QCW Ruckus [s1e34 • June 24, 2022]

Last week on Ruckus: Super Avión made a successful Arena debut and had some threatening words for the Commissioner • the International Workrate Consortium kept their boots on QCW’s neck, laying out Crusazdo del Oro in the ring and beating Rich Ward backstage to the point where the scheduled War of the Wards for this week’s show had to be pushed back • Party Animal narrowly retained the TV title over the Revenant with Razorblade guest refereeing, then challenged the entire IWC to a gauntlet title match to the shock of everyone in attendance – and that’ll be tonight’s main event.

Standard open/pyro/announce combo with the focus of the hype around having exclusive footage of The Champ outside of the ring, and the unprecedented title gauntlet match inside it to close the night.  But that title wouldn’t be decided until the end of the night; in the women’s division one superstar keeps fighting towards getting a shot at a championship…

| • Cindy Monet d. Nancy Crowley • | With her partner on the shelf, Cindy decided to go singles until Jane Doe came back and so far hasn’t dropped a bout yet.  She’s started hinting that despite Summer Rose’s reign of terror, she wants a shot at the Women’s World championship.  Cindy added to her case here with a win over a member of the Forbidden Book Club; with the rest of the Club banned from ringside Cindy and Nancy went for nearly 10 spirited minutes, and it honestly looked as if Crowley had it won when she hit a familiar looking butterfly bomb and went up top – but the Third Eye Blinder diving headbutt found no water in the pool, and then Nancy got Nyquiled with Monet’s signature Tightrope lariat.  Again, a close match: but Monet keeps finding her way to the pay window and that lariat’s her PIN code. ** 

Cindy was getting her hand raised when the lights went out.  Four red pulses lit up the darkness, and when the lights came back on – 

– the Club was in the ring…but Cindy was on the ramp, waving.  The Club alternated between checking on Crowley and threatening Monet, who didn’t seem rattled at all.  J3 came from the back with a mic, congratulating Cindy on another win and wondering what’s next for her.  Cindy said that it’s pretty obvious what’s next: she clapped down the Sound of Thunder, she put a spell on that witch in the ring (this got the pop you might expect), so now she’s taking the next step.  Summer might have the division shook, but what’s a Doll to an Android?  So she doesn’t care if it’s Ruckus, Cruel Summer, or her granddaddy’s Fourth of July hog roast – she’s coming for the belt, and she’s not going to stop until there’s another Collipark championship celebration.  Cindy got a big pop as her music hit, and she made The Familiar Gesture around her waist before saying to the camera that when she went high, Summer would go down.  

TOTHEBACK~! where Enya Face was standing by, waiting to welcome Crusazdo del Oro, who got a good pop from the crowd.  Enya asked Crusazdo about the past few weeks tangling with the IWC, and was starting to get an answer when suddenly he went down in a heap.  But no one from the Consortium was responsible for this attack – he was getting into a fight with Super Avión, who cursed Oro in Spanish in addition to calling him an Uncle Juan, amongst other things.  The luchadores fought throughout the backstage before Team Teal broke them up, announce putting over that they would be fighting later on in the show but couldn’t even wait to start throwing hands.  We threw to commercials while they got separated.

Let Us Take You Back To Last Week, where the Proper Villains celebrating another victory got interrupted by the Immortals, who did a little title waving in the Brits faces from the apex of the ramp – didn’t phase them any, in fact, Jim was waving them into the ring before he & Richard stood on the buckles making the same gesture Cindy was a couple minutes ago.

Spinning off of that we get two singles matches on Ruckus of one of the Immortals going up against the Villains, starting here where “the Fury” Jim Jaspers drew the theoretical short straw against the Revenant, who was still fuming over not winning the TV title in last week’s main event.  A pissed off Revenant fought angry, but as the match went on Starr noticed that Rev was running into a similar problem that he had last week - the difference being Party’s refusal to die may have tied into drunken aloofness whereas a bloke like Jim lived for pints and fights, and backed up wanting the fight last week.  Jaspers got busted open a bit but didn’t let that stop him.  It did make him weaker, obviously, but it didn’t stop him.  What looked like it would stop him was when they were fighting on the floor, but Revenant hit him with a high roundhouse kick and shoved Jaspers backwards into the post.  Smiling evilly, Rev fired up the Red Right Hand and delivered it through the announce table that popped the crowd huge and sapped a bit of strength from the tag champ.  Announce was freaking out as the Rev was gathering his breath, when to the shock of everyone Jaspers reached out and snatched a triangle on the Revenant, who couldn’t shake him free.  The referee’s count hit 10, with both men on the outside by the wreckage of the announce table. *** 1/2

| • the Revenant DCO “the Fury” Jim Jaspers • | 

A couple of beats after the bell rang, Jaspers let go and both men collapsed next to each other.  The medical staff came out to check on both men, though the Revenant shoved one away before staggering to the back – Jaspers used the barricade to pull himself up, and the camera got part of his monologue saying if that’s what QCW’s Big Bad was, then he’d be Buffy the Bloody Vamp Slayer.  A “let them fight!” chant was growing in the background as he said this, and once the chant began to grow in volume he staggered away from the medics and up the steps, firing up the faithful to chant even louder.  Steve wondered if the past two weeks for the Revenant was opening the door for the Proper Villains to shock everyone and win the belts; Starr noted that Jaspers had survived, not won, and said he’d wait to have a fully formed opinion until after the other half of this dyad (Einherjar/Windsor) happened in our next match.

But before that and ahead of Cruel Summer, we saw footage from earlier in the week - mostly a compilation of some of the QTube clips that've been posted, though we also got some exclusive footage of The Champ: doing some interviews with Phoenix news outlets, putting away some tacos, and taking BP with the Diamondbacks (even putting a couple dingers up on the board) before throwing out the first pitch.  As he did outside of the Hammerstein Ballroom, The Champ posed outside of Chase Field with the 12 Pounds of Gold.

Short Attention Span Theatre showed the end of Revenant/Jaspers, which fed into the next match: 

| • Einherjar d. “the Proper King” Richard Windsor • | Similarly to his partner, Windsor didn’t take a backstep and waded in where many feared to dread against the tag champ; similar to his partner, Einherjar maintained a slight lead throughout the match’s two segments.  Unlike his partner, though, Einherjar gritted out a W, though it damn sure didn’t come easy and in a bizarro version of the other match looked like he was about to go down to defeat after Windsor hit an impressive roaring European uppercut and went to finish off the Norwegian, only to get rattled by a couple of back elbows then laid out with a roaring back elbow.  Einherjar surprised everyone when he picked up the W there; Windsor kicked out at what would have been 4.  **

Windsor protested the count for a bit while Einherjar mocked him for it, drawing Jaspers from the back, which ended up drawing the Revenant out as well.  Unfortunately for the in attendance bloodthirsty Quaranteers, the referees were out on his heels, and while the teams exchanged some smack talk, zebras stood between them, the announce wondering if we were seeing a Cruel Summer preview.

BACKTOTHEBACK~~!! where Julius Duquesne III was standing by with Super Avión, who barely had time to start complaining about Crusazdo del Oro when he got jumped from behind by – get this – Crusazdo del Oro, both men (presumably) cursing at each other in Spanish and throwing hands again, neither able to gain a substantial advantage on the other before Team Teal was back on the scene, this time with the Commissioner in tow directing traffic; half corralled each luchador, with Holmes directing them to keep them in their dressing rooms until it was time for their match.  Avión traded some more barbs with Holmes, Steve almost chucklingly noting Holmes gets rid of Naz for a while and another arrogant complainer pops up to take his place.

| • the Game Changers (Buffett/Carpenter w/Szabo) d. Fated To Become Champions (Gato Negro/VillaLobos) • | Another win for the ascendent Game Changers, this time with the team formerly nicknamed TikiMirror.  You can easily argue that this was their biggest W to date over the former World Tag Team champions who themselves are operating under a new name but so far haven't felt the Changers' level of success.  Despite pledging their allegiance to the OG FBC, TAFKA Los Luchadores Locos didn't have an answer for the Changers down the stretch and it was Gato on the wrong side of Buffett's Inner Strength delayed avalanche uranage that sealed the minor upset for TGC.  ** ½ 

Post match, Carpenter took the mic, flanked on either side by Szabo and Buffett. 

