Some fireworks shoot out of the stage area as Catherine Connor welcomes us to Ascension
Connor: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the ninth edition of Ascension. Tonight we are emanating from Raleigh in the great state of North Carolina. We have another stellar show set up for you tonight and without further ado, let me introduce you to my broadcast partner, Jack Cohen!
Cohen: Yes, folks! Another great show is on the way and to start it all off, we have the true Champion, Steamboat Ricky ready to address his adoring fans.
The camera pans to show Ricky inside the ring with a mic in his hand. He raises it to his mouth and is drowned out by the hot Raleigh crowd.
Ricky: A few weeks ago, a terrible, terrible attack took place on the number one contender for the WZCW Heavyweight Championship.
Ricky lets a sly smile reach the corner of his mouth as he continues.
Ricky: Now, obviously people were going to jump to conclusions. I got a suspension and the business of the rWo was interrupted because of this attack. That, to the true Champion, is unacceptable. I made it my business to find out who carried out this atrocity and after a rigorous search, I have found the men who carried out the attack.
The crowd gasp as Ricky continues his monologue.
Ricky: Well, that is not exactly true. I know one of the men. That man, has been asking for trouble for a while now and tonight he is going to have to deal with the consequences. Tonight, that man faces the wrath of the most dominant force in WZCW and he will know that no one messes in the affairs of the rWo.
Ricky drops the mic that he was holding and exits the ring.
Cohen: You see, CC. This is already shaping up to be one of the best Ascensions to date.
Connor: You have that exactly right, Jack. After weeks of speculation, Steamboat Rocky has promised to reveal who one of the mystery attackers are tonight. However, we have a great match coming up folks. Hunter Kravinoff vs Doug Crashin is up next, and it kicks off an action packed Ascension!
The bell sounds
Anderson: The following contest is scheduled for one fall!
The lights go out of the arena. Green money signs fill the spot lights as they pan in the arena while strobes flash as Black Betty starts playing. A spotlight shines down on the stage as newcomer Doug Crashin appears on the stage with his back to the camera. He turns around and starts to strut down the ramp as he insults some fans. He climbs into the ring and tells Anderson to leave the ring and motions for a ceiling mic to drop down.
Crashin: Ladies and Gentleman! Opening Ascension tonight is a man who weighs in tonight at 240 pounds! He hails from Yokohama, Japan and is The Incredible One, Doug Craaaaassssshhhhhiiiiinnnnnn!
Connor: Certainly knows how to make his presence felt!
Cohen: And dont you know it!
Crashin lets go of the mic as the lights go back up as Devil Inside by INXS kicks in as the Leopard tight wearing Hunter Kravinoff walks out hastily onto the stage and down the ramp, looking almost confused while giving the audience a strange and yet murderous looking stare.
Anderson: His opponent, from The East African Republic of Uganda, weighing in at 245 pounds, Hunter Kravinoff!
Connor: Hunter Kravinoff, makes his first televised appearance on WZCW, and much like Crashin, this is his first contracted match. Both will look to make further impressions, having already impressed our scouts late on in 2009!
Kravinoff climbs into the ring and stares Crashin down, but Crashin just shrugs and kicks him in the abs as the bell rings, he follows with a right and another, backing Kravinoff into the corner and continues with the rights until the referee tells him to break off the attack after counting to four. Crashin backs off for a second and goes in again but Kravinoff dodges and hits some rights of his own, he then irish whips Crashin into the other corner who hits the turnbuckle front first and staggers backwards into backdrop from his opponent. Hunter gets up and gets Crashin up with him before lifting him up in a slow moving suplex, giving him the full effect of hitting the canvas, he goes for a pin attempt 1 ..2 kickout by Crashin.
Hunter gets Doug off his feet and irish whips him, he goes for a big boot but Doug ducks under it and then grabs the ropes to stop him from running and slides out the ring to a series of boos, to which Doug questions why the crowd is taunting him. Hunter stands in the ring, telling Crashin to get in the ring and then proceeds to taunt him. Doug then climbs onto the apron and Hunter goes over, but is met with a high kick to the head from his opponent, Crashin then climbs in, kicks him in the leg, followed by another in the midsection, he takes a step back and takes down Kravinoff with a spinning roundhouse to the head. He then tries to lock in the STC but Kravinoff is quick to the ropes and he is forced to break the hold.
