Ruckus opened on Commissioner Holmes in the ring, in a tux, no less. Gold bunting and draping hung off of the ropes while behind him in a corner there was a three-tiered trophy that due to table placement skied high above him and the top rope as well. Standing next to Duck Eko, Commissioner Holmes said that this moment was a while in coming, but now that it’s here he couldn’t be more proud to be in this ring to start off what he hopes will become a QCW tradition for years and decades to come: the presentation of this (he gestured towards the trophy), the Triple Crown.
Even before Sunday night, the man he’s about to introduce established himself as THE QCW Legend, a man who won’t just end up in the QCW Hall of Fame but might have his own wing before it’s all said and done. But what he did on Sunday wasn’t just another in a long list of accomplishments, didn’t just add another title to an already overstuffed trophy case, but further proved that the best fights, best wrestlers and best champions could be found right here in QCW. Enough preamble, said the Commissioner, please welcome the first ever Triple Crown recipient and the NEW World Television Champion, Juuuuuuuuuuuuupiter Jooooonnnnnnnnessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
You maybe got to hear “B.O.B.” for two seconds before the standing O drowned it out, Steve & Starr also on their feet as the crowd hit a fever pitch upon seeing everyone in the College Park Family and satellite member Jane Doe come out ahead of Jones, who looked genuinely moved by the reaction of the crowd and took in the scene before swallowing deep and coming down to the ring. Jones started coming up the stairs and took a pause, and that’s when the moment possibly got to him – the TV champ stood on the top stair, mouth quivering, and he put his hand over his mouth but he couldn’t help crying. His Collipark buddies sort of stepped up behind and around him to check on him, maybe blocking it off from the camera, but eventually he got into the ring and shook hands with Duck and the Commish before gold confetti started falling on the Arena. Steve talked quietly about how great a moment this was and how Jupiter deserved and earned every bit of the Triple Crown; you could tell this moment was solemn because Starr not only agreed but did so at a volume lower than 8.
Holmes handed off the trophy to Jones, who looked at it as if it had seven eyes and three tentacles. Maybe he was looking at the fact only one name was on the trophy, because he almost bobbled it out of his hands when the pyro went off on the stage. Jones being a pro’s pro, he recovered quickly and proudly held up the trophy before setting it back down on the table. After exchanging a handshake with Duck, who hugged him, Jones cleared his throat loudly a couple of times and quietly said “Thank you” a couple more times. He said that in nearly 15 years of having the honor of being a professional wrestler nothing could come close to this moment. When he first began lacing up the boots –
– Arcarsenal. NOW, of all goddamn times.
Honestly, the only person who took this without going into the red was Jupiter himself, who just hung his head and shook it slowly like a disappointed dad.
Out came the World Champion, Nazir el-Fadal. He moved slowly and seemed to have added a massive forehead bandage to his wardrobe, but the man holding the 13 Pounds of Gold is the same as ever. Naz waved down the crowd, saying that if the rabble listened, they might learn something. He’s been a fan of Jupiter for years, and had the privilege of going to the mat with him a few times including a few weeks ago. So he was out here to celebrate Jupiter the same as everyone else and congratulate him on this beautiful ceremony.
“Too bad it’s a fraud.”
…
Naz started to go into the spiel that he was the first holder of the Triple Crown but didn’t get five seconds in before being cut off by a “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” that, surprisingly, didn’t come from the Commissioner.
It somehow came from Duck.
He looked surprised that the microphone was in his hand, and he looked at Commissioner Holmes for a second, but then he turned back towards the ramp and opened up a six-pack of verbal whoop ass on Naz, saying that there was finally something that wasn’t about him, and here he fu–freaking was trying to make it about him. Just like he did at AnIIversary, at Mischief Night, hell, at this point Duck hopes some of the rumors are true just so he never has to see Naz’s stupid little grins ever again, a line which got a roar from the crowd. But Duck barrelled right through it, saying that that all was one thing, but for him to interrupt Jupiter during this ceremony was beyond the pale and if he could fight Naz himself right now, he would. But he’s already done too much and probably going to get suspended for this, so in that case he was going to make it count:
“Go [BLEEP] yourself, Naz.”
Friends, I’ve heard pops, POPS, and Road Warriors pops. This ran closer to the latter, a Duck! chant starting (of all things!) in the Arena.
“And when you get done [BLEEP]ing yourself, go [BLEEP] off somewhere and let Jupiter receive his award if you’re such a great champion.”