“Can you believe that 2022 is half over?” they asked the crowd rhetorically. 

“When Tiki Baby and I stood in the middle of the ring at the beginning of the year, we promised that we would have gold by the end of it. And while we are many things: gluttons, narcissists, maybe even psychopaths, we are not liars. We will be holding gold by the end of the year. And we will be holding it together. We’re coming for the tag team titles."

“‘But which ones," you might ask? The Men's (looking at Tiki)? The Women's (looking @ Ashley)? Ashley and I were the best team in the women’s division for years. Tiki proved he’s as strong as Toddzilla, as Revenant, and the bro in the tracksuit, bro. And I will lace up my boots to face anyone in QCW wherever they fall on the gender spectrum, and give the fans a show. So why not both? 

Forbidden Book Club: the only reason you have the belts is because Ashley and I were split up during the tournament. And the only reason we were never Women’s World Tag Team Champions is because those belts didn’t exist then. So we will be correcting that cosmic mistake very soon. And you’ve just seen what will happen to your familiars if they try to get in our way. 

And Immortals? Well, nothing lasts forever. Cowboys eventually ride into the sunset. Vikings go to Valhalla. Mirrors break. Even Tiki gets full every now and then. So your time is coming. And we’ll be there to read the last rites. 

In fact, we're reading the last rites of the false dichotomy once and for all.  Because once we get one set of titles, we're going to get the other ones, too.  When we said we were going to change QCW for the better?  

This is just the beginning - a QCW with UNIFIED World Tag Team champions.  

And if you think we can't get the job done?"

Carpenter scoffed.

"We'll give you juuuuuust a little more time...to LOOK INWARD." Muse's "New Born" hit the PA and the crowd popped as the Changers took to 75% of the buckles and gestured that They Wanted All The Belts!  Announce debated whether or not what the Changers said they wanted to accomplish was even possible, with Starr saying they put a target on their back in both divisions, so either they're geniuses in the making and they're the only ones who know it or they're about to get gangstomped by everybody else they worked with.  S. might have had a point, yet you could hear as they headed to the back that there were more than the in-ring triad that believed in the future that the Game Changers laid out.

| • Crusazdo del Oro DCO Super Avión • | You will be shocked to find out this was barely even technically a match - they fought before the bell, then right after.  Barely a minute in, Oro knocked Avión to the floor and followed it up with a textbook tope.  He followed it up with ground and pound that Avión managed to reverse, then both men kept the other from getting back in the ring and then resumed fighting on the floor right up to and through the ref's 10 count.  This is one of those weird DUD/***, especially because the double countout didn't stop the brawling, and referees had to come out and keep Avión from smashing Oro's head between the ring post and the top half of the steps that he had in hand.  The announce noted that Avión and Oro had been widely respected in Mexico for their lucha libre bonafides but had never worked in the same company before now, and you could see their diverging outlooks already kicking off what might become a lengthy rivalry in QCW.

We heard from Pierce Moore again in a vignette after that, who made fun of the luchadores for having to wear extra fabric over their heads to distract from the fact that their faces would turn Medusa to stone.  But that's not a problem you have when you're Dashing, and once Pierce Moore made his sure to be successful debut at Cruelest Summer, QCW will get the makeover it so clearly needs.

| • Mayhem d. El Vaquero Loco • | Another luchador not on the roster came to the Arena to take his best shot at the former World Champ, put up a decent fight, and ultimately went down to No More Words.  **  Mayhem almost looked to be rolling his eyes as he got his hand raised, more focused at staring at the Quaranteers chanting Sad Boiiiii at him while the announce put over Mayhem starting to rebound in the win column after failing to usurp Party Animal as TV champ; maybe these wins over testy luchadores are just the tonic he needs to find himself back in title contention soon.

Announce plugged some big matches coming down the pike next week on the last episode of Ruckus before Cruel Summer: an eight woman tag rematch months in the making with Mean Season going against the Forbidden Book Club; if that wasn't big enough, the first ever 12 man tag match in the Quarantine Era with the Consortium reforming their unlikely and uneasy allegiance with the Immortals to face off against Los Caballeros, the Proper Villains and The Champ, Mason "Razorblade" Savage.  And as usual, the TV title would be defended.  But could Party Animal somehow find a way to run the gauntlet, or would one of QCW's Ambassadors be doing double duty next week?  We wouldn't find that out until the main event: from there we threw it to Duck, who made the introductions for the TV title match.

First out the curtain were the Consortium, the Duquesne Cup and Ambassadors Trios championships in tow.  Starr said for the blind viewers out there that this is what Party Animal was going up against – every member of QCW's most dominant and decorated faction.  Party's had some tight title defenses during his reign, so he's not a joke.  But maybe he's lucky. And how lucky can you be before your luck runs out, let alone up against four champions?  Let alone four champions in a row?!

As the Consortium talked strategy, out came the TV champion.  Steve noted as he came out that Party looked more focused than he had his entire reign and he was going to have to be in order to survive the IWC coming at him in waves.  As he was introduced, Starr gave the forboding (maybe foreshadowing?) proclamation that it wasn't going to be if the IWC brought the World Television title into the fold, but which one of them would end up holding another championship at Ruckus' end.

| • |

1st fall: As Party waited in the ring, the Consortium huddled on the ramp to make the decision of who the first man in would be.  As their discussion progressed, Jason Ward took it over and eventually he talked himself into being the leadoff man.  Party waved Jason into the ring as the bell rang, the Terrible Ward chuckling as he surged forward…when his head whipped up at some unfamiliar music (to us) hitting the PA, the Consortium's heads almost whipping around in unison as his brother "the Wonderful" Rich Ward walked out to the dulcet tones of Rush's "Limelight" - borderline absent mindedly tapping a steel chair.  Starr started yelling about how he wasn't medically cleared, and Jason Ward was certainly yelling something similar towards the entrance while on the second rope.  Ironically enough, that put him in perfect position to be the victim of a Party sunset flip powerbomb, and a three count later Ward's night ended almost as quickly as it'd begun.  Party Animal eliminated Jason "the Terrible" Ward (sunset bomb -> pinfall) 

Officials came out to keep Rich from advancing down the ramp, so he just chuckled, tapped the chair a couple of times then sauntered back to where he came. Both the French and Russian Consortium representatives cursed at the retreating Ward while Party pointed and laughed at the fallen Ward on the apron.  In all this chaos, everyone lost track of one man - Anton "Teknik" Stahl, who clobbered the champ from behind with an enzui European uppercut, thus leading us into the…

| • |

2nd fall: Obviously Stahl got the jump on Party, and that's all he needed to do to leverage his way into controlling the opening minutes of the fall.  (At one point while he was working a hammerlock you could see Jason complaining to Pyotr.) Starr brought up while he was in control that Stahl had been in the TV title picture all year long and that he had an excellent chance to take home the gold.  Steve rebutted that since Jason was so Terrible, he didn't even lay a hand on Party, so the champ was coming into this fresh.  The fight went out to the floor, which put Party in danger with the numbers against him; rallying, the TV champ reversed a whip into the steps and Anton couldn't do anything except block them with his face.  Party got a running start and hit an enzui basement dropkick to drive Stahl head first onto the steps again, then quickly bundled him up and tossed him in the ring before Caviar could make good on his threats.  While he had started the work to set up his trademark Matter of Time, Party and the steps did more damage than his holds, and pretty soon Party was in control of a clearly disoriented Stahl.  The fall ended with Stahl reversing a whip into the ropes and going for a rebound something -or-other only to get almost halved by Party's counter, a rebound spear in its own right.  Two down.  Party Animal eliminated Anton "Teknik" Stahl (rebound spear -> pinfall)

