ASYLUM – 1/9/23
The show kicks off with a press conference held by Catherine, the Acting Chair of Mmouse Enterprises. Catherine notes that she doesn’t want this to feel like another new start. Instead, she wants this to be a moment of “moving forward”. She notes that PWI has always had the right pieces, but just not the right leadership. She announces that this leadership will be holding people accountable, starting with FRED, whom Catherine suspended until further notice for his actions at the end of Rising! She also announced that Vinnie Mouse will undergo counseling for his issues with women and that her daughter Jackie will be her assistant starting now! She then welcomed us to the show!
Following the pyro, we get introduced to the show. In the opening bout, Bayley pulls off a shock victory over the 8th ranked Lita!
We return from the break and see Drew McIntyre and Executioner in a locker room trying to figure out what to do. Drew expresses his rage that Executioner and Mickey didn’t listen to his warnings about pissing off FRED and now they have paid a price with Mickey coming up missing! Drew demands that Executioner pull himself together (as he was sobbing) and formulate a plan to get Mickey back. Executioner asks why he has to do it and Drew says it is because Executioner failed to heed his warnings! Executioner accepts his mission and the two leave.
CM Punk is standing with Lawrence Mason. Mason asks him about his thoughts on the tournament and the possibility of facing Jesse Hash in the finals. Punk expresses doubt that Hash will make it to the finals. When Mason presses him on Hash and whether he has gotten under his skin, Punk loses his cool and cites all the reasons that he thinks Hash is a terrible role model for the young audience. Punk promises to demonstrate what a real model looks like in the next match.
After a hard fought match, CM Punk defeats Christian Cage, continuing his streak of victories, and celebrates as Jesse Hash watches from his locker room while toking up and nodding in approval.
Catherine is walking through the hallway when her uncle Vinnie catches up with her and expresses his anger with her mandate that he seek counseling. He insists that he won’t do it, but Catherine threatens to deprive him of pay. Vinnie begrudgingly accepts the order to seek counseling and then quips that her mother was at least someone who knew her place before saying that Catherine will regret making him do this.
In a locker room we see Granddaddy Duxen looking at a checklist of chores that he has to take care of when Jimmy Duxen enters the room. Jimmy slaps the clipboard out of his hand and tells his grandfather to remember that he is a legendary former world champion and the greatest former Intercontinental Champion of all time! Granddaddy eventually snaps out of his funk, and prepares to listen as Jimmy promises to help guide him back to the top!
In the next high-stakes match, the number one contender for the Women’s Title, Trish Stratus takes on the 6th Ranked Naomi – who also happens to be the 2022 Women’s Premier Athlete -, and after the match swings back and forth for a while, Naomi executes her right to change the match stipulation to a Finisher to Finish match, but it backfires when Trish hits her with the Chick Kick, thus winning the match!
The HCW Champion, Scott Nash, is then seen nervously walking up to a lawyer’s office. He convinces himself that suing Mickey for the inheritance is the right thing to do as he meets with Mr. Proctor, his apparent lawyer!
Becky Lynch is celebrating his title victory in her locker room when Alexa Bliss storms in. Alexa warns her not to get too comfortable being champion. Becky snidely remarks that Alexa would say that, considering that she depends on Slammer for help. After Alexa notes that Slammer is gone on an errand, she promises that she will get her way come Goddess Appreciation Night. Alexa then leaves Becky behind on that note!
In Catherine’s suite, we see the Acting Chair working on the computer when a knock is heard on the door. She then invites the knocker in, who turns out to be Blaster! Catherine then welcomes the Asylum Commissioner to the couch with her. They discuss their checkered past, but Blaster notes that he is letting the past go, in the interest of business. He’s just happy that she is in charge right now. Catherine apologizes for contributing to the hell she helped put him through, including regarding their daughter. She then asks what Blaster needs to help make Asylum successful. He says for the top brass to stay out of the way, to which she expresses that she has no problem. Then, as they are prepared to part ways, Catherine asks a favor: if Blaster can send Jackie over. Blaster indicates that he will try as the camera cuts.
Next, we have the kickoff of the Premier Men’s Tournament Quarterfinals as the Rock takes on Adam Page in a Casket Match. The si-saw battle is a great encounter which looks to be leaning the Rock’s way until the lights flicker. Page bounces back, but the Rock again seems poised to win. This is when RVD suddenly falls from the rafters down to the ring! The Rock attempts to tend to his fallen friend, but this distraction enables Page to hit the Buckshot Lariat, paving the way for his victory!
We see a video package preparing for the debut of Finn Balor!
Matt Taven meets with The Revival in the locker room. Taven asks where his fellow Kingdom members were when he needed them last night in the main event of the untelevised live tour bout against Attitude. Scott Dawson aggressively tells Taven that they had more important things to attend to, including getting ready for their all-important match tonight! Taven is shocked as the Revival leave him behind.
Rhyno is leaning on a dumpster in the parking lot when Scott Nash arrives. Rhyno approaches him, and Nash immediately gets irritated. Rhyno insists that he is just trying to be understanding, knowing his own history with Mickey. Nash reminds him of their history and mocks Rhyno, pointing out that he is probably here to ask for a title shot at the HCW gold despite not officially deciding yet whether he wants to be part of HCW. Rhyno notes that he wants to be a champion again, and that while he has a PWI title match tonight, he wouldn’t mind reunifying the titles. Nash tells him before leaving that he will defend the gold against Rhyno next week at Mayhem!
In a surprise, the 2nd Ranked Revival defeat the 1st Ranked Hollys to secure a tag title shot!
Following the commercial, Dragonfly is preparing for the main event when Teo comes in. Dragonfly laughs, brushing off Teo as some peasant begging for opportunities. Teo tells Dragonfly that he deserves another shot, but Dragonfly tells him that he needs to earn it. When Teo agrees, Dragonfly stipulates that he will have to earn the shot in a Gauntlet Match in two weeks! Teo isn’t bothered by this, and pledges that he will be challenging for the gold at The Showcase! Dragonfly laughs to himself as the camera cuts.
Catherine is preparing to leave for the night, locking up her suite, when she is caught up with by her daughter Jackie. Jackie demands that her mother bring Uncle Vinnie back, but Catherine rejects the plea, saying that Vinnie needs help. She attempts to welcome Jackie into the suite, but Jackie refuses to enter. She says she wants no part of being Catherine’s assistant, and when Catherine attempts to apologize for the past, Jackie rejects her, says that both her parents abandoned her, and she leaves, while Catherine looks dejected.
Finally, in the incredible main event, a PPV-caliber world title match sees Dragonfly barely retaining over Rhyno in a match that was slated to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of their classic UWA Title Match at Motivation in December 2002! The show concludes with an exhausted Dragonfly celebrating on the stage as Rhyno is tended to by the official!
HCW INSANITY – 1/10/23
The show kicks off with a brutal back and forth encounter which sees the Aggressor putting Matt Morgan through a table with the Aggressive Slam and getting the pinfall victory!
In the parking lot, Giant Satan is seen staring into a dumpster. Tiny approaches him and Satan asks him what he sees in the dumpster. Tiny replies “trash”, which Satan responds by saying that is exactly what he thinks of Tiny’s opinions about his behavior. Satan gets a little hostile, but Tiny convinces him to give him a chance to speak. Satan is annoyed that Maxx Steel put him up to this, but Tiny assures Satan that while he disagrees with the tactics of the Hardcore Giants, he will not interfere. He just won’t participate. Satan says that he needs some time to think this over, noting that he doesn’t like having anyone around who is “soft”. Tiny breathes a sigh of relief as Giant Satan leaves.
Lana is standing in the back with the HCW Champion, Scott Nash. She asks what Nash’s thoughts are about his match with Rhyno this coming Monday for the HCW Title considering the incredible battle Rhyno just had with Dragonfly last night. Nash responds that Rhyno apparently underestimated Dragonfly, and that he will capitalize on Rhyno being weakened next Monday. Nash promises to remind Rhyno of why he has outlived his time and usefulness in the HCW and Nash also exclaims that he is proud to be HCW Champion while Rhyno remains confused about his allegiances.
In the next match, The Evil Taker decimates Gangrel, getting some devastating early shots in attacking the kidneys, causing Gangrel to spit up blood. Taker dominates him some more before nailing a dangerous bodyslam driver of sorts to score the pinfall. After the match, Taker assaults the official and continues to attack Gangrel some more before finally letting up as the commercial begins.
In the Main Event, The Hulk and Clayface have a classic hard-fought battle of the monsters which culminates in The Hulk’s hand being raised. However, as he is celebrating, the lights go out and we hear that familiar beat of doom indicating the arrival of the Terminator! Terminator appears on the stage, joined by his former long-time arch nemesis, Krusader! While The Hulk and the official stare at them in confusion, Phobe arrives through the crowd and attacks them! Terminator and Krusader soon join in the fray and lay waste to Clayface, Ted Van Dam (the official), and the Hulk!
The show concludes after Phobe throws Hulk through the announcer table, taking out Hulk, myself, and Ted Brown!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR – 1/11/23
After the video package and the pyro we see an incredible opening bout wherein Hikaru Shida pulls off a great pinfall victory over Raquel Gonzales.
In the hallway, Ghostrider is stopped by Demonrider. Ghostrider notes that Demonrider was his protégé and apparently a failed one at that. Ghostrider says that Demonrider shamed him by copying him all these years after he was dismissed as a student of his (Ghostrider had told him in the past that he would ultimately fail to live up to the Ghostrider standards). Demonrider claims he was finding his own path, but Ghostrider warns him to stay away and to stop the imitation as he leaves Demonrider seething.
Hardcore Holly is irritated still about the loss this past Monday. Crash is telling him that they will get another shot at being tag champions, but Hardcore doesn’t want to hear it. He just wants to be left alone. That’s when the Duct Tape Men enter the picture. Uno and Dos talk amongst each other (loudly) about how these wounds could be properly bandaged up with some duct tape. Hardcore Holly loses his mind when the Duct Tape Men keep praising the remedying effects of their favorite bondage straps. Crash plead with them to stop, but they continued and Hardcore jumped on them threatening to commit murder until Crash pulled him off of them. The Duct Tape Men then left for a Duct Tape Bar where they can apparently get a fifth of tape as Hardcore screamed about how stupid they are!
In the next match, a wounded Sheamus (having been hurt at the premiere live event) barely defeated Jeff Cobb, and was attacked by Kurgan (his live show opponent) before he could celebrate. Kurgan left Sheamus beaten down as the show went to commercial.
After the break, we see the Protectors (Big Show and Raven) talking about their lack of a match so far. Raven assures Big Show that they will have a match this Sunday, and Big Show warns him that he doesn’t want to spend the last days of his career waiting for a match that will never come. Raven and him then prepare for their apparent match this weekend.
Attitude catches up with Teo to talk with him about his challenging Dragonfly for the world title. Teo notes that he never actually got a fair shot at regaining the title which was stripped from him, and he says he would like to have one more classic with Attitude for the gold at The Epic. Attitude gives his blessing, but tells Teo not to get his hopes up. Teo insists that he will be ok and the two part ways.
In the Live Tour Report, Fitz Riot and I analyzed the first installment of the live tours and what it will mean for the roster, the audience, and the televised broadcasts to come.
In the Main Event, the Bella Twins shockingly lose their Tag Titles to The Agency in a match wherein Carter and Mockingbird came out swinging from the get-go. The big twist came when Nikki Bella was about to pick up the victory over Mockingbird when her music started randomly playing. The distracted Bella was then attacked and hit with the Sniper Shot allowing the title change! Then, as the new champs were celebrating, they were joined on stage by Stacy Keibler!! This shocking twist was the last thing we saw as the show came to a close!
