QCW Ruckus [s1e30 • May 27th, 2022]

Last week on Ruckus: the Immortals beat College Park Family for the 3rd straight time in a great main event to retain the World Tag Team championships • Party Animal and Mayhem fought to a time limit draw in a TV title match, setting up a no time limit title rematch this week • Nazir el-Fadal talked his way into a shot against Razorblade tonight, which he earned by (narrowly) beating Katsuji Ootsuka before promising to recapture the World Heavyweight Championship

Slight tweaks to the opening stinger: while it still ends with the cavalcade of champions and Razorblade holding up the Twelve Pounds of Gold outside of Hammerstein, the Game Changers, the revamped IWC and Summer Rose have gotten some more frames per minute.

Steve & Starr couldn’t even hype up tonight’s events when Mayhem came out, sans Wish with a microphone and stood at the top of the ramp.  The crowd booed, which caused Mayhem to wonder why they were booing when if anyone had the right to boo, it was him.  He beat Naz in that tag match which should’ve ensured that Naz never got a shot at Razorblade or the World Title.  But Naz does what he does, he wheedles and plots and schemes, but somehow both Razorblade AND the Commissioner were fine with it and now he’s been watching everyone hype up a World Title match that he should be in that Naz shouldn’t even be able to sniff.  But Mayhem would deal with that in his own time - priority one tonight was finishing the job he started last week and winning the World TV title from Party Animal.  The crowd popped, and Mayhem tried to look amused, noting that Party can get all the crowd’s love there is - he got it before he was champion and he could keep getting it after tonight, when he was no longer champion.  And he didn’t care how much the crowd didn’t like it, he was going to beat Party and hold onto the TV title until he could cash it in for his rematch.  And when he got his rematch, he would regain the World Title whether they liked it or not.  The crowd booed this, but Mayhem shook his head, dropped the mic and headed to the back.  

Let Us Take You Back To Last Week, a hard night for Jupiter Jones and the College Park Family who failed to beat the Immortals for the World Tag Team championships.  Both the Revenant and Lucius Patton were banned from ringside for tonight's opener, a singles match involving their partners.  

The Immortals have been the first to openly float the idea that Jupiter's career is about to fade into the sunset (even rival Nazir has publicly praised Jupiter) and between their three tag victories and Einherjar's showing they continue to make the case.  Jones was looking for retribution here and the opening couple of minutes suggested that Jupiter was going to be able to quiet those whispers, but akin to last week the veteran made an uncharacteristic mistake: he went for the Bolt From Olympus too soon and was helpless to block the counter uraken that the Norwegian utilized.  Einherjar spent the next few minutes first outfighting then outright dominating the former QCW and tag champion, Jones forced to kick out nearly half a dozen times to avoid defeat.  Einherjar went ballistic towards what turned out to be the end of the match, mixing knee strikes and firearms until Jones was nearly out on his knees.  Chuckling as he underhooked Jones' arms for what presumably would be his Tiger Driver '98; Jones short circuited those plans with a jacknife counter that only took 3.2 seconds to ruin Einherjar's night. **

| • Jupiter Jones d. Einherjar • |

Einherjar looked absolutely stunned in the ring - Jones slightly less so as he was recovering on the floor and getting his hand raised by the referee.  Nice bit of symmetry post match as Einherjar fixed his face and got his share of the tag titles before pointing between Jupiter and the belt, then holding up three fingers; Jupiter gave him a small smile then pointed between himself and Einherjar before holding up three fingers of his own.

Ladies brawling like ruffians, drunkard singles champions, necromancy celebrated in the tag champions…is this what the QCW everyone's talking about celebrates? Rest assured that while these things may constitute the current backbone of QCW, this cannot be sustainable.  It's certainly not dashing.  

But when Pierce Moore sets foot in QCW…why, all that will change.  And for your better!  You're quite lucky, you know.

Let Us Take You Back To Last Week, where the match between the Silent Partners and Los Caballeros was interrupted by the International Workrate Consortium, who ruled the ring until the Partners and Caballeros banded together to drive them from it.  As a result, we got this week’s eight man tag with the Consortium against both the Caballeros and Partners.  The Partners and Caballeros made a good team - the problem for them was the Consortium was obviously the better unit.  None of the white hats had any answer for Caviar, who didn’t get taken off of his feet by any of his opponents, and the Consortium ran offense through him once they saw it gave them the upper hand.  End came when Caviar planted Verde with a giant swing into a spinebuster, then Jason Ward tagged himself in and gave Verde an unnecessary TKO.  Technically it won the IWC the match, but c’mon.  **

| • the International Workrate Consortium d. Los Caballeros & the Silent Partners • |

Not just content to kick their ass while the match was going on, history repeated itself a week later as the Consortium continued to beat on both the Partners and Caballeros, when suddenly a man with a hoodie jumped into the ring and started throwing hands at Jason.  As Stahl tried to get him loose from his teammate, the hoodie came off to reveal – Rich Ward.

W E L P.

Not seen since his brother turned on him, Rich tried to take him apart.  Caviar grabbed Rich by the hair, but R. Ward turned around and field goal kicked him in the tees, sending the big man down in a heap.  With the white hats finally getting backup, the unlikely fivesome cleared the ring while the Consortium tried to gather themselves on the ramp, Jason glaring at his older brother who was getting bleeped and blurred and maybe even crying a little bit?  Obviously, this story has just begun.

We went TOTHEBACK~! where Nazir el-Fadal kept complaining to Commissioner Holmes ahead of the main event even as they walked with a security detail down the hallways.  It turned out we were going down this hallway to the exit, and this was all happening because – Nazir was getting Katsuji Ootsuka thrown out of the building so he couldn’t get revenge for last week and so that what happened to him at Golden Rule wouldn’t happen again.  As the confused Ootsuka was being escorted into a Town Car to the crowd’s boos, Holmes warned Naz that he did him a favor he didn’t want to do, so he didn’t want to hear any complaints if he lost tonight.  Naz gave a thin smile and said that that wouldn’t be happening, so he didn’t want to hear Holmes’ complaints once he officially became a two-time World Champion despite everything Holmes and his legion of jealous sycophants threw in his path.  Both men glared down the other but left it at that after a few beats, el-Fadal going off to get ready for the main event tonight.  Starr pointed out this was typical Naz since Ootsuka wasn’t even scheduled for the card tonight and was probably just hanging out in catering or something.

Let Us Take You Back To Last Week, where despite controlling nearly 85% of the match, Mayhem couldn’t beat Party Animal for the TV title in the time allotted.  But that opened the door for the hinge match of the evening - a time limitless rematch happening right now.

When “Wish” hit the speakers for the first time on the evening, the crowd erupted with boos.  Mayhem occasionally spared a glance at them and shook his head disapprovingly, but still took to the buckles to make The Very Familiar Gesture around his waist.  At this point, the TV Champ is firmly either second or 1A in the approval ratings of the Quaranteers, so the monster pop the Czar of Claw got shouldn’t surprise anyone.  Party spared a look at Mayhem, then went up the buckles himself to hold up the belt, Mayhem intently looking at the TV title.  That continued as Duck introduced him, Mayhem not outwardly responding to the jeers.  Of note, Duck introduced Party as the TV Champion brought to you by White Claw; this sparked a round of Claw Is Law chants that the champion tapped the title in time to, spreading a slow sneer onto Mayhem's face before the bell.