| • |

3rd fall: Serge's eyebrow raised as the fall got registered, but then he burst out into crisp applause.  Party knew better than to think that the applause was for him - but it didn't stop him from turning around and right into the path of a Caviar Russian sickle.  The entire Arena groaned as Pyotr nearly made Party an ex champion off of one move, the force of which sent the still champ sluicing between the middle and bottom ropes before thwacking dully into the floor.  Serge said something to Jason, who went over to check in Anton.  But Serge saved most of his words - his orders, really - for Pyotr, who immediately went to work depleting Party's reserves.  With Serge coaching him up, Caviar was steamrolling Party, repeatedly employing chokes and illegal moves to stretch up against yet not break the standing five counts.  As minutes of Pyotr's punishment continued on with him not even attempting a near fall, Steve disgustedly and Starr admiringly spelled out the Consortium's battle plan for whatever was going to be left of the gauntlet: Pyotr was going to grind Party into a paste and the Consortium would sooner or later put him away and take the TV title to add to their overstuffed trophy case.  Starr reiterated that this is where Party's challenge became idiotic: he didn't have any help by his own design, and with the numbers advantage sooner or later the IWC would put him away whether it was Pyotr or Serge that would walk out with the belt.  Even when Party would get the door open a crack, he'd do something like duck too soon after whipping Caviar into the ropes and Pyotr would slam it shut by booting Party up and following up with a kitchen sink that left PA in a heap gasping for air.  Serge banged on the apron and Caviar went in for the kill, laying Party out with a vicious spinning sit out powerbomb.  Pyotr looked over to Serge, who shook his head no, so Caviar scooped up Party and gave it to him again.  Under Serge's watchful eye, Caviar got off five of the bombs and appeared to be going for a sixth when the referee stood between Party and Pyotr to check on the champion.  Pyotr took offense to any mercy being showed and piefaced the poor zebra, sending him halfway across the ring and triggering a DQ.  Party Animal eliminated Pyotr Caviar (more like Caviar eliminated himself by putting his hands on an official, but w/e).

Serge seemed a bit exasperated about this turn of events, but with the ref out of the way saw an opportunity and frightened Duck away from the timekeepers table to snatch his chair up.  He then slid it into the ring and gave Pyotr another order, which turned out to be the spinning sit out powerbomb onto the chair. Starr stood and applauded, congratulating the Duquesne Classic winner on becoming the TV champ.

| • |

Last fall: With Party practically vaporized in the ring and Pyotr joining his comrades on the floor, Serge not only soaked in the boos but encouraged more, then gestured to the entry way where no help was coming.  He made Party look at the ramp, where no help was coming.  Then he slapped the champ and made him look at his invisible calvary.  Serge let out a man's cackle, only to be cut off by Party getting a middle finger up to the roar of the Quaranteers, who fired up one last desperate Claw Is Law! chant.  Serge put Party in a cravate and manhandled him towards the ramp…just in time for Party's index finger to point towards the crowd, where all three Los Caballeros were moving briskly down the stairs.   Jason Ward didn't show any fear and in fact was in the process of waving them in when the crowd popped again, and Katsuji Ootsuka came down the rampway and started to flank the Consortium.  Serge was ordering his minions into place when Limelight hit again, and Serge immediately pointed at the rampway to inform the IWC that Rich was coming.

Unfortunately for Serge, that was wrong.

Rich was already there.

And so was that steel chair.

WHAM!

Rich scrambled Serge's brains with a crowning chairshot while Starr complained that Rich had ran in from the crowd himself.  And the complaints would only grow as Rich threw Party's carcass on top of Serge's, then put the referee into position to make a count.  The Consortium tried to rush Rich but found themselves trying to fight through Ootsuka y Los Caballeros as the ref's hand came down.

One. 

Two.

ThrKICKOUT at 2.9 by Serge, who barely got a shoulder up. The crowd groaned deflatedly, but a clearly disoriented Party pulled himself up with the ropes -:begged Serge to get up - then cut him down with a spear once he did to a big pop.

One.

Two.

And believe it or not, three.

| • Party Animal [c] d. The International Workrate Consortium in a gauntlet match to retain the QCW World Television Championship [10]• | 

Steve's yelling "I don't believe it!" got subsumed by Starr's yelling WTF (audio getting bleeped for a few seconds as a result).  But as Duck made the announcement, everyone in and around the ring got a surprise: a bunch of golden pyro sent from off at the apex of the ramp while a picture of Party Animal with the title went up on the Quarantron with the number 10 in bold and gold behind him, Steve explaining for the uninitiated that Party's somehow surviving the gauntlet bumped his number of winning decisions up to a level where he could cash in the TV title.  The IWC fumed on the floor as Los Caballeros and Katsuji Ootsuka helped Party to his feet, Rich Ward closest to the IWC with the chair and cackling, waving them on if they wanted to get what their fearless leader got.  With Serge over his shoulder, Caviar pointed at Rich and said something threatening in Russian while Jason fumed on the floor, hissing at his brother that the next time he saw him he would put him in a wheelchair.  But even that threat got subsumed by the crowd roaring as Ootsuka and Los Caballeros put Party up on their shoulders and paraded him around to the Arena while the IWC took the long, slow walk to the back.  The Claw Is Law! chants were so thunderous that Starr said he couldn't hear himself think.  Party said something to the other babyfaces in the ring, and they lowered him from their shoulders before he got the mic from Duck.

Party chuckled before he spoke, holding out the mic to boost the crowd chants.  Once he spoke, he noted a week ago people like Starr were calling him crazy, or a drunk. And yeah, the Champion of Claw might have had a buzz on when he made the challenge, but he was still champ, so who's crazy now?  Huge pop that only grew when Rich handed the champ a Claw and he shotgunned it, then continued with his promo.  

He didn't even realize when he challenged the Consortium that winning would give him the 10 he needed to cash this in.  And he was no Nazir el-Fadal - he just beat four guys at once, so he wasn't going to do a shady cash in.  He was better than that, and he would prove it:

Party said that he was going to have another defense next week, but if he won…what the hell, when he won, right?  Another huge pop that he let breathe for a couple of beats before saying that once he won next week, the next stop was Cruel Summer.  And nothing against The Champ, but there's another champ standing in this ring right now, and he's loving being champion so much that he's not going to stop with the gauntlet or even with the TV title.

"So, Razorblade, you let White Claw and myself know if you want the main event of Cruel Summer to be me and you - TV Champ vs. World Champ.

TITLE.

FOR.

TIIIIIITTTLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

If you think minds were blown last week when he announced his plan to run the gauntlet, then after this, pieces of Quaranteer skull were going to be found in the Gulf Of Mexico past Halloween.  It sounded like Steve was choking on his spit while Starr screamed that Holmes needed to institute drug testing to keep embarrassements like this from happening.  It's entirely possible he never would have shut up about this, but fortunately something made him::

"Unscripted Violence".

The night of monster pops continued as out strode The Champ, 12 Pounds of Gold around his shoulder.  Razorblade chants rattled the bright lights as a bemused Mason Savage made his way to the ring, shaking hands with Duck before getting a mic of his own and stepping to the center of the ring.  It looked like Party's defacto backup was going to step to The Champ but it turned out both champs managed to talk them down, so it turned out the four of them had the best seat/stand in the house for Razorblade's rebuttal.

Razorblade said he had had half a mind to come out after Party somehow ran the gauntlet to congratulate him, then he was stunned to get challenged by a friend for the golden Twelve, and now here he was.  And from one champ to another, he'd help his buddy Party by showing him the parts where he messed up.

First of all, he didn't get to be The Champ by ducking fights.  Or people, he noted suddenly narrowing his eyes at the Czar of Claw.  

Secondly, it's funny that Party's been admiring the World Title, because…well, this is weird, but Razorblade has felt even with being the World Champ that he and the TV title had a certain destiny.  Because he had to watch from a hospital bed while assholes fought over a belt that should have been his from Day One.  He wasn't driving the car, another so-called friend was, and once that happened he just…kinda assumed his shot at it had come and gone.

Suddenly, there was a fiendish grin all over the face of the Razorblade.  

But things all have a way of falling into these hands.  They said he was too raw for TV even when he was signing his QCW contract.  They said when Mayhem beat him in the battle royal that that was as far as Mason Savage was going to go.  Even when he earned his shot most people thought he was just another day at the office for Mayhem.  

Yet here he stood.  The Champ.  And here he was being challenged to the biggest fight in QCW history for an opportunity to be a double champion?

