Hardcore Championship
Falls Count Anywhere
Jonny Cedrone vs. Odin Balfore vs. Downfall(c)
Adilene Floyd: The following is a triple threat match scheduled for ONE FALL, and it is for the Action Wrestling HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP!!
Chris Avery: This match is still bubbling with the leftover controversies and rivalries from Uprising's All-In Ladder match... and each of these three men have something HUGE to prove tonight!
The opening guitar riffs of “Fight Fire with Fire” by Metallica plays over the PA system. A ghostly image is shown on a black background of a woman dressed in a colonial style dress riding on a white horse. At first the horse is riding slow, but once those opening guitar riffs finish, the music fades into “The Thing That Should Not Be” also by Metallica.
With the opening riffs of “The Thing That Should Not Be” the horse comes to a complete stop. The woman looks confused. The music begins to really ramp up and the woman and horse are both drenched in blood which angers both. The horse goes on a full-on sprint with the woman sporting a fearful and enraged grimace as she keeps looking behind her every so often to figure out what happened.
Adilene Floyd: Introducing first, from Las Vegas, NV, weighing in at 240 lbs... "The King of Sexy"... JONNY CEDRONE!!
Back in the arena, there is only the spotlight pointing at the entranceway. When Papa Het begins singing fog starts rolling through the entranceway and engulfs the entire stage and rampway to the ring. When James Hetfield starts bellowing the chorus for the first time, Gloria comes walking through the curtains, much to the delight of the fans. But she doesn’t look to be in the same joyful mood that she’s usually in when she makes her appearance. After she walks through the curtains and surveys the audience, she steps to the side and waits for Jonny to make his arrival. After a few moments of tension building, a shadowy figure steps through the curtains wearing dark cargo pants and a black hoody with the hood completely covering his face. He stops at the top of the rampway and looks towards the ring. After a few moments, he slowly but intensely makes his way to the ring, never playing to the crowd once. He stops at the end of the rampway and allows Gloria to make her away in front of him. She climbs the stairs and walks the apron to where she’s standing in front of Jonny. She looks out over the crowd then down towards Jonny and with a motion of her hand, she commands him to make his way up the stairs. Following orders, Jonny slowly makes his way up the stairs and walks towards Gloria who’s now sitting on the middle rope to allow him to get into the ring. He makes his way into the ring and just stands in his corner, stoically, then Gloria makes her way into the ring and stands by her man, putting her arm on his shoulder. The music fades away and the fans still try to figure out what to think of this presentation. Jonny never takes off his hoody or anything. He just stands there waiting for the bell to ring to unleash his Hell.
Chris Avery: Cedrone has a huge chip on his shoulder, as he walks out here without his Tag partner Gerard Angelo... he has a score to settle with the Hardcore champion, and wants nothing more than to prove he is his own man in AW.
Adilene Floyd: ...And his opponents, introducing first, from Houston, TX, weighing in at 400 lbs... "The All-Father".... ODIN BALFORE!!
“With Oden On Our Side” Hit’s the PA system. The arena grows dark as the fans get to their feet to catch a glimpse of the stage. The fans stand and cheer an once the vocals starts, the arena lights flash back on and there stands Odin Balfore, centre stage. Odin stares down at the ring with a sinister grin as the fans sing along with the chorus.
Crowd: Futile to resist! You know why we have come! Futile to resist... the battle is.. already won!
Crowd: Futile to resist! You know why we have come! Futile to resist... the battle is.. already won!
The fans pop insanely right after as Odin begins to walk down the ramp at a slow an methodical pace. Once he gets to the foot of the ring, he steps up on it and looks around the arena again before stepping over the ropes..
Crowd: Futile to resist! You know why we have come! Futile to resist...
Odin cuts off the fans as he raises his hand in triumph. Odin turns back to the ring as the fans finish their part.
Crowd: The battle is.. already won!
Odin stares down his opponent as he waits for the match to get underway.
Chris Avery: Odin and Downfall had the most heated war of words this week, as well as Odin taking heavy exception to Downfall taking him out during the ladder match... Odin is definitely coming into this using his long experience in hardcore to do some damage, but Billy, what do you make of Odin claiming that he was responsible for hardcore wrestling gaining popularity?
Billy: Can you prove he did or didn't?
Chris Avery: I admit that I cannot.
Billy: Good, because while I'm at it, let me tell ya how many maniacs we fit into the Pontiac Silverdome, brother.
Adilene Floyd: And their opponent...
