Missed you, Ruckus.
Even better for us QCW fans, this week’s show is a special two-hour edition with limited commercial interruptions called the Festival of Fights (which for longtime fans calls back to last year). The now usual Ruckus opening highlight stinger aired, followed by pyro and a throw to the announce, Starr still sporting a (slightly lighter) black eye. The QCW World Champion is in the building and main eventing tonight against QCW’s newest signing, Cruzado del Oro - and rumors are flying that the office of Scott Holmes is going to have another major announcement tonight that’ll change the future of QCW as we know it.
But enough talk. Let’s rassle.
| • Roy “These Hands” Fade & Toddzilla d. “Tiki God” Al Buffet & Party Animal • | Seeing Buffet and PA together is like if Revenge of the Nerds and Police Academy were the same movie. As the babyfaces came to the ring, Steve noted on commentary that Animal/Toddzilla was signed for the PPV next week off of the IpeClaw Incident. The white hats got along better than the black hats, but the heels had Todd’s Grade A beef to lean on, which Fade did frequently whenever he thought he was losing the advantage. It looked like he was going to turn on Fade a couple of times, but if that happens, it’ll be down the road; Fade provided a distraction of the referee after landing a cheap shot that sent Animal crashing into the barricade. With that opening, Toddzilla put Al through the announce table with a two-handed choke bomb, drawing “Holy shit!” chants. Toddzilla walked away from the wreckage, the referee heard something and saw the table but didn’t see it, and Fade rolled out to gather Buffet before throwing him back in the ring and pinning him. ** ½
Fade got the mic post-match, leaned over Al and said pro wrestling is BS (BOO THIS MAN!) and goofs like him prove it. Fade dropped the mic and headed to the back, but before he got there Tiki God (still splayed out in the ring but with his eyes on Fade) grabbed the mic and said if Fade wasn’t playing Hide Behind Mongo the whole time he would’ve gotten his ass kicked. Crowd liked that, as well as his subsequent challenge for a one-on-one at the PPV to prove he wasn’t just the latest hype hiding behind a land monster. Fade not only gleefully accepted, but noted that once he whipped Al’s ass again he’d be in line for the TV championship, and there was nothing less BS than winning belts, something he’s done his whole life and Al couldn’t even spell. Fade scoffed and went to the back as Buffett pulled himself up with the ropes, smiling a little.
| • El Perro de Diablo d. Jupiter Jones • | Both Lucius and the rest of Mas Hysteria were banned from ringside for this singles match leading into the tag title defense at the PPV. The former QCW Champion was in control for most of the match and went for the springboard Superman punch Bolt from Olympus to end it, but Perro dodged it slightly and countered with El Comillo (the mandible claw). Jones struggled in the hold and almost took out the ref in the process but pulled up, then Perro lost his grip and almost blindsided the ref himself. When he realized he didn’t and that the ref was covered up and couldn’t see him, Jones got mule kicked right between the uprights and pinned. ** Perro smiled evilly and held up the title over the recovering Jones before heading to the back.
Over to the announce, who provided more details on the TV title tournament: it’ll start on the 17th, with the bracket reveal and two quarter finals. The Christmas Eve show will have the other quarterfinals, the semis on the New Year’s Eve show, and then the finals at Cold As Hell next month. They also revealed that the television championship will be defended on every episode of Ruckus, then saved the biggest thing for last: anyone who makes 10 successful consecutive TV title defenses can then forfeit the championship...by cashing it in for a World Title shot.
Wherever they want it.
Whenever they want it.
But they still have to defend the TV belt every week, and if they lose it before they go for the World Title cash in, then obviously they lose that opportunity and that’s on them. So the TV title isn’t just a secondary title, it can be a literal physical springboard to getting and winning the QCW World Championship. Going to be really interesting to see next year who the champions end up being, if any of them can make it to 10, will the first cash in be successful or fail...
| • Lolo Vuitton d. Winter Wonderland • | Vuitton had her toughest challenge to date in her first match that went over five minutes. Winter got a couple near falls in, but Lolo rallied and took over, eventually drilling her with the Bloody Shoe. Check, please. * ½ Post match Vuitton started slapping around the fallen Winter - cue the QCW Women’s Champion Summer Rose for the save. She ran off Lolo and then checked on Winter and then BLAM! Enzui Bloody Shoe to the champion, who then got herself slapped around a couple of times by Vuitton before Lolo held up the Women’s championship and basked in the boos of the crowd. “Starting next weekend, this is mine full time! I run this!”
The announcers had an easy throw to other developments in the women’s division: namely that after the shitty Forbidden Book Club Thanksgiving meeting, Bella Bathory and Dom DeSade not only broke up publicly, but did so over Twitter in a series of increasingly blurred Tweets (presumably due to NSFW language). What this means for Bella next is unknown. Hey, speaking of the Forbidden Book Club…
| • Bonnie “Equinox” Agrippa df. Mirror Mirror • | So here’s something: the first forfeit in QCW history. FBC out first, then Mirror Mirror after the third time their music was cued up out in street clothes. Mirror stated that since the office wanted to disrespect them, they were going to disrespect the division they’ve been trying to avoid getting shunted into. They aren’t a woman’s wrestler, or a man’s wrestler - just a professional wrestler. But when they decide. So congrats, new girl, here’s a free win. Mirror left and the FBC cackled - but when they left the ring, the lights in the arena turned pink, blinked four times, then went back to normal. Expect some kind of Polycule/FBC match at the PPV.
| • Lucius Patton d. El Gato Negro • | As per the other singles match earlier in the show, seconds banned from ringside. This one was closer to a coin flip until it wasn’t, Patton managing to get control late and establish dominance before putting Gato away with a pair of his Bass Drop standing moonsault powerslams. But wait, there’s more… **
Since the matches were over, so was the edict. Más Hysteria came out to three on one Lucius; cue Jupiter Jones and a couple of chairs for the save. Jupiter managed to land some good shots to a couple of them as well as buy time enough for Lucius to recover and get in some swings of his own. The luchadores scattered and took their belts with them, yelling from the ramp at the babyfaces holding down the ring chairs in hand. Jupiter is trying to become the first person in QCW’s modern era to hold two different belts (well, depending on what you think about Naz), the College Park Family want the tag belts back, and Más Hysteria is suddenly in danger of falling off the mountaintop almost as soon as they got there. Should be fun times at the PPV; might even steal the show.