Depending on your POV, Savage's smile was either confident or feral, even as he extended his hand.

"I got two words for you: let's party."

Party shook and the roof came off the dump.  Rich Ward leaned in like he couldn't believe it, and it damn sure wasn't just him judging by the subsequent almost minute long "Holy shit!" chant.  Steve and S. were stunned into silence as the champs stared each other down then started making what would best be described as friendly threats.   Fortunately for their paychecks, they barely snuck in parting thoughts before that bombshell blew us off the air.

Steve: "TITLE! FOR! TITLE! They're both putting up their belts to try and win the other one!  I can't freaking believe it!!!"

S.: "WHAT THE…FORK IS HAPPENING?!"

Well, genius, if I had to guess, y'all about to get hefty off of PPV buys.  Ruckus went off the air with the champs still smack talking and the Quaranteers rocking the Arena with Queue Cee Dub! chants. And as it turns out, you can buy Cruel Summer on PPV.  

If you want to see the biggest match in QCW's nearly 80-year history, you must.

QCW Ruckus [s1e33 • June 17, 2022]

 Last week on Ruckus: Frustrated over being screwed out of the World Championship again, Nazir el-Fadal ruined matches & knocked out a couple of security guards, leading to his being forcibly ejected from the building • Summer Rose notched another successful Women’s World Championship defense and seemingly injured Diana Spare in the process, leaving the rest of Mean Season to fight the rest of the Forbidden Book Club • Despite losing in a tag match, the International Workrate Consortium would manage to lay out Rich Ward, Katsuji Ootsuka, Crusazdo del Oro and most notably the World TV champ Party Animal; all four members would pose with that belt and their own titles to conclude last week’s episode while Party writhed in pain at their feet…

We got the usual opening before we threw to the announce.  Steve was perfectly normal but S. Mark looked like his Christmas had gotten here early and we'd soon find out why:

Let Us Take You Back To Last Week where Nazir el-Fadal kept two matches from happening, laying out four roster competitors and two members of the security detail.  (Naz truthers will note that nothing he said last week got reaired here, just the attacks and the part where he got carried out and thrown into a taxi that sped off into the night.)

After the recap package, Starr gleefully revealed that not only had Commissioner Holmes levied the biggest fine in QCW history against Naz for his actions to the tune of five grand - but Naz was suspended for the rest of the month as well as barred from the Arena.  Starr literally threw his papers in the air and gleefully spun around in his chair, a frightened Steve noting he hadn't seen Starr this happy since he found out who Sydney Sweeney was.  But if you wanted some euphoria on Friday night, look no further than in the ring on Ruckus - and those fights would get underway right now.

| • Mayhem d. El Borracho • | Online rumors that QCW's recent worldwide expansions are actually unofficial auditions for potential sister leagues to do business with probably got some kerosene on them with the appearance of the former Lucha Salvage tag title holder to kick off the show.  Borracho received a decent reaction that got bolstered by his drunken antics; it turns out, however, that Mayhem is still behated by the Arena faithful much to his dismay and (most of) our general amusement.  Subplot to the match was Borracho fighting Mayhem right from the bell without his usual sense of drunken whimsy and having the former QCW World champion on the backfoot early on (rumors about Mayhem having heat with luchadores came up last year and in certain circles never really faded).  The main thrust of the bout was Mayhem overcoming that initial wave to give as good as he got and then some, taking the luchador into deep waters to drown him.  An Air Raid Crash set up No More Words, which got Mayhem another W to another big, mixed reaction.  ** ½ Starr noted post match that Mayhem was trying to get back into title contention after going 0-2-1 against Party Animal recently, but he might be in a position where he'd have to start at the bottom and build himself up again; Mayhem's face - even though it was responding to the Sad Boiiii chants and not Starr's commentary - told you all you needed to know about how The Former Champ felt about that.

TOTHEBACK~!, where Enya Face was standing by with "the Wonderful" Rich Ward, who himself was in a much better mood than usual.  We found out next week will be what they're calling the War of the Wards: his first one on one match against his brother Jason since "the Terrible" knifed his flesh and blood in the back to join the IWC.  No sooner had Enya asked Rich about what his game plan would be before she let out a shriek – right as said IWC showed up on scene to surround Rich and asked him to strongly reconsider showing up next week.  Rich responded by mockingly saying he needed some time to think about it, then he hooked a loogie in Serge's face to a big pop before saying that he was good, thanks.  That wouldn't be true much longer as that spit got Rich jumped by all four Consortium members, who roughed him up and stomped him out before they dragged Rich towards the men's bathroom so that Jason could slam his brother's head into the door a few times to the horror of the crowd.  Security arrived on the scene but the damage had already been done; as Rich was gurgling and coughing on the floor, Jason took the opportunity to squat next to and lean over his fallen sibling before dryly saying "you'd think something Terrible just happened!" The Consortium slowly backed away from the scene of the crime as Commissioner Holmes showed up, the medical staff revealing a gash across Rich's head while he was still clearly knocked loopy and drooling a little bit. 

A shaken Enya threw back to the announce, who had the difference of opinion that you might expect over what just went down.  When Starr finished his Consortium cheerleading, Steve suggested we go to the ring for a fair fight…

| • the Proper Villains d. A World Of Pain (DeSade/Osterberg) • | If I were in a match against DeSade or Osterberg I'd be a slight favorite, so the land monsters have joined forces.  It didn't stop them from being the cannon fodder in a Proper Villains showcase, however.  Jaspers in particular got to show off some of his power game in handling the World before the Villains uncorked A Proper Finish - Windsor narrowly managing the strength to Lawn Dart Osterberg into Jaspers' Fury Road.  ** The Proper postmatch celebration got interrupted by the Immortals, who strode out with all four of their belts.  The Villains didn't show any fear; in fact, Jaspers sat on the middle rope and waved them into the ring.  But the Immortals merely let out evil chuckles, held up a couple of belts and left.  The Villains took to the turnbuckles and made Very Familiar Gestures around their waists to a decent pop from the Quaranteers.

This Week In QCW History: we got some still photographs from 1959 (with J3 doing the voiceover) of Paddy O'Grady dropping the QAAW (proto QCW) title to "the Russian Menace" Ivan Caviar (Pyotr's grandfather) in what was a shocking upset at the time. We then went from made history to QCW's newest signee looking to make history in his own right.

| • Super Avión d. Caballero Obscuro (w/Los Caballeros) • | Avión had a successful debut in the Arena, but it didn’t come without some controversy.  The opening moments of the match saw the rechristened Obscuro get the upper hand on his fellow Tijuanian luchador, and Avión eventually bailed out to the floor.  The referee stopped Obscuro from going for a highspot, and Avión used that opportunity to pick up a chair – then slam it into the ringpost, and flop on the outside while pushing the chair between himself and Los Caballeros.  When the referee turned around, of course, the Caballeros were in a picture perfect position to be framed and found themselves ejected to the boos of the crowd.  Obscuro seemed to get a little bit rattled by the ejection of his new friends and Avión used that wedge to open the door wide for his win, culminating in his crotching Obscuro on the top rope before delivering a top rope crucifix slam he calls Air Superiority to secure the W.  ** ½  Post match, Avión delivered some smack talk to the fallen Obscuro before posing on the turnbuckles, the announce wondering what the iconoclastic Avión would have next in his plan to take over QCW and defy the Commissioner along the way.

Ironically enough from there, we got another Freedom Watch with Drake Tremble filmed live in front of a truck's driver's seat. The former QCW Champion is still railing against all the luchadores and pureso stars that have gotten added to the roster in the recent past, and having a bunch of dirty foreigners as QCW's official ambassadors just goes to prove Little Holmes can't ever live up to his daddy.  That's why Drake has to come back - not only to Make QCW Great Again, but because all true patriots know that they are the ones on the watch to keep their freedoms free.  Fucking WOOF.  From there, we went to a Mexico v. France matchup, because QCW has a fine sense of humor like that.  

Let Us Take You Back To Last Week, where after Party Animal narrowly defended the World TV title against Crusazdo del Oro, the International Workrate Consortium rushed the ring and stomped out both men before they took turns posing with and admiring the TV title.