After the bell both men paused at the loud dueling chants; Mayhem broke up the moment by throwing a forearm that Party ducked, then Mayhem did the same when Party tried to get the jump on him in response.  As opposed to last week's Ruckus where Mayhem was clearly controlling the match, this one ran closer to the back and forth affair that they had at Mayday Payday.  Ten minutes in it was anyone's guess as to who would end up victorious; fifteen minutes in you could say Party was slightly ahead on points; sailing past the usual twenty minute mark it seemed that it was Mayhem's match to lose once again.  This time when it looked like Party might win out with the Claw Is Law, Mayhem grabbed him by the shorts and threw him shoulder first onto the post to set up a running-up-the-ropes tornado DDT.  Mayhem made the international gesture for "That's IT!" and took to the top rope before flying off and landing No More Words right on the button.  Mayhem let out a whoop after hitting it and leaned back on Party to pin him, hooking a leg to ensure the win…only for Party to crucifix him for a four count. *** 1/2

| • Party Animal [c] d. Mayhem in a no time limit match to retain the World Television Title (3)  • |

After replays, Party took the celebration into the crowd with the belt, willing to both grab Claws from the fans and get a few poured down his throat.  From that thrill, the camera changed after the better part of a minute to the agony of it, Mayhem sitting on the top of the steps with a thousand yard stare going nowhere. Starr wondered what was going to come next for Mayhem given that he’d just gotten upset by Party Animal twice in a month and that that probably knocked him out of range to get a shot at Razorblade any time soon.  

We went from the championship celebration brought to you by White Claw to the doorway in front of the medical center, where Enya Face was standing by to give us a couple of updates on QCW stars who’d suffered recent injuries.  As a result of the beating dished out by Summer Rose last week Karyn Tisch-Warren would be out of action for a pair of weeks.  Lolo Vuitton, who first felt Summer’s wrath in that instant classic street fight two weeks ago, finally cleared concussion protocol; while doctors say she’ll be out until the fall, the former Women’s World Champion swears that she'll find a way to be back in the ring sooner rather than later.  

| • the Game Changers d. Los Luchadores Locos • | Easily explainable result here: the GCs are the former TikiMirror and Ashley Szabo (the former @smashleysmithofficial) who announced their presence as a unit to change QCW for the better on last week's show - the Locos have fallen all the way down the power rankings, having had their former leader unmasked at Golden Rule and still mired in a losing streak under his government name.  He and his squad seemed to go in with a fail proof plan to target Szabo in this intergender trios tag and it worked for the majority of the match, but if it's 2022 the Locos will find a rake to step on.  Here, Szabo got a knee up on a VillaLobos corner charge to set up a somersault swinging neck breaker that reset the match.  When she tagged out to Carpenter and VillaLobos to El Gato Negro, the crowd was firmly behind TAFKA Mirror Mirror as they cleaned house.  The revitalized Game Changers were in control the rest of the way, Al putting the finishing touches on their first win with a delayed super uranage.  **

After the replays fired off, the Changers took a group bow and slapped some hands on their way up the aisle (moreso Al and Ashley).  The Locos seemed to be having a discussion in the middle of the ring when the lights went out.  Four red blips in the darkness later, the lights were back on…and nothing had changed.

Then a couple of seconds later VillaLobos and Gato swarmed Perro, the group finally imploding with Gato especially tearing into the man he'd won the tag team belts with.  He held him down while VillaLobos smacked him around some, then Gato threw his limp body to the canvas.  VillaLobos and Gato stood over Perro's body seething, then to the shock of the announce and crowd, started to unmask their now former partner.  We'd just started seeing a few flowing black locks when the crowd buzzed then cheered as Los Caballeros ran down to ringside and fought VillaLobos and Gato, eventually driving them from the ring and helping Perro remask himself.  VillaLobos and Gato merely smiled evilly and extended their arms; a moment later the lights went out, four red blips broke up the darkness, and with the lights on the rudos were nowhere to be found.

Let Us Take You Back To Two Weeks Ago where the Sound of Thunder beat Science Fiction Double Feature in a #1 contendership match, accidentally injuring Jane Doe in the process.  SOT proceeded to lose their shot at the belts last week as we got an Jane Doe injury update:: a separated shoulder suffered as a result of a spear delivered by Val Curry has put her on the sidelines and it may be September before she can return to the ring.  

Cindy obviously took umbrage to Val taking out her teammate and fought the bigger Curry with a definite chip on her shoulder.  Curry’s power did some damage to Monet early, but QCW’s resident Android kept fighting and chipping away at Curry until the match’s end, where it took her two consecutive Tightropes to keep her opponent down, but they worked.  ** 

| • Cindy Monet d. Val Curry (w/Bettie Rokker) • |

Post match, Monet smacktalked the fallen Curry, which brought on Rokker to get in Monet’s face, who had no problem returning the favor; the ring mic picked up Cindy saying if Bettie wanted what her girl just got got, it could be on on sight.  The referee had to step between them to keep them from being physical and eventually Monet headed to the back still threatening to whoop Bettie’s ass while she was in the ring with the referee checking on Val (oddly similar to how Cindy was checking on Jane two weeks ago, hopefully the Shieldmaiden didn’t get injured in the loss).

Next week, Ruckus will feature limited commercial interruptions and have another defense of the World TV title by Party Animal.  There’s also slated to be a special announcement from the Commissioner's office, and while the announce didn’t know its nature, they knew that this is already the biggest year in QCW’s nearly 70-year history so whatever the announcement is going to be, it’ll be huge.

But when it comes to huge, whether it’s on PPV or a Friday night, it gets no bigger than a main event - with a long standing rivalry - and the QCW World Heavyweight Championship on the line.  For the first time since the limited commercial interruptions All’s Fair in February, the World Title would be defended on Ruckus in the main event.

We went backstage, where Enya Face was standing by with the challenger and former World Champion, our old friend Naz.  Enya asked him for his gameplan going into the match; Naz replied that he didn’t have one, since he didn’t need to - he’d beaten Razorblade before and when he did tonight and got back his property, he’d prove once and for all that no matter how badly they tried to whitewash things, the greatest champion QCW’s ever known wasn’t Jupiter Jones, or the combustible Summer Rose, but the man standing before you all tonight guaranteeing victory.  You have to be The Greatest Man Alive to guarantee such high promises - unfortunately for their precious Razorblade, he was about to find out the hard way Jihad Time is run by a man of his word.

Cue Arcarsenal.  The crowd was riled up at the sight of Naz, who had a very interesting reaction to this development: almost none.  As he walked down the aisle rubbing his hands a couple of times, his focus was on the ring and the ring only.  He stepped to the center of the ring and slowly held up his index and middle finger with a sneer, Starr making explicit the gesture: this was going to be the toughest challenge of the Reign of Razorblade against a focused and hungry former champion - no matter how much Starr hated him, he noted that if Naz ever let it his resume would speak for itself, and he was more than capable of adding Twelve Pounds of Gold to it again tonight.

Right back to the back, where this time we met Julius Duquesne III, who welcomed The Champ to a pop.  J3 noted that Razorblade must have heard what the challenger said, so what was his response?  

“You know, Naz, I’m gonna keep this short & sweet: the last two months straight I’ve had to listen to you bitch, moan and complain about how my title is somehow rightfully yours and I’m beyond tired of it.  The fact of the matter is simple: you couldn't get the job done at Golden Rule & it’s broken you so much inside that you just can’t accept it.

I gave you this opportunity because tonight is the night I shut you up once and for all.  You may think QCW runs on Jihad Time, but the Razorblade Reign is going to stop your clock tonight.  You bring the Jihad, Naz.  You bring every molecule of it you can.  Because I’m bringing the shock - and awe - and my title - and I will leave with all three.”

Cue Unscripted Violence and our apologies to the Gulf of Mexico, because the roof came off the place as Mason “Razorblade” Savage entered the Arena, World Championship clutched firm around his shoulder.  He matched Naz in focus as he stomped his way down to the ring, ignoring all the cheering fans as he stepped between the ropes.  He & Naz got right in each other’s faces, Naz shoving Savage and Savage shoving Naz right back, referee already having trouble keeping them apart.  Duck started to make the announcement for the main when Savage himself walked up and grabbed the mic.

“We don’t need that. 

You know him.  You know me.  You know what this is and what’s it for. (Savage held up the belt for a beat before continuing) And I’m not going to wait another second to tear this asshole a new one.”