ASCENDANTS – 1/14/23
The show kicks off with an address by Commissioner Slammu. Slammu recounts what makes him a legend in the industry, reliving his most famous nicknames “Badass” and “Almighty King” as well as his 20-25 World Titles. He notes, however, that he sees the future of the industry to be more important than its past and that is why he has fought so hard to bring Ascendants back to its weekly format. He points out that while two televised matches a week is less than what he wants, he is confident that the live shows will help give the future talent the experience and exposure they need to thrive. He proudly welcomes us to Ascendants!
After the video package, pyro, and the introduction by our announce team, we see Scarlett pull off a pinfall victory over Daffney. Daffney was building momentum and hit her finisher (the Daisy Cutter), but Tessa Blanchard pulled the referee out of the ring, allowing Scarlett to seize the moment with a chair shot! As Daffney writhed in pain, Tessa and Scarlett celebrated together whilst backing out of the entrance way.
In the Spotlight Interview, Mr. Perfect insisted that he is far from the guy who will be demoted to PWI’s next official. He reminds everyone of his accolades (former LWF European Champion and the only Perfect Champion!) and asserts that Bossman’s jealousy led Bossman to screw him over at the Spotlight! When Lawrence Mason presses and tries to note that Perfect is still in the danger zone, Perfect manhandled him and left him lying on the mat as he cockily walked away!
We see the Ascendant Women’s Champion Emma catch the Men’s Ascendant Champion Pete Dunne in the hallway. She acknowledges that she has it easy tonight not having to defend the gold that she won on the same night as Pete, and she warned Dunne against underestimating the cunning Austin Theory tonight. Dunne said he isn’t worried about Theory and rejected her good luck wishes, saying he doesn’t require luck.
However, in the main event, Austin Theory defeated Pete Dunne in a hard fought battle to become the NEW Ascendant Champion! The show came to a close with Theory holding the gold up high as Dunne recovered and seethed in the ring!
HCW MONDAY NIGHT MAYHEM – 1/16/23
The show kicks off with a match between PWI Legend Phobe and Hulk, wherein Phobe pins Hulk after a hard fought match. Following the victory, Phobe gets in another cheap shot, leaving Hulk laid out!
In the hallway, Scarecrow stops his father, Evil Taker, asking him what he’s doing. Taker says that he is reminding Scarecrow of where he came from and learned his lessons from. Scarecrow is resistant as Evil Taker approaches him and expresses that he merely needs to see how its done. Taker leaves Scarecrow behind as he heads to the ring.
Al Snow then puts up and admirable fight, but Evil Taker resorts again to kidney shots and his pure viciousness to get another brutal victory. After he wins, though, Taker harms Al Snow even worse, leaving him undoubtedly hospitalized.
We then see John Cena stopping Krusader in the locker room area. Cena demands to know why Krusader would allow himself to be sent to HCW to destroy it. Krusader corrects him, insisting that no one sent him but his own will to destroy the “second rate” HCW. Krusader noted how little he and the other legends thought of the hardcore and that their intent here was to put it out of its misery. Cena was left disgusted as Krusader offered an insincere well-wish regarding Cena’s match tonight before leaving.
Blade is then looking very heated in the hallway in pursuit of Krusader and the other invaders. Stan Hart tries to reason with him, saying that Ted Brown wants this handled in a more professional manner, but Blade isn’t having it. He wants revenge and he wants it now, so he takes off (throughout the night after this, it comes to light that Blade hopped on his motorcycle to chase Krusader down, but then redirected to go to Memphis to deal directly with the PWI. Ted Brown kept pleading with the talent on commentary, begging them to avoid an unnecessary war with PWI. It was later reported that Blade had been pulled over between Columbus and Cincinnati by the Highway Patrol, and Ted Brown was negotiating a bail for him.).
Terminator then defeated Clayface in what was a back and forth battle. He followed up his victory with some post match abuse of his opponent.
Aggressor is seen waiting in the parking lot when Brandon Lee is preparing to leave the arena. Aggressor demands to know where Lee is off to, but Lee insists that it is a private matter. Aggressor suggests that Lee might be in cahoots with the PWI Invading legends, to which Lee scoffed and reminded Aggressor that he sacrificed everything to resurrect HCW. This was mocked by Aggressor, who refused to acknowledge that this was proof of Lee’s loyalty. Lee then brushed this off, saying that he had to get going. Aggressor laughed to himself as Lee departed.
Rodriguez is working out when Chris Benoit accidentally walks into the room. Rodriguez calls him a “bitch” as he was trying to leave, and Benoit snaps back, asking if Rodriguez wanted another round. Rod laughed this off, joking about Benoit’s limited options. Benoit reminded him of the invasion crisis going on and Rod retorted that the only crisis was his birth. Benoit grew frustrated, saying that they will go for another round if that’s what Rod desires, to which Rod seemed open as Benoit took off.
In a si-saw battle in its own right, Aggressor eeked out an impressive victory over John Cena!
After the break, we see Giant Satan riled up and accusing Tiny of having PWI Loyalties. Maxx Steel was trying to calm him down, but Satan insisted that he was going to beat Tiny and send him back to PWI. Steel defended Tiny, assuring Satan of his HCW loyalty, but Satan was incensed and ready for war. Satan left a frustrated Steel behind, en route to “kick Tiny’s ass”!
Lawrence Mason is with Tiny, who tells Mason and Giant Satan that he bleeds HCW through and through and that while he doesn’t endorse the antics of the Giants, he wants to be their ally, and he is going to prove his worth!
That’s exactly what he does as he defeats Giant Satan in a hard fought brawl, but Tiny and Satan don’t have much time to relish the moment, because Nathan Jones and Matt Morgan storm the ring, attacking both men until Maxx Steel runs to the ring for the save. Morgan and Jones back out of the arena, smiling as Steel tends to his friends.
Finally, in the main event, Scott Nash barely retains his HCW Title in the battle of the night against Rhyno when Sabu interferes, costing Rhyno the match, and providing the assist to Nash! After the match, Sabu indicates that he is joining HCW, but then he also attacks Nash! Hoisting the HCW title above his head, Sabu makes it clear what he wants, and as this chaotic show concludes, we see Sabu doing his standard pose, pointing at the Mayhem sign!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR – 1/18/23
The show opens with a win for The Young Bucks over the crazy Lunatic Fringe.
In the back, Ghostrider hears a knock on the door and he is assaulted by Demonrider upon answering it when Demonrider twice smacks him with a glass case, shattering it over his head! Demonrider stands over his victim, smiling down as he leaves his old mentor behind.
Sunny is standing by with the new Women’s Tag Champions, the Agency. Carter and Mockingbird say that they are proud to have proved the doubters wrong (“better late than never”), and they dare the Bellas to demand their rematch, saying they welcome the opportunity to put them down again!
The 10th Ranked Kevin Owens defeats the 9th Ranked Bray Wyatt after Bray experiences some kind of inexplicable head issues, losing his balance and control of the match while the lights flicker. The lights continue to flicker and Bray remains in agony while Owens and the official look on confused whilst we cut to commercial.
We see a vignette for a new superstar before Matt Taven is interviewed by Lawrence Mason. Mason asks about the apparent dissension in the Kingdom between Taven and the Revival. Taven says its just drama that will be worked out and demands to be left alone when Mason pushes for more answers.
In the incredible main event, Becky Lynch retains over the 2nd Ranked Mandy Rose. The two show each other respect after the match via a handshake. Mandy leaves respectfully as Becky celebrates with the closing of the show!
ASCENDANTS – 1/21/23
The show kicks off with a hard-hitting match which results in the definitive pinfall victory of Mr. Kennedy over Test!
In the Spotlight Interview, Pete Dunne tells Lawrence Mason that he plans to move on from Theory and the Ascendant Championship (after losing the title last week and losing the rematch at the live show the next night) and moving forward to the world title picture as soon as possible by any means! He says that this a problem that requires a fix, and band-aid of sorts. That’s when the Duct Tape Men enter the scene, with Uno remarking that they are experts in bondage strips. They then proceed to confuse Dunne with Punk in much the same way that Edge did last season and correct course to offer some advice on how to bandage his path, but Hardcore Holly comes storming towards the ring to silence the idiots (being restrained by Crash Holly the whole time). Uno promises to call their “Tape Lawyer” to deal with this, and as Holly is still trying to off them, Dunne gets annoyed and ends the interview!
In the back, Indi Hartwell is having a good laugh at what just happened, expressing how much she loves the Duct Tape Men. That’s when Jade Cargill quips that she actually finds them very annoying. Indi, not wanting to be rude, turns off the TV and extends her hand to introduce herself, but she is scoffed at by Jade. Jade tells her that she is the ONLY one in the women’s division to get familiar with, because she is “THAT BITCH!” Indi is put off by this, but persists in her politeness. Jade laughs again, saying that maybe she will one day let Indi be lucky enough to receive a beat-down courtesy of Cargill as she leaves Indi behind.
Then, in the Main Event, Taynara Conti dominates the match, but Emma pulls out a squeaker of a victory with an inside cradle sneak victory pinfall; thus retaining the Women’s Ascendant Championship! A furious Conti looks on as Emma stumbles back out of the entrance way and the show draws to a close!
ASYLUM – 1/23/23
The show kicks off with the video package and the pyro before we see the 8th ranked Shayna Baszler defeat the 7th ranked Naomi via submission after targeting her left arm throughout the bout.
In the chair’s suite, Catherine is trying to talk to Jackie, but Jackie still refuses to listen. Jackie reminds her mother that she doesn’t want anything to do with her or being her assistant. Catherine tells her that she has no choice. Jackie promises to make her mother regret it before leaving to get something to drink real quick.
Robby Storm is walking into the hallway when he is suddenly attacked by Christopher Daniels, who has had enough. Daniels tells him that he wants a match with Storm, to which Storm agrees! Storm thinks he is getting the best of Daniels until he is hit with a low blow. Daniels promises to show Storm how it is done!
In tag team action, The Elite defeats The Harlem Turtles by pinfall in a quick-paced match which caught the Turtles off guard and which obviously favored the Elite!
Catherine is frustrated that her daughter hasn’t returned yet from getting something to drink when Kevin Owens barges into the suite demanding justice. Catherine notes that Owens had a match with Bray Wyatt and WON, so what more could he want? Owens wants the Duxens fired, to which Catherine scoffs and says “no”. Owens insists that they have committed a crime, and Catherine reminds him of the contract one signs with a wrestling company alongside all of the risks such entails. She tells him to “deal with it”, and Owens angrily leaves.
Back at ringside, the announce team is going over what we just saw when The Rock makes a surprise appearance! Rock recounts that Bray Wyatt attacked and tried to injure Rock’s friend, RVD, and that Bray’s actions cost Rock his place in the Premier Tournament. Rock issues a challenge for Bray to come to the ring and face him right now, but…nothing. Frustrated with the lack of a response from his foe, the Rock promises that this isn’t the end and he heads to the back.
Following this, in the next match, Io Shirai defeats Mia Yim by pinfall in a quick and hard fought battle, but her celebration is cut short by an angry Alundra Blayze! Blayze attacks her, pushing the official away, and as Shirai backs away and the official admonishes Blayze, Shirai grins back at her attacker.
Back from the break, we see Jesse Hash with his back turned the camera, apparently indulging in illegal activity when Matt Taven enters the room. This forces Hash to stomp out what he was toking as he turns around, coughing up a storm. Taven inquires about the smell, but Hash demures, asking what Taven wants. Taven notes that he is looking for the Revival (or “FTR”), but that they are avoiding him. Hash mentions that he saw them in the hallway, but that he doesn’t think they want to be associated with Taven anymore. Taven seems dejected and Hash offers something to relieve the stress. After Taven misunderstands and thinks Hash is talking about headache medicine, he leaves as Hash pouts about wasting some good stuff.
In the hallway, we see Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson talking about Taven and letting him down easy when they are confronted by Jimmy and Jey Uso. The Usos note that the Revival seems confused about their place in the tag division, but the Revival responds that they are actually higher ranked. Usos point out that it won’t be for long, and a challenge is issue and subsequently accepted. Dawson mocks the neck attire, to which Jimmy says it is to honor their “tribal chief”, but before he can explain further, Dawson cuts him off, saying he doesn’t care. The two teams then part ways, ready for war in the near future.