Obviously this villainy wasn’t going to go unanswered by the man who’s name literally translates to the Gold Crusader, and we got this singles match with him going against the leader of the IWC in Serge Batroc.  Announce pointed out in the outset of this match that this was going to be one of those where the man who dictated their style of wrestling moreso than their opponent would win and both segments of this one bore it out: Oro flew around the ring when he was able, dazzling the crowd with sky-high armdrags, crisp dropkicks and even getting a nearfall off of a super huracanrana that almost had the IWC rushing the ring; of course, the lucha libre style is very feast or famine, so once Serge countered a springboard crossbody attempt by walloping Crusazdo with a counter European uppercut, he got the upper hand and kept Oro grounded to maintain his advantage, hitting big power moves to get nearfalls…but he couldn’t keep Oro down for three.  Despite that, with him winning on points Serge went for the Arc de Triomphe that secured him the Duquesne Cup – but Oro wriggled free and then drilled a rewind rana on Serge to pop the crowd, and Crusazdo pulled Serge into position before going up and flying off with the Pajaro del Sol phoenix splash.  The IWC were on the outside exhorting Serge to get up, Stahl even banging the mat to try and warn their leader, but it was of no help.  

What was of help was the part where they rushed the ring after the Pajaro hit.  ***

| • Crusazdo del Oro ddq. Serge Batroc (w/International Workrate Consortium) • | 

The Consortium came in and stomped Crusazdo into the mat with prejudice, the bell ringing forever and changing nothing.  Starr noted that all the backup Crusazdo possibly could have had from last week was gone in different manners: Rich Ward had gotten a similar beatdown earlier in the show, Party Animal still had the TV title to defend in tonight’s main event, and Katsuji Ootsuka was actually in Kyoto shooting a commercial this week.  So the beatdown went on for a couple of minutes before some referees came out and finally provided enough of a reason for the IWC to stop, though Jason made sure to brag loudly off-mic as they headed to the back that the options for the rest of QCW were simple: pay fealty to the Consortium, or end up like Oro.  

Ahead of our next match, we got some footage from Earlier Today: originally scheduled for this singles match, Diana Spare couldn’t get clearance from the medical staff to wrestle tonight (she was actually fuming on crutches in the foreground); the rest of the Club then debated amongst the 3 of them who they would send into the match – but we didn’t find out until the match itself happened: 

| • Nancy Crowley (w/Forbidden Book Club) ddq. Autumn Powers (w/Mean Season) • | 

The Club/Mean Season contretemps has gone on for the better part of a year and continued here in singles action – Crowley & Powers got a little bit of extra heat last week when they were throwing hands against each other on the outside of the Summer Rose title defense that injured Spare.  QCW prides itself on fighting Friday night programming and this delivered the most out of any bout on the card; there weren’t a lot of nearfall attempts (I only recalled two) but a lot of hard-hitting, high impact maneuvers.  It seemed like Powers was going to get the duke when she laid out Crowley with the Hazy Shade of Autumn but Crowley got her foot on the ropes; however, Summer got heated about that, saying that LaVey had put her foot there (we didn’t see any evidence to that point but there are harder things to believe).  The Club got defensive, Summer got even more irate, and if someone’s willing to limp over on crutches to fight you for the second week in a row it turns out they’re gonna.  Another Season/Club fight uncorked, with Spare at one point drilling Summer with one of her crutches and sending her down in a heap.  Spare got on the apron and dragged the other crutch into the ring and looked like she was going to tee off on Autumn with it when suddenly Summer dove into the ring and delivered a queen-sized belt shot.  It looked like she was aiming for Autumn, but that (apparently) turned out to be a feint so that she had a clean shot at drilling Crowley right between the eyes.  The ref saw this and called for the bell.  ***

For obvious reasons, everyone was wondering if Summer had just gotten Autumn intentionally disqualified up to and including Autumn, who got in Summer's face while Spring and Winter tried to play peacekeeper between them.  They failed at that, partially because it's pretty obvious that at this point the Summer/Autumn rift gets more irreconcilable by the week but mostly because the Club bumrushed Mean Season while they were having their public group therapy session.  Spare threw the recovering Crowley a crutch, Agrippa and LaVey had no compulsions about using the Women's World Tag Team championships for weapons given what just went down, and the subsequent minutes saw the Club wipe out Mean Season entirely with both Summer and Autumn getting busted open from the champs' belt shots.  Once Season got left laying the Club transported out after some womanly cackling, leading to the medical staff trying to do the best they could for Season once the lights were back on after the Club blipped out.

Ahead of the main event the announce hyped up some of next week right now, but started by speaking about a match that now wouldn't be happening: due to the IWC jumping him earlier, Rich Ward wouldn't be able to have the scheduled singles against his brother Jason next week, though the Commissioner's office would try to reschedule it ASAP once he was medically cleared.  

While it sucked that wouldn't be happening, Mayhem would be in action, as would Einherjar vs. "the Proper King" Richard Windsor - and the Revenant was set to fight "the Fury" Jim Jaspers…but it's entirely possible we're a Red Right Hand away from that being a TV title match.

We got a surprise ahead of the main event: a very special guest referee, The Champ himself.  Mason "Razorblade" Savage got the pop of the night as he came out in a loaner zebra shirt over ripped up black jeans.  

The Revenant came out solo after Einherjar gave him a manly fist bump and departed with his two titles.  Rev brought his titles in the ring as well, and he looked down on The Champ exchanging a look that could be best described as fraught.  That look was interrupted by the arrival of the Champion of Claw, the crowd roaring at Party Animal's arrival.  If he was rattled by the sudden appear–I couldn't even get through that sentence, it's entirely possible Party's too drunk to realize he's going into the same ring with the World Champion and a land monster.  The Claws were out in force with the Quaranteers as Duck made the introductions; this subsequently made the Rev closer to the heel in this one.  (He cares.)

The Revenant scoffed down at the TV Champion once Savage called for the bell, so after realizing the disrespect Party started throwing forearms and alternating chops.  It didn't rattle the challenger five or even ten seconds in, but as Party continued to wail away the crowd fired up and eventually the Rev was forced to a knee.  Party Animal ran for the ropes and LARIAT.

Everyone groaned as the champ somersaulted through the air from the force of it before crash landing on the mat like the victim of a Mafia hit.  He kinda was.  The Champ went down for the count, but the TV Champ wasn't quite out for the count.

Barely, but he'd survived; the World Tag Champ then spent the bulk of the rest of the show an eyeblink away from adding a third title in two weeks.  The Revenant spent so much time beating on Party with Party barely kicking out that Starr on commentary openly wondered if The Champ wasn't looking out for his little buddy because he was afraid of a Revenant cash in.  Conspiracy theory stuff, but it didn't come off as crazy the longer the match went with PA in survival mode.  And while he couldn't hear the commentary it became evident that Revenant and Starr shared a similar school of thought, with Rev getting increasingly chesty with The Champ's counts.  Steve wondered if the Rev had a legitimate beef or if he was just taking out his frustration over not having won the title yet as he so obviously thought he would have by this point in the match.  Party started fight back and clearly rattled the Rev, but a well timed uraken sent the Czar of Claw falling between the middle and bottom rope.  Failing to grab Party before he fell out of the ring, Rev followed out at a leisurely pace.  Rev went to snatch Party up, only to be shoved backwards into the post - before Party charged and added an avalanche to sandwich Rev into the post again, spilling off his body off the impact to around the corner, and both men were down.  Party managed to crawl into the ring and seemingly looked to try and get the dub via countout, but a rattled Rev rolled in at eight.  Party tried to close the distance with a spear, but the Rev booted that idea away and up; the challenger went to close out with his signature Red Right Hand but suddenly found himself in a victory roll…that actually got the victory, if only by an eyeblink before the kickout. ***

| • Party Animal [c] d. The Revenant to retain the QCW World Television Title [sixth defense]; special guest referee QCW World Champion Mason “Razorblade” Savage • | 

For obvious reasons, this caused murder in a certain pair of Immortal eyes.  The recipient of a shadyish call for the second straight week, the Revenant wasn't hesitant about getting in The Champ's face about the count being shady and found himself across from another champion who doesn't believe in back steps.  It actually took Einherjar coming from the back along with the recovering and still reigning TV champ to step between them, and even that just ended up branching off into both of the Immortals beefing with Razorblade and Party Animal to a growing buzz in the crowd.  Announce freaked out over the possibility of the World champion and World TV champion teaming up to face the World Tag Team champions, but that wouldn't be happening on this evening.  More cross words were exchanged, but the Immortals decided when the conversation was over (after warning both singles champions that this wasn't over) and left the ring.

