded freaks. He stands straight up and starts freaking out.
LIL PETEY: Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. I gotta get ready! Where’s Charlie? Wait, that doesn’t matter right now. Hold up… you’re telling me that I’ve been on shrooms for two days?
YUNG SAUCE: No wonder why my mom told me I need to find new friends…
Petey runs in one direction before TJ shouts at him.
TJ THOMPSON: Your locker room is the other way, dumbass.
Coming to a sliding stop, Petey then runs back the other way and heads straight to his locker room. Both TJ and Sauce start to shoo the rest of the personnel away.
With the fans in the arena anticipating the start of the Opportunity Knocks rumble, the cameras take us backstage where Crystal Ward is standing by for some pre-match comments from Proving Ground’s General Manager, Indy Darling.
CRYSTAL WARD: On behalf of all the backstage crew, I’d just like to say how great it is to have you back this week, Indy. That being said, in your absence, Larry KaChow took it upon himself to book tonight’s big match. Would you care to give us some comments on Lucky Larry’s Lethal Limbo?
INDY DARLING: Please don’t call it that…
CRYSTAL WARD: Right, my bad. Do you have any comments on the Opportunity Knocks rumble?
INDY DARLING: Actually, I do. Other than a few changes in the participants and the fact that this is NOT Proving Ground XX, Larry actually had a good idea. I’ll give the little guy some credit. We have a contender for the X-Factor Title in MYOJIN and we’re in the process of determining a contender for Emmanuelle’s Warrior Rising Title with The Friends Like These Tournament, but a Grand Championship contender is exactly what we needed.
CRYSTAL WARD: What about those who may be of the opinion that former champions like Mark Hunter or Dickie Watson deserve rematches for The Grand Championship?
INDY DARLING: It’s a legitimate concern, but I don’t see competitors like Mark and Dickie falling out of the title race if a new face wins here tonight. Besides, I expect Mark to bring The Legacy Title back to Proving Ground, and Dickie is the face of the brand. Again, I have to give credit where it’s due. Larry has created one hell of an opportunity for nearly everyone on the Proving Ground roster. Now we just need to see who wants it the most…
Suddenly, a voice from off-screen interrupts Indy in mid-sentence.
LARRY KACHOW: Well, well, well...if it isn’t the wayward General Manager who couldn’t be bothered to show up for work.
With a smug look upon his face, Larry KaChow enters the picture uninvited.
LARRY KACHOW: You’re lucky I was here to pick up your slack, Darling. For that matter, don’t think for a second that I’m content with filling in for just one week. I’m coming for your job, chump.
Indy cannot hide his amused smile as he looks from Larry to Crystal and then back to Larry.
INDY DARLING: Are you serious? Dude, you filled in for one night and I’m pretty sure Rock Johnson almost fired you…
LARRY KACHOW: Don’t change the subject, Darling! You and me, one on one, winner gets the job of General Manager! What do you say?
Indy continues to smile, gives Crystal another quick glance, and then begins to shake his head in the negative.
INDY DARLING: Um...no? That would be stupid. What kind of idiot would put his job on the line in a wrestling match? Not only that, but you’re not even a wrestler. I’d kill you. No, Larry. Just...no.
Somewhat surprised that his challenge has been shot down, Larry looks disheartened for a moment. Then, after a brief pause, a new idea springs into his twisted, little mind.
LARRY KACHOW: Well played, Darling. You may not have fallen for my trap, but now that I’ve had a taste of power I’m not about to let it slip away. If your job isn’t an option, what about Caden Young’s? That dude hasn’t been here in months because he’s too busy sucking up to Joe Spicerack out in Hollywood. I demand that he be demoted and that I be promoted to Assistant General Manager, effective immediately!
Indy pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, as if talking with Larry has given him a sudden and painful headache.
INDY DARLING: Caden Young has been here longer than me. He’s always done amazing work, and I’m sure he’s got a great reason for not being at the shows. Even if I wanted to give you his job, I couldn’t. That’s a Rock Johnson call, and if I have anything to say about it, the last show is the closest you’ll ever get to management.
Larry’s eyes narrow as he considers his options for a few moments.
LARRY KACHOW: Fine...but this isn’t over, Darling! I’ll have Caden’s job one way or another, and then I’ll just be one step away from having your job too! You haven’t heard the last of me, Darling! Bwha ha ha ha!!!
Larry exits the scene but his maniacal laughter continues to echo down the corridor. Indy finally shakes his head incredulously before turning his attention back to Crystal.
CRYSTAL WARD: So, is it as uncomfortable as it seems when he calls you by your last name so frequently?
INDY DARLING: Uncomfortable doesn’t even begin to describe it. Anyway, before I was interrupted, I think tonight’s match is going to be one for the ages and I’m looking forward to watching it unfold just as much as everyone else.
CRYSTAL WARD: Thanks for your time, Indy…
Crystal reaches out to gently touch the General Manager’s shoulder, causing him to visibly blush.
CRYSTAL WARD: Trey, J.T., back to you !
HOLLY PEREZ: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome tonight’s special guest commentator and the self-proclaimed creative mastermind behind Lucky Larry’s Lethal Limbo, Monsieur Larry KaChow!
Once again making his entrance to “The Man” by The Killers, Larry smiles and waves at the Australian fans, either ignoring the fact that they are loudly booing him or simply oblivious to the general dislike people have for him. He makes his way around the ringside area to the announce position, where a surprised Trey and J.T. await him.
TREY BOOKER: I had no idea we were running a three man booth tonight...
J.T. PRICE: Neither did I. It’s bad enough that there’s a rumor going around about Larry putting out a contract on my voice box…
Larry adjusts his headset before taking his seat alongside the commentary team.
LARRY KACHOW: What’s up, losers? Ready to kick this commentary up a notch?
J.T. PRICE: Oh fuck me…
TREY BOOKER: Are you going to be here...all night?
LARRY KACHOW: Damn right I am, Booker Trey! This match is my baby and I’m gonna nurse it all night long!
J.T. PRICE: Dude….
TREY BOOKER: That’s an image none of us needed. Let’s take a quick break to clear our minds and we’ll be right back with The Opportunity Knocks rumble!
LARRY KACHOW: *cough* luckylarry’slethallimbo *cough*
As the slow, creeping sounds of Heilung start to play, the lights around the entrance dim down to bare visibility. The drums of the song beat, as small glimpses of a rainstorm can be seen on screen. The stage itself begins to billow out a thick fog, a cold mist curling its way along the platform and down the ramp. Quickly, the stage itself is engulfed in the fog, as much of the ramp is also. A small light shines its weak glow from the entrance, shining against the figure of a man. His silhouette, huge in size against the soft light now moves as he does, down the ramp and through the curtain of mist. He emerges towards the end of the ramp, his form now fully visible… Ozymandias.
He pauses before the ring, staring into the squared-cage before slowly removing his jacket and placing it under the apron. He stands upright, cracks his neck in both directions then power-squats onto the apron, before entering through the ropes.
TREY BOOKER: My god! The champion has drawn number one?! If Ozymandias wins this match, he gets to name the stipulation to his first title defense, but he’ll have to go through all other 19 contenders to get it!
J.T. PRICE: Then get ready for a bloodbath, Trey, because if anyone can do it, it’s The Butcher of Reine!
HOLLY PEREZ: Hailing from Old Harbour, Alaska and weighing in three hundred fifty seven pounds...He is the reigning Grand Champion of Project: Honor...OZYMANDIAS!!! And now...introducing the individual who drew number two…
The opening beat to "oops!!!" by Yung Gravy w/ Lil Wayne graces the ears of everyone in the audience. Peach and pink strobe lights start going off. Every woman in attendance suddenly feels the drip as the lyrics start and Lil Petey steps out onto the stage. Fur coat, multi-colored button up that's only halfway buttoned up, and black pants make up his attire. Petey's got a microphone in hand and starts to rap with the lyrics, even though the mic doesn't actually work.
