Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 21, 2018
Attendance: 1,934
THE SHOT OPENS INSIDE A DARK, SMOKY ARENA AND A WRESTLING RING WITH PINK AND PURPLE RING ROPES COMES INTO THE SHOT. TWO FEMALE WRESTLERS ARE IN THE RING AND THE BELL SOUNDS TO START THE ACTION.
Scott Hudson: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this TWF Network special where we are going to work our way to the finals of the TWF Women's title tournament. The last two ladies standing here tonight will square off at TWF Redemption."
Matt Striker: "We're near capacity here at 2300 Arena in Philly but if that name doesn't ring a bell, perhaps Alhambra Hall or Viking Hall will, because we're in the same place here tonight."
Hudson: "Terri Gold and Lisa Marie Varon will start the action here tonight and you should recognize Varon as she competed in WWE as Victoria and in TNA as Tara."
Striker: "You probably don't recognize Terri Gold as she hasn't performed in a major company since the early 2000s but she is a former TWF Women's champion as well as the first Women of Wrestling champion ever."
TWF Women's Title Tournament- First Round Lisa Marie Varon vs. Terri Gold Both ladies showed a great deal of respect to one another in this contest, giving each a round of applause after they were each able to escape a headlock in a unique manner. Varon was the first to show a mean streak, smashing Gold with a forearm shiver after she took in an applause from the crowd. Varon controlled the match but clearly wanted to keep it at a slower pace against the former gymnast. Gold was able to work her way to a vertical base to get out of a rear chin lock and after an elbow to the abdomen, she tried to run the ropes, only to be yanked to the mat by her hair. As the referee gave Varon a warning, Gold got to a crouched position and dove at Varon, rolling her up for a quick 3 count after a terrific move! Hudson: "That's an upset! Lisa Marie Varon had to be one of the favorites to win this tournament and she's out in the first round"! Striker: "Give credit to the 44-year old Terri Gold who is from just down the road from me in Syracuse". Hudson: "Matt, you're from Queens, that's not exactly just down the road and I doubt Ms. Gold wants her age given out here tonight." Striker: "Hey, I'm just pointing out how impressive it is for her to be in her mid 40's and looking as good as she does and getting a win like that. I'm around that same age, I don't look at it as a bad thing." BACKSTAGE.... The shot goes into the backstage area where Jenn Sterger is shown with a microphone. Jenn Sterger: "Hello everyone and thank you for joining us here tonight. Before we go any further with our coverage of the tournament, we're going to take a moment to recap some of the matches in the tournament that have already taken place". A VIDEO PACKAGE SHOWS MONICA DEFEATING SARAYA KNIGHT, SEXY STAR ENTERING THE TOURNAMENT AS A MYSTERY PARTICIPANT BEFORE BEATING NICOLE MATTHEWS, IVELISSE DEFEATING SAGE BECKETT AND ASHLEY K. GETTING BY BRANDI RHODES. Sterger: "Now we'll send it back down.... BEFORE STERGER CAN UTTER ANOTHER WORD, AN UNKNOWN WOMAN WALKS INTO THE SHOT AND SNATCHES THE MICROPHONE FROM HER. Woman: "You're done..... you're out of here." Sterger: "Pssh, who the hell are you"? Woman: "The name is Soni.... and I'm your replacement. Sterger has a shocked look on her face. Don't believe me? Cornette is in his office.... go ask him. You've been relieved of your duties. Sterger stomps off in anger. Soni: "Yeah, go text Brett Favre or something. (She turns to the camera). Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Soni Aralynn. I have been watching the TWF for years and I am a huuuuge wrestling fan. I have been hired by this great company to replace... well whoever she was.... and talk about wrestling. So, I will be your backstage correspondent going forward and I am going to ask the kinds of questions that you... the fans... want me to ask. No Scott, Matt, back down to you guys." Hudson: "Well, Matt, there's competition all over 2300 Arena tonight. It looks like we've seen the last of Jenn Sterger." Striker: "Getting back to the tournament now, we have to first pass along some news that Kayla Karter has received a bye into the second round of the tournament." Hudson: "Kayla Karter was one of the premiere female competitors prior to the closing of the TWF, will move onto the next round as her scheduled opponent, Candace LaRae, has signed a deal with WWE to compete on their NXT program." Striker: "Good luck to Candace LaRae over there but now we've got another name from TWF's past as Stacy Snow is ready to take on the versatile Leva Bates". TWF Women's Title Tournament- First Round Stacy Snow vs. Leva Bates Stacy Snow did her best to get the crowd on her side, but it was going to happen as the fans were familiar with Bates, who was trained by the legendary Dudley Boyz. Bates seemed the quicker of the two but after reversing an irish whip, Snow hit a nice belly to belly suplex that nearly won her the match. But Bates showed some real determination, fighting through several pinfall attempts before catching Snow with a flying wheel kick that nearly won it for her. Snow would regain control after a hip toss slam but when she missed with a flying crossbody, Bates measured her and blasted her with a superkick when she got to her feet. She rolled Snow up, hooking both legs, and