There's a pregnant pause in the air before the lights in the arena shut down, one by one, with an audible CHOOM as each section goes dark. The crowd sits in unsteady, uncomfortable silence there, in the dark, for a full thirty seconds. And then, cutting through the stilled silence, quickfire staccato burst of kickdrums and shredding guitar in the intro to Slipknot's opus "Before I Forget", and the Tron's image changes to a close-up of a wolf's eye, gold against a black screen, and the animatic changes to bared, slavering lupine teeth, opening, and then biting down; A spray of red blood splatters over the screen as Corey Taylor shouts "GO!!"
Adilene Floyd: ...From CHICAGO, Weighing in at 217 lbs... he is the Action Wrestling HARDCOREEEE CHAMPION... "The Purveyor of Anarchy"... DOWNFALL!!!
"Stapled shut! Inside an outside world and I'm
Sealed in tight! Bizarre but right at home
Claustrophobic! Closing in and I'm
Catastrophic! Not again,
I'm smeared across the page and doused in gasoline,
I wear you like a stain, yet I'm the one who's obscene.
Catch me up on all your sordid little insurrections,
I've got no time to lose, I'm just caught up in all the cattle.
Fray the strings, throw the shapes,
Hold your breath, listen;"
A spotlight cuts through the darkness to a point on the stage where Downfall's kneels one knee on the stage amid a cloud of pyrotechnic smoke and fog, head bowed, tracing the fingers of his right hand across the ramp, then he slowly raises his head to look at the ring. He's wearing his slashed denim vest with a black hood underneath, pulled up over his head, and, to chilling effect, as he looks up into the bright spotlight over him, smoke rolling onto the stage, it can be seen that his face underneath the hood is hidden behind a white skeletal mask with empty eye sockets, and a long snout culminating in pointed teeth: a wolf's skull.
"I! Am the world before I am a man,
I! Was a creature before I could stand,
I! Will remember before I forget...
BEFORE I FORGET THAT!!
I! Am the world before I am a man,
I! Was a creature before I could stand,
I! Will remember before I forget...
BEFORE I FORGET THAT!!"
In his left hand, he is carrying a long, curved, black iron crowbar. The arena lights brighten, and then, he begins his walk down to the ring, holding the crowbar perched over his shoulder and behind his neck. He cracks his neck to the side in an aggressive manner as he gets to the end of the ramp. Then, he goes around to the ring, pacing over to climb on the apron, and he takes just a moment to breathe it in as he rests a leg on the ropes themselves, and slowly pulls the wolf skull mask up to rest on the top of his head, before pacing to the turnbuckles and ascending, quickly, to the second rope, crossing his wrists in an X. He hops down, taking the skull mask off, shrugging out of the slashed denim vest, and laying the crowbar down in the corner, circling the ring like a shark, tensely pulling on the top rope to stretch.
Chris Avery: For 248 days, Downfall has reigned on top of the Hardcore division, taking on all comers, and brutally dispatching challengers while demanding a stiff level of competition.
Billy: He's asked a question of it this week, what's left? Has the title elevated him, or has he elevated the title? Well I don't know about either one... but what a run it's been!!
The bell rings and Cedrone shoots a look at Downfall, mocking him and asking where his All-In briefcase is. Downfall cocks a questioning look at Odin, who is stewing in the opposite corner. Cedrone goes to turn to Odin, taunting him in turn. Odin simply can't take any more of this shit and snakes a boot to the midsection. Cedrone stumbles backwards to collapse in the corner. Odin then turns to try and spot Downfall, but Downfall cuts the bigger man off with a kick to his kneecap. Trying to wear the big redwood down, Downfall laces some aggressive kicks in to the base. Odin slowly rises to his feet, but a low dropkick to Odin’s calf sends him sprawling face first in the ring! Downfall gets to the corner as Odin starts to rise once more…but here comes Downfall charging out of the corner…with a baseball slide into Odin’s face! Odin flops over backwards in pain. Downfall circles Odin as he rolls to his hands and knees. Downfall charges in and locks in a front face lock to take Odin over with a DDT…but Odin grabs the ropes and Downfall goes down alone slamming the back of his head on the canvas.
Chris Avery: Downfall got spiked into the mat hard. His neck vertebrae folded like an accordion on that one.