The next match is a Falls Count Anywhere match in the Quarterfinals of the Premier Athlete Tournament Roulette, and it pits the Immunity Champion Seth Rollins against Jesse Hash. The two fight all over the ringside area, and back through the hallway. Meanwhile, we see Catherine and Jackie arguing again. Jackie is explaining that she really did get something to get and took her time because she doesn’t want to be near Catherine, the two are then interrupted when Seth Rollins comes running in to look for a hiding spot. Jackie runs out with a scream when Jesse Hash follows Rollins alongside the official. Catherine demands that they leave at once and leaves to get security, but the match continues, destroying her office! Hash picks up the pinfall victory with a 420 Splash through a table! Catherine returns to the utter destruction and sits on her couch with a thousand yard stare as we cut to a commercial!
CM Punk is then being interviewed by Lawrence Mason. Punk celebrates his win a couple weeks ago, but loses his mind with a rant when Mason mentions Hash’s victory just now. Punk is irate that Hash literally breaks the law with drugs on company property and is rewarded with opportunities while Punk has to work his ass off to get where he is. Punk leaves the interview out of frustration.
Trish Stratus is getting some stretches in when Beth Phoenix welcomes herself into the locker room. Beth congratulates Trish on defeating Naomi a couple weeks ago, and Trish is appreciative. Beth brings up that she beat Naomi last year herself and that all Trish has to do to match her success is to become Women’s Champion. Trish grows offended at the remark, saying that Beth is trying to say she is better out of jealousy for the opportunity that Trish earned against Becky. Beth scoffs and wishes Trish good luck in a condescending tone, telling Trish not to mess it up. Trish says she won’t and Beth says “we’ll see” as she leaves.
Back in the ring, Sheamus defeats Kurgan by pinfall in a hard-hitting bout.
After the break, Ted Brown catches up with Scott Nash – who appears to be pondering life -, and offers a proposition: Scott should use some of his Mouse Family inheritance to help invest in HCW’s future! Brown notes that Nash is in the retirement age range and that he should join Brown as a co-investor to take over HCW from John Brown and change the business forever. Nash says he has to think about it, and Ted tells him that he understands as he leaves Nash to his thoughts.
In the Main Event Gauntlet Match to determine the Showcase challenger for the PWI World Title, Teo defeats Christian in a hard fought si-saw battle. Then Teo defeats Big E after Karrion Kross interferes (Kross is escorted by the ringside officials, but the administration declares that there will be no disqualification for this). R-Truth is comically defeated by Teo in mere seconds, being caught off guard while serenading the crowd! Finally, Bobby Lashley comes out to join an exhausted Teo, and after dominating for a short while, Lashley looks to have the match won until Teo reverses a Hurt Lock to execute a unique pinfall, securing the victory over Lashley and the Gauntlet!
As the show comes to a close, Lashley is seething, staring down the beaten down Teo as the victor stumbles his way up the ramp in celebration!
HCW INSANITY – 1/24/23
The show kicks off with a tag team match between the Hardcore Giants and the team of Matt Morgan and Nathan Jones. Jones and Morgan manage to get the best of the Giants until Tiny interferes on their behalf, hitting an A-Bomb and clearing the way for the victorious pinfall. As Tiny helps up Giant Satan, Satan gives Maxx Steel a thumbs up as we head to a break!
In the hallway, Terminator, Phobe, and Krusader apparently exit a locker room. They talk about how they are taking out the proverbial trash (i.e., the HCW) and gloat about tearing through the locker room with fun. Terminator notes that he never thought that he would be working with Krusader, considering their history, but Krusader happily highlights their common goal of eradicating the HCW. They then set out to continue their destruction, with Phobe bragging about getting a little tired.
Brandon Lee arrives at the building, but he is stopped at the door by The Aggressor. Aggressor tells him that he thinks it’s funny that Lee shows up in the midst of the chaos caused by the PWI legends. Lee insists that he has nothing to do with that, but Aggressor says he doesn’t believe him and that he will just have to beat a confession out of him. Lee tells him to “bring it” and Aggressor indicates that it will be soon. Aggressor then “leaves the door open” as he enters the building, laughing about Lee the whole time as Lee looks down out of frustration.
In the next match, Blade defeats Stan Hart by a pinfall after a hard fought and high-flying bout!
We then see an exhausted HCW Champion in Scott Nash, who is sitting down with his hand on his head, contemplating life when he hears a knock and someone enter the room. He initially assumes that it is Ted Brown, as he tells Ted to leave him alone, but he turns around and sees the PWI Champion Dragonfly. Dragonfly chides Nash for “barely” defeating Rhyno “with Sabu’s help” last week despite Dragonfly supposedly handing Rhyno over on a “silver platter” from Dragonfly’s own victory over him the week before. Nash goes to respond, but Dragonfly enters into a diatribe about how he is the greatest star of any era, and that he is single-handedly carrying both the PWI and HCW on his back. He tells Nash that he may very well win the HCW title as well after calling Nash a “paper champion” and leaving the room.
In the main event, in a back and forth battle, Sabu pulls off a surprise pinfall victory over Rhyno following a missed GORE through the table and a super leg drop with a chair! Sabu celebrates as Rhyno stares on. Sabu frames his waste as the show concludes, signaling his desire to become HCW Champion again!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR – 1/25/23
The show opens up with a barn-burner of a match which sees Robby Storm defeat Christopher Daniels by pinfall after a Perfect Storm following a hell of an effort by Daniels. The two showed each other respect as we went to a break.
In Catherine’s Suite, we see the Acting Chair working on the computer when the HCW Acting President Ted Brown walks in. Catherine greets him politely, but Ted Brown makes it clear that they have a problem. After Catherine invites him to sit, Ted asks her point blank if she is responsible for the legend invasion of HCW in recent weeks. She outright denies any involvement and says it was probably a residual assignment from her egotistical father. He demands consequences to make an example of the invaders, but Catherine points out that she is merely the ACTING Chair, which puts her in a difficult position. She notes that she can’t make certain major decisions – such as punishing certain legends – without unanimous board approval, which she certainly doesn’t have. Ted warns that her failure to put a stop to the aggression may lead to a fresh war between the companies and after she assured him that she understood and that she is trying the best she can, Ted left, saying he has some explaining to do to his own roster.
In the hallway, Lawrence Mason interviews the Tag Team Champions, the Undisputed Era. Adam Cole steals the microphone from his partner to tell the world that no one is on their level, and that they welcome the challenge, will be watching the tag team main event tonight, and that they doubt anyone can take the gold from them!
In the next match, Alundra Blayze put up a hell of a fight, but Io Shirai scored the pinfall victory after two Over-the-Moonsaults! Io did not even attempt to show her opponent respect unlike in the previous bout of the night.
After the break, we see Luna Vachon walking in the hallway when she is suddenly called out and attacked by the returning Bianca Belair! Bianca lays into her foe as the officials rush to the scene and separate them!
We then see the parking lot, where Demonrider has grabbed a steel chair and is sitting there waiting. Shortly after we see this we witness Ghost Rider entering the scene, but he is very frustrated seeing his old apprentice sitting there. Demonrider gleefully asks if Ghost Rider is ready for another round, but Ghost Rider reminds him of his retirement, but warns that further aggression by his old apprentice will result in a deadly beat down. Demonrider laughs this threat off and welcomes the challenge as Ghost Rider issues one final threat about what’s to come if he is tested as he leaves a laughing Demonrider behind.
In the tag team Main Event, The Usos and The Revival tear the house down, but the Revival manage to secure the victory after hitting the Big Rig and getting the pinfall!
The show concludes with the winners standing tall and the Usos recovering in the ring.
ASCENDANTS – 1/28/23
The show kicked off with a back and forth battle which saw the Undying Legends defeat the 2nd Ranked A Beautiful Lie via pinfall!
In the Spotlight Interview, Elias assured Lawrence Mason that he is ready and determined to use his newfound opportunity at redemption to prove that he is the best in the ring as he asked the crowd “who wants to walk with Elias?!”
Petey Williams is in his locker room, getting his stuff when Walter comes in and startles him. Walter accuses Williams of being a potential traitor in favor of his old home in HCW. Williams indicates that he passed on that opportunity last season, but Walter still threatens him and tells him to watch his back with the thought in mind that he is being watched. Williams scoffs at the notion that he should be worried of Walter, telling him that he hasn’t been relevant since things fizzled out with Steve Austin, but Walter presses on with his accusations and warnings. Williams says he will keep an eye on his back as he walks away, leaving Walter laughing.
In the Main Event, the 2nd Ranked Hollys defeat the Duct Tape Men via pinfall! Hardcore Holly then stumbles out of the ring, leaving his cousin Crash behind whilst celebrating the win as the show concludes!
THE 7TH GODDESS APPRECIATION NIGHT – 1/30/23
The show kicks off with Alexa Bliss addressing the audience. She asks if the people have forgotten her, pointing out how many have tried to pretend that she doesn’t exist anymore. She reminds the people that tonight is about her and that she is using her power to schedule a rematch with Becky Lynch at the Showcase for the Women’s Title, but that Becky must first take on Slammer tonight!
Following the video package and pyro, the 1st ranked Attitude defeats the 2nd ranked Matt Jackson by pinfall in a hard fought bout!
In the back we see Drew McIntyre stressed out about something as Executioner is telling him that he has to do “what’s right to set things right”. Drew pushes back, saying it isn’t good, but Executioner notes that Catherine has to be unseated! Drew says he doesn’t like the means by which this must happen, and Executioner reminds him that they serve Mickey. Drew reluctantly seems to agree as we cut away.
Walking in the hallway, Jimmy Duxen is interrupted by Kevin Owens. Owens tells Jimmy that Catherine gave him an idea, and that he was going about everything all wrong. He challenges Jimmy Duxen to a match! Duxen says he’s been retired for a long time, but Owens calls that an excuse, an even pledges to leave the Duxens alone if he wins. Duxen tells Owens that he learned a lot from Granddaddy Duxen, and that one thing he was taught was to never back down. Since he wants his grandfather to be back to normal he will accept the challenge! Owens as pleased as we go back to the ring!
In an incredible queen of the mountain match for the quarterfinals of the Premier tournament, the 7th ranked Beth Phoenix defeats Dana Brook to advance!
Catherine is leaving her office only to find CM Punk waiting for her. Catherine is annoyed and demands to know what Punk wants, and Punk tells her that she needs to suspend Jesse Hash, given the wellness policy. She rejects this, saying that everyone is acting like they are in kindergarten, wanting her to punish their enemies. She then tells Punk to bother Alexa Bliss, since she is in charge tonight anyway. Catherine goes back in her office, leaving a frustrated Punk outside. However, as Punk leaves, we hear Catherine ask someone why they are in her office right before the lights go out!
Executioner is waiting in the locker room for Drew to return and hears a knock on the door. He goes to tell Drew that he doesn’t need to knock, but he is taken by surprise when Scott Nash aggressively enters! Nash demands to know where Mickey is and threatens violence to get the answer, but Drew returns and tells Nash to leave Executioner alone, saying Nash has to go through him first. After protesting the thought that Drew is sticking up for Executioner, Nash accepts the challenge to go through Drew, seeking a match next Monday at the Showcase! Drew likewise accepts and Nash takes off.
Right before we head back to the ring we see the Bella Twins walking towards the entrance for ringside when Nikki encourages Brie to stay behind. Brie is naturally confused, and Nikki explains that they need some time a part tonight after their loss last night in the live show rematch with the Agency. Brie grows offended but then sarcastically wishes her sister good luck as she leaves her to go to the ring alone.
However, in the 4th ranked Nikki Bella’s match, she comes up short as she loses to the 5th ranked Rhea Ripley via pinfall!
