Hrm.
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“Ladies and gentlemen, believe me when I tell you that this is the investment opportunity of a lifetime!” Chris Raynor breathlessly states to the audience at home. “Whether you decide to go with the more conventional Giant Panda or the high-risk, high-reward Red Panda, you can rest assured that it’ll be money well spent. Remember, Panda Equals Profit…For You!”
The screen goes black shortly after Raynor finishes speaking, bringing the rather confusing advertisement to a close and leaving the viewers at home to reconsider their respective investment portfolios. For a few moments, that’s all they really can do, as the SWF seems to have decided to broadcast nothing but blank silence for now.
I have a mind, a good memory
Here's how my life begins
But that all changes when the broadcast quickly cuts to a shot of the inside of the American West Arena, where Amorphis’ “From the Fire” is blasting over every one of the arena’s speakers! The official From the Fire theme song whips the fans into a frenzy, cheering nearly loud enough to drown out the energetic heavy metal. The camera quickly pans over the tens of thousand people in a dizzying assault on the senses, which mercifully comes to a close when the broadcast cuts to Cyclone Comet and the Suicide King. The commentating pair anxiously sit behind their announce desk, ready to continue reporting this spectacular event.
“Salutations once more, home viewers!” Comet dramatically cries. “As you well know, I am CYCLOOOOOOOONE COOOOOOMET, taking a much-needed break from my duties protecting the good, honest citizens of these United States.”
“And filming action movies in Southeast Asia.” King flatly interjects.
“Right, that too.” Comet admits. “At any rate, we have had a fantastic show here in Phoenix, which has showcased the best talent the SWF has to offer. What’s been the highlight of the night for you thus far, my smarmy, vaguely evil commentary partner?”
“Easily the TLC Match for the World Tag Team Titles.” King responds. “Any match where Landon Maddix gets the piss beat out of him is okay with me. It even made up for all the garbage wrestling in that contest. In a close second is the cage match between Jay Hawke and Wildchild for the International Title. Hawke simply put on a clinic, showing Wildchild that his laughable flip-flopping doesn’t work within the confines of a steel cage.”
“Great matches without a doubt.” Comet affirms. “But, even though it was technically on the pre-show, my favorite contest thus far was the third installment of the Calvinball Series. It was delightfully ridiculous and displayed just how fun the SWF can be.”
“Just the kind of pick I’d expect from a lunatic in a superhero costume.” King rolls his eyes.
“But our next contest definitely has the potential to trump all the matches we’ve seen thus far!” Comet declares, ignoring King’s insult. “In this evening’s Main Event, El Luchadore Magnifico will defend his World Heavyweight Title against the winner of this year’s Clusterfuck, Wes Davenport!”
“Christ, and I thought it was bad when they had Spike Jenkins going up against Mags.” King spits. “This ridiculous sham of a match only serves to show just how far the SWF has fallen. Magnifico, one of the few worthwhile competitors left in this fed, is forced to defend his World Title against a mere actor who won the Clusterfuck on a stroke of blind luck.”
“That’s hardly fair, King.” Comet counters, foolishly trying to talk some sense into his commentary partner. “One need only look to last week’s Lockdown, where the team of Magnifico and Jay Hawke took on Davenport and Wildchild, to see that Wes is more than able to compete at this level. This is easily the biggest match of Davenport’s life, and I guarantee you that he’s ready for it.”
“Please.” King scoffs. “If you’ll remember correctly, Magnifico took Wes completely out of that match near the end with a beautifully executed Baja California Crusher. Wildchild just got amazingly lucky and happened to be in the right place to take advantage of ELM’s one moment of inattention after landing the Crusher.”
“Plus, let’s not forget the amazing, historic run ELM has had with the World Title thus far.” King rambles on. “He’s successfully defended the belt five times, easily besting such stiff competition as Todd Cortez and JJ Johnson. Twice on the latter, even. There’s no way this pathetic excuse for a professional wrestler has any chance of defeating Magnifico here tonight.”
“That’s an amazingly ridiculous stance to take, but I suppose nothing I say will talk you out of it.” Comet grimly speculates.
“Damn straight.” King stubbornly agrees.
Comet rolls his eyes and returns his attention to the home audience. “Fine viewers at home, King may not agree with me, but I believe that we have a fantastic Main Event in store for you. So, let’s not delay it any further. We’ll now pass it along to the indomitable Funyon for the introductions so we can get this contest started.”
As promised, the camera quickly cuts to Funyon, who stands in the middle of the ring, bedecked in a perfectly pressed tuxedo. Smiling, he looks out over the anxious, excited crowd for a moment before bringing the microphone to his lips and beginning his spiel.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Funyon booms, “The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the SWF World Heavyweight Championship!”
“RAAAAAAAAAAAHH!”
Hey! Get, get, get, get, get over it!
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!”
The crowd releases an immense pop as OK Go’s “Get Over It” hits the speakers, easily drowning the music out as they raucously express their unbridled affection for Wes Davenport. Their reaction somehow manages to grow even louder when the man himself bursts out onto the entrance stage, his every movement illuminated by a single spotlight that shines down from the ceiling. Wes seems a touch nervous when initially stepping out onto the stage, but that instantly disappears when he sees and hears twenty thousand people cheering their hearts out for him. A broad grin on his face, Davenport quickly makes his way down the ramp, slapping as many fans’ hands as he can on his way.
“Introducing first, from Hollywood, California, weighing in at two hundred and fifty-eight pounds…” Funyon begins, “WEHHHHHHHHHSSS DAAAAAAAAAVENPOOOOOOOORRT!”
“Would you just listen to this audience!” Comet cries, delighted. “They love Wes Davenport! Ask them if they think he’s ready for this match, King!”
“I would if they’d shut up for a goddamn second!” King angrily shouts in response.
Davenport reaches the ring and rolls beneath its bottom rope, before popping to his feet within the confines of the squared circle. A cheek-splitting grin on his face, Wes quickly strides over to the closest corner, steps up onto its second turnbuckle, and throws his arms into the air. The crowd roars once more and bathes Davenport in flashbulb light as he looks out over his adoring fans, visibly grateful for their undying support. After a few moments, he steps back onto the canvas and begins his pre-match stretching routine, making sure his body is prepared for the tremendous strain that’s going to be put on it in just a few moments.
“Not a trace of fear shown by Wes Davenport prior to this contest!” Comet observes. “The biggest match of his career is about to start, and I can’t sense even a trace of anxiety or apprehension.”
“Just give it a little time.” King counters in a bored tone. “His spirit may not be broken just yet, but believe me, it’ll be shattered into tiny pieces the moment Magnifico gets his hands on him.”
Davenport’s just beginning to stretch his arms out when the lights go out throughout the arena, which immediately draws a wave of anticipatory boos from the capacity crowd. Their voiced displeasure is the only sound heard for several moments, until...
“HEY HEY!”