♫Ayy, supercalifragilisticexpialiexpiali-dope shit
Supercalifragilic-, my ex be on some ho shit
Superman, I get dem bands but ain't gon' buy you roses
Super-duper get them cougars, took my wrist and froze it
Super-duper hoes
Y'all got Oompa Loompa hoes
I ain't never knew ya hoes
Prolly still ran through 'em, though♫
Lil Petey stops on the ramp and looks around at some of the women reaching out to him. He walks up to this couple as the song continues. Petey looks at the dude and points at the chick.
♫Oh, wait, wait, I do know your hoe?
You talkin' 'bout, you talkin' 'bout Tracy?
Nah, nah, nah, nah, you mean like, like, Tracy with the ass?
Tracy with the, with the Honda?
Shit, well♫
Petey winks at the woman and then starts jumping up and down while getting closer to the ring.
♫Oops, baby
Fuck up on your bitch, like oopsy daisy
Never knew that was your boo, baby
Hit her five times in the coupe, Mercedes, whoopsie dai-, yeah
Oops, baby
Gravy hit my bitch, yeah, whoopsie daisy
I just tried to hit, it's my duty, baby
Sippin' on the Goose, like Boosie, baby♫
By this time, Petey is in the ring, taking his fur coat off. He gently hands it to an official outside and tries to vibe despite the intimidating Ozymandias staring at him from across the ring..
TREY BOOKER: You have got to be kidding me! The man who Ozymandias pinned to capture The Grand Championship has entered at number two! I can’t imagine Petey is feeling very confident about his chances right now...
J.T. PRICE: So if Ozy throws him out and he crowd surfs again, does that count as an elimination?
TREY BOOKER: Not until his feet touch the floor! That could be the key to an upset victory for Lil’ Petey!
LARRY KACHOW: You’re my dawg, Petey! Kick his big, fishy ass!
DING! DING! DING!
If it weren’t for the psychedelic mushroom hangover, it’s somewhat likely that Petey would simply leap over the top rope based on his previous encounters with The Butcher of Reine. Instead, he shows an impressive amount of either bravery or foolishness, as he strikes a defensive pose to prepare himself for the onslaught to come. On the opposite side of the ring, The Grand Champion seems somewhat amused with the first challenge that has been set before him. The two men stare across the ring at each other for several moments, then, without explanation or clear reason, Ozymandias turns towards the ropes, steps over the top to the apron, and drops to the ringside floor, effectively eliminating himself from the competition before the first punch has been thrown!
OZYMANDIAS WAS ELIMINATED AT 0:25
J.T. PRICE: Wait...what the hell?!
TREY BOOKER: Ozymandias has just eliminated himself from the match! I don’t understand this at all!
LARRY KACHOW: Yeah, Petey! That’s my boy right there!
With Petey watching on from inside the ring, his mushroom-addled mind allowing him to present a confused expression, Ozymandias moves to the side of the announcer’s table. The champion crosses his arms in front of him, as if he’s content to watch the Opportunity Knocks rumble unfold to satiate his own curious pleasure.
TREY BOOKER: It’s clear to me that Ozymandias is less interested in choosing his stipulation than he is in finding a worthy challenger! This thing has just become survival of the fittest with nineteen potential contenders battling under the watchful eye of the man who represents their prize!
J.T. PRICE: But as the Grand Champion, he had to be the odds-on favorite! With Ozymandias out of the running, this thing is anyone’s to win now more than ever!
Back inside of the ring, Lil’ Petey’s expression has gone from concern, to surprise, and now to relief. Understanding that he won’t be locking up with his old enemy and with some time to kill, Petey breaks out into his own personal happy dance, much to the delight of his fans in attendance. While his antics entertain the crowd for a while, even his slick dance moves cannot stop them from counting down when the clock reaches ten seconds. Finally the buzzer goes off, and as the sound of “Bulldozer” by Machine Head plays over the arena sound system, Lil’ Petey’s heart begins to sink. With an amused smirk on his face, Lance Williams steps between the curtains and begins to make his way toward the ring.
If Lil’ Petey has one thing going for him, it’s the fact that he owns the high ground upon Lance’s arrival. As The Bulldozer steps between the ropes, Petey rushes forward to unload a barrage of strikes at the man who outweighs him by over 120 pounds. The tactic seems to work at first, but once Lance is fully through the ropes, he shoves Petey across the ring with surprising ease. The Big Dripper quickly pops back up to his feet, but his charge back into action is met with a stiff clothesline from The Essence of Egotism. Once again smiling in amusement, Lance takes a moment to set his eyes on Ozymandias, pointing a single finger in his direction. He then pulls Petey off the mat and lifts him high overhead into a Gorilla Press. Instead of quickly turning it into a move, Lance chooses to march around the ring while holding Petey aloft, showing off his impressive strength. He then stops to face Ozymandias’ direction, giving Petey a few more presses for good measure.
However, Lance’s focus on the Grand Champion works against him, as Petey escapes his grasp and drops behind The Bulldozer! Without missing a beat, Petey wraps his arms around Lance’s waist and charges him toward the ring ropes! With a look of shock on his face, Lance wraps both arms around the top rope, saving himself from an unexpected elimination at the hands of an opponent he’s underestimated. Petey continues to try lifting Lance off the mat, but Lance lets go of the ropes with one of his arms to throw a back elbow in Petey’s direction. The blow connects and rocks Petey, giving Lance the opportunity to move away from the ropes. He then begins to punish Petey for his attempted elimination, hitting an overhead belly to belly suplex, a German suplex, and a massive spinebuster in the middle of the ring. The pain on Petey’s face is clear to see, but instead of taking advantage of his opponent’s weakened state, Lance continues to toy with him like a cat with a mouse. He lifts Petey into his arms to hit a backbreaker, then another, and finally a third before slinging him across the canvas. Fortunately for Petey, Lance’s continued domination is brought to a sudden pause as the crowd begins to count down from ten. Upon reaching zero, the buzzer sounds and “Eye in the Sky” by The Alan Parsons Project begins to play.
The Galaxy Guru Ace Sky charges towards the ring, full of energy and ready to unload on anyone in his way. To make his entry into the ring, Ace springboards off the top rope and hits a missile dropkick to Lance Williams, who staggers but refuses to fall. Ace then bounces off the ropes and fires back at Lance with a jumping knee strike, but still The Bulldozer stays on his feet. Ace continues to speed across the ring, once again bouncing off the ropes, this time to come at Lance with an attempted meteora. Yet instead of falling underneath Ace Sky’s momentum, Lance blocks the move and turns it into a vicious powerbomb! Dazed by the impact, Ace slowly pulls himself back up with the assistance of the ropes, but no sooner does he reach his feet than Lance Williams charges forward with a running lariat! The clothesline finds its mark and not only takes Ace Sky off his feet, but sends him tumbling over the rope and down to the floor!
ACE SKY WAS ELIMINATED AT 4:45
The Bulldozer mockingly laughs at the eliminated competitor, when suddenly Lil’ Petey grabs him from behind yet again! He forces Lance to charge towards the ropes, and just when it looks like the Bulldozer will topple out after Ace Sky, he once again hooks the top rope with both arms!
J.T. PRICE: Lance is gone...no! He manages to hold on!
TREY BOOKER: We’re only a minute away from finding out who will join Lil’ Petey and Lance Williams in the ring and Ozymandias continues to watch from ringside! Don’t go anywhere! Proving Ground will be right back after this quick message!
TREY BOOKER: Welcome back to Proving Ground! Lil’ Petey and Lance Williams are still in the ring as the crowd has begun to count down to our next entry!
Inside of the ring, Lance is leaning against the ropes with a foot over Lil’ Petey’s throat, while he glares down at Ozymandias at ringside. Then, after the crowd counts down to one, the buzzer goes off and “Master Splinter” by The Heaters begins to play! With a determined look on his face, The Wrestler’s Wrestler, Will Riley steps through curtains and heads toward the ring!