After the break, Jackie Mouse is looking for her mother, entering an empty locker room. She isn’t alone for long, though, as the lights flicker, revealing that she has been joined by the Fiend! Jackie turns around and sees the Fiend, but isn’t scared. She even walks up to him! Jackie tells the Fiend that he doesn’t scare her, and that she doesn’t understand why others fear him. He just looks at her as she leaves, still in pursuit of Catherine!
We then cut to the parking lot where a fight has broken out between Angelina Love and Shayna Baszler! Officials separate the two, but before they can be completely ripped apart the two agree to a match to settle the score at the Showcase!
CM Punk then defeats Tommaso Ciampa in a quarterfinal Premier tournament Aerial Assault Match!
Matt Taven is sitting in a chair by himself in a locker room when the Revival suddenly arrive, but they are shocked to see Taven. When they go to leave, Taven insists on knowing why they are dodging him. Dash Wilder takes the lead in responding, telling Taven that he hasn’t lived up to the standards of being a leader, much less a “king” of any sort! Wilder then encourages Taven to do better to impress them as the Revival leave him behind.
Next, the Firefly Funhouse Returns! This time it starts with Catherine unconscious sitting in an office chair, with Bray staring down at her. She wakes up and is greeted by Bray and Rambling Rabbit. Her confusion is addressed soon, though, as Bray insists that she isn’t a hostage, but rather someone under his protection. Bray says that she is the one to make things right and he is here to ensure as much. He notes that the Fiend tried to bring Jackie, but she wasn’t interested in coming. Bray says the word of the day is “WARNING”, as he issues a warning to Catherine that there are forces at work to unseat her! She wants to know who, and it is revealed by Mercy the Buzzard that the plot is coming from Executioner and Drew McIntyre! Catherine isn’t surprised and not scared, but Bray assures her that he will protect her against them and anyone else who would do harm to her cause. In the midst of all this, the lights are flickering and a weird heart beat is heard. Bray even acts a little like he is dizzy, but is certain that he is ok. Even so, he notes that “something” is coming…soon. He then finishes the show with a reminder that vengeance is the Fiend’s middle name and that soon he will be all that remains.
Following the Funhouse, we see the latest “Coming Soon” vignette before cutting back to the ring as the YMCA exact revenge on the 4th ranked War Raiders via a pinfall victory!
Right before the main event, Alexa Bliss tells Lawrence Mason that tonight’s match between Slammer and Becky Lynch will be No Holds Barred, as will the Women’s Title Match next week!
In the main event match, Becky Lynch puts up a hell of a fight and nearly wins, but the 6th ranked Slammer destroys her with a set of surprise Head Mashing Super Punches and a pinfall victory!
Then, as the show concludes, Alexa Bliss emerges, making Slammer hold Becky Lynch up as Alexa picks up and raises the Women’s Title above her head before throwing it and making Slammer throw Becky to the mat! The Cult of Bliss then stands tall as the credits roll!
HCW INSANITY – 1/31/23
With the Hardcore Giants out of town, Tiny kicks off the show willfully taking on Matt Morgan and Nathan Jones in a handicap match! Tiny manages to get the hard fought victory, but the powerhouse team double teams him after the bout, leaving him beaten down!
The HCW Champion, Scott Nash, is seen walking through the hall when Catherine Mouse surprises him. She asks why he is trying to depose her (which is what Bray actually said last night, by mistake or not), and he retorts that he has no clue what she is talking about. She notes that it was supposed to be the two of them against the world together, and he points out that they haven’t seen each other since before he found out that he was her uncle! He says his only concern is getting through Drew McIntyre next Monday on his way to Executioner. She wishes him luck as she leaves.
Blade is working out when Stan Hart walks in the room. An annoyed Blade asks what Stan is doing here and Stan says he is here to congratulate Blade on the win last week and to admit that he was wrong. Blade notes his lack of trust in Stan and references Stan’s possible hidden loyalty to PWI given his history with Mmouse Enterprises. Stan assures him that that isn’t true. He even promises to not get in Blade’s way on his pursuit of vengeance against PWI. Blade is appreciative and returns to his workout as Stan leaves.
Brandon Lee defeats The Aggressor in a back and forth brawl!
After the break, Sabu defeats Al Snow in the main event, after Snow – seeking revenge for Sabu’s actions 15 years ago which ousted Snow from the HCW Championship tournament – gave Sabu a run for his money
The celebration was short, though, as Phobe, Terminator, and Krusader attacked everyone in the ring. Krusader grabbed the microphone and declared that the three of them are here in guarantee the extinction of HCW – which he regards as an “outlaw” “backyard wrestling” “shit-show” – and reveals the man who organized them for this mission: Apocalypse! Apocalypse reveals that he assembled these men to protect and restore the “purity” of the industry for a mission he calls “Project Wormwood”! The show comes to a close as the four men stand united in the middle of the ring.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR – 2/1/23
This raucous show kicks off with a banger between Bianca Belair and Luna Vachon which is won with authority by Bianca!
Cameras catch Doink the Clown laughing maniacally in his locker room. Cesaro comes in and asks him what the commotion is about, to which Doink cons him into checking out his own reflection. When Cesaro realizes he was pranked, Doink nails him in the balls and leaves laughing as Cesaro recovers.
Bossman is seen leaving the building, but his departure is interrupted by a drunken Mr. Perfect who accuses Bossman of ruining his career and screwing him over. Bossman tries to encourage Perfect to seek help, but Perfect stumbles around and keeps insulting Bossman. Eventually, as Bossman’s guard is down, Perfect clobbers him: challenging him to a match next week to settle this once and for all!
A great tag team match between the Young Bucks and the YMCA follows. YMCA appears to be en route to defeating the young up and comers until Erik of the War Raiders provides a distraction holding B-Rad hostage. As Mr. Slave screams at the fleeing Erik, he is nailed by a Super Kick and then a Meltzer Driver to hand the Bucks the victory!
Ghost Rider is minding his business walking through the hallway when the lights flicker, revealing Demonrider behind him. Demonrider reminds Ghost Rider of the challenge, and Ghost Rider finally agrees, promising that his former pupil will regret this next week on Wednesday Night War!
In the Main Event, Robby Storm takes on a mystery opponent = AXW Star Isaiah “Swerve” Scott! They put on a hell of a match, but Scott pulls off the victory in his PWI debut closing the show with this shocking conclusion!!
ASCENDANTS – 2/4/23
The show kicks off with the 2nd Ranked Team Laycool defeating the 1st Ranked Comic Nightmare when Layla pushes Thundra into Starfire and forces Thundra out of the ring, allowing Laycool to double-team Starfire and secure the victory! After the match, Thundra is outraged, seething as she stares her partner down!
In the Spotlight Interview, DDP talks about being proud of his ongoing legacy and then he shifts and issues a warning to Dominik Dijakovic, who he says has been sending him and his wife threatening letters ever since The Spotlight. DDP promises a fight, not a wrestling match, the next time the two see each other.
Cameras catch Thundra choking out Starfire, who she blames for costing them the match. Thundra warns Starfire against being at ringside for the next match!
Keith Lee is walking in the hallway when the Ascendant Champion Austin Theory notices him and makes a comment about his size. When Lee mistakenly takes it as a compliment for him working out, Theory remarks that Lee must really like food, and proceeds to jiggle his stomach. Lee warns that champion from touching him again, but Theory is not deterred, as he offers Lee an opportunity at the title next week on Ascendants! Lee gladly accepts and Theory tells him to enjoy the food in catering in the meantime, much to the chagrin of Lee!
In the main event, Mickie James wins a fatal four way match and earns a shot at the Women’s Ascendant Title next week when she pushes Thundra out of the ring, after Thundra nailed a super press slam on Zelina Vega through a table while Ivelisse is also on the outside! As the show concludes and Mickie celebrates, Thundra screams in rage!
THE SHOWCASE 2023 – 2/6/23
After the video package and pyro introduction, Lita defeated Dakota Kai in a Quarterfinal Premier Tournament Concussion match!
Following the break, Trish Stratus met up with the Women’s Champion Becky to wish her good luck and to tell her to stay in good health so that they meet at The Epic. Becky told her to stay concerned with Beth Phoenix, who seems to have set her sights on Trish. The two then parted ways.
Alexa Bliss told Lawrence Mason that everyone will soon stop looking past her and remember that she is the Goddess for a reason. She promised to become a 3 time champion tonight!
In the No Holds Barred Women’s Title match, Alexa Bliss came very close to winning the gold, but Becky overcame the odds and retained via a pinfall after a thunderous Man-Handle Slam!
Jesse Hash is seen enjoying his private time in the parking lot when an irritated CM Punk emerged, demanding that Hash drop out of the tournament, calling him a disgrace. Hash retorted that he is no threat to any youths, and that despite his smoking habits, he is a former world champion, unlike Punk. Punk promises to tear Hash apart if they meet in the tournament finals, and Hash laughs it off while Punk walks away.
Executioner is following Drew McIntyre down the hallway when Drew orders him to let him do his job. Executioner pleads for Nash to dealt with and Drew tells him to go hide away from danger while he eradicates Nash.
In the hard-fought match, however, Drew seems poised to defeat Nash when the lights go out and…”You’re all going to die down here!” FRED resurfaces! FRED annihilates the official, backhands Nash, and obliterates Drew, injuring him! When FRED disappears, Nash scores the pinfall victory!
Cameras catch Executioner fleeing for his life after the break!
Shayna Baszler interrupts her interviewer – Lana – to swear that Angelina Love will pay dearly for violating their agreement, pointing out that the Queen of Spades will always trump the Queen of the Bitches!
Scott Nash barges into Catherine’s office. He tells her that if they are truly partners then she will schedule a match for him to beat the whereabouts of Mickey out of the Executioner. She agrees, slating the match for the February 27th edition of Asylum!
Shayna Baszler and Angelina Love begin fighting before the bell rings, taking out the official, and after the brawl continues, the official interrupts it with a double-disqualification upon waking back up! The officials storm the ring to separate the two as we head to commercial.
Granddaddy Duxen then pleads with Jimmy Duxen to reconsider the match with Kevin Owens. Jimmy reminds him that he always looked up to his grandfather, and that he will die defending his honor, if need be. Granddaddy reluctantly offers his blessings.
We then see Tessa Blanchard sitting in a chair with Scarlett behind her. Karrion Kross asks if she’s ready, to which Scarlett confirms. Karrion promises that hell will be unleashed!
In the final men’s Quarterfinal Premier Tournament match of the season, Karrion Kross took on Jeff Hardy in a Last Man Standing match! Karrion was poised to win until the New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) came out, but Scarlett intervened, giving Karrion the edge, however, Hardy took over and was looking for victory until Tessa Blanchard jumped in the way of the Swanton Bomb! This allowed Karrion to hit his own version of a super Tazplex, getting the victory over Hardy!
Bray welcomes us to the Firefly Funhouse after playing a little hide and seek, he says that the word of the day is “Mystery” and that we are going to get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings. His words are cut short, however, when the Funhouse comes to an abrupt end!
In the main event, Teo challenges valiantly for the World Championship, but comes up short once again as Dragonfly nails the Dragon Twist Driver for the pinfall victory! Both men recover with Dragonfly holding the gold as the show comes to an epic conclusion!
HCW INSANITY – 2/7/23
The show kicks off with Scarecrow taking on his father, Evil Taker. Taker kicked off the match on his knees, begging his son to sacrifice him. Scarecrow refused throughout the match, and it wound up costing him, as Taker took the pinfall victory and walked away in disgust.
After the break, we see Chuck Palumbo chilling in the hallway when he sees John Cena. Palumbo speaks up and starts teasing about how “you can’t see me” is silly. Cena says it was a lyric taken out of context, and politely asks to be left alone, but gets irritated when Chuck persists. Chuck challenges Cena to a match out of frustration, to which Cena agrees as he leaves.
Bull Brahma is working out when Tres shows up and pats him on the back, causing the tape to stick to Bull’s shirt. Brahma orders Tres to not touch him, and mocks him for covering himself in tape. Tres calls him “tapeaphobic” and Brahma gets annoyed and leaves.
