Superstar plays as we await what we believe to be the challenger. Indeed it is as Rusty makes his way into the arena but instead of heading to the ring, he pauses on the stage. Rusty looks back to the curtain and signals for someone to join him. In something that’s beyond rare to see, IC and Rusty, champion and challenger, come to the ring together to the same entrance music. The words of the song, speaking about how it’s time for someone else to take command are very appropriate here, as IC may be fighting for the leadership as well as the ultimate respect from his teammates. Both men enter the ring from opposite sides, giving us the staredown that only a world title match can truly deliver. We get the big fight introductions as the belt is held about the head of the official and we get the sound of the bell, meaning it’s time to go!
The pair circle each other as they’ve never been one on one before. They lock up and IC shoves Rusty away with relative ease. Rusty needs to try to keep this on the mat if he wants to have any chance at all of winning back the title here as he simply can’t try to match power with a man like this. They lock up again and Rusty goes behind IC in a waist lock but IC just grabs the hands and breaks the hold with ease. IC grabs Rusty by the head and snap mares him over before backing off as Rusty realizes he might be in trouble. Rusty comes at him again and a third time he’s over powered as he goes for an Irish Whip but is reversed and backdropped by IC with even more ease. Rusty is holding his back as IC shows off the big guns that he used to send Rusty that high into the air. Rusty slaps the mat in frustration as he realizes that IC may in fact be too strong for him.
They lock up one more time but Rusty goes for a wrist lock instead. IC grabs both their wrists and lifts Rusty up into the lights, which is exactly what Rusty was looking for. With a very fast pair of legs, Rusty locks them around the head of the monster and backflips out of that position in a hurricanrana to send IC down! Rusty drops as many elbows as he can to keep the champion on the mat and after about six of them his plan seems to be working. IC is trying to get to his feet but Rusty lands a low dropkick right into the chest of the big man to send him back down and leave his head underneath the bottom rope. Rusty grabs the top rope and jumps over it to come down with a double axe handle smash right into the chest of the OCW World Heavyweight Champion. An elbow to the jaw follows as Rusty is moving as fast as he can now. Back on the apron, Rusty drops a bigger elbow onto IC who is trying to just get out of the way at this point.
After a solid headbutt right to the face of the champion, Rusty climbs back in and tries to go after the big man’s knee. This doesn’t work as IC’s powerful legs just shove him off and send him back into the corner. The champion is getting his wits about him now and is climbing back to his feet. Rusty tries one more time to keep IC down and charges at him with a baseball slide to the arm but IC is out of the way in time. Instead he grabs onto Rusty’s head and goes for a crossface on the injured arm and shoulder. The hold is locked on and Rusty is screaming in pain. Rusty is desperately reaching for the ropes but IC pulls him away. However, the movement that IC has to use to get Rusty towards the middle is just enough for Rusty to roll through and get IC in a cradle! The referee is in perfect position and gets a two count, but IC breaks the hold just in time to escape and not get pinned for the title. Using his good arm, Rusty is able to land a solid elbow to the face of IC which sends him backwards long enough for Rusty to get to the floor for a breather.
IC goes after him but pauses just in time, as he realizes that the best place for IC to keep his title is in the middle of the ring where Rusty can’t use his quickness and craftiness to counter the power of IC. Rusty is shaking his arm to try to get the feeling back into it as the pain is clearly very bad at this point after having his arm cranked on for only a few seconds. That arm is in very bad shape at this point and he’s trying to keep it in one piece. At the count of 8 he’s back in the ring with IC just waiting as if to say I know you can’t beat you and there’s nothing you can do about it. Rusty very tentatively circles around IC who is just standing in the middle of the ring with his eyes on his opponent, waiting for the right moment. They lock up again and Rusty trips the leg out from underneath the big man to try to take him down and this time it actually works. Rusty has the big man where he wants him now but isn’t sure what to do with him now that he’s got him there. He chooses to drive his knee into the side of the head of IC to try to hold him down. A knee to the side of the head has IC in trouble now as he can’t use that awesome power of his from the position that he’s in.
Rusty pounds away at IC with everything he’s got for several minutes, trying desperately to wear down this powerful man that stands between him and the world title. Even with the size of IC, he can’t do much while on his back, which is where Rusty would like to keep him. A big leg drop does quite a bit to do just that as it gets a short two count. Another leg drop is attempted but IC gets out of the way. The power man is up to one knee but Rusty catches him with a running knee lift to put him back on the mat. A big elbow gets another one count as IC is trying again to get up. The forearms of Rusty do little damage as IC lands a big shot to the ribs of the challenger. Another one and Rusty is in big trouble. The challenger shoves IC back and hits the ropes for a clothesline. IC ducks behind him and locks his arms around the waist of Rusty, lifting him high into the air and folding him up in a massive Irish suplay! Rusty is in big trouble as we go to a break with IC screaming at his teammate to get up.
