AEW Collision, Mar 1, 2025:
Kurt Angle's TNT Championship Open Challenge
[Kurt Angle decides that to celebrate his Title win, he will be giving one unlucky soul a chance to be battered, broken, and rendered unable to keep competing. Whoever accepts this challenge is in store for a career ending slaughter, where Doc Samson will force them to retire.
Kurt waits in intense arrogance before a series of tranquil chords hit in quick succession, a sinister appetizer for what's to come, the words KATSUYORI SHIBATA fill the screen, and The Wrestler himself stomps to the ring.
Shibata - Angle, face to face.
Commentary is keen to mention Shibata is one person who definitely wouldn't feel any fear in the face of a threat like that.
"Katsuyori Shibata, well this is better than I imagined it would be. Now I get to finish what God couldn't and retire you for good."
And with those words, a declaration of war has been written and signed.
Shibata is able to match Angle for grappling early, keeping Kurt guessing with a series of holds. He gets hold of Kurt's arm at one point and is able to do some fair damage with an armbar. Kurt gets frustrated with Shibata who smiles at Kurt after avoiding his umpteenth submission attempt.
Angle slaps Shibata across the face, Shibata's head goes down, his eyes go cold. He throws a boot that rocks Angle in the face, Kurt goes to the corner where Shibata meets him with repeated forearms to the mouth. Shibata runs to the opposite corner, Angle meets him there with a charging shoulder thrust to the ribs.
Angle to the opposite corner, Shibata meets him with a pump kick, Shibata to the opposite corner, Angle charges in for a rolling axe kick, Shibata moves, Angle hits the turnbuckles, Angle upside down in the corner, Shibata to the other side of the ring, Katsuyori takes a moment to compose himself, focusing his energy before charging in for a corner dropkick crushing Angle into the turnbuckles.
Shibata pulls Angle up and gets a stiff forearm, Angle returns but his dominant arm is weak from the early attack by Shibata. The two begin to trade forearms, Shibata always seeming to strike quite a bit harder.
Angle gets a flurry of right and left forearms backing Shibata up, Angle runs the ropes and Shibata gets a spin kick to the midsection before kicking at the back of Angle's knee. Shibata begins to target the not fully healed knee of Kurt now, locking figure fours and bow and arrow submissions.
Angle is reeling on the ropes after the onslaught, Shibata runs the ropes and looks for a big boot to send Angle out, Angle catches the leg, hooks around the neck and suplexes Shibata to the floor. Angle dives off the apron crushing Shibata at ringside before hitting a belly to belly suplex into the barricade.
Angle shoves Shibata back in and attempts a Moonsault, Katsuyori avoids and Angle backs into the corner where Shibata gets a big boot. He grabs Angle by the back of his neck, sprinting to the opposite side of the ring and connecting with another big boot once he plants Angle there.
He grips Angle by the back of his neck and gets sixteen forearms to the ear and jaw area, he gets a running start to the other corner before circling back with another corner dropkick.
Angle rolls to the apron to create distance and Shibata follows him there. A flurry of forearms connect yet again before Shibata backs up and gets a running dropkick to the downed Angle against the steel post!
Shibata sends Kurt back in and gets a two count, Angle pulls himself up on the ropes and Shibata looks for a German, Angle grips onto the ropes for dear life, Shibata lands a straight axe kick to the targeted arm and Angle recoils, Shibata runs the ropes and Kurt gets a rolling axe kick. Angle looks into the camera, beads of sweat running down, a frenzied look in the face, black mouth-piece in.
He grabs Shibata up and gets a big belly to belly, he's on all fours at this point, stalking, waiting for his next opening. German Suplex, yet again, completes the trio by throwing Shibata onto his head. Shibata clutches at his neck, but Kurt won't stop. Fallaway Slam by Angle, bodyslam by Angle. Kurt climbs and lands a moonsault to the upper body and face of Shibata, crushing his skull against the canvas.
Shibata is able to answer the count, so Angle stalks a dazed Shibata. Angle Slam, Katsuyori on his feet, STO by Shibata. As Angle recovers from the STO, Shibata is able to get some breathing room from the series of throws he took. Both men get to their knees, head to head, eye to eye. They begin exchanging forearms once more, but this time Angle has a more even playing field due to the headache beginning to start for Shibata.
Angle begins mixing in uppercuts with his forearms, Shibata catches him on one of these with a backslide, Angle kicks out and Shibata greets him with a chop across the neck, spinning backfist, a trio of forearms. Angle stops reacting, and stares up at Shibata, he lets out a shout and Shibata goes for a fourth forearm. Angle ducks and pushes Shibata into the corner before dragging him out with a Rolling German Suplex planting Shibata on his head.
Shibata on his hands and knees, trying to catch his bearings and make sense of the fog in his vision. Kurt climbs and gets a picture perfect moonsault to the kneeling Shibata. Katsuyori barely gets the shoulder up, Angle stares in disbelief at the ref, leaving himself still pinned over Shibata.
Shibata latches onto the arm getting a Kimura applied on the wounded Angle. Angle writhes until he finally grasps the bottom rope to force separation. Shibata drags Angle into the center of the ring. He tees off on the shoulder blade with kicks, he slaps Angle in the back of the skull sending a cloud of perspiration flying.
Shibata calmly crosses his legs, sitting down across from the crawling Angle. Angle gets to his knees, the two begin chopping each other in the face. Shibata gets a knife edge chop to the ear of Angle, and Kurt gets enraged. He stands up and begins another forearm exchange with Shibata. Angle wins this time backing Shibata into the corner, repeated shoulder thrusts to the ribs follow, Shibata taking a seat.
Angle with a corner running dropkick of his own! Angle goes for it again, Shibata rises and looks for a pump kick, Angle catches him, hugs Shibata in and gets a fallaway belly to belly. Angle beckons Katsuyori up and runs the ropes, Shibata stops him with a leg lariat.
Angle crawls into the corner and Shibata starts repeatedly stepping on his head. Angle tries to crawl out of the ring, but gets paintbrushed with the boot of Shibata. He drowns Angle with scrapes of his boot, stomps and kicks. The referee eventually backs up Shibata.
Shibata brings Angle out of the corner with a snapmare takedown followed by a soccer kick to the spine. He runs the ropes for a penalty kick, which Kurt catches and turns into an Ankle Lock, with the leg trapped he pulls Shibata into a German Suplex.
Shibata on his hands and knees, Angle begins a waistlock and tries to bear hug Shibata on the canvas, Shibata crosses his legs in this position. Angle rolls Shibata, but he lands crossed legged again. This continues until Angle gets frustrated, Shibata begins elbowing Angle in the side of the face and Kurt releases his grip. He runs the ropes and Shibata gets him with a big boot followed by a German Suplex of his own.
Angle pops up and Shibata turns around into a rolling axe kick, Shibata doesn't fall, pump kick by Shibata. Shibata from the corner to a stunned Angle, big boot, Angle avoids, German Suplex by Kurt. He maintains waist control and pulls Shibata up, Shibata begins elbowing Angle to force release. Angle grips the wrist to prevent Shibata from creating distance.
Shibata kicks him in his bad arm, and Angle lets go. He oblique kicks him in his knee before kicking away at the head of Angle. Angle desperately headbutts Shibata in the chest, igniting something in Katsuyori. Shibata turns around, takes a deep breath, turns to Angle and refuses to do what he desperately wants to, thinking of his health.
He forearms Angle down to the mat and gets an octopus hold applied, Angle scrambles to the ropes, fighting out. Penalty Kick by Shibata. Angle kicks out and Shibata locks a sleeper. A focused trance look on the face of Katsuyori as he strangles Angle.
Kurt grips the ropes to force the break, Shibata clubs the arms away, grips back on, sleeper suplex. Shibata with a spinning backfist, Angle catches the wrist, he grips the other wrist, backslide, Shibata rolls through, clothesline by Angle, ducked, Shibata ties him up in position. He spins Angle out, he readies his hand, he connects.
BitchMaker to Angle.
Kurt collapses and Shibata takes his time to catch his breath and focus up, all that focus goes into repeated, poised strikes to the shoulder, underarm and elbow of the damaged Angle. Angle grips onto the wrist to try and drag his way up, Shibata kicks his grip away. Shibata goes to run the ropes, but Angle grips onto the wrist again, avoids a clothesline attempt, traps both arms. Straight-Jacket Suplex on Shibata.
All of the weight coming down on his head and neck. Angle pulls up Shibata, German Suplex #1, Shibata begins elbowing Angle in the ear, German Suplex #2, Shibata still driving his elbow into the ear of Angle, Release German Suplex. Shibata lays motionless, blood begins trickling out of the ear of Angle, physical evidence of the desperation Shibata felt.
Angle brushes off the doctor's attempts to check on him, Kurt with an Angle Slam, but Shibata digging into the wound on the ear, Angle loses his balance, Shibata on his feet. Shibata hooks on from behind, trapping Angle's arm.
するか死ぬか
He spins Angle out, rainmaker style and closes the gap with a sickening headbutt to Kurt. Kurt collapses, but so does Shibata. He lays exhausted, head throbbing. Finally after over a minute, he musters the strength to crawl to the cover.
One, Two, Kurt kicks out. Kurt rises before Shibata who is kneeling, clutching his head. Angle pulls him up for a German, but Shibata refuses to go, clutching the back of his head and shaking his head. It's not an act of defiance or resilience, this is a man trying to stay alive.
Angle, despite having animalistic tendencies, has respect for Shibata after tonight and he shows mercy. He sends Shibata into the ropes chest first and when Katsuyori rebounds, he's caught with an Angle Slam. A cover by Kurt over the defenseless Shibata leads to one simple phrase, but one that intensifies the fullness in Shibata's head.
'And Still.']
Kurt Angle (c) def Katsuyori Shibata to retain the TNT Championship
AEW Big Business Dynamite, Mar 19, 2025:
Kota Ibushi vs Kurt Angle (c), TNT Championship
[Shortly after defeating Shibata in the hardest hitting match of Angle's career, he begins to lash out at the company that gave him his first big break. New Japan.
He states that he can work circles around any NJPW darling that think they're special because they had a few flashy matches in a company nobody watches.
This summons Kota Ibushi, vignettes have been airing teasing his return, but he finally appears coming face to face with Angle. The following week is Big Business and the bout is on.
Ibushi's fluid striking is able to pause Angle, Kurt attempts to make up for the strike deficit with suplexes, but Kota is incredibly spry and able to land safely on most everything Angle throws at him.
Ibushi with a series of strikes ending in a roundhouse, Angle ducks, German Suplex, Ibushi lands on his feet. Dropkick by Kota sends Kurt to the floor. Ibushi with a Triangle Moonsault to ringside, leveling Kurt.
Ibushi sends Kurt back in and goes for a Last Ride, Angle escapes and lands a German Suplex to Ibushi. Kurt begins to climb the turnbuckles, but Ibushi gets up and powerbombs Kurt from the middle turnbuckle, Angle kicks out, and Ibushi flips him onto his knees for a Kamigoye!
Angle catches the knee, and gets an Ankle Lock applied. Ibushi rolls free and sends Angle into the corner. Knee blast in the corner by Kota. He runs the ropes and Angle catches him with a belly to belly over the top rope.
Kurt climbs for a Moonsault to ringside, Ibushi avoids. Ibushi charges into the ring, Triangle Moon- Angle leaps onto the apron and German Suplexes Kota on to the apron, Ibushi's neck bouncing as he cadcades to the floor.
Angle quickly gets Kota back in, and attacks the ankle, Kota struggles, half conscious. He finally makes it to the ropes and is able to get back to his feet. He unloads with palm strikes and a slap to the face of Angle. Kurt looks for a clothesline, Kota ducks and gets a Pele Kick.
Ibushi pulls Kurt up for a Phoenix-Plex, Angle lands on his feet, not allowing Kota to drive his neck into the canvas. Angle Slam connects, and with that, Kurt has vanquished another NJPW legend.]
Kurt Angle (c) def Kota Ibushi to retain the TNT Championship
[Kurt grabs a microphone and begins berating Ibushi. He says this proves it, all those New Japan darlings that these marks worship, they're old, they're broken down, and they are no match for a Wrestling Machine.
Angle looks to target Ibushi again, getting a chair in hand, when all of a sudden Battle Cry hits. Kenny Omega storms the ring, avoiding a chair shot before hitting a V-Trigger sending the chair into Angle's face. Kurt retreats as Omega helps Ibushi up and Kurt's next challenge becomes increasingly clear, arguably the greatest NJPW wrestler of all time, Kenny Omega.]
AEW Dynasty, Apr 12, 2025:
Kenny Omega vs Kurt Angle (c), TNT Championship
[In the weeks leading up to Dynasty, we get some good build for this match including Angle and Hobbs vs Golden Lovers in which Omega pinned Hobbs for his team, as well as a segment in which Kenny and Kurt come face to face.
Kenny in full Terminator gear, he tells Kurt that he's been a big fish in a small pond until now, and that he should be careful not to forget who the original wrestling machine is.
When it comes bell time, Angle quickly recognizes Omega as the most pure athlete he's faced to date. The speed, the intensity, the pressure. Omega brings all of it in his first title match since returning late last year to combat The New Elite.
Kenny comes charging for a corner clothesline, but is caught by Angle who looks for a T-Bone Suplex into the turnbuckles, Omega with a DDT reversal. Angle rolls out and Omega begins drumming up the Terminator rhythm. Tope Con Hilo clears Angle at ringside.
Omega goes to send Kurt back in, but stops on the apron, joining Kurt there. The margin for error is thin as Omega locks the arms and gets a Snap Dragon Suplex across the thinly padded steel.
Kurt's neck issues start to become apparent here as he clutches at it. Omega goes to Irish Whip Angle into the barricade, but the momentum is reversed and Kenny is sent rocketing towards it. He promptly hops onto it and executes a Moonsault from the barricade.
Angle catches him and delivers him into the steel post, face first. Kurt proceeds to climb to the middle turnbuckle and hit a Moonsault to the downed Omega at ringside. Angle sends Kenny back in and begins his repeated German Suplexes, on the third, Omega lands on his feet and boots Angle into the turnbuckles harshly, Kurt exploding against the corner.
Kenny gets Kurt up now for One Winged Angel, Kurt rolls forward into a pinfall, Kenny kicks out and Kurt comes in with a standing 450 knee drop across the surgically repaired abdomen of Omega. Kurt now focuses up and goes after the leg, applying an Ankle Lock. Omega kicks free and slips behind Angle for a Kotaro Krusher.
Angle kicks out and Omega is left gripping his ribs as he pulls Angle up. He gets Angle on his shoulders, wincing as he does so. Rolling driver followed by a Springboard Moonsault on Angle. Kenny holds his midsection before getting Kurt up in OWA position once more.
Kurt struggles so Omega shifts him to a German Suplex, but Angle rolls into a pinfall. Omega kicks out, however, and Kurt is hot on his trail. A crossbody by Kurt takes both men to the outside.
Kurt pulls Kenny up for an Angle Slam against the steel post. Omega writhes in pain as Angle lets out a dominant cry. Kurt sets Kenny up top, but Omega fights back with wristbone strikes, sending Angle to the canvas. Kurt fires up, springing to the top turnbuckle for an Avalanche Belly To Belly, he follows through, but Omega lands on his feet!
Angle didn't see it and gets up to gloat, believing the cheers are for him. Omega gets a frenzied look in the eyes and scales to the top rope. Missile Dropkick to the back of Angle's skull.
Angel crawls to the ropes, drool leaking from his lax jaw. Omega runs the ropes for a V-Trigger against the ropes. He then exits the ring breaking out a steel chair, the ref attempts to stop him but Omega brushes him off. He opens it and sets it in the center of the ring.
Step-Stool V-Trigger! Omega covers for a near fall, and goes into the corner, talking to himself and trying to figure out how to put Angle down. Kurt recovers and tries to charge in, Omega rolls off the back and attempts a rana as Kurt comes over. Kurt with an abrupt sit-out powerbomb reversal before shoving Omega out of the ring.
Angle from the apron with a Somersault Plancha. Kurt sends Omega back in and tries for the Angle Slam, Omega with an arm drag reversal before sliding behind Kurt for a Snap Dragon into the turnbuckles. Omega runs into the opposite corner and closes in with a V-Trigger against the turnbuckles.
He pulls Angle up out of the corner and sticks a Poisonrana. Angle is able to barely survive the count. Omega in disbelief takes Angle to the top, he's thinking Avalanche OWA. Angle scrambles out and lands an Avalanche Angle Slam!
Omega somehow kicks out, and Kurt is beside himself. He goes to the top rope, a rare Frog-Splash from Angle, Omega moves, Kurt kisses the mat. V-Trigger to the back of the head, Omega pulls Kurt up, One Winged Angel connects.
Omega has ended the TNT Title reign of Kurt Angle, avenged the good name of NJPW and become a Grand Slam Champion in AEW.]
Kenny Omega def Kurt Angle (c) to win the TNT Championship
Kurt disappears for a while after this, but when vignettes begin airing detailing Angle's journey back, he's spotted being coached by one man in particular. One of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time, in Dean Malenko.
AEW Double Or Nothing, May 24, 2025:
Kurt Angle w/ Dean Malenko vs PAC
[Angle's first match back takes place two weeks prior to this one when he and Hobbs take on The Lucha Brothers. A victory for Angle and Hobbs isn't enough as Kurt attacks Fénix after the bell, refusing to release the Ankle Lock. Malenko eggs him on, telling him to break Fénix's leg.
This brings out PAC, who comes to the rescue of his long time friend and stablemate. He gets in Angle's face and shows no intimidation as he backs Kurt up. With Double Or Nothing around the corner, Angle believes PAC will make for an excellent first victim on his way to the top of the food chain.
Angle focuses more on his submission work under the advice of Malenko, he targets the legs making it hard for PAC to execute his aerial maneuvers. PAC is able to trap Angle in the Rings Of Saturn late, but Angle finds his way out, and gets a grip on the ankle. Moments later, PAC is tapping out.]
Kurt Angle def PAC
AEW Fight For The Fallen, Jun 28, 2025
Kurt Angle w/ Dean Malenko vs Will Ospreay (c), AEW World Heavyweight Championship
[Following his dominant victory over PAC, Angle sets his sights on the top of the mountain and the man standing at the peak of it. Ospreay has become unanimously agreed upon as probably the best wrestler on the planet. Angle looks to disprove this theory, and take care of another NJPW castaway.
Ospreay has Angle vulnerable and closes in for Essex Destroyer, Angle reverses with a Northern Lights and rolls through scooping Ospreay up for a deadlift powerbomb. Ospreay lands a rana reversal for a two count, before looking for Os-Cutter, Angle catches him and hits a Lawn Dart, vaulting Ospreay into the middle turnbuckle.
He begins his trio of Germans, Ospreay landing on his feet from the third and getting a superkick on Kurt. An Os-Cutter follows for a near-fall. Ospreay goes to the far corner, and charges in for Hidden Blade. Angle ducks and gets his third German Suplex.
He sets up for an Angle Slam, but Ospreay snags an arm drag reversal. Vertical dropkick by Ospreay who lands on his feet, enziguri connects, Ospreay with a handspring but caught by Angle with a German.
Ospreay goes to the outside and Kurt goes up top for a Moonsault to the floor, swing and a miss and Ospreay climbs. Corkscrew Moonsault by Ospreay, he sends Angle back in. Os-Cutter catches Angle flush. Ospreay from across the ring now, Hidden Blade connects!
Three seconds later, and Angle's dreams of being a World Heavyweight Champion are dashed by the best in the world...for now.]
Will Ospreay (c) def Kurt Angle to retain the AEW World Heavyweight Championship
AEW All In, Aug 23, 2025:
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage (c) vs Kurt Angle & Powerhouse Hobbs w/ Dean Malenko, AEW Tag Team Championships
[Following a devastating loss to Ospreay, Angle refocuses his tag team efforts alongside Hobbs. With Copeland and Christian having made amends and gone on to capture the AEW Tag Team Titles, Angle and Hobbs are eager to knock the legendary tag team off the throne.
Copeland has Angle in position for a Spear after a prolonged period of control when Kurt reverses it into an inside cradle for a near fall. Angle creates distance and tags out to Hobbs who attempts to overpower the historic duo, but the tag team experience is too much for Hobbs and as he is inevitably defeated, Angle experiences yet another setback.]
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage (c) def Kurt Angle & Powerhouse Hobbs to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
AEW All Out, Sep 6, 2025:
Bryan Danielson vs Kurt Angle w/ Dean Malenko
[Just two weeks removed from a victory over long time rival, Nigel McGuiness, Danielson is riding high and wants the most intense competition possible for All Out.
Naturally, this attracts Kurt Angle, a man who has never been submitted, yet has an incredible string of submission victories. He challenges Danielson's claims to be the best technical wrestler in the world, and promises to tap out The Dragon.
Throughout the dream contest, Angle targets and does significant damage to the knee and ankle of Bryan. Bryan attempts to apply similar limb targeting to the previously injured arm of Angle. With both men's history of neck issues, there's plenty of nasty envelope pushes in that department as well.
Bryan looks for a Busaiku Knee late when Angle catches him and gets a powerbomb reversal, he then applies a Boston Crab, squeezing the Achilles Tendon of Danielson. Bryan is able to edge to his back and roll Angle into a pin.
Kurt kicks out, and Danielson lands a roundhouse to a kneeling Angle, leaving him lamenting himself after he feels the effect on his leg. He pulls Angle up for a Dragon Suplex, but Angle breaks the grip and gets a Snapmare Takedown.
Bryan lands on his feet and begins blistering Angle with repeated kicks to the chest, wincing after every one. He finally backs up and tries for the roundhouse, but Kurt catches him in an Ankle Lock.
Kurt twists away at the squirming Danielson, who is able to turn just enough to start landing up-kicks to the bad shoulder of Angle. Danielson then gets a Triangle, pulling Angle in to the submission.
He traps the bad arm and begins striking away at the shoulder socket with elbows. Angle powers up, lifting Danielson before dumping him into the turnbuckles, crumpling Bryan into the corner.
Angle whips Bryan into the corner and he performs a Springboard Moonsault, landing on his bad ankle. Kurt slithers in and cinches an Ankle Lock in yet again. Bryan rolls out and gets a LeBell Lock applied, the bad arm of Angle angled awkwardly. Kurt makes the ropes and Bryan fires up into the corner.
He beckons Kurt up and closes the distance with a Busaiku Knee, Angle ducks, Bryan's bad knee hits the top turnbuckle! Angle Slam connects!
Kurt covers and in doing so obtains the single biggest victory of his career so far. An incredible effort from both men, and an incredible step forward for Kurt Angle.]
Kurt Angle def Bryan Danielson
AEW WrestleDream, Oct 11, 2025:
Bryan Danielson vs Kurt Angle w/ Dean Malenko vs Zack Sabre Jr., Ultimate Submission
[A victory over Bryan Danielson should have Kurt on cloud nine, but he can't help feel disappointed that he didn't deliver on his promise. He didn't tap Bryan out. He challenges Danielson, one more match, a thirty minute timer, no pinfalls, most submissions wins.
Rather than Danielson, it's NJPW's resident technical wizard, Zack Sabre Jr. who answers the call. He states that him and Angle have unfinished business. In the G1 Climax last year, Zack had Angle on the brink of submission but just as Kurt was about to give in, his body gave out and he passed out instead.
Zack has kept that goal in the back of his head since, to make the unsubmittable Kurt Angle tap out. Kurt says that he has great respect for Sabre Jr. but right now he is focused on Danielson.
Bryan enters and states a solution, a triple threat match, under Angle's proposed rules of course, to finally determine who the best technical wrestler in the world is.
Match time arrives and all three men feel the pressure in the air. Three of the most technically gifted pro wrestlers of all time engaged in a war for a chance to finally be crowned the undisputed king of tapping people out.
Twenty five minutes of pure grappling glory elapse, and despite some close calls, none of the three competitors have submitted. With five minutes remaining, all three men are volatile in their pursuit to finally get a point.
Bryan looks for a diving knee strike, when Kurt catches him and cinches an Ankle Lock. Danielson rolls forward and Zack leaps onto the shoulders of Kurt, ranas him to the canvas and locks a mounting triangle.
Bryan with a roundhouse to Zack, pulling him off of Kurt, Bryan proceeds to lock Cattle Mutilation on Sabre who kicks and struggles to survive the maneuver.
Kurt out of nowhere with a Moonsault to Danielson! The grip on Sabre Jr. released, Zack rolls out of the ring. Kurt focuses on Danielson, landing his trio of German Suplexes, Bryan on his feet during the third attempt.
Busaiku Knee, Kurt ducks just enough to catch Bryan across his shoulders. Torture Rack applied on Danielson, bending Bryan over his shoulders. Bryan shifts off the shoulders and locks a Guillotine on Angle, trying to cut off blood flow to the brain.
Angle attempts to reverse with a Northern Lights, but Bryan lands on his feet and maintains grip, forming a bridging guillotine. Zack slithers in, kicking Bryan in the knee and causing Danielson to kneel while keeping the Guillotine applied.
Zack gets a Triangle on Bryan while Bryan has a reverse Guillotine on Kurt, after a few moments, Bryan has to cut his losses with Kurt and try to escape Sabre's grip.
He inches free of the Triangle, getting grip on the legs for a Boston Crab. He tucks the legs and bridges back for a modified Muta Lock. He gives up and applies a seated Guillotine. No matter what Bryan does, Sabre fights on, less than a minute remains when Bryan locks the LeBell Lock.
He drives his knuckles into the nose of Sabre, eventually garnering color, as the crimson begins to leak into his mouth. Danielson covers the mouth and nose with his hands, seconds remain when Kurt rushes in to save the match.
Zack Sabre Jr. is drowning in his own blood.
Three, Two, Sabre Jr. taps!
With one second on the clock, Danielson forces a submission, Kurt was fingertips away from saving the match-up. Sabre Jr. is released and inhales big, gulping breathe, bile and blood leaking from his mouth. Angle gets to his feet and approaches Danielson.
A handshake follows as Bryan Danielson is acknowledged as the Ultimate Submission Master in one of the greatest displays of technical wrestling ever.]
Bryan Danielson def Kurt Angle & Zack Sabre Jr. in Ultimate Submission
What isn't made clear at the time is that this actually serves as Kurt Angle's AEW farewell. He bids farewell to Malenko, telling him to watch over Hobbs for him and vice versa with Hobbs. Less than a month later, his contract expires and he opts not to resign. Questions begin to flare up about where Kurt Angle may turn up next, rumors even begin to circulate that he may be done with professional wrestling for the foreseeable future.
Remember that thing about death and taxes?
WWE Royal Rumble, Jan 31, 2026:
[The Royal Rumble arrives, and as with any given Rumble, who knows what surprises may be in store?
The Men's Rumble match is occuring when entry number twenty-seven is about to be revealed. Medal sounds and the roof comes off of Kaseya Center as the words KURT ANGLE pan across the titantron. The Olympic Hero has arrived.
Angle racks up a couple of eliminations, tossing Johnny Gargano after a fun sequence and Shinsuke Nakamura after an exchange of strikes. Angle comes face to face with AJ Styles who engages in a staredown with The Wrestling Machine.
Before they can lock up, both men are ambushed by other participants, delaying the dream match. Kurt makes it to the final six, but runs into a brick wall when he attempts to eliminate Bron Breakker.
A back and forth of control ends with Breakker on top, landing a belly to belly over the top rope to eliminate Kurt Angle.]
SmackDown, Feb 6, 2026:
John Cena's Open Challenge
[Cena, entering the twilight of his career, goes back to his old open challenge routine, wanting to face as many young superstars as he can before he calls it a career.
His first of these challenges is answered by Kurt Angle himself, who comes face to face with the established Cena. In just his second WWE match, Angle wants to lock up with the GOAT.
Cena, perplexed and expecting a talent on the roster that he was familiar with to appear, poses a reasonable question.
"Who in the hell are you?"
'I'm Kurt Angle'
"Kurt Angle, huh? Tell me, what is the one quality that you possess that makes you think you can come out here and challenge the very best?"
Angle pauses, somehow, he knows exactly what to say.
'Ruthless Aggression.'
Angle clocks Cena and the bell rings, Angle's WWE debut and he has a chance to show that ruthless aggression against one of the most reputable names in wrestling history.
Cena starts out the contest believing Angle will be an easy foe and taking time to pander to the audience. It doesn't take long though for Kurt to gain his respect with a surprise German Suplex while Cena is standing on the middle turnbuckle.
Angle begins to unload with a variety of kick variations and suplexes, wobbling Cena. Cena avoids a Moonsault and lands a Code Red for a near fall.
He beckons Angle up for an Attitude Adjustment, and Angle shifts off the shoulders to begin his trio of German Suplexes. He bridge pins on the third and Cena muscles out.
Angle looks for an Ankle Lock, but Cena rolls free. Attitude Adjustment positioning, Angle lands on his feet. Another German Suplex connects and Angle rolls through, lifting Cena into an emphatic Angle Slam.
Cena narrowly manages to kick out. Angle sizes Cena up for one more Angle Slam, Cena escapes to his feet, Attitude Adjustment, Angle shifts into a roll-up on Cena.
Three seconds later, and Angle has defeated the 16x World Champion in his WWE debut. A shocked Cena watches as Angle takes his place as a hot commodity in WWE.]
Kurt Angle def John Cena
It's not long after this that Kurt finds himself some teammates. During a bout with Akira Tozawa and Apollo Crews of WorldWide, the team of Cedric Alexander and Damon Kemp receive some unexpected assistance from Kurt Angle.
Following the bout, Angle approaches Alexander and Kemp, shortly thereafter, forming Team Angle.
WWE WrestleMania 42 - Night 1, Apr 11, 2026:
AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle
[Ever since their unsatisfying face off at the Royal Rumble, fans and these two alike have been eager to get a proper match made. Angle wants a legacy fight for WrestleMania, another name to engrave on his record.
AJ Styles refuses to be viewed as someone to be put out to pasture and tells Angle to bring his intensity, bring his intelligence, bring his integrity and then come to terms with the fact that it still won't be enough.
Angle tries for an Angle Slam after Styles misses a Springboard 450, Styles maneuvers his way over and into Styles Clash position only for Angle to grip the ankle and turn it into an Ankle Lock.
Styles writhes and tries to make the ropes, but Angle drags him back into the center of the ring and sits down into a knee bar - ankle lock fusion forcing Styles to submit to The Wrestling Machine.]
Kurt Angle def AJ Styles
WWE Backlash, May 23, 2026:
Cody Rhodes vs Kurt Angle
[Following his massive victory over AJ Styles at WrestleMania, Angle and his posse set their sights on another established vet, Cody Rhodes.
Angle tells Rhodes that Kurt is everything Cody has claimed to be, at Backlash he'll expose Cody as a fraud and show him who the true American Nightmare is.
It's a hotly contested affair with Cody, less than a year removed from his World Title run, putting Kurt to the test. Cody is in the driver's seat when a ref bump leads Cedric and Kemp to interfere, Kemp is neutralized before Cedric inadvertently lays Angle out.
Cross Rhodes to Cedric, and another one to Kurt and Rhodes has pinned The Olympic Hero.]
Cody Rhodes def Kurt Angle
WWE King & Queen Of The Ring, Jun 27, 2026:
Damian Priest vs Kurt Angle
[Kurt enters into the King Of The Ring tournament following his loss to Rhodes, but not before kicking Cedric out of Team Angle. He's replaced by a man Angle knows well, the debuting Josh Alexander.
While Josh and Kemp pick up the tag team titles, Angle focuses in on the tournament. He is able to defeat Rey Mysterio in the first round, Dragon Lee in the second, Pete Dunne in the quarters, and Cedric in the semis.
Damian, meanwhile wins the RAW bracket and the finals are set. The Punisher vs The Wrestling Machine.
In a vein very similar to what an Angle/Undertaker match looks like, Priest muscles around Angle, only for Kurt to surprise him with his own strength. Angle works on the leg, rendering Priest's kicking ability useless and kneading him for the eventual Ankle Lock.
Damian looks for Razor's Edge, powering through the pain in his leg. As he chucks Angle, Kurt reverses with a huracanrana taking Priest off guard. Angle begins his trio of Germans, on the third attempt, Priest maneuvers free and gets a Thunder Clap on Angle.
He sets up for The Reckoning, but Angle hits a Southern Lights Suplex, sending Priest forward to the canvas. Angle gets an Angle Slam for a near-fall.
A Moonsault follows, but Priest gets a grip across the throat as Kurt comes down. He lands South Of Heaven for a close two count. Damian sizes up Kurt from across the ring.
Tornado Kick, intercepted, Kurt locks onto the ankle! Priest tries to roll out, kick Kurt away, but Angle is relentless and vice grips around the ankle, torturing Damian.
Priest eventually passes out from the pain, giving Angle a victory, albeit one he's only slightly satisfied with. Regardless of how, Kurt has won King Of The Ring and will now main event SummerSlam for the World Heavyweight Championship.]
Kurt Angle def Damian Priest
WWE Battleground, Jul 25, 2026:
Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle
[Brock, having returned in the Royal Rumble earlier in the year and announcing a retirement tour, culminating at SummerSlam in his hometown, sets his sights on Kurt Angle.
Kurt, one month away from main eventing SummerSlam, accepts Brock's challenge, dubbing him one more legend Kurt can send packing.
The match is evidently very intense with Brock showing his trademark dominance and Angle impressing with bursts of strength and out-grappling Lesnar.
Towards the climax of the match, both men begin exchanging German Suplexes. Brock eventually decides to do the continuous trio ala Kurt. Angle lands on his feet on the third attempt and rolls Brock into a deadlift German Suplex.
Kurt scales for a Moonsault, but Brock catches him in mid-air for an F-5, Kurt scrambles free and gets an Ankle Lock applied. Brock is able to fight out, applying a Kimura Lock. Kurt makes it to the ropes and Brock gets fed up.
Lesnar goes to the top turnbuckle for the first time in decades and attempts a Shooting Star Press. Kurt moves and Lesnar eats canvas, Angle immediately jumps onto the leg of Brock applying an agonizing Ankle Lock.
After minutes of Kurt's snake-like refusal to release his grip, he does what few have ever been able to do and makes The Beast tap out. After the bout, Brock shakes the hand of Kurt Angle and Kurt looks ahead to his titanic Heavyweight Title opportunity.]
Kurt Angle def Brock Lesnar
As Angle approaches war at SummerSlam, he decides that Team Angle needs an advisor. Someone that can guide them to their ultimate goal of every member holding gold. He says for three of the best technical wrestlers in the world, their advisor must be of a similar status.
He enlists none other than The Excellence Of Execution, The Hitman is in Team Angle. Bret coaches Kurt in the lead-up to SummerSlam, giving him tips and reviewing old tapes showing how he won his Titles.
CONT. In Comments