As the Hardcore Giants prepare for their match against Matt Morgan and Nathan Jones, but their opponents were hiding under the ring, from which they sprung a surprise attack, decimating the Giants in lieu of Tiny’s attendance. The two then ordered the official to count the three for a pinfall despite the bell never ringing. As the show went to commercial, Morgan and Jones celebrated their actions.
In the Main Event, Project Wormwood (Krusader, Phobe, and Terminator) defeated Team HCW (Stan Hart, Blade, and Aggressor) via pinfall despite the best efforts of the HCW stars. Following the match, as the show concluded, Apocalypse and his Project stared down at their victims.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR – 2/8/23
The show kicked off with Cesaro putting up a fight against and winning over Doink the Clown by pinfall!
After the break, the Bella Twins are apparently having a disagreement. Nikki is frustrated with Brie for not listening to her before. Nikki tells Brie that they are better when they are independent of one another. Brie isn’t happy to hear the news, but Nikki kicks her out of the room.
In the parking lot, we see the newcomer Swerve arriving at the arena and attempting to enter. However, he is greeted when the door opens by Santos Escobar, who calls himself the “welcoming committee”. When he asks if Swerve has heard of Legado Del Fantasma, Swerve says he hasn’t, but Santos assures him that he will as we hear a car come to a sudden stop and someone come out. Suddenly, the Super Luchadores emerge behind Swerve and grab him, following Santos’s orders, they throw him in the car and then drive away!
Next, Mr. Perfect sadly puts Big Bossman in his place with an impressive victory despite the retired Bossman’s best efforts.
An apparent Firefly Funhouse glitch welcomes the audience back after the break, and we cut to see Matt Taven pacing the hallway. He looks to confront the Usos on behalf of the Kingdom as they exit a locker room. The Usos laugh it off until Taven srikes first. Jimmy and Jey respond, and while Taven gets some good hits in, the numbers game soon overwhelms him. The Usos leave him beaten down as their own message to the Revival. Then, as the Usos leave, Dawson and Wilder arrive on the scene and go to help Taven until he reveals that he was defending their stable. The Revival isn’t too happy to hear this as they call him “pathetic” and leave him lying on the floor.
In the historic Main Event, Ghost Rider takes on his former iconic protégé Demonrider in a back and forth battle which results in a sound Ghost Rider pinfall victory! After the match, as Ghost Rider is leaving, Demonrider raises his fist in a sign of respect to Ghost Rider, and this gesture is returned in kind with the show coming to a close!
ASCENDANTS – 2/11/23
The show kicks off with Mickie James putting up a great fight for the Women’s Ascendant Title, but falling short to the retaining champion, Emma via submission in the Emma Lock!
In the Spotlight Interview, Jade Cargill responds to a question about her previous on-screen opponent – Piper Niven – leaving for AXW by saying that Piper was a “victim” and wanted none of Jade. Jade then issues a direct challenge to Emma for the title next week!
Walter is pried off of Petey Williams by officials. Walter tells Petey that he is “hardcore scum” and a disgrace to the ring before leaving him unconscious!
In the Main Event, Austin Theory defends his Ascendant Title against Keith Lee in a back and forth battle which sees Theory retain via pinfall following an A-Town Down onto his championship!
After the match, as the show concludes, Theory rubs the gold in Keith’s face and celebrates the win!
BITCHES BALL – 2/13/23
The acting Chair of Mmouse Enterprises, Catherine Mouse, opens the show with a series of special announcements. She demotes Vinnie from a commissioner to being her Assistant, declares that Shane McMahon will oversee all PWI shows, not just the special shows, demotes Krazy Kid back to being a mere wrestler, promotes Jackie Mouse to being the Athlete Treatment Supervisor – so as to one day step up as Chair -, and she announces that this will be the final installment of Bitches Ball or any other PWI Gender-Specific Show!
In the opening bout, Mickie James defeated Tegan Nox via pinfall in a No Holds Barred Premier Tournament Quarterfinal Match!
We see Beth Phoenix preparing for her match later tonight when she is interrupted by an angry Trish Stratus, who demands to know if Beth is trying to copy everything she does in some weird contest. Beth says that the two don’t compare. Trish wishes her good luck tonight and expresses her desire that the two should face off for the Women’s gold at Motivation. Beth says she will get to that title match with or without Trish, and the two part ways.
Rhea Ripley is stalking in the hallway when she sees and catcalls Bayley. Bayley is irritated with Rhea for even bothering her. Rhea says that she was just sizing Bayley up since they may be facing off in a couple weeks to see who qualifies for the Death From Above match. Bayley promises to beat Rhea, but Rhea assures her that it won’t be so easy.
In a chaotic Ladder War, Team Kick knock off Comic Nightmare (after Starfire accidentally knocked out Thundra) and Team Laycool to become the new number one contenders!
Brie Bella tries to stop Nikki in the hallway, but Nikki stops her in her tracks, telling her to give her the space she needs. Brie – dejected – wishes her good luck and leaves.
Shayna Baszler cuts off her interview with Sunny to pledge that she will tear Angelina Love apart, and show everyone who the real “Queen Bitch” is!
Nikki Bella shocks everyone by defeating Beth Phoenix to qualify for the Death From Above match!
Indi Hartwell is looking psyched in her locker room when Jade Cargill barges in and pushes her against the wall. Jade is angry that Indi picked up a victory over her last night at the live tour show. Jade challenges Indi to a match this Wednesday before throwing her to the floor!
Angelina Love promises to Lana that she will send Shayna Bazler back into obscurity tonight!
However, Shayna picks up a swift and violently victory over Angelina in a no-DQ match when she attacks and viciously breaks Love’s left wrist, forcing a tap-out and then leading to the officials swarming the ring to separate them!
In the Acting Chair’s Suite, we see Catherine working on something when Jackie Mouse enters the room. The two exchange pleasantries, and Jackie thanks her mom for the promotion. They discuss how recent visits to a therapist has helped them restore their bond. They end the segment with an exchange of “I love yous”.
Gail Kim is working out when Ember Moon comes in to ruin her day. She tells Gail not to trust Liv Morgan, saying that Liv is using Gail’s name to catapult herself to heights that Gail has never achieved. Gail is taken aback by this as Ember leaves her with her thoughts.
In a cage match for the final Quarterfinal match in either division’s Premier Tournament, Liv Morgan picks up a massive victory over Zelina Vega, but as she celebrates, we see Gail Kim emerge, look displeased, and then disappear again.
Becky Lynch tells Lawrence Mason that she is a fighting champion and that she is ready for whomever takes her open challenge for the gold tonight! In that main event match for the Women’s Championship, Becky fends off the surprise challenge by the 2022 winner of the Premier Tournament: Naomi! This is despite Naomi using her privileges as the Premier Athlete to require Becky win by normal rules while the title could change hands via DQ or blood draw! As Becky celebrates, though, the Immunity Champion, Paige comes down and executes her first cash-in attempt on Becky, but Becky gets disqualified when Naomi misses Becky with a chair shot and hits Paige instead! This secures a title retention for Becky who barely overcomes these odds and ends the show with the gold!
HCW INSANITY – 2/14/23
The show kicks off with Duct Tape Man Tres defeating a frustrated Bull Brahma via pinfall.
Thomas gets launched out of frame after calling Evil Taker a “Wish.com Undertaker” and Evil Taker proceeds to say that he spared his son from being put out of misery last week only so that Scarecrow can possibly learn again from his father.
Sabu is playing with barbwire when Blade comes in and appears creeped out. He tells Sabu that he is here to see if Sabu is going to be a problem for HCW. Sabu says that he is as reliable as barbwire is at tearing people up. He tells Blade that they will only have a problem if Blade stands in his way of regaining the HCW title. Blade says that’s a story for another day and that they will just have to see where Sabu’s loyalties lie when the going gets tough.
John Cena fends off a spirited challenge from Chuck Palumbo, defeating him via pinfall.
In the Main Event Tornado Handicap Match, the Hardcore Giants and Tiny struggle initially against Matt Morgan and Nathan Jones, but they finally secure the victory when they unite when unstoppable team work and execute a joint pin! They celebrate their win together in emotional fashion until Phobe comes out and attacks them all viciously. Krusader and Terminator soon join in and lay waste to everyone in sight! After a powerbomb on Tiny through a table, Krusader leans in and tells Tiny that he can send this message to the rest of the hardcore world. Project Wormwood sadly again stands tall as the show concludes!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR – 2/15/23
The show kicked off with Walter defeating Petey Williams after a hard fought battle. Williams held up his own, but Walter’s strength was too much to overcome.
In the parking lot, we see Io Shirai arriving and as she enters the building, she bumps into the exiting Ariel. Ariel tells her to watch where she is going, but Io tells her that she doesn’t respect her, because legends like Ariel insist on occupying space instead of moving aside for the new generation to step up. Ariel and Io then pledge to see each other again as Ariel leaves and Io chuckles.
Lana is in the hallway waiting to catch Santos Escobar, who happens to walk by, and she asks him what Legado Del Fantasma has done with Swerve. Santos says not to worry about him, because the people will see Swerve again soon, after Legado Del Fantasma has handled him!
Indi Hartwell then picks up another surprise victory over an irate Jade Cargill! Cargill had asserted her dominance throughout, but Jade sort of kept pace up until she stunned Cargill with a roll-up pinfall! Cargill seethed as she watched Indi back out of the arena.
In an awesome main event which saw a bit of a si-saw battle, the Undisputed Era retained their Tag Titles over The Protectors (Big Show and Raven)! The champs stumbled up the ramp as Raven tended to Big Show and the show came to an end!
ASCENDANTS – 2/18/23
The show kicks off with The Anvil pulling off a pinfall victory in the rubber match with his stalwart opponent Timothy Thatcher.
In the Spotlight Interview, Keith Lee acknowledges that he let Austin Theory win (despite the underhanded way Theory won) and that it will not happen next time he gets a shot. Theory comes out and chides Lee for not earning a shot to begin with and says he will have to test his limits next week in order to win another shot. Lee accepts that chance and Theory laughs it off as he leaves.
Cutting to the hallway, we see the Duct Tape Men playing their version of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, which they call “Glue, Tape, Staples”. Dos keeps beating Uno, and Uno insists on rematches when Pete Dunne interrupts them, angrily confused as to what they are doing. When Uno tries to explain the rules of the game, Dunne says he doesn’t care and that he wants them to leave him alone, saying that he will not become like the others that they have tormented. The Duct Tape Men make no promises (instead referencing Dunne’s previous tormenter Edge) as Dunne leaves and they resume their game with an apparent “tie”.
In the main event, Dominik Dijakovic defeats DDP suddenly via pinfall. Dominik then kicks DDP in the head while celebrating and leaves with a grin as the show comes to a close!
HCW MONDAY NIGHT MAYHEM – 2/20/23
In the opening bout, the first HCW Champion of the 4th Era, Sabu, kicks off the festivities against the first ever PWI Champion Stan Hart in a hellacious initial brawl. Ultimately, though, Sabu defeated Stan Hart in this incredible opener for the single-night tournament to determine the next challenger for the HCW championship! As a result, he also earned the lone bye in the tournament to the finals!
In the back, we see a frustrated Al Snow who is deep in his thoughts as he leaves.
In another incredible first round tournament match, John Cena gives Hulk a run for his money, but Hulk ultimately picks up the victory!
We see Scarecrow sitting under a spotlight in the hallway. He is alone and contemplating why he has been forsaken again by his father. He then declares that it is “time” for him to step up as he stands and prepares to go forward.
We see an awesome final first round match between a determined set of stars in Brandon Lee and Blade – arguably the two with the tallest of mountains to climb in the tournament -, as Blade pulls off a stunning victory!
Aggressor mocks Brandon Lee, who is heading back to his locker room, and tells him to go back to PWI. Lee snaps and attacks Aggressor, leaving him laid out!