On the outside now, Rusty and IC continue slugging it out as we’re back from break. During the commercial we see that Rusty took IC to the floor with a Cactus clothesline, leaving them in the predicament that they’re in now. A huge right hand from IC sends Rusty reeling backwards into the guard rail but a diving splash misses completely! Rusty slams the face of IC into the railing and then does it again. An elbow to the back of IC’s head sends him down to one knee and a spinning neckbreaker puts him on his back on the floor. Rusty breaks the count by sliding back into the ring for a second before coming back outside to continue the fight. He picks up IC but the champion counters by sweeping the legs out and putting Rusty in a sling shot, sending him face first into the steel post!
Both men are down now with Rusty’s head being busted open from being slammed into the steel. IC is on his knees now and crawling over to his opponent. Right hands to the head follow as instinct takes over for the big man. A big headbutt and Rusty is in even more trouble. IC also slides back into the ring to break up another count but stays on the apron this time instead of going back to the floor for more violence. He stands perched, waiting on Rusty to get to his feet. The challenger staggers to his feet as IC waits behind him. With Rusty’s back to him, IC dives off the apron and hooks a bulldog on Rusty, driving him face first straight down into the concrete! The blood is flowing from Rusty’s head as IC tries to lift his opponent back into the ring where he can pin him but Rusty is almost dead weight. As powerful as the world champion is, this is taking time. He rolls Rusty back in as Rusty is starting to wake up, holding his head. IC climbs back up to the apron but Rusty is awake again. He lands a perfect right hand directly to the kneecap of his teammate, sending the big man down off the apron and causing him to land face first on it as he crashes down.
He holds onto his face as Rusty is up on his feet now. The challenger mounts the top rope with IC not looking back at him. IC is hunched over the announce table, holding his nose which looks to be completely broken. Rusty takes the opportunity and dives off with a legdrop onto the back of IC’s head, slamming him face first into the table which breaks down completely! Both men are down as Rusty’s already injured arm smacked off the ground with all of that impact at the same time that IC went crashing into the table. The cast that had been holding it in place for the majority of the mask is being painted red by the blood that is trickling down from Rusty’s forehead. Both men are down as the referee is checking them both. The words “you stop this match and I’ll kill you” can be heard coming from the mouth of the challenger as he can barely move with his arm held tightly to him. We go to another break with both men are still down on the floor and neither is appearing to get up.
Back from the break, we have both men on their knees and hammering away with right hands to the cuts that the other man has. After four or five solid shots each, Rusty springs forward with an exploding clothesline that takes IC down to the ground again. The pain in his arm is excruciating at the moment as Rusty tries to pick himself up by one arm to get back into the ring. IC uses the stairs to pull himself back inside as the battle continues with both men bleeding heavily at this point. It’s Rusty to his feet first, although he’s virtually a one armed man now. With IC barely able to move, Rusty charges at him and leaps into the air to land a huge splash in the corner! IC’s head slams into the buckle, sending him down to his knees again. Rusty uses his one good arm to whip IC into the opposite corner where the champion has to use the ropes to hold himself up. A running charge leads to another diving splash which connects again! IC is barely standing at this point as Rusty sends him into the corner one more time. Rusty has his momentum back now and charges at the giant a third time, but IC falls to one knee, causing Rusty to land on the turnbuckle. IC gets back to his feet and lands a big boot right to the side of the face of the challengers before almost collapsing in the middle of the ring.
Rusty grabs the top rope and somehow hangs on. As IC is trying to get to his feet with the referee checking to see if he’s able to continue, Rusty is mounting the top rope. With the last bit of energy that he has in him, Rusty is waiting on the OCW Champion to turn around. As IC is finally coherent again he turns to face his fellow Impact Player. Rusty dives off the top rope and comes off with a huge clothesline that nails IC right on target and the big man is down again! Rusty is almost out of it, but IC has grabbed the arm of Rusty that collided with his chest and has the presence of mind of lock on an armbar! Rusty is screaming in pain as both men are on the mat with Rusty’s arm over IC! The referee looks down and begins to make a count on IC, whose shoulders are on the mat while he has Rusty in the hold. Rusty is barely hanging on as the referee gets to one. At two Rusty’s arm is at an incredibly odd angle! As the referee’s hand is coming down for the three, Rusty’s free hand is about to slap the mat! Both hit at the same time as Rusty is tapping while IC is being pinned!
Rusty has no idea what’s going on as IC immediately lets go of the hold. IC saw Rusty’s hand tapping and raises his arms in victory but the referee won’t raise it. He looks at Rusty and then to IC and doesn’t know what to do. IC was pinned at the same time Rusty tapped out so who is supposed to win? The referee walks around the ring shaking his head as KB comes out to confer with the participants. Rusty is holding his arm and finally looks up to see what is going on. Medics are at ringside to check on the man that could be the new and now 5 time OCW Champion. The boss has the belt in his hands and looks down at it before holding it up in the air as we fade out to end the show!