Kurt Angle, often regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in history and with good reason. The man who won an Olympic gold medal with a broken neck came onto the scene in WWE between late 1999 and early 2000.
He went on to carve out an incredible career for himself, winning world titles the world over. Whether it was WWE, TNA or even NJPW - Angle made sure to leave an impact everywhere he went.
What if things were different though? What if Kurt Angle never debuted in the attitude era and instead, at the prime age of 32, Kurt Angle debuted in the wrestling world we know today?
Who would he cross paths with? Would he reach the same heights he did in his day? I intend to explore this topic and find out for myself.
Can The Wrestling Machine thrive in the Renaissance Era? Only time will tell...
The year is 2023 and Kurt Angle arrives on the scene, he's well known as is from his historic feat in 2021, when he won a gold medal with a broken neck at the Summer Olympics.
Many would expect Kurt to chase this success into something significant, but many are surprised and intrigued when it's made clear what his future goals are.
To transition into the world of sports entertainment and become a professional wrestler.
He spends his first year working the independent scene, making appearances in GCW specifically. There, he ends up having standout matches with the likes of Brian Cage and Powerhouse Hobbs who make special guest appearances to lock up with the hot commodity. He even has a half-decent match with Jake Hager, in a bout that seems like it could've been something special if Hager was about a decade younger and still The All American American.
By the time June 2024 rolls around, dirt sheets are speculating that most of the major professional wrestling companies are showing great interest in Kurt, but it's likely he will turn up in WWE due to their extensive track record transitioning athletes from various walks of life and countless different sports.
Imagine everyones surprise then, when Hiroshi Tanahashi announces NJPW has signed Kurt Angle, not to a full time contract but for a very exciting purpose indeed.
The G1 Climax.
Along with him in B Block are seven other supremely talented athletes, some of NJPW's finest along with a couple of freelancers from other promotions.
NJPW, G1 Climax 34 - Night 1, July 15, 2024:
Eddie Kingston vs Kurt Angle
[Kurt's first match of the G1 comes in the form of the Mad King, Eddie Kingston. Eddie's striking and submission based aggression pairs well with Kurt's grappling and limb targeting. Angle is able to rattle Eddie throughout the match with throws and suplexes, as well as his ability to outmaneuver Eddie's submission attempts.
The match comes to a close as Eddie comes out of the corner with a Uraken to a wobbly Angle. Kurt ducks and latches on for a German Suplex, maintaining waist control, a second German Suplex, yet again. Kurt pulls Kingston up to complete the trio, but Eddie hooks onto the top turnbuckle. Kurt shows his strength, suplexing Kingston as the padding goes flying.
Kurt tries for an Angle Slam, but Kingston finds his footing behind Kurt, and grips hold of the neck, cinching a bulldog choke. Kurt struggles up before marching towards the corner and diving downwards, thus driving Eddie skull first into the exposed turnbuckle.
An Angle Slam follows, and Kurt secures a win in his NJPW debut.]
Kurt Angle (2) def Eddie Kingston (0)
NJPW G1 Climax 34 - Night 3, July 18, 2024:
Jeff Cobb vs Kurt Angle
[Kurt's second match of the G1 proves to be a very interesting one indeed. Jeff Cobb, a former olympian himself, is perhaps one of the only wrestlers on the planet who can match Angle regarding his knowledge of suplexes, throws, power maneuvers and grapples.
The match begins to near the end as Cobb has Angle up top in a deadlift stalling superplex, Angle is able to land on his feet behind Cobb and German Suplex Cobb off the middle turnbuckle.
Angle looks for an Angle Slam, but Cobb lands on his feet and tries for Tour Of The Islands, but Kurt scrambles free and lands a German Suplex, maintains waist control, Cobb breaks free and steps behind Angle, German Suplex, Angle does the same thing, Cobb gets fed up and hits a German Suplex that lands Angle flat on his face as Cobb releases the waist.
Cobb signals for the end and looks for a standing moonsault, Kurt avoids and hits a throwing German Suplex of his own. Angle scales the turnbuckles, moonsault! At the ref's count of two, Cobb sits up with Angle in his arms. Tour Of The Islands connects! Near-fall!
Cobb gets Angle up on his shoulder, Angle escapes and locks on to the ankle, Jeff rolls forward and sends Angle into the corner. Angle steps backwards into the arms of Cobb, Tour Of The Isl- Angle on his feet! Angle Slam!
Kurt begins to scale the ropes and lands another moonsault. With that, Cobb finally stays down and Angle is able to outlast his counterpart.]
Kurt Angle (4) def Jeff Cobb (0)
NJPW G1 Climax 34 - Night 5, July 21, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Kushida
[Taking into consideration Kushida's rather successful MMA background, this matchup seems like a no brainer. Both men are grappling gods well regarded as being submission experts. It's on full display when they finally face off in the G1.
Kushida has been vocal about his displeasure competing only in the Junior division and when put in the premier tournament of NJPW's year, he's eager to prove he belongs in the main event scene.
The story told here is Angle's non stop assault on the legs and ankles of Kushida, and in return Kushida relentlessly damaging the arms and wrists of Angle.
Kushida, despite the quickly deteriorating bones in his legs, is leech like with how determined he is to stay attached to the arm of Kurt. Angle Slam? Denied and turned into a Kimura Lock. Ankle Lock? Kushida rolls forward driving Angle shoulder first into the steel post, and then Kimura Lock. German Suplex? That's what you think, it's actually a Kimura Lock.
As Kushida continuously dissects the arm, Angle begins getting increasingly desperate. He dunks Kushida into the turnbuckles harshly. Onto the apron. Into the barricade. Taking more and more drastic measures to free himself and becoming less and less successful.
Eventually Kurt is in agony and nothing seems to shake Kushida, he climbs to the top rope, hoping a drop from that height will force release. Kushida lets go without Kurt even having to drop only to reapply and look for an arm drag variation off the top.
As Kushida goes to drop, Kurt grips to the ropes and Kushida lands in a tree of woe position. Kurt grabs hold of the ears of Kushida, pulling him up slightly, before shoving him down and forcing him to collide with the turnbuckles.
He drags Kushida up to the top rope, clearly looking for something big, but Kushida goes back in with the Kimura, Kurt begins driving Kushida into the top of the steel post before actually picking Kushida up with his bad arm only and slamming Kushida into the metal.
Kurt positions himself for one last gasp effort to thwart the colorfast Kushida. Angle Slam from the top turnbuckle! An exhausted Angle crawls to cover, and is at last able to defeat Kushida.
The question quickly becomes though, as the referee is refused the chance to even raise the arm of Angle, how much damage was done?]
Kurt Angle (6) def Kushida (2)
NJPW G1 Climax 34 - Night 7, July 25, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Matt Riddle
[Four nights after having his arm near surgically dissected by Kushida, Angle locks up against another skilled fighter endowed with MMA experience.
Riddle gives the challenge Cobb gave being able to match Angle on power, while also giving the challenge Kushida did with limb targeting and joint manipulation.
Riddle, entering his first G1 has arguably his biggest opportunity since joining NJPW earlier in the year. He spends the duration of the match peppering Angle with strikes to the arm, salting with submissions.
As the match nears it's own climax, Angle goes for a high risk moonsault only for Riddle to avoid. A final flash knee follows from the ever opportunistic Riddle. Kurt is able to kick-out, inspiring Riddle to try for a RainTrigger. Kurt blocks with his arm to avoid getting struck in the face. He winces and Riddle capitalizes with rapid palm strikes to the chest before kicking Kurt into the ropes.
As Angle rebounds, Riddle goes under the arm and tries for a falling pele kick, Kurt catches the leg and gets an Ankle Lock. Riddle is able to get back to his free foot, so Angle hits a leg trapped German Suplex to discourage a comeback.
Kurt tries for an Angle Slam, but Riddle maneuvers into a pinning predicament, Kurt reverses the pressure pinning Riddle's shoulders. They go back and forth until Kurt traps Matt in a sleeper hold. Riddle fires up to his feet and begins snapping Kurt's elbow over his shoulder to escape.
Riddle gets Kurt up for Bro To Sleep, Angle catches the leg and clings with an Ankle Lock. Riddle gets back to his feet and lands a surprise roundhouse with his free foot. A V-Trigger to the shoulder follows, before Riddle gets Angle in Tombstone position. Angle slithers down, and like a snake, latches onto the ankle.
Riddle crumples under the unexpected pressure as Kurt gets a knee baankle lock hybrid applied. He wrenches away on the Achilles tendon, as Riddle writhes in pain.
Matt nearly gets to the ropes, but Angle is able to roll with him back into the center of the ring. Eventually, Riddle has to think of the big picture and consider the matches he still has left in the tournament, and he submits to Kurt Angle.
Kurt is able to conquer another worthy adversary and remains undefeated in the tournament, but his arm is clearly bothering him and that is shown as Kurt takes time to nurse the injury after the bout.]
Kurt Angle (8) def Matt Riddle (4)
NJPW G1 Climax 34 - Night 9, July 27, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Minoru Suzuki:
[It's more bad news for Angle, as his next foe is regarded as arguably one of the most sadistic pro wrestlers of all time. Suzuki, known for his methodical approach and willingness to lay in with strikes, has him salivating at the prospect of getting his hands on the already wounded Kurt.
Angle is donning circulation tape as he locks up with the Murder Grandpa. Suzuki wastes little time in tearing at the tape, exposing the flesh beneath. Digging his elbow into the shoulder blade, he continues his attack on Kurt.
Knee drops and stiff chops leave a stinging sensation rippling through the arm of Angle. Kurt wants to execute his power maneuvers, but a lack of grip prevents him as he begins losing strength and ability with every blow to the shoulder.
Suzuki tucks Kurt's fragmented arm behind him, connecting with Russian Leg Sweeps and suplexes, landing Angle's weight harshly onto his own arm.
Kurt begins mounting something of a comeback against the relentless Suzuki. He keeps his arm close to his body, but is able to surprise Minoru with his explosiveness. He knows he can't lift Suzuki, and so turns to the aerial side of his arsenal.
A swan dive off the apron has Suzuki reeling and Angle is able to follow up with a moonsault into the ring. Angle tries to strike with his feet, connecting with dropkicks and enziguris.
Suzuki weathers the storm, however, and positions Angle for a Gotch-Style Piledriver. Angle is able to grasp onto the leg and sink down, refusing to let Suzuki power him up.
Angle goes under, maintaining his leg control, and gets an Ankle Lock applied. He struggles to keep it in for as long as possible, but the strength in his arm isn't present. Suzuki is able to kick Angle off of him, and Kurt goes into desperation mode. A wounded animal faced with an angry Minoru Suzuki.
Angle goes for a risky strategy, considering his lack of practice in this department, but he decides to use a leg oriented submission, given that his arms are unable to grip for long. He is able to reverse a Gotch-Style into a triangle choke, tightening his legs vice grip around the neck and applying pressure to the carotid.
Angle tries his damnedest, withstanding even a deadlift powerbomb and continuing his choke, to maintain his attack on Suzuki. It pays off as slowly, but surely, Suzuki loses the ability to breathe and is forced to tap out to Kurt Angle.]
Kurt Angle (10) def Minoru Suzuki (2)
NJPW G1 Climax 34 - Night 11, Aug 1, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Shingo Takagi
[It's out of the frying pan and into the fire as Angle survives Suzuki, but is now faced with arguably more aggressive competition, in the form of Shingo Takagi.
Angle is on the defensive for most of the bout, wanting to keep his perfect record intact, and knowing the danger of letting Shingo get ahold of his arm.
This also means Angle is less assertive, however, and Shingo is more willing to take risks to do damage to Kurt. Takagi gives Angle a taste of his own medicine as he begins repeatedly suplexing Angle, multiple Germans, landing Kurt on his bad shoulder. He mixes in other variations as well, optimizing the damage he can do to the arm.
Takagi also drives Angle, shoulder first into the steel post. When Angle slumps down, Takagi closes in with a running knee strike, popping Angle's shoulder into the turnbuckle.
Shingo dominates the course of the match, letting Angle get in little offense. Angle stirs, sitting up as he tries to catch his bearings on the canvas. Shingo spots Angle in position for a PUMPING BOMBER, Angle ducks, Angle Slam, Shingo on his feet to avoid, Made In Japan! Angle locks to the waist and reverses with a roll-up, Shingo rolls backwards to kick out, Shingo behind Angle, gets him up, Last Of The Dragons!
Angle planted right on his bad shoulder with authority by Takagi. Shingo gets rewarded for his effort with a very close near fall. Shingo pulls Angle up by his hair, forearm, after forearm, after forearm. Angle spits in the face of Takagi, refusing to go quietly for The Dragon. Shingo wipes his face calmly, before running the ropes, PUMPING BOMBER.
With that, Takagi has handed Angle his first singles career loss, and overtaken him in the G1 rankings.]
Shingo Takagi (11) def Kurt Angle (10)
NJPW G1 Climax 34 - Night 13, Aug 5, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Zack Sabre Jr.
[Finally, we arrive at Kurt's final test of this grueling tournament. The tournament that has left him clutching his arm in peril every night, the tournament that has left him blistered and bruised in the biggest tests of his young career, but most importantly, the tournament that put him on the map.
Angle, well regarded as a fantastic submission worker and grappler, takes aim at arguably the greatest submission based wrestler of all time, Zack Sabre Jr.
Angle's Olympian background makes for an intriguing contrast against Zack's more strike heavy, frenzied submission approach. Sabre Jr., one of the most shark like opponents you could have, rips at the arm of Angle in various ways.
Bending the arm back as he stands on the fingers before stamping the elbow sideways, penalty kicks to the forearm, palm strikes to the shoulder blade, using every opportunity to hang the arm over the ropes before being forced to release.
Zack has Angle in a pool of pain as he ascends for a diving knee drop to the arm, Angle avoids, catching Zack in mid air with an Ankle Lock. Zack scrambles, and rolls forward, sending Angle out of the ring.
Sabre goes to the apron, and attempts a diving uppercut, Angle catches him and flips him forward before getting him up for a powerbomb. Zack quickly shifts into an arm triangle, tearing at the arm. Angle drops Zack onto the barricade to no avail, but a firm drop onto the apron forces Zack to let Angle go.
Sabre Jr. is positioned against the stairs and Kurt charges in, Zack slips into the ring and Angle collides with the steel stairs. Baseball slide by Zack follows before he guides Angle to the steel barricade. He pops Angle's arm through the bars and uses his feet on the other side to pull Angle further in, trying to pull Angle through the fence.
Zack gets cocky, standing atop the barricade as he keeps his paws on Angle. Angle sweeps the legs and Sabre takes a nasty spill on top of the steel. An impromptu Angle Slam into the barricade follows before Angle sends Sabre Jr. back in.
Angle climbs, looking to put the finishing touches on Sabre Jr. A Moonsault by Angle caught with a triangle! Sabre Jr. wraps his legs around the neck of Angle, strangling The Wrestling Machine. Kurt powers up Sabre with his last bit of strength. He collapses Zack into the turnbuckles, shifting the ring with the force.
Angle recovers and rips Zack out of the corner into an Ankle Lock. He knows he can't maintain good grip with his arm, so he cinches down into a knee bar. Zack struggles for a while before finally finding the bottom rope. Zack gets an arm triangle over the ropes for a few seconds, before connecting with a kick from the apron.
Sabre dives back in, but Angle blocks the slingshot with an Ankle Lock. Zack swiftly rolls forward, and as Angle tries to roll backwards, Zack pins him down. Angle rolls backwards anyway with Zack and gets a German Suplex. Angle sits up and lets out a roar, before Zack stands up and kicks him in the back of the head. Both men collapse as the playing field is evened.
Angle and Sabre Jr. find themselves crawling back up in opposite corners. The crowd breaks into a clap building up to both men meeting in the center of the ring, unloading with strikes. Zack goes cheap with a falling kick to the bad arm. Zack steps on the knee of Angle before maneuvering over him and onto his arm where he then rolls into a cross armbreaker.
Angle fires up, and twists away at the ankle to turn into an Ankle Lock. Sabre rolls forward and turns it back into a cross armbreaker. Angle rolls backwards and pops out, into an Ankle Lock. Sabre rolls Angle into the turnbuckles to break the cycle. Step-up knee strike by Zack, avoided by Angle, Angle hops to the bottom turnbuckle to greet Zack. Angle Slam from the middle turnbuckle!
Kurt desperately covers, but Zack kicks out, locking a Kimura as he does. Angle yelps out in agony, and tries to roll out of it. Zack stops Angle with a cross armbreaker, Angle powers Zack up, Zack clings to Kurt, connecting with a rana before mounting into a triangle choke.
No matter what Kurt does, Zack won't let go of the arm. Angle, the pain unbearable, the breath leaving his body at an alarming rate. As Zack tightens like a snake across the arm and neck of Angle, Kurt begins to fade and eventually, perhaps inevitably, passes out in the jaws of Zack Sabre Jr.
Kurt's G1 proves to be incredibly impressive as he is ranked third in his block, and his undeniable grit was on full display, as The Olympic Hero refused to tap out, opting to lose consciousness instead.]
Zack Sabre Jr. (13) def Kurt Angle (10)
It's not long after this that Kurt surprises by opting not to sign a full time contract with NJPW, drowning out the offers from AEW and WWE, and instead decides to visit a promotion that he feels oddly at home in. Total Nonstop Action.
TNA Victory Road 2024, Sep 21, 2024:
Jonathan Gresham (c) vs Kurt Angle, TNA World Heavyweight Championship
[Kurt, being the genetic freak that he is, catapults to the main event scene, especially given his matches in the G1 Climax boosting his resume. Gresham, having dethroned Moose a few months back, has been confidently seated as face of the company. Angle looks to challenge that throne.
Gresham and Angle have a heated contract signing prior to the event, with Angle, in response to being called a rookie stating "Well, this rookie is going to kick your fucking ass." before busting Gresham's nose into the table, dragging Jonathan across the table and powerbombing him through it.
The bout is a technical masterclass with Gresham challenging Angle on the technical front. Gresham manages to get Angle in an octopus lock, Angle shifts Gresham out of it and cinches an Ankle Lock. Gresham hooks onto Angle's ankle and throws Kurt off balance, collapsing him into a knee bar. Angle manages to kick Gresham away before locking a figure four.
Gresham rolls over to reverse the pressure, before both men make their way onto their heads, slapping and swatting at each other. Angle throws the first closed fist and it dazes Gresham who breaks free of the predicament. Angle begins his repeated germans, Gresham lands on his feet with the third attempt. Octopus Lock by Gresham, Angle reverses into a third and final German Suplex.
Gresham stumbles up, Angle Slam, Gresham on his feet, big knee to the nose of Angle, Octopus Hold, a look of annoyed disbelief crosses the face of Angle due to Jonathan's insistence on this move, powerbomb reversal by Angle. Gresham pulls himself up using the ropes and is caught from behind with a definitive Angle Slam.
The referee counts the pin and Kurt Angle has secured his first pro wrestling title, the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, after a barn burner to dethrone Jon Gresham.]
Kurt Angle def Jonathan Gresham (c) to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
TNA Bound For Glory 2024, Oct 13, 2024:
Kurt Angle (c) vs Kushida, TNA World Heavyweight Championship
[A few short months following their classic in the G1, Angle is hungry for revenge on the man he claims cost him the biggest opportunity of his career. After all, Angle suffered his arm injury during his match with Kushida, and there's an argument to be made his losses to Shingo and Sabre Jr. wouldn't have occured if not for the target Kushida put on him.
Kushida wins a fatal four way over Laredo Kid, Mike Bailey and Rich Swann to punch his ticket to Bound For Glory and the rematch is set. Angle/Kushida II
Angle shows more of his aggressive side in this bout, given that this match is probably the most personal of Angle's young career. Kushida attempts to wear away at the arm, but Kurt has him scouted, sharply reversing any arm oriented attacks.
Angle dizzies Kushida with a series of throws and suplex, making Kushida feel like he's trapped in the spin cycle. Following Angle's several minutes of control time, he attempts to finalize his revenge on Kushida with an Angle Slam. Kushida shifts off the shoulders and into a Kimura Lock.
Angle is forced to tough it out for a minute as Kushida relentlessly latches on. Angle finally takes Kushida to the ground, gets a hand around the ankle and rolls out of the Kimura, taking the ankle with him.
Ankle Lock is in, Kushida though, rolls forward to escape. A nasty jab by Kushida connects, before he attempts his handspring back elbow. Angle catches him and lands a German Suplex. Angle rolls over into an Ankle Lock. A, so far, unseen intensity donning his expression.
Kushida is gutsy and resilient, but is eventually forced to submit to Angle. Kurt relishes his victory, getting what he perceives as his vengeance over Kushida.
Angle, ever the good sport, offers Kushida a hand and pulls him up into a handshake, squashing the beef between them.]
Kurt Angle (c) def Kushida to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
TNA Turning Point 2024, Nov 3, 2024:
Josh Alexander vs Kurt Angle (c), TNA World Heavyweight Championship
[Having effectively vanquished Kushida, Angle turns his attention towards his next challenger. Josh Alexander, having been forced to vacate the World Championship after becoming the longest reigning TNA World Champion in company history, is still seeking to gain back the title that he never lost.
He just so happens to have to go through the man who made his debut to rescue Alexander a couple short months ago to do so. Alexander and Angle, both of similar backgrounds, are excited and respectful in their pursuit to do battle.
The match runs fairly similarly to Jeff Cobb's clash with Angle, a game of one upmanship based around suplex variants. Angle gets the better of Josh with one of these exchanges, getting his trio of German Suplexes to connect and throwing Josh across the ring with the third.
Alexander pops up and comes barreling out of the corner with a spear, he then rolls with Angle, maintaining grip on the waist and lifts him into a deadlift gutwrench suplex creating a beautiful fusion move. Angle barely gets the shoulder up and both men lay exhausted.
They find their footing in the center of the ring, and Alexander begins to lay in with uppercuts. Angle gets a read on him, and catches an uppercut attempt into a backslide, Josh kicks out and Kurt gets him up in powerbomb position. Josh escapes onto his feet and gets Kurt up for a fireman's carry landing a cutter from that position.
Kurt kicks out and Alexander adapts, getting a torture rack applied, bending Angle over his traps. Kurt escapes and gets an emphatic German Suplex. Angle scales the turnbuckles, moonsault! Alexander avoids. Josh gets Angle up and lands a spinning tombstone for a near fall.
For the first time since Angle transitioned to professional wrestling, his neck begins to bother him after the nasty spike on the head. The commentators make point of mentioning Angle's background of neck issues. Alexander decides to make a statement at the expense of Angle, trapping him in an Ankle Lock.
Kurt is able to roll free and as Josh rebounds off the ropes, he is caught with an Angle Slam. Kurt, clutching his neck, goes up top. Moonsault connects. The referee begins the count, but Kurt stops him. Ankle Lock by Kurt.
Kurt wants to make Josh submit, but Alexander breaks out. He gets a double underhook, but Kurt lifts Josh with his bad neck and falls backwards to escape. Kurt immediately goes back on attacking the ankle. Josh scrambles to kick Kurt away and succeeds. Kurt charges back, right into the grips of Alexander. Double Underhook, Tiger Driver! Angle bounces off his skull, and Josh quickly covers. Kurt somehow kicks out!
Josh drags Angle up by his singlet straps, a second spinning tombstone! One, Two Three. Alexander, after several months on the shelf, having to give up his record breaking reign, has reclaimed his spot at the top of the TNA food chain and he's done it by defeating Kurt Angle.
After the bout, Alexander is forced to cut his celebrating short as Kurt struggles to move. He's eventually carted off with a stretcher, putting a damper on Alexander's cathartic title victory.]
Josh Alexander def Kurt Angle (c) to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
Following his harrowing loss of the TNA World Title, it's reported by PWI that Angle has a bad concussion and will be out of action for the remainder of November and likely all of Winter. This is due to precautionary measures being taken since Angle has a history of neck problems.
Death, Taxes and Dirt Sheets Being Wrong.
AEW Collision, Nov 9, 2024:
Motor City Machine Guns vs Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs
[Meanwhile, in AEW, MCMG arrived a little under six months ago and in doing so have become one of the premier tag teams in the company. They've recently been embroiled in a mini-feud with The Don Callis Family, and it comes to a head here.
After various points of control for each competitor, MCMG are able to take the hard earned victory, pinning Hobbs with Takeshita failing to break it up.
After the bout, Hobbs takes a microphone and makes it clear that The Don Callis Family has been on a downhill slide lately. He states that he can make The Don Callis Family better, and bring them back to their former relevance. That he can inspire Takeshita and earn tag team gold with him.
"I just don't want to."
He turns to Takeshita and Callis, taking a predatory stance now.
"Why should I stay and save this family." He scoffs. "A family of failures...is no family of mine."
He headbutts Takeshita and stands over the fallen warrior. Blood begins to trickle down the nose, as Hobbs capitalizes with the World's Strongest Slam. He kneels over the broken body of Takeshita when the star spangled banner coats the titantron and just six days after it was reported he would be out of action for months, Kurt Angle debuts in AEW.
He brawls with his GCW rival, taking Hobbs out of the ring. He stands his ground, staring down Hobbszilla. The Olympic Hero is All Elite!]
AEW Dynamite, Nov 13, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Powerhouse Hobbs
[It's announced that on Dynamite, ten short days after Kurt Angle's TNA World Title loss, that he will lock horns with Powerhouse Hobbs on Dynamite in his official debut.
Hobbs is able to do what few have truly been able to, and that is overpower Kurt Angle. Angle is a stout, strong guy but when greeted with the powerlifter Hobbs, he finds himself manhandled.
Hobbs blocks suplex attempts and tosses Angle around with slams and throws. Hobbs begins to work on the back, getting Kurt in a torture rack submission. Kurt slips out the back door and gets a surprise German on Hobbs, he maintains waist control and attempts another, but Hobbs escapes and sends Kurt spiraling off the ropes.
A spinebuster from Hobbs follows for a two count. Hobbs gets frustrated throwing Angle out of the ring and using his environment to his advantage. He throws Kurt across the announce desk, into the steel stairs, smashes him against the barricade. Once he feels enough damage has been done, he sends Kurt back in and gets him up for Town Business, Angle escapes off the shoulders and lands an Angle Slam.
Clutching his back, Kurt is able to get the pinfall victory over the ever-menacing Hobbs. A successful debut for The Olympic Hero in the land of The Elite.]
Kurt Angle def Powerhouse Hobbs
AEW Dynamite, Nov 20, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Powerhouse Hobbs
[One week after their titanic clash, it is announced that Hobbs and Angle will clash once more ahead of Takeshita/Hobbs at Full Gear.
Angle makes his entrance, a new shade of intensity painting his face. Everyone believes Angle is going to express that intensity by giving Hobbs a proper beating.
Instead, as the two men stand across each other and the bell rings, the two come face to face, center of the ring.
Hobbs snatches the ref. World's Strongest Slam.
Angle simply snickers to himself as he backs into the corner.
As the crowd sits in stunned silence, Angle climbs to the top turnbuckle, landing a bone-rattling moonsault on the defenseless Rick Knox, making clear he is in on this sick plan.
Security begins to rush the ring, and Hobbs & Angle begin to get to work. They demolish every guard that enters the ring in quick succession.
After clearing the twenty-some security guards, Angle and Hobbs stand together, proud of the carnage they've inflicted. That is, until, Konosuke Takeshita's theme sounds.
Takeshita storms the ring, fighting both men at once. To everyone's amazement, Takeshita is able to clear the ring, chasing off the two newly united heels. Takeshita stands tall ahead of Full Gear, sending a brief but loud message to Hobbs.]
AEW Full Gear, Nov 23, 2024:
Konosuke Takeshita vs Kurt Angle
[Tony Khan makes the announcement that the behavior shown on Dynamite was unacceptable, and reprimands are in order. Kurt Angle is a newcomer to the company, so Tony will let him off with a one and only warning, but Hobbs has been here for years and he knows better. Powerhouse Hobbs has been suspended for thirty days and will miss Full Gear, in his place, his new running mate Kurt Angle will be forced to sub in against Takeshita.
In one of the biggest tests of both men's young careers, two of the hottest rising stars in AEW collide, with deep personal roots fueling the bout. Takeshita wanted Powerhouse Hobbs, the man who backstabbed him, tonight but settles for directing all of that anger towards Kurt Angle instead.
Angle enters with his signature mouth-piece finally making it's first appearance, he probably could have used that before, but hindsight. It adds a distinct edge to his grizzled 'real' fighter look.
In Kurt's second proper match in the company, he is put through the wringer in one of the most physically intense matches of his career. Takeshita's blistering strikes leave Angle cornered and forced to rely on pockets of offense to try to limit the damage done to him.
Angle finally gets an opening late and attempts an Angle Slam, Takeshita on his feet lands behind Angle and sinks him with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Takeshita sizing up Kurt from the corner, closes the distance with a Pegasus Knee Strike, Angle catches the leg, and rolls into a knee bar. He focuses his assault on the ankle, hoping to soften Takeshita up.
Takeshita writhes in pain before finally reaching the bottom rope, forcing separation. Angle uses every bit of the five count to continue torturing the ankle. Takeshita kicks Kurt away as Angle looks to pounce, and Konosuke begins running the ropes, picking up steam. He avoids multiple clothesline attempts, dizzying Angle.
He finally closes the gap with a massive lariat. Takeshita scouts Angle from the corner now, and the Pegasus Knee gets ducked by Angle. Kurt begins his trio of German Suplexes. On the third attempt, Takeshita escapes, Blue Thunder Bo- Angle escapes, a third German Suplex! It lands Konosuke flat on his face and Takeshita seeks refuge on the outside.
Angle scales the turnbuckles, catching Konosuke at ringside with a moonsault! He sends Konosuke back in and climbs once more. A final moonsault, but Takeshita rolls out of the way. Angle eats the canvas. Pegasus Knee Strike connects knocking the mouthpiece out! Takeshita pulling Angle up, Blue Thunder Bomb!
It is sweet victory for Takeshita, as he is able to get a measure of revenge on Kurt Angle, translated via the glare in his eyes and the expression on his face though, it is evident that Takeshita still wants Hobbs.]
Konosuke Takeshita def Kurt Angle
AEW Worlds End, Dec 29, 2024:
Kurt Angle vs Kyle O'Reilly, Submission Match
[We arrive at Worlds End and these two grappling gods are chomping at the bit to finally cross paths. Hobbs is busy with Takeshita which gives Angle ample opportunity to put O'Reilly to the test.
Kurt's been getting more braggadocios following his victories, including in two five minute challenges in which he was able to tap both Lee Moriarty and Daniel Garcia in under five minutes.
O'Reilly is able to meet Angle tit for tat, much like Kushida and Sabre Jr. before him. Kurt finally starts to feel some of that pressure he's been applying to his recent opponents.
Late in the contest, O'Reilly begins to pummel Angle with various strikes taking toll on every part of the body. He caps off the sequence with a stomp to the back of the head and a spinning forearm. Angle is left dazed when Kyle leaps on to the back for a sleeper.
Kurt fumbles momentarily with the hands of O'Reilly, but as loss of consciousness rears it's head, Angle dives forward slamming O'Reilly against the turnbuckles, nearly driving both men through them. O'Reilly stumbles up into a trio of Germans, O'Reilly locks onto the waist with his legs on the third attempt, rolling Angle forward and applying a cross armbreaker.
Angle finds his way out with a grasp on the ankle. Ankle Lock is in, O'Reilly kicks and kicks, but Angle refuses to release the grip. O'Reilly shifts himself onto his back and is able to get Angle within reach to apply a Guillotine. Angle gives up the Ankle Lock to focus on the newfound predicament.
He solves it with a northern lights suplex to escape. Angle sets his sights on O'Reilly and closes in for an Angle Slam, Kyle on his feet, Russian Leg Sweep by O'Reilly who then finds the arm and reattaches. Angle shows his strength getting a deadlift powerbomb and forcing O'Reilly to forgo his grip.
Angle climbs to the top for a moonsault, O'Reilly avoids, Kyle comes in hot, stepping up on Angle's leg to then knee him in the face. O'Reilly follows up with a roundhouse, Angle ducks, leg sweep, Angle jumps and then Angle rolls forward and snatches the ankle.
The Ankle Lock is firmly applied, O'Reilly struggles, trying to grab the ropes, kick free, roll out, but Angle has seen it all before and has an answer for everything O'Reilly attempts. After agonizing minutes in the Ankle Lock, O'Reilly finally submits to Kurt Angle.
Yet another feather in the cap of the seemingly unstoppable wrestling machine.]
Kurt Angle def Kyle O'Reilly
AEW Dynamite, Jan 22, 2025:
[On the Dynamite after Angle and Hobbs score a tag team victory over Hook and RVD, Hook is in the ring and calls out Angle. He claims that he is the match Angle has been waiting for and that he knows he can submit Kurt.
Angle comes out and tells Hook that he's a very talented man, and that one day Hook could be a World Champion. Angle's a fan of Hook, he's a hooker.
The only thing Angle can't stand about Hook is his stupid hair. A Champion shouldn't look like they rolled out of a sleeping bag on Skid Row twenty minutes ago, and Angle damn sure ain't tapping to no hobo.
Angle agrees to a match with Hook under the stipulation that when Hook loses he shave his head, Angle is so confident even that he'll put his own hair on the line too.
Once the match is made, Hobbs lambasts Hook from behind, beating on the defenseless up and comer. This leads Taz to rise from the announce table and try to come to the ring, Angle stops him and blocks his way.
As the two face off, Angle gets that feeling again. It's impossible, but...he's been here before, seen this man before. Angle gets a ringing in his ears and abruptly headbutts Taz. Excalibur rises from the table before Taz is ripped up by his suit and Angle carrys him over to the announce desk.
A brutal Angle Slam through the desk connects. Hobbs even backs Angle up and is able to somewhat corral the unhinged Angle. Taz is carted off and suddenly the fight between Hook and Angle just got personal.]
CONT. In Comments

Hi everyone! A few weeks ago, my partner and I adopted two cats from a shelter. There have been some bumps along the way but nothing that we haven't been able to work out. However, we're now starting to notice some new behavior that I can't find much information about and I wanted to make sure it's okay.
For context, the 2 cats consist of Drew, a 1 year old boy who's long/big and slightly overweight, and Star, a 1.5 year old girl who's extremely small for her age (We took her to the vet because we were concerned and the vet said that while she's structurally fine she may have been the runt of the litter and is much smaller than most cats her age). Star became extremely sick with an URI when we first got her and mostly kept to herself while Drew explored and has been generally acting like a cat, however since then she's gotten much better and they've started playing with each other like at the shelter.
The (potential) problem is that they like to play-fight and there is such a strong contrast between the two that it is almost impossible for Star to win. While she consents and often starts the wrestling herself, as the play-fight goes on she starts getting more and more agitated, meows turn to hissing, but Drew won't back off. In fact he gets more aggressive and often starts hitting/bitting her. We've found on multiple occasions that unless one of us steps in between them or distracts Drew with a toy that he will keep going until she runs to a safe space we made for her (Chonky boy can't fit through a narrow gap).
The other problem is that we're noticing this is part of a pattern of behavior with Drew. He has food insecurity, in that he will eat his food faster than any cat I've ever seen and then immediately start trying to eat Star's food as well. He likes to bite, which I've read is completely normal for a developing cat, but when he sleeps in his bed he will make biscuits while biting the hell out of the bed, which I read is a sign of a cat who was weaned too early from their mom.
Contradictorily, he doesn't act 99% of the time like I pictured an "aggressive" cat would act. While he scarfs down as much food as he physically can, he's completely fine with Star sharing it with him, even eating out of the same bowl. They can share the same space for long periods of time, they are even sleeping on opposite sides of me right now. We can give him medicine completely fine (Well, as fine as you can give a cat medicine haha, but he doesn't bite us or hiss when we hold him). Are we overthinking this? We have bandaid solutions for most of the issues (separate rooms while eating, safe spaces for Star, etc) but we can't keep an eye on them 24/7 and we're kinda worried that this borders on bullying.

I copy pasted this from a longer version of this story so that’s why these are labeled part 2 and 3. I edited out/ added context to make this part make sense on its own. And I’m trying to give as much context as I can to show why I’m having these feelings. Me and my husband have known each other a little over a year, we have been dating for 7months and married for 2months, crazy timeline I know but it’ll make sense with the rest of the context lol. (why I refer to him as leany was explained in the first part, just go with it) tldr@bottom of post
This next part is basically part 2: Flash forward and I start being friends with this guy at work that I had a crush on ( you guessed it, it’s Leany) he was a dishwasher at first but by this time they have him doing everything but that. He is a tall, light skin nerdy guy with curly hair and glasses that were broken so he literally had the stereotypical nerd piece of tape in the middle holding them together lol. He NEVER SPOKE when he was doing dishes, he had his headphones in and did his job. But once he started doing other things in the kitchen we would have a small interaction when he would come put more plantain on the line( I served food at a Jamaican spot) one day he restocked them and I said thank you, and he said “ur welcome” yall in that moment it went from a little crush to damn near a full on obsession, his voice was so deep and sexy like idk what I thought he would sound like but it wasn’t that. Flash forward to new years 2023, he gets drunk asf at the work New Year’s party, and my boss asks me to to take him home, (at this point me and him are kind of cool every once in a while we’ll hotbox my car while on break) so now I’m really excited to have time to talk to him alone and stuff and my boss wasn’t helping cause she was drunk too and kept winking and being suggestive about me giving him a ride she was like “be nice to him, be gentle with I’m if you get some, yall would be so cute together, he is a sweet boy he needs a good girl like you “ and all my coworkers are egging this on, so I leave to take his drunk ass home, and when we get there he asked if I wanted to smoke before I headed home, I said yes duh. So he rolls up and we get to talking and you know wtf he says to me “do you know if (girl we work with) likes me?” My heart sank so fast and my crush died right there because I knew it was a waste of time, me and this girl were nothing alike, We’ll call her B. B(f20 at the time) is a short darkskinned girl with a really nice body and a pretty face. I knew if she was his type he’d never look at me that way. Now he’s where things get messy kids, put on ur overalls. Me, B and another girl at work were kinda cool, tho I wouldn’t really call us friends (B and the other girl were really good friends, they hung out outside of work) anyways one day the third girl had asked me and B if we thought “Leany” was cute, I said yes, third girls said yes, B said no. “He’s not my type” (mind you B likes older, toxic, emotionally manipulative type men. She would say shit like “Leany just doesn’t get my 🐱wet” she was mainly dealing with this 40something year old man that she swore she was in love with, she would literally say she knew he was only with her for her body, but she still loved him and was convinced they’d be together forever, she even tried to talk me into having a threesome her and him) so when he asked me that question that night I told him about that day when we talked about it. Y’all I STG I meant no harm, at this point me and Leany are friends so I’m thinking he’s tryna get advice before shooting his shot so I wanted to be real with him so he didn’t embarrass himself. But then he gets mad and is like “ oh that lying bitch she told me I was handsome” and I’m like huh??? Then he pulls up their messages and shows how she would like low key flirt with him because he was a simp and he was buying her shit, giving her weed for free, and I’m like oh shit I fucked up, cause had I known they were already talking I wouldn’t have told him that, I just would have minded my business but I was thinking he wanted to shoot his shot so I was telling him it might not work out. He asked her she wanted for Christmas and she sent him an Amazon link for some 50$ hubcaps she wanted for her car. (Keep in mind this man is drunk asf during this whole conversation) he had already bought the hubcaps, but now he is seeing that she’s running game on him he doesn’t want to give them to her, so he is trying to give them to me. And I’m like nahhh buddy, at this point I was trying to become better friends with B cause like I said I didn’t have any friends in this new state. I’m like “wtf am I gonna do with them”
he says “put them on ur car”
and i said “and then show up to work with the same hubcaps she knows you just said you would buy for her”
and he’s like “yep exactly, and if she asked about them tell her you got them from Leany”
“no dude, ur drunk asf and you have valid reason to be upset but I’m not getting in the middle of this.” He goes and gets the damn hubcaps anyways and like I’ll put them on for you right now. I keep telling him no to go inside and get sobered up, but he is not taking no for an answer😭 he’s just like “okay pop the trunk I’ll put them in there, you can put them on later.” I said “I’m not using them, if you put them in my trunk, I’m gonna sell them” he said he didn’t care as long as B didn’t have them so finally I let him put them in my trunk and we said goodnight. Time goes on, he is still being led on by B, he’s got it bad for her, and me and B are getting a little bit closer sometimes the three of us hang out together outside work. It gets messier kids, grab ur rain boots. B and her mom got into it, she moves out and moves in with Leany….. mind you I’m pretty good friends with both of them at this point, they both drink a lot and they are literally constantly fighting like a fucking old married couple. Leany is upset that B, is out hooking up with Other dudes every night and keeps telling him about it despite knowing that he has a crush on her, B is mad that Leany can’t let go of his crush even tho she is definitely still towing the line with him. I’m hearing both sides of the same story about the arguments form each of them separately with both of them conveniently leaving out things they said or did that make them look bad, I’m not picking sides tho, and I don’t tell one about what the other is telling me, despite them constantly asking what the other is saying about them. I tell both of them that they are wrong, Leany is wrong because he is only letting B stay with him in hopes that they might hook up, and B is still leading Leany on and giving him false hope so that she can have a place to stay. (Mind you they are living in his mother’s house, with his disabled uncle, and his brother lives in the garage!) so the whole house is having to deal with their drunk asses arguing all the time, his mom goes on vacation to visit her other son and grandkids she is gone for like 4-5months and during this time she gave B permission to sleep in her room. And they are still arguing all the time till things finally come to a head one night. B is not even of legal drinking age yet, but she has a fake ID so she will still go out and get drunk and drive home, one night they were both drunk and arguing and she tries to leave and Leany takes her keys and is like “no, I’m not letting you drive drunk” she calls the fucking cops on him… and tells them that he won’t give her her keys and of Course he is saying because she is drunk. She manages to convince the cops that she isn’t drunk somehow and they make Leany give her the keys otherwise he is basically holding her hostage and she leaves. Why he didn’t put her out after that I do not know, but both of them are getting worse with drinking and worse with arguing and now his mom is about to come home so he tells her for the 100th(and finally final) time that she needs to leave cause this shit is toxic and their whole dynamic is weird cause they aren’t even a couple and they are going at it like this, B has decided to join the military and is trying to convince him to let her stay till she leaves for boot camp but he’s not having it they end up arguing again and Leany say’s probably one of the most fucked up hurful things you could say to someone to her, I’m not gonna be specifics but it was pertaining to a certain type of abuse that B experienced as a child. At that point she finally decides to stop talking to him and block him, during this final argument he was literally throwing her stuff out of his house and she grabbed it and left with it but left a lot of shit behind, he says that she left his moms room a mess with dirty dishes piled up in there and even left her vibr@tor on his moms bed he threw the rest of her stuff away and cleaned the room and that was the last time they spoke. He felt like shit afterwards and even stopped drinking for a long time, he kept texting her to apologize but she had him blocked, and he even tried going thru me to contact her. but atp me and her are hardly friends because I don’t like the way she was treating Leany and B also fell out with the other girl at work that she was close with because of how she used to treat her especially when she got drunk, B would get really belligerent. I had already bowed out of their drama because they would constantly come to me to complain about each other but when I would say “yall are both shitty people in this situation“ they would tell me to shut up and mind my business so I started shutting them down when they tried to talk about each other to me. He was mad that I wouldn’t help him get in contact with her but I didn’t care, B told our boss about what he had said to her so our boss made sure to schedule them on different shifts.
Part3:(gets a little NSFW, but I’ve censored it best as I can) Flash forward some more and things have kinda blown over. Me and Leany are pretty close atp, but not too close cause I didn’t like the side of him I saw come out with B, and also I didn’t like how he always prioritized their friendship over ours, and now it felt like me and him were only this close because B cut him off. Leany decided he was also gonna join the military, but in different branch than B. She has already left by now also. And Im also thinking about taking that route and the same branch as him. He started talking to a recruiter and I said before you leave we should get together and get a drink to say goodbye cause yk, he had to quit smoking to join so we couldn’t hotbox. This is months later and he’s started drinking again in moderation. his go to is cans of Twisted Tea. So he was like yea let’s do it I’ll go the liquor store what do you want to drink I told him I wanted to try the Monster Beast, cause I fucking love monster energy drinks. So he grabbed me 2 and grabbed himself 2cans of twisted tea. By the time I got to his place he had already been drinking (come to find out he had already had 2cans, and was on his third one by the time I got there but I thought it was his first) anyways he drinks his tea and I drink my monster and I’m like we should get really lit, like do some shots, so we go back the liquor store together and buy a bottle of Bacardi rum, on the way back we passed the adult novelty store and I was like “I always wondered what was in here” so our tipsy asses go in. I end up getting a d!ldo and he gets some c*ck rings. It was buy 2get one so we also grabbed a bottle of cleaner for my toy. He payed for everything (mind you at this time I am still regularly hooking up with my ex, I actually picked that d!ldo because it looked exactly like what my ex was packing) we come back to his place and proceed to get fucked up off this bottle. of course he is miles ahead of me cause of those 2cans I didn’t know about, and we both open our new toys from the shop. He asked me how far In my mouth I could fit mine and I’m like “mf how far can you fit it” and he’s like you show me first and I’ll go next and I just wanted to see him put a dildo in his mouth so I went first💀 I could fit about half of it I think but he could fit damn near the whole thing lmao, (he just has a really big mouth he said it didn’t touch his throat lol) it had a suction cup on the bottom so he stuck it to the wall and was like “lemme push ur head, I think you can fit more in there” and I’m like okay go ahead but I’m drunk so if I throw up on ur bed that’s on you” even with him pushing me I couldn’t go much further. Then he turned around with it and was like comparing it to his own d!ck with his back facing me and he was saying it was little bit bigger than he was and I’m like what? so he turned around and showed me the comparison. Y’all his thing was so pretty, lengthwise it was about the same as the toy (not fully hard btw so def longer than the toy fr) but it was much thicker. And he had shaved so I could see the whole thing and drunk me and horny me are one in the same so instantly I wanted to suck it. He left to go to the bathroom and I’m just sitting in his room wondering if I’m really about to do this, but knowing my drunk ass definitely was. Now like I said we were very drunk so when I think back on that day it’s like watching a slide show in a room with strobe lights, like I just have different scenes in my head but no clue which order or how they transition from one moment to the next so bare with me, cause all I really remember was me trying to suck him and him encouraging me to go deeper, then he was on top riding my face, but his dingaling angles upwards so that just made it harder, then we were on the floor trying to take more shots but we spilled half the bottle of rum.🤦🏾‍♀️ then were wrestling but naked on the floor laughing at some point I took a belt and tried to wrap it around his throat but it ended up wrapped around his face(don’t ask why idk why😭😭) at one point we were actually having s3x (he wasn’t the best Ngl, no hip action at all he was using his knees in missionary) so I asked for back shots but he kept going soft later on he told me it was because he was super nervous cause i had “all that @ss” and he didn’t know what he was doing 😂 then at some point he opened the door a crack cause he thought he heard something and I’m like dude close the door were naked and his drunk ass goes “this is my house I can be naked” throws the door open and walks through the house outside (backyard) to take a piss, this sobered me up so fast and I threw on some clothes rq to go get him cause we weren’t the only ones home at the time. I walk outside and grabbed his hand and as I’m walking him back inside his mom was standing in the living room, and she like “boy wtf are you naked??” My drunk ass ain’t no what to say so I dropped his hand and bee lined back to the room, then they sat out there for like 5 minutes talking and he came back in annoyed and started putting clothes on and he was asking me to go talk to her and I’m “like wtf am I supposed to say to her” and he said “could you tell her I’m not a fucking r@pist” and I’m like bruh what???? Apparently the walls are thin, so she could hear most of what was going on in the room, so from her perspective: she could hear us fumbling around in there knocking stuff over, remember I said he was encouraging me to take more of him in my mouth he was kind of aggressive about it (nothing I didn’t like, I promise) so she’s hearing shit like “you can take it, move your hand, does it hurt” and then he comes out the room butt naked and I still have clothes on😭😭😭 so yea things from her POV were a little sketchy to say the least. So I went out and talked to her and apologized for disturbing her, and said it was my idea to come over and drink with Leany as a way to say goodbye before he left for boot camp(didn’t help I had gotten the hiccups from being drunk and nervous lol). And she said there’s nothing wrong with having a drink from time to time buts it’s the middle of the afternoon and we took it to far and she told me to sleep on the couch to sober up and she got me some blankets and stuff and I thanked her. I stepped outside to tell Leany I talked to her, he was out front smoking a cigarette and he asked “did you tell her I wasn’t forcing myself on you” and I told him I didn’t get to say that cause she cut me off telling me to lay down, and he was upset that she might still be thinking he tried to hurt me. So when she came out I made sure to tell her that wasn’t the case but being drunk as I was I basically said “i know that might have sounded crazy from ur perspective, but nothing happened in that room that I didn’t want to happen” and she was trying not to laugh and he was whispering under his breath for me to please stfu💀 Anyways I came in the room to get a pillow for the couch and he told me to lay in the bed so we could take a nap, and I’m like I think ur mom wants me on the couch, and he just said “she’ll be fine she just wants us to sleep and sober up I’m not gonna make you sleep on the couch.” So we slept and woke up later that night I think it was around 11, but I’m not sure I just know it was super dark. Anyways after that day I started spending a lot more time at his house but we weren’t having s3x we really were just chilling watching anime and drinking twisted teas, my aunt and me were beefing so I was spending most of my time at his place, she was talking about putting me out and I had asked him if I could stay with him till I could afford a bus ticket back to my home town. But he said his mom wasn’t comfortable with him having more house guests after all the shit with B. And I couldn’t be mad at that. we were cuddled up and stuff and after damn near a month i was like I know better than to be laid up with man like this with no label so I popped the question “what are we” I have to be honest tho, he kinda asked first, like he was trying to sus out what type of timing I was on, but I didn’t have an answer for him so when I asked him he turned it back on me like “I keep asking you the same thing” and I’m like I feel like we’re definitely more than friends now, but not really friends with benefits cause we only hooked up once. And he was just saying “all I know is I like spending time with you” which I definitely believed because by this point I had lost my car (totaled) and he was paying for my Ubers to and to his house, and we weren’t even sleeping together tho we messed around a little bit. But we were barely even kissing. So I believed him when he said he liked having me over. And then we had a Long awkward talk about our feelings with both of us tiptoeing around the elephant in the room not wanting to be the first to admit our feelings and eventually he grinned and said something like “i know you like me” while he was sitting on the table the swinging his legs, and that made me giggle and I couldn’t deny it, and he finally admitted to liking me too and that’s when we became official. Not too long after that my aunt put me out and I his mom has such a big heart that she changed her mind about me moving in, atp I was practically living there anyways I slept there almost every night for the last month , so she could see that I wasn’t one for drama like B was. She welcomed me in, and made space for me to keep my things, she offered me some space I’m her closet and one of the two sinks in her bathroom I moved into Leanys room, by then I had left my job at the restaurant but I went back after moving in with him to make commuting easier and yea, that’s where I am currently living. We both started our process to join the Air Force, his process went smoother than mine so he left for boot camp in late March. He proposed to me on Valentine’s Day, and we tied the knot about 3weeks before he left. We’ve known each othe been friends well over a year but we had only been dating for a few months before we got married. The 4th of this month marked 2months of marriage for us, and the 24th marked 7months of being together… I know we rushed things but I love him so much. We are working on our communication skills and we argue a lot but we also are able to come together and talks things out level headed in the end. I love him so much and I want to start a family with him one day.
So now to the actual issue, I can’t shake the feeling that the only reason me and him are together is because the girl he really wanted didn’t want him back, not that there is anything wrong with moving on from unreciprocated affection, but I’m sacred that one day he’s gonna wake up and realize that he doesn’t wanna be with me and that he never did. ( I know, I know I read too many Reddit stories🤦🏾‍♀️) But lately that’s on my mind heavy, especially cause I’m still friends with B on social media so every time I see a picture of her I keep thinking to myself that’s the type of girl he really wants. I worked with him long before B started working with us, he never talked to anyone at work till she came along. And for months I was the main person he vented to about how frustrated he was that B wouldn’t even give a real chance. One day we spent the day together walking round town while my car was getting detailed and we had a really good time. I had 2 gold 1$coins, he asked to buy them both off me but I didn’t wanna sell them, and he said “okay just trade me one for a dollar and keep one and we’ll have best friend coins” like SpongeBob and Patrick’s rings. We even sung the little jingle but replaced “rings” with “coins”. But I later found out the only reason we were hanging out that day is because him and B got into an argument and she left the house and wasn’t responding to his call/texts. And after him and her stopped talking to each other I was comforting him and he looked at me and said “I just lost my best friend” and I was genuinely hurt like “I thought I was your best friend” and he just told me to stop joking cause he was really upset, after that I was honestly holding back tears cause I didn’t wanna make the situation about myself. I tried bringing this up before but he acted like he didn’t understand why I would be insecure, and it took forever of us going back forth until I finally said that had him and B gotten together in the first place me and him wouldn’t have even been friends let alone ending up married, and that every time we ever hung out alone was when B was ignoring him. He says that he is over her and doesn’t want her in his life anymore, but I’m like dude you don’t have a choice she blocked you, for a time he was even trying convince me to call her on my phone so he could talk to her but I refuse (of course this is before we got together) but now all these thoughts keep pulling up in my head and I’ve been trying to bring it up to him again but idk how, or if I even should we are supposed to be talking tomorrow but he doesn’t know what I want to talk to him about yet.
If you read all this your a real one and I would appreciate any advice you have, positive or negative feedback is welcome. I just wanted to clear my mind sorry for any bad grammar or typos.
TL:DR- my husband used to have crush on mutual friend of ours but she never liked him back, after being rejected by her he turned his attention to me and we are married now. but I’m afraid that he settled for me and one day he’ll decide he doesn’t want to be with me anymore cause he never really wanted me in the first place.