Naz smiled evilly at that and held up the same two fingers, making sure that this time the middle one went in Savage's face and lingered.  Savage slapped it away, Naz slapped The Champ and got slapped right back.  Both men nodded and laughed as the bell rang, then the fight was on literally: the opening minute of the match was a full on hockey fight to the crowd's increased roaring. Steve managed to squeeze in while this was going on that the network was going to give them the overrun tonight so that QCW fans wouldn't miss a moment and could see who walked out The Champ.  Starr ruefully added that we might be a little ways away from The Two Time Champ and that we'd have to hear about that until the Rapture.

To the shock of absolutely no one, an instant classic ensued.  Not everything was at the fever pitch of the opening minute's hockey fight, but both men fought themselves raw for nearly four (!) segments.  (QCW did a clever dodge by picture in picturing their commercials at the places they would've usually gone.) Starr noted on commentary early that Naz had actually dropped a little weight over the past week in order to be quicker and more fluid to try and heighten his speed advantage, but part of what made this so hard to call was that while both men had specific things they specialized in, they could do it all - Razorblade wasn't as good on the mat as Naz, but could hang and give him problems; Naz could fight like a SOB, but he still wouldn't be able to completely hold off The Champ's attack when fists started to fly.

You'd think you couldn't be shocked, and then you would: you'd see Naz whiff an MDK elbow only for the Champ to hit Naz with his own move…only for Naz to fall to the outside between the ropes as Razor was trying to pin him to the mat.  Razor grabbed Naz and threw him in the ring but Naz kicked out.  Things like that.

Things like Razorblade maintaining the advantage and going for the Soul Crusher…only for Naz to knee his way free.  el-Fadal almost fell to the floor but managed to hang onto The Champ, then made him the ex-champ.

The crowd gasped as Naz got Razorblade overhead, then hit an avalanche Outsider's Edge.  Starr actually yelled out "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" as they flew through the air, Savage's neck falling at a sick angle before he bounced off the mat and lied still.  Naz crawled over and back pressed his near leg, and it was only a matter of time before we heard Arcarsenal again.

| • Nazir el-Fadal d. Mason "Razorblade" Savage [c] to regain the QCW World Heavyweight Championship • |

EXCEPT.

Except for the part where Savage had gotten the toe of his shit kicker on the bottom rope with like eight milliseconds to spare.  Naz was in full throat when the ref shoved his hand down and blocked Duck from handing him the title, and el-Fadal - well, our old buddy Naz was not pleased.

| • Nazir el-Fadal d. Mason "Razorblade" Savage to regain the QCW World Heavyweight Championship • |

He berated the referee for a solid half a minute straight, getting bleeped constantly before reminding the zebra that if his belt wasn't on the line he would put him in the hospital, and frankly, the night was still young.  Naz then proceeded to walk into a small package, which he got loose from at two and a half. Razorblade seemed to have Naz cinched up for the beginning of the Soul Crusher but Naz pushed him off to the ropes then followed him in before clobbering him with a rebound MDK elbow.  Savage got spun around from the force then got taken off of his feet with Thoughts and Prayers.  Letting out a triumphant tell, Naz slashed Razor's throat before running away from the ropes and hitting a textbook WMDDT, Starr wailing as the referee's hand came down.

Luckily for S., at 2.9 Mayhem came down from the top with a No More Words onto the pinfall to make the referee call for the DQ.  ****

| • Nazir el-Fadal ddq. Mason “Razorblade” Savage [c]; Savage retains the QCW World Heavyweight Championship • |

Steve noted on commentary that he thought Razorblade might have been able to kick out at the last second again, but Starr noted that didn't matter when Mayhem was picking the bones of both men.  Mayhem threw Razorblade out of the ring to boos, then got cheered for grounding and pounding Naz.  The referee tried to get Mayhem off of Naz, only to be shoved down and berated by the aggrieved Mayhem to another round of boos.  Mayhem turned around to keep wailing on Naz only to get kicked in the theme park, which managed to keep him down and on the mat.  Naz went over to the referee and asked him where his title was, then while he was arguing the match result Mayhem got him with a blindside shot.  Naz now found himself in another hockey fight with another rival, this time with Mayhem on the floor.  Starr noted that their rivalry had been going on for a year and a half and if anything they hated each other more this year than last year.  Naz raked the eyes of Mayhem then went into the crowd to escape, but even that only worked for a few seconds. 

Mayhem followed Naz into the crowd after a few beats and resumed trying to pummel him; a desperate Naz could only find a fan's sign to protect him, which immediately stopped working when Mayhem got a fan's chair and knocked it away from him.  Naz was helpless as Mayhem cracked him in the back with an echoing thud, and a second one got a similarly huge pop.  Naz was crawling away on his hands and knees when Mayhem threw the chair at him.

It did not hit Naz at all.

Even worse, some fan blocked it with his face.

Steve's quiet "...oh, no" was awfully loud.  

Mayhem looked agog, Naz looked shocked, and once they got over their shock Mayhem got booed lustily by the Quaranteers.  The medical staff ran out but then my screen suddenly went black before they got to the scene.  Ruh-roh.

QCW Ruckus [s1e29 • May 20, 2022]

Last week on Ruckus: the Immortals and College Park Family had words ahead of their rematch for the World Tag Team championships tonight • Nazir el-Fadal got the crap beat out of him by "Tiki God" Al Buffett and then Mayhem tacked on a No More Words to boot • In the main event and newest best match in Ruckus history, Summer Rose went ballistic until Lolo Vuitton wasn't moving to win their street fight and retain the QCW Women's World Championship; Vuitton got put on a stretcher while Summer answered the horrified response of the crowd and the questions from Mean Season with a mocking curtsey before limping to the back with her title…

The recap ended with Summer; Ruckus would start off with Summer, as “Timber” brought out the reigning Women’s World Champion to a loud, mixed reaction.  As she came down to ringside, Steve informed us watching at home that there would be an update on Lolo Vuitton’s condition before Ruckus went off the air.  Summer gingerly walked towards Duck once she was in the ring and got the mic, looking around at the crowd a bit anxiously, honestly.  Belt over her shoulder, Summer noted that last week – well, last week she lost it.  It’s not an excuse, just a fact: Lolo took the belt from her without taking it from her, Forbidden Book Club got in her business when she tried to get it back, she wondered if she would get another shot at the belt and knew she had to get back this title, get back what was hers.  But Lolo…well, she’s never liked Lolo, and watching her strut around holding her belt set off something inside of her, sure, yes.  We were all there, we all saw it.  But last week wasn’t her.  She got caught up in the moment.  She – 

“--is a two-faced, dirty liar!”

Everyone’s head turned towards the entrance as the curtains parted for Scott Warren-Tisch, and more importantly Karyn Tisch-Warren.  The Notorious KTW stayed at the ramp’s apex with her beau and ran down the champion, saying that no matter what the calendar might say, it’s the same old Summer once again.  Her Act II is just her Act I with a belt she doesn’t deserve (camera caught Rose rolling her eyes at this while the crowd booed), while back in Crush Karyn was a multi-time champion who carried that title with dignity, honor and professionalism - none of which she saw out of Summer, especially not after her psycho freak out last week.  Summer said, first and foremost, she wasn’t a psycho - secondly, Karyn could talk as a former champion, but as a current champion, Summer knew a little bit about how she wanted to carry the title and how billion dollar bitches (she said it tho) like Karyn wanted her to carry it, and if Karyn had a problem with the way she was as champion, she could come down here and fight her way to a title shot and stop her - otherwise she needed to keep her big mouth shut and worry about shaking down divorced dads $12.99 a month at a time, which drew some big oohs from the audience, shock from Scott, and fury from Karyn.  The Tisch-Warren-Warren-Tisches were in a heated off mic debate for a few beats before deciding in the affirmative, Karyn going on mic to say that the First Lady was coming down to the ring to give it some class and save it from that bottle blonde psycho.  It looked like Summer’s eye twitched a bit when KTW said it again, but it’s possible that could be chalked up to camera angle or some other thing.  

| • Summer Rose d. "The First Lady of Fitness" Karyn Tisch-Warren (w/Scott Warren-Tisch) in a non-title match • |