While not approaching the ring with the same speed and energy as Ace Sky, Will’s entrance once again takes Lance’s attention off of Lil’ Petey. As The Bulldozer greets Riley with some stiff forearms, Petey wraps his arms and legs around the bottom rope and desperately tries to get some air into his lungs. Meanwhile, Lance continues to batter away at the fresh Will Riley, who successfully manages to absorb the blows until he’s able to take The Bulldozer off his feet with a double leg takedown. Williams tries to fight back to his feet, but Riley keeps a grip on one of his legs and rolls him over into a single crab! He keeps the hold applied on Lance for several seconds to weaken the big man’s limb, but there is still a lot of fight left in Lance Williams! The Bulldozer finally pushes Riley away with his legs, sending Will to the ropes with enough force that it sends him over the top rope! Fortunately for Will, he’s able to snag the ropes on his way down, land on the apron, and roll back into the ring!
Lance goes after Will with another shot, but this time Riley snags The Bulldozer’s arm and twists him into a hammerlock! Riley then takes Williams back to the mat with a leg sweep and once he’s down Will immediately applies a keylock to keep him immobilized! This has allowed Lil’ Petey enough time to recover, as he wisely avoids attacking Will Riley and instead begins to stomp away at Lance Williams’ unprotected midsection and ribcage! With their target stunned and on the defensive, Will and Petey pull Lance back to his feet before sending him crashing back down with a tandem suplex! Thrilled that he has a potential ally in the match, Petey calls for Will to give him a high five, but after giving Petey a curious look, Will instead grabs Petey by the hair and hurls him over the top rope! The Drip Master is just able to grab the bottom rope to save himself at the last second, as Will Riley turns his attention back to Lance Williams, and the crowd begins another countdown. As they reach zero and the buzzer sounds yet again, “Vice Grip” by Parkway Drive hits the speakers and the Australian crown comes unglued!
The Australian Wolf steps between the curtains to a hero’s welcome from his countrymen and as he makes his way toward the ring, it’s easy to recognize that he’s receiving the loudest pop of the night! Aiden slides under the ropes and is quickly back on his feet, just in time to nail Will Riley with a hard right hand! Lance charges forward to take his shot, but he gets punched in the face as well! Lil’ Petey approaches Aiden, but before we can find out if he’s going to attack or petition for an alliance, Reynolds drops Petey to the mat with a closed fist!
TREY BOOKER: Aiden Reynolds is back, and he’s entered this thing like a house of fire!
J.T. PRICE: The Wolf is knocking down everything that moves and this crowd of Aussies is eating it up!
LARRY KACHOW: Get up, Petey! I’ve got fifty bucks riding on you!
Aiden goes back and forth between Lance Williams and Will Riley, keeping both men off balance with stiff shots. Seeing Aiden clearly in control and hoping to put an end to his momentum, Lil’ Petey goes to the nearest corner and makes his way to the top rope. He leaps towards Aiden, hoping to catch him by surprise, but the Australian Wolf sees his approach and catches him on his shoulders! Gold Coast Cutter! Petey is knocked senseless by the move, and when Aiden follows up by tossing him over the rope, there’s no way he can save himself!
LIL’ PETEY WAS ELIMINATED AT 9:03
Eliminating Petey takes Aiden’s eyes off his other two opponents long enough for Lance to get the drop on him, as he wraps his arms around The Wolf’s midsection and sends him to the mat with a release German Suplex! As soon as Aiden hits the mat, Will Riley springs back into action, leaping on top of the fallen Reynolds with a crossface headlock! As Riley wrenches down on his opponent, Lance falls back into the turnbuckles, content to catch his breath while Will does the work of slowing Aiden down. After taking a moment to collect himself, The Bulldozer then dashes forward, hitting Riley in the side of the skull with a stiff kick. Lance then pulls Aiden to his feet and lifts him into a powerbomb position before taking a few steps toward the ropes, looking to eliminate The Australian Wolf with a devastating throw! Fighting for his survival, Aiden sends a series of punches down against Lance’s head, successfully knocking him off balance! Lance crashes to the mat with Aiden on top of him, still raining down one punch after another! The crowd’s countdown has resumed, and this time when the buzzer sounds we hear Ace Hood’s “Cash Flow” begin to play...
The reigning Warrior Rising Champion makes her entrance at lucky number seven, joining the three men already in the ring. She slingshots herself over the top rope to enter the ring, catching Will Riley with a crossbody block that takes him off his feet. The Platinum Standard is quick to get back to a standing position, charging forward to stun Aiden Reynolds with a running big boot before then grabbing hold of Lance Williams, who’s in the process of getting back on his feet. She drops Lance back down with a snap DDT, but before she can capitalize, Will grabs her by the head to break her momentum with a takeover suplex. Looking to get rid of her early, Will then drags Emmy toward the ropes, attempting to muscle her over the top. He finds that her tenacity is still too great however, as she leverages herself against the ropes and refuses to budge. As Will repositions himself, The Warrior Rising Champion sees her opening and fires off a deadly liver punch, knocking Riley to the mat in pain and dashing his hopes of eliminating a top contender!
Across the ring, Aiden and Lance both get back to their feet and The Bulldozer charges at The Wolf to drive him against the turnbuckles. He proceeds to drive his shoulder into Aiden’s midsection, forcing the air out of his body before then attempting to force him onto the top buckle. It looks like Aiden is in danger of going over the top, when he fires back at Lance and pushes him back with both feet. The Bulldozer charges in again, but this time Aiden propels himself off the buckles to leapfrog out of the way, landing behind his opponent. Lance turns around into a series of European uppercuts from Aiden, who senses Emmanuelle’s approach from behind. The Australian Wolf side steps as Emmy leaps toward the corner, but she immediately adjusts her plan to focus on Lance instead.
TREY BOOKER: Malibu Shine! The Bulldozer is down and out after that amazing transition from Emmanuelle!
LARRY KACHOW: Damn it! I have fifty bucks on that guy!
J.T. PRICE: I thought you bet on Lil’ Petey?
LARRY KACHOW: Do you think I’m stupid? I have fifty bucks on all of them! I can’t lose!
As J.T. silently tries to do the math in his head, the crowd begins to count down yet again. This time when the buzzer sounds, they react with a chorus of boos as “Power” by Little Mix starts to play...
The outspoken and unliked Victoria McKenzie makes her way toward the ring, a confident smile plastered on her face. As she steps between the ropes, Lance Williams is still down while Aiden Reynolds and Emmanuelle are tied up in the corner. On the other side of the ring, Will Riley is pulling himself up with the assistance of the ropes, still holding his midsection from where The Platinum Standard struck him. Seeing an opportunity presenting itself, Victoria immediately charges across the ring to take out Will before he’s even aware of what’s hit him. Then, at the very last second, he sees Victoria charging at him like a raging bull, pivots on his feet, and catches her with a hip toss! Before the rest of the competitors even realize she’s entered the match, Victoria sails over the top rope and lands on the floor!
VICTORIA MCKENZIE WAS ELIMINATED AT 12:10
Miss Mainstream has an expression of utter shock on her face, but she has little time to process what’s happened to her, as Ozymandias takes a step forward. Apparently finding her unworthy, The Grand Champion grabs Victoria by the head and flings her into the steel ringsteps. Still not finished, he grabs two handfuls of Victoria’s hair and then slams her face against the steel! After several vicious slams, Ozy holds McKenzie’s bloody head up by her hair and gives her a look of sheer disgust. It’s clear that he could finish her off in any way he chooses, but instead The Butcher of Reine decides that she’s not worth the effort, simply releasing his grip and allowing her to fall to the floor.
Back inside of the ring, Aiden has Emmanuelle on his shoulders in an attempt to force her over the top rope, Lance Williams has only started to stir after being hit with The Malibu Shine, and Will Riley is keeping his eyes on all of them as he gets a much needed breather. Then, without a countdown or entrance music, someone begins to run down towards the ring. It doesn’t take long to recognize him as Serrano Poblano, who according to all advertisements, is not even scheduled to be in the match. Without rhyme or reason, Serrano runs into the ring, throws a quick but harmless jab at Aiden Reynolds, gives a stomp to Lance Williams, and then charges towards Will Riley in the corner. As the announcers question what Serrano is even doing in the ring, Will side steps and Poblano splashes against the turnbuckles. Then, with little effort, Will Riley shoves The Sultan of Spice over the top rope.
TREY BOOKER: What the hell was that about? Serrano was not scheduled to be in this match and I don’t think that will even count as a legitimate elimination…
J.T. PRICE: Maybe he thought it was an open invitational?