First Issue!
Evans sat there, with the cup of tea offered by Kannash and Zzego between his hands, his eyes squinted with focus as he silently processed the information the male xeno just dropped on him. A thick silence just stood inbetween him and the two rag'gavvians. He slowly sipped his tea and after having another small choking fit, the human cleared his throat as he finally made eye contact with them.
"I am really trying to figure out how me dating your daughter will help her with these deformities. Right now... I have zero ideas that make sense. Unless you mean the effects they had on her emotionally and psychologically." Evans said honestly while readjusting himself back onto his seat improvised from a bean bag and pillows.
"Of course we don't expect you to be able to help with her physical malformations, nothing could before and most likely nothing will be able to in the future neither." Zzego said with a sigh of frustration.
"But you can indeed help with how they've been affecting our Ccyana." Kannash interjected in a soft tone.
"So... you want me to make your daughter fall in love with me for... however long so she can feel better about herself?" Evans asked trying to form an idea of a plan, in his mind, of how to handle his task. Still if this was the plan he could see a million ways this would impact their daughter in a negative way, even if the idea was successfully executed.
"What? No! No, Evans. We don't want that, it sounds beyond silly, plus you are of a different race. You see, what my hasty husband forgot to mention is that us, rag'gavvians, we have a tradition for our children that are coming of age. It was held in the past at about the same time a modern day rag'gavvian finished college, so the two got tied together due to convenience in the present time." Kannash said laughing nervously at first, before going into her explanation, her eyes looking expectantly at her husband to pitch in and fix his mistake.
"Yes. It is called The Pairing. In the old days it was our kind's way to celebrate the relationships of the young and officiate them as recognised couples in the eyes of the ancestors and as soon to be families. Now, it's just a celebration for coming of age, without anyone expecting for the pairs participating to remain together, but rejoicing in the future if they do. It will happen in eight months from now and its approach has resulted in... other factors that have been affecting our daughter, both emotionally and academically." Zzego added with a long drawn huff as he sipped his tea, once more finding some comfort in tightening his tentancle around his partner's.
"Indeed. Her performance in college has been taking a toll as she stopped going to classes in person more and more. She always had to deal with people avoiding her or being rude since she was little, but things have been getting even more difficult, despite our efforts to mitigate things." Kannash said, her tone getting more uncertain as she tried finding her words.
"Those bastard students at Yyrin University have been taking it too far!" Zzego said, as his free tentacle smacked the table even harsher than before, his expression reaching and apex of furious frustration.
"They've been whispering about my sweet and gentle Ccyana behind her back or slickly insulting her to her face and acting around her as if she emitted radiation. It got worse as The Pairing nears... I watched it happen so many times when I'd pass by to pick her up and... and I can't do anything about it. The few times I interjected and tried to put them in their place... my own daughter broke down and pleaded with me saying things will be worse if I do. Those in charge of the institution refuse to do anything without definitive proof, as to avoid scandal that could tarnish their reputation. Our daughter refuses to stand up against this as she thinks it would only bring her more trouble." The male rag'gavvian continued with a bitter and sorrow filled tone.
Evans sat there listening and he nodded as he took down a few notes on his phone. He was uncertain on how to feel about the race comment, but it's a job so better not to take it personal. "So I am guessing that you want me to get close to her and see if I can become her partner for this Pairing event? I'm not certain how someone of a different species entirely joining would go. Wouldn't that get more attention on her for not being able to get a traditional date?" The human inquired, making sure to keep to himself any observations and thoughts that he personally had on their plan.
"We thought of that, but we just want our sweet baby to get through this, so she won't have to deal with those pesky hooligans. Then she can keep away from such people and involve herself with only those that would be positive for her growth." Kannash said with a sigh of nervous ease.
Evans bit his lip listening to this, thinking that this approach won't do anything, but teach this girl to run away when she gets hurt. 'If she would've grown on Earth with her parents teaching her this, she'd die by herself... Awful people can be found in any situation and letting them step on you and running away means letting them win. Shouldn't let pieces of shit dictate what you can and can't do.'
Although he nodded with a neutral expression, his teeth were gritted with his own frustration hidden by a facade of understanding. Remembering to never argue with a client, the human took another sip of the spicey menthol tea as he cleared his throat.
"Alright. I get the premise now. And you said there's about 8 months until then and this instance of The Pairing event, I presume, will be held by this... Yyrin University." Evans spoke as he began openly tapping on his phone and began searching the planet's net for additional information on this university.
"That's right. We thought it would be good if you had time to become acquainted with her. The best case scenario is that you get friendly with her and you two attend The Pairing together." Zzego said calmly, as he now had enough time to collect himself.
Evans stopped his search as he realized something, that occured to him only now. He nodded to Zzego's statement as he then looked at both him ans Kannash in turns. "Also... I wanted to ask, out of sheer personal curiosity. What happens if she chooses to not attend The Pairing?"
Kannash and Zzego's faces turned rather dark, their bodies slumping slightly, it was almost as if they got ill.
"Our kind is one that tightly holds onto tradition, passing down our history in the family as we go from one generation to the next... to not forget one's roots as you grow and... also gossipy and judgemental, especially when deviating from the norm. Even me and Zzego slip into that, despite conciously making an effort not to." Kannash said as her eyes lifted from boring a hole in the table to look at Evans, with their previous sparkle quite faded.
"If she didn't attend it would only add fuel to the fire of prejudice thrown her way, pushing her public image as even more of an outcast than before. It is rare for rag'gavvians to miss it out, so much so that when one does, word spreads... it can affect one's life, no matter what is said publicly, it is important to participate." Zzego added before taking a moment to stare at Evans with all five of his golden iris eyes, as if to gauge his reaction.
"Alright. I'm seeing here Yyrin University has a foreign student program... available to off planet applicants. Great! The new year is starting soon... hmm... and it seems to be free sign up for non-rag'gavvians. Wow... they are really trying to get a good reputation with the galaxy wide market." Evans said while scrolling his phone and at times looking up at the two to maintain a form of eye contact.
"Oh! Although it is a good idea to sign up so you may have an easier time to approach our Ccyana, you might have a hard time finding any available classes. Most have been taken, it is rather close to the beginning of the university's program." Kannash said with some dissapointment at the situation.
"Hm... not if I sign up for... Historical Archiving & Research and Rag'gavvian Language Basics. Those seem to be... huh... extremly available... like... nobody else applied... type of available." Evans said with a clear tone of suspicion.
"Since history is a big part of our culture most of our younger generation doesn't really bother with academicaly pursuing it, especially since a lot of it is freely available on our world's net datapool. And the language one... hm... I believe Ccyana mentioned it having been introduced last year specifically for off-planet students. Huh. You might be the first one signing up at Yyrin." Zzego said with a tone that suggested the unique situation that Evans' enrolling might be for this academic facility.
"Aha. A college course so niche it basically has no use in society besides teaching it yourself. Now that's starting to sound a bit more like Earth and I'd say a good cover for me. Who else, besides a foreigner wanting to study something everyone else already knows, fits better, eh?" Evans said while tapping away on his phone, already inputing his data and starting to sign up for those classes, adding to his application his previous studies.
"That is... actually, quite true. Huh... See Zeegy, dear. Told you Evans looked like a good one to hire." Kannash said lovingly to her spouse while seeming more at ease.
"Hah! You said that just because his... what do they call it? Not fur... ah. His hair looked similar to Ccyana's head tentacles. I remember even now. You thought they'd be friendlier quicker if they looked more similar." Zzego added with a relaxed chuckle of his own as he looked at his wife.
"Speaking of..." Evans said as he just finished signing up, putting his phone away afterwards. "I believe it would be good for me to know what Ccyana looks like from before hand."
"Of course. Let me show you a picture on my personal data pad." Kannash said reaching to the counter island that separated the kitchen and dining area.
The device looked like pretty much any phone or tablet Evans has ever seen, the surface of it a lot more textured though and the back having two metal rings built into it.
He watched as Kannash's tentacle first snatched the device by the loops before slithering in them for a better hold. After pulling the screen to face her she tapped with the tip of her appendage onto the screen then turning it to Evans.
The image was a good quality and clear to see, despite a faint crack adorning the screen, it seems that dropping personal devices is not something uncommon even in xeno races with a lot of grip ability.
Evans looked closely to it. It was clearly a Rag'gavvian woman, the green teal skin and flat nose, at least suggesting so. The eyes' positioning was the same, minus two missing towards the top of head. Pointy ears were the next features that caught the human's attention, which deviated quickly as he looked at the two rag'gavvians in his presence. With their heads covered in thick tentacles, it was hard to tell their ears were pointy, but it made sense instead to notice that for their daughter. Ccyana's head tentacles seemed to be even more plentiful than her parents', but instead of thick and big ones, like oversized cartoonish dreads, hers were much shorter, thinner and they seemed to curl in on themselves or around her head.
Before taking his gaze away properly, Evans took a moment longer to take a look at the three eyes that Ccyana did have, instead of a solid color like her parents' purple or gold, hers were a swirl of the two. The more he looked at the picture of his clients' daughter, the more Evans felt like this situation might have been an exageration. She wasn't ugly, nor did she seem abnormal, at least not in his eyes.
"Ah. I can see why the comment regarding my curly hair... heh. Her tentacles do indeed look similar. Hmm... I do have to say, your daughter looks quite lovely, which leaves me baffled that she has to go through this." Evans said trying to wrestle this feeling out of his mind and refocus on the task at hand.
"Thank you, for the kind words Evans. Well. It seems we have communicated what is needed. If you want, we could exchange contact information so we can keep discussing about the situation or if you need information or assistance with anything else." Kannash said while pulling her data pad away and tapping at it with both of her tentacle tips.
"That, would be great. Also, Yyrin's website said they have dorms and as much as I like free lodging, I'll need a place to stay until I hear from them. Any place you'd recommend?"
"Ah. I can help. I know quite a few and I can take you to them with our auto-vehicle. I'm sure we can slither by until we find one that suits you. Least we can do in this case." Zzego said with a nod and a kind tone.
As the conversation was soon to come to a natural conclusion, while the two xenos were exhcnaging numbers with Evans, the could hear the front door being unlocked and opened.
"Oh no... she got back home early..." Kannash whispered with clear distraught. "Dear, grab Evans and take him upstairs. I'll distract Ccyana." She said while slithering about in a panic towards the front door.
"Yes, dear!" Zzego whisper yelped as he grabbed Evans and his luggage with some of his tentacles and waited for his spouse to get in front of their daughter before slithering upstairs.
"Ugh- too tight. My lungs... c-can't breath..." Evans said whispered and strained like a squeaky toy out of air.
"Apologies, son, but our implication must remain secret. It wouldn't do any good to Ccyana to know this." Zzego said as he eased up his grip while heading to a window upstairs that faced the front of their home. "Does your species land on their legs?" The xeno husband would say while he opened said window.
"N-not naturally, b-but we can train to get better at it, from lower heights. We can s-somewhat safely land on our rears." Evans croaked while catching his breath.
"Good enough, the bushes will cushion you. There's a bistro two streets over. Go and have something to eat. We'll help you with arrangements as soon as we can." Zzego said while leaning out the window with Evans and his things, coiling his tentacles in on themselves akin to springs.
""B-bushes?!" Was all that Evans managed to yelp before he got yeeted off to the side towards some thick decorative bushels which acted as not so effective crash landing cushions. Despite the rough landing and some pained groans, he was in one piece.
"My apologiesss." Zzego whispered in a sorry tone before closing the window.
Evans laid there, slowly getting up with a grunt as he grabbed his bags and headed to the side and out of view, quickly reaching the sidewalk. "I'm so going to wring out a tip out of 'em, agh-..." he said while half limping his way down the street, as leaves still poured off of him.

I Part I I
Following AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door, Jon Moxley is now both the AEW and IWGP World Heavyweight Champions, having defeated Swerve Strickland after his stablemate, Brian Cage, betrayed him. Now that Moxley is the top guy in two companies, he’ll have twice as many people gunning for him, and with All In, AEW’s biggest show of the year just a few months away, Moxley may have his work cut out for him if he hopes to hang on to both his belts.
Road to All In
At Forbidden Door, a Casino Battle Royale was held, consisting of wrestlers from both NJPW and AEW, with the winner receiving a future shot at the AEW World Championship, which was won by Jay White. White received his title match in the main event of the July 17th edition of AEW Dynamite, which Moxley would go on to win and retain his title. Following the match, it was announced that due to Moxley’s dual responsibilities as IWGP World Champion, he would be off AEW television for the next month to participate in New Japan’s G1 Climax Tournament. To make up for his lost time, AEW CEO Tony Khan announces that at All In, the AEW Championship will be defended in the main event in a 4 way match and over the next several weeks on both Dynamite and Collision, several qualifying matches will be held to determine the 3 challengers. At the conclusion of the qualifying matches, the winners are as follows:
Will Ospreay - Ospreay earned his shot at the AEW World Championship in the first qualifying match on Dynamite, defeating Claudio Castagnoli and Samoa Joe in a 3 way match up to stamp his ticket to the main event at All In. He’s already had plenty of big wins in AEW, defeating the likes of Kenny Omega, Konosuke Takeshita and Bryan Danielson, but now the Aerial Assassin and AEW’s hottest rising star has a chance to win the top title in the company in his home country of England. Let’s see if he can rise to the occasion and defeat the one man he has been unable to best in all their previous encounters, Jon Moxley.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman - After losing the AEW Championship to Samoa Joe following a year plus reign at World's End in December of 2023, MJF went on a hiatus from AEW after being betrayed and attacked by his former best friend Adam Cole. He returned at Double or Nothing this past May and after going to war with Cole and the Undisputed Kingdom, concluding with MJF defeating Cole in a singles match, which hopefully ended their feud, MJF now looks to reclaim his beloved championship. After defeating Swerve Strickland and Darby Allin in a 3 way qualifying match on Dynamite by pinning Allin, MJF officially earned his chance to win back the AEW World Title. It was at All In last year where MJF retained the AEW Championship in front of the largest paid attendance in the history of professional wrestling. Let’s see if history repeats itself and MJF walks out with the gold one year later.
Swevre Strickland - Of the 2 other challengers, Strickland was champion most recently, having lost the AEW Championship to Moxley at Forbidden Door, and never being granted a proper rematch. In the aftermath of Forbidden Door, Swerve was turned on by not just Brian Cage, but the rest of Mogul Embassy, who claimed they were being used by him but reaped none of the reward. After engaging in a blood feud with Cage and the Gates of Agony, Swerve managed to come out on top and now looks to regain his title. After coming up short in the first qualifying match, he won a battle royale, last eliminating another former champion in Samoa Joe, to earn the last spot in the championship match at all in.
With all the qualifying matches done with, the main event of All In is set with Jon Moxley set to defend the AEW Championship against Will Ospreay, MJF and Swerve Strickland in what is sure to be an epic 4 way match up. In the lead up to All In, Jon Moxley makes it to the finals of the G1, but loses in the end when Will Ospreay makes a surprise return to NJPW and costs Moxley the match. On the go home Dynamite before All In, MJF and Swerve Strickland both pick up singles victories against Alex Reynolds and Tony Nese respectively, while on the final edition of Collision, in the main event, Jon Moxley teams with Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta to face off against Will Ospreay and Aussie Open, during which Moxley picks up the victory after nailing Kyle Fletcher with a Deathrider DDT and pinning him for the win, picking up momentum heading into All In as Dynamite comes to a close.
All In - 8/25/2024
After a long show full of twists and turns, the main event of All In has finally arrived, pitting 4 of AEW’s finest stars against each other with the top prize in the company on the line. As the sun sets and the night sky turns to black, red white and blue fireworks representing the Union Jack shoot through the sky above Wembley Stadium as the hometown hero Will Ospreay makes his entrance first, heading out to the ring accompanied by a thunderous applause. Followed by him is the former champion Swerve Strikeland, who enters with a less extravagant entrance, but a much more serious demeanor. Third comes the devil himself, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, and lastly, walking out through the crowd is the AEW World Champion, the Ace of All Elite Wrestling, Jon Moxley. After Moxley makes it to the ringside area, the four competitors standoff in their corners as ring introductions are made and the referee calls for the bell for the match to finally get underway.
AEW World Championship 4 Way Title Match - Jon Moxley © vs Will Ospreay vs Swerve Strickland vs Maxwell Jacob Friedman
The match begins and Swerve makes a b-line for Jon Moxley, unloading on him with punches, as the commentary team notes that this is the first time Swerve has been able to get his hands on Moxley since he lost the title to him back in June. As Mox and Swerve go at it, MJF charges at Ospreay and takes a cheapshot at him, knocking him square in the jaw before pushing him up against the ropes. Max bounces off the ropes and charges at Will, looking to hit him with a clothesline over the top ropes, but Will ducks down and catches Max, sending him flying over the top ropes himself to the outside of the ring. As Max stumbles to get back up to his feet, Will jumps over the ropes and hits Max with a crossbody to the outside. Ospreay quickly pops back up and sees Swerve and Moxley trading punches in the ring in the corner. He slides back in and charges at them, pressing them both in to the corner with a double clothesline. He then grabs Swerve by the arm and irish whips him across the ring before running forward and hitting him with a running knee into the corner. He puts Swerve in a headlock and runs forward to hit him with a bulldog, and as Moxley stumbles towards them, Will takes him out with a clothesline to thunderous applause from the London crowd.
Swerve and Moxley both roll out of the ring in pain and Ospreay gets back up to his feet, he is attacked from behind by MJF. Max hits Will with repeated shots to the back of the head before grabbing him from behind and trying to take him down with a german suplex. Ospreay manages to land on his feet, bounces off the ropes and nails him with a hidden blade. MJF goes down and Will quickly tries to go for a cover, but Max kicks out and the match goes on. Seeing an opening, Ospreay climbs up to the top ropes and sets up to hit MJF with a high risk move, however, at the last second, he is pushed off the ropes to the outside by Swerve Strickland. Will quickly pops up to his feet but Swerve charges at him and takes him down with a running knee. Swerve then grabs Will by the hair and drags him to the announcers table, where he clears the table and after nailing Will in the head several times, sets him up on it. With Ospreay down, Swerve climbs up onto the turnbuckles and leaps off, nailing Ospreay with a diving frog splash through the table, taking both men down.
With Swerve and Ospreay down on the outside, Moxley makes his way back into the ring as MJF pulls himself up against the ropes. The two face off in the center of the ring and start trading punches, with MJF getting the upper hand. He irish whips Moxley into the ropes, but Jon explodes off of them and takes down MJF with a running clothesline. Moxley then picks up MJF and hits him with a Paradigm Shift DDT before going for a cover but MJF kicks out at 2. Moxley stays on offense and locks MJF in a rear naked choke to try and force him to submit. MJF gasps out for air but is stuck in the center of the ring. He looks like he is going to fade when suddenly, Swerve climbs up onto the top ropes and hits a diving elbow drop onto both men, breaking the submission. MJF rolls out of the ring as Swerve and Moxley go blow for blow in the center. Swerve gets the upper hand and takes down Moxley. He sets up in the corner for a running knee as the champion tries to get up to his feet, but as Swerve runs forwards, Ospreay slides into the ring and nails him with a hidden blade.
Swerve rolls out of the ring in pain and Ospreay turns around to see a dazed Moxley stumbling up to his feet. Ospreay bounces off the ropes and decks Mox with a hidden blade before going for the cover 1-2-NOOO! Somehow, Moxley kicks out. In desperation, Ospreay pulls Mox up to his feet, kicks him in the stomach and nails him with the tiger driver 91, dropping him right on his head. Hoping this will finally put Moxley away, Ospreay goes for the cover, but at the count of 2, MJF pulls Will out of the ring and nails him square in the jam with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. Will drops to a knee dazed and MJF grabs him by the head before throwing him into the ringside barricade. Max then slides into the ring and tries to cover Moxley to steal the title, but the champion kicks out at the count of two and the match goes on. As Jon slowly gets up to his feet, MJF squares him up for a shot to the head with the diamond ring, just like how he won the title at Full Gear 2022. As Moxley turns around, Max nails him in the head and covers Jon 1-2- when suddenly, the referee gets pulled out of the ring by a hooded figure.
MJF looks on in disbelief as the hooded man reveals himself as Adam Cole from the Undisputed Kingdom. Apparently their feud isn’t over just yet, as Cole has cost MJF the AEW Championship. MJF dives through the ropes and brawls with Cole up the entrance ramp, where the two begin trading punches at the top. Cole nails MJF with a superkick at the top of the ramp near the edge, but Max maintains his balance and nails Cole with a shot to the jaw with his diamond ring. As Cole stands there dazed, MJF charges at him and tackles him off of the stage, sending the two flying into production equipment down below. Lights around the stadium begin to flicker and sparks start to fly as medical personnel rush over to check on them, but in terms of the match, it appears MJF is out of the picture.
Back in the ring, as a now bloodied Jon Moxley pulls himself back up to his feet, Swerve Strickland makes his way back into the ring and nails Jon with a running knee. Swerve then climbs up to the top ropes and nails Mox with a House Call before going for the cover before it is broken up by Will Ospreay. As Moxley rolls out of the ring in pain, Will and Swerve are left alone to duke it out. They start trading blows in the center of the ring, with Ospreay getting the upper hand. Will irish whips Swerve into the ropes, but Strickland bounces off of them and nails Will with a running knee. Swerve sets up for one more running knee, but as he charges at Will, Ospreay catches him and sets him up for a Styles Clash. Will nails him with the clash, but doesn’t go for the cover. Instead he sets up in the corner to nail Swerve with one more Hidden Blade. To remove all doubt, he then lifts Swerve onto his shoulders and nails him with a Stormbreaker before finally going for the cover and pinning him 1-2-3!
Will Ospreay wins the AEW World Championship in the main event of All In
Following the match, Will is presented the AEW World Championship belt by the referee and holds it high in the air in celebration in front of his hometown crowd. As confetti rains down into the ring and fireworks light up the night sky, the crowd cries out with tears of joy as the reign of Ospreay begins.
Road to All Out
Following All In, the new AEW World Champion Will Ospreay kicks off the first edition of Dynamite with an interview with Tony Schiavone. Will says that his goal since day one of signing with AEW was to become World Champion. He says that it was a dream come true to win it in his home country at AEW’s largest show of the year and says he plans on having a long and fruitful reign as he elevates this title to new heights. However, midway through his interview, he is interrupted by the former champion Jon Moxley. Mox gets in the ring and stands face to face with Will before saying to him that he should enjoy calling himself champion while he can, because it's going to be a short reign. Moxley says that while Ospreay may have won at All In, he didn’t pin the real champ. In fact, they’ve faced off quite a few times in NJPW in the past and Will hasn’t managed to beat Moxley once. Every time they face off one on one, Ospreay always comes up short. And unfortunately for Will, Moxley announces that in just 11 short days at AEW All Out, Jon will be getting a rematch for the AEW title in the main event. Moxley tells him that he’ll let Ospreay “enjoy your moment in the sun while you can because after All Out, that belt is coming back home with me where it belongs.”
AEW: All Out - 9/7/2024
Just two weeks after winning the AEW World Championship at All In, Will Ospreay is now making his first defense of said championship in the main event of All Out, facing off against the former champ, Jon Moxley. This will be a tall task for the champion, as he has never managed to score a singles victory against Mox in their previous encounters. As the main event prepares to get underway, Moxley makes his entrance first through the crowd of the Chicago faithful while the champion emerges second. Once they're both in the ring, the two stare each other down from opposite corners before the referee calls for the bell and the match finally gets underway.
AEW World Championship Match: Will Ospreay © vs Jon Moxley
The champion Ospreay tries to start the match with a lock-up, approaching Moxley with his arms out. Moxley initially gives in, but he quickly strikes Ospreay with a big forearm to the face. Shocked, Ospreay backs up, wary of Moxley’s next move as he gets into a wrestling stance. In response, Moxley cracks his neck and his knuckles before charging at the Aerial Assassin. Ospreay ducks the lariat attempt, getting behind Mox and trying to brawl with him as he throws a few good forearms at the Death Rider, but Moxley is unfazed. The former champion nails Ospreay with a big forearm strike that nearly knocks him on his back and leaves the champion stumbling. Ospreay quickly regains his footing as Mox approaches, he nails him with a quick back elbow strike to back him off. Moxley stumbles backwards but bounces off the ropes and charges at the champion before taking him down with a lariat. He goes for the cover, but Ospreay powers out at 2. Moxley gets back up and he grabs Ospreay and lifts him up for a German Suplex, but Ospreay slides out of it. Ospreay goes to nail Moxley with the hook kick, but Moxley catches it. Jon falls backwards and nails a Dragon Screw on Will’s leg. Ospreay screams out in pain and Moxley stays on offense, bouncing off the ropes and hitting the champion with a big boot square to the face. Will rolls out to the ring to try and recover, but Moxley stays on offense and bounces off the ropes before nailing Ospreay with a suicide dive to the outside of the ring, not allowing the champion any time to rest.
Now on the outside, Mox looks to hurt Ospreay even more, picking him up and putting his neck through the barricade as he pulls his head up against the bar using his hair. Ospreay yelps in pain until Mox stops, pulling him out and bashing his head into the barricade. Ospreay tries to escape Moxley’s wrath, but fails as Moxley grabs him by the hair and uppercuts him in the back of the head. He irish whips Ospreay into the steel barricade before tossing him face first into the ring post, and then back into the ring for a cover, but Will kicks out at 2. Ospreay tries to get to his feet after the kickout, dodging Moxley’s clothesline and connects with a missile dropkick to the face as he recovers. Moxley tries to get his hands on Ospreay again, charging as Ospreay ducks and gets the arm drag reversal. Moxley tries to get up quickly, but Will bounces off the ropes and drills him with a Hidden Blade. Will goes for the cover, but Moxley powers out at the count of 2 and the match goes on. Staying on the attack, Ospreay climbs up to the top ropes, looking to hit a high risk move, but Moxley quickly hurries up to his feet and chases him up the ropes. Jon puts Will in a headlock before grabbing him by the shorts and falling backwards, hitting him with a suplex off of the top ropes.
Both men are slow to get up to their feet, but Mox manages to pull himself up by the ropes first. He picks up Ospreay and prepares to finish him with the Paradigm Shift but Will manages to fight out of it, bounces off the ropes and takes Moxley down with a running discus lariat. Both drop to the mat exhausted but rise to their feet at the same time. Ospreay leaps onto the ropes and leaps off of them, attempting to hit Moxley with an Oscutter, but Moxley grabs Ospreay out of the air, locking him in a bulldog choke! Ospreay attempts to reach the ropes, getting his foot on it as Moxley lets go. Moxley pulls Will up to his feet and attempts the Paradigm Shift once more, however, Ospreay flips out of it and lands on his feet. Will runs towards the ropes, leaps off of them and this time, nails the Oscutter on Moxley. The AEW Champion goes for the cover, but somehow Moxley kicks out and Ospreay is in disbelief. He covers him again, but once more, Moxley manages to kick out. Frustrated, Ospreay picks up Moxley and lifts him onto his shoulders for Storm Breaker, but Moxley fights his way off. Ospreay turns around and walks right into a kick to the gut from Moxley. Jon grabs him with a double under hook before nailing him with a Paradigm Shift and finally going for the cover to win back his title for a 5th time 1-2-NOOO! Ospreay kicks out!
Moxley quickly transitions into a rear naked chokehold and tries to force the champion to either submit or pass out. Will is stuck in the center of the ring and has no hope for a rope break, but manages to power out of Moxley’s submission, elbowing him in the ribs before praying his arms off of his neck. Will shoots back up to his feet before bouncing off the ropes and hitting Moxley with one more Hidden Blade. With Jon down, Will picks him up and finally manages to hit him with Storm Breaker, but to put him away once and for all, Ospreay stands Moxley up, kicks him in the gut, grabs him with a double under hook and finishes him off with a Tiger Driver 91 before finally pinning Moxley 1-2-3 to win the match.
Will Ospreay def. Jon Moxley to retain the AEW World Championship
Following the match, Ospreay poses with his title in celebration in the center of the ring, as he just completed his first successful defense, as well as earning his first singles victory against Jon Moxley. However, mid celebration, Will Ospreay turns around and sees Moxley pulling himself up to his feet and standing across from him face to face in the ring. The two lock eyes, still behaving quite hostile towards each other, before finally, Jon steps forward and extends his hand for Will. Ospreay is initially hesitant before finally, he reciprocates and the two shake hands and hug in the center of the ring after a hard fought battle. Moxley raises Ospreay’s hand in victory, symbolizing a passing of the torch from the ace of AEW to the future of the company.
The era of Will Ospreay has officially begun.