In the second round tournament match, Blade and Hulk go toe to toe in a barnburner of a bout, with Blade shocking the world by beating the monster!
Rodriguez arrives at MSG, but is stopped by Apocalypse, who is smiling at him. Rodriguez says he doesn’t want any trouble as he is surrounded by Project Wormwood (except Phobe) and the camera cuts back to the ring!
Phobe is then slated to compete against a mystery opponent picked by Ted Brown to fight back against the evil invading force! Brown acknowledges on commentary that his leadership may be in question for his failure to stop these attacks, but he hopes to turn things around tonight! Phobe’s opponent is revealed as HCW Legend EL GIANTE! Giante and Phobe battle back and forth for a while, including with attempted and thwarted interferences by Project Wormwood, but Giante comes out the victor in the end, giving HCW its first win over the Project! Then, as HCW celebrates, a furious Apocalypse stares into the ring!
In the main event tournament finale, we see Sabu and Blade tear the house down in the most brutal match of the tournament! Blade has an amazing performance, but it comes up shy of getting him the win as Sabu punches his ticket to the Epic with a pinfall victory!
As the show concludes, we see the official tending to Blade as Sabu and the crowd celebrate in this insane night of hardcore action!!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT WAR – 2/22/23
To open the show, Rhyno and The Rock met in the ring for the first time ever and they had a great back and forth until the lights cut out and the Fiend showed up! The Fiend attacked Rhyno, the official, and then The Rock, leaving Rock beaten down and unconscious before disappearing back into the night!
Teo was seen sitting depressed in his locker room when Attitude arrived, elated to have found his former foe. Teo expressed his frustrations with not being able to live up to the hype set by Mickey 12 years ago. Attitude told him that he still believed in him and that despite everything, he wanted to help Teo get back on his feet. Teo wished him good luck and thanked him before leaving.
Lawrence Mason interviewed Brie Bella, who seems a bit sad herself. Mason asked her how she was feeling after Alexa Bliss knocked her out of the ranks and in light of the possibility that Brie really was serving as an anchor to Nikki Bella. Brie was beside herself, remarking that things weren’t supposed to be this way after the draft, and noting that Nikki is ignoring her calls. She then fell silent and left as Mason sent us back to ringside.
Walter and Petey Williams squared off in the ring again. This was a si-saw battle in its own right, with Williams seizing control a number of times, but Walter proved again to be too much for Petey as he reversed a Canadian Destroyer attempt into a vicious powerbomb pinfall!
Scott Nash arrived in his locker room to find someone sitting in his chair. The chair swung around, revealing the PWI Champion, Dragonfly, who proceeded to unveil that he had snooped around the room a little to see what Scott has been up to. Dragonfly brushed off a question from Nash, who asked why Dragonfly hasn’t been at HCW Shows as of late as he moved to accuse Nash of being up to no good, reminding Nash of his NWO days. Nash expressed his own skepticism and Dragonfly noted that he might take his concerns to Ted Brown himself. Dragonfly then said that he will be keeping a close eye on the Nash v. Sabu match at The Epic as he wished Nash “good luck” sarcastically and left.
Indi Hartwell was walking down the hallway when Jade Cargill came out of nowhere sweeping her off her feet and then pinning her to the floor with her boot. Cargill then said that this was a metaphor for how Jade was going to serve as a roadblock for Indi’s career, revealing that they will have a rematch on Ascendants before leaving Indi out cold!
In the Main Event, The Duct Tape Men prepared to take on Pete Dunne and Dunne’s mystery partner: R-Truth??? Truth came out doing his usual singing entrance when he was blind-sighted by his own partner! Dunne brutally attacked Truth, leaving everyone in shock! As the official and the ring announcer checked on Truth, and with the Duct Tape Men looking on, Dunne snuck up and pummeled Uno and Dos with an array of angry chair shots! He then cleared the ring of Dos as he covered Uno and summoned the official, who then counted the three! With Dunne victorious and celebrating, the Duct Tape Men tried to recover as the officials checked on Truth and the show concluded!
ASCENDANTS – 2/25/23
The show kicked off with a great match pursued out of a desire for revenge by Jade Cargill against Indi Hartwell. Indi had some great moments staying on Jade’s level, but Jade snapped her losing streak by defeating Indi via pinfall!
In the Spotlight Interview, Melina told Lawrence Mason that she signed with PWI because of the superior competition in the PWI Women’s Division, including a list of women with special focus on one Taynara Conti. Melina expressed that she had no doubt that Tay will receive special attention during the draft this summer, and that she wants to face Tay before the end of the season, just in case!
Io Shirai is walking in the hallway when Ariel angrily attacks her, offended that Io is not scared of her. However, the attack backfires as Io gets the best of Ariel, putting her down, and reminding her that Io doesn’t bow to or fear any of the legends hogging up TV time!
Cameras catch PWI Champion Dragonfly sitting on a dumpster outside the arena when HCW Interim President Ted Brown exits the building and is caught off guard by Dragonfly’s presence. He asks why Dragonfly is here, and Dragonfly pretends to be reluctant to bring up his concerns about Scott Nash’s loyalty. When Ted remarks that Nash said the same about Dragonfly, Dragonfly called Nash someone who is “projecting” and Dragonfly reminded Ted of their “business arrangement” wherein Dragonfly will remain loyal as long as Ted wants him to be. Ted told Dragonfly that he would consider what he was told today as he took off and Dragonfly smirked and chuckled to himself.
In the intense main event match to determine the next challenger for Austin Theory’s Ascendant Title, Keith Lee, Walter, Santos Escobar, and Elias all tore the proverbial house down in this incredible back and forth brawl. In the end, though, Keith Lee eeked out a victory pinfall over Elias to earn another shot!
Then, the show concluded as Lee celebrated and the Ascendant Champion Theory watched on from the stage!
ASYLUM – 2/27/23
In the starting match, the seventh ranked Maria took on the fifth ranked Beth Phoenix. Maria held her own for a little until Beth started to dominate up until Maria shocked her with a surprise rollup pinfall victory! Beth was livid as Maria was declared the winner!
After the break, Trish teased Beth for the loss as Beth was returning from the ring, and this set Beth off as she stormed after Trish! The officials had to get involved, pulling them off of each other!
In a special dirt sheet review with Fitz Riot, Fitz discussed how the tag division is where the greats all cut their proverbial teeth. He also pointed out the rivalry between the Elite and the Young Bucks, as the Elite cost Matt Jackson a match last night at the live show! He then interviewed the Elite on this rivalry. Miz took it upon himself to repeatedly hint that he was the standard…alongside Morrison. He noted that the Young Bucks may be able to be tag team champions, but not until they surpass Miz…and Morrison!
Next, we see Jimmy Duxen keep his word in a match against Kevin Owens. Jimmy shocks the world as he gives Owens everything he’s got, but it isn’t enough as Owens retakes control and obliterates Duxen, eventually forcing the referee to stop the match! Kevin won’t stop though, which leads to Granddaddy Duxen entering the picture, distracting Owens long enough for the official to rescue Jimmy. Then, as the official hands Jimmy to his grandfather, Granddaddy Duxen and Owens stare each other down going into the break!
Matt Jackson is animated in the locker room, scoffing at what he heard a short while ago from Miz and Morrison. Matt notes that he and his brother are unlike any team that the Elite have faced before, and that they – the Young Bucks – truly earned their moniker as “elite” via the fans and critics after their hard work all around the world. Nick tried to calm him down, but Matt insisted that they were ready to take on the Elite, any time and any place!
Lawrence Mason interviewed Nikki Bella, asking her what her thoughts were on the apparent decline of Brie Bella since the team’s hiatus. Nikki said that people needed to stop feeling sorry for Brie, because she is a “big girl” who will figure this out. Nikki said that he true focus now isn’t on Brie, but on the Death From Above Match and using it to challenge for the gold at Motivation! Then, as Nikki is leaving, we see the New Day pass by the camera.
Following the New Day, we see them talking about their match coming up and how they have each other’s backs when Karrion Kross suddenly attacks them both! This leads to the start of their Falls Count Anywhere Match! The bout goes from the hallway, into and destroying a locker room (whereat Big E was left behind, hurt), and then out into the parking lot. Kofi seems to walk right into a trap, though, as Scarlett comes to the aid of Karrion, and as Big E catches up, Big E is shockingly hit with a truck driven by Tessa Blanchard!! Tessa gets out of the car, puts Big E in the bed of the truck and drives away as Karrion finishes off Kofi and wins the match!
We then see an irritated Alexa Bliss sitting in her throne when Attitude walks into her room. Alexa scolds him with mockery for finally remembering to come back. As Attitude attempts to apologize, Alexa remarks that he is lucky that Slammer is on sabbatical, because he is very angry with Attitude. Attitude tries to find out what’s wrong and this leads to Alexa entering into a diatribe about Attitude forgetting that he is not her equal, but a servant in her mission to rule the industry. She tells him to dispense with his attempts at restoring a friendship with Teo and to bow before her. Instead of doing so, Attitude instead turns around and leaves as Alexa seethes.
Cameras then catch Jade Cargill bitching to Catherine about her locker room being destroyed. Catherine apologizes for the match earlier causing such issues, but Jade is having none of it, saying that Catherine will be hearing from her agent. As Catherine rolls her eyes a new guest enters the room: Apocalypse. Catherine is predictably displeased to see him, saying that she has nothing to say to him after all the chaos he has caused her. Apocalypse said in response that that was nothing compared to what is coming. Catherine expresses has annoyed she is with all of this and states that she has made a deal with Ted Brown to deal with the problem, but Apocalypse promises that his arrangements supersede hers as he leaves.
In the hallway, we catch a glimpse of Liv Morgan pacing back and forth, catching Gail Kim exiting a room. Gail doesn’t want to speak with Liv and when Liv presses on why, Gail notes that Ember Moon opened her eyes to the fact that Liv has been using her. Liv tries to mend the fences and salvage their friendship, but Gail – who seems betrayed – declares that this friendship has been “fun”, but it’s “over”. Gail then wishes good fortune to Liv as she leaves her behind.
The next match featured Ariel and Io Shirai competing as they blow off some steam that has been building for weeks. Both did their best here, but after Io hit a devastating moonsault from the stage, the trajectory of the match changed, leading to Io getting the win!
Interviewed by Sunny, Matt Taven sent a message to the Revival, telling them that he wants to prove his worth and demonstrate that they mean a lot to him as part of the Kingdom. He will do so by taking down the Usos one man at a time starting tonight!
The Rock shoos Lana away as he looks straight into the camera and directs his infuriated comments at Bray Wyatt, who he calls “Doink Part Two”. He says that the games are over and he issues a challenge for a match at The Epic!
Matt Taven defends the honor of the Kingdom in a match against Jey Uso. The two keep pace with one another, but one too many missteps leads to a Jey Uso victory! The Usos celebrate together, and leave the scene, but a deflated Matt Taven is soon joined in the ring by his fellow Kingdom members, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of the Revival. The Revival applaud the efforts of their fallen leader, saying that he has indeed impressed them with his determination. However, Dash notes, “the Kingdom is dead”, and on that note, a figure invades the ring from the crowd, and it turns out to be AXW superstar Shawn Spears! Spears pummels Taven, capping off the assault with a chair shot to the skull! Spears and the Revival then all join together and back out of the arena while Taven is crippled in the ring while we head to a break!
After the break, the Acting Chair of Mmouse Enterprises Catherine Mouse tells Lawrence Mason that she has an announcement: The Young Bucks and The Elite will meet for the first time ever next week!
We then prepare for the main event wherein Scott Nash is slated to beat a confession out of Executioner as to where Mickey is hiding! Executioner enters the ring with no music, and as Michael Buffer introduces his opponent, Catherine comes out?! Catherine reveals that Acting HCW President has summoned Scott Nash to an emergency meeting, and she chides Executioner for possibly having a hand in this. She then points out that Executioner isn’t as clever as he thinks he is (all the while, he is chuckling to himself), because his replacement opponent is someone who has a similar interest in the whereabouts of Mickey: FRED!