*BOOOOOOOOOMM!*
“BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
...Atake FDD’s “Tu Final” begins to pound over the arena’s speakers, just as a burst of red, white, and green pyro explodes upwards from the entrance stage. A moment later, El Luchadore Magnifico bursts through the pyro induced smoke, his Mexican Flag flapping gracefully behind him and the World Title visibly glinting at his waist. Illuminated by a single spotlight, Magnifico quickly makes his way down the entrance ramp, paying no mind to the thousands of indignant fans that line his path.
“And now, from Mexico City, Mexico, weighing in at two hundred and ten pounds...” Funyon bellows over the raucous crowd, “He is the SWF World Heavyweight Champion...EL LUCHADOOOOOOOOOOORRE MAGNIFICOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
ELM doesn’t even glance in Wes’ direction as he reaches the ring and rolls beneath its bottom rope. Magnifico immediately pops to his feet once inside, stepping into the center of the ring under the watchful, disdainful glare of Wes Davenport. A disgusted scowl on his face, Magnifico looks out over the capacity crowd for a brief moment...before thrusting his Mexican flag high into the air, doing so as the lights are turned back on throughout the arena. The now-illuminated crowd lets up only slightly in their booing as ELM turns to the ref and hands him his World Title and Mexican flag, right before retiring to the corner opposite Wes’. Facing away from Davenport, Magnifico begins a light stretching routine, doing so as the ref hands the luchadore’s possessions to the timekeeper.
“Such blatant disrespect.” Comet notes in disbelief. “Magnifico doesn’t even want to look at Davenport before the match starts, as though he’s not even worthy of being seen by the luchadore.”
“Well, I’m glad you finally caught on.” King happily chimes in. “Wes doesn’t deserve the slightest bit of Magnifico’s recognition. I haven’t received official confirmation of this, but I’m pretty sure that if Wes were to look directly into ELM’s eyes, he’d be destroyed as though he gazed upon the Ark of the Covenant.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.” Comet cries in amazement.
“You act as though I have to.” King counters, matter-of-factly.
The referee steps back into the center of the ring and observes the two competitors for a moment. Wes is standing right in front of his corner, staring at Magnifico with resolute determination while ELM continues to stretch, paying absolutely no attention to his opponent. Seeing that things are as in order as they’re going to be, the ref turns and signals for the bell.
DING DING DING
The second the bell rings, Magnifico spins around and saunters towards the center of the ring, wearing an expression that clearly says “Let’s get this over with.” ELM stares at Wes and lazily motions for him to approach, an act which draws scattered boos from the annoyed audience. Possibly believing he’s being led into some sort of trap, Wes stays put, his glare unwavering as he stares coldly into Magnifico’s eyes. ELM observes Wes for a moment before laughing loudly in disbelief, shaking his head and rubbing his temple as he does so. Davenport’s clearly agitated, but maintains his composure as Magnifico chuckles just a few feet in front of him. After a few seconds, ELM mercifully stops and looks at Wes once more, signaling to Davenport to watch him. Magnifico slowly lays down in the center of the ring, facedown, and locks his hands behind his back. ELM shouts at Wes to come over, suggesting not so subtly that he’s a gutless coward if he doesn’t. The crowd’s boos grow in number and volume as Davenport stares down at Magnifico, his teeth gritted and his fists clenched.
“Now see, there’s a shining example of sportsmanship if I’ve ever seen one.” King boldly declares. “Knowing that Wes Davenport is several hundred levels beneath him, Magnifico graciously allows Davenport to make the first move, apparently not wanting to him to go home completely empty-handed.”
“My, how generous of him.” Comet flatly states. “I’m sure Wes is unendingly grateful for Magnifico’s kind consideration.”
“He better be, the jerk.” King growls in a decidedly bi-polar fashion.
Wes observes Magnifico for a few moments before stepping towards him, still not convinced that it’s not a trap but at the same time fed up with ELM taking him so lightly. Magnifico rolls his eyes and puts his face down on the mat, not even bothering to watch Wes as he steps behind the luchadore. Davenport observes the luchadore for a moment...before the proverbial light bulb seems to go off, as Wes suddenly grins from ear-to-ear. Wondering what Wes could be so excited about, the curious fans look on as Davenport reaches down, grabs both of Magnifico’s arms...and then folds them both behind ELM’s back in a Double Chickenwing! The surprised fans immediately respond, cheering in anticipation of the Cattle Mutilation...but are quickly silenced when ELM jerks his arms free and slithers away from Wes, stopping at the ropes in front of him. Magnifico grabs the middle rope, pulls himself to one knee, and turns towards Wes, a furious scowl painted across his face. Davenport simply smiles at Magnifico, holds out his palm, and motions for the luchadore to approach. The delighted crowd roars its approval as Magnifico slowly rises to his feet, his eyes locked on Davenport’s and his mouth twisted into an indignant snarl.
“Looks like ELM might have lost a little of that unbridled confidence.” Comet observes with just a hint of amusement. “In allowing Wes to make the first move, he almost got caught in the Six Degrees of Separation, the very submission that won Davenport the Clusterfuck.”
Wes backs off just a bit, giving Magnifico some room to act. ELM calms down after a few moments and starts to pace around the ring, struggling to maintain his composure as he does so. Both ELM and Davenport begin to circle the center of the ring, slowly getting closer to each other and the middle of the squared circle. Once he’s close enough, Wes lunges at Magnifico, looking to lock up with him...only for ELM to throw out a well timed knee, slamming it into Davenport’s gut in mid-lunge. Magnifico earns some well-deserved boos for that act, which continue when ELM grabs Wes by the arm and attempts to whip him across the ring. However, Davenport’s superior strength wins out, allowing him to reverse the whip and send Magnifico rushing towards the far corner. ELM crashes into the corner’s turnbuckles back-first, sending a shock of pain up his pain that manages to distract Magnifico from the fact that Wes is now bearing down on him at a terrifying pace. However, ELM manages to shake off the shock just in time to throw his boot into the air and drive it into the chin of the charging actor. With both hands gripping his aching jaw, Davenport turns and stumbles away from the corner, giving Magnifico enough time to hop onto the second rope of the corner behind him. Wes spins to face ELM, cueing Magnifico to leap off of the turnbuckle, extending his arms and legs in mid-air and flying at Davenport with a Flying Cross-Body!
“Magnificent! Just look at the grace ELM displays with such a simple move!” King gushes.
ELM makes perfect contact with the aerial maneuver, his entire body slamming into Davenport’s chest...only for Wes to wrap his arms around Magnifico’s body right after contact!
“Well, he may have executed the move beautifully, but that actually seemed to work against him.” Comet reports, smiling as King grumbles something about cheating. “Wes now has Magnifico in a very compromising position.”