Downfall gets to his feet but Odin is waiting with a clothesline from Hell. Bam, down goes Downfall! Downfall struggles to get to his hands and feet, but Odin is waiting with a stomp to the back that sends him face first to the canvas! And it is at that moment that Cedrone roars back to life, flinging Odin over the top rope and dumping him outside. Cedrone roots around under the ring, coming out with a toolbox. Odin is trying to get to his feet using the apron. Cedrone, showing the brilliance that he is obviously known for, takes a pair of pliers out of the toolbox and closes the pinchers around Odin's fingers. Odin's mouth yawns wide with a whisper/scream as Jonny wrenches the hand up, using both hands on the handles of the pliers to crush Odin' fingers.
Chris Avery: The toys are coming into play early!
The referee leaves a recovering Downfall in the ring to follow both men out to the floor. Cedrone has Odin up to his feet and runs him headlong into the barricade! Odin hits headfirst and chuckles loudly in pain. Cedrone grabs him by the hips and flips him over the barricade into the crowd! Cedrone leaps over the barricade…and lands on Odin with both feet! Odin curls in on himself protectively as Cedrone heads into the crowd! Odin uses the barricade to drag himself to his feet and here comes Cedrone with a running kick…and Odin pulls a member of the crowd into Cedrone’s path! Good God, Cedrone just took the head off a AW fan! Cedrone stares down, agog at hitting a totally chill bro who he had no beef with, and the referee flings his arms out, saying that they can't do that, it'll be a lawsuit, and Cedrone, nice guy as he is at heart, shouts "I didn't mean to do that!" The referee shakes his head as Odin bashes Cedrone over the head with a length of plastic PVC pipe from the toolbox! Cedrone flies backwards landing hard on the cold concrete floor. Odin grabs a soda from a nearby fan and dumps it on Cedrone as he begins to kick him repeatedly. Odin then throws the empty cup on Cedrone.
Chris Avery: First he uses some poor front row fan as a human shield, and then he dumps out another person's drink. Poor display of sportsmanship from the supposed Seven God.
Billy: I've got another nickname for him... The "Lawsuit Waiting To Happen!!" For crying out loud...
Odin pulls a wet and sticky Cedrone to his feet and irish whips him into the steel barricade with sufficient force to send a cracking noise throughout the arena. Cedrone falls to his knees, injured. Odin cackles in triumph as he begins to run towards Cedrone…when out of nowhere Downfall vaults over Cedrone to land feet first on Odin’s face! Odin drops to the concrete floor as Downfall hits Cedrone with a penalty kick that sends him flying backwards over the barricade! Downfall grabs Odin in a nelson lock and dumps him with a snap dragon suplex onto the concrete floor, with such ferocity that Odin immediately clinches at his neck.
Chris Avery: Downfall with an Eden's Demise right off the bat! Shitfire!
Downfall turns to spot Cedrone, pulling himself up, and a fired up Downfall goes in to give Cedrone one HELL of a receipt for that fucking shit he pulled at Uprising by punching and kicking him furiously. Cedrone falls to his back, and Downfall gives him a few kicks to the ribs. Downfall lifts Cedrone up in a facelock, and clubs him heavily over the back a few times. Downfall snarls "get your ass over here" and drags Cedrone across the aisle by the back of the head. Downfall goes to bounce Cedrone's head off the apron, aka THE HARDEST PART OF THE RING, but Cedrone blocks it with both hands and stiffens his arms, then he grabs Downfall by the back of the head and his pants and throws Downfall face first into the steel ringpost across the aisle! Downfall beams right into the steel ringpost with a clonk, and falls back, holding his forehead.
Billy: Since Downfall is in such a mood to ask existential questions this week... did the steel ringpost hurt the man, or did the man dent the steel ringpost, hitting it?
Chris Avery: You know he's going to kill you when he plays this back... like, actually kill you, stick a crowbar up your nether regions and turn you into a popsicle...
Billy: ......I'll be good.
Snarling now, the ever-more aggressive and dark Cedrone pulls out a street sign, a Stop sign with graffiti spray painted on it "Eat Pussy". This gives Cedrone pause, and he tilts his head at the vulgarity.
Billy: Don't be such a Pollyanna, Cedrone, we all do it!!
