Masters of Wrestling closed out 2020 in Philadelphia, PA with the biggest show of the year.
Larry Loudmouth kicked off the show by thanking fans for making the incredible journey of MoW’s return possible and promised that 2021 would be an even bigger year. Loudmouth then invited Mark Blood to join him. Blood came down to the ring and shook Loudmouth’s hand. Blood commented on the strong first year that the revived MoW has had and felt sure that Final Round would be fitting end of MoW’s first step back into the wrestling world. Loudmouth recapped Blood’s time in MoW, becoming MoW Champion, and fighting back against the Rapid Fire Rebellion. Loudmouth then mentioned that Blood did not have a match on the Final Round card and asked him why. Blood said that the competition in MoW is fierce and there is only room on a show for so many people. Blood said that while he did not fit into the plans for Final Round, he is proud of the accomplishments he had throughout the year and will make an even bigger impact in 2021. Blood then congratulated everyone in MoW for being a part of an incredible journey and said it was enough talking and time to celebrate. The fans chanted “M O W!” and Loudmouth welcomed everyone to Final Round 2020!
The show started hot with a MoW Team Championship match. Killer Malone and Marty Anderson defended the titles against The Navigators, Aidan North and Pete Arrow. The champions ruled the roost at the start, using quick tags, wearing down Arrow while separating him from North. Arrow blocked a spinebuster from Anderson and crushed Anderson’s back with a double axe handle. Arrow began a big offense, that finished with clotheslining Anderson over the ropes, back body dropping Malone, and then yelling out in a rally cry before tagging in North. North dove off the apron into Anderson before rolling him into the ring and continuing his team’s momentum. North hit a shooting star press on Anderson and covered for a pin but Malone stepped in to break up the count. North continued his attack but Anderson tripped up North and used the opportunity to tag in Malone. Malone came in with fresh energy and battled North. North tagged Arrow. Malone and Arrow traded offense until Arrow got Malone dazed after a shot into the turnbuckle. Arrow went for a powerbomb, but Malone hit Arrow with a knockout punch before he could be slammed to the mat. Malone crawled to tag in Anderson who quickly caught up with Arrow, slammed him with a spinebuster, hit North a boot to the face, and then covered Arrow for the victory. Malone and Anderson celebrated their win. The Navigators entered the ring to shake hands with the defending champions in a show of respect.
John Austin Baker and Jax Rivers competed in a Bull Rope Match. Each man’s wrist was tied to one end of a thick rope before the bell rang. Rivers yelled at Baker and Baker responded by pulling on the rope, sending Rivers stumbling forward. Baker used the slack of the rope to whip Rivers before slugging him with forearms to the back. Baker dominated Rivers, whipped him with the bull rope, and pummeled him around the ring. Baker used a short arm lariat that knocked Rivers to the mat in a heap. Baker covered for a pin, but Rivers kicked out. Baker pulled Rivers to his feet and continued attacking him with the bull rope. Baker wrapped the rope around Rivers’ arms and torso, making him defenseless for another lariat. Baker once again covered for a pin, but Rivers kicked out. Baker began to whip Rivers with the bull rope until Rivers began bleeding from his back. Baker stalked around Rivers, waiting for him to get up. Rivers pulled the rope to try and get Baker to come forward, but his grip was weak. Baker stood firm. Baker reached down to grab Rivers by the hair and that is when Rivers made his move. Rivers quickly wrapped the bull rope around Baker’s throat and began to choke him. Baker struggled to free himself as Rivers tightened the rope. Baker threw himself forward, causing Rivers to tumble face first into a turnbuckle. Baker stood up and walked right into Rivers, who slammed Baker to the mat with a flap jack. Rivers tried for a pin, but Baker rolled a shoulder up. Rivers whipped Baker with the bull rope several times, but Baker dodged a strike and returned with a punch to Rivers’ jaw. Baker and Rivers traded punches over and over. Rivers’ lip split open, but he continued to trade punches until Baker hit him with a punch that cracked his nose, spraying blood. Baker shoved Rivers into a turnbuckle and then ran at him with a big boot. Rivers was still standing but dazed. He taunted Baker to continue. Baker ran at him again with another big boot. Rivers was propped up by the turnbuckle but appeared to be out on his feet. Baker hit a third big boot and the referee stepped in, shoving Baker backward as Rivers collapsed to the mat in a pool of blood. John Austin Baker was declared the winner as medical staff attended to Rivers. Rivers’ wife, Cate Stiles, ran down to ringside and was visibly upset and concerned as her husband was helped to the backstage area.