Trapped against Davenport’s chest, ELM tries to wriggle free, but Wes’ capable grip keeps him stranded in mid-air. Then is, until Davenport turns and falls onto his stomach, driving Magnifico in front of him and slamming his back into the canvas with a ring-shaking Powerslam! All of Wes’ weight is driven into ELM’s gut, knocking all the air out of Magnifico’s body and causing him to wheeze for breath as the delighted crowd releases an impressive pop. Davenport remains on Magnifico, quickly hooking his leg as the ref slides into position and begins counting...
ONE!
TWO! No! Magnifico kicks out right after two, quickly silencing much of the live audience.
“Davenport is off to a very impressive start thus far.” Comet notes, impressed. “Magnifico appears to be completely surprised by Davenport’s abilities thus far.”
“And for good reason.” King grumbles. “Wes is competing way above his talent level at the moment. Once things average out, he’ll be reduced to a quivering, cowering mass in a matter of moments.”
Undeterred by the lack of a pinfall, Wes grabs Magnifico by the arm, pulls him to his feet, and then clocks him in the chin with a stiff European Uppercut that sends ELM stumbling backwards into the ropes behind him. Davenport steps up, grabs Magnifico by the arm again, and then uses his grip to pull ELM off of the ropes and whip him across the ring. The luchadore rushes across the canvas and bounces off of the far ropes, doing so as Wes steps into the middle of the ring in preparation for Magnifico’s return. ELM charges off of the ropes and at Davenport, who grabs Magnifico as he approaches and effortlessly lifts him into the air! Wes spins ELM’s body around in mid-air for some sort of Tilt-a-Whirl maneuver...only for Magnifico to twist out of his grip in mid-spin, landing on his feet to Davenport’s side! Wes immediately steps towards ELM and lashes out with his arm, looking to slam it into Magnifico’s neck with a quick Lariat! However, Magnifico is able to deftly duck beneath the Lariat, and even manages to reach up and grab Davenport’s arm with both hands in mid-duck! ELM maintains that grip as he jumps into the air and scissors his legs around Davenport’s other arm, before throwing every bit of his weight backwards! Magnifico manages to pull Wes down to the canvas and roll his shoulders onto the mat, pinning him with a Crucifix Cradle!
“Terrific move from Magnifico, as he not only easily avoids Davenport’s clumsy Lariat but manages to reverse it into a Crucifix Cradle!” King breathlessly reports.
Wes struggles to break free of Magnifico’s grip on his arms, writhing wildly under his hold as the ref slides into position and begins counting...
ONE!
TWO! No! Wes manages to break his arms free right after the two count, effectively ending the pin as he does so.
“An impressive maneuver to be sure, but not quite enough to keep Wes down.” Comet announces. “However, it was important for Magnifico to stop Davenport’s momentum as quickly as he could, which is exactly what he did by capturing him in that Crucifix Cradle.”
Both men scramble to their feet, with Magnifico, being significantly quicker and more spry than his opponent, reaching his feet a split second before Wes. That split second gives Magnifico time to draw his arm back, and as Davenport pops to his feet in front of him, ELM drives his arm forward...
CHOP!
*SMAAAAAAAACK*
"WHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
...slicing it deep into Davenport’s chest with a Knife-Edge Chop! The fans gleefully “whoo” despite themselves as Wes is knocked back a couple steps by the force of the Chop. Magnifico steps up and draws his arm back once more...but his pre-Chop preparations are suddenly cut off when Davenport drives his forearm upwards and cracks it into ELM’s chin with an European Uppercut! ELM turns and stumbles away from Wes, collapsing into the corner behind him. Davenport follows right after him and throws a few quick stomps into the luchadore’s gut, kicking Magnifico deeper into the corner and causing him to slump a little lower with each stomp. ELM threatens to simply crumple to the mat, but before he can do so, Wes grabs him by the arm and uses the grip to pull Magnifico out of the corner and whip him across the ring. Wes runs after Magnifico right after whipping him, trailing only a few steps behind the luchadore as he approaches the corner. However, as ELM reaches the corner, he grabs the top rope and leaps into the air, kicking his feet out as he does so and just barely getting his legs over the blitzing Davenport! Unable to stop himself in time, Wes crashes chest-first into the corner’s turnbuckles as ELM lands on his feet behind Davenport.
Comet winces. “Davenport may have gotten just a bit too excited there. Instead of taking the safe route and making sure that Magnifico was vulnerable before continuing his attack, Wes went for the riskier course of action and, unfortunately for him, it didn’t pay off.”
“Jeez, why are you bothering to analyze any of what Davenport does?” King questions, annoyed. “Anything Wes does in this match can be explained away by the fact that he’s an inexperienced, worthless bum who’s amazingly, inconceivably lucky to even be in this contest.”
Davenport stumbles backwards a step or two as Magnifico leaps into the air, kicking his feet out as he does so and slamming them into Wes’ upper back with a perfectly executed Flipping Dropkick! Davenport is violently knocked forward by the force of the Dropkick, falling into the corner in front of him and knocking his head against the top turnbuckle as he does so. Annoyed boos pour in from every corner of the arena as Wes collapses against the corner, his arms hanging over the top ropes the only thing keeping him from falling to the canvas. ELM scrambles back to his feet, grabs Wes by the shoulder, and turns Davenport towards him. Magnifico then draws his arm back, drives it forward, and...
CHOP!
*SMAAAAAAAACK*
“WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
...smashes it into Wes’ chest with a Knife-Edge Chop! Davenport gasps for breath and doubles over slightly, only to have Magnifico immediately shove him back into the corner, draw his arm back once more, and...
CHOP!
*SMAAAAAAAAAAACK*
“WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
...punish Wes with another Knife-Edge Chop! The fans quickly shift their response from “whoo”s to “boo”s as Davenport slumps in the corner, his shirt burst open by the force of the Chops, revealing the glowing bright red skin underneath.
“How kind of Wes to allow Magnifico to finish a set of Chops.” King snarkily comments. “Looks like he’s realized that interrupting ELM’s offense is not only pointless but also very rude.”
“Or, he might just have been stunned by crashing into the corner and then being Dropkicked into it.” Comet counters, raising an eyebrow as he does so. “Honestly, King, do you think Wes would hold back in the biggest match of his life merely to be polite towards Magnifico?”
“You’re acting like it’s such a ridiculous theory that Wes should pay the proper respect to his insanely superior opponent.” A slightly miffed King responds.