Cedrone, though perturbed by the graffiti'ed message, shakes it off with a brittle head shake, then he looks over at Downfall, who is pulling himself up and rubbing his forehead to check for blood. Cedrone begins measuring him for a shot from the vulgar sign, ready to blast him right over the head with some blue language. However, as he runs up, charging right at the Beast Unleashed, Downfall reacts quick and kicks the defaced Stop sign right back into the jaw, sending it flying. Cedrone falls onto his backside, and Downfall rises up with a blazing eyed glare like a Terminator. Cedrone crawls away from Downfall, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. As Cedrone retreats around the corner, Downfall slides through the ring to cut him off, landing a dropkick to the face as he blocks the path. Dragging Cedrone up, Downfall drills Cedrone with an open hand, making him stumble back, and giving him a blistering, wince-inducing straight chop. Cedrone's yell of agony only seems to be drunk in by the furious Downfall, increasing the volume of the chops he levels across Cedrone's chest. Cedrone stumbles away, holding a chest which is going to be sporting some raised red blisters tomorrow, but Downfall follows right at his heels with more kicks and stomps. He lifts Cedrone up and gives him a suplex before dumping him, HARD, stomach first on the guardrail! Cedrone is half draped, half guillotined on the steel guardrail, and he groans in pain and holds his midsection, but stays in place. The fans in the front row urge on Downfall, reaching out to grasp him, but he brushes past them on a mission. With Cedrone still draped back over the barrier, Downfall crosses the aisle and hops onto the apron, then springboards off the middle rope with an Asai moonsault. Crashing down into Cedrone's back and squashing him onto the guardrail. All of the air leaves Cedrone's lungs in a humungous whoosh. Downfall is sent rolling out into the fans, while a breathless Cedrone slumps down onto the mats.
Chris Avery: Downfall is pulling out EVERYTHING in this Hardcore match, he's bringing it right into the front row!!
Downfall has to flail to get an arm over the guardrail, and blinks a bit, but Cedrone is contorting and trying to catch his breath down in the aisle. Downfall steps over the guardrail to the aisle again, as fans pat his shoulders. Downfall turns to Odin, who meets him with a headbutt, sending Downfall stumbling away. Downfall comes back with a strong style shoot kick right to the cheek, knocking Odin on his butt. Odin fights his way up with a stone handed punch which sends Downfall loopy, and Odin rises up, grabbing Downfall by the head and throwing him over the guardrail. Now Odin and Downfall are fighting in the fans, and Odin shoves a fan out of the way in the front row and grabs a steel chair, shutting it with a clack, and HURLING it right at Downfall's head as Downfall stumbles forward! The chair hits with an audible metallic sound, and Downfall drops to one knee, dazed. Odin grabs Downfall, wrapping him up in a bear hug, and ramming him into a concrete section that leads to the next level of seats. Downfall hits on his lower back, and groans. Odin wraps his arms around Downfall again, and drives him into the concrete section again, and the fans on that next level of seating jeer Odin and shower him with boos. Odin gives them a rude gesture.
Billy: Imagine paying $250 for those seats, getting absolutely fucked by Ticketmaster on fees, having to rush to get here early so you won't get really hosed trying to find parking in the city at this time of night and then you just get Odin Balfore grabbing his crotch at you.
Odin grabs Downfall around the throat, and walks him over along the side of the concrete level over to the steps with the metal railing in the middle, and holds Downfall while he looks around, talking trash, intending to chokeslam him directly onto the steps, but while Odin's attention is turned to talk trash to the people around him, Downfall strikes out like a lashing cobra, booting Odin right in the crotch. Odin's eyes fly open wide.
Chris Avery: And the All-Father falls like his World Tree has been turned into a stump!!
Billy: Hey, that was pretty good, someone's been studying his Norse Myths.
Downfall breathes and takes a short rest on the steps, before he grimaces at Odin, and lays in a few mounted punches to the head, before savagely kicking him over and sending him slumping off the concrete level to the level below. Angry, Downfall grabs Odin by the foot and begins dragging him up the set of stairs using the railing to help. Odin’s head bounces off the steps as Downfall drags him upward, nailing every step on the way up.
Billy: At least he’s not damaging anything that he uses!
Downfall pulls Odin to a square landing at the top of a flight of steps leading up into the crowd. He lifts the bigger man up, slamming his head off the middle rail. Odin groans and holds on to the rail. Downfall pounds him a few times with clubs to the back of the head. He sets Odin up, hooking him in position to give him a powerbomb.
Chris Avery: He’s not!
Billy: He is! He’s going to power bomb Odin on the concrete steps!