LARRY KACHOW: Oh...did I forget to book him? My bad...
With the quick elimination and subsequent deconstruction of Victoria McKenzie, along with the unscheduled appearance of Serrano, time has once again ticked down to the final few seconds. The remix of The Postman Pat Theme starts to play over the sound system, and all of the children in the audience come alive as their hard-working hero steps between the curtains!
The massive mailman takes his time getting to the ring, even stopping occasionally to sign an autograph for an excited child. While we wait for Pat to enter the ring, Will Riley has locked Lance Williams in a sleeperhold and Emmanuelle has turned the tables on Aiden, blistering his chest with a series of chops in the corner. When The Bulldozer starts to struggle too much for Will’s liking, Riley turns the sleeper hold into a sleeper suplex, and any momentum Lance was trying to build is immediately halted. As that transpires, Emmy has managed to lift one of Aiden’s legs to the top rope, but The Wolf puts a stop to her attempt with a straight right hand from down unda! At that point, Pat finally reaches the ring and gets between the ropes, just in time to catch a charging kitchen sink from Aiden Reynolds! Seconds later, Emmanuelle leaps from the turnbuckles to hit the big man with a missile dropkick, but still he stays on his feet.
Seeing such a massive individual in the match, Will Riley joins in as well, catching the back of Pat’s leg with a chop block that drops him to one knee! The final piece of the puzzle is Lance Williams, who manages to shake off the damage he’s sustained long enough to charge across the ring and hit the kneeling Pat with his Raging Bull spear! Finally the big man is down, but the other four competitors have a new challenge ahead of them; getting Pat off of the canvas and over the top rope. Aiden and Emmanuelle both grab an arm while Lance and Will grab a leg, and together they start to make some progress in getting the mass of humanity back off the mat. That’s when Pat’s body begins to tremble and shake...a look of fire in his eyes and determination on his chubby face...he kicks Will Riley away...then Lance Williams...finally shoving both Aiden Reynolds and Emmanuelle away from him!
J.T. PRICE: Oh...my...god. He’s Patting Up!
The four competitors look to each other in a mutual state of confusion as Pat suddenly points a big index finger in their direction. In that moment, it’s as if Pat is Terry Marshall reincarnated and nothing will stop him from clearing the ring! The scene unfolding before them is so mesmerizing that the crowd misses the ten second countdown and are surprised when the buzzer sounds and “All of the Lights” by Kanye West begins to play...
To make matters worse for the four other competitors, Pat’s occasional tag team partner, Cadillac Jackson, races to the ring, slides under the bottom rope and gets back on his feet beside the massive postman! Despite previous claims, it looks as if Caddy is attempting to convince Pat that they should join forces one more time, and the massive mailman agrees! Pat then takes one big step forward, but Cadillac grabs him by the waistline of his pants and spins him back toward the ropes, sending him over the top!
PAT THE POSTMAN WAS ELIMINATED AT 16:15
J.T. PRICE: So much for my picks...
TREY BOOKER: And so much for team Patillac Postjack! I’d say that was the final nail in the coffin of their short-lived alliance!
LARRY KACHOW: Son of a...there goes another fifty bucks…
TREY BOOKER: Cadillac Jackson has joined the fray at the halfway mark! We’ve got to take a commercial break, but we’ll update you on all of the action when we return!
TREY BOOKER: We’re back and the action continues in The Opportunity Knocks rumble! Cadillac Jackson has renewed his rivalry with Emmanuelle as he took The Silver Starlet down with a sick powerbomb and now hits a sharp diving fist drop!
J.T. PRICE: On the other side of the ring, we’ve got Lance Williams and Will Riley double teaming Aiden Reynolds in the corner! Five competitors are still in this, we’ve got ten more to enter, and Ozymandias is freaking me out by standing so close to our table!
Just as J.T. mentioned, Ozymandias continues to watch the fight unfold inside of the ring, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed. Williams and Riley have forced Aiden to a seated position with multiple stomps and their temporary truce has The Australian Wolf in a world of trouble. Meanwhile, the fresh man in the ring, Cadillac Jackson, continues to focus on The Warrior Rising Champion. Fully aware of how strong Emmanuelle’s fortitude can be, he doesn’t bother attempting to eliminate her. Instead, he hits her with his Cadillac Flapjack and then backs away, measuring her for his follow up move. Emmy gets to her feet and Caddy charges in to hit his Jack ‘Em Up spear, but she counters with a drop toe hold at the last second! With Cadillac down on his stomach, Emmanuelle then begins to apply her Punch Out Time modified STF! The hold is locked in, and while Caddy is in no danger of being eliminated, it’s obvious that the pain is excruciating! It’s clear that he’ll receive no help from The Bulldozer or Will Riley, as Lance presses his knee against Aiden’s throat and Riley continues to kick away at his midsection! The crowd countdown has begun again, and this time when the buzzer rings, we hear the sound of “Boneshaker” by Airbourne.
The crowd pops huge for another of their countrymen as The Australian Ace, Mark Kelly, rushes toward the ring! If Cadillac was hoping for salvation, those hopes are dashed as Mark Kelly immediately focuses his attack on Lance Williams and Will Riley, giving his fellow Australian a much-needed break in the corner! Kelly clocks Lance with a punch and then gives one to Will, back and forth to keep both men off balance. Mark then hits Lance with a dropsault to knock him away before focusing a series of European uppercuts on Will Riley. The timely save has given Aiden the chance to get back on his feet, and when Lance rushes back towards him, The Wolf greets him with a snap powerslam! Will Riley fares no better as Mark Kelly unloads his bicycle knee strike, Such is Life, right to the jaw! With Lance and Riley both down, the two Australians finally come face to face, measuring each other up in a moment of uncertainty. Finally, there is a handshake between the two of them, much to the delight of the pro-Aussie crowd!
Even after the handshake, there is a moment of tension as the fans wait for one man to turn on the other, but fortunately that doesn’t happen as Williams charges back towards them! The two men duck under his double clothesline attempt, and when Lance spins around he’s met by a pair of dropkicks from The Australian Wolf and Australian Ace! The impact sends The Bulldozer to the ropes, but while his balance is questionable, he manages to hug the top rope with both arms. That doesn’t stop Aiden and Mark from going right after him, hoping that they can force Lance over the top with their combined efforts. Meanwhile, Will Riley staggers back to his feet, still feeling the effects of the knee strike to his jaw. He wanders away from Kelly and Reynolds to where Emmanuelle still has Cadillac immobilized. Seeing his approach, Emmy breaks her hold and quickly takes Riley to the mat, reapplying her Punch Out Time only on a different target! Now it is Riley who is trapped in the hold as Cadillac crawls to a neutral corner and the two Australians continue to struggle with Lance Williams. Three...two...one...and “Nonstop” by Drake begins to play!
With Petey already gone from the match, TJ knows that he’s on his own as he races toward the ring! As soon as he enters, he leaps towards Cadillac’s corner and hits him with several stiff kicks! He then spots Lance in danger on the opposite side of the ring, and perhaps confused by their former alliance, TJ rushes toward The Bulldozer’s position, hitting Mark Kelly from behind with a perfect dropkick! The surprise hit catches Mark totally off balance and he’s unable to save himself from being sent over the top by The HipBeast!
MARK KELLY WAS ELIMINATED AT 20:17
Kelly hits the floor at the feet of Ozymandias, and with his eyes locked on Aiden Reynolds, The Butcher of Reine quickly pulls Kelly to his feet. Then, for no other reason than he wants to, Ozy slams Mark Kelly back down with a spinebuster on the floor! It’s clear that the champion takes great joy in his actions, while Aiden Reynolds can do nothing but look down at him with complete disgust inside of the ring. As the crowd continues to boo Ozymandias for his attack on their countryman, TJ attempts to bargain with Lance Williams, hoping the Bulldozer will join forces for old time’s sake. Instead, Lance levels Thompson with a hard clothesline, and then immediately turns to try forcing Aiden over the top rope! The Australian Wolf teeters over the top, but manages to grab a rope with one hand and the apron with his other. Lance continues to try to force Aiden out, but having been betrayed, TJ targets The Bulldozer with a running elbow to the side of the head!