Executioner is scared to death as the lights go out and we hear the familiar “YOU’RE ALL GOING TO DIE DOWN HERE!” followed by FRED’s theme “My Plague” by Slipknot! The lights come back on with FRED staring his next victim down, who has gotten out of the ring. The bell is about to ring when we hear “M-I-C..K-E-Y…M-O-U-S-EEEEEE!!” much to the shock of everyone! Executioner flees as FRED whips around to see the returning Chairman, Mickey Mouse Junior!
Then, as the show draws to a close, Mickey laughs with his evil cackle as an enraged FRED stares him down!
HCW INSANITY – 2/28/23
The show starts off with a scene from last night when Ted Brown summoned HCW Champion Scott Nash to the HCW Headquarters. Nash is annoyed that Brown interrupted his chance to beat Executioner up, but Brown said that this is more urgent than any of the drama Nash has going on with Mickey. He says that the HCW is under attack and that they need the HCW champ to join the fight! Nash hangs his head low and agrees in a somber tone. Brown invites him into the building as the show begins!
In the opening bout, we see The Aggressor and Brandon Lee squaring off again. Aggressor and Lee still have some built up resentment to get out of their system and it leads to a competitive bout which Aggressor ends up winning! Aggressor offers a parting stomp to the downed Lee as we head to a commercial.
Following the break, we see Stan Hart standing in the hallway as Blade exits his locker room. Blade is initially annoyed to see Hart, but Hart tells him that he is here to wish him “good luck”, acknowledging that he was wrong to underestimate Blade. Blade accepts the apology and the well-wishes as Stan tells him to go kick Terminator’s ass!
We then catch John Cena working out when he suddenly hears a whisper and is then blinded by a very bright light! This causes him to lose his balance, causing the weights to fall on top of him! Scarecrow emerges and beats Cena with the weights, followed by sitting them on top of Cena as he threatens John with being his conduit for a reawakening. Scarecrow then picks Cena up with the weights and then viciously slams him back down again before leaving a hurt Cena behind!
In a very hard-hitting match, Blade defends HCW’s honor against Project Wormwood member Terminator. This back and forth battle eventually escalates when Blade turns the tables on Terminator, executing a Cut-Throat with a chair applied around Terminator’s neck! Blade gets the victory, but it is clear that Terminator is injured! Ted Brown instructs the officials to ignore the injury as they escort Blade out of the arena!
Coming back from commercial, cameras catch Phobe assaulting El Giante! Phobe has gotten the best of him unlike last Monday on Mayhem! Phobe then puts Giante through a table which has a steel chair on it before telling him that this “isn’t over” and leaving the scene of the crime!
In the main event, Sabu takes on the iconic Krusader Batman! The legendary brawl quickly turns bloody when Krusader wraps a chair in barbwire and cracks Sabu with it! However, Sabu is able to prevent Krusader from winning long enough for him to get the chair and prepare to hit a leg drop with the same chair, but Phobe interferes! Phobe prepares Krusader to win, but then the HCW Champion Scott Nash arrives! Nash attacks Phobe from behind and then quickly moves on Krusader, taking him out with a jackknife powerbomb! Nash then allows Sabu to get the win!
As the show concludes, Nash nods to his challenger for The Epic with HCW standing tall!
ASYLUM – 3/6/23
The show kicks off with a Death From Above qualifying match between the 2nd ranked Rhea Ripley and the eighth ranked Bayley. Bayley gives Rhea a run for her money, but Rhea ultimately secures the resounding victory!
Liv Morgan tells Lawrence Mason that Ember Moon has manipulated Gail Kim, but that won’t stop her from proving herself in the ring to everyone, saying “Watch Me”.
Jesse Hash is vegging out in his locker room, toking and listening to Cypress Hill when CM Punk barges in, coughs, and irritatingly reminds Hash of their match tonight challenging for the Immunity Title. Hash is really stoned as he responds, complains about Punk talking, and then goes into a trance. Punk tells him that he can’t wait to defeat him tonight, which Hash responds to by remarking about someone having a finisher called “Eat Defeat”, and as Hash is chuckling to himself, a disgusted Punk leaves the room.
Brie Bella attempts to stop her free fall in the ranks against Liv Morgan, but her best efforts fall short when Liv hits a great ObLIVion and secures the pinfall victory!
After glitching our way into his universe, Bray gets his bearings about him and says that he thinks the assault on him is subsiding. He remarks that he remembers that The Rock dared to challenge him to a match. However, as Bray is commenting on his acceptance of the challenge, the lights flicker again, making him very angry, as he warns that The Rock just made a massive mistake and that he is a legend that needs to go away!
Cameras catch Attitude dragging his feet in the hallway with his head down when Teo catches up to him. Teo notes that he heard about the relationship problems that Attitude is experiencing, but Attitude responds that he can’t worry about such, because the world title is more important. Teo tells him that he believes Attitude can pull it off, saying that he wishes him the best, despite everything. After they each share a good exchange, Teo offers to get his friend a drink, and as they are leaving, a seething Alexa Bliss emerges from around the corner, staring daggers into the two as they depart!
In an incredible triple threat match for the Immunity Championship, Seth Rollins defends against CM Punk and Jesse Hash! This si saw war comes to an end, though, when he pushes Punk out of the ring and pins Hash following a Go To Sleep! Following the match, Punk stares in anger as Seth celebrates his win!
Liv Morgan is seen leaving the building when she is suddenly and viciously attacked by Ember Moon! Moon tells her to keep her name out of her mouth, and says that Gail Kim merely realized the truth. Moon promises that Morgan will soon be exposed as a fluke as she leaves Morgan beaten down!
Matt Taven tells Lana and the world that he will not let the downfall of his Kingdom deter him from proving himself. He promises to stop Shawn Spears tonight, and to show why he reigned as Ascendant Champion for so long!
In the match, Matt Taven and Shawn Spears give each other a hell of a fight, but Taven falls short when his bragging backfires, allowing Spears to get the win! After securing the victory and kicking Taven out of the ring, Spears welcomes The Revival to the ring. Spears then addresses the crowd and reveals that he and The Revival comprise what he calls “The Pinnacle of professional wrestling!”
Karrion Kross is walking in the hallway when he is suddenly stopped by a furious Bobby Lashley, who is mad that Karrion caused their live show match to be ruled a no contest. Lashley challenged Kross to a match next week, and Karrion happily accepted!
We see Brie Bella sluggishly getting her stuff ready to leave when her sister Nikki walks in the room. Nikki lectures Brie about letting herself slide in the ranks intentionally. Brie tries to respond, but Nikki will have none of the excuses, telling Brie to pick herself back up and show that she is better than this! Brie says she will try, but Nikki says that she needs to do better than try as she leaves with Brie staring down and sitting on the couch.
The tenth ranked Alexa Bliss is set to take on Allie, but Alexa prematurely and viciously attacks Allie before the match can start. After decimating Allie, Alexa forces the ref to start the match with a threat to fire him at the next Goddess Appreciation Night if he doesn’t! He does as she commands, allowing her a quick and easy victory! After winning, Alexa throws Allie out of the ring and glares into the camera while we cut to commercial!
After the break, we see the Cabinet convened for the first time in quite some time. The attendants are waiting for Mickey when the Chairman emerges. Jackie Mouse jumps out of her seat and into the arms of her grandfather! She tells him that she missed him, and he hugs her tight, then welcoming her to take her seat. Mickey takes his seat as well and briefly praises Catherine for filling in for him, especially praising her decision to elevate Jackie to Athlete Treatment Supervisor. However, he announces that Catherine will be demoted significantly, in part because she banished Vinnie to counseling! Catherine is appalled and leaves soon after in disgust. Mickey confirms that he sent Apocalypse to handle the HCW and also promises a solution for the Fiend!
In the long-awaited Main Event, The Young Bucks squared off against The Elite in a nonstop tag team war! Both teams gave it everything they had, including after Earl Hebner took a fall for a while! In the end, though, The Young Bucks pulled off the victory in resounding fashion!
With the match over and the Bucks gones, Miz entered the ring, picked his tag partner Morrison up and raised his hand in a show of solidarity. As the crowd cheered them on, Miz suddenly hit Morrison with the Skull Crushing Finale! The shock filled the arena as Miz tore into his partner! Miz finished him off with one more Finale onto a steel chair! Then, as his singles theme played, Miz evily grinned into the camera and raised his fist in the air while standing over Morrison as the show concluded!
ASYLUM – 3/13/23
In the opening bout, we see 8th ranked Alexa Bliss take on the 3rd ranked Shayna Baszler for the final spot in the Death From Above Match. Shayna seems poised to win until Angelina Love makes an appearance and clobbers Shayna with a Lights Out Kick as the ref’s back is turned. Alexa capitalizes and seizes the opportunity for a victory!
Mickey is proud of himself in his lair as he brags to Executioner, but demands to know where their guest is. Executioner is clueless until there is a knock on the door, which turns out to come from the HCW Champion and alleged half-brother of Mickey, Scott Nash! Mickey notes to an irritated Nash that he summoned him here to discuss the “frivolous lawsuit” that risks tainting Nash’s reputation. Nash says it is a warranted lawsuit and that it is based on proof faxed to him by Crock. Mickey angrily says that Nash will regret this as Nash leaves, promising to see Mickey in court. Mickey loses his mind as he kicks Executioner out!
The Miz is being interviewed by Sunny, who he insults as she asks him about his actions last week. Miz explains that he was always the star of the Elite and that Morrison was a lackey who leeched off of him for success. He explains that he is effectively the first “A-Lister/Megastar” in the industry and that everyone will learn what it means to be in the presence of greatness after he ends the career of Morrison. He then imagines a “scene” wherein Morrison is delusional in the upcoming confrontation only to have his “curtain call” before the world at Miz’s hands tonight!
In the next match, Bobby Lashley takes on Karrion Kross in a hard hitting bout. Despite the best efforts of Scarlett and Tessa to hand Karrion a pair of brass knuckles or something to knock Lashley out, Bobby averts disaster and still pulls off the win!
Lawrence Mason is standing by with John Morrison, who is animated about what Miz said earlier. Morrison dismisses Mason as he takes the opportunity to directly address Miz. He mocks Miz’s claim to be some kind of special A-Lister. He recounts a story Miz once shared with him about homemade movies where Miz was always the supposed star as well as the moment in their Dirt Sheet interview when Miz accidentally called himself an A-Lister. Morrison noted Miz has a problem with delusions and that he is going to give Miz a reality check, proving that he was the real talent all along!
In the hallway, Commissioner Blaster catches up with Catherine. Blaster offers to kick Mickey’s ass, saying it has always helped in the past, but Catherine pointed out that such may not help right now, especially with Jackie under Mickey’s thumb. Blaster then got serious and said that he is standing as Catherine’s ally, saying that this is bigger than them, but that it is about protecting their daughter from her evil grandfather!
In the parking lot, Liv Morgan takes on Ember Moon in a Parking Lot Brawl. The two of them give each other a hell of a fight, but Liv nails Ember with a devastating ObLIVion through a table to secure the pinfall victory! After Liv leaves her opponent behind, Gail Kim comes into frame, kneels down to Ember, and then looks in Liv’s direction as the camera cuts to commercial.
We return from the break to see the Revival prepping for their match when Shawn Spears comes into the room. He initially sits on a chair, but throws it away, saying that he will stand with them as their equals, unlike the pretentious Matt Taven. He tells them that he is confident in their setting the standard in the industry moving forward, even going so far as to prematurely congratulate them on their victory tonight before they left!
Granddaddy Duxen is waiting in the hallway when he spots Kevin Owens coming out of a room. Duxen calls out to Owens who looks ready to fight. Duxen promises vengeance for what happened to Jimmy, and Owens laughs it off. Duxen says Jimmy is more of a man than Owens ever will be and that he can’t wait to teach Owens a lesson. Owens promises to bury Duxen as the two part ways!