Rose clearly wasn’t 100% and Karyn smelled the blood in the water, the champion bailing a few times early to force breaks and buy herself time.  After the second time she did this she exchanged words with Scott, which of course gave Karyn an opening to sneak up behind Summer and throw her into the barricade.  Karyn then alternated between throwing her back first into the apron and back first into the barricade, then started deploying her arsenal of backbreakers.  Karyn complained to the referee about a nearfall after a capture backbreaker, but that was just a ruse for Scott to tune Summer up with the hydroflask.  Karyn continued to work over Summer and eventually get her into position for the Circuit Breaker elevated cloverleaf, but Summer managed to land a series of upkicks when Tisch-Warren went to turn her over to secure the hold then fired off a Come Up even though she screamed out after she hit it.  Both women were down after that, Rose unable to capitalize in time for a pin attempt; when Karyn got up she turned around into another Come Up that sealed the deal.  **

Summer was getting her hand raised when it was yanked down and she was spun around by Scott Warren-Tisch, who got in her face (about the two Come Ups? Who knows why) but saved his biggest mistake for calling The Champ a psycho; she dropped Scott with a lariat to the roar of the crowd then started teeing off on him with his own hydroflask, busting him open.  Karyn rabbit forearmed Summer to break that up, but after they scrapped for a while Tisch-Warren found herself not only in her own Circuit Breaker, but tapping out frantically while Summer laughed.  Autumn Powers showed up as Summer broke the hold and took her title, rolling out of the ring just in time to see her stablemate in front of her.  But Autumn had some words for Summer, and a cameraman rushed into position in time to pick up Summer saying she was just defending herself against two people, and it’s not like she saw Autumn rushing to help her out.  Autumn pointed out this sort of thing wasn’t going to stop people like KTW from calling her a psycho, with two weeks of attacks – Summer pointed back to the ring, where both Tisch-Warren and Warren-Tisch were both bleeding, discombobulated on the mat.  The Champ said that if people weren’t going to keep her name out of their mouths, then she was going to keep sending them to the hospital as a result.  Autumn looked back to the ring and took in the scene - when she turned around, Summer was taking the title to the back while EMTs came out to check on Karyn and Scott.  The camera focused on the conflicted face of Autumn while we went to the first commercial break tonight.

When we came back, it was to the dulcet tones of Arcarsenal that brought out a livid Nazir el-Fadal who not only demanded his music cut off once he ganked the mic from Duck, but wanted the Commissioner out here right now unless he wanted to watch Jacksonville Jihad Time.  Holmes didn't immediately show up, but show up he did; at which Naz opened up a verbal can of whoop ass - Al jumping him unprovoked last week, Mirror doing the same and screwing him out of the World title at Golden Rule, him not being in TV title consideration despite being the best TV champion ever, and yet when he brings up the clear anti-Naz conspiracy, Holmes just waves him off or tries to pull some Lumbergh management voodoo.  No one's got the list of accolades he has in QCW, but Holmes' chosen champion hides behind the Commissioner to keep NAZ'S title safe.  Not one singles champion he's beaten, but two, and the Walking Undead who don't miss an opportunity to slander him for tag champs, no wonder he picks up when TK calls.  Of course, if he was getting the respect he deserved around here, he wouldn't be looking at greener pastures.  But forget that - even his haters can't argue against his resume and you can't wear people's respect around your waist or watch it shine on PPV.  So, if Holmes was the benevolent overlord he claimed to be, he knew what he had to do.

At this point Holmes got in Naz's face, saying no matter how talented he was he wasn't going to just hold up the promotion to get what he wants.  And there is that little matter of…"Unscripted Violence" hitting the PA?  

To the crowd's roar, Holmes' confusion, and Naz's - well, joy looks weird on him but something in that neighborhood of ballparks - out strode The Champ in civvies, smiling and shaking his head as he got a mic from Duck and entered the ring himself.  Razorblade noted that it'd been a while since he and Naz shared a ring, since he was busy putting on twelve pounds.  The audience oohed and cheered but Savage was still rolling, pointing out that for a guy who got bounced in the opening round of the Duquesne Naz sure seemed to believe that the company and this belt revolve around him.  Naz: …and?!  

Razorblade said it was his job to defend the belt against worthy contenders, but last week Al was kicking his ass.  But maybe Naz was onto something.  He would go up against somebody with the title on the line next week, Naz or no Naz.  Naz insisted that he deserved the next shot, which brought the Commissioner's ire; Holmes noted he lost that tag match a few weeks ago and shouldn't get a shot.  Razorblade then noted he could just kick Naz's ass next week and then Holmes could reinstate the edict, Naz begging Holmes to let Razorblade try it unless he was afraid of what would happen when his golden goose got cooked by the Chef Curry of QCW.

Both the other men cracked up at this, drawing a scowl from el-Fadal.  Holmes noted that since he was being accused of making Naz jump through hoops that he obviously had to live up to Naz's reputation of him. So, since it was fine with the REAL World's Champion, Naz could earn, emphasize on earn a shot at Razorblade.  All he had to do was beat a man he's never beaten before.  Naz looked quizzically at this before Katsuji Ootsuka came out, bowing at the crowd from the ramp's apex before he walked down the aisle.  Naz went apoplectic, complaining he wasn't ready for a match - it was at this point that Razorblade leaned towards Naz and said he'd call that a forfeit and hand the title shot to the rookie. It was all the same to him.  Razorblade dropped the mic and rolled out of the ring, shaking hands with Ootsuka before he headed to the back. As a ref lightly jogged to the ring, Holmes also quickly shook hands with Katsuji before running up the ramp to presumably catch up with The Champ and give him an earful about going over (around?) his head w/r/t the impromptu #1 contendership match.  

Ootsuka shook hands with the referee, then attempted the same with Naz.  Naz actually stuck out his right hand for the shake then clobbered Katsuji with a lefty European uppercut to the jeers of the crowd.  The referee got in Naz’s face, who immediately returned fire looking for the bell to ring, which it did after a few beats.  Naz was so wrapped up in the referee he forgot about his opponent - nothing like a crispy rewind rana to make you forget almost everything, as Katsuji caught Naz with one and the One Man Jihad popped up off the mat briefly after it hit only to fall between the middle and bottom ropes to the floor.  Naz barely had time to get upright from that before Ootsuka hit an Asai moonsault that sent both he and Naz into the front row, Quaranteers exploding with a wave of “Holy shit!” chants.  It took almost the whole ten count, but Katsuji managed to roll Naz into the ring at 9 – Naz kept rolling and rolling until he was outside of the ring on the northernmost side, but Ootsuka was set to fly again with a tope – which Naz viciously cut off with a MDK elbow.  Naz rolled in the ring looking for the countout, then swarmed the rookie coming in at 8 and tried to end it.

That pretty well encapsulated what went down over nearly three segments and twenty minutes - Naz being successful with his bag of tricks and technical expertise, Ootsuka getting the upper hand when the pace quickened and he flew around the ring.  Naz had the upper hand more often than not early but Ootsuka started wearing him down late, to the point where Naz had to bail out to the floor again to try and break up his momentum.  When Katsuji tried to reach for him to end things, Naz thumbed his eye then whipped him into the steps…but Ootsuka ran up the side then came off with a huracanrana that spiked Naz into the floor.  The crowd roared as Katsuji managed to get Naz in under the bottom rope and shoved him away from the ropes before going up top.  Starr was in the middle of hoping history was about to repeat itself when the Prince of Punishment got himself set, only for Naz to roll away from that corner slightly.  Ootsuka followed him with his eyes, then walked the ropes a couple of steps and executed Magical Sky – el-Fadal got his knees up at the death and one slammed into Katsuji’s jaw.  With Ootsuka slumped over at almost a 70 degree angle, Naz took the former pureso star home and slammed the door shut, first drilling him with a snap Thoughts and Prayers - that gave way to the Hamrin Valley Driver - you can argue about whether or not Naz needed the following WMDDT, but you can’t argue with its results.  *** 1/2

| • Nazir el-Fadal d. Katsuji Ootsuka in a #1 contenders' match to earn a shot at the QCW World championship on next week's Ruckus • |

After he was announced as the winner, Naz broke up the referee’s raising his hand to roll out of the ring and accost the Duckster once again, saying that it’s been nearly two years and he still had to tell him how to do his job.  Because what he should have announced was the winner, and the man who will regain his property next week — the one chosen by Allah – the One Man Jihad – Nazir el-Fadal.  The crowd booed this lustily while Naz simply cackled and made A Very Familiar Gesture around his waist, Arcarsenal blaring behind it all.  Before he parted the curtain, Naz made a point to turn to the camera and say to it that once he got the title back next week he’d spend all next weekend putting it in sanitizer so he wouldn’t get any of Savage’s stank on his anointed hands.  Announce had the reaction to that you might expect.