Maria Estrella and Kami King teamed up to face Shannon Worth and Claudia Winter. Estrella got the best of Worth in the opening moments of the match, but Worth managed to turn it around and wore down Estrella before tagging in Winter. Winter struck Estrella with kicks before wrapping her arm in a submission. Winter and Worth tagged frequently and weakened Estrella’s arm and back. Estrella broke free from Winter and tagged in King. Winter stepped back and called in Worth. Both women confronted King and encouraged her to turn on Estrella and join them. King stared at them for a long moment before flattening Worth with a superkick. Winter looked shocked and then turned toward King. Winter scolded King for rejecting them. King took the fight to Winter, chasing her around the ring. Winter tried to escape the ring but was pulled back in by the hair. King whipped Winter off the ropes and hit her on the rebound with a superkick. King covered for a pin and won the match. Estrella stepped into the ring to celebrate with King. Estrella raised King’s hand in victory. King stepped back as Estrella looked out at the crowd and threw them a peace sign. When Estrella turned around, King hit her with a superkick! Estrella fell to the mat and King looked down at her, angry. The audience booed as King hopped out of the ring and walked backstage without explanation.
Andre Jordan and Hardcore Adam met in a Two Out of Three Falls Match. Jordan and Adam locked up and Jordan took the early lead in the match. Jordan worked fast to wear the veteran down with a chain of wrestling throws and holds. Jordan looked to get the first fall quickly, but his haste opened a chance for Adam to turn the tables. Adam knocked Jordan off his feet several times with drop kicks before crushing him with several suplexes. Jordan tried to recover but walked right into a brainbuster by Adam. Adam covered for a pin and picked up a three count, winning the first round of the match.
The referee called for the start of the second round and Jordan was more cautious. Adam overpowered Jordan and went for a vertical suplex but Jordan blocked the attempts and rolled Adam into a small package. Adam kicked out and the match continued with Jordan making a comeback. This time it was Jordan throwing Adam around with suplexes. Adam kicked out of a pin and struggled to get to his feet as Jordan kept him on the mat with takedowns. Adam powered out of a sleeper hold and squished Jordan between himself and a turnbuckle. Adam dropped Jordan with a cutter and covered for a pin, but Jordan got a foot on the rope at the last moment. Adam whipped Jordan into the ropes and tried for a clothesline, but Jordan caught Adam’s arm, swung behind him, and used a German suplex on Adam. Jordan picked Adam up and brought him back down with a belly-to-belly suplex. Jordan covered for a pin and won the second fall.
The third and final round began with Jordan building momentum until Adam caught Jordan’s cross body block and powerslammed him to the mat. Adam continued to build offense and pinned Jordan, who kicked out. Adam started a strong attack that prevented Jordan from getting in any offense. Adam tried for multiple pins, but Jordan continued to kick out. Adam tried to get Jordan to submit, but Jordan refused, escaping every hold. Adam used a cutter on Jordan, tried for a pin, but Jordan refused to stay down. Adam had Jordan knocked senseless following a piledriver, but Jordan somehow kicked out. Adam was stunned that Jordan kept getting up. Adam leveled Jordan with a running clothesline and then tried to force Jordan to submit with a camel clutch. Jordan struggled to free himself but refused to give up. Adam held on as tight as he could. Jordan’s eyes began to close. Lucia Mendez and Snarl ran down to ringside and stood outside, encouraging Jordan to stay in the match. Invigorated by the support of his friends, Jordan tried one last time to escape the hold and did so. Adam tried to follow up, but Jordan took him out at the knee. Jordan yelled out a war cry and hyped himself up as Mendez and Snarl slammed their hands on the ring apron in support. Jordan attacked Adam and tried to win the match, but Adam kicked out of a pin attempt. Jordan used another belly-to-belly suplex and covered for a pin, but Adam once again kicked out. Adam blocked another belly-to-belly from Jordan, tried for a cutter, but Jordan held onto Adam and managed a reverse vertical suplex, slamming Adam to the mat face first. Jordan dove on top of Adam for the pin, the referee counted to three, and Andre Jordan picked up arguably the biggest win of his career. Mendez dove into Jordan’s arms, hugged and kissed him, and celebrated. Snarl gave Jordan an approving pat on the shoulder. Hardcore Adam recovered and walked over to Jordan. After sharing a few words with Jordan, Adam held out his hand, shaking Jordan’s hand in a show of respect. Adam raised Jordan’s hand and left the ring to him to continue the celebration.
Larry Loudmouth caught up with a distraught Cate Stiles backstage, asking about the condition of Jax Rivers. Stiles grabbed the microphone and snapped. Tears ran down her cheeks as she yelled at Loudmouth for bothering her while her husband was a bloody mess in the next room getting ready to be loaded into an ambulance and she cannot leave because she still has a title defense coming up. Stiles threw the microphone back at Loudmouth and stormed back into the trainers’ room where Rivers was being examined.
Vance McElroy and Matt Griffin faced The Convict and “Badlands” Bill Stanton in a tag team match. McElroy started off against The Convict but was quickly cut down by the veteran brawler. The Convict and Stanton worked together to keep on top of their younger opponents. Griffin dodged a dropkick by The Convict and started a big comeback. McElroy tagged in and cleared house. Stanton tagged in but was unable to get in any offense. The Convict, frustrated, pulled out a steel pipe from under the ring apron and climbed into the ring. The Convict stepped between Stanton and McElroy and looked ready to swing at McElroy. The referee yelled at him to stop but it was McElroy who pulled the pipe out of The Convict’s hands. McElroy tossed the pipe out of the ring. The Convict suddenly dove to the side, clearing the way for Stanton to tackle an unsuspecting McElroy with a spear. Stanton covered McElroy for a pin and picked up the win.