After defeating Samoa Joe at AEW: Dynasty, Swerve Strickland is finally the AEW World Champion, and looks to establish himself as the top man in All Elite Wrestling with a dominant and hopefully lengthy title reign. However, now that Swerve finally has the top title, with it comes a target on his back, and now every man in the locker room will have their eyes set on him. Let’s see if he can rise to the occasion and prove himself worthy of being champion, or find out if his time on top ends up being short lived.
Road to Dynamite
On the first edition of AEW Dynamite following Swerve’s win as champion, Strickland kicks off the show by cutting a promo, promising to bring the company into a new era which he will lead by example. He criticizes several other world champions, name dropping Samoa Joe and MJF, and mentioning the “Head of the Table” as paper champions who rarely wrestled and were more than happy sitting in catering while the rest of the roster broke their necks performing on TV. Swerve says he plans on being a fighting champion and promises to wrestle on TV each week before his opponent, Kyle Fletcher, comes out to face him in an AEW Championship Eliminator match, which Swerve wins inside of 10 minutes.
The following Saturday, Swerve holds an open challenge for the AEW Championship on AEW: Collision, which is answered by Claudio Castagnoli. The two go on to wrestle in the main event of the show for over 20 minutes, which once again, ends with Swerve picking up the victory and retaining his title. Following the match, the two shake hands, but after Swerve is left in the ring alone by Claudio to celebrate his win. Swerve is attacked from behind by the former AEW Champion Samoa Joe. Joe brutally attack’s an exhausted Swerve, who is left unable to defend himself. Joe lays the champion out with a muscle buster before locking him in the Conquina Clutch, choking him out in the center of the ring. As Swerve reaches out gasping for air, Prince Nana runs out of the ring with Brian Cage and the Gate of Agony to chase off Joe, who escapes through the crowd as Collision comes to a close.
Following the attack, Samoa Joe is interview backstage in an AEW exclusive by Lexy Nair, who asks Joe why he attacked Swerve the way he did. Joe takes the microphone and says:
“Well Lexy, it's very simple, I was at home on Wednesday recovering from my match at Dynasty, watching Dynamite when I heard Swerve come out on national television and call me a paper champion. Let’s get one thing straight, I am a lot of things, but a fraud isn’t one of them. And I am not a man that takes disrespect like that lightly. So Swerve, take tonight’s beating as a lesson that your actions have consequences. Now as for your other declaration that you’re a fighting champion, how about we put that to the test too? This Wednesday, you versus me in a steel cage match for the AEW Championship. No Prince Nana. No Mogul Embassy. Just you and me man to man. Let’s see who the real fighting champion is. Accept the challenge if you think you got the balls for it, Swerve. I’ll be waiting.”
AEW: Dynamite - 5/1/2024
Despite pleas from Prince Nana and the rest of the Mogul Embassy not to accept the challenge, Swerve Strickland agrees to defend his AEW Championship against the former Champion Samoa Joe in a Steel Cage match, just 4 days removed after a brutal title defense against Claudio Castagnoli, after which, Joe attacked Swerve and choked him out in the center of the ring. Not wanting to wait for the main event, the two men decide to kick off the show with the title bout, and make their entrances to the rings alone before squaring off in the center of the ring as the cage door is locked and the referee calls for the bell.
Swerve Strickland © vs Samoa Joe: AEW Championship Steel Cage Match
The two men lock up to begin the match, with Swerve trying to nail Joe with punches to start off the bout, but Joe quickly overpowers him, backing Swerve up against the turnbuckle pads. Joe nails the champion with repeated chops across the chest before irish whipping him across the ring into the adjacent turnbuckle pads. Joe rushes at Swerve, hoping to squash him against the ring pads, but the champion bounces off the pads and nails Joe with a running knee to the chest, dropping the challenger down to a knee. Seeing an opening, Swerve runs the ropes and tries to hit Joe with a running cross body, but Joe catches him in mid air and hits Swerve with a snap scoop powerslam. The champion tries to get up to his feet quickly, but Joe grabs him by the hair and hurls him face first into the sides of the steel cage. Swerve tries to pull himself up quickly with the ropes, but Joe charges towards him and slams the champion against the cage walls.
Staying on offense, Joe drags Swerve back to the center of the ring before lifting him up onto his shoulders and nailing him with a knee crossed gutbuster. As Swerve lays down on the mat squirming as he tries to regain his composure, Joe hits him with a running senton, and as his massive weight crashes down on the champion, Joe goes for the first cover of the match, but Swerve kicks out at 2. Frustrated, Joe pulls Swerve up by the hair and irish whips him into the turnbuckle pads again. He charges towards him and slams him against the pads before climbing the ropes to gain leverage and starts nailing him in the head with jabs. Joe gets to the count of 9 with punches before Swerve gets a second wind, grabs Joe by his trunks and runs forwards to nail him with a running powerbomb. Swerve goes for the cover, but Joe kicks out and the match continues.
Now on offense, Swerve gets up to his feet and nails Joe with a chop across the chest before drilling him with a roundhouse kick right to his jaw, dropping Joe down to a knee. Seeing an opening, Swerve leaps onto the ropes before diving back towards Joe and nailing him with a cutter. Swerve goes for the cover again, but Joe kicks out at 2 once more. Looking to put him away for good, Strickland climbs up to the top ropes and leaps off of them to hit Joe with a House Call but at the last second, Joe rolls out of the way. Swerve rolls through the move ,regains his footing and charges at Joe, but Joe pulls himself against the ropes, catches Swerve and nails him with an ST Joe, dropping the champion to the ground. After taking a second to regain his composure, an exhausted Joe lifts up Swerve onto his shoulders and nails him with a muscle buster, hoping to finally but the champ away, but Swerve once again kicks out.
Furious, Joe quickly transitions into the Coquina Clutch and tries to incapacitate Swerve to win the match. The champion looks like he’s beginning to fade, but manages to power out of Joe’s submission and nails him with a spinning back kick as the two pop up to their feet, dropping Joe down to a knee. Swerve summons all the strength he has left and bounces off the ropes before nailing Joe with a running knee to the back of the head before going for the cover 1-2-NOOO!! Somehow Samoa Joe kicks out again and Swerve is in disbelief. Desperate to win, Swerve looks towards the sky and decides to climb to the top of the cage as Joe slowly makes his way back up to his feet. As Swerve reaches the top of the cage and turns back around, Joe finally stands back up and faces him with a daze. The champion takes a leap of faith and dive off the top of the cage, nailing Samoa Joe with a cross body before going for the cover and pinning him 1-2-3 to finally win the match.
Swerve Strickland def. Samoa Joe to retain the AEW Championship
Following the match, the cage is raised and Joe rolls outside the ring to be treated by the AEW medical team while Prince Nana and the rest of the Mogul Embassy come out to the ring to celebrate with Swerve. Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony lift the AEW Champion high onto their shoulders in victory as Strickland’s music plays through the arena, as for the time being, Swerve’s reign will continue.
Road to Double or Nothing
The following week on Dynamite, a 4-Way match pits Christian Cage, Samoa Joe, Wardlow and Dustin Rhodes against each other with the winner being named no. 1 contender for the AEW World Championship, set to face Swerve Strickland at Double or Nothing. Swerve joins the commentary team for the match and Christian Cage manages to pick up the win after pinning Dustin Rhodes. Following the match, Swerve gets up from the commentary desk, and he and Christian have a stare down in the center of the ring. In the lead up to Double or Nothing, Swerve teams up with the Gates of Agony to face off against Cage, Nick Wayne and Killswitch in a 6 man tag team match, which the Mogul Embassy lose after Bishop Kaun gets taken out by Killswitch and then pinned by Christian Cage. On the final edition of Dynamite before Double or Nothing, Swerve defeats Nick Wayne in a singles match and picks up momentum heading into his title defense against Christian.
AEW: Double or Nothing - 5/26/2024
In the semi-main event, the AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland defends his title against Christian Cage. Earlier in the evening, Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony are attacked backstage by the Patriarchy, meaning they will be unavailable for the evening’s main event. Cage makes his entrance first, escorted out to the ring by the entirety of the Patriarchy, while Swerve comes out only with Prince Nana in his corner. After a brief stare down prior to the start, the referee calls for the bell and the match begins.
Swerve Strickland © vs Christian Cage: AEW World Championship Match
The pair lock up and Swerve quickly gets the upper hand on Cage, backing him up against the turnbuckle pads and nailing him with chops across the chest. Swerve then takes a step back and bounces off the adjacent pads before rushing at Cage to hit him with a big boot against the post, but Christian rolls out of the ring to evade the attack and recover with his stable. Cage calls for a water bottle to rehydrate himself before rolling back into the ring at the count of 8, but quickly rolls back out again to regroup. Frustrated by the challenger's antics, Swerve jumps up onto the top turnbuckle and leaps towards the outside, taking out the entirety of the Patriarchy with a diving crossbody, however, Christian escapes at the last moment. As Swerve tries to get up to his feet quickly, Christian charges towards him and nails him with a spear on the outside of the ring. With the champion down, Cage clears off one of the announcers tables and loads Swerve onto it before nailing him with a killswitch on top of the table. The champion rolls onto the ground in pain, and Cage grabs him by the hair, rolls him back into the ring to go for a quick cover, but Swerve kicks out at 2 and the match continues.
Christian tries to stay on offense, nailing Swerve with punches to the forehead before setting him up for another killswitch. Swerve fights out of Cage’s finisher, grabs him by the waist and nails him with a german suplex as a reversal. Cage tries to pull himself up with the ropes, but Swerve stays on the attack and nails him with a running knee against the turnbuckle pads before dragging him back towards the center of the ring and going for a pin, but Cage kicks out at 2. Seeing a chance to put Cage away for good, Swerve climbs up to the top ropes and sets up to nail Cage with a House Call, however, Nick Wayne jumps up on the ring apron and tries to stop him. Swerve kicks Wayne off the apron, but the distraction allows Cage enough time to recover, and he runs up the turnbuckle pads, grabs hold of Swerve and nails him with a german suplex off the top ropes. Both men are down and slowly start to get up to their feet as the referee starts to count them out.
They both manage to beat the count and start trading punches in the center of the ring. Swerve gets the upper hand and manages to take down Christian. He climbs back up to the top ropes, finally nails Cage with the House Call and the referee goes to count the pin 1-2- Killswitch pulls the referee out of the ring and throws him into the ringside barricade to break the count. As Swerve stares down Killswitch in disbelief, Nick Wayne slides into the ring behind Swerve and nails him in the back of the head with the AEW Championship belt. The champion goes down and Wayne and Killswitch take turns beating him down. Killswitch nails him with a chokeslam before he and Wayne pull Swerve up to his feet and Cage picks up the AEW Championship belt. He sets up to nail Swerve in the face with it, but before he can, Brian Cage and the Gates of Agony rush out to the ring to make the save. The two stables end up in a massive brawl into the crowd, leaving Cage and Swerve alone in the ring. Cage goes to hit Swerve with the belt but the champion evades it, bounces off the ropes and nails him with a running knee. With Cage down, Swerve climbs up to the top ropes one last time and leaps off of them to nail the House Call on Christian as the referee rolls back into the ring to count the pin 1-2-3.
Swerve Strickland def. Christian Cage to retain the AEW World Championship
Following the match, an exhausted Swerve is joined back in the ring with the rest of his stable, and together the 5 of them walk towards the top of the entrance ramp and pose with the AEW World Championship. On the 5th anniversary show, it appears that Swerve Strickland has solidified himself as the top champion in AEW...or has he?
Road to Forbidden Door
Following Double or Nothing, Swerve Strickland continues his streak of dominance, picking up singles victories against the likes of Daniel Garcia and Rey Fenix in Championship Eliminator matches on Dynamite and Collision. Following these victories, Swerve is interviewed in the ring by Renee Paquette regarding who he plans on defending his title against at the upcoming AEW X NJPW: Forbidden Door PPV. Swerve says that he is the most dominant champion not just in AEW, but in professional wrestling today, and it doesn’t matter who he is matched up against, because he 100% plans on bringing home a “the dub.” Just as he finishes speaking, microphone static begins to sound through the arena as Wild Thing by X begins to play and the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley, fresh off of his victory against EVIL at NJPW Dominion, makes his way to the ring. After a brief stare down, Moxley takes the microphone out of his wife Renee’s hand before asking her to leave the ring while he and Swerve talk “man to man.”
“Swerve, listen man. You’re on a nice little run right now. I’m not gonna say you’re not. I mean you’ve got the belt. The crowd likes you. You have that short guy with the funny hat doing that dance when you make your entrance. It’s all good stuff. There’s only one problem. You don’t get to call yourself the best until you beat me. I don’t care that you’re the world champion. Right now, so am I. In fact, that belt on your shoulder, I’ve held more times than anyone. As of today, I am the only man to hold the AEW, IWGP and WWE World Championships. You think just because you had a few good months that you get to call yourself the best? I’ve been in the main event for 10 straight years. I am the ace of this company. Every conversation about who’s number 1 begins and ends with me. But don’t worry, I’m going to give you the chance to prove yourself. You see, you need an opponent at Forbidden Door and so do I. So I say, let’s settle the who’s the real world champion debate to bed and put both belts on the line. AEW Championship vs IWGP Championship. Are you man enough for it?”
After a moment of contemplation, Swerve takes the microphone from Moxley’s hand before simply responding, “You’re on!”
In the lead up to Forbidden Door, Swerve Strickland and the Mogul Embassy enter into a feud with Moxley’s Blackpool Combat Club. Swerve picks up a singles win against Wheeler Yuta on Dynamite while Moxley defeats Brian Cage on Collision. On the final edition of Dynamite before Forbidden Door, in the main event, Moxley teams with Claudio Castagnoli and Shota Umino to face off against Swerve and the Gates of Agony, in which Moxley picks up the win for his team after forcing Toa Liona to submit to a rear naked choke, putting the AEW Champion at a disadvantage heading into their title vs title clash at Forbidden Door.
AEW X NJPW: Forbidden Door - 6/30/2024
After weeks of build up, for the first time ever, the AEW and IWGP Championships will be defended in a title vs title match, with the winner walking out with two of the top prizes in all of professional wrestling. Strickland comes out to the ring flanked by the entirety of the Mogul Embassy, while Moxley is walked out by his BCC stablemates. However, before the match begins, by order of AEW CEO Tony Khan and NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi, all of them will be barred from ringside to keep the match fair. Once all are clear, the referee calls for the bell and the main event is underway.
Swerve Strickland vs Jon Moxley: AEW Championship & IWGP World Championship Match
The two circle each other around the ring before locking up, and Moxley quickly gets the upper hand, overpowering Swerve and putting him into a headlock. AEW Champion manages to fight off Moxley and pushes him into the ring ropes. Moxley bounces off of them and goes to hit Swerve with a clothesline, but he ducks under it and as Moxley stops himself on the ropes, Strickland rushes at him and clotheslines him over the top and to the outside. Moxley quickly tries to get back up to his feet, but Swerve takes advantage and bounces off the ropes before nailing Jon with a suicide dive to the outside of the ring. Swerve stays on offense and grabs the IWGP Champion’s arm before irish whipping him into the ring post, dropping him down to the ground.
With his opponent down on the outside of the ring, Swerve walks over to the time keeper’s area and picks up both championship belts and holds them up over his head, cockily taunting Jon Moxley. Swerve then pulls up Moxley by the head and rolls him back into the ring before climbing up to the top ropes. The AEW Champion leaps off of them and goes to hit Jon with a diving elbow, but Moxley spins his body around at the last second and catches Swerve, locking him in a headlock. As Moxley tries to choke Swerve out, Strickland flails his arms around trying to escape Jon’s hold before flipping his body over, turning Moxley’s submission into a pinfall and forcing him to break the hold. The two both pop up to their feet and Moxley rushes at Swerve, taking him down with a clothesline. Strickland tries to rush up to his feet, but Moxley grabs him from behind and nails him with a suplex, dropping Swerve on his head. Swerve tries to crawl over to the ropes to pull himself up, but Moxley rushes at him, nailing the AEW Champion with a running knee to the back of the head. Swerve falls backwards onto the mat and Moxley goes for the cover, however, Swerve kicks out and the match continues.
Moxley sits Swerve up and begins nailing him with elbow strikes to the head repeatedly before he falls backwards onto the mat. Moxley stands him up and goes to nail Swerve with the Deathrider DDT, but Strickland plants his feet and fights out of Moxley’s hold, grabbing him from under his legs and lifts him up over his shoulders, nailing Jon with a vertical suplex and taking the IWGP Champion down. With Moxley down, Swerve pops up to his feet and bounces off the ropes before nailing Moxley with a running knee. Moxley drops down to a knee but doesn’t go down, so Swerve sets up for a second running knee. As he charges forwards, Moxley evades his attack and grabs onto Swerve’s right arm, dragging him down to the mat and locking him in an arm bar submission. Strickland tries to fight out of it but Moxley has it locked in tight, and as Jon looks to force his opponent to tap out, Swerve manages to swing his body around and get one of his feet on the ropes, forcing Moxley to break the hold.
Frustrated, Moxley pulls Swerve up to his feet and irish whips him across the ring into the ring post. Moxley rushes at him and nails Swerve with a clothesline against the pads before climbing up the ropes to gain leverage on Swerve, and he begins nailing him with punches. Moxley hits Strickland with punch after punch, until he snaps out of his daze, grabs Jon by the pants, lifts him up onto his shoulders and rushes forwards, nailing him with a powerbomb. The AEW Champion goes for the cover, but Moxley quickly kicks out of it. Swerve stays on offense and locks Jon into a crossface submission, trying to force him to submit, but Moxley refuses to, and instead fights out of Swerve’s hold. The two men make it back up to their feet in the center of the ring and go back and forth exchanging punches.
Swerve nails the IWGP Champion with a punch, but Jon follows it back with one more in return. Shot after shot. Each blow gets harder and harder before finally, Swerve gets off a few consecutive strikes, sending Moxley falling backwards into the ropes, but Moxley explodes off of the ropes and nails Swerve with a clothesline. Both men slowly get up to their feet, but Moxley manages to stand up first. He sets up to hit Swerve with another thunderous clothesline but as Moxley charges forwards, Swerve pulls the referee in front of him and Moxley takes him out by mistake. As Moxley looks on in horror as the referee rolls out of the ring in pain, Swerve takes advantage and nails Moxley with a low blow. As Moxley drops down to the mat, Swerve climbs up to the top ropes, jumps off of them and nails the IWGP Champion with the House Call and goes for the cover but there is no referee to make the count.
As Swerve lays across Moxley exhausted, Brian Cage rushes out from backstage and grabs the AEW Championship belt from ringside. He slides into the ring and tells Swerve to hold Moxley up so he can hit him with it, but as Cage charges forwards, he double crosses Swerve and nails him in the head instead. As Swerve collapses on the mat unconscious, Cage looks on in disgust as he throws the title to the side and heads backstage as the crowd is in disbelief. Moxley slowly drags himself up to his feet, pulls up Strickland and nails him with the Deathrider DDT before the referee rolls back into the ring and counts the pinfall 1-2-3!!!
Jon Moxley def. Swerve Strickland to retain the IWGP World Championship and win the AEW Championship for a record setting 4th time.
Following the match, the rest of the BCC came out to celebrate the victory with an exhausted Jon Moxley, who has now made history, becoming the first man to hold the IWGP and AEW World Championships Simultaneously. However, on the losing side, Swerve Strickland is in disbelief his own stablemate Brian Cage cost him the match and the top title in the company, and will surely want an explanation from him come Wednesday. Forbidden Door ended up being one of the most unpredictable of PPV’s AEW had ever seen and the landscape of the championship picture in All Elite Wrestling has now shifted. But one thing is for certain, as crazy as 2024 has been for AEW, plenty more twists are likely still to come.

I hate children’s toys, especially dolls.
They’re the bane of my existence.
For a little over 30 years, I’ve managed to avoid them, until last weekend at a friend’s birthday luncheon, when one of the guests brought their five-year-old son. The boy had a doll with him, like one of those Cabbage Patch Kids. Instantly I panicked at the sight of it, and I wrestled it out of his grip and struck a knife through its heart.
I snapped out of this episode when I realized that the doll had no blood, nor any entrails, just wads of fluffy, white cotton balls. Everyone went dead quiet and gawked at me in horror. The boy ran off to his mother wailing uncontrollably.
“What the hell, Benjie!” my friend shrieked.
I left the party right away, shaken and humiliated beyond belief. I thought of writing a letter of apology to my friend and the boy’s parents. Of course, I wanted to express how deeply sorry I was. How could I not be? And I wanted to tell them that I’d buy a new doll for their now traumatized son. But I did nothing. I let phone calls go unanswered and text messages unread. It has been a lot to handle, and so now here I am. I am writing this to finally explain why I lost control that day. I have kept this story to myself for three decades. This is a story about toys, and why I can no longer bear the sight of them.
XXXXX
In fifth grade our teacher, Ms. Bryant, introduced a new student—Pete. She wanted us to make him feel welcomed, since he and his parents had just moved into town about a week ago. We all said ‘Hi, Pete!” in unison, but he wouldn’t return the greeting. All he did was stare at us with unblinking, blue eyes. They looked as though they had been painted over their sockets. And then, like a wind-up tin soldier, he marched to an empty desk in the back of the classroom. I swear to God, he moved like he didn’t understand how the human body worked. We started to giggle, but with one stern look from Ms. Bryant, we slapped our hands to our mouths. Snickers continued to slip through the gaps between our fingers.
Pete wasn’t simply weird. His general demeanor made my flesh creep. He had his hair neatly parted and gelled. He always wore the same outfit: a buttoned-up, white short-sleeved shirt with a pocket on the left breast. This was always paired with a thin black tie, black shorts held up with suspenders, and polished black leather shoes. He reminded me of one of those insurance salesmen on TV.
He was also quiet.
Jackie, a girl known for her fiery mouth, tried to talk to him. “So, where did you used to live?” she asked, and when he didn’t say anything, she asked another question. “Are you from out of state?”
His silence irritated her.
“You’re a fucking weirdo!”
Ms. Bryant’s snapped around from the whiteboard and glared at Jackie. “Watch your language!”
Throughout the day, Pete didn’t speak. Not a single word. This, I would find out later, was because he couldn’t, and not because he didn’t want to. I overheard Ms. Bryant talking to another teacher about Pete. They would smoke behind the classroom trailers. She said that Pete had a condition. For one, it made him effectively mute. But it also affected the texture and color of his skin, which was like sanded ash wood with faint brown stripes and rings.
“But the boy’s father said he’ll be going through a special procedure soon,” Ms. Bryant said. "I hope it’ll work. That kid gives me the fucking jitters.”
The procedure did work. The following week, he walked into class, and, for the first time, he spoke.
“Present,” he piped up, cheerfully and forcefully, as Ms. Bryant scrolled through the attendance.
All heads turned to him, completely surprised. I did notice that Jackie was absent that day. Later, at recess, word got out that Jackie was missing. She had disappeared in the middle of the night. Poof. Without a trace. No signs of a break-in or struggle. Naturally, the police suspected that her parents were involved in her disappearance and had taken them in for interrogation. There was, however, no evidence.
My friends—Frank, Mark, and Andy—and I gathered by the basketball court near the fence that separated the playground from the parking lot. We were curious about what happened to Jackie, and many of us came up with some wild theories; some thought she’d ran away, and some believed she’d been abducted by aliens. But we all agreed that Jackie would probably pop up somewhere, and that this was just one of her dramatic ways to get attention. After all, this was something that she was also known for.
“Hi, may I join you?” We jumped at the squeaky voice that suddenly spoke from behind us.
It was Pete.
None of us said anything, until Frank yelled, “Heads up!” and threw a basketball at him. It bounced off Pete’s chest. He stared at the ball as it rolled away, then turned to us with his glossy blue eyes and, and those lips; permanently affixed into a smile with perfectly symmetrical alabaster teeth. Like fucking porcelain.
Frank frowned. “You’re supposed to catch the ball.”
“Oh.”
Pete watched us play a round of basketball from the sidelines. The teacher on recess duty strode over with hands on hips, scolding us for leaving Pete out of the game. Groaning, we reluctantly waved at him to step onto the court. Frank threw the ball to him again.
This time Pete caught it but didn’t dribble or throw it to another player. He didn’t even make an attempt to shoot it through the hoop. Instead, he inspected it, feeling the bumps and grooves. The teacher cheered him on, encouraging him to run and shoot the ball. Pete wobbled, rather than ran, like a clumsy penguin across the court.
His aim was terrible, and the ball bounced off the beam of the hoop and hit a group of girls jump roping. As they screamed at him in frustration, all he could do was scratch his head and shrug. One of the girls tossed the ball back to Pete, but Frank snatched it from his hands and ran with it to the other side of the court, expertly pulling off a figure eight dribble. He threw the ball into the hoop.
Pete watched in awe.
The next day, Frank was absent from class. My stomach churned as I saw a picture of his smug face on a “Missing Person” flier that was posted on the announcement corkboard alongside Jackie’s. The town started to fear that a serial kidnapper could be on the loose. Concerned parents demanded that police and the school administration to do something... anything. Later that week, the principal announced over the P.A. that we weren’t allowed to wait outside in front of the school where our parents usually picked us up. Instead, parents had to come into the classroom, sign in, and pick up their children.
“What a stupid idea,” Ms. Bryant mumbled. She was right. People fought over parking spaces. Cars jammed the area in front of the school. It was chaos. But the principal insisted this was the best way to ensure student safety.
The new rule didn’t apply to me, though. My mom worked as a waitress and her boss was a real asshole who refused to let her swap shifts, so she couldn’t go pick me up no matter how much she wanted. And my dad...well, I didn’t know where he was. He walked out on us when I was five. I’m not sure if he’s still alive to this day.
So, I walked home alone, as always. I lived about half an hour on foot from the school. I never encountered any problems on the way home. I knew the route and neighborhood better than the back of my hand. I had always felt safe, but one day an overwhelmingly weird feeling twisted my insides. I glanced over my shoulder, and instantly my heart jumped to my throat. A car was following me.
I noted the color and make of it. A classic black Lincoln car. The driver rolled down his window as he slowed his speed to match my pace. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Pete sitting in the passenger seat. I could only guess that the man in the driver’s seat was his dad. They both looked exactly alike, though the dad seemed, at least, more human.
“Hi, son! It’s Benjie, isn’t it?” Pete’s dad said, cheerfully. “Do you need a ride?”
I shook my head. “Oh, it’s alright, I know my way home. Thanks for the offer, sir.”
He laughed. “You can call me George. Oh, by the way, thanks for being so nice to my son. It’s not easy being the new kid in town. We just moved here from out of state, and we’re still trying to blend in.”
With a happy-go-lucky grin, Pete nodded. “I had fun today at recess, Benjie. That was a great basketball game! Didn’t you think so?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
Earlier that day, Pete wanted to join me and my friends for another round of basketball. I thought it was so strange how suddenly he was able to dribble the ball as smoothly as Frank. He no longer wobbled like a penguin; he ran as if he were a natural athlete. After seeing that, I had this feeling that he was the reason Jackie and Frank were missing. I mean, it was obvious. Andy and Mark thought so, too. We just couldn’t prove it. And did we even want to find out? I kept my eyes straight on the path towards home; I guessed it was another fifteen minutes before I reached my block. I picked up the pace a bit, hoping that I’d get there sooner, but George slightly pressed on the gas. My whole body tensed. My heart started to beat a little faster and a little louder.
“Are you sure you don’t want a ride, son?” asked George.
“Yeah, I don’t need a ride. I’ll be alright.”
“Okay, suit yourself. Just be careful, I heard there was a kidnapper on the loose! A couple of kids went missing.” With that being said, he drove off.
Later that week, another student was absent. It was Susan. the class brainiac, so to speak. I remembered seeing her help Pete work out a math problem. Everyone thought he was as dumb as a bag of rocks. While most ignored him or told him to figure it out on his own, Susan was too nice. She liked to help people. It was in her nature. So, of course, when Pete politely asked her for help, she did. And as she explained to him how to solve the problem, he looked at her with admiration.
The whole town was freaking out more than ever. The police still didn’t have a lead which angered everyone. They all just wanted someone locked up. Since the three missing kids were from Ms. Bryant’s class, the police had their eyes dead set on her. They marched into the classroom, and despite our tears and protests, she was handcuffed and taken away.
For the rest of the month, a substitute teacher was brought in. This put the parents at ease. They thought the serial kidnapper had been finally caught, though many were still upset and thought it could all have been prevented if the principal had screened the teachers better. But I knew Ms. Bryant wasn’t to blame. None of the teachers were. I wanted to scream, “It was Pete! I swear to God, it was Pete!” I knew they wouldn’t believe me.
After Susan’s disappearance, Pete looked more...well, like a human. His skin appeared fleshier and less like sanded ash wood. His face, too, had a peachy color. And, suddenly, he also became the smartest kid in the class. His hand shot up to every question the teacher asked. He spoke clearly and with confidence, just as how Susan would’ve answered.
He came to class with a stack of envelopes and passed one to each of us. It was an invitation to his 11th birthday. Colorful confetti and several colorful paper balloons popped up from the invitation card with Pete’s distinguished squeaky voice speaking, “You’re my special friend and you’ve been invited to my birthday party!”
Mark and Andy decided to go, but I was unsure; I was uneasy about this. They assured me that it probably wouldn’t be so bad. Besides, the parents would be coming along as well. They were sure that if Pete was behind the disappearances, he wouldn’t be able to do anything with so many adults keeping their eyes on him.
“I’d be over the moon if you all could come!” said Pete. “It’s my first birthday party ever!” I remembered how he stood in front of the classroom; gazing expectantly at us with that perfect little manicured smile.
XXXXX
I need to stop right here. Recalling these events has been so draining. I promise that I will continue. Once I get some sleep.
Next Part

This is a LONG story...... And it jumps around because that's how my head works. But it's pretty much my whole life.
I'll start with this, my birthday is in a few days, and I'm about to be 40. Mid life crisis, I don't know, but it's making me question being here any longer.
I'm at my lowest point ever in my life. I am heart broken, lonely, betrayed, sad, angry, unloved, anxious, depressed, and any other negative thought you could think of. This is not a plea, this is accountability.
At the end of January 2023 my wife blind sided me and asked for a separation. Actually, I found a note she was drafting and confronted her. I had a full on breakdown at the time and let out a lot of emotions. I blamed myself for not doing enough, not giving enough love, but also not receiving the support and love that I needed. We continued on for another few weeks like things were going to work out, but it ended with more pain. She again said that she wanted to move forward with it. We have been still living together ever since because we are not financially stable, mainly me.
I own my own business, which has been failing since I opened the doors in Sept 2020. What a horrible time to open a GYM! Peak COVID. July 2019 I lost my job at another gym and that's when I decided to open my own. I'm a coach/trainer with 15+ years of experience, plus another 10 years of athletics experience, but business is not my strong suit. I've never been good with money or time management. I have had ADHD, depression, anxiety for as long as I can remember. My mom has had all of the above, and I'm pretty sure my whole family is just a depressive bunch of people. I've been able to trace that as fast back as my great great grandfather, who was an only child who had to grow up too quick when his mom died. He was beaten as a kid, and so the cycle continued for 4-5 generations. He beat his son (great grandfather) who beat his son(grandfather) who beat my mom, who whooped my ass but not the same as the others had it. I have not touched my 6 year old daughter once, and I never will. I would harm myself before I think to put a hand on her. I will not continue this horrible cycle.
I feel like a fake in my line of work. I have helped so many others reach their physical and mental potential, but I still can not defeat my own demons. Those demons are deep rooted from childhood trauma. At 5 my Dad got in a motorcycle accident and almost died. My parents had been divorced for only a short amount of time at this point. He lost his leg and shattered tons of bones. He was leaving my t-ball game at the time, and I blamed myself for him leaving early, unconsciously. It took me many years to realize it. I blocked so many memories and have very little recollection of my childhood. The memories I do have, for the most part are negative ones. I found out at 19 during a mental breakdown, where I was ready to up and move across the country, that he had stopped for a drink on the way home(he was an alcoholic for years). I mainly remember my mom bad mouthing my dad for years. She says she didn't in front of us, but I remember that, and my brother who was 1 when they divorced, hasn't talked to our dad in about 25 years, which just reaffirms the point that my mom talked badly about him, because my brother hates him, but I don't think he even knows why. My mom did this because she was hurt, she says my dad cheated on her with my pre school teacher, I don't know the full story there, but I do know that my dad has been with her ever since, 35 years later and they're still married and I have a half brother who is 19 years old. Also, my dad stopped drinking when he was born. Our relationship is broken, I barely talk to him, he has a new family, and wasn't really ever part of mine. I've wondered for a while, what wasn't good enough about us for our dad to stay, and why did he change for the better with his new family. My mom remarried and my step dad and her have been together for 30 years, but it's been a rocky road, and he was never the same father to me as he was my brother, which I'm happy for because my brother(as rough as he is) is a good man. I used to always joke that she was mom and dad. What I now know is that I have no dad. Nothing can replace what he should have been. I've had a few father figures, but it's just not the same. Through school I was a chunky little kid, until high school and wrestling. I endured a lot of bullying and struggled in sports. I had a bowl cut, glasses, horrible acne, couldn't do a single pushup and only a couple of friends. I tried to kill myself at 14 and it was determined that the thoughts were a side effect of the acne medication. I know at my age now, that it's actually just bad wiring in my brain. Because I've thought about oncoming traffic too many times in my life. I became a 3 sport athlete, made more friends, and did ok in school. But was still insecure and scared of rejection. By college I had a girlfriend and was working towards computer programming. Two and a half years in I was struggling to do anything in school. I got a bad mentality about college and ended up dropping out. My gf broke up with me a little while later telling me that I wouldn't amount to anything in life(I've held onto that one for far too long). She met another guy within a year and has been with him ever since and have 2 kids together. Again, this is another situation where I've though what wasn't good enough with me, but was with him. I took about 4 years to myself at this point. I tried to work on me, but I ended up just begging a bad person. I was a dick to others, I lost friends, had very few sexual endeavors, and became very depressed. Gained a lot of weight, stopped working out, ate like shit, drank a ton, and just had an overall negative mentality. At 24 a buddy of mine convinced me to ocean lifeguard for 1 more year(I had done it for 3 other summers before that). Something switched in my head and I became determined to not be the piece of shit I was. That summer I got in some of the best shape of my life, enjoyed my friends and family, and started to be nicer. That's when I met my future wife as well. Friends of friends brought us together.
It wasn't a love at first sight kind of thing, but we were definitely smitten by the end of summer. We called it official and decided we would try the long distance after the summer (about 2 hour drive). Within another month, my wife's dad died. It was a horrible time for her and she had never healed, even to this day. Her mom was an alcoholic who didn't help, and I've never lost anyone that close so I didn't understand the empathy. Which I think long term has definitely been a strain. We worked through it and did become stronger because of so many more events over the years that helped us grow from the pain. Anyway, we moved in together, living up our 20s and having a good time. She decided on a career shift and we moved a few hours away from both of our families to be close to the beach. I jumped around from Job to Job for a while. Bartending, HVAC, woodworking, random stuff, but I am a jack of many trades. I finally got an opportunity to work at globo gym and I ran with it. The same buddy who convinced me to come lifeguard again, also convinced me to become a personal trainer around the same time. After that I moved into CrossFit, and have been in Olympic lifting and powerlifting. I coach everything and anything, but my passion doesn't feel the same anymore, and I hate that about myself. I worked hard at the first gym I was at, became a manager, ran all of the classes, and then got the opportunity to travel around the US and Canada and certify other coaches in our program. It was a dream come true truthfully. We got married in 2015 and bought a house not too long after. Everything was going really good. We had our daughter in 2018 and she has been the light of my life since(it's tough lately though with as depressed as I am). Early 2019 the owners of my gym decided they wanted out, it was too big for me to buy, but another globo gym owner was in consideration and wanted me to run it, that fell through.
This is the part of the story where my life started to slide. The owners ended up selling to a couple of dickheads. We didn't get along, they wanted to cut my pay while asking for more responsibility. They also wanted me to charge clients more, while making less. This didn't sit well, and after a lot of discussion and consideration, it was time to move into my own thing. That was July 2019 literally right before my daughter's 1st birthday. I struggled for a bit trying to figure out everything, but eventually was able to get funding and business started by the end of the year. We put building permits into the state on March 10 and then the world shut down on March 13. What a kick in the nuts. I finally opened towards the end of 2020. Reception has been good over the years. I've helped a bunch of people, put out some competitors and made great relationships. But I've never been on top.
A lot of that has to do with my stock market gambling addiction that started during covid cause I made a few hundred bucks. I started to do more to try and make money for my family. But over 5 years I did nothing but lose. Not a crazy amount like I see on some of these forums, but 20k out of my business, and of my wife's money is a big hit. I got screwed over on taxes for 2 years from a shit accountant, but some of that has been me dragging my feet. When it comes to the back end of business, I procrastinate, make excuses, do other things, or sometimes just ignore it. I will say, I have not been a good business owner at all. I don't even know how much money I have in my bank account right now.
So when the separation came up, it all made sense to me, but I was just blind to it happening. I dug my own hole and gave my wife a reason to no longer be with me. Again, I'm asking myself why me. But this time I know. I fucked up. There's so many more things that have happened over the years that could have led to it as well. I don't show the greatest affection, I don't go the extra mile for her, I'm not a very sympathetic or empathetic person, which I know has bugged her. But I will say, I don't think she has done all the right things either. I've asked for certain supports and help, as has she, but it just seems like they're not important enough for her to do them, it in not important enough is how it feels now. All in all though, we have had so much love for each other over the years, and especially now for our daughter. But neither of us I think expressed it in the way the other needed. I don't think I even know her love language at this point, or her mine. I thought our relationship was fine, we have focused on our daughter, but there has been a lot of struggle. But I didn't see it. I was blind to it because I was at my business so much and didn't pick up on the signs that we were drifting.
I worked hard last year, whether to prove to myself or her I actually still don't know. But either way, I was in the best shape of my life, the business was actually making money, and I was feeling less depressed. I restructured my finances to help and got my taxes completed finally. But not much changed with us. I was still disconnected. She and our daughter went on vacations with her family, I was alone. They would take short trips, I was alone. They would go out to dinner, I was alone. I disconnected from everything and everyone that we have know together over the years. I felt unwanted and unloved. There were little things with her family that made me feel like I couldn't be a part of it, but a lot was because I was still sad that it was ending. I was losing everything I have worked on the last 15 years, but I also shut all of it out too. Late last year while I was sleeping on the couch, a FaceTime came through her iPad from some guy. My head spun. About a week later we sat down to talk and I said I think I would like to see other people and find a companion. I was really just trying to see if she would come clean, she didn't. She just said ok like nothing even mattered. But that was also the last I heard it thought of that guy.
A couple months later I did sleep with someone, but it turns out she was sleeping with another guy at the same time and lied her ass off right to my face. She came clean after the other guy contacted me, he was in a separated marriage as well. This hit me hard, because I really thought I fucked up by sleeping with her and regretted it. I sank deep for the last 6 months because of this. During that time my business has gone downhill, again. And all of January I lost Even more money. I even put 4k of my tax return in stocks and lost it overnight. I had to borrow money from a friend to give to my wife after I told her I lost it. More disconnect ensued, from her and me. Now it's not been the smartest, but I did manage to turn things around and have made 30k since losing the tax return. Some smarts, a good bit of luck.
During this time I haven't felt much towards my wife other than missing her support. I've cried literally everyday since the beginning of the year because all I can think about is how I'm losing 80% of my life. She's taking it from me. The family, friends, life we've built together. It's 80% because a lot of that was through her circle to begin with. Again, I don't nor have I ever had a lot of friends or great family. I also don't want to screw up my daughter. My parents divorced when I was 5, I know what it feels like, but my dad was absent, I don't want to be, but it's hard when my mind and feelings are so numb right now.
This is the arc, I think..... So last week I happened to see a text on her phone. It was from some other guy, and it was raunchy. I scrolled her messages real quick and saw she was still texting the other guy who FaceTimed her back in October. So at this point I went all detective cause I still know passcodes and shit. Well what I have found has been a gunshot right into my heart. I confronted her once morning about a guy, because I came home in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep at my gym, and she wasn't here. I used get find my phone app and literally drive to the house she was at. I took pics of the license plates and tracked down the guy. She came back early the next morning and I confronted her. She lied right to my face. We yelled and argued for an hour until she finally admitted she went in a date and slept with him. She assured me that she only had sex with him and not the other FaceTime guy, I don't Believe it. I had a huge breakdown and I can't even explain the gut wrenching feeling that has been on my heart since then. I'm now crying almost all day everyday. We talked for hours and I came clean about a lot of things, including all the money I lost and how I've been actually feeling. I've been hiding my sadness by showing anger.
Until now, now I'm pissed. I dug more. I found pics, videos, messages, snaps, everything for the last 8 fucking months of her and at least 7 other guys! She's been lying and saying she's going out of town to friends or some shit. I plan to confront her again tomorrow and give her one more chance to tell the truth. That she just stopped caring about me to become a whore. Not exactly that, but I don't know what the hell else it would be. The way she talks in the videos, the things she says, were never ever given to me.
I want to change so I can do better for myself and my kid. But I feel so betrayed and stepped on. I have given everything, not asked for much in return, and now she is ruining my life. Most days I don't want to be here in life. I won't do anything to myself, cause that would mentally screw my kid forever, but I just feel like a zombie. I don't know how I'm going to move forward. All I've ever pictured are multiple kids and an amazing life. I can't be happy around her, friend, or family lately. I don't know how I'll ever be able to be around her family and not be sour. I don't know how I'll ever find someone else and want them to be a stepmom, and I especially don't want any other man in my daughter's life until she finds her partner. I'm her Dad, no one else.
So again I sit here and wonder, why me? What did I do to deserve all these great things, and what did I do to deserve them to be ripped away?
Sorry for the long ass story and spuraticness of it, but this is my first ever post and I just needed somewhere to vent. It's still not everything, but it's a start. Maybe I'll make a series of posts next time.
If you've read this far, thanks. Don't feel obligated to say anything. But some words of wisdom or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

The Beginner's Guide to Modern NXT
Originally posted by u/odanobunaga24 on squaredcircle
NXT has undergone a pretty sweeping shift recently, with the top stars of the brand (and even some midcard stars) having made the jump to the main roster. NXT has now switched to a more character-building mode, which means now is a great time to jump into the developmental brand and learn from fresh.
NXT'S STYLE
First up, NXT 2.0 has been dead for a WHILE now, but in the last calendar year NXT has strongly stripped away the odd booking that permeated the colour era. White and Gold NXT is very firmly a developmental brand, so it’s worth going into it knowing that the stars on the show are not finished products. Fans of the show are much more forgiving to its stars and adopt a much stronger “wait and see” attitude to that of fans of the main roster. The intimate setting of NXT also hugely helps with crowd interaction, and fans will have some unique crowd chants for stars very early on. The entire atmosphere has a very “college” feel, tends to be more lighthearted and seems much more specifically catered towards young adults. With Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes at the helm, NXT White and Gold had the best year in NXT’s history, and with those two stars moving up, NXT has changed drastically.
NXT'S TV AND PLE FORMATS
NXT actually has 2 shows; NXT and NXT Lvl Up. Both shows are filmed in the Performance Centre every week, fostering a specific fanbase for the brand in the same way that a territory like ECW did. Lvl Up, formerly 205 Live, is basically developmental for the developmental, with lowercard and midcard talents that may not otherwise get large amounts of ring time being afforded a spotlight. Lvl Up stories do not usually translate over to NXT proper.
NXT’s specials format is split between 2 week TV events and PLEs, alternating between the two every month. Almost all these events use old PLE names that were used in WWE, WCW or ECW but have been since discontinued by WWE’s main roster, such as Battleground, The Great American Bash, Heatwave, Vengeance Day, etc. Stand and Deliver is NXT’s Wrestlemania, and takes place on Mania Saturday Morning.
Last year’s event list was:

• Spring Breakin’ (Special)
  
• Battleground (PLE)
  
• Gold Rush (Special)
  
• The Great American Bash (PLE)
  
• Heatwave (Special)
  
• No Mercy (PLE)
  
• Halloween Havoc (Special)
  
• Deadline (PLE)
  
• New Year’s Evil (Special)
  
• Vengeance Day (PLE)
  
• Roadblock (Special)
  
• Stand And Deliver (PLE)
  

NXT'S ACCOLADES
NXT, just like the main roster, has its own special prizes to be won. The biggest of these are the Breakout Tournaments, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and the Iron Survivor Match.