Connor: Kravinoffs quite good with knowing his surroundings
Cohen: As is Crashin, did you see that kick he did after that excellent plan to give himself some time outside of the ring?
Both men are quick to their feet as Crashin gives a right to Kravinoffs head to make him lose composure for moment, but Kravinoff responds with his own and he goes for a huge right which makes Crashin lose his balance and turn his back to his opponent, for goes for a Tiger suplex, but Crashin leaps over his head and then locks in the Crossface Crashin Wing, keeping his arms wrapped around Hunters head and eventually wrapping his legs around his torso when hes finally on the mat. Kravinoff has a tense look of trying to hold the pressure from his opponent but refuses to tap.
After a few minutes, Kravinoff looks like hes waning and the ref lifts his arm up in the air, he drops it down and it hits the ground, 1. He lifts it up a second time, it drops again, 2. He goes for the third and final lift, but the arm stays in the air as Crashin looks shocked and Kravinoff starts shaking and is able to roll onto his knees with Crashin still on his back. Hes eventually fully vertical and then drops onto his back, sandwiching Crashin between him and the mat.
Cohen: Im starting to like this Kravinoff, hes got durability on him!
Connor: But give credit to Crashin for showing his arsenal against him
Both men are slow to get back up but Hunter is up first and sees Crashin is just behind in the race to being vertical, so he runs and goes for a lariat, but Doug seems to catch him in midair and reverse with a powerslam like cradle, he goes for a cover 1 ..2 .kickout. Crashin doesnt believe the luck of the situation, but is quick to get up and stand posed waiting for Hunter to get up as well, hes feeling the moment coming and theres time no time for it. Eventually Hunter is up and is met with a middle finger, followed by a kick to the midsection and he goes for the Crashin Cutter, but Hunter makes him over-spin and then hits his Double-Underhook DDT. Cover by Kravinoff, 1 .2 ..3.
Anderson: Here is your winner, Hunter Kravinoff!
Connor: Impressive match by these men but its Hunter who gets the impressive debut against his opponent tonight.
Cohen: His opponent? How dare you disrespect Doug Crashin, he is the future of this company, mark my words! Anyway, what do we have next?
Connor: Its the first Elite X League match of the night, now while we unfortunately had the Elite X lose out on the Two Pointer this week, no doubt well have some excitement as we edge closer to finding out Frankie Smiths
Cohen: Or Austin Reynolds
Connor: ...opponent at Kingdom Come! Not to mention we have the Battle of the Challengers, and Ricky unveils the mystery behind Titus attacker! Still feels rather sceptical about this.
Cohen: Stop with this paranoia and enjoy the rest of what is going to be a great show here in Raleigh!
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We cut backstage to Titus who is pacing back and forth, unsure what to make of Ricky's announcement at the start of the show. There's a knock at the door and in come Carmen Bratchny.
Bratchny: Hey Titus, listen, don't let this Ricky business affect you now. He's my business at Kingdom Come, let's take care of Second Coming tonight and hopefully this situation will work itself out. I wouldn't trust anything Ricky has to say given the amount of deceit he's given us for the past number of months.
Titus stops for a moment to let what Bratchny said sink in.
Titus...You know, you're right Carmen. But it's more about what if Ricky has done enough lying to prove that when he tells the truth, we don't know whether to accept it as a lie or believe it?
Bratchny: He's throwing you off your game and all because you got the shot he didn't get, so he parades himself as the champion he's not? He'll get his comeuppance soon, but for now, lets focus on the now. Second Coming, beat them, get closer to Kingdom Come. I'll let you have some focusing time, but I'll see you later tonight.
Titus: Cheers Bratch!
Bratchny leaves as Titus sighs and puts his hands on his hips while in deep thought.