ELM grabs Wes by the arm and pulls him out of the corner, before using his grip to try and whip Davenport across the ring. However, Wes is still lucid enough to reverse said whip, instead sending Magnifico charging towards the far corner. ELM turns as he approaches the corner, crashing into its turnbuckles back first. Stunned by the force of the impact, ELM stumbles out of the corner and towards the center of the ring, where Wes eagerly awaits the luchadore, clenching and unclenching his fists in anticipation. Once Magnifico is close enough, Davenport throws the tip of his boot into the luchadore’s stomach, doubling him over in the center of the ring. Wes is then able to easily pull him into a Front Face Lock and lift the luchadore into the air, holding Magnifico perpendicular to the mat as the crowd roars in anticipation of the Brainbuster! However, before he can execute the maneuver, ELM manages to wriggle out of Davenport’s grip and flip right over him, landing behind Wes and facing away from him! The moment he hits his feet, Magnifico reaches up and wraps his arms around Davenport’s neck, trapping Wes in a Inverted ¾ Headlock! ELM then suddenly sits out, violently pulling Davenport down with him and driving his neck into Magnifico’s shoulder with a Shoulder Neck Breaker! Raucous boos pour in from every corner of the arena as Wes falls to the canvas, cradling his neck in both arms. ELM takes a moment’s rest before casually rolling onto Davenport and making the cover, lazily hooking Wes’ legs as the ref slides into position and begins counting…
ONE!
TWO! No! Wes gets a shoulder up right after the two count, drawing a few hopeful cheers from the relieved crowd as he does so.
“A beautifully smooth and fluid reversal from Magnifico, turning Wes’ attempt at a Brainbuster into a neckwrecking Shoulder Neck Breaker.” King gleefully reports.
“Davenport is overpowering Magnifico at basically every turn, but whenever he tries to capitalize, ELM manages to evade his grasp every time.” Comet grimly assesses. “If Wes is going to gain any sort of advantage, he needs to focus on wearing Magnifico down instead of going for a killing blow.”
Magnifico rolls off of Wes, pops to his feet, and then place the sole of his boot right on Davenport’s face. ELM looks out over the already booing crowd for a moment with a cheerful grin on his face...before twisting his foot, giving Davenport’s guise a rug burn with a cringe inducing Boot Scrape! Wes covers his face in his hands and rolls away from Magnifico as boos pour in from every corner of the arena for the ridiculously underhanded act. Amused at the crowd’s reaction, ELM chuckles to himself while grabbing a handful of Wes’ hair, before using that grip to painfully pull Davenport to his feet.
“See, stuff like that is the reason I love this job.” King grins. “It does my heart good to see the current generation carrying on the hallowed customs and traditions of heeldom.”
Once Wes is standing, Magnifico cracks him in the chin with a quick Elbow Strike, causing Davenport to stumble backwards and into the ropes behind him. Wes is only able to lean up against them for a moment, however, as ELM grabs him by the arm, pulls him off of the ropes and tries to whip him across the ring. However, Magnifico once again overestimates his own strength, as Wes easily reverses the whip, sending ELM rushing across the canvas and towards the far ropes. Magnifico bounces off of said ropes and charges back towards Davenport, who’s hasn’t moved away from the ropes behind him since whipping the luchadore. As Magnifico approaches, Wes suddenly bends over and grabs him by the legs, before suddenly standing up and chucking the luchadore into the air with a Back Body Drop! An impressive pop rises from the live audience as ELM flies over the ropes behind Wes...but they’re quickly silenced when Magnifico grabs the top rope in mid-air and manages to corral himself onto the apron! The fans’ reaction quickly changes to shouting warnings at Wes, who’s playing to the crowd and is blatantly unaware that Magnifico isn’t currently writhing in pain on the floor. Confused by the lack of cheers, Davenport turns towards the outside...and as he does so, Magnifico shoots his hands out and locks them behind Wes’ neck! ELM then hops backwards off of the apron, pulling Davenport down with him and driving his neck into the top rope with a Hangman!
“Once again, Wes’ childlike overexcitement and desire to please the fans costs him.” King smugly reports. “Since landing that lucky Powerslam, Davenport hasn’t done a single thing to help his standing in this match. Admittedly, I had expected Magnifico to emerge victorious much more quickly, but it’s still fairly obvious that Wes poses no threat whatsoever to the luchadore.”
“That’s a ridiculous conclusion.” Comet sharply replies. “Yes, Magnifico has displayed remarkable versatility and, let’s be honest, luck throughout the contest thus far. But Davenport is still clearly stronger than him. All it takes is one moment of inattention, one mistake from the luchadore for Wes to gain an edge in this contest.”
Wes turns and stumbles away from the ropes, choking for breath with one hand on his neck...but doesn’t get very far, as Magnifico grabs him by the ankles from behind! ELM then pulls back on Davenport’s legs, tripping him up and causing him to fall flat on his face right in front of the ring ropes! Still clutching Wes’ ankles, Magnifico then uses every bit of his strength to drag Davenport out of the ring beneath the ring ropes! ELM lets Wes go once he clears the apron, causing Davenport to fall hard onto the thinly padded concrete as annoyed boos pour in from every corner of the arena. Wes writhes in pain on the floor as the ref, from inside the ring, begins to count both men out.
ONE!
“Ouch.” Comet profoundly comments. “Magnifico doesn’t let up on his attack for even a second, as he follows up the Hangman by dragging Wes to the outside and simply throwing him onto the floor.”
Magnifico begins to stomp away at Wes, landing kicks all over his back as Davenport tries to climb to his feet through the incessant stomping. Wes manages to reach one knee, but as he does so, ELM grabs him by the hair and pulls him the rest of the way to his feet. Magnifico then uses his grip to guide Wes over to the apron and slam his face directly into it, drawing another wave of boos from the increasingly agitated audience.
TWO!
His hands over his face, Wes turns and stumbles away from Magnifico, turning the corner at the ring post and making his way to the other side of the floor. Annoyed at the extra effort he’s forced to exert, ELM follows after Wes, not wanting to give him even a moment’s rest. Magnifico catches up with Davenport, grabs him by the shoulder, and turns him around...only for Wes to lash his arm out as he does so, slamming his forehead into ELM’s chin with a quick European Uppercut!
THREE!
With Magnifico reeling from the force of the Uppercut, Wes is able to grab him by the arm and whip him across the floor, sending ELM rushing towards the far guardrail! Magnifico’s unable to stop himself in time, but he’s at least able to turn around before reaching the rail, taking all of the severe impact right on his lower back. ELM arches his entire body and his mouth opens wide in a soundless cry of agony as a jolt of pain runs up his spine, distracting him from the fact that Wes Davenport is currently bearing down on him with as much speed as he can muster!
FOUR!
“Snap out of it, Mags!” King shouts. “That washed-up bum is bounding at you with what little speed he has!”
“Why should you be concerned, King? We all know that Davenport poses absolutely no threat to Magnifico, don’t we?” Comet asks with a small smile on his face. King grumbles something unintelligible, but leaves it at that.
As he approaches the luchadore, Wes releases a guttural cry and lashes out with his arm, slamming it right into Magnifico’s neck with an obscenely stiff Lariat! The force of the blow knocks ELM right over the guardrail and into an aisle dividing the mass of people surrounding the ring! Magnifico lands awkwardly onto the concrete and immediately curls up into a ball in reaction to the pain surging through various parts of his body.