Naz stared at Duck from the ramp as if he had seven eyes and three tentacles, then threw his microphone in the air and limped off to the back, causing another standing O and string of Duck! chants. I’m sure Commissioner Holmes is smiling about an unrelated joke that he heard recently that amuses him so. Duck apologized to everyone about his outburst, but both Holmes and Jones were Good Guys about it, and Jupiter eventually picked up his speech.
He thanked Duck for having his back to the roar of the crowd. He thanked Holmes specifically and the Holmes family in general for making QCW a welcome place for a Jones, then touched upon his time in Japan and (I came to find out from online forums after the show) thanked his fans in Japan in Japanese, saying it was a great honor to learn the craft in such a rich environment for pro wrestling.
He thanked the rest of the Family for picking him up last year after he was down and didn’t know what to do next, or where to go – they took him in with open arms and made him feel like he belonged until he felt like he belonged, and whether it was Jane and Cindy trying to teach him new dances, Lucius sparring with him and showing him new moves, or Benjamin…Jones got choked up again, addressing his former partner and current manager, saying that if there were a way for two men to share this he would with Benny, because Benny saved his ass when he came back from Japan and gave him a couch to crash on, kept telling him to stay and fight when he wanted to give up and stay in bed, always, always, even right now, had his back. He didn’t have the words to express how much that meant to him.
Jupiter saved his final words for his late father, joking that for most of his life as a kid all he heard was how important it was for him to get a degree, to stay in school and not end up like his dad; after an…”uninspiring” year at UGA, Dad told him he might as well go to wrestling school because real school would beat him 5-0 in a best of 3 falls match. He smiled telling his Dad’s old joke once again, and talked about his dad supporting him quietly from the shadows not only for the rest of his career but the rest of his life. It got very quiet in the Arena here; all you could hear were some light cries and sniffles, a couple of coughs. Jupiter said that when he started off in the business, he didn’t want to get where he was because of his dad, he wanted to earn it and keep the Jones family legacy intact, add to it. And in the shadow of this trophy, and this accomplishment…well, it doesn’t mean he’s made it - hell, he’s gotta get out of this suit and tie and defend his belt in about an hour…but he’s made something of himself, and he’s got the right people around him and for him, and with that in his pocket he can buy the world. He thanked everyone for their time and set down the mic on the podium to another standing O, he & Holmes hugging briefly before the Family came into the ring and all hugged Jupiter, setting off another round of chants and the in-ring scene gently fading to black.
The open rolled from there, but when it ended the card began:
| • "the Wonderful" Rich Ward d. "Great American" Bobby Bash • | Our first in ring action of the night welcomed back Rich Ward from his nuptials and his honeymoon, and Holmes was kind enough to give him a softish landing in the form of a match with the perennial light counter, Bash. The bigger Bash did put a minor hurt on Rich with some of his power moves, but Rich turned the match in his favor for good by countering a powerbomb attempt and coming down with the Wonder Cutter; the match ended right afterwards when Rich ran off two sets of ropes to build momentum for a running start to execute the second Wonder Cutter to secure his return victory to decent cheering. **
After replays, Ward saluted the crowd before heading to the back. As Bash was slowly recovering, a familiar voice started calling out to him before asking how could a great American lose to a – a – hell, he could barely say it – Canadian?! The curtains parted, but Ted Holland kept holding them open until Drake Tremble came through them to a nega ovation. Drake pointed out that Bobby's been a great American in QCW for years, but he couuuuuld be better. Take Ted, for example: Ted started following his lead, hasn't lost since, he's going to stomp out another foreign menace later on tonight. That's what happens when you listen to the Voice of Freedom, success. And if Bobby Boy follows his heart, he'll know he should be fighting alongside the Red, While and True. After inviting the big man to think about it, Tremble and Holland left. And left an impression, because Bobby was clearly thinking about it as the night's first commercial breaks started.
Back from the break, and Super Avión was already in the ring and in the referee’s face when Muse’s “New Born” came on over the PA, and the crowd roared upon seeing the Unified World Tag Team champions the Game Changers out even in full force for an increasingly rare singles bout of theirs.
| • Super Avión d. QCW Unified World Tag Team champion Ashley Szabo (w/the Game Changers) • | Shocker here as Avión got his first QCW W and did so clean in the middle to boot; he took some shortcuts and shaded the rules a couple of times, but used his power advantage to help stymie THEE Influencer early on and that set up his lucha libre arsenal. Ashley managed to get off a press slam of her own and went up for the Smash That Subscribe Button, but Avión got an arm underneath her before she could fly off and shoved her into the ringpost. Knocked for a loop, she was easy prey for his Aces High avalanche crucifix slam, and before Al or Bennett could even think of sliding in the ring to stop it Avión lodged the 3. ** ½
An ebullient Avión jumped around the ring afterwards and even picked up the referee and spun him around in celebration, though he did bail out of the ring when the rest of the Game Changers came in to check on Ashley. Holding up his index finger and talking rapidly in Spanish to the camera, Avión finally might be a little less whiny and aggrieved after his first win…depending on how long it takes him to get his second.
