Date: 11/16/2024
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Welcome, Rapid Fire Fanatics! We arrived in Toronto and you know what that means. There was Turmoil in town! All RFW titles were on the line, rivals collided in grudge matches, but we opened the show with a number one contender scramble!
Welcome to Turmoil in Toronto!
RFW World Championship Number One Contender Scramble
Alexandra Morgan vs. Jessie Vega w/Lee Lee Hunt vs. Kami King vs. Mia Mercury vs. Annika vs. Shannon Worth
This supershow wasted no time starting with the high stakes Scramble to determine the number one contender for the RFW World Championship. The rules are simple. Six women enter the ring, first to get a pinfall wins. No countouts, no DQs.
Alexandra Morgan came out first and she looked confident. The same could be said for my old broadcast colleague Jessie Vega. Vega took Maria Estrella’s place in this match by request of Lee Lee Hunt. Estrella was not by Vega’s side during her entrance but Lee Lee Hunt was. Kami King was out next and ignored a verbal jab from Morgan. Mia Mercury hit the ring next and you could feel her energy waiting for the ring of the bell to release. Annika entered the ring laser-focused and sized up each of her opponents.
I mention all these entrances because our final participant didn’t get one. Shannon Worth began her walk to the ring but was hit from behind by Meghan DeWitt! The RFW Wildheart Champion, under orders from Claudia Winter, no doubt, viciously attacked Worth’s knee with a metal pipe. Officials pulled DeWitt off Worth but the damage was done. Worth was taken backstage for medical attention and this match turned into a five-way.
Well, that was unexpected but the match began and that was about as wild as you’d expect. Every woman for herself in the opening minutes of this match, though King and Mercury eventually teamed up on Morgan. King belted Morgan with a superkick and Mercury crashed on her with an elbow drop but the two argued over who would pin her and ended up brawling.
Vega was cocky as she got the better of Annika but when Annika blocked a punch and rolled into an arm breaker, the tables turned. Hunt looked terrified at ringside but Morgan broke up the submission, not to spare Vega’s arm but to prevent Annika from winning this match.
Morgan and Annika went to war here. I never saw Morgan drive an opponent to the mat with so much force but Annika gave the punishment right back with some nasty strikes. Morgan found herself caught in an arm breaker while King, Mercury, and Vega were down and I thought Annika had this match won. And then this match got even more out of control.
Someone wearing a hoodie leaped out from the crowd, jumped in the ring, and began blasting Annika with forearm shots. The attacker ripped off the hoodie revealing herself to be Yurei and those forearm shots were loaded because her arm was in a cast. Yurei has been out of action since Annika broke her arm in our fall season opener and she was out for revenge. Yurei continued bashing Annika’s head with that cast, leaving her bloody and motionless in the middle of the ring. Officials once again got control and escorted Yurei out. Annika was removed from the match for medical attention. This wasn’t an elimination match but we were down to four!
Vega used the chaos to establish a dominant position in this match. Lee Lee Hunt got involved to help further Vega’s chances but she was stopped when Mercury dove off the top turnbuckle with a missile drop kick. Hunt wasn’t in this match but consider her eliminated. She didn’t move again.
Morgan went on a tear and powered through all her opponents. Mercury, flattened to the mat. Vega, sent flying. King, crushed. Morgan was closing in on victory here but the numbers game made it hard to get a clean pinfall. In the end, it was King who was able to stop Morgan’s momentum, hitting her with a super kick, and pinning her for the win.
Kami King won this critical match and punched her ticket to face the RFW World Champion at Final Round in December.
Ruslan Panov vs. Rex Anarchy
Ruslan Panov has been talking about giving Rex Anarchy “purpose” and recently tried to hand Anarchy a “Lords of Chaos” t-shirt, the group that Anarchy led here back in 2016. Anarchy wasn’t cool with Panov’s gesture of purpose, I guess, so we got treated to a match.
This one started with a tie-up, some headlocks, takedowns, and running the ropes but once Panov started laying in the punches and leaning in to his brawling style, this turned into a nasty fight. Panov was laying in those punches and forearms deep and had Anarchy rattled. Anarchy fought back with bursts of slams and some mean looking punches of his own.
The action spilled outside the ring where the steel steps, barricades, and the exposed flooring of the arena were used to inflict serious punishment on both of these men. Anarchy got Panov back in the ring and the fight continued until Panov crushed Anarchy’s head into the mat with multiple curb stomps before pinning him to secure the victory.
Ruslan Panov walked away from this one the winner. He left a consolation prize for Rex Anarchy before leaving the ring. Panov revealed a Lords of Chaos t-shirt and draped it over Anarchy’s motionless body in the ring.