Back from the break the airwaves were suddenly filled with the sounds of “New Born” by Muse.  Commentary and the crowd were similarly confused until @smashleysmithoffical parted the curtain, the crowd giving her some polite applause.  But she didn’t come alone – the crowd popped bigger as “Tiki God” Al Buffet came out in a teal and pink Hawaiian shirt, then even bigger as a fully healthy Mirror Mirror made their return to the Arena for the first time in weeks.  All three of them made their way to ringside together, Al getting microphones from Duck and giving him a manly dap.  They soaked up the positive crowd reaction, Al noting that Naz must have figured out he was coming out here and ran in the other direction as fast as he could after last week.  That got the laughs and applause you might expect, as Al apologized – this wasn’t about him, but about them.  @ took the helm, stating that…well, actually, she wasn’t @ anymore.  It took her way too long to listen to Mirror, to find her voice and accept who she truly was.  She still lived for the Gram, but of course she did.  Who she really was was “THE Influencer” Ashley Szabo, and she pulled a sheath of papers from her jean pocket to show that she had legally gotten her name changed again to reflect that.  Mirror Mirror then spoke, and noted that while they still hated Naz (like all good people do), they would give him this compliment: he almost literally knocked some sense back into them.  Sitting in a hospital bed, they realized their place in QCW - not to deflate the ego balloons of massive pricks, but to change the game.  Al helped Mirror realize something about themselves last year, so Mirror repaid that forward with Ashley, and anyone courageous enough to Look Inward could join the three of them.  This was the dawn of the Game Changers, and their mission statement was simple: make QCW a better, more equal place.  But they revealed that while the invitation to Look Inward was offered, if anyone tried to mess with any of them, they’d have to face off against all three of them.  Times were too dire to ego trip, and their choice was to take a page from Ashley’s book and return to who they were.  Mirror Mirror had served their purpose; “Dark Mirror” Bennett Carpenter stood in this ring with their friends Al Buffett and Ashley Szabo ready for whatever came next, and if things turned out to be them vs. the world, well…well, they didn’t like the world’s odds.  Carpenter disposed of the microphone and “New Born” came on again, all of them raising each other’s hands mid-ring.  Steve wondered what that meant for QCW going forward while Starr ruefully chuckled and said that Al might be playing himself into a Jack Tripper like situation, no matter what they were calling themselves, they and Ashley had had plenty big egos before, so were they just saying they changed or had they actually changed?  Steve said time would tell on that one, while Starr looked at the camera with a "C'mon buddy" face while shaking his head no.

Before our first title matchup of the evening, Let Us Take You Back To Last Week where Mayhem tried to get a rematch for the TV title and was rudely interrupted by Toddzilla throwing him into the third row.  Fortunately for the former World champion, TZ has been banned from the Arena tonight, and Mayhem gets his rematch for the TV title right now.  He shook his head at the crowd's reaction before making A Very Familiar Gesture around his waist.  Of course, outside of the World champion you can't find anyone in QCW more popular than the TV champion, proudly coming out and laughing away Mayhem's attempt to smack talk or big time him.  

Once the bell rang, Party offered up a handshake to Mayhem - then pulled it back - to offer his other hand - which he pulled back and replaced with the original hand - well, you see where this is going, so you can understand both Mayhem getting pissed off and laying out Party with a forearm as well as the crowd being pissed at Mayhem being pissed.  

To be fair, Mayhem took out all of his recent frustrations on Party starting with that forearm and continuing to press throughout the match with PA forced to kick out of a series of near falls.  Party never really get out of the gates but managed to find a way to kick out.  Mayhem pressed harder as the match continued on, late in the 14th minute flying off and hitting No More Words.  Unfortunately for him, at 2.8 Party managed to get the toe of his sneaker on the bottom rope.  Mayhem pulled Party away from the ropes and began to whale on him, then threw up his hands and let out a yell of frustration when the fifteen minute mark hit, meaning that a) this was the longest TV title match to date and b) Mayhem could get a 20 minute rematch next week should he be able to beat PA in the next five minutes.

As it turned out…he couldn't.  Party actually got the Claw Is Law on for a couple of seconds but Mayhem kneed PA and drilled a brainbuster (!) before hitting another No More Words; Mayhem hit this one even quicker and harder, but came up holding his neck.  Those brief moments allowed Party to grab the bottom rope and sluice out to the floor.  Poor Mayhem recovered, then had to find Party, but it was too late: Mayhem couldn't have even gotten Party back into the ring and gotten a three count before the final seconds of the twenty minutes expired.  Party's limp body was in the ring as Mayhem slammed his head against the apron in frustration and let out a disgusted yell as the announcement was made: Party survived the 20 minute time limit.  Emphasis on survived. ***

| • Party Animal [c] tld. Mayhem (Party retains the World TV title) • |

Mayhem stomped to the back, swearing that this wasn't over.  From his back, Party put up a feeble hand claw that popped the crowd, the referee putting the TV title with the man who holds it and has held onto it tonight.  

From that we went to the announce, where Starr pointed out that Party wasn't safe just yet - with the rules of the title, anyone who went 20 minutes in a title defense earned a rematch with no time limit, and it would probably even happen next week.

Steve provided an update on Lolo Vuitton's health while stills from the street fight last week showed.  As you can expect, she took the asskicking of a lifetime - but it turns out it was so bad that even a week later she hasn't even been able to get released from the concussion protocol, and that's just one (massive) injury on the list of (massive) injuries.  As things currently stand, there is no timetable for her return.

We went from that to the match for the Women's World Tag Team championships. As the Sound of Thunder came out, we got picture in picture from last week of them beating Science Fiction Double Feature with a new finisher to earn this shot tonight; they also got a handful of boos given their friendship (?) with the Immortals given the tag champs' disrespect to Collipark last week.  Of course, it wasn't like you had to worry about anyone cheering for the Club.  

Thunder actually jumped out to an early advantage over the champs and it took some outside interference from Crowley for the Club to get the upper hand, though they had troubles maintaining it.  A second attempt at outside interference by Crowley and Spare got them busted and ejected from ringside, which opened the door for Sound to take the belts with the odds evened up.  But the champs proved why they were the champs, isolating Bettie Rokker and eventually pinning her after Agrippa's Attack of Uncertainty.  ** 1/2

| • the Forbidden Book Club (Agrippa/La Vey w/Crowley & Spare) d. the Sound of Thunder to retain the QCW WOMEN'S WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS • | 

Right before they teleported away, Starr made sure to note that no one has had an answer for the Club yet: not Science Fiction Double Feature, or Mean Season at the PPV, or the Sound of Thunder tonight.  Your opinions about them don't really matter if they keep racking up wins and retaining the titles.  After they departed, the crowd gave Thunder a mostly positive reaction heading into commercials.