FIVE!
“Jesus and Mary!” Comet cries. “Wes seems to express his frustration with the contest thus far as he wallops Magnifico with a devastating Lariat that knocks the luchadore clear into the audience!”
A mighty pop rises from the audience as Wes climbs over the guardrail and steps into the crowd, a look of sheer determination on his face. Davenport strides over to Magnifico, grabs him by the arm, and effortlessly pulls the luchadore to his feet. Wes then fluidly takes hold of ELM’s thigh and hoists him into the air, pushing Magnifico high above his head with an impressive Military Press!
SIX!
The delighted fans cheer and take countless pictures as Davenport does a complete turn with Magnifico, showing him off to the crowd and cracking a pleased smile at their reaction. When his turn faces him towards the guardrail, Wes suddenly throws Magnifico forward, hurling him over the guardrail and back towards the ring! ELM crashes shoulder-first onto the padded concrete, his cry of pain from the impact easily drowned out by the crowd’s raucous cheering.
SEVEN!
“I think Magnifico finally has a good idea of just how strong Wes Davenport is.” Comet reports with a trace of amusement in his voice. “Davenport was able to effortlessly hoist him into the air with a Military Press before just as easily tossing him back over the guardrail and onto the floor.”
“So, Davenport finally got a move or two off. Good for him.” King rolls his eyes. “If you ask me, you’re seeing Magnifico at his most benevolent right now. He’s fairly obviously holding back so as to boost Davenport’s self-esteem and make sure he doesn’t leave the arena an emotional wreck.”
A self-assured grin on his face, Davenport climbs back over the guardrail and strides over to Magnifico, who is slowly trying to push himself to his feet next to the ring. When ELM looks up and sees Wes coming, his eyes visibly widen and he scurries onto the apron, apparently having had enough of Davenport for the moment. Magnifico wriggles beneath the bottom rope and into the ring before scrambling to his feet within the confines of the squared circle. ELM then falls against the ropes as Wes, anxious to continue his attack, slides into the ring under the ropes opposite Magnifico’s. However, as he does so, ELM suddenly charges off of the ropes and at Davenport, getting right on top of him as he pops to his feet in the center of the ring! Wes barely catches a glimpse of the luchadore before he throws his knee out and slams it into Davenport’s gut, doubling him over with a Running Knee Strike! Not wasting a moment, Magnifico immediately pulls Wes into a Front Face Lock and falls onto his back, jerking Davenport down with him and planting him into the mat with a DDT! The displeased fans roundly boo ELM’s actions, and only grow louder when the luchadore turns Wes onto his back and covers him. Magnifico reaches for one of Davenport’s legs and hooks it, doing so as the ref drops to his knees and begins counting…
ONE!
TWO! No! Wes kicks out right after the two count, drawing a few pleased cheers from the capacity crowd.
“Well, Magnifico admittedly isn’t able to overpower Wes, but it’s pretty obvious that he can outsmart him whenever he wants.” King chuckles. “It shouldn’t be that easy to successfully play possum.”
“I know Wes must be excited from taking it to the World Champion,” Comet begins, ignoring King’s commentary as he does so, “But he’s got to learn to calm down and plan out a strategy for this contest. Rushing headlong into every confrontation is not going to win him this match.”
ELM rolls off of Wes, takes a moment to shake off the lingering effects of Davenport’s earlier attack, and then climbs to his feet, leaving Davenport alone on the mat beneath him. Magnifico stomps Davenport a couple times before grabbing him by the arm and arduously pulling him to his feet. Once Wes is standing, ELM pushes him back against the ropes behind him, using the momentum from the springing action to whip Davenport across the ring and towards the far ropes. Wes bounces off of said ropes and charges back towards Magnifico, and as he approaches, the luchadore leaps into the air and extends his legs, before he wraps them around Davenport’s head for a Hurricanrana! Without even bothering to stop running, Wes raises his arms and wraps them around Magnifico’s waist, capturing him in mid-air and preventing him from doing anything with the scissor lock he has on Davenport’s neck! Wes then jumps into the air, carrying Magnifico with him, before falling into a sit-out position, violently pulling ELM down as he falls and slamming his spine into the canvas with a Running Powerbomb! The ring shakes with the incredible impact of the maneuver as the fans roar their approval, surprised but not at all displeased by Wes’ reversal. Davenport remains in the sit-out position but shifts his grip to Magnifico’s legs, using his hold to push ELM into the mat as the ref slides into position and begins counting…
ONE!
TWO!
TH-No! Magnifico gets a shoulder up at two and a half, quickly silencing the live audience as he does so.
“Davenport hits a ring-shaking Running Powerbomb out of nowhere which surprises everyone in attendance, including El Luchadore Magnifico!” Comet cries. “Magnifico’s ill advised attempt at a Hurricanrana may have been the break Wes needed to gain a distinct advantage in this match!”
“Not likely.” King snaps. “If I’ve learned anything from watching this contest, it’s that Wes excels at not taking advantage of the rare opportunities Magnifico offers him. It’s getting to the point where I think ELM should just ditch the niceties and put Wes down once and for all.”
Not deterred in the slightest by the lack of a pinfall, Wes pushes Magnifico onto his stomach, grabs him by the hair, and then stands, painfully pulling ELM to his feet with him as he does so. Davenport then strides over to the nearest corner with Magnifico in tow, where he pulls ELM forward and drives his forehead directly into the corner’s top turnbuckle. Stunned by the combination of the blow to his skull and the lingering effects of the Powerbomb, Magnifico turns and simply collapses against the corner, leaning up against the turnbuckles with his arms hanging languidly over the top ropes. Davenport winds up and smashes ELM in the chin with an European Uppercut, violently knocking Magnifico’s head upwards before he slumps down even further in the corner.
“Again with the European Uppercut.” King groans. “Doesn’t Wes know any other strikes?”
“Judging from the effect they’re having on Magnifico, I don’t think there’s any need for him to switch.” Comet innocently counters, earning himself a nasty glare from King in the process.
Before ELM can droop all the way down to the mat, Wes grabs him by the arm, pulls him out of the corner, and then uses his grip to whip Magnifico across the ring and towards the far corner. Wes steps into the center of the ring as ELM crashes into the corner, his back slamming into the turnbuckles with ridiculous force. Magnifico drunkenly stumbles out of the corner and unknowingly right at Wes, who greets him by wrapping his arms around the luchadore’s waist, trapping him in a Waistlock in the center of the ring! However, before Wes can do anything with it, ELM seems to suddenly come to life, cracking Davenport in the jaw with a quick right! Seemingly desperate to escape the hold, Magnifico begins bashing away at Wes’ face and chin with both hands, doing whatever he can to weaken Davenport’s grip on him! Wes remains steadfast to begin with, but the pain eventually causes him to unconsciously weaken his grip, allowing Magnifico to slip out of it! Immediately after slithering out of Wes’ arms, ELM spins behind him and wraps his arms around Davenport’s waist, trapping him in a Rear Waistlock! Magnifico uses every bit of his strength to lift Davenport into the air, but that only takes him so far, as Wes struggles mightily once in mid-air and prevents ELM from lifting him more than a few inches off of the ground!