Downfall lifts Odin into the air…and Cedrone hits him with a flying tackle from out of nowhere! Both men go sprawling into the next row of fans. There's a tangle of limbs for a few moments as people are knocked over top of each other. Finally, Cedrone is up to his feet and he paces over to Odin, still on the square landing on the stairs. Cedrone grabs a medium sleeve of popcorn from another fan and there's an audible "BOOF" as Cedrone smashes the popcorn sleeve over Odin' head, spraying popcorn everywhere and not so much hurting Odin as it is just hitting him with a thing. Odin grunts. Cedrone grabs Odin by the hair, walking him even further up the steps towards the doorway leading out into the lobby of the arena! Suddenly, Odin reverses, slamming Cedrone hard down onto the metal rail. He wraps an arm around the throat of Cedrone and STO's him into the doorway. Then, Odin backs up, and he tackles a dazed Cedrone into the hall through the doors.
Billy: Quick! Let's all go to the lobby!!
Chris Avery: I think Odin hit his head out there against the door on the way out, he's laying there dazed.
Odin and Cedrone are both laid out, but Odin, shaking the cobwebs out, starts trying to get to his knees. But then, he's smacked over the back by the stinging plastic of a wet floor sign! Odin screams and arches his back as Downfall comes back into view. Downfall turns, holding the sign up and looking for Cedrone... but then he slips and lands the hard way on his back, having slipped on the wet floor!
Billy: ...That is just absurd.
Chris Avery: Those signs are there for a reason, and it is to indicate safety hazards.
Downfall groans, rolling over and holding his back. He can't believe his shitty luck and the ridiculous circumstances. He gets to his feet and is immediately taken down by a drop kick from Cedrone. Cedrone steadies himself, sees the wet floor, and knowing where it came from, Cedrone scans the nearby hallway. Cedrone opens a nearby closet and pulls out a mop. Odin starts to collect himself and Cedrone whacks him across the skull with the mop. Downfall sits up and Cedrone shoves the mop into Downfall’s face. Downfall goes down and begins gagging.
Chris Avery: I'll bet you anything that mop water was dirty, too.
Billy: With the janitorial staff we hire? I'll bet it was weeks old.
Cedrone grins, holding up the mop, and then he takes the mop in both hands like a quarterstaff and places it under Downfall's chin, lifting him up and placing the mop against his windpipe to choke Downfall out. He marches Downfall forward, pushing him into the door, and opening it back into the arena. Downfall groans and flails his arms, trying to break free. Finally, he stomps his foot back on Cedrone's foot. Cedrone hops on his one foot for a second, and Downfall turns and kicks him in the groin, a straight punt right up the middle. Cedrone winces, his voice becomes a strained, ongoing whimper, and his eyes well up with tears. He falls to a fetal position.
Billy: Very satisfying, anyone who's met Cedrone has wanted to do that.
Snarling, Downfall pushes over Cedrone, looking for a cover. But after getting what in his head was a 1... 2... 3... he looks around, seeing no referee. He curses to himself.
Billy: This IS falls count anywhere, but the referee's fat ass has to catch up to them to get the pin!
Downfall snarls and he grips Cedrone by the hair. Cedrone is still holding his poor junk, bro. He weakly allows himself to be dragged by Downfall, who decides to take him back to the ring. They reenter the arena and Downfall begins walking Cedrone down the steps. But it is at this precise moment that Odin comes back into the picture and clubs Downfall over the back of the head, taking him off balance. Downfall is precariously standing on the top of a step but Odin, aggressively pounds him, knees him in the face, and then kicks him in the gut then grabbing him by the back of the hair HURLS Downfall down the flights of steps! Downfall takes some bone rattling hits as he rolls down step after step. Odin is now the one holding his arms up and screaming some choice words. Disdainfully Odin looks at the cringing, hurting Cedrone, then he shakes his head off in disdain. He walks down the flight of steps to find where Downfall stopped. Odin clubs Downfall over the back as he goes to the very badly damaged Downfall. He clubs him over the back. He grabs him in a front facelock and turns, then he lifts him up as in for a front suplex and drapes him the hard way over the guardrail. Downfall hits guts first, and groans. Odin then climbs over the guardrail, going to the side of Downfall that is dangling out over the aisle, then gripping the legs in a wheelbarrow suplex. He lifts Downfall off the apron, and in an innovative move, lifts the wheelbarrow up off the guardrail, then swings him across the aisle like a baseball bat, smashing Downfall into the apron!!
Chris Avery: Good GOD!!!
Billy: I have never seen strength on display like Odin. He just ragdolled Downfall.