• The Breakout Tournaments are 2 tournaments, one male and one female, held between 8 rookies each, all of whom have only been on NXT TV for less than a year. The winners of these tournaments receive a contract that is basically NXT’s Money in the Bank; they can get a title shot for a championship of their choosing at any time. The main difference is that Tag Championships are also on the table, and midcard belts are frequently selected for cash-ins.
  
• The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is a tag team tournament, and the rules change ALL the time, but presently, 8 male teams go into this single elimination tournament, and if the winners are not already the NXT Tag Team Champions, they receive a shot at the championships at Vengeance Day (January).
  
• The Iron Survivor match happens at the Deadline PLE (December) every year and is an absolutely electric match type. 5 superstars compete, and 2 start in the ring, with a new one entering every 5 minutes until all are in the ring. The time limit is 25 minutes and whoever scores the most falls will win the match. There’s an added twist however; if you give up a fall, be it through pinfall or submission, you are sent into a penalty box and are unable to pick up any falls for 90 seconds. The winner receives a championship match at the TV special New Year’s Evil.
  

NXT'S AUTHORITY
Ava is the dominant onscreen authority figure of NXT. She was initially part of a cult in NXT led by Joe Gacy (I’ll get to that), but after its end, Ava slowly found herself getting power before being officially given the reins to the brand by William Regal (former NXT GM) and Shawn Michaels (effectively the NXT Commissioner). Ava is now the youngest GM in the brand’s history and while her relationship to her father (The Rock) is acknowledged much more rarely on screen than it as during her cult days, she is still an on-screen Anoai. Ava provides a strong but fair guiding arm to the rowdiness of NXT.
Shawn Michaels and William Regal are the two other heads of NXT, but neither have any sort of strong on screen presence anymore. They are still always options to show up if things get crazier than usual.
NXT'S CHAMPIONS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS
NXT has 5 major championships with a 6th on the way very soon.

• The NXT Championship
  
• The NXT Women’s Championship
  
• The NXT Tag Team Championship
  
• The NXT North American Championship
  
• The NXT Heritage Cup Championship
  
• The soon to be created NXT Women’s North American Championship
  

The current NXT Champion is Trick Williams. Trick Williams’ ascendancy has been the story of NXT in the last year, with it culminating with back to back wins over Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov to claim the biggest prize in developmental. “Whoop that Trick” chants are his calling card, and no one else in NXT is as popular. Trick’s mic work is perfect, but his ring work needs some polish. Nevertheless, Trick has been tasked with leading the brand into the new era, and he’s doing it, one pearly white smile at a time.

Crowd Reaction: Hugely Positive

The current NXT Women’s Champion is Roxanne Perez. Perez is The Prodigy of NXT, and while she began as a wholesome happy-to-be-here babyface, a series of unfortunate events involving her losing the Women’s Championship and failing to regain it led to a heel turn and a consistent string of solid matches en route to recapturing the belt from Lyra Valkyria. Now champion again, Roxanne has become convinced Ava has some kind of issue with her and is obsessed with using the NXT Women’s Championship to improve her star power. Roxanne is a fantastic in-ring competitor and has basically only remained in NXT to flesh out her character work. Fans have cooled a little on her in recent times, but she’s still phenomenal in my eyes.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

The current NXT North American Champion is Oba Femi. Oba Femi is a Nigerian athlete who is the first WWE superstar to enter the company through its new NIL program and win a championship. Oba Femi is backed by destiny and speaks with all the gravitas of an ancient king or warrior. A dominant powerhouse, Oba has consistently impressed for someone less than a year into their career. The crowd has responded in kind by adding war cries to go along with his promos, making him seem even cooler. You’d be forgiven if you forgot he was a heel when watching him.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

The current NXT Heritage Cup Champion is Tony D'Angelo. Tony is the Don of NXT, a strange nickname for someone who runs a very respectable restaurant and dry cleaning franchising business. Tony is backed by the Family, all of whom are completely loyal to him. Tony D’Angelo also fully returns that loyalty by taking care of his own. Tony D’Angelo’s outside ventures have also given him a sizeable cash flow, which he makes use of by doing things like donating to people and kidnapping his competition in the wrestling business, and JUST the wrestling business. Tony D’Angelo is considered a highlight of NXT whenever he and the Family are on screen.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

The current NXT Tag Team Champions are Axiom and Nathan Frazer. Axiom is a hyper-intelligent superhero gimmick who seems fundamentally unable to comprehend that no one can see the expressions on his face. Nathan Frazer is the combination of John Oliver and Wally West’s Flash, having his own talk show segment called Hard Hitting Home Truths where he basically calls people out for being stupid. Frazer often lets his mouth get him in a LOT of trouble. Together, the two have created a team which is basically “intelligent and likeable speedforce users” and their recent championship win following Stand and Deliver has given them a lot of momentum.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

NXT'S MAIN FACTIONS

• THE FAMILY

As previously mentioned, Tony D'Angelo is supported by The Family.
Channing 'Stacks' Lorenzo is The Underboss, Tony’s second-in-command, and is a solid competitor in his own right. He’s a former Tag Team Champ alongside Tony.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Adriana Rizzo is a feminine touch to the group and a somewhat recent addition. She handles the business side of affairs for the Family and isn’t half bad in the ring, though of late she’s lacked the opportunity to show it.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Luca Crusifino is the Family Consigliere, its newest addition and has a legal background to go with his solid ring skill. Wrestling lawyers are always fun and the fans have responded in kind to the lad.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

• CHASE U

NXT may be the college show, but it also has a literal college it is affiliated with on the show, that being Chase University. The university has its own section in the seats and Chase U classes are often used to give exposition to big stipulation matches or small storyline beats. There’s 4 people part of Chase U:
Andre Chase is the dean of Chase U, a gambling addict, and one of the most wholesome characters on the show. He loves his University, his students, and his swearing. Dude swears SO MUCH. Endlessly funny, Chase is perfect in NXT.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Duke Hudson is the MVP of Chase U, a title he convinced everyone he earned after his impressive wins for the University. Duke towers over most of NXT (he’s 6’5”) and has a build to match, and as such often gets opportunities for titles more so than the others in Chase U. An oddly egotistical man, Duke legitimately loves the institution.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Thea Hail is the firecracker of NXT and by far its youngest member, having legitimately not even graduated high school when she joined WWE. She’s a natural talent and has been the storyline focus of Chase U recently with a character arc of wanting to grow up, only to learn that growing up is accepting herself for herself. The heart of the group, Thea’s aggressive cheerleader gimmick has landed her the spot of the most over woman in NXT.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Riley Osborne is the newest member of Chase U, a high flying Brit with a down-to-earth personality thankful for the opportunities Chase U gives him. A potential love story is blossoming between him and Thea, and Riley has become a neat addition to the Chase U dynamic.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

• META FOUR

You remember how Noam Dar had a thing with Alicia Fox back when 205 Live was a thing? The NXT Writing Staff doubled down on that and gave Noam Dar the trait of “loves black people”, stocking his personal faction up with black prospects. Meta Four is a faction of 4 goofy ass people who have established a creed of being the perfect kind of annoying to make you like them.
Noam Dar is the faction leader and easily the best wrestler of the 4. His Scottish accent, body hair and dorky moon-related bullshit have given him a neat niche as the jackass who’s just about good enough to back up his words, but not SO good that he can beat you clean. The most prominent and prolific Heritage Cup Champion of all time, Dar has since moved up the card and is presently challenging for the NXT Championship, which makes things slightly more complicated for a certain member of his faction.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Oro Mensah is the midcard man in the faction. A Ghanaian dude who loves to party, Oro Mensah didn't connect as a babyface but found his footing as a heel playing second fiddle to his “brother” Noam Dar. Mensah is loyal, a good friend, and easily the least annoying of the faction.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Lash Legend is the Women’s Ace of this faction. She towers over the entire division and while she’s very athletic, she’s toned down her style to wrestle a little closer to classic Kane and it’s done wonders for her perception. Lash is LOUD but she seems to mostly care about her faction. She’s currently dating Trick Williams in real-life, and that relationship seems to be making the jump to the screen, so she’s doing great character work right now too.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Jakara Jackson is Lash’s best friend and the most inexperienced member of the group. Injuries have mostly made her into a manager, but she’s had a handful of matches under her belt and is seemingly willing to put in the work to get better. She’s got a decent upside and her association with Meta Four has helped her crowd reaction.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

• GALLUS

3 rough Scottish bastards who like pints and pounding the shit out of other people. Gallus are easily the biggest heel faction on NXT right now, and have just returned after an absence from TV to help The Rock train for Wrestlemania. Expect them to make a big impact on the show’s main event scene until more stars are pushed to the top. They’re not a super over group, but they’re very talented nonetheless.
Joe Coffey is the group’s de facto leader, the singles guy, and the angriest one of the 3. He’s the guy who keeps the boys on top, ensuring they’re all working hard for the benefit of the group. He’s the most no-nonsense.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Mark Coffey is the brother of Joe and one of the tag guys. Yes, it’s a little weird that the brothers aren’t the tag guys but Joe is better in singles and Mark and his mate Wolfgang are a fantastic team so it works. Mark is notably more chill than the other two but in the same way that a hammerhead shark is more chill than a great white.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Wolfgang is the other tag guy and the powerhouse of this trio of powerhouses. Wolfgang is also pretty chill and enjoys any type of fight, from darts to pool, but it’s clear the best fights are between the ropes. Expect Gallus to try and go after the Tag Titles sooner rather than later.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

• NO QUARTER CATCH CREW

Unlike Gallus, who are basically a suplex bargain sale, the NQCC specifically specialise in amateur and catch wrestling. The NQCC have their own rule called the Catch Clause, whereby if they are scheduled for a match where they are not all involved, any member(s) of the group may choose to take part and we only find out who right before the bell rings. They hover mostly around the Heritage Cup scene.
Charlie Dempsey is the son of William Regal, though they only ever wink wink acknowledge it despite the two having the exact same face. Dempsey is a hard bastard who trains almost religiously and does not take kindly to people disrespecting the mat. While good facial expressions will get you far, Dempsey has a bit of a way to go before he’s at his father’s level.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Damon Kemp is the brother of Gable Steveson, and if that sours you on him, rethink your stance. Kemp is LEAGUES better than his brother and has no murky record to go along with it. A former Diamond Mine member (of which the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile were part), Kemp has a somewhat barebones character and yet still does a decent job of being a dick.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Myles Borne is the rookie of the faction and currently the weakest member. He has a strong lisp, which is actually helping him along. While he started out with an abusive mentomanatee relationship with former leader Drew Gulak, Borne has since received much more freedom. Just gotta show us what you can do, bud.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

• OTM

Out Tha Mud is the full name of this faction, and their gimmick is essentially that of a group of GTA characters; low income backgrounds who have moved up in the world thanks to their athletic prowess but still retaining the personality traits gifted to them by their rough upbringings. Fans of kicking ass, gambling you out of your money, and kicking ass again, these guys have a ton of upside.
Lucien Price and Bronco Nima are the tag team of this group. If you can’t yet remember which of the two is which, Lucien Price has a bit of a rat face, so remember that “Price likes Mice.” Both are powerhouses, but Lucien is more of a jackal with great face expressions, while Bronco has more power and a certain cool factor to him. The duo have gained solid steam recently.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Jaida Parker is a new recruit to NXT, having competed in its most recent Breakout Tournament. Jaida is a powerhouse just as much as the boys are, and also is effortlessly pretty. More than happy to break a nail off while she’s beating you, Parker has gotten over in NXT MUCH faster than her cohorts.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

• MALIK BLADE, EDRIS ENOFE AND BRINLEY REECE

The least faction-y faction and more so a loose alliance between a tag team and a girl who wants to help them, this trio is currently seen as jobbers. They’re quite funny in their own ways, and have been starting to run an angle where they’ve been cursed with bad luck, which has been getting them more screentime and personality.
Malik Blade and Edris Enofe have been around NXT for a while now, and never truly been given anything to sink their teeth into. They’re high-flyers, and they’re easy to tell apart; Blade has the babyfaciest of baby faces, and Enofe has dyed hair and wears a crown. Fun dudes who need more.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Brinley Reece is a new add to the roster and basically her gimmick is ‘Bo Dallas, but she’s able to show other emotions every now and then’. A relentlessly positive and upbeat girl who can get angry if disrespected, Reece takes her losses in stride and always learns from the good things she did while improving for the next opportunity, a personality that shines next to the more downtrodden jobbers of Blade and Enofe.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

THE MENS DIVISION
Wes Lee is the biggest star NXT has not named Trick Williams. A recent injury robbed almost all the feeling in his legs only for him to make a miraculously quick recovery and immediately reinsert himself into the NA Title picture. Wes is forever linked to this championship; he had the most defences and longest reign with his single run with the title and etched his name into history as the greatest North American Champion of all time. Am endlessly likeable hard worker with a heart of gold and a a vicious aerial offence, Wes will be a fixture of NXT for a while yet.

Crowd Reaction: Hugely Positive

Lexis King is the asshole that even the OTHER assholes look at and say “he’s a bit much for me”. Arrogance, blind luck, sleaziness, and terrible beards are the ingredients that make up this fuckhead cocktail, and his character work is years ahead of his AEW work as Brian Pillman Jr. Fun to watch and fun to hate.

Crowd Reaction: Hugely Positive

Josh Briggs is so god damn good. A cowboy to his soul, Briggs has slowly evolved from his big brother character alongside former stablemate Brooks Jensen into an APA JBL-tinged roughhouser with a mean streak. A tweener in NXT, Briggs has been hunting the North American Title for a while and is crushing the chase.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Je'Von Evans is really new to NXT TV but you’d be forgiven for thinking he’d been around for half a decade with how quickly the fans took to him. The Young OG is infectiously fun and loves getting bouncy in his matches. A future star in the making.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Ridge Holland came down from the main roster to find redemption after his string of injuries he caused. NXT turned this into a storyline whereby Ridge cannot seem to shake off his terrible luck with injuring people as well as his own personal bad temper. It was coldly received at first but it’s slowly been getting better as the string of mishaps has grown more comedic even if they’re still resulting in injuries. Ridge’s struggle against his own violent tendencies is one of the few storylines where the fans are actively hoping the good guy loses, but it’s too early to tell where Ridge will end up.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Shawn Spears has carried his character work from AEW over to NXT and has become this kind of Devil’s Advocate Sean O’Haire character where he wants people to give into their darkest impulses. A solid hand in the ring who has become a creepy midcard presence, Spears is intriguing to say the least.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Brooks Jensen is a lost soul. Formerly in a faction with Josh Briggs and Fallon Henley, the two were clearly hungry for singles gold, leading to the faction's dissolution. Jensen has since been drifting, unsure of what to do with himself. This may lead to a reinvention, so keep an eye out for his return. Brooks has a lot of potential. Also, he used to date Kiana James!

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Joe Gacy is the former cult leader of Schism (remember how Ava was in a cult?) who went insane and became an avatar of chaos. A crazy gremlin who can’t quite comprehend what his place in NXT is, Gacy’s run in NXT has actually won him a lot of fans, especially after a stellar match with Dijak.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Eddy Thorpe is formerly known as NJPW’s Karl Fredricks, but in NXT he’s incorporated a strong amount of his Native American heritage into his persona. NXT fans seem to have not quite taken to the guy for some reason (I think because his big feud involved Dijak and everyone in NXT fuckin loved Dijak), but Thorpe is a great in-ring talent with a ton of upside and a unique character. Expect his return to NXT sometime soon as Thorpe has been off with an injury that has now recuperated.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Mr Stone is a manager, yes, but he’s jacked beyond comprehension and has had more matches than usual as of late. Attached to Von Wagner for a while prior to Wagner’s release, Mr Stone has recently acquired a new client. Stone is able to do everything; comedy, serious, graps, high-flying, the only thing he can’t do is win a match, and that’s okay!

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Dante Chen is Mr Stone’s new client, and you might recognise him from when he got merked by Bron Breakker on Smackdown. Chen has a poor win-loss record, but has a great look and has found a way to connect with the crowd with almost no promo time, and with his new partnership with Mr Stone, Dante might be on an upward trajectory!

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Javier Bernal, also known as Big Body Javi, is easily the lowest rung in the entirety of NXT’s men’s division. A jobber with an abysmal record and a surprising skill at merchandising his own name, Javi is good for getting a quick laugh before immediately eating shit.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Hank N Tank are a team comprised of Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. Hank is a former security guard turned wrestler after impressing management, and Tank is his best friend who found common ground with him through their mutual desire to prove themselves. The duo are low on the pecking order but Tank’s more manic energy combined with Hank’s decent connection to the crowd let’s the pair cover each other’s weaknesses.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Tyriek and Tyson (Igwe and Dupont, respectively) are a very new tag team. So far they have a chip on their shoulder and a love for Timbs. Too early to tell how good they are or will become.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

THE WOMEN'S DIVISION
Meiko Satomura is WWE’s original final boss, having taken that moniker while in NXT UK. Satomura is a legend of the Joshi scene and within NXT she’s basically face Brock Lesnar; a part-timer who will immediately challenge for the top prize when she rocks up. Expect her to push any and every woman to their limit… when she feels like rocking up.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Sol Ruca has rapidly improved since her return from injury, and after kicking Blair Davenport out of NXT, Sol seems like the safest bet to become the new NXT Women’s North American Championship. Her finisher is a flip cutter that might genuinely give Randy Orion’s RKO a run for its money with how outta nowhere she can make it hit from.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Tatum Paxley recently got to sink her teeth into a proper story and made the absolute most of it, getting insanely over through her clever use of the lesbian-to-batshit-insane pipeline that most women use at some point. A stalker character who gives a level of grounded spooks to the proceedings of NXT, Paxley is really good at making you forget she can do a crisp 450 Splash right up until she does it.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Fallon Henley has the gimmick of a bartender and stablehand and made her mark in NXT as a solid midcard hand who was busy being a mother hen to the NXT locker room. The hen however has been executed with Henley’s recent heel turn and she’s looking out for herself first and foremost now. The former Tesha Price is fantastic in the ring, although she needs to tone down the screaming a scooch.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Kelani Jordan is a natural babyface and a highly athletic talent; a former gymnast background colours her style and shes already got a solid grasp of character work for a young talent. Expect her to rise through the ranks fast.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Wendy Choo is the perfect kind of silly gimmick for NXT; a narcoleptic sleepover obsessed girl who lives for fun. A banger theme and a shockingly good wrestling ability should hopefully help Wendy overcome her recent knee troubles and get back to being a solid lower card to midcard face.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Lola Vice is awesome for so many reasons, none of which make any sense next to each other. Vice, more than literally any other women’s wrestler I’ve ever seen, LOVES shaking her ass. Like, it’s her thing; she will win a match with her impressive martial arts skills, and then, with her jaw in pain from the fight, she will shake her ass over her opponent, which is hysterical to me and my brother. Fans like her, and Lola Vice makes it so that any reason you like her is a good reason.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Karmen Petrovic is a love letter to Kill Bill, and after Xia Ali’s release the company was due a new character wielding a weapon that can literally kill people. Katana in hand and guidance from Natalya in mind, KarmeNXT is a matter of when, not if. Also, she’s unfathomably attractive. How fucking DARE someone be that attractive while I’m slumming it.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Gigi Dolin is the alt girl of NXT. Positioned as the face following the breakup of Toxic Attraction and Jacy Jayne’s betrayal, Gigi has a depressing past and seeks to paint her pain away on the ring canvas. Gigi has struggled to make a connection with the crowd in recent months, but her most recent storyline with receiving a makeover might be the perfect hook.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Arianna Grace is the daughter of Santino Marella, and the comedy apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Grace is a pageant queen who wants NXT to be civilised and has an aversion to fighting, and yes, it’s exactly as wonderful as it sounds. She recently won a match to makeover Gigi, and is getting incredibly popular as a result of these heightened gimmicky segments.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Wren Sinclair is a newish addition to NXT, and while she’s likeable, she hasn’t got a distinct gimmick nor has she shown much of her personality. Formerly Madi Wrenkowski in NWA, Sinclair has potential.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Stevie Turner is basically a Twitch Streamer who’s content is watching people on NXT fail. Turner has made scant few appearances on NXT proper, which is weird as hell, since she’s definitely ready for the show. She might show up to bolster the undercard soon, but she’s virtually nonexistent (do you get it? Virtually? Do you get it?)

Crowd Reaction: N/A

Izzi Dame is a business associate of Kiama James and seems poised to do something bigger than expected on NXT TV, but she’s yet to establish a character or do any major story work. Seems like a WIP but has an upside as a possible powerhouse.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Jazmyn Nyx is a rookie and Jacy Jayne’s best friend. Nyx is a former soccer player and is supremely athletic, with an incredible Pele kick and a graceful kip up. With Jacy out injured, Nyx has had more of an opportunity to do character work of late and has scored goal after goal.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Carlee Bright is the newest member of NXT’s women’s division and basically has the happy-go-lucky-o-meter turned up to 14. Her most recent outing wasn’t half bad, so she could be something in the future.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

THE INJURED LIST
Cora Jade is easily the biggest injured star they have. Jade is Roxanne’s ex-tag partner and had a skater girl gimmick before turning heel and trading boards in for kendo sticks. Cora, along with Roxanne, are considered AJ Lee’s children due to how much she inspired them. If AJ Lee ever returns, it’ll be because of Cora Jade.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Jacy Jayne has the gimmick of toxic sorority sister and she nails every single second of it. Currently out after Thea Hail broke her nose by accident, Jacy is a toxic treat every time she’s on screen. She revels in her evil and makes no apology for it. Expect her to be a major player in the division once again when she’s back.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Nikkita Lyons might be unpopular politically online (I personally hate her for being younger than me) but she’s most assuredly well-liked within NXT. A taekwondo black belt, model and rapper (all of that is true), Nikkita channels her sex appeal into every aspect of her character. It’s clear that WWE had high hopes for her, but whether her body holds up after her knee injury is another question.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Dani Palmer is currently recovering from double hip surgery, but her high flying is really impressive and her babyface fire is fairly solid. She needs more of a character but that comes with TV time.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

THE BROADCAST TEAM
**
NXT of course has its own broadcast team, all with their own flavours.

• The commentary team is Vic Joseph on play-by-play and Booker T on colour. Vic Joseph reins in Booker T's more insane commentary and skillfully carries the broadcasting duties with a crystal clear narrative, and he's slowly become one of the best commentators in WWE.
  
• Mike Rome has been moved back down to NXT for ring announcing, with Alicia Taylor moving up to replace him on Smackdown. Rome has a proven track record as an announcer.
  
• Kelly Kincaid and Sarah Schreiber are the backstage interviewers and are both quite enjoyable on-screen. Sarah also doubles as the ring announcer for Lvl Up.
  
• Blake Howard is the commentator for NXT Lvl Up and also commentates Main Event for the main roster. On Lvl Up he is joined by Byron Saxton.
  

And that should be absolutely everything you need to know about NXT for its current era! If I missed anything, let me know!

Every single sport had to start somewhere - even the greatest and most popular came from humble beginnings. Now, it's hard to picture many of these even reaching the heights of football, ice hockey or golf, but they still seem very fun with their own unique audience of fans. Sometimes we should remind ourselves that sport is a form of entertainment with a competitive element built in and novel ideas can often spawn great things in our imaginations. What are some of the zaniest and craziest sports out there which you may not have heard about? Here's a few..
Gaffelhangen
Two people each stick a garden fork in the ground and see how long they can balance on it before toppling over or giving up. This one spawned in the Netherlands and is quite quirky in fairness.
Broomball
Ice hockey was mentioned earlier and you could consider this the budget version. Instead of a hockey stick you get.. you guessed it, a broom! It's played in street shoes and is usually just intended for a bit of fun by our Canadian friends.
Canal Jumping
Quite self explanatory really, the objective is to use a pole vault type stick to make your way across the water. They are typically 12.5 meters long and require a fair bit of practice to get right, having to shimmy up them on your way over. There are various events held in the Netherlands to celebrate this one.
One-Foot High Kick
There's a competition held on a regular basis during the Intuit games in North America. It requires aiming to kick a suspended ball with one foot while leaping through the air, then landing on that same foot. Surprisingly hard to pull off.
Jukskei
A challenging sport that has origins in the South African oxen transportation business. It involves throwing a bowling pin shape object towards a target and trying to make it stick out of the ground.
Regball
A rather menacing Russia sport that is a combination of basketball, rugby and wrestling. Seven players on each will essentially try to get the ball through a hoop, although no dribbling is required and physical takedowns are the most effective way to stop opponents.
Do you know of any other interesting sports like these?

NXT has undergone a pretty sweeping shift recently, with the top stars of the brand (and even some midcard stars) having made the jump to the main roster. NXT has now switched to a more character-building mode, which means now is a great time to jump into the developmental brand and learn from fresh.
NXT'S STYLE
First up, NXT 2.0 has been dead for a WHILE now, but in the last calendar year NXT has strongly stripped away the odd booking that permeated the colour era. White and Gold NXT is very firmly a developmental brand, so it’s worth going into it knowing that the stars on the show are not finished products. Fans of the show are much more forgiving to its stars and adopt a much stronger “wait and see” attitude to that of fans of the main roster. The intimate setting of NXT also hugely helps with crowd interaction, and fans will have some unique crowd chants for stars very early on. The entire atmosphere has a very “college” feel, tends to be more lighthearted and seems much more specifically catered towards young adults. With Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes at the helm, NXT White and Gold had the best year in NXT’s history, and with those two stars moving up, NXT has changed drastically.
NXT'S TV AND PLE FORMATS
NXT actually has 2 shows; NXT and NXT Lvl Up. Both shows are filmed in the Performance Centre every week, fostering a specific fanbase for the brand in the same way that a territory like ECW did. Lvl Up, formerly 205 Live, is basically developmental for the developmental, with lowercard and midcard talents that may not otherwise get large amounts of ring time being afforded a spotlight. Lvl Up stories do not usually translate over to NXT proper.
NXT’s specials format is split between 2 week TV events and PLEs, alternating between the two every month. Almost all these events use old PLE names that were used in WWE, WCW or ECW but have been since discontinued by WWE’s main roster, such as Battleground, The Great American Bash, Heatwave, Vengeance Day, etc. Stand and Deliver is NXT’s Wrestlemania, and takes place on Mania Saturday Morning.
Last year’s event list was:

• Spring Breakin’ (Special)
  
• Battleground (PLE)
  
• Gold Rush (Special)
  
• The Great American Bash (PLE)
  
• Heatwave (Special)
  
• No Mercy (PLE)
  
• Halloween Havoc (Special)
  
• Deadline (PLE)
  
• New Year’s Evil (Special)
  
• Vengeance Day (PLE)
  
• Roadblock (Special)
  
• Stand And Deliver (PLE)
  

NXT'S ACCOLADES
NXT, just like the main roster, has its own special prizes to be won. The biggest of these are the Breakout Tournaments, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, and the Iron Survivor Match.

• The Breakout Tournaments are 2 tournaments, one male and one female, held between 8 rookies each, all of whom have only been on NXT TV for less than a year. The winners of these tournaments receive a contract that is basically NXT’s Money in the Bank; they can get a title shot for a championship of their choosing at any time. The main difference is that Tag Championships are also on the table, and midcard belts are frequently selected for cash-ins.
  
• The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is a tag team tournament, and the rules change ALL the time, but presently, 8 male teams go into this single elimination tournament, and if the winners are not already the NXT Tag Team Champions, they receive a shot at the championships at Vengeance Day (January).
  
• The Iron Survivor match happens at the Deadline PLE (December) every year and is an absolutely electric match type. 5 superstars compete, and 2 start in the ring, with a new one entering every 5 minutes until all are in the ring. The time limit is 25 minutes and whoever scores the most falls will win the match. There’s an added twist however; if you give up a fall, be it through pinfall or submission, you are sent into a penalty box and are unable to pick up any falls for 90 seconds. The winner receives a championship match at the TV special New Year’s Evil.
  

NXT'S AUTHORITY
Ava is the dominant onscreen authority figure of NXT. She was initially part of a cult in NXT led by Joe Gacy (I’ll get to that), but after its end, Ava slowly found herself getting power before being officially given the reins to the brand by William Regal (former NXT GM) and Shawn Michaels (effectively the NXT Commissioner). Ava is now the youngest GM in the brand’s history and while her relationship to her father (The Rock) is acknowledged much more rarely on screen than it as during her cult days, she is still an on-screen Anoai. Ava provides a strong but fair guiding arm to the rowdiness of NXT.
Shawn Michaels and William Regal are the two other heads of NXT, but neither have any sort of strong on screen presence anymore. They are still always options to show up if things get crazier than usual.
NXT'S CHAMPIONS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS
NXT has 5 major championships with a 6th on the way very soon.

• The NXT Championship
  
• The NXT Women’s Championship
  
• The NXT Tag Team Championship
  
• The NXT North American Championship
  
• The NXT Heritage Cup Championship
  
• The soon to be created NXT Women’s North American Championship
  

The current NXT Champion is Trick Williams. Trick Williams’ ascendancy has been the story of NXT in the last year, with it culminating with back to back wins over Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov to claim the biggest prize in developmental. “Whoop that Trick” chants are his calling card, and no one else in NXT is as popular. Trick’s mic work is perfect, but his ring work needs some polish. Nevertheless, Trick has been tasked with leading the brand into the new era, and he’s doing it, one pearly white smile at a time.

Crowd Reaction: Hugely Positive

The current NXT Women’s Champion is Roxanne Perez. Perez is The Prodigy of NXT, and while she began as a wholesome happy-to-be-here babyface, a series of unfortunate events involving her losing the Women’s Championship and failing to regain it led to a heel turn and a consistent string of solid matches en route to recapturing the belt from Lyra Valkyria. Now champion again, Roxanne has become convinced Ava has some kind of issue with her and is obsessed with using the NXT Women’s Championship to improve her star power. Roxanne is a fantastic in-ring competitor and has basically only remained in NXT to flesh out her character work. Fans have cooled a little on her in recent times, but she’s still phenomenal in my eyes.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

The current NXT North American Champion is Oba Femi. Oba Femi is a Nigerian athlete who is the first WWE superstar to enter the company through its new NIL program and win a championship. Oba Femi is backed by destiny and speaks with all the gravitas of an ancient king or warrior. A dominant powerhouse, Oba has consistently impressed for someone less than a year into their career. The crowd has responded in kind by adding war cries to go along with his promos, making him seem even cooler. You’d be forgiven if you forgot he was a heel when watching him.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

The current NXT Heritage Cup Champion is Tony D'Angelo. Tony is the Don of NXT, a strange nickname for someone who runs a very respectable restaurant and dry cleaning franchising business. Tony is backed by the Family, all of whom are completely loyal to him. Tony D’Angelo also fully returns that loyalty by taking care of his own. Tony D’Angelo’s outside ventures have also given him a sizeable cash flow, which he makes use of by doing things like donating to people and kidnapping his competition in the wrestling business, and JUST the wrestling business. Tony D’Angelo is considered a highlight of NXT whenever he and the Family are on screen.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

The current NXT Tag Team Champions are Axiom and Nathan Frazer. Axiom is a hyper-intelligent superhero gimmick who seems fundamentally unable to comprehend that no one can see the expressions on his face. Nathan Frazer is the combination of John Oliver and Wally West’s Flash, having his own talk show segment called Hard Hitting Home Truths where he basically calls people out for being stupid. Frazer often lets his mouth get him in a LOT of trouble. Together, the two have created a team which is basically “intelligent and likeable speedforce users” and their recent championship win following Stand and Deliver has given them a lot of momentum.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

NXT'S MAIN FACTIONS

• THE FAMILY

As previously mentioned, Tony D'Angelo is supported by The Family.
Channing 'Stacks' Lorenzo is The Underboss, Tony’s second-in-command, and is a solid competitor in his own right. He’s a former Tag Team Champ alongside Tony.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Adriana Rizzo is a feminine touch to the group and a somewhat recent addition. She handles the business side of affairs for the Family and isn’t half bad in the ring, though of late she’s lacked the opportunity to show it.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Luca Crusifino is the Family Consigliere, its newest addition and has a legal background to go with his solid ring skill. Wrestling lawyers are always fun and the fans have responded in kind to the lad.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

• CHASE U

NXT may be the college show, but it also has a literal college it is affiliated with on the show, that being Chase University. The university has its own section in the seats and Chase U classes are often used to give exposition to big stipulation matches or small storyline beats. There’s 4 people part of Chase U:
Andre Chase is the dean of Chase U, a gambling addict, and one of the most wholesome characters on the show. He loves his University, his students, and his swearing. Dude swears SO MUCH. Endlessly funny, Chase is perfect in NXT.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Duke Hudson is the MVP of Chase U, a title he convinced everyone he earned after his impressive wins for the University. Duke towers over most of NXT (he’s 6’5”) and has a build to match, and as such often gets opportunities for titles more so than the others in Chase U. An oddly egotistical man, Duke legitimately loves the institution.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Thea Hail is the firecracker of NXT and by far its youngest member, having legitimately not even graduated high school when she joined WWE. She’s a natural talent and has been the storyline focus of Chase U recently with a character arc of wanting to grow up, only to learn that growing up is accepting herself for herself. The heart of the group, Thea’s aggressive cheerleader gimmick has landed her the spot of the most over woman in NXT.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Riley Osborne is the newest member of Chase U, a high flying Brit with a down-to-earth personality thankful for the opportunities Chase U gives him. A potential love story is blossoming between him and Thea, and Riley has become a neat addition to the Chase U dynamic.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

• META FOUR

You remember how Noam Dar had a thing with Alicia Fox back when 205 Live was a thing? The NXT Writing Staff doubled down on that and gave Noam Dar the trait of “loves black people”, stocking his personal faction up with black prospects. Meta Four is a faction of 4 goofy ass people who have established a creed of being the perfect kind of annoying to make you like them.
Noam Dar is the faction leader and easily the best wrestler of the 4. His Scottish accent, body hair and dorky moon-related bullshit have given him a neat niche as the jackass who’s just about good enough to back up his words, but not SO good that he can beat you clean. The most prominent and prolific Heritage Cup Champion of all time, Dar has since moved up the card and is presently challenging for the NXT Championship, which makes things slightly more complicated for a certain member of his faction.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Oro Mensah is the midcard man in the faction. A Ghanaian dude who loves to party, Oro Mensah didn't connect as a babyface but found his footing as a heel playing second fiddle to his “brother” Noam Dar. Mensah is loyal, a good friend, and easily the least annoying of the faction.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Lash Legend is the Women’s Ace of this faction. She towers over the entire division and while she’s very athletic, she’s toned down her style to wrestle a little closer to classic Kane and it’s done wonders for her perception. Lash is LOUD but she seems to mostly care about her faction. She’s currently dating Trick Williams in real-life, and that relationship seems to be making the jump to the screen, so she’s doing great character work right now too.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Jakara Jackson is Lash’s best friend and the most inexperienced member of the group. Injuries have mostly made her into a manager, but she’s had a handful of matches under her belt and is seemingly willing to put in the work to get better. She’s got a decent upside and her association with Meta Four has helped her crowd reaction.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

• GALLUS

3 rough Scottish bastards who like pints and pounding the shit out of other people. Gallus are easily the biggest heel faction on NXT right now, and have just returned after an absence from TV to help The Rock train for Wrestlemania. Expect them to make a big impact on the show’s main event scene until more stars are pushed to the top. They’re not a super over group, but they’re very talented nonetheless.
Joe Coffey is the group’s de facto leader, the singles guy, and the angriest one of the 3. He’s the guy who keeps the boys on top, ensuring they’re all working hard for the benefit of the group. He’s the most no-nonsense.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Mark Coffey is the brother of Joe and one of the tag guys. Yes, it’s a little weird that the brothers aren’t the tag guys but Joe is better in singles and Mark and his mate Wolfgang are a fantastic team so it works. Mark is notably more chill than the other two but in the same way that a hammerhead shark is more chill than a great white.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Wolfgang is the other tag guy and the powerhouse of this trio of powerhouses. Wolfgang is also pretty chill and enjoys any type of fight, from darts to pool, but it’s clear the best fights are between the ropes. Expect Gallus to try and go after the Tag Titles sooner rather than later.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

• NO QUARTER CATCH CREW

Unlike Gallus, who are basically a suplex bargain sale, the NQCC specifically specialise in amateur and catch wrestling. The NQCC have their own rule called the Catch Clause, whereby if they are scheduled for a match where they are not all involved, any member(s) of the group may choose to take part and we only find out who right before the bell rings. They hover mostly around the Heritage Cup scene.
Charlie Dempsey is the son of William Regal, though they only ever wink wink acknowledge it despite the two having the exact same face. Dempsey is a hard bastard who trains almost religiously and does not take kindly to people disrespecting the mat. While good facial expressions will get you far, Dempsey has a bit of a way to go before he’s at his father’s level.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Damon Kemp is the brother of Gable Steveson, and if that sours you on him, rethink your stance. Kemp is LEAGUES better than his brother and has no murky record to go along with it. A former Diamond Mine member (of which the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile were part), Kemp has a somewhat barebones character and yet still does a decent job of being a dick.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Myles Borne is the rookie of the faction and currently the weakest member. He has a strong lisp, which is actually helping him along. While he started out with an abusive mentomanatee relationship with former leader Drew Gulak, Borne has since received much more freedom. Just gotta show us what you can do, bud.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

• OTM

Out Tha Mud is the full name of this faction, and their gimmick is essentially that of a group of GTA characters; low income backgrounds who have moved up in the world thanks to their athletic prowess but still retaining the personality traits gifted to them by their rough upbringings. Fans of kicking ass, gambling you out of your money, and kicking ass again, these guys have a ton of upside.
Lucien Price and Bronco Nima are the tag team of this group. If you can’t yet remember which of the two is which, Lucien Price has a bit of a rat face, so remember that “Price likes Mice.” Both are powerhouses, but Lucien is more of a jackal with great face expressions, while Bronco has more power and a certain cool factor to him. The duo have gained solid steam recently.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Jaida Parker is a new recruit to NXT, having competed in its most recent Breakout Tournament. Jaida is a powerhouse just as much as the boys are, and also is effortlessly pretty. More than happy to break a nail off while she’s beating you, Parker has gotten over in NXT MUCH faster than her cohorts.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

• MALIK BLADE, EDRIS ENOFE AND BRINLEY REECE

The least faction-y faction and more so a loose alliance between a tag team and a girl who wants to help them, this trio is currently seen as jobbers. They’re quite funny in their own ways, and have been starting to run an angle where they’ve been cursed with bad luck, which has been getting them more screentime and personality.
Malik Blade and Edris Enofe have been around NXT for a while now, and never truly been given anything to sink their teeth into. They’re high-flyers, and they’re easy to tell apart; Blade has the babyfaciest of baby faces, and Enofe has dyed hair and wears a crown. Fun dudes who need more.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Brinley Reece is a new add to the roster and basically her gimmick is ‘Bo Dallas, but she’s able to show other emotions every now and then’. A relentlessly positive and upbeat girl who can get angry if disrespected, Reece takes her losses in stride and always learns from the good things she did while improving for the next opportunity, a personality that shines next to the more downtrodden jobbers of Blade and Enofe.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

THE MENS DIVISION
Wes Lee is the biggest star NXT has not named Trick Williams. A recent injury robbed almost all the feeling in his legs only for him to make a miraculously quick recovery and immediately reinsert himself into the NA Title picture. Wes is forever linked to this championship; he had the most defences and longest reign with his single run with the title and etched his name into history as the greatest North American Champion of all time. Am endlessly likeable hard worker with a heart of gold and a a vicious aerial offence, Wes will be a fixture of NXT for a while yet.