“A clear mistake from Magnifico in attempting that German Suplex.” Comet assesses. “ELM appeared to get caught up in the moment and forgot just how large Wes Davenport actually is. It’d be nearly impossible for Magnifico to get Wes over his head.”
“He didn’t forget anything, Comet.” King sharply replies. “Magnifico was more than capable of executing that German Suplex. If Wes woulda kept still and accepted his fate, ELM would have effortlessly spiked his neck into the canvas.”
Magnifico is forced to put Wes back down, and the second Davenport’s feet hit the canvas, he throws his elbow backwards and slams it into the side of ELM’s head, knocking him silly with the ridiculously stiff Elbow Strike! Wes is able to easily break free of Magnifico grip after landing the Elbow Strike and immediately spins behind the luchadore after doing so! As soon as he’s behind the luchadore, he grabs both of Magnifico’s arms and folds them into Chickenwings, immediately drawing a mighty cheer from the live audience as he does so! Wes prepares to flip over ELM’s head and lock in the Six Degrees of Separation...but before he can do so, Magnifico wraps his foot around Davenport’s ankle, preventing him making any sort of movement, much less a flip over the luchadore’s head! While Wes struggles to untangle his leg, Magnifico manages to break one of his arms free of Davenport’s grip, before throwing the elbow of his newly freed limb backwards and deep into Wes’ gut! Surprised and stunned somewhat by the blow, Davenport’s grip on ELM’s other arm weakens enough for the luchadore to yank it free!
“Amazing series of reversals traded by these two men!” An impressed Comet comments. “Davenport’s initial attempt at a Belly-to-Belly Suplex is reversed into a German Suplex attempt from Magnifico, only for Wes to turn that into a bid at the Six Degrees of Separation!”
“Which ELM effortlessly escaped from yet again.” King cuts in. “I’ll admit that the Cattle Mutilation poses some threat to Magnifico, but there is no way Wes is locking it in if ELM has anything to say about it.”
Magnifico immediately makes a break for the ropes in front of him after escaping Wes’ hold, bouncing off of said ropes as Davenport struggles to get the air driven out of his body by the Elbow Strike back into his lungs. ELM charges back towards Wes, and as he approaches, Davenport suddenly sidesteps towards the luchadore, throwing his foot into the air and aiming it right at Magnifico’s jaw with a Standing Side Kick! He moves just a moment too quickly, however, as ELM has just enough time to roll beneath the kick and pop to his feet behind Wes! Both men spin to face each other, but Magnifico moves just a little more quickly, giving him time to throw his foot forward and drive the tip of his boot deep into Davenport’s gut! The kick doubles Wes over, allowing ELM to easily hook both of his arms as if for an Underhook Suplex! Summoning every bit of his strength, Magnifico then hoists Wes into the air, the unbelievable strain on his muscles causing him to shout out in pain as he does so! ELM barely gets Davenport perpendicular to the mat before sitting out, violently pulling Wes down with him as he does so and slamming his skull into the canvas with the Cancun Crunch! The live fans seem to wince at one before collectively booing the entire scene, doing so as Wes flops onto his back, completely motionless save for the spasmic jerk of an arm or leg. His chest heaving, Magnifico rolls onto Davenport and hooks his leg, doing so as the ref slides into position and begins counting...
ONE!
TWO!
THR-No! Wes gets a shoulder up at two and a half, drawing a few hopeful cheers from the relieved crowd as he does so.
“Looks like all that talk about the strength difference between Wes and Magnifico is meaningless.” A grinning King cheerfully states. “ELM is just strong enough to get Davenport’s big fat ass into the air, and that’s all that matters.”
“Admittedly, I didn’t think that Magnifico had enough strength to execute any sort of Suplex on Davenport.” Comet reulcantly admits. “Even though it’s a strain on the luchadore, he does have the ability to land his signature suplexes and slams, meaning that Wes can no longer take his superior size for granted.”
Visibly frustrated at the kickout, Magnifico grits his teeth and slaps the mat as he rolls off of Wes and climbs to his feet. The second he’s standing, ELM purposefully makes his way over to the nearby corner and begins to climb his turnbuckles, the crowd’s booing growing louder the higher he gets. Magnifico reaches the top turnbuckle and slowly stands up on it, careful to keep his balance he does so. ELM then turns towards Wes, looking down on Davenport as he lays prone on the mat beneath him. Magnifico observes him for a moment before suddenly turning towards the timekeeper’s table and proudly saluting his Mexican flag, drawing a raucous wave of boos from the panicking crowd as he does so.
“Mexican Pride Press! Here we go!” King gleefully announces. “Looks like ELM’s patience with Wes’ antics has finally run out, as he looks to end it right here and now with his signature Shooting Star Press!”
ELM’s prolonged salutes comes to a close and he turns his attention back towards Wes...right before leaping off of the top turnbuckle, flipping backwards as he does so! Thousands of flashbulbs go off throughout the arena, illuminating Magnifico’s graceful descent...
...and his unexpectedly rough landing, as Wes rolls out of the way just before impact, leaving ELM to crash belly-first into the unforgiving canvas! Magnifico bounces nearly a foot off of the mat before coming to rest on it, lying face-down and motionless as the crowd roars for his botched attempt at a finisher.
“No! No!” Comet shouts. “Magnifico hesitated just a second too long, as Wes was able to roll out of the way just before ELM could land the Mexican Pride Press!”
Wes lies motionless next to Magnifico, his chest heaving and his eyes staring blankly up at the arena’s lights. It looks as though he needs a few moments’ rest before continuing...but that theory’s validity is quickly dashes when Davenport suddenly rolls onto ELM’s back and grabs both of his arms! Moving quickly, Wes pushes himself into a sort of three point stance while twisting both of Magnifico’s arms into Chickenwings! The crowd’s already going crazy in anticpation, but their cheering reaches deafening levels when Wes flips over the luchadore, landing in a bridging position in front of him and locking in the Six Degrees of Separation! Magnifico is violently pulled out of the daze induced by missing the Mexican Pride Press, as he comes to life beneath Wes’ iron clad grip and practically screams in pain!
“Six Degrees of Separation! Oh my God!” Comet cries, halfway out of his chair. “With ELM dumbfounded from missing the Mexican Pride Press, Wes was able to easily lock him in the Six Degrees of Separation! He appears to be mere moments from shocking the world and winning the World Heavyweight Title!”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” King spits. “Yeah, sure, Wes managed to get lucky and capture Magnifico in hissilly little submission, but he might have done well to not lock it in with ELM’s feet so close to the ropes. He’ll be out of it in no time and with little to no damage done to his arms.”