With the Triple Crown ceremony shuffling around the usual running times for a Ruckus, we got the Mischief Night recap package that would usually kick off the show here. Good luck beating the Hot 8 Brass Band’s “Ghost Town” cover for the next PPV theme; after stills of “Dashing” Pierce Moor celebrating his win over “the Iron Dwarf” John Arneson and the Proper Villains doing the same after toppling A World Of Pain, we started getting some brief video clips from the main card:
⚜️ Fated To Become Champions ruling the ring ahead of Ragnarok Rules • the Hard Way coming out in black and orange for a change before the Immortals rose from a couple of the nearly dozen graves at the ramp’s apex • Erik Norville and Einherjar exchanging blows on the ramp, nearly taking out some fans in the front row - Toddzilla eating a Red Right Hand, then Death’s Door, then being buried alive • the Immortals and the Hard Way exchanging fist bumps while the FBC looked despondent ⚜️ the Forbidden Book Club looking to right the ship in the next match • a new look Diana Spare coming out with the Sound of Thunder and going right after her former cohorts • Bonnie Agrippa nearly winning the Cauldron of Chaos trios match while the stip was a ladder match, only for Bettie Rokker to springboard in with a flying shoulderblock that sent them both flying and Bonnie from halfway up • Shelley La Vey hitting a Fallen Angel splash off the ladder onto Val Curry, the Shieldmaiden • Spare finally laying out LaVey, then shaving her hair during the hair v. hair portion of the rotating stips match to win it for the white hats • more FBC despondence, the Sound of Thunder and especially Diana Spare celebrating the win over their longtime rivals ⚜️ OnlyFitness coming to the ring in matching robes with Scott Warren-Tisch hyping them up • the Alohatties welcoming the Unified World Tag Team Champions the Game Changers and Al Buffett slapping a couple of their hands • Lolo Vuitton muscling Ashley Szabo around the ring and dusting off her hands after a fallaway slam • Al on the floor barking out orders • Bennett Carpenter stopping Karyn Tisch-Warren in her tracks with a step up enzuigiri • Scott on the floor barking out orders of his own - Scott trying to get involved, but fumbling the hydroflask at the key moment, followed by Carpenter succeeding where he failed and drilling Tisch-Warren between the eyes with it for the shady win • something the OnlyFitness family made sure to complain about • the Game Changers remained too busy laughing at the tables turning and retaining their belts ⚜️ the South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dog Marching Band hitting “Bombs Over Baghdad” to bring out Jupiter Jones alongside the rest of Collipark • Ted Holland looking menacing behind Drake Tremble, showing off the TV title to everyone in the Lakefront Arena • Tremble getting the upper hand on eternal rival Jones and laughing about it • the crowd chanting Jupiter! when he was eating the worst of it • Jones crying out in pain, but coming up from underneath and fighting back • Holland trying to get involved after a nearfall, only for Benjamin Valentino to pull him off the apron and drop him with a bling ring enhanced punch • this part you know already, Jupiter hitting the Bolt From Olympus to win the TV title and the Triple Crown • everybody losing their mind • Starr crying a little, and he wasn’t the only one • yellow, purple and gold confetti falling as a tearful Jones stood on the buckles holding up three fingers on one hand and the TV title in the air with the other while the rest of Collipark celebrated in the ring and the sold out crowd chanted “You deserve it!” ⚜️ Jane Doe and Autumn Powers shaking hands before their semi main for the Women’s World Title • Doe getting the upper hand on Powers early but remaining blank faced about it, which gave Autumn a few looks of worry • Doe doing a crab walk that backs the confounded champ into the corner • Powers escaping trouble by slipping Jane’s finisher and countering into a DDT • Powers psyching herself up • Autumn eventually putting a bow on things with the Hazy Shade to continue the longest title reign in QCW ⚜️ Mason Savage coming out from the crowd and looked serious as a heart attack • an irate Nazir el-Fadal going after Duck Eko for what he felt was an inferior intro, only for Savage to get the jump on him as a result • Naz cheapshotting Mason and busting him open with some of the studs in the collar before he put it on himself • blood working for Savage like Popeye’s spinach, as he started gaining the upper hand on Naz • Savage getting back what he lost and busting Naz open, now all the footage is in black and white • both men bleeding, waving the other on • both men falling in slo mo at different times • both men struggling to their feet • Naz wrapping up the chain connecting the collars around his fist and drilling Savage with a jaw shot • then the WMDDT • Duck actually stormed out rather than announce it • fans jeering • Savage reeling • Starr shaking his head • but a bloodied Naz, using the corner to prop him up, slowly raising two fingers in the air with one hand and holding the World Title tight to his chest with the other…
🎶 too much fighting on the dance FLOOR! 🎶 ⚜️
| • "Swamp Trash" Ted Holland d. Atum Pharaoh • | Pharaoh keeps getting reps but ultimately had no answer for the wild Holland, who didn't just throw in bites and eye rakes with the ropes but managed to heft Atum up for a winning Truth Bomb. ** Holland shook hands with the referee post match and Tremble came out to raise his hand again at the top of the ramp.