But the show didn't end there.

As Razorblade exchanged some parting thoughts with the Immortals, Party Animal grabbed the mic from Duck.  Party said since this was cutting into Claw O'Clock, he only had two things to say:

1. The World title turned some people into jerks, but Razor's always been a decent dude and proved so again tonight by calling things down the middle

2. Speaking of jerks, last week the IWC waited until after he'd won to jump him - well, he was sick of their crap so he'd rather just skip it: next week if they wanted to get their hands on the TV title so badly they could fight him for it.  Hell, they could all try their luck in a gauntlet match for the TV title.  But he would win and they would fail because Claw is Law.

As you might expect, everyone was various degrees of stunned after thst announcement: the crowd was full of Quaranteers who were cheering with concerned looks on their faces, and the announce wondered if what Party proposed was even possible.  Starr said it was just like a drunk to propose a virtual handicap match even if it was called a gauntlet match: how was one Claw-addicted idiot going to be a challenge for all the Ambassadors of QCW?  Show ended with the champions in the ring, Razorblade seemingly looked concerned and maybe questioning Party's judgment but as you might expect, Party didn't look too concerned.  If that gauntlet ends up happening next week, tune in to see the Consortium put another title in their trophy case…

QCW Ruckus [s1e32 • June 10, 2022]

Last week on Ruckus: Even pretending to be a luchador, Mayhem couldn't get the TV title away from Party Animal, nearly causing a riot in Arena Mexico • the Immortals added to their trophy case by taking the Lucha Salvage tag titles from El Cantador and El Borracho • Under Serge's watchful eye, the rest of the Consortium followed his lead and won three matches in a one night tournament to be crowned the inaugural Ambassadors Trios champions, earning them a shot at the Immortals - who came out to welcome the new champions with their new hardware, six men exchanging glares over seven championships…

The show got off to an inauspicious start, with the announce having to step on the usual show open because Nazir el-Fadal came out to the ring with a chair before snatching the mic from Duck and setting up shop in the middle of the ring. Naz told the monkeys in the truck not to bother with the pyro because he was going to bring enough heat to get the fire marshals out if he didn't get his way.  To the shock of no one, Naz was beyond livid that he had gotten screwed out of the World Title two weeks ago, saying that he had Razorblade dead to rights in the very spot he sat in.  Ever since Devil's Night this place has found a way to fuck him over.  He makes the World Championship, Mayhem steals it from him and gets Holmes' approval implicitly or explicitly.  He never gets a one on one rematch, so he goes out and earns the TV title - then Mirror Mirror "or whatever the fuck they're calling themselves these days" screws him out of the World title at Golden Rule and Holmes doesn't let him participate to crown a new TV champion.  By this point the crowd was firmly in "STFU!" territory, to which Naz responded that's what they wanted, just like Holmes.  But after he earned another shot at his property, he thought he had his bases covered.  At this point, Duck got inside the ring and was unusually chesty with Naz by his standards, yelling that they still had matches to get to.  Naz was compliant, raising his hands and rolling out to the floor after handing Duck the mic.  Kicking the chair out of the ring, Duck made the announcements for the first match of the evening, newcomer Atum Pharaoh going up against…Ichi-Go?  Why are you looking at me like that? Do you know somethin – oh, there that went.

| • Atum Pharaoh NC Ichi-Go • |

Given opportunity and a chair, Naz took both and laid out the lower rungs on the power rankings ladder, first laying into Ichi-Go then mule kicking Pharaoh to leave him laid out.  Ichi-Go ate a WMDDT, then Naz managed to leave Pharaoh laying with a buckle variant on the Hamrin Valley Driver before snatching up a mic to go shooting with.  As he was saying before he was so rudely interrupted, Holmes ran to Mexico and put on that dog and pony show while he was busy being detained!  And why was he being detained?  Because Holmes' precious golden boy, Mayhem, got in another disaster of his own making. But this wasn't a PPV he could book around but a fan who got hurt…at this point Duck was in the ring again, trying to get the mic from Naz, who wondered if Duck was suddenly leaping into action based on certain Commissioners in his earpiece.  If the Superstar In Repose wanted Naz out of this ring, he could come down and do it himself.  Otherwise Naz might tell a lawsuit story.  Maybe the injured fan's.  Maybe the antitrust lawsuit Naz had in the hopper, since it seems to be the only fair way to ensure he gets a fair title shot.  At this point, Il Postino came out with a referee but Naz refused to yield the microphone, and then Bird Robo followed suit behind Postino.  They exchanged a discussion on the ramp, then left the referee on the ramp and headed to the ring. Grinning widely, el-Fadal waved them on with a free hand while reaching into his pocket with the other.

| • Il Postino NC "Bird Robo" Tatsuo Ishinomori • |

Postino went down in a heap, then so did Ishinomori, and when Naz's hand came back up with the microphone a row of brass knuckles gleamed under the overhead lights.  At this point the referee on the ramp ran to the back while Naz ranted that while he was waiting on the first train to Jacksonville or Orlando, he was going to leave QCW with a Naz-shaped scar they could never erase - he would officially be first to the Triple Crown and not only that, the Greatest Man Alive would hold them all simultaneously.  Then the bidding war would begin.  Maybe Scott or Tony or hell, even Nick would be interested in another company's Triple Crown being used to sign his newer, better deal?  

At this point is where Commissioner Holmes showed up, but only in advance of the security detail.  Naz waved them on, but there were a dozen of them and one of him.  Give the devil credit where it's due - Naz managed to lay the first two teal shirts out with the knux but the rest of them swarmed el-Fadal and took him down, then eventually out, literally: with the crowd serenading him with a Steam classic, the remaining security not only took Naz out of the ring but to the back, but not before Naz and Holmes exchanged harsh words (a handful of which got bleeped).  Camera barely had time to show S. Mark Starr giving a one man standing O to Naz's removal before cutting backstage and finding out he wasn't the only one with that reaction: everyone from the Game Changers to Mayhem and even Enya Face applauded as security shoved Naz into a taxi that sped off into the night.  Steve apologized for the abrupt and weird beginning and threw to commercial to give them time to get the Arena reset and start the evening off right with the Game Changers in action after the break.

| • the Game Changers (Carpenter/Szabo w/Buffett) d. the Angel Twins • | The Changers notched their second victory as a unit since forming with the former tag partners having come full circle in this one, Carpenter actually drawing the heat from the Crush alumnae identical Room 237 residents for a bulk of the match before finally making the tag to Szabo.  Ashley cleaned house on Los Angeles and notched the W with a somersault swinging neckbreaker setting up her top rope fistdrop (Smash that Subscribe Button).  #rIpSARa ** Szabo was ebullient post-match, as Carpenter slightly let their body relax when first she then Al came in for post-match hugs.  Announce noted Szabo hadn’t been that on point in the ring ever since their original breakup of their team with Beckett, and that maybe their alchemy was coming back to the surface with their reunion.

Hope you didn’t think we weren’t going to get some Grade A gloating from the International Workrate Consortium, because the newly crowned Ambassadors trios champions were dans la maison in addition to their leader Serge Batroc’s Duquesne Cup.  Starr put over the accomplishment as they came down to the ring, saying that Serge’s leadership was paying off with all the hardware the IWC had while Steve followed up by saying that not only had they earned QCW’s newest championships but earned a shot at the Immortals as well.  As has been happening since he joined the squad, “the Terrible” Jason Ward (note the new nickname) cut the bulk of the promo in front of the Arena. 