Meanwhile, Emmanuelle is forced to release her hold on Will Riley as Cadillac is back on his feet, and the two of them start to exchange a series of strikes with neither getting the immediate upper hand! This allows Will Riley to pull himself up with the assistance of the ropes, clearly weakened by everything he’s endured thus far. Across the ring, The Essence of Egotism shoves TJ away, but Aiden has recovered and quickly puts Lance down with a release German Suplex! As Thompson and Reynolds begin to stomp away at the persistent Bulldozer, the crowd counts along with the time clock running down. The sound of “Raise Your Horns” by Amon Amarth echoes throughout the arena, and the crowd responds with a loud chant of “SKOL!”
While some may consider the number 13 to be unlucky, The Son of Thor, Ulf Hednir, seems to have no qualms about charging into the ring! He immediately takes Emmanuelle and Cadillac off their feet with a double clothesline, then charges across the ring to drop TJ Thompson with a running kick! Aiden takes a swing at the newcomer, but Ulf catches his arm and responds with a few trapped headbutts! After releasing Reynolds and allowing him to stagger away, Ulf spots Will Riley trying to collect himself on the other side of the ring. Without hesitation, Ulf charges towards Riley and connects with The Thor Punch! The impact catches Will off guard and sends him tumbling over the top rope, eliminated by his former partner from The Friends Like These Tournament!
WILL RILEY WAS ELIMINATED AT 22:32
TREY BOOKER: Over fifteen minutes for Will Riley in this one! He put on one hell of an effort, but the luck of the draw may have worked against him tonight!
J.T. PRICE: There’s nothing to be ashamed about when you’re eliminated by a fresh man like Ulf Hednir!
LARRY KACHOW: It’s all still good. I may have had money riding on Riley, but I’ve still got some other players in the game!
Satisfied that he’s scored a measure of vengeance for his friend, Valkyrie, Ulf turns his attention back toward the competitors who are still in the ring. His first target is Cadillac Jackson, as he grabs him by the legs and starts to swing him off the mat. Caddy soon finds himself airborne as Ulf continues to spin around and around, the crowd counting along with every rotation. To make matters worse, Emmanuelle interjects herself by hitting a dropkick to Caddy’s head in the middle of Ulf’s big swing! The convinces Ulf to release his hold, as he instead grabs Emmanuelle’s arm and turns her inside-out with a short clothesline! No sooner has Ulf dropped The Platinum Standard than he comes face-to-face with Lance Williams. Being of equal height, the two men go nose-to-nose in an attempt to intimidate each other, but before they can come to blows, Aiden Reynolds and TJ Thompson interrupt the face-off!
TJ lands a perfect superkick to the side of Lance’s head as Aiden grabs hold of Ulf and lifts him for a fireman’s carry slam! The modern day Viking quickly gets back to his feet, but Aiden has stunned him enough to force him into the nearest corner. The Australian Wolf then hits Ulf with several reverse elbows, not stopping until Ulf is forced off his feet and into a seated position. Aiden then gives himself enough space for a running start, and smashes Ulf in the corner with a running cannonball! While Ulf is being worn down by Aiden, TJ hits a step up enzuigiri on Lance Williams, dropping the big man to his knees! He follows that up with his Hip is a Construct DDT, driving The Bulldozer’s head into the mat! As TJ continues his attack with several jumping double stomps on his former ally, the crowd once again counts along with the timer. The sound of Atreyu’s “Warrior” rings out, signaling the arrival of the next entrant...
Despite rumors circulating about an injured wrist, the latest entry is indeed the woman known as Valkyrie! Upon hitting the ring, she goes to the aid of her friend, Ulf Hednir. She hits a spear on the unsuspecting Aiden Reynolds, taking him off his feet and giving Ulf a moment of reprieve. Aiden gets back on his feet holding his midsection, but Valkyrie is not done as she leaves her feet to hit The Freyja Kiss pele kick to the back of his head! She then offers her hand to Ulf and helps him back to his feet, making it clear to anyone else in the match that they could be dealing with an alliance. Cadillac Jackson is the first to face the duo as Ulf lifts him off his feet and falls backwards, as Valkyrie hits a simultaneous chest breaker! They then turn their attention toward Emmanuelle, whipping the Warrior Rising Champion into the ropes! Emmy ducks under the double clothesline attempt that follows, and when Ulf and Valkyrie spin around, they are hit by a pair of tandem dropkicks from The Platinum Standard and TJ Thompson! Meanwhile, Lance Williams is clearly showing signs of fatigue having been in the match the longest, but with Aiden and Caddy temporarily down, he has a moment to rest.
Thompson takes Valkyrie down with a swinging neckbreaker, which allows him and Emmanuelle to focus their attention on Hednir. After taking him down with a double reverse leg sweep, TJ positions himself to catapult Ulf back off the mat. When he does, Emmy is waiting to hit The Son of Thor with a stiff right cross! The punch sends him back towards the mat where TJ is laying with his knees up, and Ulf’s back slams over his outstretched limbs! The odd pairing of TJ and Emmy have put Ulf down for the moment, but Valkyrie is back on her feet and ready to take the fight to both of them! She clocks Emmanuelle with a hard forearm and then catches TJ with a knee strike to the side of the head as he’s getting to his feet! It looks as if Valkyrie has complete control of the match, but that’s the exact moment Lance Williams chooses to strike! He grabs Valkyrie to hit a back suplex, holds on as he rolls to his feet, and then sends her back down with a full nelson bomb! Now it is Lance Williams who is the only man standing as the countdown begins from the rowdy crowd. When they reach zero, “The Eagle Flies Alone” begins to play and The Phoenix Queen bursts through the entrance!
With that same arrogant smile he had upon entering the match, Lance motions for Tara to step between the ropes and she happily obliges. What comes next catches Lance off guard as she unloads on him with an unexpected fury! Left handed chops, stiff right forearms, kicks to his legs, and knees to his midsection keep Lance from predicting where the next blow will land, until Tara finally ends the fiery combo with a sudden enzuigiri! Lance staggers down to his knees, but Fenix isn’t done with him yet as she lands a dropkick to the back of his head. Once he’s fully on the mat, Tara then begins to stomp on Lance, beginning at one ankle, working her way up to his head, and then back down the other side! Valkyrie begins to stir and seeing Tara in control of Lance, she decides to join in the fun. The two women pull him off the mat before sending him right back down with a double suplex. Tara then begins to apply her Phoenix Lock on Lance’s legs, successfully holding him on the mat as Valkyrie makes her way to the top turnbuckle!
TREY BOOKER: Gungnir by Valkyrie off the top rope! She planted both of those feet in Lance’s midsection and he’s still trapped in Tara’s Phoenix Lock!
J.T. PRICE: It’s not a good time to be the X-Factor Champion!
LARRY KACHOW: It’s okay, guys. I didn’t put any money on Lance.
With Tara still holding Lance in the leglock, there is some sudden commotion from the entrance area! As if once wasn’t enough, Serrano Poblano jogs toward the ring, determined to be a part of The Opportunity Knocks rumble! He slides under the bottom rope and gets back to his feet, immediately coming face-to-face with Valkyrie! Without missing a beat, Valkyrie grabs him by the neck with one hand and his tights with the other, hurling him right back out of the ring from where he came!
TREY BOOKER: Hit the showers already, Serrano! As for the rest of you, don’t go anywhere because we’ll be right back after this message from The Project: Honor Shop!
TREY BOOKER: Welcome back to Proving Ground, and you’re just in time!
THREE…
TWO…
ONE...
Ghostkid’s “FOOL” brings the fans back to their feet as Dickie Watson steps between the curtains and makes his way toward the ring!