From QCWAnon TOTHEBACK~!, where OnlyFitness were dour about losing their titles opportunity Sunday night and were loudly complaining about it as they headed to the Commissioner’s office. But before they could see him, somebody walked out of the office, and the crowd popped upon seeing the QCW Women’s World Champion Autumn Powers out through the door. Already salty, the fitnessistas wondered what Powers was doing; The Champ retorted that she was getting another main event tonight in a six-person elimination match with some former champions - the sort of main events you get when you win your title matches. Powers gave a brief chuckle and said she had to go get ready, parting the OF sea and heading back towards her locker, but despite all the possible flavor combinations the OnlyFitness trio was salty watching her depart. After that settled down, it turned out they forgot why they were going to Holmes’ office, and they all looked back where Autumn had departed the minute earlier with petulant looks on all three of their faces.
| • Jupiter Jones d. "Dashing" Pierce Moore to retain the QCW World Television title 1️⃣ • | Moore shocked the world when he beat Jones in one of his first matches in QCW; that loss established Moore for us but more importantly seemed to be the catalyst for the recent roll Jones has been on, not dropping a singles match since and getting the TV title & Triple Crown in one fell swoop on Sunday night.
Given the previous set of matches between them, it was no surprise to see several counters and a couple of counters of counters. With five minutes left before the time limit expired it seemed like if anyone was going to win, it might have been Moore, who ducked a Bolt From Olympus and surprised Jones with a subsequent victory roll that came within a half a second of living up to its name. However, Jupiter proved his bonafides yet again when he caught Moore’s Fresh To Death cutter and countered that out into a lifting reverse DDT that drove most of the air out of the Dashing One’s sails, and a successful Bolt From Olympus took care of the rest in Jones’ first title defense – no one’s gotten to 10 since Party Animal back in the early days of the summer. ***
After that TV title fight, announce put over Jones' continuing career renaissance before providing an injury update on a former TV champion and the former World Champion: Mason "Razorblade" Savage. Stills from Mischief Night showed, and then switched into black and white once blood came to the surface. The dog collar match took a lot out of both participants and Naz's shot across the jaw with a chain that set up his winning WMDDT didn't help. In addition to the obvious blood loss, Savage suffered anemia and had to get 17 stitches onto a couple of cuts. The good news for Savage is that he passed concussion protocol earlier in the week and should be back in action in a couple of weeks time, though what's up next for the former double champion is anyone's guess.
Let Us Take You Back To Two Weeks Ago where OnlyFitness used their signature hydroflask to steal a victory from the Hard Way and with it, the Unified Contenders Challenge (they lost their titles shot at the PPV, whereas the Hard Way were part of the winning team in the crazy-ass Ragnarok Rules opener).