got the victory. Striker: "Bates moves onto the second round"! Hudson: "She calls that one the Superhero Kick and she put it right on the chin of Stacy Snow"! Striker: "And keep in mind that in addition to competing in this tournament, all of these ladies are competing for TWF roster spots as the company is looking to add as many talented, available female competitors that it can get its hands on." TWF Women's Title Tournament- First Round Amber O'Neal vs. Luyu Dawnstar In another match featuring a successful former TWF women's wrestler, it was another that went for the TWF newcomer. Amber O'Neal proved to be too much for Luyu Dawnstar, hitting her with the "Amber Alert" less than two minutes into the last match of the first round. Hudson: "The first round is complete and we have eight women advancing to the next round. We've still got much more action here tonight." Striker: "And after the way Amber O'Neal just looked, she could be a favorite." TWF Women's Title Tournament- Second Round Monica vs. Sexy Star This was the best match we've seen in this tournament so far. Both of these ladies wanted it, and left it all in the ring. The crowd was firmly behind Monica, who was wearing a T-shirt that had the words "THE female star of the TWF". Sexy Star didn't seem fazed by the crowd that was very much against her. A loud "Rosemary" chant broke out during the match at every point that Sexy Star was in control. Monica was able to get a long 2 count after a DDT and nearly earned a submission after locking in an ankle lock, only to see Sexy Star scramble to the ropes to earn a break. Monica looked like she was on her way to a win until Sexy Star shockingly removed her mask and threw it across the ring. As the referee went to sweep it out of the way, Sexy Star put a finger right in the eye of Monica. That led to a swinging fisherman suplex from the competitor from Monterrey, Mexico, and she was able to get a 3 count. THE CAMERA SHOWED TWO WOMEN, WEARING MATCHING SHIRTS OF MONICA AND EDDIE SAINT JAMES, BOTH WITH THEIR JAWS DROPPED. Hudson: "Can you believe that! What is the matter with Sexy Star?! She was willing to disgrace her own heritage to win that match"! Striker: "I think you're going a bit far by saying she disgraced her heritage, Scott, all she did was take off her mask. I know Sexy Star quite well and I can tell you that she wants to win this tournament badly"! MONICA WAS IN THE RING WITH HER HEAD DOWN, ALMOST IN DISBELIEF OVER THE LOSS. JUST THEN, GINA CARANO CAME FROM OUT OF THE CROWD AND DELIVERED AN GERMAN SUPLEX, DROPPING MONICA RIGHT ON HER HEAD! Hudson: "Oh my God! Talk about insult to injury! That was Gina Carano!" Striker: "Gina Carano of the Gold Standard! They're making their presence felt wherever they can!" Hudson: "Well trust me, that act won't go unanswered. Eddie Saint James will have something to say about that, likely directly to the man in charge of the Gold Standard, one Mr. Taylor." TWF Women's Title Tournament- Second Round Ashley K. vs. Terri Gold With a spot in the final four on the line, these two ladies put on a very athletic contest. Ashley K. was the aggressor and seemed to have the match won after a nasty tornado DDT but a very sloppy cover allowed Gold to roll a shoulder off the mat. The ladies trading punches until Ashley K. hit a step-up enziguri. She then pulled Gold to her feet and lifted her up to the top rope. Ashley K. indicated she was going to go for a top rope hurricanrana but Gold wisely grabbed the top rope with both hands and Ashley K. went flailing to the mat, hitting the back of her head on the way down. Gold then re-positioned herself and leaped off the top rope with her "Perfect 10" moonsault, landing it nicely to score the win. Hudson: "Excellent moonsault from Terri Gold! You could see all of the win sucked out of Ashley K. on impact!" Striker: "And the unlikely run continues for Terri Gold! She's onto the final four!" Hudson: "Fast-paced action tonight, Matt, we're ready for our next match here." Ivelisse vs. Kayla Karter Kayla Karter clearly figured she'd walk right through Ivelisse in this match, disrespecting her from the opening bell. After a slap across the face that could be heard in the rafters of 2300 Arena, she yelled "Who's the baddest bitch in the building now"?! The crowd loudly booed and Ivelisse responded by tackling Karter and pounding away with rights and lefts. Karter managed to avoid most of the blows and used two feet to push Ivelisse away before drilling her with a kick to the face. She then pulled her up and shot her to the corner. As Ivelisse came out, Karter dropped her head and the alert Ivelisse countered with a sunset flip bomb, getting a 3 count and eliminating Karter. Karter slapped the mat in frustration as Ivelisse rolled out of the ring and slapped hands with numerous fans. Leva Bates vs. Amber O'Neal Two women looking to advance in the tournament while simultaneously catching the eye of TWF upper management, Bates and O'Neal got after it. There's no other way to describe it. Both of these ladies went hard, looking to get into the final four and each came up with multiple two counts. However, each of these tournament matches carried a 15-minute time limit and with one minute left, there was a furious scramble to get the win. After a sit-out facebuster, O'Neal went to the top rope and flew off with a crossbody. But Bates was able to roll