Before the main, we went TOTHEBACK~! where Enya was with QCW World Heavyweight Champion Mayhem. He said he would be different, which meant he wouldn’t back down from a challenge, run away from a fight, or use any gimmicks. Since Crusazdo challenged him, he would fight and win again, because that’s what he’s been doing - that’s how he got to be champion. And he would walk out of the PPV champion, but hoped afterwards Mason would give him that handshake. Ego can only carry a man so far, he’s got to do the rest on his own. His parting words were for Naz to be careful with the WMDDT, you’ll shoot your eye out, kid. Mayhem left for the main with far more boos than he started out the interview with, but the majority of the fans cheered him on.
| • Mayhem NC Crusazdo del Oro • | Crusazdo came out to Metalchi's “Epic” with the Reso golden pyro shower behind him, but to something of a lukewarm reaction. Mayhem got all the noise from the whole building (seems tonight’s booing section is predominantly middle aged smarks, which tracks). Mayhem went to the buckles to pose with the title, Crusazdo pulled him off, and the referee had a problem keeping them apart before the bell rang.
Once the bell rang “Don’t Even Trip” hit, causing an eye roll from Mayhem as Nazir el-Fadal came out, and as Mayhem did a couple weeks ago, pulled out a chair and watched from the stage. Since Mayhem’s eye was off of the ball at this point, Crusazdo hit Mayhem with a springboard rana and a series of armdrags that had Mayhem bailing out to the floor. It wasn’t like he was safe there, either, because Crusazdo hit a God-level Asai moonsault to the champion to oohs, aahs, and applause (even Naz’s in the background). Crusazdo had control early after that, Mayhem trying to hold him off and then having to bail again but this time saw Crusazdo coming and dodged him, making the luchador tope into the barrier (YEEEEOUCH). After that point, Mayhem worked over the neck of Crusazdo - nothing illegal, but it started drawing the sympathy needed to get the crowd behind Oro and it’s not like Mayhem isn’t willing to get dirty to win. Mayhem grounded Crusazdo and started gaining momentum, then drilled the smaller man with a lariat and went up for the senton bomb. He ate knees. Crusazdo started coming back, almost winning the match with a double springboard into a huracanrana with a pin. The match started veering closer to three segments as Mayhem and Crusazdo collided mid-ring both going for crossbodies at the same time.
It was at this moment Nazir decided to ruin everything, running down to the ring and going after both competitors. This is why we can’t have nice things. **
Well, going after is a broad term: he threw Crusazdo under the bottom rope where he went splut on the floor and then just went after Mayhem with kicks and then got in a mount and punched away at him with both hands. Nazir did the throat slash across Mayhem’s neck and was about to go for the WMDDT when Mason Savage’s music hit. Nazir threw Mayhem down and waved Razorblade down...only to get laid out from behind as Mason came in through the cheering crowd (getting the biggest pop of the night in the process) as he went after Naz, eventually sending him from the ring after a pump kick. Razorblade yelled out excitedly while Naz fumed from the floor, then went to help up Mayhem, who uppercutted him in the theme park to boos. Mayhem looked aghast even as Mason was falling, obviously thinking it was Naz, but that didn’t candy bacon any of the audience’s donuts, who were now letting him have it with both barrels. Mayhem got bleeped a few times and kicked a bottom rope, shaking his head before pulling Razorblade back up in apology -- it just never came out as Savage hit him with an Air Raid Crush in the middle, drawing an even bigger pop than he had gotten earlier. Clutching at his theme park, Mason looked conflicted (as well as a guy who’d just gotten his junk punched) as he looked at Mayhem...looked around the ring...then saw Nazir sitting on a top turnbuckle, clutching the World Championship greedily to his chest and cackling over the former tag partners fighting each other. Announce was quick to point out that if he steals a win at the PPV like this, then he becomes the first two-time World Champion in QCW’s history. This isn’t going to be a handicap match - now it is every man for himself, champ v. former champ v. future champ (?) with the Twelve Pounds of Gold on the line. Gotta buy that PPV, kiddies!
The show ended in a rare place: the office of Scott Holmes. He sat on the edge of his desk and said that while he didn’t like being on TV as much as he might have thought he would in the beginning, that he did love being able to drop early presents for the QCW faithful. While Ruckus was going on, he finalized a deal for QCW to absorb one of the brightest lights of women’s wrestling in the Midwest, the Crush promotion out of Cincinnati. That purchase changes the programming, as next week will not only feature exclusively women’s wrestling with the new Crush signees, but that the evening will be called Crush Groove in memory of the now former federation. Furthermore, to honor the 20-year history that Crush embodied, there will be a 20-woman battle royale main eventing next week’s Ruckus with the last two women standing then going one on one at Cold As Hell to determine the next #1 contender for the Women’s Championship. It’s exciting times for QCW, and hopefully the fans enjoy next week’s show just as much as this week’s Festival of Fights. Season’s beatings to all, and to all a good fight.
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