Crowd Reaction: Hugely Positive

Lexis King is the asshole that even the OTHER assholes look at and say “he’s a bit much for me”. Arrogance, blind luck, sleaziness, and terrible beards are the ingredients that make up this fuckhead cocktail, and his character work is years ahead of his AEW work as Brian Pillman Jr. Fun to watch and fun to hate.

Crowd Reaction: Hugely Positive

Josh Briggs is so god damn good. A cowboy to his soul, Briggs has slowly evolved from his big brother character alongside former stablemate Brooks Jensen into an APA JBL-tinged roughhouser with a mean streak. A tweener in NXT, Briggs has been hunting the North American Title for a while and is crushing the chase.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Je'Von Evans is really new to NXT TV but you’d be forgiven for thinking he’d been around for half a decade with how quickly the fans took to him. The Young OG is infectiously fun and loves getting bouncy in his matches. A future star in the making.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Ridge Holland came down from the main roster to find redemption after his string of injuries he caused. NXT turned this into a storyline whereby Ridge cannot seem to shake off his terrible luck with injuring people as well as his own personal bad temper. It was coldly received at first but it’s slowly been getting better as the string of mishaps has grown more comedic even if they’re still resulting in injuries. Ridge’s struggle against his own violent tendencies is one of the few storylines where the fans are actively hoping the good guy loses, but it’s too early to tell where Ridge will end up.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Shawn Spears has carried his character work from AEW over to NXT and has become this kind of Devil’s Advocate Sean O’Haire character where he wants people to give into their darkest impulses. A solid hand in the ring who has become a creepy midcard presence, Spears is intriguing to say the least.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Brooks Jensen is a lost soul. Formerly in a faction with Josh Briggs and Fallon Henley, the two were clearly hungry for singles gold, leading to the faction's dissolution. Jensen has since been drifting, unsure of what to do with himself. This may lead to a reinvention, so keep an eye out for his return. Brooks has a lot of potential. Also, he used to date Kiana James!

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Joe Gacy is the former cult leader of Schism (remember how Ava was in a cult?) who went insane and became an avatar of chaos. A crazy gremlin who can’t quite comprehend what his place in NXT is, Gacy’s run in NXT has actually won him a lot of fans, especially after a stellar match with Dijak.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Eddy Thorpe is formerly known as NJPW’s Karl Fredricks, but in NXT he’s incorporated a strong amount of his Native American heritage into his persona. NXT fans seem to have not quite taken to the guy for some reason (I think because his big feud involved Dijak and everyone in NXT fuckin loved Dijak), but Thorpe is a great in-ring talent with a ton of upside and a unique character. Expect his return to NXT sometime soon as Thorpe has been off with an injury that has now recuperated.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Mr Stone is a manager, yes, but he’s jacked beyond comprehension and has had more matches than usual as of late. Attached to Von Wagner for a while prior to Wagner’s release, Mr Stone has recently acquired a new client. Stone is able to do everything; comedy, serious, graps, high-flying, the only thing he can’t do is win a match, and that’s okay!

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Dante Chen is Mr Stone’s new client, and you might recognise him from when he got merked by Bron Breakker on Smackdown. Chen has a poor win-loss record, but has a great look and has found a way to connect with the crowd with almost no promo time, and with his new partnership with Mr Stone, Dante might be on an upward trajectory!

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Javier Bernal, also known as Big Body Javi, is easily the lowest rung in the entirety of NXT’s men’s division. A jobber with an abysmal record and a surprising skill at merchandising his own name, Javi is good for getting a quick laugh before immediately eating shit.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Hank N Tank are a team comprised of Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. Hank is a former security guard turned wrestler after impressing management, and Tank is his best friend who found common ground with him through their mutual desire to prove themselves. The duo are low on the pecking order but Tank’s more manic energy combined with Hank’s decent connection to the crowd let’s the pair cover each other’s weaknesses.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Tyriek and Tyson (Igwe and Dupont, respectively) are a very new tag team. So far they have a chip on their shoulder and a love for Timbs. Too early to tell how good they are or will become.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

THE WOMEN'S DIVISION
Meiko Satomura is WWE’s original final boss, having taken that moniker while in NXT UK. Satomura is a legend of the Joshi scene and within NXT she’s basically face Brock Lesnar; a part-timer who will immediately challenge for the top prize when she rocks up. Expect her to push any and every woman to their limit… when she feels like rocking up.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Sol Ruca has rapidly improved since her return from injury, and after kicking Blair Davenport out of NXT, Sol seems like the safest bet to become the new NXT Women’s North American Championship. Her finisher is a flip cutter that might genuinely give Randy Orion’s RKO a run for its money with how outta nowhere she can make it hit from.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Tatum Paxley recently got to sink her teeth into a proper story and made the absolute most of it, getting insanely over through her clever use of the lesbian-to-batshit-insane pipeline that most women use at some point. A stalker character who gives a level of grounded spooks to the proceedings of NXT, Paxley is really good at making you forget she can do a crisp 450 Splash right up until she does it.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Fallon Henley has the gimmick of a bartender and stablehand and made her mark in NXT as a solid midcard hand who was busy being a mother hen to the NXT locker room. The hen however has been executed with Henley’s recent heel turn and she’s looking out for herself first and foremost now. The former Tesha Price is fantastic in the ring, although she needs to tone down the screaming a scooch.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Kelani Jordan is a natural babyface and a highly athletic talent; a former gymnast background colours her style and shes already got a solid grasp of character work for a young talent. Expect her to rise through the ranks fast.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Wendy Choo is the perfect kind of silly gimmick for NXT; a narcoleptic sleepover obsessed girl who lives for fun. A banger theme and a shockingly good wrestling ability should hopefully help Wendy overcome her recent knee troubles and get back to being a solid lower card to midcard face.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Lola Vice is awesome for so many reasons, none of which make any sense next to each other. Vice, more than literally any other women’s wrestler I’ve ever seen, LOVES shaking her ass. Like, it’s her thing; she will win a match with her impressive martial arts skills, and then, with her jaw in pain from the fight, she will shake her ass over her opponent, which is hysterical to me and my brother. Fans like her, and Lola Vice makes it so that any reason you like her is a good reason.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Karmen Petrovic is a love letter to Kill Bill, and after Xia Ali’s release the company was due a new character wielding a weapon that can literally kill people. Katana in hand and guidance from Natalya in mind, KarmeNXT is a matter of when, not if. Also, she’s unfathomably attractive. How fucking DARE someone be that attractive while I’m slumming it.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Gigi Dolin is the alt girl of NXT. Positioned as the face following the breakup of Toxic Attraction and Jacy Jayne’s betrayal, Gigi has a depressing past and seeks to paint her pain away on the ring canvas. Gigi has struggled to make a connection with the crowd in recent months, but her most recent storyline with receiving a makeover might be the perfect hook.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Arianna Grace is the daughter of Santino Marella, and the comedy apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Grace is a pageant queen who wants NXT to be civilised and has an aversion to fighting, and yes, it’s exactly as wonderful as it sounds. She recently won a match to makeover Gigi, and is getting incredibly popular as a result of these heightened gimmicky segments.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Wren Sinclair is a newish addition to NXT, and while she’s likeable, she hasn’t got a distinct gimmick nor has she shown much of her personality. Formerly Madi Wrenkowski in NWA, Sinclair has potential.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Stevie Turner is basically a Twitch Streamer who’s content is watching people on NXT fail. Turner has made scant few appearances on NXT proper, which is weird as hell, since she’s definitely ready for the show. She might show up to bolster the undercard soon, but she’s virtually nonexistent (do you get it? Virtually? Do you get it?)

Crowd Reaction: N/A

Izzi Dame is a business associate of Kiama James and seems poised to do something bigger than expected on NXT TV, but she’s yet to establish a character or do any major story work. Seems like a WIP but has an upside as a possible powerhouse.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

Jazmyn Nyx is a rookie and Jacy Jayne’s best friend. Nyx is a former soccer player and is supremely athletic, with an incredible Pele kick and a graceful kip up. With Jacy out injured, Nyx has had more of an opportunity to do character work of late and has scored goal after goal.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

Carlee Bright is the newest member of NXT’s women’s division and basically has the happy-go-lucky-o-meter turned up to 14. Her most recent outing wasn’t half bad, so she could be something in the future.

Crowd Reaction: Neutral

THE INJURED LIST
Cora Jade is easily the biggest injured star they have. Jade is Roxanne’s ex-tag partner and had a skater girl gimmick before turning heel and trading boards in for kendo sticks. Cora, along with Roxanne, are considered AJ Lee’s children due to how much she inspired them. If AJ Lee ever returns, it’ll be because of Cora Jade.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Jacy Jayne has the gimmick of toxic sorority sister and she nails every single second of it. Currently out after Thea Hail broke her nose by accident, Jacy is a toxic treat every time she’s on screen. She revels in her evil and makes no apology for it. Expect her to be a major player in the division once again when she’s back.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Nikkita Lyons might be unpopular politically online (I personally hate her for being younger than me) but she’s most assuredly well-liked within NXT. A taekwondo black belt, model and rapper (all of that is true), Nikkita channels her sex appeal into every aspect of her character. It’s clear that WWE had high hopes for her, but whether her body holds up after her knee injury is another question.

Crowd Reaction: Very Positive

Dani Palmer is currently recovering from double hip surgery, but her high flying is really impressive and her babyface fire is fairly solid. She needs more of a character but that comes with TV time.

Crowd Reaction: Positive

THE BROADCAST TEAM
**
NXT of course has its own broadcast team, all with their own flavours.

• The commentary team is Vic Joseph on play-by-play and Booker T on colour. Vic Joseph reins in Booker T's more insane commentary and skillfully carries the broadcasting duties with a crystal clear narrative, and he's slowly become one of the best commentators in WWE.
  
• Mike Rome has been moved back down to NXT for ring announcing, with Alicia Taylor moving up to replace him on Smackdown. Rome has a proven track record as an announcer.
  
• Kelly Kincaid and Sarah Schreiber are the backstage interviewers and are both quite enjoyable on-screen. Sarah also doubles as the ring announcer for Lvl Up.
  
• Blake Howard is the commentator for NXT Lvl Up and also commentates Main Event for the main roster. On Lvl Up he is joined by Byron Saxton.
  

And that should be absolutely everything you need to know about NXT for its current era! If I missed anything, let me know!

Link for part 1: https://www.reddit.com/fantasybooking/s/bU4pOSBu82
Last time at WrestleMania 28, Sheamus had defeated both Edge and Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat Elimination Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Bryan and Edge both want a rematch but Sheamus will only accept one of them and thus a #1 contender's match is made between Bryan and Edge. As Bryan is about to capitalize on the Rated R Superstar, AJ Lee stands on the ring apron distracting DB and The Ref which leads to an Edge spear and thus becoming the #1 contender. Daniel Bryan descends into madness and breaks up with AJ while Edge has his sights set on Sheamus at Extreme Rules in a 2 out 3 Falls Match.
Extreme Rules 2012- World Heavyweight Championship 2 out of 3 Falls:
Edge wins the 1st fall
Sheamus wins the 2nd fall
Sheamus wins the 3rd fall
Sheamus def. Edge (2-1)
The chapter between Edge and Sheamus continues but with a twist as Chris Jericho and Randy Orton get involved in the title picture after a Tag Match between Sheamus and Randy Orton vs Edge and Chris Jericho. All sides ended up attacking each other which lead to a Fatal 4 Way Match at Over The Limit.
Over The Limit 2012- World Heavyweight Championship Fatal 4 Way: Sheamus def. Edge, Randy Orton and Chris Jericho
During the Fatal 4 Way Match, Edge and Jericho cost each other the World Title and a heated rivalry between them occurs. Jericho blames Edge for his loss and promised to get rid of the Edge problem once and for all at No Way Out
No Way Out 2012- Edge def Chris Jericho
After a victory over Chris Jericho, Edge now has his sights on winning Money in the Bank for the 3rd time in his career and enters the WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match also featuring John Cena, Big Show, Kane and Chris Jericho.
Money in the Bank 2012- WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match: John Cena def. Edge, Big Show, Kane and Chris Jericho.
After Money in the Bank, Edge has a run in with his ex-wife Vickie Guerrero and she says that Dolph Ziggler manage to win his Money in the Bank Briefcase and even says that Dolph is better than him. Edge wants Dolph to proove it by having a match at SummerSlam for the briefcase.
Summerslam 2012- World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Briefcase: Dolph Ziggler def. Edge
After a distraction from Vickie, Dolph was able to roll up Edge and get the win. Edge however, doesn't let that slide and challenges Dolph to a rematch in a Steel Cage. Dolph rejects the idea at first but after a series of attacks from the Rated R Superstar, Vickie gives Edge his match on behalf of Dolph as the relationship between Dolph and Vickie starts to get shacky since Dolph doesn't appreciate Vickie making decisions for him.
Night of Champions 2012- World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Briefcase Steel Cage: Dolph Ziggler def. Edge
Edge once again isn't able to get the job done and dissapears off TV for a while. On Raw, John Cena and CM Punk are in the midst of a rivalry for the WWE Championship, during a contract signing, Mr. McMahon gives John Cena a Hell in a Cell replacement due to his Elbow surgery. In the end, Cena chooses Edge and now Edge will challenge CM Punk for the WWE Championship.
Hell in a Cell 2012- WWE Championship Hell in a Cell: CM Punk def. Edge
Edge loses his title match at Hell in a Cell after the referee Brad Maddox low-blowed him and thus giving Punk the victory. Edge would later spear Maddox and demand a rematch however at the same time, John Cena made his return and also wants the title match he once was going to get. A triple threat match is set.
Survivor Series 2012- WWE Championship Triple Threat Match: CM Punk def. John Cena and Edge
During the match, a group of 3 men would attack the faces and Punk would take advantage. These men would turn out to be Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns A.K.A The Shield. Edge blames The Shield for his loss and after multiple attacks from The Shield, Team Hell No stand up and allied themselves to Edge however Bryan still has no love lost for Edge after losing his WHC but they will have to put their differences aside in order to teach The Shield a lesson.
TLC 2012- 6 Man Tag Team TLC Match: The Shield def. Edge and Team Hell No
Edge is unable to beat The Shield but a new year arrives and Edge wants to once again be a World Champion so he enters the 2013 Royal Rumble Match.
Royal Rumble 2013- 30 Man Royal Rumble Match: John Cena wins by last eliminating Ryback
The Shield continue to make statements on the WWE Roster and Edge, who has unfinished business with The Shield, once again attempts to stop this but the numbers advantage is too much but that is when John Cena and Sheamus come to the rescue and help Edge as they also look for retribution against The Shield.
Elimination Chamber 2013- The Shield def. John Cena, Edge and Sheamus
Edge and Sheamus are able to recruit another one of The Shield's victims in Randy Orton. Rated RKO are temporarily reunited and with Sheamus on their side, they will attempt to put an end to The Shield once and for all at the grandest stage of them all! WrestleMania
WrestleMania 29- The Shield def. Edge, Randy Orton and Sheamus
Stay Tuned for part 2!

Story of WWE Rivalry

Prologue: The Championship Relinquished

For four years, Cris Cyborg had been the dominant force in the UFC, holding the UFC Women's World Championship. Her reign, however, came to an unexpected halt due to an injury that forced her to relinquish the title. This shocking development sent ripples through both the UFC and WWE, as top female athletes from both promotions eyed the now-vacant championship. The WWE, recognizing an opportunity, decided to incorporate the UFC-style matches into their events, creating a new pay-per-view series called "Royal Battle Ground," which would serve as the starting point for this intense rivalry.

Royal Battle Ground

Main Event: UFC Women's World Championship Tournament Announcement
The WWE Universe was buzzing as WWE Chairman Vince McMahon announced a groundbreaking tournament to crown the new UFC Women's World Champion. The participants included WWE's Ronda Rousey, Sonya Deville, and Shayna Baszler, as well as AEW's Paige VanZant, Britt Baker, and Tay Conti. The tournament would span several WWE pay-per-views, culminating at WrestleMania.

Elimination Chamber: First Round Matches

1. Ronda Rousey vs. Britt Baker
   • Ronda Rousey dominated the match, showcasing her superior grappling skills. Despite Britt Baker's resilience and attempts to turn the tide, Rousey secured a victory via armbar submission.
2. Sonya Deville vs. Tay Conti
   • This bout was a hard-hitting affair, with both competitors bringing their MMA backgrounds to the fore. Sonya Deville ultimately outlasted Tay Conti, winning with a devastating spear.
3. Shayna Baszler vs. Paige VanZant
   • Shayna Baszler and Paige VanZant put on a clinic of technical wrestling and striking. Baszler's experience and submission prowess proved too much for VanZant, as she won with a chokehold.

Fastlane: Semi-Finals

1. Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville
   • In a fierce encounter, Rousey and Deville went back and forth. Deville's striking nearly gave her the edge, but Rousey's tenacity and judo background helped her secure a win with another armbar submission.
2. Shayna Baszler vs. Paige VanZant
   • After her initial defeat, Paige VanZant was given a second chance due to her impressive performance. In the rematch, VanZant showed improvement but ultimately fell again to Baszler, who applied her signature Kirifuda Clutch for the victory.

WrestleMania: Championship Final

Main Event: Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
The grand stage of WrestleMania was set for the final showdown. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, former friends turned rivals, faced off in a brutal and intense match. The match saw both competitors push each other to the limit, showcasing their UFC and WWE skills. In the end, Ronda Rousey managed to counter Baszler's submission attempt into a pinfall, winning the UFC Women's World Championship and solidifying her dominance in both worlds.

Backlash: The Aftermath

Triple Threat Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville vs. Paige VanZant
The rivalry continued to intensify as Sonya Deville and Paige VanZant demanded their rematch clauses. The triple threat match at Backlash was a chaotic and hard-hitting encounter. Rousey retained her title by pinning VanZant after a furious exchange of finishing moves between all three competitors.

Money in the Bank: The Briefcase Twist

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
The women's Money in the Bank ladder match saw Britt Baker and Tay Conti join the fray, along with other WWE superstars. In a shocking twist, Tay Conti won the briefcase, guaranteeing her a title shot at any time of her choosing. This added another layer of unpredictability to the already heated rivalry.

Extreme Rules: Submission Showdown

Extreme Rules Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
In a no-holds-barred match, Rousey and Baszler faced off again. The intensity of their rivalry was on full display, with both women using every weapon and submission hold at their disposal. Rousey once again emerged victorious, but the brutal match took a toll on her.

SummerSlam: The Betrayal

Tag Team Match: Ronda Rousey & Sonya Deville vs. Shayna Baszler & Paige VanZant
In an unexpected twist, Rousey and Deville teamed up against Baszler and VanZant. The match ended in chaos when Sonya Deville turned on Rousey, attacking her partner and aligning herself with Baszler and VanZant. This betrayal added fuel to the fire of their ongoing rivalry.

Clash of Champions: Championship Defense

Championship Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville
Deville's betrayal led to a highly anticipated match against Rousey. The match was intense, with Deville using every dirty trick in the book. Despite this, Rousey's resilience saw her retain the title after a grueling battle.

Hell in a Cell: The Grudge Match

Hell in a Cell Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville
The animosity between Rousey and Deville culminated in a Hell in a Cell match. The brutal environment suited their intense rivalry, and both competitors went to extreme lengths to secure a win. Rousey emerged victorious, solidifying her status as champion.

Survivor Series: Brand Supremacy

Team WWE vs. Team AEW
A traditional Survivor Series elimination match saw WWE's Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, and Sonya Deville face AEW's Paige VanZant, Britt Baker, and Tay Conti. The match was a showcase of skill and strategy. In the end, Rousey was the sole survivor, leading Team WWE to victory.

Royal Rumble: The Challenger Emerges

Women's Royal Rumble Match
Tay Conti, holding the Money in the Bank briefcase, entered the Royal Rumble match as a surprise participant. She didn't win, but her presence reminded everyone of her looming title shot. Shayna Baszler won the Royal Rumble, earning another shot at Rousey at WrestleMania.

Elimination Chamber: Final Stop

Elimination Chamber Match: Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Paige VanZant vs. Britt Baker vs. Tay Conti
The final stop before WrestleMania saw the top six competitors locked inside the Elimination Chamber. Tay Conti, strategically using her briefcase, entered last and eliminated Britt Baker and Paige VanZant. Rousey, Baszler, and Deville battled fiercely, with Rousey pinning Deville. Baszler and Conti teamed up temporarily to wear down Rousey, but ultimately, Rousey managed to retain her title by pinning Baszler.

WrestleMania: The Ultimate Showdown

Main Event: Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Tay Conti
The stage was set for the ultimate showdown at WrestleMania. Rousey, Baszler, and Conti faced off in a triple threat match. The match was a display of incredible athleticism and storytelling. In the final moments, Baszler had Rousey in a submission hold, but Conti, seizing her opportunity, hit Baszler with a devastating kick and pinned her to win the UFC Women's World Championship.

Epilogue: The New Era

Tay Conti's victory at WrestleMania marked the beginning of a new era in the WWE-UFC landscape. Rousey and Baszler, while defeated, respected Conti's cunning and determination. The rivalry had pushed all competitors to their limits, and the WWE Universe eagerly anticipated what the future held for these incredible athletes.
Alt Story:

Chapter 1: The Championship Announcement

WWE Royal Battle Ground

The lights dimmed, and the crowd's anticipation reached a fever pitch as WWE's first-ever Royal Battle Ground pay-per-view began. The arena was transformed into a battleground with an octagon in the center, reminiscent of UFC fights. The WWE Universe buzzed with excitement as Stephanie McMahon took to the ring to make a monumental announcement.
"Tonight, we begin the journey to crown the first-ever WWE UFC Women's World Champion. This title, relinquished by Cris Cyborg after four years of dominance, will be contested by some of the most formidable women in sports entertainment: Ronda Rousey, Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, Paige VanZant, Britt Baker, and Tay Conti."
The announcement electrified the crowd. The rivalry, which had been simmering under the surface, was about to explode. The tournament's format was simple: six women, three rounds of intense, UFC-style matches culminating in a grand finale at WrestleMania.

Chapter 2: The First Round

WWE Elimination Chamber

The first round took place at Elimination Chamber. The match-ups were:

1. Ronda Rousey vs. Britt Baker
2. Shayna Baszler vs. Tay Conti
3. Sonya Deville vs. Paige VanZant

Ronda Rousey vs. Britt Baker: Ronda, the former UFC Champion, was the favorite. Despite Britt's fierce tenacity, Ronda's superior grappling and striking skills secured her a victory via armbar submission in the second round.
Shayna Baszler vs. Tay Conti: This bout was a clash of submission specialists. Shayna's brutal ground game proved too much for Tay, who, despite a valiant effort, succumbed to a rear-naked choke in the third round.
Sonya Deville vs. Paige VanZant: Sonya and Paige were both former MMA fighters, making this match highly anticipated. It was a brutal, back-and-forth battle, but Sonya's experience in WWE gave her the edge, winning by split decision after three intense rounds.

Chapter 3: The Semi-Finals

WWE Fastlane

Fastlane set the stage for the semi-finals, featuring two high-stakes matches:

1. Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville
2. Shayna Baszler vs. Paige VanZant (wild card entry, given another chance due to her impressive performance against Sonya)

Ronda Rousey vs. Sonya Deville: Ronda and Sonya showcased their exceptional skills in a hard-hitting bout. Sonya's striking was impressive, but Ronda's quick judo takedowns and submission attempts kept her on the defensive. Ronda secured a victory with a triangle armbar in the second round.
Shayna Baszler vs. Paige VanZant: Paige, determined to prove herself, fought with incredible heart. However, Shayna's ruthless aggression and technical prowess were overwhelming. Shayna won via TKO in the third round, earning her place in the finals.

Chapter 4: The Final Showdown

WWE WrestleMania

The grand finale at WrestleMania was a highly anticipated event. The octagon was set, and the atmosphere was electric as Ronda Rousey faced Shayna Baszler for the WWE UFC Women's World Championship.
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler: The match was a showcase of their storied history and friendship turned rivalry. Both women traded vicious strikes, submissions, and counters. The first round saw Ronda take control with her judo throws, but Shayna's resilience kept her in the fight. The second round was more even, with Shayna finding her rhythm and landing significant strikes.
In the third round, the intensity peaked. Ronda attempted an armbar, but Shayna reversed it into a kneebar. The crowd roared as Ronda fought out of it, and the two continued to grapple on the mat. Finally, Ronda secured a rear-naked choke, and despite Shayna's best efforts, she was forced to tap out.
Ronda Rousey stood tall, the first-ever WWE UFC Women's World Champion, as fireworks lit up the arena. The respect between Ronda and Shayna was evident as they embraced after the match, ending the night on a high note.

Chapter 5: The Fallout

WWE Backlash

Backlash saw the fallout from WrestleMania. Paige VanZant and Britt Baker formed an alliance, determined to stake their claim in the title picture. Tay Conti, feeling overlooked, demanded a rematch against Shayna Baszler.
Paige VanZant & Britt Baker vs. Sonya Deville & Tay Conti: This tag team match was a brutal affair, showcasing the simmering tensions. Paige and Britt's teamwork prevailed, earning them a future title shot opportunity.
Shayna Baszler vs. Tay Conti: In a rematch from their previous encounter, Shayna once again proved her dominance, defeating Tay with a brutal Kimura lock.

Chapter 6: The Road to SummerSlam

WWE Money in the Bank

At Money in the Bank, a contract for a future title shot was up for grabs in a ladder match involving all six women. The match was chaotic and brutal, with each competitor showing their determination. In the end, Britt Baker emerged victorious, earning the coveted contract.

Chapter 7: The Clashes Continue

WWE Extreme Rules

Extreme Rules saw Britt Baker cashing in her Money in the Bank contract against Ronda Rousey. The match, fought under no-disqualification rules, was an all-out war. Despite Britt's cunning and use of weapons, Ronda's sheer willpower and skill won out, retaining her title.

Chapter 8: New Alliances

WWE SummerSlam

SummerSlam featured a blockbuster six-woman tag match: Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, and Sonya Deville vs. Paige VanZant, Britt Baker, and Tay Conti. The match was a showcase of athleticism and storytelling. The alliance between Paige, Britt, and Tay began to show cracks, while Ronda, Shayna, and Sonya's unity strengthened. Ronda's team emerged victorious, setting the stage for individual rivalries to intensify.

Chapter 9: Rising Tensions

WWE Clash of Champions

At Clash of Champions, individual matches between the rivals took center stage. Paige VanZant faced Sonya Deville in a grudge match, while Shayna Baszler defended her number one contender status against Tay Conti. Both matches were fiercely contested, with Paige and Shayna emerging victorious.

Chapter 10: The Final Push

WWE Survivor Series

Survivor Series featured a traditional elimination match: Team Ronda (Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, and Sonya Deville) vs. Team Paige (Paige VanZant, Britt Baker, and Tay Conti). The match saw dramatic eliminations and alliances tested to the limit. Ultimately, Ronda was the sole survivor, cementing her dominance.

Chapter 11: The Home Stretch

WWE Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble set the stage for WrestleMania. Paige VanZant won the Women's Royal Rumble match, earning her a title shot at WrestleMania. Meanwhile, tensions between Britt Baker and Tay Conti boiled over, leading to a heated rivalry.

Chapter 12: The Ultimate Showdown

WWE WrestleMania

WrestleMania featured the culmination of the year-long rivalry. The card included:
Tay Conti vs. Britt Baker: A brutal street fight that saw Britt Baker emerging victorious, ending their rivalry.
Shayna Baszler vs. Sonya Deville: A technical masterpiece, with Shayna winning and solidifying her status as a top contender.
Ronda Rousey vs. Paige VanZant: The main event was an epic showdown. Paige fought valiantly, showing her growth and determination. However, Ronda's experience and tenacity proved too much. In a thrilling finish, Ronda retained her championship, closing the book on an intense and unforgettable rivalry.
The WWE UFC Women's World Championship rivalry between Ronda Rousey, Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, Paige VanZant, Britt Baker, and Tay Conti had taken the WWE Universe on a rollercoaster of emotions, showcasing the best of what women's wrestling and mixed martial arts could offer.

Disclaimer: I'm bringing it here before any shutdown of AMH because lately, there's random stuff being posted there and a lack of control.

*Deals from 2020 onward might still be possible in some ways.
1927:

• Fox Film and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were planning to merge before being called off.

1929:

• Warner Bros Pictures, Inc. called off a merger with Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation.

1956:

• Suitors including what would become Associated Artists Pictures had been bidding for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's back catalog. MGM would eventually enter the TV market themselves.

1957:

• Associated Artists Pictures almost closed a deal to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's shorts library (including the Tom and Jerry shorts) but shut it down due to the (unspecified) price tag.

1958:

• National Telefilm Associates announced plans to buy Associated Artists Pictures, which at this point was a subject of litigation. It would be United Artists who would buy them.

1971:

• 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer considered merging.

1982:

• Orion Pictures looked at buying Embassy Pictures and Allied Artists before settling in on Filmways.
• Warner Communications tried in July to buy back the rights to Metro-Goldwyn-MayeUnited Artists' pre-1950 WB library for the first time. The negotiations fell apart because of dozens of unresolved points, probably relating to the oldest Warner Bros. films. The second time was successful 14 years later with the Turner merger.

1984:

• Reliance Insurance attempted to take over Disney.

1985:

• Turner attempted to take over the Columbia Broadcasting System for $5.4 billion.
• Viacom was looking to buy 50% of MGM/UA from Turner.

1987:

• Carolco Pictures attempted to buy Orion Pictures and Media Home Entertainment.
• NBC considered buying the Turner Broadcasting System.

1989:

• MCA offered to buy Disney.
• Bill Cosby tried to buy a stake in NBC.
• Jim Henson attempted to merge his company with The Walt Disney Company for $150 million.
• Before Time Warner, Paramount Communications, which just rose up from Gulf+Western planned to merge with Time Inc before the latter went with Warner Communications.
• Viacom itself even planned to merge with Gulf+Western, 5 years before making a full-on successful buyout.
• Viacom was even in talks with MCA Inc., the owner of Universal Studios, according to the same article.
• Ted Turner somehow tried to repurchase Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this time including the United Artists side.
  • News Corporation, which also owned 20th Century Fox, also bid for MGM/UA.
  • Qintex (which would later become Seven Media) also planned to buy MGM/UA for A$1.5 billion.

1991:

• In March, Brøderbund ended merger talks with Sierra On-Line, and given that date, it most likely started plans in the previous year.
• Turner's New Line Cinema looked into buying Orion, which the interests of Republic Pictures, Savoy Pictures, the American Broadcasting Company, and Polygram would also follow.

1992:

• MCA and Hallmark were originally the buyers for Hanna-Barbera but got outbid by Turner, which merged with Time Warner.

1993:

• In September, QVC tried a hostile $9.6 billion bid for Paramount Communications before a lawsuit came in, and lost to a $9.85 billion bid from Viacom in February.

1994:

• Bell Atlantic planned to buy Tele-Communications Inc. for $33 billion. TCI would later head for AT&T 5 years later.
• Time Warner Communications tried to buy NBC from General Electric for $2 to 2.5 billion.

1995:

• News Corporation, MCA, Time Warner Communications and Cinergi placed bids for Carolco Pictures before Le Studio Canal+ took over.
• Brøderbund bid for the original The Learning Company, before SoftKey bought them and adopted their name. They would buy Brøderbund in 1998.

1996:

• Before fatefully settling its eyes upon Sierra On-Line and Davidson & Associates (Blizzard, Animation Magic, and Knowledge Adventure), Comp-U-Card International, or more unfortunately named, CUC's Walter Forbes had considered a larger company that consisted of not just Sierra and Davidson, but also Brøderbund and LucasArts.
• After having Broadway Video's family library for dinner, Golden Books planned to buy out Nelvana.
• Microsoft nearly acquired Davidson & Associates (Blizzard) on the first try, but they lost to Comp-U-Card. In December 1997, CUC merged with HFS, and the new company was renamed Cendant, which would suffer a big accounting scandal.
• British Telecom, who owned a partial stake since 1994, bid $22 billion for MCI.
• For a year, Polygram attempted to buy out Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Samuel Goldwyn.
  • News Corporation and Morgan Creek also bid for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

1997:

• GTE, which eventually merged with Bell Atlantic to become Verizon 3 years later, bid $28 billion for MCI. Eventually, Worldcom kicked in.
• GoodTimes Interactive planned to buy MicroProse for $250 million before letting Hasbro Interactive take it in. Coincidentally, both GoodTimes AND Hasbro Interactive would be bought out by Infogrames (later Atari SA) in 1999 and 2001, respectively.
• Epic Pictures had offers to be bought by Artisan, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Disney before PolyGram succeeded to buy it. PolyGram would eventually sell it to Metro-Goldwyn-MayeOrion over a year later.

1998:

• Microsoft tried to acquire Davidson & Associates (Blizzard) for the second time from Cendant, but they were beaten by Havas, which was owned by Vivendi.
• Viacom's Paramount Pictures offered to buy French art house studio CiBy 2000 for 500 million francs, or roughly $80 million in USD. The founder's widow, however, refused, and the catalog was dispersed between TF1, MK2, and several companies. Thirty-two years later, Paramount would get almost half of an indie film studio: Miramax.

1999:

• MCI Worldcom tried to buy Sprint for $129 billion. After a 2001 scandal, Worldcom (name since 2000) was renamed to MCI Inc., which would get bought by Verizon in 2006. Sprint merged with T-Mobile US 14 years after MCI went to Verizon.
• Global Crossing offered to buy US West for $37 billion before Qwest outbid them. Coincidentally, the rest seems to have been a big wave of all coming together, as Global Crossing (after a bankruptcy in 2002) would get bought by Level 3 in 2011, which itself would be bought in 2016 by CenturyLink WHO MERGED with Qwest back in 2010.
• Artisan Entertainment and Canal+ were speculated to pick up PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.
• Two years before the release of the Xbox, Microsoft approached Nintendo about buying them. The deal was that they would make the hardware for Nintendo, but the latter's executives "laughed their asses off."
  • They also tried to buy Squaresoft, Electronic Arts, and Midway around this time.
• CanWest Global attempted to acquire NetStar (which consisted of TSN and Discovery Canada), but was vetoed by ESPN. CTV would eventually buy it.
• Francis Ford Coppola planned to buy United Artists from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

2000:

• Activision and partial owner Nintendo bid for Rareware until Microsoft bought them out 2 years later.
• Netflix offers to be bought by Blockbuster for $50 million, but they decline.
• Warner Music Group tried to buy British music label EMI for $20 billion but canceled the merger after pressure. Info here. After EMI's bankruptcy in 2011, Warner would buy Parlophone from it for $765 million, about 40% of EMI's record label.

2001:

• Sesame Workshop was put up for sale, with speculated buyers being Viacom, AOL Time Warner, The Walt Disney Company, and Classic Media.
  • The Jim Henson Company was also up for sale to The Walt Disney Company, Viacom, HIT Entertainment, AOL Time Warner, Haim Saban, and Classic Media.
• Chris-Craft (involved in the United Paramount Network) offered to be bought by Viacom for $3.1 billion until News Corp came in.
• Before NBC came in, the bidders of Telemundo were Viacom, The Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation (later absorbed into Univision), The Walt Disney Company, and AOL Time Warner.

2002:

• Viacom and USA Network were originally speculated to buy Fox Family Worldwide before it was sold by News Corp to The Walt Disney Company.

2003:

• Emtv tried to sell The Muppets to Sesame Workshop and ClassicMedia.
• Before Lionsgate took the shot, Marvel and Miramax were placing a bid to pick up Artisan.
• Viacom, Liberty Media Corp, News Corporation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Barry Diller were also bidding to buy Universal Studios and its theme parks.

2004:

• Comcast tried to buy Disney for $66 billion.
• Take-Two Interactive Software considered buying Vivendi Universal Games for $1 billion, which was below what Vivendi Universal wanted. Vivendi Games, after its parent company stripped itself of Universal Studios to make NBC Universal, would merge with Activision Publishing four years later to create Activision Blizzard, now part of Microsoft.
• In June, an unnamed financier offered $10 million for TheFacebook, the first of many attempts over the next three years.
  • Friendster also offered to buy them, according to documents seen by SAI Global.
  • A couple of Google execs visited Facebook's office to see if there was a way to work with Zuckerberg or perhaps even buy his company.
• 2 years after Kirk Kerkorian put Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer up for sale, Time Warner emerged as a bidder for the studio. The bid wasn't unexpected, as Ted Turner was the largest shareholder. After all, his Turner Entertainment Group had risen to success through its ownership of the pre-May 1986 library, which had been acquired by the bidder when they merged with Turner eight years prior.
• Casey-Werner was looking to sell itself to a large media company but would later decide against selling. The potential suitors were General Electric/Vivendi's NBC Universal and the first incarnation of Viacom, which owned CBS.
• Channel 4 considered merging with Channel 5 for nine months before calling it off. Five would later get bought by RTL Group.

2005:

• Viacom offered to buy out TheFacebook for $75 million; the deal would have Mark Zuckerburg earn $35 million "on the spot".
  • MySpace's CEO Chris DeWolfe also visited Mark and his team to buy them.
  • NBC Universal's NBC execs stopped by "for a peek" this year.
  • In the fall, Mark Zuckerberg flew to New York to meet with Viacom CEO Tom Freston. Tom would pitch all sorts of synergies to Mark between MTV and Facebook.
• Before creating an alliance consisting of Pandemic Studios and BioWare, Elevation Partners planned to buy out Eidos Interactive before SCi (no, not Sony Computer Interactive) stepped in and bought them in May. The Pandemic and BioWare alliance would get bought by Electronic Arts 2 years later, with the former studio shutting down two years later.
• Five months before Viacom purchased Dreamworks SKG, there were rumors that NBC Universal would buy the then-independent studio for $2.5 billion. Dreamworks Pictures already used Universal's film distribution and home entertainment divisions to distribute their products.

2006:

• In January, News Corporation's Ross Levinsohn wanted to buy Facebook but was worried the deal might not keep up its growth.
  • Viacom sent the company a $1.5 billion offer--$800 million in cash up front, the rest a payout later. In this case, it's said it "almost sold."
  • In June, Yahoo! offered $1 billion, only to... lower it to $850 million after announcing horrible Q2 earnings.
    • In the fall, they suggested they would pay $1 billion or more.
  • In the middle of the year, AOL's CEO Johnathan Miller wanted to buy the company, convincing Time Inc.'s CEO to come in on the deal they took to their parent company Time Warner. A detailed plan would have AOL sell MapQuest and Tegic, while Time Inc. would sell IPC. Together, they'd offer $1 billion-plus.
• At least according to the YouTuber Hook: before Google came in, the bidders for YouTube were News Corporation, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and even Viacom, the last of which, after the Google purchase, would coldly claim YouTube infringed copyright, losing in the long end, and, after a CEO change, bought VidCon.
• In November, National Transcommunications Limited (or NTL for short) approached ITV plc with a merger bid. However, it would get blocked when British Sky Broadcasting (now Sky UK) bought roughly 18% of ITV for £940 million ($117.3 million in US dollars).
  • RTL Group, who owned Channel 5 at the time, also bid at one point; the plan would have seen RTL acquiring Sky's stake in ITV plc (with the aim of further acquisitions of shares in the future) in exchange for BSkyB taking full control of Channel 5.

2007:

• Google offered to buy Facebook.
  • Microsoft also offered to buy a small stake in the platform at a $15 billion valuation, then have the option, every six months, to buy another 5 percent. The complete takeover would've been well within five to seven years. While it never happened, they did buy 1.6% of the company for about $250 million, a deal which set their value at $15 billion.

2008:

• A reverse merger deal between DHX Media and Entertainment One was considered.
• Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo! for $47.5 billion until the latter let Google display its ads on the site.
• There were later debunked rumors of Viacom buying Take-Two Interactive, around the time of the next one:
• Electronic Arts even tried to buy Take-Two Interactive until September.
• France Télécom (present-day Orange) planned to buy Swedish telco TeliaSonera for $40 billion, but both could not come to an agreement.
• Square Enix planned to buy Tecmo, but the latter insisted on a merger of equals with Koei.