Another tag team to add to QCW’s ranks emerged this week; the Silent Partners are former tag champ Danny Castle and former IWC member Martin Williams doing a less chat more splat thing, with the subplot being Castle having the bonafides to get he & Williams to the promised land of the titles.  Los Caballeros also want to be put into the discussion to get next after the main event tonight, and had the slight advantage during the match due to their spending more time as a team.  The match went back and forth for about ten minutes before something surprising happened - the International Workrate Consortium suddenly showing up and going after both teams. **

| • the Silent Partners NC Los Caballeros • |

The IWC got the upper hand and left both the Caballeros and Partners laying to the jeers of the crowd while Jason Ward commandeered the mic away from Duck.  He spoke on behalf of the Consortium when he said as much hatred as the crowd had for them, the IWC had even more so for them.  They were sitting back and allowing…whatever that was to be presented as excellent tag team wrestling?  No, despite what happened at Mayday Payday, the Consortium was still focused on their goal of complete QCW domination – at which point Jason was suddenly blindsided by Martin Williams.  The crowd popped a bit as he dropped Jason then went back to booing when he got swarmed by the IWC…but he didn’t eat an asskicking for too long as Castle then the Caballeros proceeded to have his back, the opponents banding together to clear the ring of the Consortium except for Anton, who found himself begging off to the Caballeros.  They didn’t touch him, but the Partners did, leaving Stahl in a heap after a combination powerbomb and neckbreaker.  Caviar had to scoop Anton up from the apron, all seven men besides Stahl exchanging some cross words.

Steve didn't mince any words in putting over next week's Ruckus as potentially being the biggest one ever, and once he presented the docket it was hard to argue with him: the Game Changers make their debut in action, there's going to be a Party Animal/Mayhem rematch for the World TV title with no time limit…but Mayhem won't get another chance after this match, so he has to win the title.  And there's an even bigger rematch with an even bigger title on the line, Nazir el-Fadal trying to regain the Twelve Pounds of Gold he believes is still his against the Champ, Mason "Razorblade" Savage.  Sometimes in their long rivalry Naz has won.  Sometimes Razorblade has won.  But this is the first time in their rivalry that the Big Q is on the line in a one on one match - it's next week's main event - Razorblade.  Naz.  World title.  

But it's not like this week's main event isn't for a pair of World titles in its own right.

The rivalry's gone on all year - having garnered championships wherever they've gone, the Immortals started showing up at the tail end of '21 and promised to make QCW the latest stop on their World Tag Team titles tour.  They got along with the College Park Family at first despite the Family holding the titles, but over the past few weeks that mutual respect has downright evaporated, though your mileage may vary as the fault being the Immortals' attitudes or the Family being frustrated at running into a team they possibly might not be able to beat (probably both, TBF).

Duck couldn't even get through the introductions without all four men throwing hands to the roar of the crowd, and the referee had trouble in the opening couple of minutes to try and quell the Pier 4 main event.  Things managed to settle down to an extent but were chippy throughout.  It actually looked like the champions would be able to close out the defense in the opening ten minutes, but Lucius Patton broke up a Death's Door attempt by pulling Einherjar down then giving him a mighty throw into the steps.  The Family then went to work on the massive Revenant, keeping him isolated on their side of the ring and utilizing quick tags.  While this was happening, Steve noted that they gotten word from the Commissioner's office that due to what went down in the last match, there was going to be another high profile match on next week's Ruckus: a eight man tag where the International Workrate Consortium would go up against Los Caballeros and the Silent Partners.  

The Rev being a land monster, it only took him a couple shots to start having the challengers on their heels before tagging in Einherjar, who wrestled like a man pissed off that he'd gotten thrown into the steps.  Taking particular glee in laying into Patton, Einherjar rallied the champs to the point that they almost had him on Death's Door, only for Jupiter to run in with a spear that leveled the Rev to a huge pop.  Yet as replays rolled, first Starr then Steve noticed that Jupiter possibly did as much damage to Lu, the Rev not quick enough to stop the spear from coming but smart enough to see it and try to defray it by using Patton as a human shield to an extent.  Einherjar was the quickest in motion after this, lighting up the former QCW Champion with knees and strikes.  Ein went for the Tiger Driver '98 but Jupiter proved too hard to handle and backdropped Ein out, but the champ landed on his feet and pulled Jupiter to the floor before throwing him down back of the head first onto the ramp, the steel giving a big CLANG! when Jones slammed into it.  The crowd booed this as the Immortals went to finally close the Door, only for Lu to wriggle free and shove the Rev into Ein before rolling him up.  It only got the Family 2, then it got Lu Yakuza kicked in the face - first by the Rev, then Einherjar, then both sandwiched him with one and he melted into the mat.  Jupiter tried to get into the ring and got as far as the apron before the Rev speared him through the ropes to quell the threat.  Einherjar sneered as he cocked his fist, Patton barely able to get to a knee before an Immortal Bolt From Olympus but him to a monster mixed reaction.  He was probably done for there and definitely was once the champs sent him through Death's Door, Jupiter's hand briefly visible on the outside before falling out of frame during the three count. ****

| • the Immortals [c] d. the College Park Family to retain the QCW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS • |

It hadn't been easy, but they'd gotten it done for the third straight time, the champions receiving their titles and the loud mixed reaction that came with it.  Having taken care of the evening's business, the Immortals offered up black smiles before holding up the belts.  They peered down at Patton as if they'd just burned him under their microscope.  Jupiter finally got in the ring and threw his body over Patton's, but the champs just scoffed and left the ring. As they made the grim march to the back, Starr noted on commentary that not only were they the tag champs, not only were they the tag champs that'd just won three straight cleanly over the Family, but that they were the undefeated tag champs who'd just beaten the Family cleanly over three straight - they didn't need to go anywhere else if they stayed and cleaned out the division, something that seemed more and more possible the more wins they racked up.  Show ended with the ref and a resigned Jupiter trying to help Sweet Lu get his equilibrium while the Immortals grimly upheld the tag belts at the top of the ramp.  See you next week for the Ruckus to end all Ruckuses!

QCW Ruckus [s1e28 • May 13, 2022]

 Last week on Ruckus: Nazir el-Fadal posted another win then turned the attention of his revenge tour against Mayhem • Jason Ward turned heel on his brother and threw his lot in with the International Workrate Consortium, sending Rich out on a stretcher • Party Animal narrowly retained the TV title against Katsuji Ootsuka, he and the Champ Razorblade toasting from the ring to the announce with the roles reversed from Mayday Payday…

The show didn't open with the usual stinger and pyro, but with a vignette filmed earlier in the day from the ring in an empty Arena.  It was empty except for four men: the International Workrate Consortium.  Caviar sneered in the background as Anton stated that the IWC was stronger and better than ever.  Jason Ward took the wheel at this point, smirking before saying that the air was cleaner and food tasted better now that he had support from real brothers having his back.  The Consortium was going to do for QCW what they did for him - cut all the dead weight so that only the finest wrestling and best wrestlers succeeded, and if only the Consortium could live up to those high standards, well, sometimes you had to break a few brothers' necks to build a better wrestling company.  So when the things disguised as people ran in here later tonight, well, the Consortium would be literally anywhere else.  Maybe if they were gone for a week the stench wouldn't be so bad.  Make no mistake - QCW would belong to the Consortium.  But not this week, because you people don't deserve the privilege yet.  So enjoy your…heroes for another week.  While you can.  While the Consortium let you.  It was at this point Serge took center stage, putting us all to shame with his teeth before saying "You're welcome." and letting out a booming laugh.  The IWC looked confident, borderline whimsical as the camera went from focusing on them to the empty seats in the Arena behind them…

…before we dissolved from the pretape into the show live, the Arena full of screaming fans and signs, then the pyro went off.  The usual suspects welcomed us to Ruckus and hyped up the title matches on the docket with the street fight for the Women's World Championship set to main event tonight's show.

Katsuji Ootsuka’s rise up the card continues despite losing his opportunity at the TV title last week; Roberto VillaLobos’ singles career continues to look more like a singllllllllllllles career since losing the lucha de apuesta match at Golden Rule.  The former World tag champion put up a fight and got in a couple nearfalls but fell victim to Ootsuka’s usual 1-2 combo of the basement rana driver and Magical Sky. **

| • Katsuji Ootsuka d. Roberto VillaLobos • |

Ootsuka shook the referee’s hand after he got his raised, then bowed to every side of the ring before leaving.  As VillaLobos tried to recover in the ring, the lights went out - blinked red four times - and left the ring empty when the lights came back on.