Andre Jordan and Lucia Mendez vs. The Iconoclast and Dezzy Nightshade
As hot as the previous match was, this next one? Nuclear. Andre Jordan and Lucia Mendez have been engaged in a nasty feud with The Iconoclast and Dezzy Nightshade. They all collided in a mixed tag team match held under tornado rules. That means there’s no tagging here, kids. All competitors were legal in the ring at the same time and as you would expect it made for a whirlwind of a match!
Nightshade ignored any gender barriers and attacked Jordan until Mendez interjected. Both women brawled in the ring while Jordan withstood more punishment from The Iconoclast. Jordan got back into this thing after a surprise exploder suplex while Nightshade sent Mendez over the ropes and followed her to the floor. Jordan was fired up as he unleashed his frustrations with The Iconoclast in the ring.
Mendez and Nightshade had an ugly fight on the outside that included a scary moment when Mendez’s forehead clipped the ring steps and opened a cut. The crimson mask flowed down her face but didn’t slow Mendez down. She continued fighting with Nightshade and pulled out a table from under the ring to escalate this even further!
The in-ring action wasn’t overshadowed by the violence outside. Jordan looked awesome here, shifting into a gear I haven’t seen in him before. The Iconoclast was withstanding the offense but couldn’t get a foothold back into this match. That is, until Jordan ran off the ropes and was caught by the throat which led to a chokeslam powerbomb. Normally, this would be the end of the match but Jordan kicked out of a pin by a hair. Jordan was still in this but the tables turned and The Iconoclast started a powerful comeback of his own.
Mendez traded blows with Nightshade outside the ring before getting her on the ring apron. Mendez tried to slam Nightshade off the ring apron through the table blow but Nightshade blocked and used a sidewalk slam to drive Mendez through the table instead!
Nightshade recovered, leaving Mendez in the wreckage, and rejoined The Iconoclast in a tandem beat down of Jordan. Jordan’s outlook was bleak but Mendez, bloodied and bruised, crawled back into the ring and neutralized Nightshade. The Iconoclast confronted Mendez but the fearless Latina slapped him hard!
Jordan recovered and brought the fight back to The Iconoclast. Jordan used two dragon suplexes on The Iconoclast before pinning him for the victory.
Andre Jordan and Lucia Mendez were declared the winners. Jordan showed concern for Mendez’s bloody face but she looked ok, all things considered. This was a crazy match and a hard-earned victory for Jordan and Mendez.
RFW Tag Team Championship
The Door vs. The Navigators (c)
Time for the championship matches. The Navigators did not want this match against The Door but Commissioner Johnson made it happen!
The Door came out strong from the start of this match and worked better together than I have ever seen them. The Navigators quickly realized their opponents came determined to recapture the tag titles. Aidan North dodged a clothesline from Richter and rebounded with a quick drop kick to the gut. This gave the champs the opportunity they needed to get ahead in this match.
Pete Arrow made the most of his time in the ring to punish Richter with slams that had a little extra oomph! Malcom stood on the apron hyping up the crowd to cheer Richter to get back in this thing. Richter did manage to make the hot tag to Malcom who cleared the ring of The Navigators and roared as it shook the ropes.
The Door had momentum, they had The Navigators exactly where they wanted them, and for a moment it looked like The Door was walking out with the belts. The Navigators had a trick up their sleeve, though! North was on the apron and taunted Richter. Richter approached and North pulled his throat down onto the top rope. Richter stumbled backward while the referee scolded North and that’s when Arrow hit him with a low blow. Arrow powerbombed Richter and covered for the pin and the victory.
Malcom protested the way this went down, as he should have, but the referee’s decision is final and, at least on this night, The Navigators are still your RFW Tag Team Champions.
RFW Wildheart Championship Match
Paisley Alden vs. Meghan DeWitt (c) w/Claudia Winter
Meghan DeWitt came to the ring with Claudia Winter at her side to defend the RFW Wildheart Championship against Paisley Alden. Give Alden some credit, she came into this match without Lost Cause at her side, choosing to go aline into this match.
DeWitt looked confident in the early minutes of this match but Alden showed why she deserved to be in this match by opening a strong combination of slams and holds that kept the champion in check.
Alden got a few near falls but DeWitt refused to stay down. DeWitt came back strong with her dangerous kicks before keeping Alden down with submissions. DeWitt went for the kill and came charging with a flying knee but Alden dodged, grabbed on to DeWitt, and rolled her up for a pin that nearly won her the title! I thought Claudia Winter was going to have a heart attack.
Alden got fired up and had DeWitt in serious trouble of losing the Wildheart. Alden tried for a facebuster but DeWitt managed to grab one of her legs, spin Alden around, and lock in a half crab! Alden was able to free herself but her knee was weakened, slowing her down, and allowing DeWitt to hit with a flying knee. DeWitt covered Alden for a pin to win this one.
This was a big moment for both of these women. Meghan DeWitt defended the RFW Wildheart Championship against a Paisley Alden who really stepped up and showed the world she belongs here in RFW. DeWitt stood in the ring with a proud Claudia Winter while Alden was received at the entranceway by her Lost Cause partners who embraced her in a hug.