Given that ending it doesn’t shock to find out that the Hard Way petitioned Commissioner Holmes for and got a rematch here in the semi main tonight. Both teams probably have eyes on the Game Changers, but the rematch saw them go at each other with gusto for nearly three segments. It looked like things were going to end the way they did in the UCC finals, but this time the ref recovered from the accidental shot they took from THW’s Fifita faster, and caught Scott Warren-Tisch rearing back to get involved with the hydroflask. The referee ejected Scott to the joy of the white hats and the anger of the ladies, and when Scott was too busy complaining about getting caught to get going, the former champions got a running start and gave him a double clothesline over and out to the roar of the crowd. With Scott taken out of the equation, the Hard Way kept rolling until Karyn found herself on the wrong end of their Down To Earth (the latest name of their perennial finisher), and the former champions got a measure of revenge. ** 1/2
| • the Hard Way d. OnlyFitness (w/Scott Warren-Tisch) • |
OnlyFitness fumed in the ring as the Hard Way had small grins heading up the rampway. Before the unique main event got underway, the announce hyped up next week's Ruckus and focused on the two title fights that'll anchor it:
🌟 Jupiter Jones will make another defense of the World TV title, this time against the disquieting "Swamp Trash" Ted Holland 🌟
🌟 And not just a title defense, but next week will see QCW's longest reigning champion Autumn Powers put the Women's World Championship on the line in an open challenge; who'll answer the call and will they have an answer to keep Autumn's reign from extending into the winter? 🌟
| | • the main event • | |
As "Pray For Me" brought out "These Hands" Roy Fade, announce hyped up the unusual nature of the main event, a six person single elimination match featuring some of the brightest stars in QCW. Unsurprisingly, on Fade's heels out came Katsuji Ootsuka, another former TV champion who's rivalry with Fade has been a linchpin of QCW's 2022; this match is the first time they're sharing a ring in about a month since their MOTYC last man standing brawl for the TV title.
The referee had to step between them, and while they jawjacked suddenly the lights went out.
"Killed By Death".
The crowd roared and the announce freaked out - a third of this six pack were the former QCW World Tag Team champions the Immortals, and their dark grins told the tale: even if they got ganged up on 2 to 1, this was the sort of fight they ceased to live for. Fade and Ootsuka didn't suddenly star in a mismatched buddies comedy but they damn sure accurately perceived the threats incoming, and it didn't stop with the Immortals.
"Mota" by the Offspring hit the system and the QCW Women's World Champion Autumn Powers came out to a huge pop, belt shining off of a shoulder as she took the lone available corner and awaited the arrival of the final person in the main: sadly for us, it was "the Voice of Freedom" Drake Tremble, Ted Holland kissing his ass all the way down the ramp.
Once the bell rang, Fade and Ootsuka immediately picked up where they left off, leaving the Immortals fighting against the avoidant Tremble and the focused Powers.
| • "The Voice of Freedom" Drake Tremble (w/"Swamp Trash" Ted Holland) d. Autumn Powers in a six pack single elimination challenge (other survivors: Einherjar, "These Hands" Roy Fade, Katsuji Ootsuka and the Revenant) • |
No way to give a full accounting of events without remaking Infinite Jest, but highlights ran as follows:
Even now, Fade isn't willing to let the rivalry with Ootsuka die: he's the one he fought against the most during the match and he kept Tremble from being pinned after a Magical Sky connected
Ootsuka's still not fully healed though he is down to kinesiology tape on his ribs and back
Since this was single elimination the Immortals worked well together as a unit, able to win or draw in individual fights as well as use Fade and Tremble's infighting against them when the black hats tried to unify. Most interestingly, the biggest reactions from the crowd during the match came from them clearing out the field and looking like they were going to face off before the field got their revenge on them and their face off with the ad hoc team of Powers and Ootsuka
At one point with Einherjar recovering on the outside, the Revenant took the finishers of the other four participants in a row…but Einherjar pulled him from the ring at 2 ⅞ and saved his partner
It looked like Powers was going to have things won after she connected with the Hazy Shade on Fade, but a distraction by the incoming Scott Warren-Tisch set up Autumn getting pulled to the floor
Guess by who?
Lolo & Karyn slammed Autumn into the floor with Only Finished This, then threw her back into the ring…where the previously laid out Tremble crawled over and got an arm across her, Ted Holland alerting the ref to make what turned out to be the winning pinfall. *** ½
The crowd joined decent people everywhere in booing the outcome as a wobbly Tremble seemed pleasantly surprised to be getting his arms raised by Holland and the referee. The zebra then bent down to check on Autumn, who was holding her jaw and glaring up the ramp at the departing and taunting OnlyFitness. Lolo threw in a “Who’s the loser now?” as they left, Team Teal separating Ootsuka and Fade while the Immortals eyed Tremble, who suddenly remembered he left the stove open and the door on. With those moving parts still doing so, the credits box came up and put a bow on the show after a last look at the scurrying Tremble & Holland.
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