Ward crowed that he’d almost ended up in the hospital before, but it would have been due to back issues since he had to carry his brother for years upon years; here with equals, any arguments you had against them should be now fully silenced as they were not only champions but the Ambassadors of QCW.  The crowd booed this, so Serge took the mic to upbraid the audience in French to more boos.  Jason & Serge had an off-mic discussion before Jason got the stick back, saying that Serge said he shouldn’t have expected a proper response of their internationally born greatness from ignorant Florida swamp trash.  But it wasn’t just Florida, since they got booed in Arena Mexico, too; of course, those boos didn’t stop them from capturing the trios titles and it wouldn’t stop them tonight, when they finally rid QCW of the annoying leech he unfortunately shared DNA with – a couple beats after this, Rich Ward popped up on the QuaranTron and offered up some sarcastic congratulations to the IWC on winning the belts.  

Of course, what Jason was leaving out is that if it wasn’t for that meathead Russian saving his ass, maybe he’d be holding the Ambassadors titles with the Proper Villains instead of getting bounced in the semis.  But at least he got a chance at retribution tonight.  Jason mocked him, saying that it didn’t matter what unfortunate chump he got to team with him because the Consortium would put them both in the hospital.  Rich smirked a little bit, saying that the Consortium had made enemies left, right and center – he didn’t have a problem getting a partner, he had a problem picking the one he’d team up with to win the match.  But the IWC and Jason’s punk ass would have to wait to meet the partner until the match tonight, and when they won they’d only have two words for Serge and his attack dogs: you’re welcome.  Crowd popped as the IWC was livid, and Rich disappeared off the Tron as Jason threw out some more threats before throwing down the mic in frustration.  The Consortium, now looking refocused and angry, held up their hardware while announce hyped the Jason Ward x IWC v. Rich Ward x mystery partner match for later on in the show.

| • “the Electric Android” Cindy Monet (w/Benjamin Valentino) d. “Death Metal” Bettie Rokker (w/”Shieldmaiden” Val Curry) • | Monet’s been out on a mini revenge tour ever since the Sound of Thunder accidentally injured her partner during a loss a few weeks ago; she picked up a prior win against Rokker’s partner Val Curry a couple of weeks after that and completed the sweep here.  Bettie put up a game effort but fell prey to the Tightrope that took down her partner.  ** Post match saw Monet get a good pop for the W, a pop that only increased when she made A Very Familiar Gesture around her waist.  

TOTHEBACK~!, where we didn’t hear any audio for a couple of beats after we saw Gaia Green, Autumn Powers & Winter Wonderland talking about their botchamania of an intervention last week, wondering how to get through to Summer if she truly wasn’t using again - obviously with her getting increasingly vicious in regaining and keeping the Women’s World title, this is leading to friction.  What else leads to friction is your friends talking shit about you behind your back, as those of us at home saw Rose walk into the background of this discussion without the rest of her stablemates noticing.  Rose let this go on for a bit, interrupting with a loud throat clear when Autumn started to helm the conversation.  

Clearly seething, Summer called out the rest of Season for last week and doing this right now when she had a championship to defend, not that any of the rest of them knew what it was like to do it - let alone twice.  That got glares from the rest of Mean Season and oohs from the crowd, but Summer (first hesitantly, then with a louder throat) apologized for the dig.  She noted that this is exactly what she was concerned about tonight: that whatever dark magic fueled the Club’s sisterhood, it was definitely more cohesive than  the dysfunction they were going through right now, and if that happened out in the ring the entire division’s worst nightmare would come true with the Club holding all the titles.  If she had to fight a whole coven off, she would do the best job she could in a four on one situation - but she didn’t want that.  What she wanted to prove was that the Club didn’t run the division, they did, even when things were a little messed up between them.  It was absolutely crucial that the title stayed in the family…so would they have her back tonight?  The rest of Season exchanged glances before Autumn stepped up to Summer, and said that she was right: above everything else, the title had to stay in the family.  Autumn & Summer seemed to have a staredown for a couple of beats but Powers offered up a handshake; a couple beats went by before Rose took it and walked off for her title defense up next.  Autumn watched Summer leave while Winter nudged Gaia in the background.

Back from the break, the Club materialized as a unit, Agrippa & LaVey toting the Women’s World Tag Team championships while Spare stood center ring gesturing that She Wanted The Belt.  Rose came out solo in response and was halfway down the ramp before the rest of Mean Season came out behind her, Autumn bringing up the rear.  This turned the title fight into an ad hoc lumberjill match, both sides protecting their own while keeping a wary eye towards the opposition.  Spare is known as the level headed one of the Club and seemed to have Rose stymied to an extent early (though announce noted that while Spare seemed to be focused on the title opportunity, Rose was glaring as much at her team as the potential outside interference). 

The coin flip nature continued for the bulk of the match, only firmly going into Rose’s ledger when a normal backdrop counter to a charging Spare sent the Club member over the ringpost and Spare slammed into the top of the steps before sluicing down the rest.  Quickly recognizing the opportunity, Rose followed up by throwing Spare into the steps again, then into the barrier, then rolling into the ring to break up the count before uncorking another throw into the steps - another throw into the barrier - Mean Season started heading over towards the action just as Summer snap suplexed Spare across the middle step before throwing her into the ring and quickly following, the Club and Season exchanging words on the outside.  While the war of words happened on the floor, Rose brought the war to Spare until she couldn’t stand.  Match ended uniquely, as Rose hit the Come Up…but pulled Spare up at two.  Spare then found herself victim to her own Subconscious Bomb, but Rose pulled her up at two again, drawing ire from everyone on the outside.  The Club got all the way in the Season’s faces, which led to a brawl on the floor.  Meanwhile in the ring, Rose put the finishing touches on the match with a familiar looking Yakuza kick and elevated Texas cloverleaf with her knee in the back of Spare, who was forced to tap out.  ** 1/2

| • Summer Rose (w/Mean Season) [c] ds. Diana Spare (w/Forbidden Book Club) to retain the QCW Women's World Championship • | 

With the seconds fighting on the outside, Rose kept the Cloverleaf on well after the bell had rung, nearly triggering a reverse decision by the ref before she finally let go, snatching her title away from the zebra with two hands to a mixed reaction.  The Club and Mean Season continued to fight on the floor as the referee called for the medical staff to come out to check on Spare while Rose ignored the six woman brawl and walked to the back solo with the title around her shoulder, seemingly without a care in the world while leaving Spare as another addition to the list of potential challengers she’s taken out of the picture over the past couple of months.

We came back from the break to "Aces High" by Iron Maiden, the theme of QCW's latest addition to the roster - former Lucha Salvage champion and internationally renowned luchador Super Avión came out in a clearly tailored suit to join the announce table ahead of the next match.  

The announce welcomed him to the table and QCW, Avión bitterly noting that it was the first kind of real welcome he's received from anyone in QCW since he signed on the dotted line.  As the Revenant came out, Avión was asked about the intimidating stature of the tag champion; he had a couple couched compliments but said that if he had even a decent partner that he could become a QCW tag champion - if Holmes let him.  Announce wanted to follow up on that but that's when the newly monikered Caballero Obscuro came out to a decent reaction.  Avión lit into him, calling him a sellout and un gato gordo for joining up with that payaso Crusazdo del Oro; this flowed seamlessly into Avión complaining about Oro's shady W over him last week and that somehow getting Oro not only credit but the main event TV title shot to close out Ruckus tonight.

With seconds barred from ringside for this one, Obscuro & the Rev went at it to a better than it had any right to be clip for nearly 10 minutes, while Avión had more cross words for whatever and whomever came to mind (most notably spilling the beans that his father had gotten fired from QCW a generation ago for accidentally injuring certain current Commissioners, so he came not only to show the best modern day Lucha Libre in the world but to shove it up Holmes' culo that he had created such a buzz south of the border QCW had to bring him in before he walked onto another Friday night wrestling show). It actually seemed early on that Avión might have more rants than there would be match time, with the Rev going for the Red Right Hand not even three minutes in.  Obscuro fended off the chokeslam and started fending better for himself.  He couldn't get the Revenant down for anything longer than a two & a half count, which drew even more of Avión's ire and complaints that this bastardized Lucha Libre wasn't going to stand while he drew a check here.  A few beats later, he ran in while the Rev was protesting a near fall and dropped Obscuro with a discus lariat; unfortunately for the Revenant, the referee turned around just in time to catch that. **

| • Caballero Obscuro ddq. the Revenant • |

An incredulous Revenant stared down Avión afterwards, who shrugged.  Einherjar came down the ramp so Avión opted to leave through the side between the ramp and ring - despite the complaints from the Immortals that they didn't have anything to do with Avión, the referee explained that the decision was final, leaving the 2x champions furious.