Indeed, Magnifico’s feet are perilously close to the ropes shooting out from the corner he just leaped off of. ELM kicks them wildly, trying to get a feel for how far he is from escaping from the incomprehensible amount of pain he’s currently in. As he’s doing this, the ref falls to his knees and gets right in Magnifico’s face, asking him if he wants to submit. For his effort, he gets a shouted “No!” before a cry of pain and a string of curses from the luchadore. Above him, Wes’ teeth are gritted and his hair mussed, strands of it plastered onto his profusely sweating forehead. He looks back at ELM and shouts at him to submit, but his commands are easily drowned out by the jubilant audience and their raucous cheering. But when Wes cranes his head back to yell at Magnifico, he catches sight of the luchadore prodding at the ropes behind him, getting ever so close to placing his foot on one of the bottom ropes! Davenport curses, his eyes darting back and forth in their sockets as he desperately tries to think of a way to get Magnifico away from the ropes. After a moment, the proverbial light bulb seems to go off, as Wes turns his head back, raises his foot, and then plants it on the mat a few inches further than its previous position. Davenport begins a kind of crabwalk, slowly but surely dragging Magnifico away from the ropes and towards the center of the ring!
“What?! No!” A terrified King yells. “That’s unfair, Wes! Give Magnifico a shot at escaping, you cheap bastard!”
“Wes has begun to drag Magnifico away from the ropes, lowering ELM’s chances at retaining the title with every step!” A delighted Comet reports.
A panicked Magnifico plants his chin into the mat, doing his best to prevent Wes from pulling him any further. With the little leverage that position offers, ELM lifts his head ever so slightly off of the mat and reaches back as far as he can with his feet, knowing that this might very well be his last chance to escape! Not willing to let Magnifico go just yet, Wes takes another ardous step, dragging ELM’s chin across the mat...but is interrupted when the ref gets in his face and commands him to release the hold! Shocked, Davenport looks back and catches sight of Magnifico’s foot slipping off of the bottom rope, having hung on it just long enough to cause a rope break! Davenport closes his eyes, throws his head back, and curses loudly before finally releasing the hold. Magnifico simply flops onto the mat, completely lifeless, and Davenport falls on top of him before rolling onto the canvas and banging his fist against it in frustration.
King breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. Wes’ unsporting attempt at taking away Magnifico’s chance of escape was unsuccessful. I’d hate to think what would happen to this federation should Wes win this contest and become the World Champion.”
“I’m guessing everyone would be a lot happier not having an insufferable prick as Champion.” Comet innocently comments, earning himself a cold glare from his commentary partner.
After a moment’s rest, Wes slowly pushes himself to his feet, sweat dripping off his chin and his lungs straining to bring as much as oxygen as possible into his body. Upon reaching his feet, he looks out over the gigantic mass off SWF fans, many of whom are out of their seats, undeniably excited by Davenport’s near win. Wes observes them for a moment....before throwing his fist high into the air, drawing a massive pop from Davenport’s adoring masses. Their response seems to energize him somewhat, as a brilliant grin crosses his face, belying his tired eyes and strained body. Ready to continue, Wes reaches down, grabs Magnifico by the hair, and agonizingly pulls him to his feet, receiving almost no assistance from the luchadore as he does so. Once ELM’s standing, Davenport pulls him into a Front Face Lock, grabs him by the tights, and then hoists Magnifico high into the air! Wes twists him ELM around in mid-air so that both men are facing the same direction as Davenport holds him perfectly perpendicular to the mat! The overstimulated crowd releases another impressive pop in anticipation of the Exit, Stage Left...but are quickly silenced when Magnifico throws his weight forward, breaking free of Davenport’s hold in mid-air! ELM slides down Wes’ back and lands on his behind him, facing away from Davenport. The second his feet hit the ground, Magnifico reaches back and hooks Wes’ arms as if for a Backslide!
“Yes! ‘Atta boy, Mags!” King cheerleads from his announce table. “ELM not only escapes Wes’ attempt at the Exit, Stage Left, but is poised to reverse it into the legendary Baja California Crusher!”
“Magnifico once again escapes defeat by the skin of his teeth, and the match might be determined by how Wes reacts to this situation!” Comet excitedly hypothesizes.
The distraught crowd immediately begins booing as loud as they know how, doing whatever they can to deter Magnifico from executing the Crusher. Unfortunately for them, ELM pays them no mind, and makes his first step towards the corner directly in front of him...but is immediately stopped when Wes reaches back with his foot and wraps it around Magnifico’s ankle, preventing him from taking another step forward! Before ELM can do anything about this latest development, Davenport manages to break an arm free, throwing it backwards and slamming the elbow into the side of Magnifico’s skull! Dazed, ELM’s grip weakens enough for Davenport to break his other arm free! Wes untangles his foot and spins around, right before wrapping his arm around Magnifico’s arm and pulling it behind him. Davenport then reaches through ELM’s legs and grabs his other arm, putting him in a Pumphandle Position to the great delight of the live audience!
“No! Wes escaped Magnifico’s attempt at the Baja California Crusher, and it looks like he might be looking to put ELM down once and for all with the Die Hard...With a Vengeance!” Comet dramatically reports.
Wes immediately lifts ELM into the air and spins him forward...but Magnifico manages to spin right out of his hold in mid-air, landing in his feet in front of Davenport and foiling his attempt at the Die Hard...With a Vengeance! ELM throws his knee forward the moment he hits his feet, slamming it deep into Wes’ gut and doubling him over in the center of the ring! Magnifico then grabs Davenport under the arm and by the tights, and arduously hoists him onto his shoulder! ELM then sits out, slamming Wes’ skull into the canvas with the Dia de los Muertos! The shocked crowd falls into a kind of hush as Wes flops onto his stomach, completely motionless, while Magnifico falls onto his back and just lays there for a second, needing to recover after using every ounce of his strength to execute the Fire Thunder Driver.
“Well, it took a little longer than I would have liked, but ELM’s finally put Wes down once and for all.” King smugly states. “Good on Wes for putting a couple of cinks in Magnifico’s nearly-impenetrable armor, but now it’s time for him to go back to his rightful spot making shitty movies that no one cares about.”
The crowd begins to cheer and shout as one, trying their damndest to spur Wes to shake off the Dia de los Muertos and get back to his feet. Their spirits are dampened somewhat when ELM slowly, dramatically turns towards Wes and throws an arm over his chest to make the cover! A tired, victorious smile crosses Magnifico’s lips as the frantic audience doubles their efforts, doing so while the ref slides into position and begins counting...
ONE!
TWO!
THHHHHHRRRRRRRRRNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!
“RAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
Davenport gets a shoulder up with the ref‘s hand mere millimeters from the canvas, drawing a deafening pop from the ridiculously grateful live audience. His eyes bulging and his mouth agape, Magnifico rolls off of Wes, appearing to be in complete shock of Davenport’s kickout.