Valkyrie meets Dickie as he jumps between the ropes and the two start exchanging shots back and forth! It’s a battle that Dickie wins as the fresher competitor forces Valkyrie to the ropes and knocks her over the top with a clothesline...No! Valkyrie manages to save herself by landing on the apron, but Dickie has already turned his attention to TJ Thompson, taking him off his feet with a clothesline before moving on to Cadillac Jackson! He’s met by a superkick from The Molotov, who then notices Lance Williams’ predicament at the hands of Tara Fenix. Dickie considers the situation for a moment, then shrugs his shoulders and continues on his way, leaving Lance trapped in the Phoenix Lock! He instead focuses his attention on Emmanuelle, stunning The Platinum Standard with a couple of strikes before lifting her off her feet for a Michinoku Driver! Clearly on a roll, Dickie pops back up and immediately feels a hand on his shoulder. He spins around, ready to strike, when he sees the familiar face of his best friend and tag team partner, Aiden Reynolds!
For a moment the crowd doesn’t know what to expect, but the two men finally exchange a pair of smiles and a quick fist bump. The in-ring reunion of The Commonwealth is short-lived however, as Ulf Hednir charges into Aiden with a running big boot and Valkyrie grabs Dickie for a reverse DDT! Meanwhile, Lance Williams has managed to reverse The Phoenix Lock, giving Tara no choice but to break the hold. Fortunately for Tara, Ulf sees Lance’s escape and is immediately on him with a battering ax handle! The brief alliance between TJ Thompson and Emmanuelle has come to an end, as TJ has the Warrior Rising Champion on his shoulder and is doing his best to force her over the top rope! All of this action leaves Valkyrie to continue focusing her attention on Dickie Watson, as she grabs his legs and attempts to turn him over into The Fenrir’s Bite! Just when it looks like she’s going to apply her signature hold, Cadillac Jackson rushes from behind, grabs Valkyrie by the head, and hurls her toward the ropes! She tries to break her fall but her injured wrist betrays her and she’s unable to avoid elimination! Cadillac not only saves Dickie from punishment but avenges his tag team loss during The Friends Like These Tournament in the process!
VALKYRIE WAS ELIMINATED AT 29:47
J.T. PRICE: And there goes Valkyrie! That injured wrist really didn’t help her in this match.
LARRY KACHOW: Probably too much jerking off.
TREY BOOKER: LARRY! That’s not-
Cadillac looks down at Valkyrie with a grin on his face, but his victory is short-lived as Ulf Hednir grabs him from behind and locks in a dragon sleeper! Moments later, the crowd starts to count down until the buzzer finally sounds! “The Plan” by Travis Scott rings out as “The Captain” Daniel Ackerman steps between the curtains!
While Daniel is running down to the ring, Ulf breaks his dragon sleeper hold and prepares for Daniel to enter. When he does, Ulf dodges a clothesline attempt from Daniel and quickly runs to the ropes where he’s headed. Daniel is able to turn around, only to meet a clothesline from Ulf, sending him over the ropes before he could even realize he was in the match!
DANIEL ACKERMAN WAS ELIMINATED AT 30:12
Cadillac is down still, Lance has his eyes on TJ who has his eyes on Emmanuelle, Aiden is getting up from the big boot that happened earlier, Dickie was watching as Valkyrie went out of the ring, Ulf is celebrating Ackerman’s quick elimination, and Tara is recovering still from Lance reversing The Phoenix Lock. Attention is turned to Lance who charges at TJ with a massive shoulder block, sending him into the corner turnbuckle. TJ is able to hold on to the ropes instead of falling face first, but Lance goes for another charge, this time with a shoulder to the stomach! NO! TJ spins out of the way and Lance goes right into the steel post, shoulder first!
LARRY KACHOW: Told you suckers it’s not a good time to be the X-Factor Champ!
TREY BOOKER: He’s straight up not having a good time right now.
J.T. PRICE: He’s a Champ for a reason. Everyone has their down moments.
TJ turns around after laughing at Lance to meet a jumping knee strike from Emmanuelle, taking him down to the mat! Emmanuelle doesn't waste any time as she turns her attention to Ulf and Aiden having a brawl in the middle of the ring. She quickly jumps to the top rope when Tara notices and full on sprints towards her to knock her out of the ring! Before she can, Emmanuelle lifts off from the top turnbuckle towards Aiden and Ulf and lands right on top of them, taking all three down to the mat! Tara turns around after almost colliding with the turnbuckle to come into contact with Dickie Watson! He connects a vicious dropkick on Tara, basically folding her body in-between the middle and top turnbuckles. She holds on to not fall out of the ring, but Dickie isn’t letting up! He keeps kicking her until she’s able to recover enough to stand on the side of the apron. Dickie throws an elbow and she dodges it!
TREY BOOKER: The countdown from ten is happening as we await the next entrant in the Rumble!
This time when the countdown ends and the entrance music begins to play, the fans seem unsure of who this next entry could be. Mega Drive’s “Wire Rot” continues to play as the man in question steps between the curtains, revealing himself to be the newest member of Proving Ground, Swindle Shelldrake!
TREY BOOKER: This is one hell of a place to make your debut! The Kraken is going to have his work cut out for him to not only make an impact, but to survive some of Proving Ground’s best!
J.T. PRICE: Coming in a number 18 doesn’t hurt his chances. He could end up earning a title shot in his debut match!
Cadillac Jackson is the first competitor who tries to greet Shelldrake with a closed fist, but he receives an eye rake for his efforts! Swindle follows that up with a series of goading slaps to Caddy’s face, and before he can respond to the insulting strikes, Swindle takes him off his feet with a hard lariat! With Jackson out of his way, Swindle measures up the competition and then charges across the ring, nailing Dickie with a shotgun dropkick that sends him crashing into the turnbuckles. This gives Tara a chance to get back inside the ring, as Shelldrake continues to attack Watson in the corner with a series of stomps and kicks! Once he’s finished putting the boots to Dickie, he turns into a roundhouse kick from Fenix as a thank you for his well-timed save!
As Ulf and Aiden are getting back to their feet, Emmanuelle does her best to rotate her attacks from one of them to the other, but after absorbing a few blows, Aiden figures out her timing and catches her leg! Ulf then grabs her other leg out from underneath her to flip The Platinum Standard on her back, and then Ulf and Aiden proceed to make a wish with her limbs, sending bolts of pain through her groin muscles in the process! TJ Thompson decides he wants to get him some of Ulf and Aiden by throwing hands at one then the other, but he meets the same fate as Emmy when Ulf manages to block one of his punches. Aiden and Ulf then boost TJ into the air and bring him crashing down over their extended knees with a double gut buster! There seems to be some common ground found between The Son of Thor and The Australian Wolf, when suddenly, Aiden takes Ulf off his feet with a short clothesline! He then bounces off the ropes and comes charging back, nailing Ulf with The Down Unda! Aiden seems to have found his second wind and has the crowd behind him, when he’s suddenly taken off his feet by a blindsided spear from Lance Williams! Unfortunately for the X-Factor Champion, he is unable to capitalize as he collapses on the mat alongside his target, his body nearly ready to give out on him!
The crowd counts down...the buzzer sounds...and Honō no Megami (炎の女神)" by Adrian von Ziegler begins to play over the arena speakers...
TREY BOOKER: Number 19 is “The Gaijin Killer” Arata Asakura! That’s a dangerous man to be coming into the match so late in the game!
J.T. PRICE: Buncha gaijins ‘bout to be killed, Trey.
Arata is in no hurry to reach the ring, taking measure of all the potential opponents who await him between the ropes. His methodical approach to the ring doesn’t thrill the crowd, but the sneer on Arata’s face shows that he clearly doesn’t care about what they think of him. Tara Fenix tries to meet him as he gets onto the apron, but Arata quickly sends a series of kicks through the ropes to thwart any plans she may have had. From there, Arata springboards himself into the ring, hitting Tara with a missile dropkick that takes her off her feet! Asakura then makes his presence in the match known by striking out at as many of the competitors as possible! Caddy is hit by an enzuigiri and Emmanuelle eats a spin kick, before Arata finishes off his display with a blatant penalty to the side of TJ Thompson’s head!