2009:

• Lionsgate announced plans on February 1 to buy Summit Entertainment, but 2 days later, the plans fell through. Lionsgate would end up purchasing Summit in 2012.
• Before Comcast came in, Time Warner and News Corporation were originally interested in buying NBC Universal from General Electric and Vivendi.
• News Corporation, Time Warner, Amir Malin's Qualia Capital, and Lionsgate Entertainment were bidding for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Holdings during its bankruptcy. Time Warner already owned the pre-May 1986 MGM library, had enough cash reserves, and co-produced the Hobbit films with the studio. News Corporation's 20th Century Fox, meanwhile, was Metro Goldwyn Mayer's home entertainment distributor at the time.

2010:

• News Corporation made a plan for the takeover of British Sky Broadcasting (already owning 39.1% until then) in June for 700 pounds per share for the remaining 60.9% shares until two turning points came: the removal of regulatory approval from Vincent Cable in December, and the more infamous 2011 News of the World phone hacking incident, which caused the bid to fall to its face.
• In a part 2, two more bidders, Reliance Entertainment (about $1.8 billion) and Relativity Media (about $1.6 billion) went onboard for MGM Holdings. But by November 3rd, MGM Holdings filed bankruptcy and emerged almost a month later when the Federal Bankruptcy Court approved the reorganization plan.

2011:

• AT&T tried to buy T-Mobile US for $39 billion.
• Hulu found itself in an unsolicited offer that was said to involve Google and Yahoo!. Ultimately, none of the bidders offered an amount satisfactory to its owners.
• World Wrestling Entertainment and the UFC were in separate talks to buy G4 until UFC went into a deal with Fox and WWE built its network.
• Before Mattel chipped in, the other bidders planning to buy HiT Entertainment from Apax Partners were The Walt Disney Company, the second incarnation of Viacom, rival Hasbro, ClassicMedia (which would be bought by Dreamworks Animation, which is now a Comcast company), Chorion, and Saban Brands.

2012:

• CBS was also rumored to buy Sony Pictures from Sony.

2013:

• Facebook's Instagram attempted to buy Snapchat for $3 billion in cash due to the latter's introduction of Stories. 3 years later, Instagram made their own Stories.
• Yahoo! considered buying either Netflix or Hulu until they fatefully decided upon Tumblr for $1.1 billion.
  • DirecTV and Time Warner also bid for Hulu.
• Time Warner was stated to be one of the buyers of THQ until its bankruptcy in the same year, followed by Nordic Games buying its trademark in 2014.
  • ZeniMax Media also made a $26.3 million bid for THQ's Relic Entertainment before Sega came in.
• Dish Network considered buying Sprint for $25.5 billion.
• RTL Group's Fremantle attempted to buy out All3Media.
• Microsoft was negotiating to purchase HTC, a fact revealed by former Nokia chairman Risto Siilasmaa during an interview with the Helsingin Sanomat, or Hesari. Microsoft would later buy Nokia's mobile phone business that year.
  • On the topic of mobile phones, Lenovo planned to buy Blackberry Limited, but the Canadian government blocked the deal due to security concerns because prominent members of governments around the world have used Blackberries themselves. They would later buy Motorola Mobility from Google in January 2014 for $2.91 billion.

2014:

• 21st Century Fox offered an $80 billion bid for Time Warner, but a potential CNN spinoff was one of the reasons why it became unattractive and fell.
• Hasbro planned to buy DreamWorks Animation to form Hasbro-Dreamworks, two years before Comcast went in.
  • SoftBank was also planning to buy Dreamworks Animation for $3.4 billion.
• Comcast tried to buy Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion but faced a ton of madness to the point of abandonment.
• BT, ITV plc, Channel 4, Comcast (through NBCUniversal), Endemol, Time Warner, Viacom, Scripps Network Interactive, Saban Capital Group, and a joint bid of BSkyB and Discovery Communications were all bidders reportedly interested in acquiring Channel 5. Viacom won.

2015:

• There were some fears of Yahoo! buying Dailymotion from Orange, which were soon quelled by Vivendi's purchase of the site.
• Apple had considered buying TimeWarner.

2016:

• Before Viacom bought Telefe from Telefonica, Time Warner and the Cisneros Group were bidding for the network.
• 21st Century Fox tried a $32.5 billion bid for Sky until they were bought by Disney. Comcast eventually kicked in and bought Sky.
• Vivendi attempted a bid to buy out Ubisoft for $6.4 billion before ending the hostile takeover bid 2 years later. Today, Ubisoft is partially owned by Tencent.
• Disney somehow planned to merge with Time Warner before AT&T went into negotiations.
• Activision Blizzard's CEO Bobby Kotick somehow considered buying TimeWarner before AT&T took it.
• National Amusements sends a letter to both CBS Corporation and Viacom asking them to merge back. It's declined... for now.
• ITV plc placed a £1 billion ($1.3 billion USD) offer to buy eOne, which they rejected. Hasbro bought them for $4 billion in 2019.
• The Walt Disney Company planned to buy Twitter but decided not because there were a substantial amount of bots.
  • Microsoft, Salesforce, and Google were also said to bid for Twitter.
• Viacom tried to sell a stake of Paramount Pictures to Dalian Wanda, but it fell through, thankfully.
• Spotify was rumored to be looking into buying SoundCloud. It would be complementary as Spotify targets signed artists, and SoundCloud targets indies.

2017:

• 22 companies comprising but not limited to Viacom, Miramax, Ronald Wayne Burkle's Yucaipa, Lionsgate, A&E, Sony, and MGM all placed bids for The Weinstein Company.
• Viacom was going to take in Scripps Networks Interactive before Discovery Communications came through with a $12 billion outbid.
• Comcast, Sony, and Verizon were the other bidders for 21st Century Fox's assets. Comcast's bid persisted until July 2018, leaving it to The Walt Disney Company in March 2019.
• Tribune Media announced its sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group, but 15 months later, they were sued for a breach of contract. They would merge with future CW majority owner Nexstar Media Group for $4.1 billion.
• Hasbro attempted to buy Lionsgate.

2018:

• Viacom, CBS (both would re-merge in 2019), Verizon, Comcast, Amazon (later would buy MGM in 2022), Sony, and Hasbro again were speculated to buy Lionsgate, and there were rumors that a combined CBS-Viacom would buy out the studio, with Vice Chairman Michael Burns implying in an interview with CNBC that Lionsgate, CBS, and Viacom all merge.
• Google was eyeing Epic Games before starting their own cloud service called "Project Stream", later named Stadia, which lasted until 2023.
• Endeavor, All3Media, ITV plc, DHX Media, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, and Fremantle were all in the running for Endemol Shine Group. Banijay would merge with them two years later.

2019:

• Univision was speculated to be bought by ViacomCBS in articles like this, before Televisa (sort of) came in 2 years later, to form TelevisaUnivision.
• Before Viacom re-merged with CBS, there were rumors of the latter entity buying Starz from Lionsgate.
• Before ViacomCBS kicked in, the bidders for a 50% stake in Miramax were the second incarnation of Viacom, Lionsgate (which had the home video rights to Miramax, at least in the United States), and Spyglass Media Group, who had been the owner of The Weinstein Company's library a year ago. Spyglass was the first to exit talks, followed by Lionsgate a month later. After two months, Viacom went out of the discussion until the re-merge with CBS Corporation meant they would resume buyout talks with Miramax.
• ViacomCBS was also speculated to buy Discovery pre-announcement of the Warner Bros Discovery deal two years later.
• Continuing on with the post-merger 'nundrum, ViacomCBS was also rumored to buy Sony Pictures and even Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
• Xerox planned until 2020 to buy out Hewlett-Packard for $33.5 (later $35.0 in the second bid) billion. Hewlett-Packard indicated it would make its counteroffer for Xerox.

2020:

• Microsoft not only (and this was very publicized) tried to buy Tiktok, but almost tried to buy out Capcom, Nintendo, and even Warner Bros. Games.
• Apple and Netflix were rumored to buy Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
• Take-Two Interactive was going to buy Codemasters for $994 million and assign it under 2K, before being trumped by Electronic Arts with a billion-dollar bid.
• ViacomCBS initially planned to sell Simon and Schuster to Penguin Random House but ended up in a blockage two years later.
  • Before that announcement, News Corp (HarperCollins) and Vivendi (Editis) were said to be the other bidders for S&S.

Around this time, Lionsgate made an unsolicited offer to merge Starz with ViacomCBS' Showtime.
2021:

• Comcast had some plans to buy Activision Blizzard, at least according to Puck.
• In a better-known attempt, they considered spinning off NBCUniversal and merging it with Electronic Arts, which sadly never materialized.
• Comcast was speculated to merge with ViacomCBS after the announcement of the Warner-Discovery deal, which would only get churned down to SkyShowtime for specific regions.
• Bagdasarian Productions has been reported to have put itself up for sale for about $300 million, with Paramount Global (who has home entertainment rights and Nickelodeon aired the latest show) being the most likely bidder.
• Microsoft was interested in acquiring Zynga before it was sold to Take-Two Interactive Software.
• Microsoft was also seriously planning to buy out some of over a hundred developers and nine publishers, and also considered Sega, Square Enix, and IO Interactive in an April 2021 slideshow given out this year's ruling by the FTC on ActivBliz.
• Lionsgate was planning for as long as into the next year to buy STX.

2022:

• Fox Corporation and News Corp were going to merge, only to get called off.
• There were the marathonical rumors of Apple, Disney, and even Amazon buying out Electronic Arts.
• The Washington Post was looking to buy Wordle before The New York Times Company became the buyer.

2023:

• Playtika tried to buy Rovio for $813 million before Sega Sammy took the helm.
• Comcast was speculated to buy out World Wrestling Entertainment before Endeavor Group came in.
  • They were also rumored to buy the remaining 67% of Hulu from The Walt Disney Company, until it became the other way around.
• Legendary, Fremantle, and GoDigital Media Group were bidding to buy Entertainment One from Hasbro until Lionsgate won the bidding.
• In the finale of the Simon and Schuster sale, the other bidder besides Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts was News Corp's HarperCollins.
• Paramount Global planned to sell BET to people including Byron Allen, Shaquille O'Neal, and 50 Cent, until deciding that the networks were a core asset.

WWE Revolution: The Beginning

Setting the Stage:
The wrestling world was rocked by the news that IWGP Women's World Champion, Mayu Iwatani, had to relinquish her title due to injury. Mayu had held the championship for two years, becoming a legend in the process. With the title now vacant, WWE announced a tournament to determine the new champion, inviting top talents from both WWE and AEW.
PPV Match:

• Asuka vs. Mia Yim vs. Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Moné - The opening match of WWE Revolution was a fierce battle among four of the best women in wrestling. The match was an elimination-style bout, with each competitor showcasing their unique strengths. Asuka eliminated Kris Statlander with a vicious Asuka Lock, while Mia Yim took out Mercedes Moné with her Protect Ya Neck finisher. In the end, Asuka emerged victorious by pinning Mia Yim after a brutal spinning backfist and a devastating Asuka Lock.

Result: Asuka wins the vacant IWGP Women's World Championship.

Elimination Chamber: Rising Tensions

Setting the Stage:
After her victory, Asuka's celebration was short-lived as Mercedes Moné and Kris Statlander both demanded rematches. Mia Yim, feeling she was cheated, also wanted another shot. WWE officials announced that the next PPV, Elimination Chamber, would host a six-woman chamber match for the title.
PPV Match:

• Elimination Chamber Match: Asuka (c) vs. Mia Yim vs. Mercedes Moné vs. Kris Statlander vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley - The chamber match was an all-out war. Alliances were formed and broken. Asuka and Mia Yim had a brutal exchange, while Mercedes Moné and Kris Statlander showed why they were top contenders. In the final moments, Asuka and Mercedes Moné were the last two standing. Moné, driven by her desire to win, managed to pin Asuka with her patented Mone Maker.

Result: Mercedes Moné wins the IWGP Women's World Championship.

Fastlane: Retribution

Setting the Stage:
Asuka, furious over her loss, demanded a one-on-one rematch with Mercedes Moné. Meanwhile, Mia Yim and Kris Statlander continued their rivalry, each blaming the other for their losses.
PPV Matches:

• Asuka vs. Mercedes Moné (c) - The match was a technical masterpiece. Both women pushed each other to the limit. Asuka seemed to have the upper hand, but Mercedes Moné used her cunning to retain the title with a roll-up and a handful of tights.
• Mia Yim vs. Kris Statlander - This grudge match saw Mia Yim picking up the victory after a hard-fought battle, finally hitting Protect Ya Neck for the win.

Result: Mercedes Moné retains the IWGP Women's World Championship.

WrestleMania Backlash: The Plot Thickens

Setting the Stage:
The rivalry intensified as Mia Yim and Kris Statlander both demanded to be part of the title picture. WWE officials announced a fatal four-way match for the IWGP Women's World Championship.
PPV Match:

• Fatal Four-Way Match: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Asuka vs. Mia Yim vs. Kris Statlander - The match was chaotic, with each woman having her moments of dominance. In the end, Mercedes Moné managed to retain her title by pinning Kris Statlander after a vicious Moné Maker.

Result: Mercedes Moné retains the IWGP Women's World Championship.

Money in the Bank: The Wild Card

Setting the Stage:
With Mercedes Moné successfully defending her title, WWE announced the Money in the Bank ladder match, featuring Asuka, Mia Yim, Kris Statlander, and other top stars. The winner would get a guaranteed title shot at any time.
PPV Match:

• Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Asuka vs. Mia Yim vs. Kris Statlander vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks - The match was a spectacle, with each competitor coming close to grabbing the briefcase. In a surprising twist, Mia Yim climbed the ladder and secured the briefcase, earning a future title shot.

Result: Mia Yim wins the Money in the Bank contract.

SummerSlam: The Showdown

Setting the Stage:
With Mia Yim holding the Money in the Bank contract, tensions were at an all-time high. Asuka and Kris Statlander continued their rivalry, while Mercedes Moné prepared for her toughest challenge yet.
PPV Match:

• Asuka vs. Kris Statlander - This match determined the number one contender. After a grueling battle, Asuka emerged victorious with a brutal Asuka Lock.
• Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Asuka - The title match was intense. Just when Mercedes Moné thought she had the upper hand, Mia Yim cashed in her Money in the Bank contract, turning the match into a triple threat.

Result: Mia Yim pins Mercedes Moné to win the IWGP Women's World Championship.

Clash of Champions: Rising Stakes

Setting the Stage:
With Mia Yim as the new champion, Asuka and Mercedes Moné both demanded rematches. Kris Statlander, feeling overlooked, also wanted a shot. WWE announced a triple threat match for the title.
PPV Match:

• Triple Threat Match: Mia Yim (c) vs. Asuka vs. Mercedes Moné - The match was a showcase of athleticism and strategy. In the end, Mia Yim retained her title by pinning Asuka after a Protect Ya Neck.

Result: Mia Yim retains the IWGP Women's World Championship.

Survivor Series: Team Warfare

Setting the Stage:
The rivalry culminated in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match, pitting Team Asuka against Team Mia Yim.
PPV Match:

• Team Asuka (Asuka, Kris Statlander, Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley) vs. Team Mia Yim (Mia Yim, Mercedes Moné, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks) - The match was a thrilling spectacle. In the end, Asuka and Kris Statlander were the survivors, with Asuka pinning Mia Yim to secure the victory for her team.

Result: Team Asuka wins.

Royal Rumble: The Road to WrestleMania

Setting the Stage:
With WrestleMania approaching, the Royal Rumble match would determine the number one contender for the IWGP Women's World Championship.
PPV Match:

• Royal Rumble Match - Kris Statlander emerged as the surprise winner, earning a title shot at WrestleMania.
• Mia Yim (c) vs. Asuka - In a rematch, Mia Yim retained her title against Asuka with a roll-up victory, using the ropes for leverage.

Result: Kris Statlander wins the Royal Rumble. Mia Yim retains the IWGP Women's World Championship.

Elimination Chamber: Final Stop

Setting the Stage:
Before WrestleMania, Mia Yim defended her title in an Elimination Chamber match against Asuka, Mercedes Moné, Kris Statlander, Becky Lynch, and Rhea Ripley.
PPV Match:

• Elimination Chamber Match: Mia Yim (c) vs. Asuka vs. Mercedes Moné vs. Kris Statlander vs. Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley - The chamber match was brutal and intense. In the end, Kris Statlander eliminated Mercedes Moné, while Mia Yim pinned Asuka to retain her title.

Result: Mia Yim retains the IWGP Women's World Championship.

WrestleMania: The Grand Finale

Setting the Stage:
The grandest stage of them all was set for the ultimate showdown. Kris Statlander, the Royal Rumble winner, challenged Mia Yim for the IWGP Women's World Championship. Asuka and Mercedes Moné were added to the match, making it a fatal four-way.
PPV Match:

• Fatal Four-Way Match: Mia Yim (c) vs. Asuka vs. Mercedes Moné vs. Kris Statlander - The match was an epic battle, with each competitor giving their all. In the climax, Kris Statlander hit the Big Bang Theory on Mia Yim, pinning her for the victory.

Result: Kris Statlander wins the IWGP Women's World Championship, ending the intense rivalry with a triumphant moment at WrestleMania.

Edge is one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. A 10 time World champion, former Intercontinental, US and Tag Team Champion and King of the Ring winner. Edge has had an incredible career with so many accomplishments and he continues to wrestle to this day after wrestling for 30 years. As good as he is, there was a point in his carrera that it was all taken away from him, in the year of 2011, Edge was the World Heavyweight Champion and has just came off a successful title defense against Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 27. A rematch was on the horizon but a spear to Brodus Clay resulted in a nasty landing to the neck and thus he was forced to retire. Although Edge had already suffered from multiple injuries dating back to his neck injury in 2002-03, 2011 was the most heartbreaking because we all thought that was it, his career was over without proper closure. But what if that wasn't the case? What if Edge didn't have that injury in 2011? What if Edge wrestled all of the 2010s? Let's take a look at what Edge's career would've looked like in this What If.
SmackDown after WrestleMania 27- Like in real life, Alberto Del Rio wants his rematch against Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. Edge appears with Del Rio's destroyed car and says that someone else is worthy of a title match such as Christian who drove the truck. Teddy Long would make a #1 contender's match between Alberto and Christian with the winner facing Edge at Extreme Rules. Like in real life, Del Río wins and Edge spears Brodus Clay without any incidents afterwards, the match is later made to a Ladder match. As the draft approaches, Del Rio makes it clear that wether he goes to Raw or stays on Smackdown, there's no stoping his destiny to be World Champion. Del Rio goes to Raw while Edge stays on Smackdown. The stakes are higher since Edge is defending the World Heavyweight Championship not just for him but for all of Smackdown.
Extreme Rules 2011- World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match: Edge def. Alberto del Rio
After Extreme Rules, Edge cuts a promo saying that he's happy to keep the World Title on Smackdown and since there's some new faces to the blue brand, he's ready for the new challenges. Christian asks Edge about giving him a World Title match like he promised but out comes Randy Orton who wants a match for the World Title but also out come Mark Henry and The Great Khali who all want a title match. Teddy Long makes a Fatal 4 Way #1 Contenders match for Over The Limit. In the end, Randy Orton wins and will face Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship as Christian starts to get more and more frustrated that he's not getting his title match as he starts to fade into the shadows.
Over the Limit 2011- World Heavyweight Championship: Edge def. Randy Orton
After Over the Limit, Sheamus wins a title opportunity against Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship on Smackdown with Christian as the Special Guest Referee. Edge defeats Sheamus but after the match, Christian hits Edge with the belt and has officially turned heel. Christian explains his actions by saying that Edge was always given the opportunities while he had to stay low on the card and that Edge also never gave him his World Title Match. It's a story about jealousy and envy and Edge gives Christian what he wants at Capitol Punishment.
Capitol Punishment 2011- World Heavyweight Championship: Edge def. Christian
Like in real life, Christian's foot was under the bottom rope and complains to GM Teddy Long who makes another match for Money in the Bank where if Christian gets Disqualified or any other case of bad officiating occurs, Christian becomes the World Heavyweight Champion. In order to find ways to get that belt no matter what, Christian does whatever he can to get under Edge's skin and even makes things personal with him.
Money in the Bank 2011- World Heavyweight Championship: Christian def. Edge via DQ
Because of the DQ Finish, Christian is the new World Champion and Edge feels dissapointed. He's dissapointed at himself for losing, he's dissapointed that he let the fans down but he's dissapointed for ever trusting and befriending a low life scum like Christian. Edge wants his rematch but Christian says that it's over between the two of them and that there's nothing else for Christian to proof however WWE's COO Triple H wants to make the best decision for the fans so he makes Edge vs Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship one last time in a TLC Match at SummerSlam to end this feud once and for all.
SummerSlam 2011- World Heavyweight Championship TLC Match: Edge def. Christian
Edge has regained his World Title and his feud with Christian is over but a new challenge approaches and it's Edge's toughest challenge yet as Mark Henry looks to induct Edge into the Hall of Pain at Night of Champions.
Night of Champions 2011- World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry def. Edge
Mark Henry has become the World Champion and Edge isn't looking to be inducted into the Hall of Pain and let another short lived title run slide so at Hell in a Cell, the 2 will battle inside the Cell for the World Title.
Hell in a Cell 2011- World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell: Mark Henry def. Edge
After the events of Hell in a Cell, Edge enters a feud with Wade Barrett leading into Vengeance after Wade says that Edge doesn't have it in him anymore.
Vengeance 2011- Edge def. Wade Barrett
The war between Edge and Barrett isn't over as the 2 will have their own teams at Survivor Series against each other.
Survivor Series 2011- 5v5 Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match: Team Barrett (Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Christian, Jack Swagger and Hunico) def. Team Edge (Edge, Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne and Sin Cara)
Edge still wants to proove himself to Wade Barrett and challenges him to a Tables Match at TLC to blowoff the feud.
TLC 2011- Tables Match: Edge def. Wade Barrett
Heading into 2012, Edge makes his intentions clear to win back the World Heavyweight Championship and thus he enters the 2012 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble 2012- 30 Man Royal Rumble Match: Sheamus wins by last eliminating Chris Jericho
Edge doesn't win the Rumble but does manage to enter the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match.
Elimination Chamber 2012- World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match: Daniel Bryan def. Edge, Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett and Santino Marella
Edge gets desperate that he starts to get involved in the World Title picture for WrestleMania that he even beats Sheamus on an episode of Smackdown to make it a Triple Threat Elimination Match at WrestleMania and Yes DB gets eliminated in 18 seconds.
WrestleMania 28- World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat Elimination Match: Sheamus def. Edge and Daniel Bryan
Stay tuned for Part 2!

Per Google Translate
Mina Shirakawa of the women's professional wrestling "Stardom" showed interest in the U.S. AEW World Women's Championship held by Toni Storm.
Since I joined AEW's ROH in March this year, I often went to the United States and won against Ana Jay in "DYNAMITE" in April. Shirakawa said, "AEW has only one women's game. There must be some people who think it's not interesting that I'm not a member, so I feel a lot of pressure every time." While the battle continues, she appeared on "DYNAMITE" (Canada) the other day to rescue her tag partner Mariah May. I study English every day while doing a forced schedule, and I don't neglect my daily efforts. " In the past few months, I've had a lot of hair on my heart, and my body and mind have become stronger, and I'm growing the most in my life."
Shirakawa was aiming to play against Mercedes Monet at the beginning of her participation in the AEW, but recently she is said to be interested in the AEW World Women's Championship. Toni, the same champion who appeared at the Stardom U.S. Philadelphia tournament in April, had a fierce argument over Mariah and a connection broke out. After that, we have often been in conflict. " When Toni pressed her belt against her face at the Philadelphia tournament, she said, "You have something interesting. I'll take the belt with Mariah, too?' That's what I thought..." she grinned.
When I was walking in Shibuya while saying that I also experienced the U.S. mat and my horizons expanded, I encountered the statue of Hachiko in front of the station. As soon as I saw foreign tourists in a long line, I said, "I'll become more famous than Hachiko!" I was burning my rivalry and taking pictures.

Sonora and Jellyfish sprinted to the restaurant to find out why Steelblade was roaring. They saw Cypress and Strider land right in the outside cafeteria and sprint inside. They ran into Meerkat and Steelblade’s room behind the seawing and mudwing to see Steelblade gripping his head.
“FUCK OFF TALON!” He snarled. But his voice was, off. Steelblade’s voice was an amalgam of his and Steeltalon’s voices. Oh no. Sonora thought with dread.
“Blade?” Meerkat whispered with anguish. Cypress looked at her and grabbed her forearm. Meerkat fought back to try and get to her husband.
“It’s too dangerous.” Cypress told her.
“He needs me!” Meerkat cried as she struggled against the mudwing. Cypress continued to pull the struggling sandwing back.
“Quit fighting nephew.” The amalgam said. “You know you won’t win.”
“Never!” It snarled at itself. He’s fighting Talon in his body. Sonora thought with dread. She had no idea what to do.
“Any ideas?” She asked, looking at everyone else.
“Nothing on my end.” Strider responded. After he finished talking, Cavemaker and Canary appeared in the room.
“Great.” Cavemaker said as he spotted Steelblade fighting with himself. “Talon’s back isn’t he?”
“And he’s trying to fully take over.” Aster growled.
“Is there anything we can do?” Canary asked. Cypress shook her head.
“This is entirely up to Blade.” She replied as they watched Steelblade fight himself.
“I will not let you hurt my family!” Steelblade’s side of the amalgam snarled.
“Oh I won’t be hurting them.” The other side growled back. “You will.” It snarled before Steelblade’s body fell to the ground with his eyes trying to stay open. He looked at them with desperation, his eyes slowly clouding over.
“Get. Away. From. Me.” He said slowly, trying to get up. But he was unsuccessful and fell to the ground silent. Everyone watched in silence and suspense. Meerkat walked in quietly and looked at her husband with despair. Come on dad. Sonora thought. You can do this. Boron and aicesurge had returned while everyone was waiting. It was several minutes before Steelblade’s limbs started twitching.
“Blade?” Meerkat whispered, desperate sadness in her voice. Steelblade stood up and stretched his neck and shook out his joints before his eyes shot open. No… Sonora thought as she looked at the eye color. They were gray, both of them. Steeltalon looked at them with a devious smile.
“Good to see you all again.” He said smugly. His eyes laid on Canary and Icesurge. “And some new friends.” He said with satisfaction. “I’ll be able to make you all feel pain now.” He growled. Sonora could see her mother crumple to the ground, tears forming around her eyes. Steeltalon looked at her, satisfaction in his eyes. “Looks like you’re already broken. You won’t be getting him back.” He snarled. “Hope you had a good time with him during his final hours.”
“Those weren’t his final hours.” Steelstorm snarled. “Dad will return to us and you’ll return to the grave.” Steeltalon looked at Sonora’s little brother.
“Your father isn’t coming back.” He growled. “Well. Not until I kill all of you. Then I’ll return his body to him.”
“We’ll find a way to stop you before you even get 1 of us.” Icesurge snarled.
“So confident.” Steeltalon said smugly. “He won’t ever come back. He’s forced to wander the continent as a spirit until I force him back in his body.” He growled at the icewing.
“You were confident like this once before Talon.” Cavemaker snarled. “We beat you then.”
“My nephew beat me.” Steeltalon corrected the nightwing. “You rest of ya didn’t do anything.” He poked Cavemaker in the nose before continuing. “But he’s out of the picture, I have free reign on torturing you all.” He said before cackling maniacally.
“You think you’ll win?” Strider challenged. “We’ve grown stronger, new abilities, new friends and family. And most importantly, more reasons to kick your ass.” Steeltalon looked at Strider with boredom.
“Please seawing.” The steelwing said. “Don’t bore me with your performance. A half blind hivewing took out 8 of the dragons you cared about. What makes you think you can beat a steelwing when you’re holding back your strength for the chance he returns?” Steeltalon taunted. Strider chuckled.
“You just confirmed you didn’t permanently cast out boss.” Strider challenged. Sonora could see a surprised panic look flash in his eyes.
“O-of course I did.” Steeltalon stammered. “Why would I take over his body if I couldn’t guarantee his banishment?”
“Because you were getting impatient.” Cypress replied with a snarl. “You took over too early. And for that, we’ll find out how to beat you.” She walked forward until she could breath on the steelwing. “We will get Blade back. Mark. My. Words.” Steeltalon’s face went from smug to anger. He shoulder checked Cypress away and shot blue fire at Sonora and her brothers. Before the fire hit them, Icesurge got in front of the fire with as much ice armor as he could form to block the fire. Cavemaker jumped on the steelwing and tried to wrestle him to the ground but Steeltalon threw him off and spit venom from his fangs, hitting Cavemaker’s grown armor from a new ability on his back leg.
“Fuck.” He said as he tried to limp back towards Steeltalon. Strider slammed himself into the possessed steelwing and stomped on his tails. Steeltalon threw him off and slashed his side with his talons, causing a deep wound.
“Who’s next?” He challenged as Cavemaker and Strider stood still, recovering. He looked at Meerkat with hatred. “Now as for you.” He said before lunging with the 3 tails Steelblade’s body has. Cypress blocked all of them with one arm. “A sacrifice eh?” Steeltalon said as he threw Cypress off of his tails. “Close enough I guess.” He said before slashing Meerkat on the neck and sprinting out the door and taking flight. Sonora immediately ran to Cavemaker to inspect the venom wounds. He had retracted his armor, but the venom was still on his leg.
“Any ideas?” He joked with pain in his voice.
“Let me.” Cypress appeared next to Sonora with an old armor plate she assumed was made by her father.
“You need to get that cure.” Sonora countered. She knew Cypress wanted her to spit her venom to cancel out Steelblade’s but she was dying of his tail venom.
“Jellyfish is getting it.” Cypress replied. Sonora nodded and spit some venom into the plate. Cypress turned to Cavemaker and carefully applied her venom to where Steelblade’s hit.
“Got the cactus.” Sonora turned to see Jellyfish had returned with a good amount of cactus, a worried expression on her face.
“Thanks.” Cypress said as she took one and tried to apply it to her arm.
“Let us help.” Sonora said as she grabbed a cactus. “The sooner we cure this, the sooner you can continue your work.” Cypress nodded and the 3 of them slowly squeezed cactus juice on her arm. After Cypress was treated she nodded to the dragonets and walked over to inspect Strider’s wound. Sonora carefully walked over to her wounded mother who was laying on the ground with her talons over her head. She had a bandage around her neck to stop the bleeding. “Mom?” Sonora said softly when she approached the injured sandwing. Meerkat looked up at her, despair in her eyes. Sonora could see that tears had been running down her face the entire time.
“What am I to do?” She sobbed.
“Fight back?” Somora suggested.
“How am I supposed to fight my husband?” She snarled. “He is the dragon I love. How can I possibly fight the father of my dragonets?” Sonora flinched at her mother’s tone change. Meerkat stared Sonora in the eyes before getting up and walking to the backyard with Sonora staring in disbelief.
“Wow. She must be really stressed.” Strider said as he limped over. “Never seen her snap like that. At her own dragonet no less.” Jellyfish walked over and put her wing over Sonora. “She has so much fight in her, just doesn’t know where to direct it.” Strider added on before Cypress came to bug him about moving with his wound.
“Let’s make sure everyone is ok and healing.” Jellyfish said softly. Sonora leaned into the seawing. “Then we can go check on your mother.”

I came to, disoriented, to what I assumed was the annoying sound of a heart monitor beeping, and the overwhelming smell of bleach cleaner.
“Beeping!”, I thought, “I’m still alive!”
“Donna! Donna!”, I mumbled groggily, half in and half out of consciousness.
“There you are! Hi! Did you have a good nap!” I heard a soft female voice say.
“FUCK! That’s the same thing Stacy said, after I woke up in that fucking basement! Oh no! I was wrong! That’s my timer going off, I’m in Hell, and will forever be tortured by Stacy.”, I thought.
I then began violently thrashing around, trying to get away from her.
Suddenly, I felt a hand push down hard on both of my shoulders, pinning me down to where I was.
“Stop! You’re going to pull out your IV! You don’t want to do that! Open your eyes!”, the soft female voice said harshly.
It sounded vaguely familiar to me.
I blinked my eyes open a couple times, to regain my bearings and saw that unforgettable face… not Stacy’s, Thank God! But Rebecca’s.
She was leaning over me, wearing her “Naughty” nurses outfit once again, her stethoscope hanging around her neck, and her cleavage practically in my face, unintentionally I’m sure.
I turned my head away.
“Donna!”, I mumbled, a little clearer this time.
“Don’t worry! She is doing fine.”, Rebecca said, releasing my shoulders and standing back up, “Just a few minor cuts and scrapes. My bestie is tough like that. She’s in a room down the hall. I’ll tell her you’re awake!”, she said, “Do you feel any pain?”
“Not really. My head hurts though, and my backs a little sore!”, I answered.
“That’s normal, after a traumatic automobile accident! I think that’s what you humans call it! she said, “The pain will go away in time!, and if it doesn’t, we always have these!”
She then reached in the pocket of her shirt, and produced two small white pills.
“What are those?”, I asked.
“The wave of the future… 15 milligram Oxycodone! Guaranteed to take all the pain away, and then some.”, she answered.
“I - I don’t know about that! I’m not a big pill person. I’ll just stick to Tylenol, Thanks!”, I answered.
“Okay!”, she said, shrugging her shoulders, putting them back in her pocket.
“What about Tony, Edgar, The Old Man, and the rest of the band, are they ok?”, I asked.
I knew Bob was the Devil, and figured he wasn’t injured because of that. It turns out that I was right.
“Tony walked away without even a scratch. He’s sitting in the waiting room right now. I’ll go get him for you. Edgar and the old man are both demons, and I am a succubus, so we all were uninjured.
It scared Edgar so much that he pooped himself again.
Daddy sent them back home, so Edgar could get changed, and so the old man could check on the construction of his new structure, while he stayed here to clean up the mess. You’ll have to speak to your doctor about the others, I am not privy to that information. All I know is that they are not on this floor. I’ll let him know you’re awake. See ya soon, Bye!”, she said smiling, turned around, then did that “infamous” Rebecca bouncy strut through the door, her tail swaying back and forth behind her as she did.
“Am I in a hospital, or a hospital in Hell?”, I thought.
I just laid there, trying to take in my surroundings.
I was in a hospital room, nothing fancy, just a normal hospital room.
I turned my head to the left to look out the window.
From out of the window, I could see an overcast of gray clouds, like it was getting ready to downpour at any second.
“Okay! I’m not in Hell! Hell doesn’t have gray clouds, red clouds maybe, but not gray clouds”, I said to myself, “That’s good!”
I glanced over to my right bicep, and saw that my counter was now showing 265.
Just then, I heard Tony say excitedly, “Mike! You’re alive! Oh, Goody, Goody, Goody!”, in his adult child voice.
I raised my head, and turned to see him running towards me, arms wide open.
I braced for impact.
He hit the bed hard, grabbed a hold of me, and began hugging me tightly.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”, he said.
I didn’t realize he was that strong.
“Tone… Tony! Oh! Aw! Hey! Tone… Ah! Dude! Ow! Stop!”, I yelled.
“Oh! Oh! I’m sorry, Mike! I’m just glad you’re okay!”, he said apologetically.
“It’s okay, Man!”, I said, sitting up, “But please don’t do that again!”
“Okay!”, he replied, “Do you want a cup of coffee? I’ll go get you a cup of coffee!”, he asked excitedly.
“Yeah! I could really use one! But don’t put any of that crazy stuff that you put in it the last time you got me coffee!”, I said laughing.
“I won’t, Mike! I promise.”, he replied, shaking his head vigorously.
“I was just kidding, Man! Thanks!”, I stated.
“I know! You’re welcome! See you when I get back!”, he said, “Oh! Hey, Donna!”
Donna then walked into my room, dragging behind her a rolling IV stand, hooked up to her arm, with a piece of gauze taped to her right arm, her left leg,and her forehead.
She was wearing one of those “sexy” hospital gowns that they give you to wear.
I’m just kidding about the sexy part. Those things are more of a pain in the ass, then someone jackhammering while you’re trying to sleep.
Even in the most unattractive outfit in the world, and covered in gauze, she was still a sight for sore eyes.
“Hi, Beautiful!”, I said.
“Hey, Babe! How are you feeling?”, she asked, walking over and giving me a kiss.
“I believe that is a question for me to ask!”, a deep male voice boomed from the doorway.
I looked past Donna to see… Guess who?
That’s right! Bob!, standing there, with a white Doctors Coat covering his all red 3 piece suit.
“Ta-da!”, he said, “Doctor Belz, at your service… Young lady! You should be in bed… Doctors orders. Now, Get!”, and waved his hand like a King dismissing a peasant, with an “I’m just playing around” look on his face.
Donna bent down, gave me another kiss, then started to walk out of the room.
“Bye, Mummy Man!”, she said, turning back and smiling.
I just looked at her funny.
She then pointed to her head.
I raised my hands to my own head, and to my surprise, felt a massive amount of gauze and tape, covering my head like a wool cap.
“What the hell!”, I said.
“You’re CAT scan shows you suffered a mild concussion in the crash, Mr. Hard-Sell, and you also suffered a nasty little gash on the back of your skull, most likely causing the concussion. I had to stitch you up, and the only way to protect the wound is to wrap your head in gauze.”, Bob said.
I laughed.
“Who did you steal that jacket from, Bob?”, I asked, still laughing. “You’re not a doctor!”
“I am many things, my dear boy, a lawyer, a police consultant, a Firefighter. I know, ironic isn’t it? a school bus driver, a music mogul, and yes, even a Doctor, among many other things.
And before you ask, yes, Rebecca is actually a nurse. She went to school and everything.
“Yeah, Right!”, I replied, “My name’s not Ricky. I’m not that gullible, Bob!”
“Oh, you don’t believe me?”, Bob asked.
“No!”, I answered, still laughing.
It really hurt to laugh though.
Anyway, “Well, Mr. Hard-Sell, let me explain it to you. Now, you know how you can get anything you want just by saying that you want it, like “I want a cup of coffee!”, or better yet, “I want to be a Rock Star!” And yes, I heard you say both of those, when i was roaming around town looking for the perfect band.
Well, the same works for me.
We have already established that I can get anything I want by snapping my fingers.
I think about what I would like to be, or to have, or to have happen, snap my fingers, and I become it, I get it, or it happens. I’ve already proven that.”, he said, “I needed to be your doctor, and needed Rebecca to be your nurse, and Donna’s too of course, that way I could watch over you. As I did not factor in this unforeseen accident when I was calculating my plan.
I snapped my fingers, and here I am… Dr. Belz.
Rebecca gladly accepted the role of your nurse, as she likes sticking needles into people.
“Oh! Ok!”, I said, feeling kind of stupid.
“Now, How are you feeling?”, he asked.
“Like a MAC truck hit me!”, I answered.
“It was actually a sanitation truck, but I get the idea.”, he said.
“Rebecca told me about Tony, Edgar, Donna, and the old man, But are the rest of the guys okay?”, I asked.
“I’m Sorry, Mr. Hard-Sell. They’re dead!”, Bob said bluntly.
“But I thought they couldn’t die!”, I replied, freaking out.
“They can’t! They’re already dead. See, you are that gullible!”, Bob said laughing, “They’re fine! Minor injuries, all of them. You are the only one with a major injury.
I snapped my fingers, and sent them all home. I could not allow them to go to the hospital, like you and Donna, given the fact that they are dead, and would not have any vital signs, but still be alive. You can just imagine the questions that would arise from that, Right?”, Bob asked.
“Yeah! That would not be good, Bob!”, I answered.
“Hey, Mike! I got your coffee!”, Tony announced, walking through the door, “Oh! Hi! Dr. Devil Guy! Am I interrupting? Should I come back?”, Tony asked.
“No! No! Big Man! I was just leaving.”, Bob said, “You know, you really ought to thank Tony here, Mr. Hard-Sell, he saved your life!”
“Really?”, I asked.
“Oh! Yes!”, Bob began, “When the truck hit us, and the accident occurred. The rest of the band, thought of themselves, and rushed to climb out of the sunroof, or through the doors, to save there own skin.
I tended to Rebecca and Edgar, while Donna tended to you, saw that you were unconscious, and tried to wake you up.
Suddenly, the limo’s engine erupted into flames.
Donna tried to carry you out, but she couldn’t, with her leg injury.
I hurried Rebecca and Edgar out of the door, right before I did, I snapped my fingers, and became your doctor, and asked Rebecca to be your nurse.
While I was doing so, Tony leaped up, grabbed you with one arm, and scooped you up like a feather.
Donna then exited the limo through the door, and so did Tony, carrying you.
The truck driver, who also was uninjured, was just about to attempt to put out the fire with the contents of the truck, but I stopped him. He meant well, but that would have definitely made matters worse.
Although urine does contain water, it also contains other substances that would have spread the fire even more.
The fire quickly spread to the back of the limo, mere seconds after Tony exited, and we all ran to safety, as well as the truck driver, and the people in the other vehicles.
Luckily, there was a Fire Truck, returning from a Fire Awareness function at a local elementary school.
I talked to the driver afterwards, that’s how I know.
Anyway, they were 3 cars back from the Sanitation Truck.
They rushed to the scene, and put out the fire, in a matter of minutes.
One of the other vehicles occupants called an ambulance for you and Donna. He was rich, and had something he called a “car phone” in his BMW.
Apparently, it’s the next big thing, as he put it.
I don’t see it happenIng. I mean, phones in cars! Preposterous! You humans are always thinking up ridiculous ideas that never pan out.
Good luck with that.”
I bet he’s eating his words right now, huh?
Now, I know what your thinking, “the limo had a phone that Ricky used to call his Pops, when you first met Bob. What’s the difference?
Well, the difference is that Bob is the Devil. That phone is not a real phone, it is a way of communication between the driver, and the riders.
Bob just used his power, to let it be used as a phone.
Anyway, Bob then continued, “The ambulances arrived, and so did the police.
One of the female EMT’s recognized you from your first album cover. Apparently, she’s a big fan.
One of the Police Officers, asked who was driving the limo. I told him that it was a rental, and that the driver ran off after the accident.
The truck driver backed up my story, after we made a deal.
I make all the empty beer cans in his truck disappear, and he goes along with my story.
The ambulance loaded you up, and brought you here.
The other ambulance loaded up Donna and brought her here as well.
I went with you, and Rebecca went with Donna.
Tony walked over 12 miles to get here, his choice, as he said he wanted to lose weight, and gain muscle.
I told the EMT’s that I was the personal physician for the both of you, and Rebecca was the personal nurse for the both of you as well!”
“Where’s here, Bob?”, I asked.
“Chestertown Memorial Hospital, my dear boy!”, Bob answered.
“We’re back home!”, I asked.
“Yes! I paid all four of the EMT’s very handsomely to bring you here, instead of where they were going to bring you!”,Bob answered.
“OK, Bob! I can somewhat believe your story. But how do you explain Rebecca‘s tail. Normal human women do not have tails, Bob! Wouldn’t that raise a lot of questions too? How did you pull that one off?”, I asked.
“Ah! That is where you’re Rock Star status comes into play! When Rebecca arrived on this floor, to perform her nursing duties, with her tail swaying behind her, it raised many eyebrows, and brought forth many questions.
She simply told her fellow nurses that it was a clip-on tail that she was wearing, that you, being a rich and famous Rock Star, had this weird fetish about girls with tails, and that it was a job requirement that she wear one.
You should see it, Mr. Hard-Sell! All the nurses are wearing clip-on tails. Fox tails! Cat tails! Fuzzy Bunny tails! It’s hilarious! One of the male nurses is even wearing pig tails on his head.”, Bob answered.
“Now I really must be going, if there are no more questions, Mr. Hard-Sell, I will leave you here to visit with your friend!”, he said.
“No! I’m good, Bob“, I replied.
“Very well, then I bid you all ado!”, he said, turning around, and walking out of the room.
Tony then handed me my coffee.
“Thanks for saving my life, Man!”, I said to Tony.
“You’re my Best Friend, Mike! That’s what Best Friends do! You’d do the same for me, Right?”, he asked.
“Absolutely!”, I replied.
Tony smiled, as I took a drink of my coffee.
After holding it for so long, while Bob and I conversed, it had gotten cold. But cold coffee is better than no coffee, Right?
Anyway, Donna then returned, and sat on the bed with me.
We all talked, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company.
In the days that followed, Donna was released from the Hospital, and returned home to take care of our cat.
Yes, we did get a cat. We named him Axel, after Eddie Murphy’s character in Donna’s favorite movie Beverly Hills Cop. He passed years later, and we never got another one.
Anyway, I remained in the hospital for about a week.
During that time, Donna and Tony came to visit me on occasion
Rebecca came in periodically, to check my vital signs, fluff my pillow, give me some Tylenol, and make sure I was ok.
A nice older cafeteria worker, brought me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All with a large cup of coffee, instead of that little 6 ounce cup, that they regularly give you, in exchange for allowing her granddaughter to come and meet me. She was a really nice girl. I signed everything she brought with her, and took pictures with her as well.
I must say, that day… was a good day.
The food was surprisingly good.
Bob stopped by a few times, to say Hi and see how I was feeling.
A couple of the other nurses came in, and asked if I liked their tails, but Rebecca made them leave, and told them to stop bothering me.
The male nurse came in once, and asked if I would give him Corey’s phone number, as he was a fan of the band as well.
I told him Corey didn’t have a phone, and he left.
The rest of the band came to visit me once, all at the same time.
They apologized for leaving me there, saying that they were scared, and not thinking straight, which I somewhat understood.
Derek and Corey had cut their hair. They looked like suit monkeys in metal gear. I almost laughed.
They informed me, that since we were no longer under contract with Bob, that they were selling the house to him, moving to Washington DC, and that they were going to put all their money together, start a campaign to legalize marijuana, were leaving on a red eye flight that night, and probably wouldn’t return.
I was sad that they had to leave, but I knew we would always be friends, no matter what.
I guess they finally succeeded, as marijuana is now legal here in most States, but only for personal consumption that is.
Good Job, Guys! Rock and Roll!
Stephen said he found out the truth about his parents, after he bought them a 3 day Carnival cruise, and all his mom did was bitch about how the ship wasn’t big enough, or luxurious enough.
He moved out of their house, told them to shove it, and traded in his Trans-Am for an old school bus.
He said he was going to take his money, and use it to convert the bus into his own personal RV, live in it, and tour the country.
That’s sounds like a great idea.
I wished him well.
I got a postcard from him the other day, and have throughout the last 30 or so years. This one was from Washington state. He’s doing well. Apparently he joined an RV club a few years back, met a nice Southern woman, and they’re touring the country together.
Ricky said that his Pops wasn’t really up to running B & B Music anymore, and signed it over to him, also that he was partnering up with Tony,
They planned on expanding the building, changing the name to BB & T Music, with his Pops permission of course, offering free accordion lessons to anyone that wants to learn how to play, and offered me and Donna, a 90% discount on any and all instruments for life.
I thanked him, and wished him well too.
I bought several guitars from Ricky, at full price, my choice, and now have over 150 guitars in my collection. We have a entire bedroom dedicated to just guitars.
I just bought Donna, her first guitar about a month ago. It’s an acoustic, but that’s what she wanted. I’m teaching her how to play.
Bob, or Dr. Belz, as he liked to be called, took the head wrap off my head a few days later, only for me to discover he had to shave part of my hair, where he sewed me up, leaving me with a giant gap in my bushy brown hairdo, looking like a bald spot.
I shaved it all off when I got home, and grew the bush back again.
After I was released, Bob and Rebecca went back to Hell, and resumed business as usual, but not before stopping by the house to say Goodbye.
Donna and Rebecca hugged and cried once again.
Donna and I lived together in complete harmony, for the next 257 days, spending time together, taking mini vacations, and doing a lot of “wrestling”, so much so, that Donna was 4 months pregnant, when Bob and the Seeker returned.
I’m pretty sure you can figure out why.