We got footage from several international locales of note: your Torontos, San Franciscos, New York Cities, Florida towns notable only for their world-class wrestling come Friday nights.  As we saw some slo mo footage of big moments during the Quarantine Era, we heard a rich baritone say that in his circles what everyone is talking about is QCW.  Fashionable.  Trendsetting.  Viral.  

But it could be more.  

It could be dashing.  

And when Pierce Moore arrives…that time will come.

After that vignette, Arcarsenal brought out Nazir el-Fadal, who barely had the time to dismissively scoff at the rabble before he got jumped from behind by his opponent, the Tiki God, who came out furious in a black Hawaiian shirt (!) and laid into Naz.  The crowd roared as Buffett threw Naz into the barricade on both sides of the ramp, the referee’s pleas from the ring going unheard until Al dragged Naz closer to ringside.  Naz almost got sent into the steps before putting on the brakes and reversing, the top half flying on impact as Al hit them.  A disheveled Naz rolled into the ring and told the referee to count Al out as the match actually began, then ended a few short seconds later when Al rolled in before five and upon seeing Naz upright, gave him a field goal kick right in the footballs.  Wonder where Al picked that trick up from? 

| • Nazir el-Fadal ddq. "Tiki God" Al Buffett • |

A very unTikilike beating commenced after that, Al even shoving down the ref at one point to continue hammering away on Naz.  Al punctuated his fury by dropping Naz with not one, not two, but three consecutive Lava Rocks, el-Fadal left in a heap midring while Al stood over his body and smacktalked him before some security led him to the back.  As they were taking Al to the back, Mayhem ran down past them all to ringside, jumped up off the top and hit Naz with No More Words to another (albeit smaller) pop.  Mayhem smacktalked Naz as he headed to the back, still looking confused at the negative reaction a wide swath of the crowd was giving him.  Nazir was uncharacteristically quiet, but that’ll happen when you spend the better part of 10 minutes straight getting your ass kicked. DUD match surrounded by *** shenanigans.

Appropriately enough after that ass kicking, announce threw to a video package filmed earlier in the week from Mount Sinai West, Julius Duquesne III on the scene as Mirror Mirror got released from the hospital with @smashleysmithofficial there to welcome them.  J3 wanted an update, which Mirror provided, though not about their physical condition - they promised not only to return to the Arena next week, but to start doing the work they were tasked to do, to do what all the great trail blazers have done before them.  Next week they come back to QCW and start changing the game for good.  They then hugged and exchanged a few words with @ but the vignette ended there before we found out the nature of the conversation.

To THE BACK~!

Enya Face is backstage in a multi-purpose room dimly lit with red lights. In the corner is an altar covered with Santeria candles and Nordic Runes. Standing near a craft services table are newly-crowned Tag Team Champions The Immortals and The Sound of Thunder are toasting with mead (Einherjar and Val Curry) and Corona (Bettie Rokker & The Revenant). Party Animal is in the background drinking Claws, when the Revenant does the “I see you” gesture and shakes his head. Party grabs a few Claws for the road and heads off camera (White Claw Chiron appears briefly on the bottom of the screen). The College Park Family (Benjamin Valentino, Cindy Monet, Jane Doe, Lucius Patton, and Jupiter Jones) enter frame. Valentino is carrying two big bowls of Chex Mix. He places one on the table and hands one directly to Revenant. Einherjar thanks them for attending the Dark Festival celebrating their hard won victory. He assures them that, under the laws of Sacred Hospitality, they will come to no harm. He professes his respect for their efforts while underlining the champions’ dominance and belief that all contenders will fall against them. He punctuates the statement by saying they look forward to their rematch next week. Jupiter & Cindy eye them suspiciously, and Valentino, Doe, and Patton give looks similar to that gif of rapper Conceited with the red party cup. 

Before Collipark has time to respond, Einherjar announces that he bought gifts, and Rokker & Curry hand them out. Valentino, Patton, & Monet open up their gifts to find foam replicas of the QCW tag team titles. Jupiter opens his box to find a gold watch. Einherjar then hands Jupiter an application for a retirement home in Miami. Jupiter and CIndy are held back by Lucius and Valentino, respectively, but Jane Doe slaps Einherjar HARD and storms off. Collipark follow suit. 

Einherjar holds his face, which is not only red from the slap but from his boiling temper. Curry & Rokker look to the champions, and Revenant breaks the silence with one word. 

“Payback.” 

Sound got that revenge in the evening's next match, though maybe as not as intended.  What would have usually been a friendly match got juiced and contentious based on what just went down in the back and both teams fought that way throughout without either side fully cheating.   Sound actually got booed at points during the match due to their affiliation (affinity for?) the Immortals but didn't let that stop them from picking up a narrow victory, Rokker whipping Curry into a spear on Doe that nearly bisected her to end things.  **

| • the Sound of Thunder d. Science Fiction Double Feature • |

Post match Jane had problems getting off of the mat, Sound looking a little concerned in the background as Cindy helped the medics help Jane up, though she still needed all their help to get to the back once they did get her up.  Cindy glared daggers at Thunder while they headed to the medic with Jane and the med staff in tow; Sound took the glares in stride and waited a couple of beats before celebrating to a mostly positive reaction as we went to commercials.

Back from the break (including a K2 Circuit Training ad) and the Arena popped huge in welcome of the World TV champ, Party Animal.  No sooner had he brought forth a celebratory Claw than "Wish" hit the PA and deflated the crowd, Mayhem  back out but with a mic in hand spending another week trying to surf the choppy waters of crowd reaction.  Mayhem said it was all well and good that Party defended the belt last week, but he wanted a rematch from Mayday Payday.  This was an adorable story and everything, but c'mon.  Really?  No disrespect, no disrespect, no disrespect, just that…just that Party's a fun guy and everybody loves him, but championship material?  Hardly.  Party paused mid chug to note that there was only one guy with a title in the ring right now and it wasn't Mayhem, which popped the AlcoClawlics in attendance.  

Mayhem started to retort when Godzilla hit the PA, drawing a pissed off Toddzilla out to the ring.  Mayhem got in his face as he came into the ring, upbraiding him for interrupting what was going on.  Toddzilla nodded right up until the point he had Mayhem goozled, transitioning from that into a gorilla press. Party and the crowd looked on in shock as Toddzilla took a few steps forward with Mayhem overhead before he threw him into the crowd, drawing a round of Holy Shit! chants and wiping out a chunk of the third row in the process.  Toddzilla let that settle before turning to Party, saying that now that he'd gotten one idiot out of the way, it was time to make it two.  Party polished off the Claw, let out a belch then said "Let's do this, Toddie!"

"Toddie" didn't appreciate the new nickname and spent most of the subsequent time limit beating Party down, at one point doing so with the suddenly busy medical staff taking Mayhem to the back while Toddzilla tuned up PA with some crossfaces.  Yet despite the size advantage being wildly in his favor, Toddzilla couldn't match Party's craftiness or good luck, the TV champion making a last second dodge away from a charging Toddzilla who went flying into the post shoulder first.  Party got a running start down the apron and hit a sloppy basement dropkick that sent Toddzilla's head into the post then shoved a Claw Is Law down his gullet.  Ironically enough like Mayhem at MayPay, Toddzilla didn't submit to the hold but got pinned after not being able to fight it off anymore.  **

| • Party Animal [c] d. Toddzilla to retain the QCW WORLD TELEVISION TITLE (2) • |

Two defenses down for PA, and you can guess who sponsored the subsequent celebration while Toddzilla disappeared to the back and QCW paid some bills.