The Miz and John Morrison then square off in an even battle between the former tag partners. Ultimately, though, Miz gets the win with a pinfall after the Skull Crushing Finale!
Cameras catch the Number One Contender Attitude working out when he hears a knock on the door. As the commentary team is discussing Attitude waiting for his opportunity to challenge Dragonfly this Sunday, Attitude is suddenly clobbered with a series Head Mashing Super Punches by Slammer! Slammer leaves Attitude beaten down and knocked out as we cut to Lana and the Young Bucks!
In their interview, the Young Bucks express newfound confidence in their rise to the top. Nick Jackson is apologetic for underestimating his brother Matt this season as they admit to not knowing what to expect heading here to PWI. They promise that they will complete their return to the top of the ranks and that they will finally become champions!
In the tag team match to determine the number one contending tag team, The 2nd Ranked Young Bucks take on the 1st Ranked Revival in a hellacious match! We see numerous false finishes, with one such false finish being completely accidental as Matt Jackson got overly excited covering Scott Dawson following a Meltzer driver, leading Matt to not only fail to keep covering Scott, but to also slip out of the ring! This contributes to the chain reaction of events which sees the Revival pull off a stunning victory despite what appeared to be a last second shoulder up that the official didn’t see!
In the Main Event, the HCW Champion and 4th Ranked Scott Nash faced off against the 5th Ranked Kevin Owens with the winner earning the 40th entry in the Epic Royale and the loser being forced to enter first! Nash and Owens battled back and forth in a great bout, but as Nash was about to Jackknife Owens, Sabu emerged on stage, distracting Nash long enough for Owens to retake control and to soon steal the victory!
Then, as the show concluded and Owens celebrated, Nash stared down at his PPV challenger – Sabu – for the HCW Title!
THE EPIC 2023 – 3/19/23
We kick this show off with an extensive video package and the pyro entrance. The first match is for the Women’s Championship between the champion Becky Lynch and the Challenger Trish Stratus. This is quite the showdown as Trish damn near wins it all until Beth Phoenix pulls the official out of the ring. Trish thwarts Beth’s attack, but she is herself capitalized on for being distracted as Becky secures the victory! However, after Trish reluctantly shakes Becky’s hand once Beth and her have a staredown, Becky is preparing to leave when we see the Women’s Immunity Champion Paige come down! Paige is preparing for her second attempt at cashing in her title for a shot when Becky clobbers her with the Women’s gold. The official accepts the cash-in and rings the bell, which leads to Becky getting a quick victory over Paige! Paige is livid as Becky leaves the scene of the crime.
In the parking lot, we see Mickey visibly frustrated as he is yelling at Executioner about waiting for someone. Catherine shows up and he immediately grills her for asking him to meet her here in the Parking Lot. She insists that she didn’t want to meet him in his lair, because this is all about his ego. She says that she will not be stepping down from the chair willingly, and Mickey reminds her that she only controls 5% of the shares compared to his 75%. She promises to take whatever action is necessary to wrestle control of the company from him – whether legal or in-ring, of whatever -, and he assures her that it won’t work and that he will make her life a living hell. He then tells her that Jackie is the proper choice now to replace him when he steps down. She tells him that he is a bad influence on Jackie and that she will make sure that Jackie sees such. Mickey scoffs at this and walks away, with Executioner following suit.
Cameras then take us to Lana standing by with the Rock, who is fired up about Bray meddling in his career. Rock mocks Bray, saying that after this match, everyone will forget Bray except that he made a mistake messing with him!
In the next match, The Fiend takes on The Rock. Rocky takes Bray to task, dominating much of the fight, but this is a false sense of domination, as The Fiend soon reminds everyone of how tough an opponent he truly is, turning the tables, and securing the victory over the Rock! As the Fiend basks in his own glory, the lights suddenly go out and after a pause, we hear that familiar heartbeat. This heartbeat picks up in tempo until we begin to hear a recognizable theme…that of The Demon, Finn Balor! The Fiend is prepared to attack, but Finn flips the script on him, catching him with his impressive arsenal, topping it off with his patented Coup De Gras! The Fiend is suddenly writhing in pain from the attack, disappearing into the night with a blink of the lights, leaving Balor standing alone!
Acting HCW President Ted Brown approaches the HCW Champion Scott Nash, insisting that he go out there with his A-Game and get the job done, especially in the Epic Royale. He says that it doesn’t matter who wins between Nash and Sabu, as long as they are ready to win this war against the invading Project Wormwood. Nash says he’s got this and they depart.
Sabu gets annoyed with Thomas and throws him out of frame. He then directly addresses Nash, saying that he will be taking the gold tonight!
In the HCW Championship Match, Scott Nash defends against Sabu in a back and forth brawl. Sabu seems on track to win until Krusader interferes, but Blade also joins the fight to back up the HCW talent! Terminator then gets involved as well, but he is met with resistance by Stan Hart! They are all joined soon by Phobe, but his attack ends when El Giante’s music hits, and they are all laid waste by the Secret Weapon! Ted Brown comes out to show support, and in the midst of the fray, Nash hits Sabu with a Jackknife Powerbomb, securing a title retention as the HCW stands tall!
We then catch up with Sunny standing by with the Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch. Becky expresses compassion to Sunny, and then addresses her potential challengers for the Death From Above Match. Becky says it doesn’t matter who wins and faces her at Motivation, because she is ready to retire with this title!
Nikki Bella is seen getting ready when Brie Bella shows up. Before Nikki can say anything, Brie tells her that she’s right, and wishes her good luck after also noting that she will be back on track herself soon. Brie then leaves as Nikki looks on, speechless.
Maria is preparing to walk to the gorilla position when Rhea Ripley suddenly knocks her down and mocks her for thinking that she can win. Rhea laughs as she walks towards the waiting area and Maria struggles to get up.
Next is the Women’s Death From Above Match to determine the Number One Contender for the Women’s Title at Motivation X! The 5th Ranked Maria, 4th Ranked Nikki Bella, 3rd Ranked Alexa Bliss, and 2nd Ranked Rhea Ripley ascend to the rafters for this hellish battle! Surprisingly, Maria shocks the world by eliminating Rhea first! She is seemingly on a roll, but Alexa eliminates her next! Then, Nikki gains control, but not before Slammer ascends to the fray as well, but before he can do too much damage, Brie Bella joins them and sacrifices herself by diving at and bringing Slammer down from the rafters with her!! This distraction is enough for Nikki to eliminate Alexa Bliss and become the new number one contender!
Stacy Keibler is speaking with the Women’s Tag Team Champions, the Agency about what they should do tonight, including displaying their greatness as former pupils of Dragonfly. The Men’s Tag Champions – longest reigning active tag champions of the era – the Undisputed Era then interject, with Adam Cole asserting that he is better than Dragonfly and that they themselves are the epitome of tag wrestling of any era! Cole basically tells the women that they merely need to hold up their end and watch as Cole and Strong retain the gold once again! The Agency’s Sharon Carter promises that they will do their part just fine as the Undisputed Era leave.
In the hallway, Team Kick is walking towards the ring when Shawn Spears catches up with them and assures them of victory tonight. They are soon joined by Dawson and Wilder of the Revival who second the remark and even hint that there may be a spot in the Pinnacle waiting for Team Kick. Kai and Nox ensure their partners that they will be ready and we head to ringside!
With the Men’s and Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line in this unique 8 Person Elimination Mixed Tag Match, The Undisputed Era defends alongside The Agency against the 1st Ranked Team Kick and the 1st Ranked Revival! This is quite the bout with surprise eliminations left and right, but after the Agency manage to retain, we see an interesting twist wherein the eliminated Tegan Nox still manages to help her partner Scott Dawson win the Men’s Tag Titles, ending the historic reign of the Undisputed Era! After the match, Team Kick joins the Revival in the ring for a celebration leaving us wondering if Team Kick will be joining the Pinnacle!
Ember is resting in her locker room, seemingly recovering from her parking lot brawl with Liv Morgan when Gail Kim enters the room and tells Ember that she sees what Moon means now, reiterating the claim that Liv Morgan has let her success go to her head. Gail tells Moon that she will deal with Liv, and as she leaves we hear Moon chuckle to herself.
Cameras then catch Shayna Baszler and Angelina Love already fighting in the hallway prior to their unsanctioned encounter. This fight spills over to ringside where they continue to go back and forth until Love manages to successfully execute a Lights Out STF on Baszler through a table from the top rope! This allows her to get the pinfall victory!
Lawrence Mason is standing by with the PWI World Champion Dragonfly. Dragonfly goes on a rant – in response to Mason’s question about where he has been and what he thinks about his upcoming match – about being permitted to do whatever he wants and when he wants. He says that this because he is the most coveted and greatest wrestler in history who turns everything he is associated with into gold. He promises to give Attitude the fight of a lifetime and to retain the gold! Then, Dragonfly leaves for the ring, with Mason looking stunned about the bluntness of his interviewee.
In the hallway, Teo is walking with Attitude. Teo asks if Attitude is sure that he is ready for this upcoming match, to which Attitude says he is, despite Slammer’s attack on him this past Monday. Teo remarks about what happened to Slammer earlier and notes that he will have Attitude’s back regardless tonight and going forward. After a hug, Attitude leaves for ringside!
Dragonfly then defends his PWI World Title against the 2022 Premier Athlete and 1st ranked Attitude in a hellacious best of three falls match wherein both men actually score a draw on the first fall and Dragonfly subsequently shocks Attitude with an incredible Dragon Twist Driver to set up for the pinfall victory to retain! After Dragonfly leaves, we see Teo come out to the ring as he retrieves his best friend and assists him to the back!
Right before the main event, Fitz Riot and I host a special installment of the Dirt Sheet Superstar Report wherein we provide our analysis of the 2023 Epic Royale. We note the high stakes and the challenge for all involved, especially the HCW Champion Scott Nash, who will have to start the match at #1! We then send it back to ringside!
Michael Buffer introduces us to the third installment of the Epic Royale with Nash, Big Show, Miz, and Edge kicking it off! Miz winds up eliminating Edge to get him out of the way as he focuses on Morrison who enters and make a B-line for him! Then, Miz eliminates Morrison, but pays a price for eliminating Edge so fast as Krazy Kid and then Maniac set out for revenge against him! Maniac ends up getting said revenge for his buddy!
Also, we see Jesse Hash confront CM Punk before Punk eliminates him, Phobe makes a big stand in this match, causing chaos and surviving numerous elimination attempts! Rhyno manages to pave the way for Phobe’s elimination, however after executing a well-timed GORE! Matt Hardy makes a surprise return and joins forces with his brother Jeff! Nash is targeted later first by Terminator and then by Krusader. Karrion Kross battles all of his recent foes, and even eliminates Sheamus by causing to pass out! R-Truth gets eliminated as he is singing his entrance, and Sean Olson shocks the world when he returns and goes after Christian!
Ghostrider is gifted Demonrider’s classic theme from the Second Era (“Save Our Souls”) and makes an impressive stand himself. Swerve returns and has a great showing. Raven betrays Big Show by eliminating him, and Rhyno does the same to Teo! Bronson Reed dominates the match a bit, and Adam Page makes himself well known to the world!
Rob Van Dam makes a surprise return and this is topped by the even more surprising return of Agramon, who cleans house until he is eliminated by Ghostrider! Granddaddy Duxen confronts and eliminates Kevin Owens, but Christian eliminates him, thus setting up Olson, Christian, Rhyno, and Nash as the final four!
In this last set up, Olson takes out Christian, Rhyno swiftly eliminates Christian, and then Nash stuns everyone by eliminating Rhyno immediately after, securing his historic victory, outlasting 39 other men, and punching his ticket for a PWI Title Match at Motivation X!!
With the show and the Winter Section of the 6th Season of PWI concluding, Nash celebrates as the others from the final four look on – particularly Rhyno – in disbelief!
World Of Wrestling: Murrey Universe 