1 Brandon Youngblood vs. 5 The Anglo Luchador
From the trio of Nova, Garbage Bag Johnny, and Hayes Hanlon (what a great spot, right? I haven’t read it, but I’m sure it was amazing!) we return to the ring with Vince Howard ready to make the intros.
Vince Howard: The following match is scheduled for one fall and is a semi-final match in the Almasy Tournament! Introducing first!
‘Eat the Rich’ by Fozzy follows Vince’s announcement and the fans begin to stir, their eyes moving towards the top of the ramp.
Richard Parker: This is going to be… interesting.
Nick Stuart: And why do you say that?
Richard Parker: Because I’m trying to figure out how The Anglo Luchador is going to save lucha wrestling in the United States after Youngblood snaps both of his legs off and beats him with them.
Nick Stuart: Well, that’s a disgusting visual if I do say so myself.
From the backstage area emerges The Anglo Luchador to a rousing cheer from the crowd.
T-A-L! T-A-L! T-A-L! T-A-L!
Vince Howard: Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, standing six feet even and weighing in at two-hundred and eleven pounds…THE ANGLOOOOO…LUUUUUCHADOOORRR!!!
TAL runs down the ramp and slides in under the bottom rope before circling the ring and letting the adulation seep into his skin.
Richard Parker: Is it just me… or does he look to be a bit more in shape than last show?
Nick Stuart: You know what Richard, I think you might be right. Looks like he’s taking his advancement and his upcoming opponent quite seriously.
Richard Parker: I mean, I would. If you value your life.
Nick Stuart: Did something happen between you and Youngblood backstage that I don’t know about?
Richard Parker: I don’t want to talk about it.
As ‘Eat the Rich’ by Fozzy fades out, it is replaced by a sudden heavy drumbeat. A trio in quick succession follows. The synthesized drone of ‘Abandon Streets’ by Jordan K pulses with a rising tension, the seconds causing a buzz to rise through the crowd. The tempest is rolling in. A sudden downsurge. The synths rise in tone.
Vince Howard: And his opponent, weighing in at two-hundred-and-eighty pounds and standing at six feet and three inches tall, he hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada! He is THE LAST DIAMOND! BRANDON! YOUNGBLOOD!
Screaming white light bathes the entire entrance area, the PRIME*View flickering through the assorted highlight package of Brandon Youngblood. Throwing back the curtain, he powers towards the ring, barely visible through the blinding light. His eyes are fixated on the ring, his face remaining stoic as the fans begin to roar.
Moving down the aisle, Youngblood’s focused demeanor seems completely detached from his surroundings. Walking across the ringside mats, he slowly stalks his way to the stairs. Each climbing step forward stabs the steel, his left hand grasping the ring post as he takes his first pace across the apron. Moving between the ropes, he brings his head down and slackens his limbs before exploding out of the stretching of his shoulders. Peering towards the crowd, Brandon’s expression does not change.
Youngblood casually clasps the top ropes on each side of his designated corner as he rests his back against the turnbuckles, his eyes focusing towards The Anglo Luchador, his glowering burning a hole right through him.
Nick Stuart: Massive stakes on the line here tonight in this match. Youngblood has shown why he is considered one of the best in PRIME today in his matches against Jonathan Christopher-Hall and Miles Lucky while the Anglo Luchador hasn’t slouched in the least bit.
Richard Parker: I would say not, getting victories against Alexander Redding and former Dual Halo winner, Garbage Bag Johnny. This match tonight might just be Luchador’s biggest test yet.
Nick Stuart: Exactly, especially with someone on the hunt like Youngblood is. With Nova out of the tournament, he might be the odds-on favorite to win this match.
Ashley Barlow checks with Youngblood and TAL to ensure they’re ready, both men nodding their heads in their respective corner. She then turns and signals for the start of the match.
DING DING
Without hesitation, Youngblood explodes out of the ring and connects with a double-leg takedown of TAL, slamming his forearm repeatedly into the abdomen area of his opponent. TAL tries to scramble away from Youngblood, but Youngblood applies his patented-pressure and keeps his body on TAL, causing TAL to roll out of the bottom rope. Youngblood makes his way up to his feet as TAL stands there for a moment, hands on hips, as he looks at his opponent. Youngblood takes a few steps back and TAL hesitantly re-enters the ring.
Youngblood rushes at TAL again, but the luchador is ready for him as he connects with an arm drag and drives his knee into Youngblood’s back while in a wristlock on the seated Diamond. Youngblood grimaces from the pain as TAL maintains his pressure, trying to keep his opponent as grounded as possible. Youngblood starts to bring himself up to his feet, TAL still holding onto Youngblood’s wrist, and eats a sidekick to the ribs from TAL. Youngblood yanks TAL into him and connects with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, catapulting TAL across the ring.
Nick Stuart: TAL is going to need all the IcyHot after that one.
Richard Parker: If he can find any. Do you know some idiot has been buying up all of it?!
Nick Stuart: Yes, that would be The Anglo Luchador.
Richard Parker: How do you know that?
Nick Stuart: Do you not read our website?
Richard Parker: I barely even know we have one.