through it, using O'Neal's momentum against her and getting the pin with less than 20 seconds left in the match. Hudson: "Oh my gosh what a finish! Leva Bates pulls out the win out of nowhere and this crowd is loving it!" Striker: "What a win for Leva and we now have our final four! This has been a great tournament, Scott." Hudson: "I feel like Fabulous Moolah, Mae Young, Mildred Burke and Sherri Martel would all be proud of what's going on tonight in Philly." TWF Women's Title Tournament- Semi Finals Sexy Star vs. Terri Gold Terri Gold had impressed in her first two matches of the night and if you thought she'd have an issue with conditioning, you'd be mistaken. Gold hung tough with Sexy Star, fighting off all her attacks. Sexy Star seemed to be looking to get another win with a cheap tactic, but the referee was paying close attention to her in this one. After Gold reversed an irish whip and caught Sexy Star with a powerslam, she went to the top rope. But as she climbed the turnbuckle, she slipped. That momentary pause gave Sexy Star a chance to get up. Seeing that Gold was planning on going for her moonsault, she grabbed her from behind and pulled her to the mat, locking in a rear naked choke at the same time. Gold struggled mightily trying to get free, but she couldn't escape the grasp of Sexy Star, who also had a body triangle locked in. Finally, Gold tapped out. Hudson: "A valiant effort from Terri Gold who really has nothing to hang her head over tonight." Hudson: "The magical tournament run comes to an end for Terri Gold, who would have had a shot to win the same title she lost almost 17 years ago." AS THE CROWD EMBRACED GOLD FOR HER EFFORT, SEXY STAR CAME BACK INTO THE RING AND SMASHED HER IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD FROM BEHIND. Hudson: "What the hell is the matter with this woman?!" BOOS FILLED THE ARENA AS SEXY STAR LOOKED DOWN ON GOLD AND LEFT THE RING. Striker: "Oh ho ho, this crowd doesn't like Sexy Star, but she's one win away from being the champion." AS SEXY STAR HEADED TO THE BACK, THE CROWD CAME ALIVE WHEN PAUL ELLERING STEPPED OUT FROM THE BACK WITH TWO WOMEN. THE TRIO HEADED TO THE RING. Hudson: "Wait a minute, what is this?" Striker: "Paul Ellering? Holy shit..... it's the legendary manager of the Road Warriors!" Hudson: "Well that's not Hawk and Animal with him..... ELLERING AND THE TWO WOMEN GOT INTO THE RING AND ELLERING WAS HANDED A MICROPHONE. Paul Ellering: "Good evening. We won't take up much of your time, but as you sit here and watch these women compete tonight, most of which have yet to secure a TWF contract, I wanted to introduce you to a couple of ladies who have. My daughter, Rachel Ellering and the daughter of the great Tully Blanchard, Tessa, are your newest TWF women's superstars!" THE CROWD CHEERS AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT. Rachel Ellering: "And we're not here to do anything but wrestle. So to all the girls around here, Tessa and I don't care about gossip and how hot your boyfriend is. We're out to prove that we're the best women's wrestlers in the world and we'll accept nothing short of it." Tessa Blanchard: "You won't have to refer to us by some stupid name like Absolution or the Riot Squad. This..... this is Lady Legacy." TESSA DROPS THE MICROPHONE AND THE GROUP LEAVES. SOME FANS ARE STILL CHEERING, BUT OTHERS CLEARLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. Striker: "Lady Legacy? I like it?" Hudson: "Well that is something we certainly didn't see coming, and as they announced, they've signed TWF contracts." TWF Women's Title Tournament- Semi Finals Ivelisse vs. Leva Bates For a spot in the tournament finals, these two ladies put everything they had into it. The crowd was split on who to root for, but the majority ended up siding with Bates as the match wore on. 10 minutes in and both ladies were spent from all of the action they'd been involved in during the night. Suddenly, Ivelisse missed a clothesline and Bates cracked her with the superkick. She covered her and got 1........2........, but Ivelisse got a shoulder up. Bates stayed on her, looking for the finish. She whipped Ivelisse into the corner and move in, driving a shoulder into her abdomen three times. But on the third one, Ivelisse snatched her head and neck and began pulling up with her other arm. It was a very nasty guillotine choke, and it was tight. Bates tried to hold on, but she slapped the side of Ivelisse several times, indicating she was done. The bell sounded and Bates fell to her knees in disappointment as an exhausted Ivelisse raised both arms in victory. Hudson: "That..... that was tremendous. What a great effort by both ladies, and look at the respect now." IVELISSE GAVE BATES A BIG HUG AND BATES RAISED THE ARM OF IVELISSE AS THE ENTIRE CROWD CAME TO ITS FEET. Striker: "Great respect shown by both ladies and both of our semi-final matches tonight ended in submissions. That sets up for a great final matchup." Hudson: "It will be Ivelisse versus Sexy Star for the TWF Women's title at Resurrection." IVELISSE HAD A MICROPHONE AND SHE PUT ONE FINGER UP AS IF TO INDICATE TO THE CROWD SHE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY. Ivelisse (out of breath): "Sexy Star.... a couple of months ago, I told you I was gonna kick your ass. At Resurrection, I'm gonna do just that." IVELISSE DROPS THE MICROPHONE DOWN AS HER MUSIC HIT.