“Kick out! Davenport kicked out!” Comet exclaims, barely able to believe what he’s just seen. “Wes Davenport is displaying incredible, improbable determination in kicking out of the Dia de los Muertos and keeping himself in the match! What will it take to keep him down?!”
Magnifico seems to be pondering that very question himself, as the luchadore visibly racks his brain while climbing back to his feet, scrambling to think of the best course of action to take. He seems to come to a decision while lunging to his feet, as he immediately steps towards Wes upon gaining his balance and grabs him by the arm. It’s an agonizing task, but ELM manages to get the big man to his feet, receiving basically no help from the still-dazed Davenport. The second Wes is standing, Magnifico spins around behind him and again hooks his arms as if for a Backslide! The distraught crowd peppers Magnifico with boos as the luchadore takes a deep breath and charges towards the corner in front of him with Wes in tow! At first, it looks as though ELM will execute the Baja California Crusher without incident...but that’s before Wes begins to run backwards with Magnifico, sending him towards the corner at a much quicker pace than he planned on! The luchadore is unable to stop himself in time and is driven chest first into the corner’s turnbuckles, much to the delight of the live audience! ELM’s grip on Wes’ arms is significantly weakened by the collision, allowing Davenport to easily break them free of the luchadore’s hold! Immediately after retaking possession of his arms, Davenport spins towards Magnifico, wraps his arm the luchadore’s, and pulls it back over his body. Wes then reaches through ELM’s legs and grabs his other arm, placing him in a Pumphandle position for the second time this evening!
“Wes Davenport simply refuses to lose this match!” A delighted Comet excitedly reports. “He’s reversed Magnifico’s attempt at the Baja California Crusher, his killing blow, and now looks poised to land the Die Hard...With a Vengeance and win this contest!”
“Yeah, because he was so successful in hitting it the first time.” King counters, his tone not hiding his concern very well. “Davenport will once again fail at landing his ridiculously-named move and succeed only in embarassing himself.”
Wes takes a moment to soak in the crowd’s adulation and catch his breath before using his grip to hoist Magnifico onto his shoulder! He then takes a couple steps backwards and away from the corner, not wanting ELM to end up right beneath the ropes...but unfortunately for Wes, that gives Magnifico time to break his arms free of Davenport’s grip! The luchadore does just that and slides down Wes’ back as the disappointed crowd’s reaction quickly changes to indignant booing. Davenport immediately spins around to face Magnifico, only for the luchadore to grab him under the arm and by the leg as he does so! ELM releases a guttural cry as he hoists Wes into the air, his muscles screaming in pain as they’re pushed to their absolute limit and his brain shouting at them to hold on for just a little longer. Davenport struggles wildly, but Magnifico still manages to turn him upside down in mid-air...before sitting out, driving Wes downwards as he does so and planting his skull into the mat with the Dia de los Muertos! The shocked crowd can only look on as Davenport lifelessly falls to the mat, his eyes rolled back in his head and his body completely motionless. Meanwhile, ELM simply collapses to the canvas next to him, in desperate need of a rest before he can even make the cover.
“Yes! Yes!!” King jubilantly cries, pumping his fist in the air as he does so. “What’d I tell you? A second Fire Thunder Driver from Magnifico, and Davenport is DONE!”
“This is going to be the greatest test of Davenport’s determination thus far.” Comet grimly assesses, ignoring King’s mindless gushing as he does so. “He’s shown remarkable heart in lasting this far and matching the champion blow for blow. If he can kick out here, I can’t see Magnifico’s being able to do anything that’ll put Wes down for good.”
Their hopes not completely vanquished, the crowd begins to slowly come to life, cheering and chanting as one in a desperate attempt to keep Wes in this match. As Magnifico summons up the strength to make the cover, a collective phrase booms from the audience, emanating all the way from the rafters to the front row...
“KICK OUT WES! KICK OUT WES! KICK OUT WES!”
Whether or not their plea will be fufilled by Davenport is about to be seen, as Magnifico finally manages to roll towards Wes and throw his arm over his chest! The anxious fans wait on baited breath, every one of them praying them Davenport has the wherewithal to continue as the ref slides into position and begins counting...
ONE!
TWO!
THHHHHHHHRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!!
DING DING DING
“Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, by pinfall, and STILL, SWF World Heavyweight Champion...” Funyon dutifully announces, “EL LUCHADOOOOOOOOOORRE MAGNIFICOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
One can almost see the energy escape the arena as Atake FDD’s “Tu Final” hits the speakers, confirming the horrible reality that just played out in front of the fans eyes. All throughout the arena, they simply stand in front of their seats and stare blankly at the ring, as if trying to wrap their hands around the result of the contest.
“Finally.[/i” King groans. “I mean, I’m glad Magnifico was gracious enough to give us an entertaining match, but man, did that drag on forever or - ”
“King, would you shut up for one damn second?” Comet snaps, surprising his commentary partner with an unnaturally angry outburst. “Wes Davenport came amazingly close to winning this match and becoming the World Heavyweight Champion in what would have been an amazing moment in SWF History. The fact that he even came this close is commendable on every level.”
“The hell it is.” King counters. “Davenport did nothing but waste our time here tonight, as this match ended up just how we all knew it would, in a glorious victory for El Luchadore Magnifico.”
“You’re the only one who thought that.” Comet replies, doing his best to maintain his composure. “Believe it or not, King, Wes had a damn good shot at winning this match. He pushed Magnifico to his limit. If you ask me, ELM is lucky to have won this contest.”
King scoffs loudly at that but has no other response to it. Comet rolls his eyes and returns his attention to the ring, where Magnifico is slowly, painfully pushing himself to his feet, every muscle in his upper body aching like it’s never ached before. As he stands, he’s greeted by the referee, who’s just fetched the World Title for him. Upon seeing his belt, Magnifico smiles warmly and gently takes it out of the referee’s hands, bringing close to his body and greeting it as he would an old friend. After a moment, his attention turns to Wes, who hasn’t moved a muscle since the bell rang. His warm smile turning into a smug smirk, the luchadore lowers the title so that the bottom of the strap is hanging only a couple inches from his face, drawing scattered boos from the remaining fans as he does so. He holds it there for several seconds, and those that can read lips would clearly catch sight of ELM saying “This is as close as you’ll ever get.” to the stunned Davenport.
Comet takes in the sight and sighs, disappointed. “Well, it was a fantastic contest, even if the outcome was less than perfect.”
King immediately buts in “Well, I thought it was magnificent, in fact - ”
“That’s all the time we have tonight, ladies and gentlemen.” Comet interrupts King before his mindless rambling can get too far. “Thank you for tuning into From the Fire. Good night.”
The final image broadcasted is that of El Luchadore Magnifico standing victorious over Wes Davenport, the World Title mere inches in front of his face...