While the average person may be intimidated by Arata’s attempted domination, Swindle Shelldrake is far from average. He surprises Asakura with a chop block from behind, and once his target is on the mat, Swindle throws on a side headlock to hold Arata steady for the flurry of closed fist punches that follow! While Shelldrake pounds away at Asakura’s forehead, Dickie Watson adds in his own dose of punishment with a somersault senton to the newest competitor’s midsection! Lance manages to pull himself up and has his sights set on Watson following the senton, but Dickie is prepared and meets him with a series of open handed chops! Lance turns away to avoid the flurry of strikes, but that gives Dickie the chance to hit a double knee backbreaker on the X-Factor Champ! Lance’s only salvation is a sudden jumping knee strike from Emmanuelle to an unsuspecting Watson! Dickie hits the canvas, but before Emmy can follow up, Aiden Reynolds snatches her up for Uranage, slamming her down on Dickie’s extended knees! Aiden then helps his partner to his feet, hurling him into the air towards TJ Thompson! Dickie grabs TJ for a bulldog on his way down, completing The Commonwealth’s Molotov Cocktail!
THREE…
TWO…
ONE…
“EEEEEEEEEYAHA! YOUR TIME IS UP, MY TIME IS NOW!”
TREY BOOKER: JOHN BLADE! JOHN BLADE! JOHN BLADE! That’s my pick right there! Big Match John is number 20!!!
J.T. PRICE: Get ready for 10 fast-paced eliminations!
LARRY KACHOW: Wait...where is he? I can’t see him! Scoot over, Ozy! You’re blocking my view!
John steps through the entrance curtains, gives a big salute to the Australian crowd, and charges towards the ring! He slides under the bottom rope and the first person to greet him is Cadillac Jackson! Caddy, feeling the effects of the time he’s spent in the rumble, takes a big swing at Blade! Big Match John ducks under it, lifts Caddy onto his shoulders, and hits an Attitude Adjustment that sends Caddy rolling to ringside! John immediately turns his attention towards the members of The Commonwealth following that big entrance, but they seem to be prepared for him as Dickie grabs him for a Ripcord, followed by Aiden’s Running Yakuza Kick, and then a Ripcord Knee Strike by Dickie! Once Blade hits the mat, Dickie executes a standing moonsault with a mid-air shove from Aiden!
TREY BOOKER: Rule Breaker by The Commonwealth on Big Match John!
Aiden and Dickie have Blade in serious trouble, but suddenly Arata Asakura charges at both of them with a double mule kick! As Dickie hits the mat, Arata leaps on top of Aiden to continue his assault! Shaken and unsure of where he’s at, John Blade pulls himself back up, leaving himself wide open to a Xanadu Clutch from Swindle Shelldrake! With Big Match John completely out of it, Swindle pulls him back up and hurls him over the top!
JOHN BLADE WAS ELIMINATED AT 37:13
TREY BOOKER: No! There goes my pick! We’ve got to take our last commercial break! Don’t you dare go anywhere!
When we return from the commercial, Swindle Shelldrake has been locked in a sleeper hold and forced to his knees by Dickie Watson! Meanwhile, Ulf Hednir levels a basement dropkick on Arata to knock him away from Aiden Reynolds. The Son of Thor then deadlifts The Gaijin Killer off the mat, locking him in his Bjorn bearhug! Aiden, having been in the match for a long time and feeling the fatigue, sees that Dickie has Shelldrake in trouble. Continuing their string of double team maneuvers, Aiden charges forward to hit Swindle with his Down Unda kick! After hitting their Vodka and Tonic, The Commonwealth take full advantage by forcing the newcomer over the top rope!
SWINDLE SHELLDRAKE WAS ELIMINATED AT 40:09
Hoping to break up the strong team of Watson and Reynolds, a pair of enemies join forces as Tara Fenix and Lance Williams target the members of The Commonwealth! It is all Lance can do to tackle Aiden Reynolds to the mat, while Tara locks a rear naked choke on Dickie and drags him to the canvas! Seeing Arata locked in Ulf’s bearhug, Emmanuelle targets The Gaijin Killer’s lower back with several stiff kicks, making it even harder for him to break out of the hold! Suddenly, TJ Thompson strikes out of nowhere, hitting Emmy with a superkick to the side of her head! As she hits the mat, TJ considers his options, and finally decides to take advantage of Ulf’s chosen tactics! With Arata still in his arms, Ulf is shoved toward the ring ropes by TJ, and with his arms occupied he’s unable to save himself from going over the top! Both Arata and Ulf begin to tumble, but only one of them is able to grab the ropes to save themselves!
ULF HEDNIR WAS ELIMINATED AT 41:21
TJ cannot contain his excitement upon successfully eliminating a tough competitor like The Son of Thor, and he begins to jump up and down in celebration! As he smiles from ear to ear and pumps his fist in the air, he fails to realize that Emmanuelle is watching his every move. As TJ turns around, she unloads a superkick of her own, sending the last member of Big Drip Productions over the top!
TJ THOMPSON WAS ELIMINATED AT 41:35
TREY BOOKER: You were right about some rapid-fire eliminations, J.T., but they haven’t been coming at the hands of John Blade! By my count from who’s still in the ring, we’ve got six competitors left!
The length of time spent in the ring and the punishment that’s been dished out has taken its toll on just about everyone involved in the match. The freshest man in the ring, Arata Asakura, has had a few moments to recover from Ulf’s punishing bearhug, and he uses that energy to grab Emmanuelle and force her to the mat in his Touch of Gold Crossface! Meanwhile, Lance and Aiden are throwing punches at each other, neither of them able to put the power behind them that they were when they entered. Tara Fenix has drained Dickie’s strength with her rear naked choke, leaving him wide open for her to hit The Phoenix Drop! The move is right on target, but it takes its toll on Tara as well, as she follows up by taking a moment to breathe. With Emmanuelle fading in Arata’s grip, he takes a moment to survey the battlefield around him. After taking notice of Tara and Dickie down on the mat, he sees the stalemate between Aiden and Lance, and chooses that as his opening. He jumps to his feet and charges across the ring, hitting his Raikin shining wizard to the back of Aiden’s head! The move is very nearly a knock-out blow, and as such, The Australian Wolf cannot protect himself as he falls to the floor!
AIDEN REYNOLDS WAS ELIMINATED AT 44:45
The elimination of the crowd’s sentimental favorite sends a chorus of boos rippling throughout the arena, but there is one man who is not disappointed. With his arms still crossed in front of his chest, Ozymandias is clearly giving in to a deep laughter, clear even with the mask on his face. Aiden slowly pulls himself to his feet as the crowd starts to cheer his phenomenal effort, when he takes notice of The Grand Champion’s amusement only a few feet away. Still dazed and holding his head, Aiden glares at Ozymandias for a moment before suddenly launching himself forward! The initial attack catches Ozy off guard, but it doesn’t take long until both men are throwing hard shots at each other! While Indy Darling may have been willing to let Ozy watch the match, it would seem as if his limits have been reached as a team of security and referees spill out of the back for the ringside area. The officials push themselves between The Australian Wolf and The Butcher of Reine, with some of them being knocked out for their efforts! Finally, enough members of the security team are present to separate Aiden and Ozy as both men are ordered to return to the backstage area!
TREY BOOKER: Aiden Reynolds put on an amazing show in front of his countrymen, and those same Australian fans were thrilled to see someone finally take it to Ozymandias!
J.T. PRICE: Ozymandias is the champ! He should be allowed to scout his future competition! This is a bad call by Indy Darling!
LARRY KACHOW: Guys, I still can’t see John Blade even with Ozy gone. Where’d he go? I had fifty bucks on that guy!
With the distraction going on at ringside, we see that Serrano Poblano is nothing if not tenacious, as he once again tries to enter the match despite not being booked. Sweating profusely and beat-red from his prior two attempts, he rolls into the ring and pops right back up, coming face to face with the man who beat him in nearly record time two weeks ago, Arata Asakura. Not amused by Serrano in the least, Arata grabs him by both wrists, forces him to his knees, and then drives his own knee right to The Heater’s face! With barely an effort, Arata then pulls Serrano back up and throws him over the top rope for the third time in the match!
TREY BOOKER: Good lord, Serrano. Please give up already...
J.T. PRICE: I don’t think he has a choice, Trey. Pretty sure his face is broken.