Anglo Luchador makes his way back up to his feet and doesn’t see Youngblood running at him as he splashes him in the corner. TAL stands there dazed as Youngblood wraps his arms around him and goes for a German Suplex. TAL manages to land on his feet though, bounces off the ropes, and connects with a dropkick to the right knee of Youngblood. Brandon drops to one knee as TAL bounces back up to his feet and connects with a sweeping DDT before going for the cover.
ONE
TW— LEFT SHOULDER UP!
Richard Parker: Youngblood with the easy kick out there.
Nick Stuart: Anglo Luchador keeping Brandon on his heels here, but Youngblood’s got plenty left in the gas tank.
Richard Parker: Luchador is going to need to throw everything he’s got and the kitchen sink on top of it to put Youngblood down.
Nick Stuart: Remember that TAL is no slouch either. Youngblood’s got his work cut out for him and TAL has shown just that thus far.
TAL grabs Youngblood by the neck and starts to pull him out only for Youngblood to push him away and slam his forearm into the lower back of TAL. Brandon follows it up by grabbing the back of TAL’s skull and smashing him face first into the top turnbuckle. TAL leans against the corner after the shot while Youngblood hoists him up and sits him on the top turnbuckle. He then yanks TAL down, putting him into a Tree of Woe scenario. Youngblood proceeds to stomp away at TAL, strike after strike stiffer than the previous one until he backs up and runs full speed at TAL, slamming both knees into his abdomen.
TAL falls off the top turnbuckle, crunched up, while Youngblood yanks him off of the mat and connects with a half-nelson suplex. TAL crumples on the mat as Youngblood goes for the cover.
ONE!
TWO!
KICKOUT!
Nick Stuart: And Youngblood has massively picked up the intensity here in the last few moments.
Richard Parker: I think Anglo Luchador may have pissed Youngblood off with some of his offense.
Nick Stuart: You might be right as Youngblood looks like a man on a mission now.
Richard Parker: TAL is going to need to figure something out fast.
Youngblood drags TAL into the middle of the ring, bounces off the ropes, and drills his knee across his face. TAL rolls onto his knees in pain as Youngblood takes the opening and drops repeated knees across his rib cage. TAL rolls over to the ropes, using them to help bring him up to a standing base, but Youngblood has other thoughts as he connects with a fierce knife-edge chop across the chest of his opponent.
CRACK!
TAL stumbles away from Youngblood, but Youngblood follows after him, yanking his chest back towards him, and connects with another fierce knife-edge chop.
CRACK!
TAL once again tries to stumble away as his chest reddens, but Youngblood refuses to let him do so as he spins TAL back towards him again. TAL is ready this time as he connects with a kick to the right hamstring of The Last Diamond. This only stands to infuriate Youngblood as he connects with a headbutt that drops TAL to the mat. TAL refuses to stay down though and makes his way back up to his feet only for Youngblood to whip him into the ropes. Youngblood goes for a clothesline, but TAL drops underneath it, springboards off the middle rope, and connects with a springboard dropkick on Youngblood.
Nick Stuart: Youngblood down to one knee as TAL continues to show no quit in him.
Richard Parker: That might be one of the dumbest decisions in the history of dumb decisions.
Nick Stuart: You being the expert on dumb decisions.
Richard Parker: Precisely!
TAL bounces off the ropes and connects with a stiff knee to the jaw of Youngblood, dropping the larger man to the mat. TAL yanks Youngblood off of the mat only for Brandon to explode up with a belly-to-belly suplex. TAL rolls onto his knees, but Youngblood is back on his feet and yanks him off of the mat. TAL scrambles and manages to flip over behind Youngblood, slamming his foot into the knee of The Last Diamond. TAL then bounces off the ropes and goes for a bulldog only for Youngblood to push TAL off of him at the last second. TAL flies across the ring and lands on his tailbone while Youngblood makes his way up to his feet.
TAL uses the ropes to help him up and he runs at Youngblood only for Youngblood to connect with a ring-shaking spinebuster that plans TAL in the center of the ring. Youngblood makes his way back up to his feet and dead lifts TAL into a Karelin Lift.
CRACK!
Nick Stuart: And TAL looks like he is OUT.
Richard Parker: He’s more out than T-Pain is at the club.
Nick Stuart: …what?
Richard Parker: I saw him at the club in Vegas.
Nick Stuart: I highly doubt that. Have you been spending time with King Blueberry?
Richard Parker: Dear Hoyt, no.
Youngblood then goes for the cover.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
DING DING DING
Vince Howard: Your winner… and moving on to the next round of the Almasy Tournament… BRANDON! YOUNGBLOOD!
Nick Stuart: What an impressive display from Youngblood there as he is one step closer to his goal, the Universal Championship.
Richard Parker: TAL gave it his all, but Youngblood is just a buzzsaw right now.
Nick Stuart: Needless to say, Youngblood is going to be watching the proceedings of Bathory and Impluse very closely as one of those two men will be squaring off against him in two weeks.
Youngblood has his arm raised by Ashley Barlow and exits the ring. He makes his way up the ramp with his mind focused on the one and only thing that matters: the Universal Championship.
Barlow meanwhile attends to TAL who is sitting up.
TAL: I need extra IcyHot today.
Cut away…