During the break, Mayhem ran up on Toddzilla after he came through the curtain and they brawled throughout the backstage area to pretty much a draw.  Things had almost calmed down when Mayhem yelled at Toddzilla that he blew his shot at the belt and Toddzilla saying that made two of them, sparking another brawl that lasted right up until the introductions for the next match.

| • the Proper Villains d. Más Histeria • | A bit of an upset here, as Jim Jaspers and Richard Windsor teamed up for the first time as the Villains and beat the former World Tag Team champions of Los Luchadores Locos fame.  Histeria seemed to be winning most of the match on points and focusing their attack on Jaspers, clearly marking Windsor as the new team's weaker link.  Yet when Jim managed to stop the Locos in their tracks and eventually tag out, King Carny proved that he could carry his share of the team and lit up his opponents with European uppercuts and suplexes; end came when the Villains had El Gato Negro isolated and finished him off with a combination Windsor Lawn Dart and Jaspers' Fury Road, which will probably get a name in the weeks to come.  ** ½

The Brits celebrated their way up the ramp and barely had the curtains swept behind them before the lights blipped out / yup, red four times / this time when they came up, El Gato Negro was missing, which had El Perro de Diablo understandably shook.  Again, the Club doesn't have a match on this show though they've probably got eyes on the main event.

Before that happened we got some hype for next week's show, which will have 3 title matches on the docket: Party Animal will be making another TV title defense, the Immortals defending the World Tag Team championships and trying to go 3 for 3 against the College Park Family - and based off of their win earlier, the Sound of Thunder earned a shot at the Women's World Tag Team championships to try and end the Forbidden Book Club's reign of terror.  But prestigious as it would be…it would be a tag match with standard rules.

Tonight's main event wouldn't be either of those.  

We threw it to the Duckster for the announcement.

“The following contest is scheduled for one fall (ONE FALL), and is a street fight for the Q—” Suddenly, Duck touched his earpiece.  

“What…wait, what?  Can someone put it on the Tron or something?!”

Duck tried to restart the announcement of this being a one fall street fight for the QCW Women’s World Championship only for the Tron to blip to life, showing Rose and Vuitton already in a fight in the back.  Referees and security rushed the scene much to the crowd’s disapproval as well as the competitors, the Arena nearly rattling from the force of “Let them fight!” chants.  At this point along with a wave of security, Commissioner Holmes showed up and asked a referee what was going on, and was informed.  Holmes then said something sure to improve his Q rating: this is going to be a street fight anyway.  The crowd’s right, let them fight.  

No sooner had the crowd popped for that than Lolo got a running start and blindsided Summer with a forearm, before throwing her into the facade of a nearby vending machine.  Holmes informed the referee that given the stipulation, they could fight wherever whenever with whatever - so long as the fall happened in the ring.  Holmes took off and took most of security with him, a couple referees in the area as Lolo took the opportunity to grab Summer by the hair and throw her into a wall.  It looked like at one point that Lolo was going to slam Summer’s head into a doorway, but it took too long for her to pull off and the champ escaped.  Vuitton ate a pump kick as a result and Rose started laying some forearm shots of her own to the crowd’s approval, literally slumping Vuitton down against the wall.  Rose went off camera and we heard a smash, then saw her run back into the frame with a diving weapons shot that left Vuitton face down and Rose recovering.  Replays showed Summer laid out Vuitton with a fire extinguisher but used the whole thing as a weapon to the face.  Vuitton came up a little bloody as Summer dragged her by the hair and started heading towards the ring, vowing to end things tonight.  Vuitton used this moment to grab Summer and throw her into the cameraman shooting this, the picture knocked to an eighty degree diagonal as Vuitton gritted her teeth and started stomping out Summer, yelling at her that she ran this and she was getting her title back.  As Vuitton and Rose got closer to the ring, Steve noted that these were (to date) the only women to hold the championship, and that this rubber match would see a winner.  Vuitton grabbed Summer by the head as they parted the curtains, then got a couple of steps before bieling her down the rampway.  The crowd groaned in sympathy but Vuitton didn’t stop, providing another biel that put Rose ringside in the least fun manner possible.  Vuitton made The Familiar Gesture around her waist before she went to whip Summer into the steps; Summer reversed but Lolo put on the brakes – then charged right into a backdrop that sent her into the ramp herself.  Summer rolled into the ring and gathered her strength, then flew off the ropes with a textbook tope to the outside, landing blows after the landing.

They fought for nearly four (!) segments and ten minutes into the overrun, using everything from cookie sheets and trash cans to kendo sticks and thumbtacks.  Rose hit the Come Up, but Vuitton kicked out.  Vuitton would fight back and hit a version of the Bloody Shoe on the outside with Rose slumped against the steps, but had to get her back in the ring, where Rose kicked out.  Vuitton seemed to have Rose dead to rights by Bloody Shoeing her with a trash can on her head, but Summer kicked out of that at 2.8.  Vuitton seemed a bit frazzled at that, which is when she went for the thumbtacks – and Rose murked her with a blindside chairshot that sent Lolo down to the mat in a heap.  The crowd roared at this as Summer yelled at Lolo to get up, grinning fiendishly as she held the chair; when Vuitton got up, she made the mistake of catching the chair, which caught the Come Up, and Rose hooked both legs with victory assured.

Except it wasn’t, because on the kickout Vuitton got a handful of thumbtacks in Summer’s face, one jabbing her in the eyebrow.  Rose screamed in pain (we didn’t realize what’d happened until the replays) as Vuitton used the chair to pull herself up, but Rose basement dropkicked it out from under her and it actually sort of stabbed her in the neck.  Steve got bleeped, maybe for invoking His name.  Rose limped over to a gagging Vuitton as fast as she could and took the chair from under her opponent, still on the mat.  The crowd loved the second steel chair shot across the back, and they did so again when the third such strike landed.  

But Rose didn’t stop there.  

Somewhere around the eighth or ninth swing of the chair, the crowd got quieter and quieter.  

You could hear murmurs in the crowd as the rest of Mean Season came out onto the rampway and watched, but Summer kept swinging the chair.  

Swinging it through the referee’s telling her to call it off. 

Swinging it after Lolo went limp.  

Swinging it so often even Starr got uncomfortable - a couple swings later, Rose threw the chair to the side after it practically imploded: unfortunately for Lolo, she rolled out of the ring and knocked over the steps – to reveal a pair of barbed wire steel chairs.  Mean Season tried to signal to Summer not to do this from the ramp’s apex, and the referee tried to stop Summer from doing it by pleading to her better nature.  But Summer hears you.  Summer don’t care.  One chair under the limp Vuitton’s head, then the other one in hand.  It was so quiet in the Arena the ring mic picked up Rose hissing the following: “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiii run this.”

And BLAM barbed wire conchairto. 

The referee looked horrified, the Mean Season members had varying looks of shock, disgust and awe, and the crowd started booing a little bit, but mostly sat and watched as Rose barked at the referee to count and pinned Vuitton while piefacing her and glaring down the hard camera the whole time.  Starr begged for a quick count to end this; it didn’t come and certainly wasn’t necessary.

| • Summer Rose [c] d. Lolo Vuitton in a street fight to retain the QCW WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP • |

**** ½, and I said what I said.  

A shakily voiced Duck announced Summer as still the Women’s World Champion, and she took her belt in and slowly got herself up to take the shellshocked referee’s hand raise, Vuitton’s blood dripping off of her arms and jaw.  You could see some puncture wounds in her palms.  Rose stepped over Vuitton then scraped her shoes on the mat to dust her former rival, and again this didn’t draw a wave of boos but mostly frightened silence.  Summer gave a cruel laugh and slowly raised the title overhead before rolling out of the ring and heading to the back.  Mean Season met her halfway down the ramp, all asking questions at the same time, most of which seemed to be in the “have you lost your damn mind?!” family.

Summer shook her head, then held up her hand.  And for the first time in months, a familiar smile over the face of the old Porcelain Doll.  “She wanted a fight.”

Without looking, she pointed her index behind her to the ring as the EMTs were hustling down to scrape up Lolo.

"Bet she won't want another one," said The Champ, a blood-splattered smirk coming over her face before she dipped into a curtsy.

Summer blew (well, shuffle limped) past her stablemates to the back, EMTs coming to stretcher out Vuitton.  With Steve and S. both in the ring checking on the motionless Vuitton, Ruckus went off the air in near silence, save for the murmuring and light booing in the crowd.  

WELP.

See you next Friday, where at the very least they’ll be able to tell us where to send Vuitton’s relatives condolences.