Heading into commercials, we saw Rich Ward backstage pop his head into a locker room and thank someone for tagging with him tonight to take on his brother and the Consortium.  Rich continued to thank the partner while leaning in the doorway, saying that he hoped they were successful in their first time out as a tag team.  Ward got some kind of positive response as the announce pointed out we couldn’t see or hear who Rich had picked to be his partner…but we’d all find out together after the break.

Back from the break, we welcomed the Consortium ahead of the semi-main tag match - Jason again on the stick to brag that since they didn’t even need his help to secure the Ambassadors titles that their fearless leader Serge was going to be his partner tonight, so bring out his loser brother and whomever was willing to go to the hospital with him. Rich then came out to a decent pop, though he stared down his brother from the apex of the ramp for a few beats.  He held up an index finger, then pointed it to the back – and out came Katsuji Ootsuka to a sizeable pop in his own right.  Starr couldn’t believe that a newbie could fight against the IWC and win, but Steve provided a compelling counterargument about Ootsuka having beaten former QCW World Champion Naz clean and giving Party all he could handle going for the TV title; Steve even made a rare prediction that it wouldn’t be if Katsuji became a champion in QCW, but when.  Even Starr didn’t press back too hard against that.

The tag match went for nearly three segments, and while you would consider the Consortium to be ahead on points for a plurality of the match they never got things into blowout territory even while they spent the bulk of the match grounding Ootsuka.  But the Prince of Punishment proved he could take it as well, fighting his way out of the IWC’s corner by running up Jason to send him to the floor and Ootsuka swinging into a modified tornado DDT.  Jason recovered and pulled Serge to his corner to tag himself in then ankle picked Ootsuka – but Ootsuka converted it to a basement rana driver and tagged out, Rich rushing to a pinfall that got broken up by Serge.  The final couple minutes of the match saw a Pier 4 break out between the legal brothers and Ootsuka fending off Serge to varying degrees of success.  Hilariously enough, both Wards went for the Wonder Cutter to close (perhaps you shouldn’t try that on your brother and former tag partner) and failed, then Rich went for a Thesz press that Jason countered with a jackknife cover.  However, that cover got broken up by a flying in Ootsuka, who’s springboard 450 (as Steve yelled out on commentary) landing across Jason’s ribs was high and violent – and put Rich in position to get an arm over his brother for all of three and a half seconds. ***

| • Katsuji Ootsuka & "the Wonderful" Rich Ward d. "the French Assassin" Serge Batroc & Jason "the Terrible" Ward (w/"the Tracksuit Tsar" Pyotr Caviar & Anton "Teknik" Stahl) • | 

No sooner had the bell rung than Caviar and Stahl were in the ring, laying into both Katsuji and Rich to boos.  For obvious reasons, they focused most of their attention on Rich, with Jason particularly gleeful about grounding and pounding his brother while Serge tied Katsuji up into the ropes and started throwing stiff European uppercuts.  The bell rang a few more times – the Consortium hears you, the Consortium don’t care – when everyone got pleasantly surprised by “Oh Yeah” hitting the PA.  Starr couldn’t believe Party Animal was rushing out here when he had to defend the TV title up next, but not only was he out here he was out here to ring Caviar’s bell with the TV title, the big Russian slumped on his knees after the champ’s blow landed.  However, Serge caught up to Party from behind, and it was clear that the IWC was healthier despite their big man disoriented as they started to work over all the babyfaces – until Crusazdo del Oro, Party’s opponent, ran down to the ring and then set off the cameraphones with a sky high springboard crossbody press that dropped the IWC.  Despite the fact they were about to throw down for the TV title, Party & Crusazdo showed no qualms about throwing hands against the Consortium, and with a fully fledged Pier 8 on deck with Quaranteers cheering, out came the teal shirts (two fewer than there had been at the beginning of the show) to break things up.  Steve feverishly said that they still had the TV title match to go, so they hoped during the commercial break they could settle things down here at the Arena ahead of the big main event after the last round of commercials.

After they aired, the ring was clear except for the ref, Duck to make the announcements, and Party & Oro to face off for the TV title.  Steve noted after they shook hands to start the match that the IWC, Rich Ward & Katsuji Ootsuka had all been sent to the back so that the match could be purely about competing cleanly for the championship.  Oro’s not an unpopular man, but he doesn’t have the same level of love from the Quaranteers that Party does.  Starr noted in the early going that when you had a styles clash like this, whomever was able to fight the match closest to their style was going to prevail nine times out of ten.  It surely seemed as if this would be Oro’s night - he flew around the ring hitting highspots on an increasingly disoriented Party, who went to the floor to try to recover only for Oro to get a running start inside the ring then twisted in mid-air as he went over the top to slam into Party with a moonsault that had the crowd on their feet.  Oro recovered and threw Party in before going up; it was entirely possible that he was going for the Pajero del Sol but PA rolled out of the ring before he could.  Oro went for another crossbody to the floor, so in a unique bit Party dove under the ring when Oro flew off, and Crusazdo went splat on the floor.  While both men were down, Steve managed to get in some hype for next week’s show - the winner of this match defending the TV title, the Arena debut of Super Avión, and Holmes’ office promised some sort of disciplinary action for Naz given how he started the show.  Party popped up on the other side of the ring and rolled in, seemingly content to take it by countout, but Oro came in at 8.  Party checked with the ref to make sure things were continuing then went to work in his own right, getting a nearfall down the stretch after a vicious rebound spear that Oro couldn’t see coming but still managed to narrowly kick out of.  Party Animal reached into their board shorts, but it wasn’t a Claw they pulled out but a….Claw-endorsed glove.  It looked like he was going to introduce Oro to the Law, but Oro converted into a triangle and wore Party down with it until he started going limp.  Once he had Party down, Oro hit three lightning quick legdrops off the ropes before making the international hand gesture for “That’s IT!” and reascending the ropes, looking for the Pajaro del Sol.  Unfortunately for him, his Phoenix splash ate Party’s knees, and he soon found himself on the bad end of the Claw Is Law.  Even with Oro flailing, Party was wearing him down, and then surprisingly ended the match with something new: a sort of uranage enhanced version of the Claw when Oro wouldn’t tap sent him into the mat, and Party managed to have weakened him enough to pin him after the move.  ** ½ 

| • Party Animal [c] d. Crusazdo del Oro to retain the QCW World Television Title (5) • | 

Party recovered slowly but got to a knee grinning, welcoming the return of his belt.  We quickly cut backstage to Super Avión in the back watching Crusazdo's loss, shaking his head and walking off camera.  As he was leaving, the Consortium was arriving, quickly gaining retribution for what went down earlier.  Tired from the pre match fight and their subsequent match, neither Party or Crusazdo could handle Serge’s European uppercuts, let alone Caviar’s power.  The crowd jeered this lustily and they would only get more pissed as Jason gave an evil grin, then grabbed the TV title.  Steve almost screamed out “Don’t they have enough championship gold?” and since they are the baddies, you know what the answer to that is.  Jason wasn’t greedy, he handed it off to Anton and it eventually got passed around to every Consortium member with Serge pointedly admiring his reflection in the championship and Caviar pulling out his phone and taking a couple of selfies with it (even talking Anton into taking one with him).  Jason was off-mic but said to the hard camera right into our living rooms that the dark days of Windsor & Williams were over – the revamped Consortium wouldn’t just be taking all the turns, they’d be taking all the titles.  And if anyone wanted something Terrible to happen to them?  Just stand in their way.  

Steve was disgusted and incredulous that these were QCWs ambassadors, while Starr noted this was the second straight Ruckus that ended up with the Consortium toting titles and leaving bodies around them - you went up against Serge & the rest of his squad at your own risk, and a bunch of folks FAAFOed tonight.  As we faded to black for the week, the Consortium held up the TV title as a unit while a grimacing Party Animal recovered at their feet.