Odin is stalking Downfall now. He chuckles arrogantly as Downfall weakly tries to push himself up on his elbows. Odin lifts Downfall up and throws him into the ring. Odin, taking his time, stalks by Downfall as once more tries to get to his hands and knees and again a stomp from Odin drives his face first into the canvas! A third time he gets to his hands and knees and a third time Odin raises his foot to stomp him in the small of the back... but Downfall flips over onto his spine with a quickness and kicks upwards, his foot connecting with Odin’s family jewels. Now it's Odin who's eyes fly open wide, and his mouth opens up.
Billy: And we are two for two for ball crushing!
Chris Avery: It's all legal, and falls count anywhere!!
Odin drops to his knees holding himself and Downfall jams both feet directly into his face knocking him onto his back. Now it’s Odin’s turn to roll over onto his stomach…but Downfall doesn’t give him any room to get away and locks him in a heel hook. Odin bellows in pain, but curls his hands into fists and refuses to tap. The ref asks if he wants to tap and Odin screams ‘Never!’ Downfall leans back, ramping up the pain as he wrenches the leg of Odin in a direction it's not supposed to go, and causing the All-Father to jam a fist against his mouth to keep from yelling in pain.
Chris Avery: The Twist of Cain is locked in HARD on that knee of Odin, and it looks severely effective.
Seconds tick by and Odin refuses to tap or to quit. Soon his eyes close. The ref lifts his arm once and it drops to the canvas. The ref lifts his arm a second time and again, it drops to the canvas. The ref lifts his arm a third time…and out of nowhere Cedrone tags Downfall with a penalty kick of his own sending him flying across the ring! Downfall sprawls on the canvas as Cedrone turns his attention to the downed Odin. Odin is slowly getting to his feet, his hand on the small of his back. Cedrone smiles and launches a kick to the face but Odin catches his foot…Cedrone smiles even bigger and lands an enziguri that sends the big man reeling backwards! Cedrone grabs him by the wrist and Irish whips him into the corner. Cedrone runs in and gives him a double jumping knee strike. Odin dangles limply in the corner by one arm, and Cedrone runs around, gathering up steam like a locomotive to run back into the corner and gives him a face wash. Cedrone exits the corner, looking over to Gloria Cedrone and motioning that they're coming home with TWO titles. Then he pushes Odin down. Pinning predicament here.
The referee: One...
Two... Kickout.
Now Cedrone goes outside, searches under the ring, and he pulls out a kendo stick. He gets on the apron, and he holds the kendo stick and winking at Gloria, who smirks and applauds as if the "King Of Sexy" knows how to swing a shaft of wood, all right, he he he... but suddenly, Odin' hand shoots out, grabbing the end of the kendo stick, and he pulls it in and snaps it over his knee emphatically. It's such a pointed metaphor that the "King of Sexy" despairs at the plight of his broken shaft of wood and looks flabbergasted. Odin then grips both ends of the broken kendo stick, lacing them between Cedrone's legs and driving the wood right into that tender area. Cedrone groans as his nether regions take this abuse, and Odin grips his half of the broken kendo stick, holding it as he clutches Cedrone and giving him a back suplex with the broken kendo stick between his legs. Cedrone hits hard.
Chris Avery: There's a metaphor about manhood in here that's so obvious that Hemingway wouldn't dare.
Billy: Plus, that kendo stick was a little too long. Odin would have had to break it into fourths, or fractions.
Odin pulls Cedrone to his feet and drills him with a running powerslam. Odin has to rest for a second, but Cedrone contorts on the mat, with his hand to his lower back in obvious pain. Odin pulls up Cedrone once more and hits a second powerslam, sending Cedrone rolling around, holding his back again. Odin advances on Cedrone but Downfall is up now! Downfall runs up behind Odin with a kick…Odin spins around and catches the kick! Downfall goes for the enziguri…but Odin ducks under it and spins Downfall around before he levels him with a clothesline to his back that sends him crashing to the canvas! Odin walks over to Downfall and pulls him off the canvas with a front face lock before taking him face first to the canvas with a DDT! Odin then turns to Cedrone who is trying to rise and takes him over with a DDT as well! Odin pulls Cedrone up once more and then runs across the ring with him to hit a massive bulldog! Cedrone is down and unmoving. Odin turns back to Downfall and pulls him up off the canvas to level him with a short arm clothesline! Odin holds both hands up in the air as he surveys both of his downed opponents.
Chris Avery: Odin is focused on claiming that Hardcore title. He's doing it in the name of his partnership and the legacy both he and Corey Black have with hardcore wrestling!
Billy: That's all well and good, but I think he's going to have to kill Downfall to do that, and I think Odin is okay with that.