On the other side of the ring, Tara and Lance are taking advantage of the fact that Dickie Watson’s tag team partner is no longer present in the match. They hit a double back suplex on The Molotov that drops him on the back of his head, but no sooner do they do that, than Lance drives a hard kick to Tara’s gut. He then lifts her up to give her a powerbomb over the top rope, but she shifts her weight into a hurricanrana and pulls Lance over the top rope with her! Both competitors land hard on the apron, somehow avoiding elimination!
Meanwhile, Emmanuelle has made it to the corner and is pulling herself up with some help from the ropes. Arata watches her progress and then springs across the ring, and then hits a running corner kick! The Platinum Standard staggers out of the corner, but Arata isn’t done as he drops her with a leg sweep! He then pulls himself onto the top rope and springs back off for a missile dropkick, but Emmanuelle manages to catch him in mid-air and drive him to the mat with a modified version of her Pasadena Bomb! With an opportunity presenting itself, she pulls Arata back up and manages to get him onto her shoulder before charging him toward the ring ropes! They hit the ropes and Arata starts to go over, but he manages to hook Emmanuelle’s head and pull her with him! Asakura lands securely on the apron, but The Warrior Rising Champion is not so fortunate!
EMMANUELLE WAS ELIMINATED AT 52:21
Arata rolls back into the ring and he immediately takes notice of the struggle between Lance Williams and Tara Fenix on the apron as they throw punches in a desperate attempt to eliminate each other. Asakura runs across the ring and solves the problem for them, hitting both competitors with a hard shove!
LANCE WILLIAMS WAS ELIMINATED AT 52:33
TARA FENIX WAS ELIMINATED AT 52:34
If Arata has any sense of pride after eliminating two competitors at once, he doesn’t take the time to show it on his face. In fact, he doesn’t even have time to do so. He turns back around to lay his eyes on Dickie Watson, who measures The Gaijin Killer up in return. The final two men in the ring move towards each other as if they’re going to initiate a lock-up, but Arata ducks down at the last second to lift Dickie into the air, dropping him neck first over the top rope! The Molotov bounces back, grasping his throat and trying to suck in some air, but Asakura isn’t about to give him a moment to breathe. Dickie manages to get back onto his knees before Arata strikes again, this time hitting The Painkiller! The move clearly has Dickie seeing stars, giving Asakura the opportunity to hoist him toward the ropes and attempt an elimination!
With every ounce of his being, Dickie grabs the ropes and refuses to budge despite Arata’s best efforts! Hoping to reverse his fortunes, Dickie fires off some elbows in his fight for survival, and after several successful shots, one of them catches Arata in the eye and splits him open! In order to keep the blood from his vision, Arata is forced to release Watson and back away. That’s the only opportunity Dickie needs to springboard off the middle rope and hit an elevated version of his Rise To Glory curb stomp!
Now it is Dickie who pulls Arata to his feet and whips him toward the ropes for an elimination, but somehow Arata reverses the attempt! Dickie puts on the brakes and hooks both of his arms under the top rope, but instead of following up, Arata goes into the air for a reverse Frankensteiner! Dickie’s head is spiked into the mat and he lays prone in the ring, and Arata begins to climb the corner buckle to finish Dickie off once and for all! Just as Asakura reaches the top, Dickie staggers to his feet and falls against the ropes, throwing off Arata’s balance and sending him down to straddle the top buckle! Dickie uses what he has left to climb onto the second buckle, where he starts striking at Asakura for all he’s worth! The Gaijin killer fires back with shots of his own, desperate to survive! Finally, Arata fires off a hard elbow strike that Dickie is able to block, and The Molotov fires back one of his own, catching Arata against the open wound above his eye! The Gaijin Killer teeters and tries to grab for the top rope, but his efforts are in vain as he tumbles to the floor!
ARATA ASAKURA WAS ELIMINATED AT 57:48
TREY BOOKER: That’s it! Dickie Watson is the last competitor in the ring!
J.T. PRICE: That may be the case, but Arata Asakura isn’t very happy about it!
As Dickie takes a moment to breathe following the elimination of Arata, The Gaijin Killer is back on his feet and shouting in Dickie’s direction. It takes every ringside official to keep Arata from leaping back onto the apron, but the commotion is more than enough to capture Dickie’s attention. That’s when Cadillac Jackson, having been laying low outside of the ring since being hit by John Blade’s Attitude Adjustment, rolls back under the bottom rope. Fully rested and with nearly no one aware of his presence, Caddy rushes across the ring and gives Dickie a big shove, sending him off the second turnbuckle and over the top rope! The Molotov doesn’t even realize what’s happened as he hits the floor, and back in the ring, Cadillac Jackson falls to his knees…
DICKIE WATSON WAS ELIMINATED AT 58:20
TREY BOOKER: Wait...that can’t be right...
J.T. PRICE: Was he ever eliminated? I don’t remember seeing him go over the top rope...
LARRY KACHOW: Yes! I had fifty bucks on that guy!
DING! DING! DING!
HOLLY PEREZ: Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the match and now with a future shot at The Grand Championship...CADILLAC JACKSON!!!!
As Holly Perez answers the questions of the commentary team, Dickie Watson looks up from the floor with a mix of shock and disbelief. The shot he wanted, the opportunity to start at the bottom to get the shot, was very much in his grasp. Meanwhile, Cadillac Jackson remains on his knees in the ring, both of his fists raised triumphantly in the air, and his jaw nearly on the floor. It looks like he’s on the verge of tears when Holly Perez announces his name, and not even the mixed reaction from the crowd can burst his bubble.
TREY BOOKER: This has been an exciting night of non-stop action, triumph, and heartbreak, but now we’re out of time! For J.T. Price, Holly Perez, and...yes, even Larry KaChow...this is Trey Booker wishing you all a good night, and we’ll see you in two weeks for Proving Ground XX!
ENTRY ORDER
1 - Ozymandias, 2 - Lil’ Petey, 3 - Lance Williams, 4 - Ace Sky, 5 - Will Riley, 6 - Aiden Reynolds, 7 - Emmanuelle, 8 - Victoria McKenzie, 9 - Pat the Postman, 10 - Cadillac Jackson, 11 - Mark Kelly, 12 - TJ Thompson, 13 - Ulf Hednir, 14 - Valkyrie, 15 - Tara Fenix, 16 - Dickie Watson, 17 - Daniel Ackerman, 18 - Swindle Shelldrake, 19 - Arata Asakura, 20 - John Blade
ELIMINATION ORDER/ELIMINATED BY/TIME IN THE MATCH
1: Ozymandias (forfeit - 25 seconds), 2: Ace Sky (eliminated by Lance Williams - 45 seconds), 3: Lil’ Petey (eliminated by Aiden Reynolds - 9 minutes and 3 seconds), 4: Victoria McKenzie (eliminated by Will Riley - 10 seconds), 5: Pat the Postman (eliminated by Cadillac Jackson - 2 minutes and 15 seconds), 6: Mark Kelly (eliminated by TJ Thompson - 2 minutes and 17 seconds), 7: Will Riley (eliminated by Ulf Hednir - 16 minutes and 32 seconds), 8: Valkyrie (eliminated by Cadillac Jackson - 5 minutes 47 seconds), 9: Daniel Ackerman (eliminated by Ulf Hednir - 12 seconds), 10: John Blade (eliminated by Swindle Shelldrake - 1 minute 13 seconds), 11: Swindle Shelldrake (eliminated by The Commonwealth - 8 minutes and 9 seconds) 12: Ulf Hednir (eliminated by TJ Thompson - 19 minutes and 21 seconds), 13: TJ Thompson (eliminated by Emmanuelle - 21 minutes and 35 seconds), 14: Aiden Reynolds (eliminated by Arata Asakura - 36 minutes and 45 seconds), 15: Emmanuelle (eliminated by Arata Asakura - 42 minutes and 21 seconds), 16 Lance Williams (eliminated by Arata Asakura - 50 minutes and 33 seconds), 17: Tara Fenix (eliminated by Arata Asakura - 26 minutes and 34 seconds), 18: Arata Asakura (eliminated by Dickie Watson - 23 minutes and 48 seconds), 19: Dickie Watson (eliminated by Cadillac Jackson - 30 minutes and 20 seconds), WINNER: Cadillac Jackson (42 minutes and 20 seconds)