RFW Grand Championship Match
Tornado vs. Mark Blood (c)
Mark Blood has been defending the RFW Grand Championship each week since he won the thing and his latest opponent is someone whom he has a lot of history with.
Tornado came to the ring determine to end Blood’s title defense streak and showed that from the bell. Tornado moved quick and wasted no time taking down Blood and wearing him down. Blood looked bewildered by Tornado’s attacks from all corners and there was a sense that maybe Blood had pushed himself too hard this year. Tornado used a hurricanrana to get Blood in position on the mat as he climbed the turnbuckle for a corkscrew splash. Blood was able to get his knees up and Tornado exploded off of Blood and writhed around on the mat.
Tornado was down and Blood was able to get on the offensive for the first time. I think I mentioned this before but Blood has bulked up and gotten stronger since his time wrestling in Japan and he showed some serious strength deadlifting Tornado off the mat and suplexing him, body slamming him, and focusing much of his offense on Tornado’s back. Tornado tried to get back in this thing but his worn back slowed him down allowing Blood to stay in control of this one.
Blood tried for a tombstone piledriver to finish the match but Tornado, somehow, shifted his weight, setting up a tombstone of his own, and drilling the champion to the mat! This should have done it but Tornado used every bit of strength he had to overcome his back problems and was slow to cover for the pin. Blood kicked out and this was the start of an exciting back and forth battle with two weary warriors refusing to quit.
Tornado hit Blood with a flying elbow that opened a gash on the champion’s forehead. The blood in Blood’s eyes was a disadvantage but Blood’s ring awareness allowed him to dodge a missile drop kick in time. Tornado tried to stay in this match but Blood’s second attempt at a tombstone piledriver was a success and the champ covered for a pin and won the match.
There you have it. Mark Blood’s RFW Grand Championship reign continues for at least one more week as the open challenge series continues.
Tornado confronted Blood in the middle of the ring and after a short conversation, Tornado extended a hand. Blood accepted the handshake from his rival and Tornado raised Blood’s hand in a gesture of respect as the fans collectively applauded both competitors.
RFW World Championship Match
Kassidy Fortune vs. Cate Stiles (c)
Incredibly, we still had one more match. The main event. Cate Stiles, four-time RFW World Champion and one-time RFW Valkyrie Champion, looked to put away her latest challenger, rising superstar Kassidy Fortune. Fortune has been building a strong resume of her own. Fortune is a three-time Wildheart Wrestling Club Champion and one-time RFW Wildheart Champion and looked to add some more gold to her collection.
The crowd was buzzing for this one as Stiles and Fortune had a long staredown as the bell rang. They locked up and Stiles commanded the early moments of the match until Fortune booted her in the face. Fortune worked methodically on Stiles and the more she dug in her offense, she got more cocky.
Fortune’s attitude got the better of her when she pulled Stiles up to her knees by the hair and told her to kiss the world title goodbye. Stiles reached behind, pulling Fortune to the mat and rolling into an absolutely vicious ankle lock. I thought Fortune was tapping out here wrote she managed to kick Stiles away with her good leg.
Stiles went to work on Fortune’s damaged ankle, as one would expect, though the challenger evened the odds somewhat with a poke to the eyes and a nasty snap DDT. Both women went back and forth trying to best the other with a series of near falls. Stiles tried for a second ankle lock on Fortune but was blocked and pulled the mat into a crossface. Stiles dragged herself to the ropes to break the hold but Fortune refused to let the opportunity slip and became more aggressive.
Fortune came close to victory several times here, including a moment where she played mind games with Stiles by putting her in her own ankle lock submission. Stiles struggled in the hold, and don’t forget she’s got that surgically-repaired leg, but did break free.
Stiles made a big comeback late in this match and had Fortune dazed when she attempted a flapjack. Fortune twisted in midair and pulled stiles down with a cutter that stunned everyone in the arena. Fortune quickly covered for a pin but the champion managed to kick out. Despite Stiles surviving Fortune’s cutter, she took a second one moments later before Fortune pinned her and won the match, dethroning one of RFW’s greatest stars and becoming the RFW World Champion.
Kassidy Fortune grinned as she was handed the title and stood proud. She couldn’t hide the ravages of war as she limped around the ring on what I later confirmed was a sprained ankle but our new champion looked every bit the part.
The celebration was cut short, however, as the number one contender, Kami King, a fighter Fortune became very familiar with this past summer, entered the ring to confront the new champion. We were witness to a tense stare down and a little bit of trash talking between these rivals before King left the ring.
And with Kassidy Fortune leaving the ring with the RFW World Championship in her grasp, that’s going to do it for us here in Toronto. We will be back next week in Syracuse, New York for more Rapid Fire Wrestling!
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