Odin pulls Downfall to his feet once more and Irish whips him into the ropes…he bounces off and Odin is waiting with a pop-up lift for a popup powerbomb…but Downfall leaps into the air and lands with his legs around Odin’s head. Looks like he is going for a hurricanrana here…Odin is trying to counter… Odin stumbles backwards into the ropes and both go over the top rope to the outside!
Chris Avery: What a spill, what an amazing counter to the Stormbreaker, both men are down!
The referee checks on both men. Neither one are moving, but it's not exactly like countouts are on. Enough time transpires that the referee probably would have been at a count of, say, six. Finally, both men start working their way up to their knees. Odin is the first up, using the apron to steady himself. Downfall grabs the bigger man, whips him around and nails him with a roaring elbow that stumbles the big man but doesn't take him off his feet. Odin comes back with a european uppercut that staggers Downfall away. Both men recoup and come back towards each other, throwing heating fists at a furious exchange. Out of nowhere, Cedrone, having scaled the turnbuckles, leaps off with a high dive, taking them all down and all three are down on the outside!
Chris Avery: Are you kidding me?!
Billy: Jonny... Cedrone?? Doing a DIVE?? What world is this??
Chris Avery: I think Cedrone is putting it all on the line, he wants to show that he is not Gerard Angelo's flunkey or the joke people take him as!
The ref, dismayed by the carnage, holds his hands to his head. He can't count the three men out. They're all groaning and moving around out there. After several more long moments, Cedrone gets up rolls Downfall back into the ring. Odin is up as Cedrone is getting into the ring himself. Odin grabs Cedrone pulling him out of the ring. Cedrone grips the arm and pulls Odin in for a suplex. He hoists Odin upside down in position for a vertical suplex, holding him there for a DELAYED vertical suplex and freeing one arm a la Bobby Lashley. With his free arm he shows off his guns. Then, he finally drops back into the aisle, crushing Odin into the concrete with a vertical suplex. Cedrone rolls into the ring, then thinks better of it, rolling back out, lifting Downfall by the back of his pants and throwing him in. Cedrone lifts Downfall up, as he hooks Downfall's arms in position for a reverse STO/Mic Check, and drops him with it. He goes for a cover.
Chris Avery: CASH OUT!!
The referee: One...
Two...
Three - Odin breaks it up!!
Odin clubs Cedrone over the back of the head, pounding him and leaving him laying, then he scoops Downfall up and throws him out of the ring, and Downfall ragdolls over the ropes to land on the floor. Odin turns to Cedrone, lifts him up, and gives him a jackknife powerbomb. Odin sinks to one knee, exhausted, but then, he scrambles into a cover!
Chris Avery: AND NOW THE MARK OF ODIN!!The referee: ONE...
TWO...
THREE - Downfall runs in the ring and performs a leaping stomp on the back of Odin's head!!
Chris Avery: No! Odin was so close! Odin nearly ended the 248 day reign of Downfall!!Downfall struggles to lift the bigger man up from a dead weight position, but he feeds him out through the ropes and Odin falls through the bottom and middle rope to the outside; Odin slumps and looks spent. Downfall, riding a surge of energy, has a manic look as he races across the ring, grabs his crowbar, and stands up with it in hand. Cedrone is pulling himself up on all fours, and Downfall is seething now, egging Cedrone to get up, standing behind him in waiting position with the crowbar in his hand and every bit of the anger he's been feeling brewing in him since Uprising over Cedrone screwing him out of the All-In briefcase by holding onto him, he clenches the crowbar in one hand and as Cedrone stumbles up, stunned and glassy eyed, he totters on unsteady legs and turns around just as Downfall turns out his lights with a wince inducing shot right across the forehead with the crowbar! Cedrone falls back, immediately busted open!
Chris Avery: OH MY GOD!!
Billy: THAT - THAT COULD PUT HIM IN THE HOSPITAL!!Downfall is clearly drained after this brutal sprint of a match, but he drops the crowbar from a bleeding hand and crawls over to make the cover on Cedrone.
The referee and the crowd: ONE...
TWO...
Odin scrambles under the rope and dives in trying to break up the pin -
THREE!!!
Ding Ding Ding
Chris Avery: I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! HE DID IT! DOWNFALL DID IT AGAIN!Billy: WHAT AN AMAZING FINISH, WHAT AN AMAZING TEST BETWEEN THREE DUDERS WHO SHOWED HOW MUCH THEY WANTED IT THIS WEEK!Odin covers his head in his hands as Downfall pushes up on one elbow, exhausted and spent.