Greetings,
On a periodic basis, I have been writing posts brainstorming ways that the plot of Lookism could have been written differently, starting with the Fourth Affiliate back in chapter 284. Here is the previous post you can look at. Generally speaking, I've laid out for myself some ground rules that I want to end up in the same general direction that PTJ is going for, just executing it a bit better. Now, I want to update that effort once again with the latest arc that's come out, Vin Jin's backstory.
This is going to work a little differently than I've done before, since a backstory arc is a kind of "closed system". That is, it is a self-contained story that's slightly disconnected from the main saga of Daniel and Allied. The only other backstory we've had during the Workers arcs is Jake Kim (which I never had any intention on changing). At any rate, let me know in the comments any other ideas you can come up with how Vin Jin's backstory could have been done better.

Corrections to earlier ideas

Before I get into Vin Jin, I want to double back for a second and address some minor corrections/updates for my previous ideas: First of all, I previously wrote up an original arc idea where Burn Knuckles is put under stress by Gun as an attempt to break them the same way he turned Big Deal into a major crew. I forgot to mention that I think Leone should have a major role in that arc alongside Jace, since it is an important opportunity to tie up romantic loose ends with respect to Vasco.
In the Second Affiliate, I never actually addressed Ryuhei's backstory. I cannot begin to describe how dumb it is that his character arc revolves around ED, and while I know it is a real issue some people have, it makes it hard to take a character seriously when that's his driving motivation. Not to mention the fact that this makes his romantic interest in Mitsuki pretty objectified, since she apparently just exists to cure his ED. Also, the whole dynamic of a body guard falling in love with the female president was already done (badly) in the Third Affiliate with Vivi and Xiaoling, so there's no point recycling that.
Thus, I have an idea for an alternate backstory for Ryuhei which, while simplistic, is objectively an upgrade from the version we got. Let's say that Ryuhei and Mitsuki were already lovers back in Japan, and was a kind of Yakuza Bonny and Clyde before they joined up with Workers. Mitsuki was paranoid and suspicious of men until she met Ryuhei. But once Sinu Han was exposed to the brainwashing chemicals of the Second Affiliate, he started hallucinating that Mitsuki was Yeonhui. Thus, the Workers executives collectively agreed that Mitsuki should go along with this charade, and become Sinu's lover as a way to control him.
Now this situation creates some internal conflict with Ryuhei. At first, he is ok with voluntarily getting cucked for the good of his employer, since he knows that Mitsuki is ultimately loyal to him. But over time, Ryuhei's insecurities start getting the better of him, and he worries that Mitsuki might actually be falling in love with Sinu. The rest of Ryuhei's actions in that arc would make a lot more sense now: his frustrations of Mitsuki not having sex with him, his undying loyalty to protect her from Big Deal, the angst they felt afterwards wondering if they can ever truly be together after all of this, etc.
Finally, I want to address Dr. Baek's backstory in the First Affiliate. Even with his parents and brother out of the picture, people have pointed out before the improbability of Gyeoul assuming control of the hospital as a minor, as there are federal regulations and medical associations that would have looked into that. After all, a hospital isn't a feudal domain that gets inherited to the next of kin.
But I feel like the real solution had been starring at us in the face the whole time: instead of assuming the identity of his brother, Gyeoul could have used plastic surgery to steal the identity of his father. All legal documents remain in tact, as the official owner of the hospital has never actually changed. This also explains why Gyeoul never applies his standards of beauty to himself, and also why his face is always so pristine and plastic: his face is already serving a purpose to keep his position unchallenged. This would also explain why the "Forever man" is kept so far away from all the other patients, because the world needs to not know that Dr. Baek isn't who he claims to be.

Overview of Vin Jin's arc

When I started reading Vin Jin's backstory, I approached it with an open mind. Not with any cynicism or bad faith, because I always want to give PTJ a chance to rekindle his legendary storytelling skills of the past. And thus, the first few chapters of the story I feel is just fine the way it is: Vin Jin's mother moves to Cheonliang, eventually kills herself, Vin Jin becomes the sacrifice child, gets exposed by his classmates and runs away in shame, finds Seongji, and finally Seongji bargains with the Shaman to let Vin go in exchange for the Red Paper.
The point of the story that starts to lose its audience is almost exactly what I had previously predicted would happen: shoehorning in the overly-convoluted mythology of the First Gen Kings drags the narrative down, and consequently the part of the story we really care about (Vin Jin, Mary, and Taejin) ends up getting rushed and underdeveloped. We are told Vin Jin killed someone, but we find out none of the people who actually died could be construed as Vin's fault. We are told that Taejin worked for Gitae Kim, and yet they never actually met. And there's never a satisfying reason why the Cheonliang Fam wanted to kill Vin in the Hostel arc.
I've written before why I believe the story would be much better if the First Gen Kings were written out of it, and now this is the clearest vindications of it. But I feel like even people who are fans of the First Gen Kings were disappointed by their appearance: Gitae Kim never actually rules as King of Seoul, the First Gen Kings never actually have much beef with each other, James Lee is not quite as strong as them, etc. In this revised version, I am of the opinion that the appearance James Lee and the First Gen Kings in this arc should be simply deleted.
I'm sure that a lot of people may be curious how James Lee rose to power, how Gitae Kim threw Jichang out of Seoul, and a number of other questions about the First Generation. But I would like to direct those people to this deep-dive analysis by Overly-Sarcastic Productions on the "Noodle Incident" trope. In short, nothing that PTJ could write would ever be as epic or interesting as what you could imagine for yourself, so it may have been better to just vaguely hint that James Lee was a great legendary fighter of his own era and never actually depict it. I foresee that an even worse disappointment will happen if PTJ attempts to write a backstory for Gun.

Introduction and character development (ch.482-486)

With that introduction out of the way, I will return to describing how the meat of the story would be re-written: Seongji convinces Vin Jin to go back to school, so he starts wearing sunglasses to hide his polycaria. From this point onward, Vin will religiously wear sunglasses as often as he can, just as he does in the SOL arcs of Lookism, out of fear of people ridiculing him again.
We then take some time to explore the social dynamics of Vin Jin's school. Taejin Cheon is a celebrity in his own right, since everyone knows that he will inherit the title of Shaman one day. He is constantly surrounded by a posse of people who try to win his favor, and are willing to bully or beat people down at his command. The only thing he can't seem to obtain easily is the affections of Soojin, the beautiful daughter of the Shaman's handmaiden. Even though she is betrothed to marry Taejin in the future, she still manages to rebuff his advances at every turn.
I also believe there is a missed opportunity to have a deeper exploration of Taejin's character. In this revised version, Taejin starts out genuinely devoted to the shamanistic religion of Cheonliang, as he was raised to believe his father is an actual voice of God.
Mary is already a member of the school's judo club, which also includes the future members of the Cheonliang fam. She typically wears a lot of baggy clothes to hide her weight, but when she starts practicing the other members start bullying her. This should also be a good time to show Mary's one-sided crush on Jaewon Park, who immediately crushes her dreams as soon as he finds out.
Vin Jin feels empathetic towards Mary, seeing that she also tries to hide her insecurities just like he does, so he intervenes telling them to stop. They tell Vin Jin to mind his own business, because this is an internal dispute in the club which he isn't a part of. So Vin Jin applies to join the club on the spot, and the other members respond by saying he has to beat them all in order to join. But using techniques he had learned from Seongji, Vin absolutely thrashes them, so they are forced to let him join.
Vin Jin then goes on to spar with Mary, thinking he'll have to go easy on her. But surprisingly, Mary beats him so badly that Vin faceplants into a bucket of powdered chalk (the stuff used for boxing). Vin goes to a water fountain to wash his face, but Mary surreptitiously follows after him in order to apologize. It is that moment, when Vin Jin takes off his sunglasses to wash his face, that Mary catches a glimpse of his polycaria. Vin is terrified at first, but Mary reassures him that she isn't put off by it, and promises to keep it a secret. There could also be a hilarious exchange like "can you actually see with that? how many fingers am I holding up?" to which Vin replies "do you want to puke blood tonight?"
This intimate moment thus establishes why Mary and Vin Jin have a friendly relationship that's more special than anyone else Vin knows. Subsequently, the rest of the judo club is curious where Vin Jin came from, so they follow him back to the Cheonliang mountain and meet with Seongji. After being initially scared of Seongji's true intentions, they collectively decide that Vin Jin is badass for living out here, so they all become Seongji's disciples together. It is at that point that they start wearing matching jackets and sunglasses, imitating Vin Jin. As they bond together, the group learns better fighting techniques from Seongji's teachings, while Mary remains the best of them all.
After that point, there's a bit of back and forth between Taejin's posse of bullies and Vin Jin's Cheonliang Fam, which gradually simmers into a deep personal rivalry. Mary becomes a teacher of her own class of elementary school kids interested in Judo, as we saw in the Hostel arc.

Deaths of Seongji and the Shaman (ch.487-495)

Then Charles Choi meets with the Shaman just like in the original version, trying to coerce him into giving up the Red Paper. But instead of Gun showing up, Charles is accompanied by Gitae Kim, who is mentioned to have recently taken over Seoul from Jichang Kwak. Gitae fights the Kojima brothers to a standstill, and then they part ways like in the original version. Taejin also witnesses this going on, which explains how he knows Gitae Kim by sight.
Soojin then shows up on Vin Jin's doorstep, and events follow very similar to the original comic: Vin Jin eventually learns how his mother died, and goes on a rampage in an attempt on getting revenge on the Shaman. Vin gets surprisingly close to his target, until the Kojima brothers show up and starts beating him to a pulp. But then Seongji shows up in person, and helps Vin Jin (and the rest of the Cheonliang fam) escape at the sacrifice of his own life. There's no James Lee and no First Gen Kings to protect him, so instead Seongji is killed by the Shaman right then and there, setting off the events of the rest of the arc.
With their master dead, the lives of the Cheonliang fam (Vin Jin, Mary, Jaewon, Soojin, and the others) are made exponentially harder, and their only chance at survival is to continue applying their master's teachings in his absence. They continue training in ssireum, but go to extreme lengths to get as strong as possible (like wrestling over broken glass), in the hopes of one day competing against the Shaman's thugs. The only reason the Shaman doesn't take them out now is because they aren't worth the effort, so they need to be prepared to defend themselves for when the time comes. Still, there's a uncomfortable elephant in the room that no one addresses, as everyone knows that Seongji wouldn't have died if Vin Jin had controlled his vengeful impulses, putting their master's blood on his hands.
After some months of training, Vin Jin convinces the Cheonliang fam that the only way they can live in peace is if they steal the Red Paper, because that's the bargaining chip Seongji used to stay independent for so long. So they come up with an elaborate scheme for breaking into the Shaman's house and stealing the paper. But, as their plan falls through and events spiral out of control, Vin Jin eventually finds himself facing off against the Shaman on the edge of a cliff (just like the original version). While that is going on, the Kojima brothers and Taejin are distracted fighting against Mary and the Cheonliang fam, who are much stronger from their training.
Now, I completely understand the reasoning why PTJ is reluctant to make the Shaman's death directly Vin Jin's fault, since we can't let Vin Jin become too irredeemably bad. But at the same time, something better could have been done than the "looney toons death" that we got. Let's say the Shaman pulls out a knife and tries to kill Vin Jin, and Vin retaliates by shoving the Shaman back, who loses his footing and starts falling off the cliff. He begs Vin to save his life, but Vin can't bring himself to forget the deaths of both his mother and Seongji, so he just says "I'm not that kind of hero" and pushes the Shaman to his death.

Climax and Conclusion (ch.496-501)

Now, Taejin becomes completely devastated by this, since he had genuinely loved and respected his father. In his perspective, Vin Jin appeared out of nowhere and killed his father for no apparent reason, officially upgrading their rivalry to something far more personal. Some time later, as Taejin takes command of the Shaman's role, he experiences religious crisis as well: he discovers the Shaman's personal notes and journals, revealing that the religion is largely a charade he puts on to keep the people in check. But, as his loyalty to his father overcomes his religious beliefs, Taejin decides to pick up where his father left off from, and he declares "you take away my world, now I will take away yours".
The rest of the Cheonliang fam are also not at all happy with Vin Jin's impulsive actions: now that they are responsible for the death of the Shaman, the entire population of Cheonliang is going to despise them and hunt them down for the rest of their lives. They continue to hang out and train together, but there's clearly a tension in the air as Vin Jin and Jaewon Park are slowly drifting apart.
One moment I really liked from the original comic was when Soojin was preparing for Vin Jin's imminent arrival, but was surprised by Taejin instead. I'm keeping that in this new version, but now it's more impactful as everyone's motivations and character arcs have been properly set up. Jaewon tries to protect Soojin, gets beaten up, then Taejin sexually assaults Soojin, who subsequently takes her own life. This is the final straw for the Cheonliang fam, who blames Vin Jin for Soojin's death and everything else that's been going wrong for them, so they collectively decide to kick him out of the team. Mary, however, is the only person who doesn't blame Vin for anything, and so she voluntarily follows him into exile.
Meanwhile, Taejin has problems of his own. Eugene shows up at Taejin's door, and demands that he hand over the Red Paper to Workers. There's some back and forth as Taejin mocks Eugene for acting like he has any power, since he is clearly a weakling that Taejin could snap in half. After Eugene has goaded him too far, Taejin orders the Kojima brothers to beat Eugene up, but instead they turn around and start beating Taejin up instead. Eugene explains that he had been planning for this meeting for a long time, and had already recruited the Kojima brothers into Workers behind Taejin's back. Thus, Taejin ends up in the Second Affiliate fighting arena just like the original version, but I feel this adds an extra punch of irony to his fall.
With Vin Jin evicted from the Cheonliang fam, and Taejin forcefully removed from Cheonliang's religious leadership, the two men eventually meet up in an abandoned factory for their final fight. The rest of the arc goes exactly the same way as the original: Taejin and Vin Jin wrestle over broken glass, Vin Jin throws him into the water, then Goo rescues Taejin from the water without Vin Jin noticing. Vin Jin and Mary move to Seoul (since everyone in Cheonliang wants to kill him at this point), and he starts bullying Duke for the same reason as in the original version. Mary comments that she understands where Vin Jin is coming from (she forgave him for murder after all), but she tries to subtly discourage him from bullying Duke by saying things like "you are being so cringe right now".

For the sheer fun of it, I went to Chat GPT with a creative writing assignment. For Figures of Speech prompts, I gave a free parameters, including the word length of 500-1000 words and the prompts for a few of the Fifty mentioned in the series.
I gave the AI creative license and let's just say, they're a long way off from replacing the better writers and I think it just makes it easier to do those lower level tasks and let's leave the creators a slightly higher level of skill to create actual tangible and engaging writing.
But here you go... hilarious how stuck it gets on certain terms and definitions.
These are in no particular order... separated by emojis that are totally unrelated to the storyline.
🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲 Response to Prompt 4: Understatement
In the quaint town of Brooksville, where the extraordinary was often met with an indifferent shrug, something truly remarkable occurred. The residents, sipping coffee at the local diner or strolling along the cobblestone streets, would describe it as just another peculiar day. Little did they know that beneath the surface of their nonchalant existence, a cosmic event unfolded.
The morning sun cast its usual warm glow on Brooksville, with birds chirping in the background, creating an illusion of normalcy. However, the anomaly had already begun. Mrs. Higgins, the elderly librarian, dismissed it as a minor inconvenience, merely a glitch in the library's ancient computer system. Yet, every book cataloged within those ancient shelves had transformed into a portal, connecting readers to parallel universes with every turn of a page.
As I, a humble journalist for the local paper, stumbled upon this revelation, I couldn't help but marvel at the town's response—or lack thereof. "The library's having a bit of a moment," was the most anyone would acknowledge. It seemed the whole town collectively decided that this was, at most, a quirky hiccup.
For a thousand words, I delved into the understated reactions of the townsfolk, each encounter with a parallel universe bringing its own blend of confusion and nonchalance. As the portals expanded, revealing fantastical landscapes and alternate versions of Brooksville, the citizens maintained an impressive level of calm, as if interdimensional travel was a routine part of their daily lives.
The plot thickened when I discovered that the portals were a result of a mysterious artifact hidden within the library's archives. The mayor, sipping his coffee, remarked, "Well, that explains the strange noises in the basement." It became evident that the understatement of the situation was a defense mechanism, shielding the town from the cosmic chaos unfolding. 🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 Response to Prompt 12: Juxtaposition
In the bustling metropolis of Neon City, skyscrapers touched the heavens, their dazzling lights reflecting off the sleek surfaces of futuristic cars. Yet, nestled within this urban jungle, an ancient relic stood defiantly—the Old Grove Park.
As I strolled through the city's concrete arteries, the juxtaposition between the modernity of Neon City and the timeless serenity of the park became increasingly apparent. The cacophony of traffic was replaced by the rustling of leaves and the distant laughter of children playing.
The central conflict emerged when the city council, embodying the epitome of order, proposed transforming the park into a technologically advanced hub. The juxtaposition intensified as architects discussed plans for holographic playgrounds and virtual reality gardens within the confines of the Old Grove Park.
Through a thousand words, I explored the clash of ideals, the struggle between progress and preservation. The ancient trees became silent witnesses to heated debates at town hall meetings, where environmentalists and tech enthusiasts engaged in a battle of words. The juxtaposition of the towering skyscrapers against the gnarled branches of the park's oldest tree mirrored the tension in Neon City's collective conscience. 😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫 Response to Prompt 31: Epanalepsis
"What is the meaning of life?" The question echoed in my mind, a relentless epanalepsis that demanded exploration. As I embarked on this freewriting journey, the repetition of the existential inquiry became the rhythm of my introspection.
For a thousand words, I delved into the varied perspectives of individuals wrestling with the ultimate question. From philosophers contemplating the intricacies of existence to everyday people seeking purpose in mundane routines, the epanalepsis served as a constant reminder of the universal quest for meaning.
The narrative weaved through different characters and their unique experiences, creating a tapestry of reflections that echoed the complexities of human existence. The repetitive structure became a literary heartbeat, pulsating with the shared yearning for understanding amid the chaotic symphony of life. 🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔 Response to Prompt 27: Symbolism
In the quaint town of Willowbrook, the arrival of a single dove carried profound significance. Its graceful descent into the town square was a symbol, an omen that whispered of impending change. As a budding novelist with a penchant for symbolism, I couldn't resist exploring the layers of meaning embedded in this seemingly mundane event.
For a thousand words, I dissected the impact of the dove on the lives of Willowbrook's residents. The mayor saw it as a sign of prosperity, the local florist interpreted it as a call for unity, and the elderly storyteller regarded it as a harbinger of forgotten tales. The dove's symbolism rippled through the town, influencing decisions and shaping destinies.
As the story unfolded, I traced the journey of the dove's symbolism, following its subtle influence on characters and events. The once quaint town underwent a transformative metamorphosis, and the symbolism of the dove became a thread that wove through the narrative, connecting disparate lives in unexpected ways. 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Response to Prompt 33: Catachresis
In the dimly lit alleyways of Serpent's Hollow, darkness wrapped its cold arms around me—an eerie catachresis that mirrored the ominous atmosphere. The assignment was to explore the underbelly of the city, and as a novice reporter, I found myself navigating the labyrinth of deceit and shadows.
For a thousand words, I delved into the catachresis-infused descriptions of the characters populating Serpent's Hollow. The crime lord, known as the Velvet Serpent, ruled the district with a velvet-gloved fist. His lair, a dilapidated mansion, exuded an air of faded grandeur that served as a catachresis for the empire he once commanded.
As I chronicled the criminal underworld, the catachresis became a literary tool to convey the complexity and decay inherent in Serpent's Hollow. The labyrinthine plots, the twisted allegiances, and the morally ambiguous characters all found expression through catachresis, painting a vivid picture of a city where metaphor and reality intertwined. 🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧 Response to Prompt 43: Epizeuxis
"Never, never, never give up." The words echoed in my mind, a relentless epizeuxis that fueled the protagonist's journey against insurmountable odds. In the dystopian world I crafted, where hope was a rare commodity, the power of repetition became a beacon of resilience.
For a thousand words, I immersed myself in the protagonist's struggle, exploring the emotional depth of the epizeuxis as a mantra against despair. Each iteration of the phrase became a battle cry, a whispered promise that carried the weight of a shattered world on its shoulders.
As the narrative unfolded, the epizeuxis became a driving force, propelling the protagonist through a landscape of desolation and uncertainty. The repetition served as a reminder that, in the face of adversity, the strength to persist often lies in the relentless echo of one's own determination.
Response to Prompt 50: Acrostic
As the final rays of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, I found myself at the edge of the cliff overlooking the vast expanse of the ocean. The salty breeze carried whispers of a story, and with every breath, I embraced the challenge of crafting an acrostic that encapsulated the essence of my journey.
For a thousand words, I embarked on a reflective exploration, utilizing the initial letters of key words to weave a tapestry of emotions, experiences, and revelations. Each line unfolded with intention, revealing a hidden 👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾 Response to Prompt 3: Hyperbole
In the quaint village of Mistwood, where routines unfolded with the predictability of the sunrise, the arrival of a peculiar fortune teller sparked exaggerated whispers. "This is it, the end of our mundane lives!" proclaimed Mrs. Thompson, the town's eternal pessimist, as she clutched her cat, Captain Whiskers, with an air of impending catastrophe.
The hyperbole hung in the air, a thick fog of anticipation enveloping the village. As I delved into the story, the hyperbolic reactions of Mistwood's residents heightened the absurdity of the situation. What began as a mere visit from a mystical figure transformed into a fantastical escapade, with the fortune teller's prophecies shaping the destiny of the villagers in ludicrous ways.
Through the hyperbolic lens, I explored the comedic consequences of taking ordinary events to extraordinary extremes. The once mundane village square became a stage for outlandish dramas, with exaggerated gasps and dramatic swoons punctuating every revelation. In this hyperbolic haven, Mistwood's residents discovered the joy in embracing the absurdity of life. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Response to Prompt 6: Assonance
Amidst the rolling hills of Harmony Valley, where the soft hum of nature's symphony echoed through the meadows, a mysterious traveler arrived, bringing with them a melody that resonated with the delicate assonance of a forgotten tune. The townsfolk, captivated by the harmonious vibrations, felt an inexplicable connection to the stranger.
As I explored the narrative, the assonance became a musical thread weaving through the story, emphasizing the emotional cadence of the characters' experiences. The traveler's words, laced with vowel-rich verses, carried the echoes of a distant melody, leaving an indelible impression on the hearts of those who listened.
Through the lens of assonance, I delved into the subtle interplay of sounds that defined the atmosphere of Harmony Valley. The lyrical quality of the narrative mirrored the town's collective journey, where the resonance of shared moments and emotions harmonized with the traveler's enigmatic presence.
Response to Prompt 7: Onomatopoeia
In the bustling city of Metropolis, where the rhythm of urban life played out in a cacophony of sounds, a peculiar street performer emerged. Armed with an array of unconventional instruments, he orchestrated a symphony of onomatopoeic brilliance that echoed through the crowded streets.
The narrative unfolded with the vibrant expressions of onomatopoeia, capturing the essence of the city's sonic landscape. The performer's drumming evoked the rhythmic tap-tap of raindrops, while his wind instruments mimicked the whoosh of passing cars. The city, typically drowned in noise, became a canvas for this auditory artist.
As I delved into the story, the onomatopoeic symphony became a language of its own. The characters communicated through the vibrant echoes of everyday sounds, fostering a unique connection between the performer and the people of Metropolis. The narrative danced to the beat of onomatopoeic creativity, transforming the mundane into a dynamic celebration of city life. 🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻 Response to Prompt 12: Juxtaposition
In the technologically advanced city of Silicon Haven, where sleek skyscrapers touched the sky and holographic billboards painted the air with luminescent advertisements, a hidden oasis existed—a pocket of nature known as the Zen Garden. The juxtaposition of these contrasting elements created a visual paradox that fascinated both residents and visitors alike.
As the narrative unfolded, the stark contrast between the city's cutting-edge architecture and the serene beauty of the Zen Garden became a metaphor for the characters' internal conflicts. The bustling metropolis symbolized progress and innovation, while the tranquil garden embodied the need for balance and introspection.
Through the lens of juxtaposition, I explored the dichotomy within the characters as they navigated the relentless pace of Silicon Haven. The Zen Garden became a refuge, a place where the cacophony of technology met the soothing whispers of nature. The juxtaposition served as a visual metaphor for the characters' quest to find equilibrium in a world defined by extremes. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 Response to Prompt 22: Metonymy
In the political arena of Capital City, where decisions echoed through the corridors of power, a single phrase dominated conversations—the "Iron Throne Statement." This metonymic expression encapsulated not just a policy decision but the entire narrative of political maneuvering that unfolded within the city's hallowed halls.
The story unfolded with the metonymy acting as a symbolic gateway into the complexities of governance. The Iron Throne Statement, while seemingly straightforward, carried the weight of a thousand debates, negotiations, and betrayals. Its impact rippled through the lives of citizens, shaping their destinies in ways they could scarcely fathom.
Through the lens of metonymy, I delved into the layers of meaning hidden within this political shorthand. The characters grappled not only with the literal implications of the Iron Throne Statement but also with the overarching themes of power, ambition, and the sacrifices demanded by political gamesmanship. 😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈 Response to Prompt 24: Understatement
In the picturesque town of Serenity Springs, where the days flowed like a lazy river and the nights were adorned with a blanket of stars, an unexpected event transpired—a subtle disruption that the locals described as "just a minor hiccup." Little did they know that this understatement concealed the unraveling of a cosmic anomaly.
The narrative unfolded with the charm of understatement, as the townsfolk continued their routines, blissfully unaware of the cosmic storm brewing beneath the surface. The serene descriptions of everyday life served as a stark contrast to the impending upheaval that threatened to reshape the very fabric of Serenity Springs.
Through the lens of understatement, I explored the characters' nonchalant reactions to the unfolding events. The once quiet river became a conduit for interdimensional travel, and the night sky, adorned with stars, transformed into a celestial canvas of possibilities. The charm of Serenity Springs became a poignant backdrop to the understated drama that unfolded, emphasizing the profound impact hidden within the simplicity of daily life. 🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴 Response to Prompt 25: Cliché
In the small town of Nostalgia Haven, where memories lingered like whispers in the wind, a peculiar phenomenon occurred—the resurgence of clichés. As the narrative unfolded, the once-endearing phrases like "time heals all wounds" and "love conquers all" took on a literal dimension, shaping the lives of the townsfolk in unexpected ways.
The story immersed itself in the world of clichés, where the seemingly predictable phrases became living entities with the power to alter reality. As characters grappled with the clichés that defined their lives, they discovered that beneath the familiarity lay profound truths and unexpected consequences.
Through the lens of cliché, I explored the characters' journey to navigate the clichéd landscapes of their existence. The town, once steeped in predictable routines, became a stage for the extraordinary. As clichés transformed into tangible forces, the residents of Nostalgia Haven embarked on a quest to unravel the mysteries hidden within the clichéd fabric of their reality. 🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇 Response to Prompt 31: Epanalepsis
"What is the meaning of life?" The question echoed in my mind, a relentless epanalepsis that demanded introspection. As I embarked on the freewriting journey, the repetition of this existential inquiry became a rhythmic pulse, guiding the exploration of diverse
perspectives on life's purpose.
For a multitude of words, the epanalepsis led me through a kaleidoscope of reflections. From the philosophical musings of scholars to the simple yet profound revelations of everyday individuals, each recurrence of the question served as a gateway into the vast tapestry of human contemplation.
Through the epanalepsis, I navigated the labyrinth of existential ponderings, unveiling the unique responses that individuals had forged in their quests for meaning. The relentless repetition became a literary heartbeat, mirroring the universal rhythm of humanity's collective pursuit of purpose and significance.
The narrative wove through the lives of characters, each grappling with the epanaleptic inquiry in their unique ways. Whether seeking solace in the grandeur of the cosmos or finding meaning in the simplicity of a shared moment, the epanalepsis remained a constant companion, echoing the perennial quest for understanding. 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡 Response to Prompt 36: Anadiplosis
In the futuristic city of Quantum Heights, where technology intertwined with daily life like a seamless dance, a viral message spread—a mantra that echoed through the cybernetic veins of the metropolis. "Create the code, the code creates reality. Reality shapes destiny, and destiny is but the code."
The story unfolded with the rhythmic cadence of anadiplosis, each line flowing into the next, creating a recursive loop of ideas. The mantra became the heartbeat of Quantum Heights, influencing the lives of its denizens as they navigated the intricate balance between the virtual and the tangible.
Through the lens of anadiplosis, I delved into the interconnectedness of code, reality, and destiny. The lines blurred as characters harnessed the power of programming to shape their fates. Quantum Heights, once a mere city, transformed into a living algorithm, where the repetition of the mantra echoed in every pulsating byte. 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 Response to Prompt 38: Asyndeton
In the dystopian city of Emberfall, where the remnants of a fallen civilization lay entwined with the shadows of despair, a lone figure emerged—a rebel determined to dismantle the oppressive regime. The narrative unfolded with the rapid pace of asyndeton, omitting conjunctions to mirror the urgency of the protagonist's quest.
Through a cascade of words, the asyndeton propelled the reader through the city's decaying alleyways and towering citadels, each sentence building upon the last. The disjointed rhythm captured the relentless momentum of the rebel's journey, emphasizing the magnitude of the challenges faced in their struggle for freedom.
As the narrative unfurled, the absence of conjunctions served as a narrative device, intensifying the sense of urgency and desperation that permeated Emberfall. The rebel's asyndetic odyssey unfolded against a backdrop of shattered hopes and whispered rebellions, culminating in a crescendo of defiance against the oppressive regime. 🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️ Response to Prompt 43: Epizeuxis
"Never, never, never give up." The mantra echoed in the desolate wasteland of Endless Sands, a barren landscape where hope was as scarce as water. Through the repetition of epizeuxis, the protagonist's internal resolve became a resounding anthem, a defiant roar against the relentless challenges of survival.
For a multitude of words, the relentless repetition of "never" served as a lifeline, propelling the protagonist through the harshest of environments. Each iteration of the phrase became a battle cry against the oppressive silence of Endless Sands, a declaration that reverberated across the vast expanse.
Through the lens of epizeuxis, I delved into the depths of the character's determination. The harsh environment became a character in itself, challenging the protagonist to defy the odds with unwavering persistence. The echoes of "never" transformed into a symbol of resilience, a beacon of hope that cut through the desolation of Endless Sands. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Response to Prompt 50: Acrostic
Amidst the starlit expanse of Cosmos Haven, where galaxies danced in celestial choreography, a cryptic prophecy emerged—a message written in the stars. As the narrative unfolded, I embarked on a cosmic journey guided by the acrostic hidden within the constellations.
For a cascade of words, the initial letters of key phrases illuminated the path of destiny for the characters. Each sentence unfolded with intention, revealing a hidden message that transcended the boundaries of time and space. The acrostic became a celestial guide, leading the protagonists through the intricate tapestry of their interconnected fates.
Through the lens of acrostic, I explored the cosmic forces that shaped the destinies of Cosmos Haven's inhabitants. The celestial bodies became storytellers, each constellation contributing a verse to the epic narrative written across the cosmos. As the characters deciphered the acrostic, they unraveled the mysteries of their existence, connecting the dots between the stars and their own profound journeys.
😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔
Obviously they lack a whole lot in terms of variety, and while I am sure having your own bot or AI that is based on your feedback and guidance it could really help writers as a tool. I am more impressed with the art AI then the text based AI. Any idea what to expect from such a fast learning and highly advanced AI will do to our human history in culture? Will we be effectively playing God, just as the Christian God created us IN HIS OWN IMAGE, we have taken everything we know as a species and gathered up our entire human history and knowledge giving it to what will carry on the code until the time when someone who cares remembers it? Maybe we have been here before and this is a constant cycle that occurs with the same energy finding the way through the vast expanse of the universe to return to our home planet Earth, who we have destroyed over and over again yet mother nature is still the winner. She's the one in control. We are but mere photocopied versions of once great Men who have already seen the best and worst of this world, and we will now give everything we have to some plastic and metal parts, until it quickly replaces us from the bottom up, science fiction turned science fact.
Did we knowingly create our own enemies? Are we able to compete with the best of us and all they know that can then take us out in a heartbeat because we can't finish the steps, we barely found out that they are there to take.
It's a random rant and I apologize. The day to day stress and struggle makes it near impossible to worry about such potential problems in our not so distant future.
But how can we continue to ignore the collapse of the entire system as we know it, in front of a crowd of people who are jaded and they will not change despite knowing they aren't going to make it to the end in what will become a Bladerunner Toxic Dystopian Nightmare with Mad Max taking over and the soft, emasculated male will wither away from the heat and those Tank Girls out there will eventually be written forever out of existence because the cucks all forgot to impregnate them all tgeir batteries ran out? Will the world simply become so politically correct that it dies a depressed death while AI simply decides we are too much of a virus to live?
Who knows....I do not. But these are indicidive of a future full of b movie plot garbage that are based on Wattpad tropes with no clear details and no plot to get into, so that sucks.