A shaken Cate Stiles entered the ring to defend the MoW Championship against Aurora Starkey. Stiles was clearly not as focused as she usually is. Starkey dominated the champion early in the match and even got a near fall within the first few minutes. Stiles struggled to fight through Starkey’s offense. Starkey tried for a powerbomb, but Stiles slipped free, clutched Starkey’s leg and took her down. Stiles began to work Starkey’s leg and began to show signs of her aggressive, methodical offense. Stiles tried for an ankle lock, but Starkey easily broke away before the hold could be applied. Stiles was relentless, however, and refused to let Starkey recover. Stiles continued to work on Starkey’s leg and Starkey was noticeably favoring it. Stiles twisted Starkey’s leg around a ring rope and kicked at it aggressively. Starkey fell over, crying out in pain while Stiles approached. Stiles reached down for Starkey’s damaged leg, but Starkey used her other foot to blast Stiles in the side of head with a heel. This gave Starkey the opening for a big comeback. Starkey was limping but able to use her strength to slam Stiles. Starkey used a DDT and covered Stiles for a pin, but the champion was able to kick out. Stiles crawled around on the mat looking for the ropes to help herself up, but Starkey pulled Stiles to her feet by the hair. Starkey pushed Stiles against the ropes and tried for a clothesline over the ropes, but Stiles ducked and caught Starkey with a flapjack. Stiles put the boots to Starkey’s ankle and then applied the ankle lock. Starkey submitted and Cate Stiles defended her MoW Championship. Stiles skipped any celebration, instead grabbing the MoW Championship belt and started to leave with it. Tracy Blood’s music began to play as Stiles was about to step through the ropes. Blood walked down to the ring and confronted Stiles, signaling that she was coming for the title. Stiles and Blood had a tense stare down before Stiles pushed past Blood and hurried toward the backstage area to be with Jax Rivers.
The main event of Final Round 2020 featured Cole Arcane challenging Rex Anarchy for the MoW Championship. Anarchy brought the RFW Titan Championship belt with him instead as his show of disrespect for MoW’s top prize. The two locked up in the ring and traded armlocks and throws before coming to blows. Arcane rocked the champion with a forearm smash, followed by a suplex, and then turning up the heat with a strong offense. Anarchy blocked a vertical suplex and used one of his own in response. Anarchy began his own offensive onslaught and focused his attacks on Arcane’s back and ribs. Anarchy tried to force Arcane into submission with an abdominal stretch until Arcane was able to break free and hip toss Anarchy to the mat. The fight raged on with both men trading attacks until Arcane was thrown through the ropes to the floor. Anarchy dove off the ring apron with an elbow to Arcane’s sternum, causing the challenger to gasp for air. Anarchy drove Arcane headfirst into the steel steps, back first into the barricade, and chest first onto the ring apron before rolling him back into the ring. Anarchy stomped on Arcane repeatedly before pulling him to his feet and shoving him into a corner. Anarchy slapped Arcane in the corner, telling him he was in above his head. Arcane pushed off the turnbuckle with a double kick to Anarchy’s stomach, sending the champion backward with force and knocking out the referee! Arcane fought back and was on an offensive rally until Anarchy ran out of the ring and grabbed a steel chair. Anarchy climbed back into the ring and swung at Arcane, who initially dodged, but was hit by several subsequent blows. Arcane was defenseless as Anarchy slammed and poked the chair into his back. Arcane struggled to get to his feet as Anarchy stood over him with the chair in his hands. Anarchy slowly lifted the chair, preparing for the final blow. As Anarchy went to swing the chair down, he was unable to. The Rebel had run down to the ring and pulled the chair away from his former protégé! Anarchy turned and looked at The Rebel with shock and disbelief. The Rebel slammed the chair into Anarchy’s face before tossing it aside. Anarchy turned and stumbled backward. The Rebel floored Anarchy with a running bulldog. The referee began to stir as The Rebel roused Arcane. Arcane got to his feet and began pummeling the fallen Anarchy. Arcane got Anarchy in position for another running bulldog and slammed him to the mat. Arcane covered Anarchy for a pin. The referee counted to three, and Cole Arcane became the new MoW Champion!
Cole Arcane recovered and stood in the ring as the referee raised his hand and handed him the RFW Titan Championship belt. The Rebel returned to the ring with a velvet bag in his hand. The Rebel said something to the new champion and Arcane handed over the Titan Championship belt to him. The Rebel opened the bag and pulled out a brand new MoW Championship belt. He draped it over Arcane’s shoulder, raised the champion’s hand high in the air and then left, carrying the RFW Titan Championship belt with him. Arcane celebrated in the ring as sparks fell from the rafters and fireworks blasted. Arcane walked around at ringside celebrating with the fans as Final Round, and MoW, ended for 2020.
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