Adilene Floyd: Hereeeee is your winner... and STILLLLL AW HARDCORE CHAMPION... DOWNFALL!!!"Before I Forget" by Slipknot hits on the PA, and an emotional Downfall pushes up to a kneeling position, and he's handed the Hardcore title belt. He looks down at Cedrone, and the anger crosses his face because his need for vengeance still isn't satisfied after caving his head in with a crowbar, but he looks at the Hardcore belt in his hands with pride, and gets to his feet, holding the belt up and raising his hands in victory.
Chris Avery: What a win!!Billy: Wait a minute, what's he doing now??Downfall is calling for a mic, and he motions for the referees to "Get that trash out of my ring" as the referees and Gloria Cedrone are helping a bleeding Jonny Cedrone out. Cedrone is conscious, but his expression is stunned and shell-shocked as he looks as if he's been in a car accident. Trainers and EMTS are already rushing in to attend to his head wound, with a worried expression, and Gloria props his arm around her shoulders. Downfall watches them go, but then he takes a mic.
Downfall: I told you all that I had a decision I was making tonight. And this just proves it. AW management threw what was supposed to be, my toughest challenge tonight, at me, two of the men who crossed me at Uprising; Two of the men I've bumped into time and again in AW. Men like Odin, who claimed that he set the mark for what this division is supposed to be. Men like Cedrone, who asked over and over, who am I going to be when I don't have the Hardcore title in my grasp anymore? Well...He chuckles, still a tad breathless, sweat and bloody running down his wet hair, and he puts the Hardcore title, and it's burned strap, over his shoulder.
Downfall: They weren't man enough to beat me. And that's the entire point. Nobody HAS been. I asked a question, did this title forge me, did it change me into something that nobody has been able to stop? Or did I, make this championship. And take it as far as I could go with it. And defended it for 248 days, and prove that I couldn't be stopped. And I walked out with it tonight, still, STILL, AW Hardcore champion.And that answers every question I've ever had.He takes the title off of his shoulder, folds the straps together under it, and holds it in one hand.
Downfall: So the informed decision that I proved with tonight's win stands as this. As of right now...He pauses, takes a deep breath, and smiles.
Downfall: I AM RETIRING THE ACTION WRESTLING HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP.The crowd clamors, buzzing loudly, confusion, consternation, excitement, all of the varied emotions. Downfall drinks it in.
Downfall: I've proven for 248 days, nobody they've sent for this can beat me for it. I've done everything I can in the name of elevating it, of elevating a division that mattered to me... but at a certain point, I was always going to move on. But I'm not going to simply drop this fucking title on Alexander Pasternak's desk and tell him to give it to someone else unworthy. No. No, this title deserves more than that, and more than -(Points at the back of Cedrone)
Downfall: - Chumps like THAT would ever give it. So given that nobody here can BEAT me for this championship, I am taking it where it is now. I've raised it to it's high-water mark that only a handful could have ever hoped to match; Now I'm taking it off the board. Nobody is ever GOING to beat me for this. Not Odin, not Corey, not any of you idiots from CU:LT, nobody is hardcore enough. For so long...He inhales, closing his eyes softly, and lets it out, and you can feel him, finally, letting go.
Downfall: For so long, I said this WAS my World Title, and I treated it as such. Now I'm taking it home, for good. I'm removing it from the narrative, and I'm moving on to one last item of business. Because I've proven that these coming for me aren't on my level. Now, Gerard... and finally, Jill fucking Park... I'm coming for what's mine.He comes in close to the camera as he holds the Hardcore title belt.
Downfall: So while I'm taking this and I am going home with it, you won't have to wait long. Because I'm coming for what's yours next. Mark my words.He throws the mic down, and the crowd, still stunned by Downfall's proclamation of retiring the belt, reacts with a big pop. Downfall exits the ring, and holds the Hardcore belt, staring at it's burned, blistered, fraying strap, and then, he turns his back on the crowd, holding the title up in one hand, as if showing it to everyone so they can say goodbye to it for good.
Billy: I ... I don't believe what I just heard... Downfall won tonight, and now... the Hardcore title is being RETIRED??Chris Avery: Fearless, dominating, implacable... Downfall has definitely gone down in AW history for what he's done with the Hardcore title, and he's proven himself to be one of our greatest champions.Downfall stands on the stage, back to the crowd, and he holds the Hardcore title belt up to them one last time before he takes it home for good.