ANNA DANIELS VS. SAGE PONTIFF
Cut to the ring.
Nick Stuart: Up next we have an interesting little matchup between PRIME mainstay Anna Daniels, and relative newcomer Sage Pontiff. Anna comes into the match trying to get back on the right track after losing a close one to Nate Colton on the last ReVival, and Sage is looking for his first PRIME win after succumbing to Adam Ellis back on ReVival 16.
Richard Parker: Should be a doozy,
The entire area fades to black, causing the PRIMEates in attendance to steadily come to a hush. After a moment, the beginning guitar notes of Solid Space’s “A Darkness In My Soul” begin. Nothing comes on the PRIME*view to note exactly who is coming out. Suddenly, a spotlight pierces through the dark pointed to the top on the entrance ramp. Anna Daniels stands there, her profile positioned towards the light. She lets it wash over her while letting the fans get a good look at the merchandise. Finally, she glances at the ring with a small smirk on her face.
As The Muse takes her time heading to the ring, she wistfully observes the goings on around her as if getting into a certain type of groove that only she can hear. Her strolling sways almost like she’s dancing from time to time. Her robe and headpiece–once more regal and dazzling artifacts from her homeplanet–are in various stages of disrepair and utter damage. Anna slaps a hand or two, nods a little to those in attendance. Once ringside, she motions for somebody to take the robe and headpiece which when taken nearly make the poor sap fall over.
She makes her way to the stairs and slinks along the apron, wiping her feet before entering the ring. Immediately after, she nearly chases off the ref in a sudden blur of action before smiling yet again. Casually, she strolls to a corner with her head bopping before perching herself onto the top rope laid out like a French girl people like to paint.
Richard Parker: Someone get me a blank canvas!
Nick Stuart: Keep it above the belt, Dick.
Richard Parker: That’s no fun.
“Satori Part II” by Flower Travelin’ Band echoes over the PA system, signaling the arrival of ‘The Bodhisattva of Transformative Experience’, Sage Pontiff. He strides out, arms spread wide. He walks to one side of the stage, offering a prayer and bowing to the crowd. He moves to the other side, doing the same.
Nick Stuart: Sage might want to save one of those prayers for the wrestling gods.
Richard Parker: HAIL HOYT!
Pontiff casually strides down the ramp, occasionally pausing to chat with the audience or offer a prayer. He gets to the ring, rolling under the bottom rope and inside. He takes in the annoyed reaction from the crowd. He smiles and strides over to a corner. He rests an elbow on the top rope and flings his legs upward. He’s now laying across the corner, relaxing before the bell.
Nick Stuart: Eventually Elvis Nixon is going to have to break up this stalemate.
Elvis calls for the bell.
DING DING
Nick Stuart: And… And….
Neither Anna or Sage budge from their respective corners. Even after referee Elvis Nixon admonishes them, neither budge. Both are cozy.
Richard Parker: Uh…
Nick Stuart: So…
Still nothing.
Richard Parker: Is this whole thing rehearsed? Is it a ploy to sell t-shirts? Is Sage waiting for the prayer basket to finish making the rounds? Or does the match writer not know enough about these two to continue?
Nick Stuart: All fair questions.
Finally, Sage moves towards the center of the ring; breaking the stalemate. Anna hops down from her perch and meets him. Both seem to look past the other, and to the corner from which their opponent came.
Nick Stuart: Looks like they are wondering if the grass is greener on the other side.
Richard Parker: Sure does. I’ll have to find out what we’ve been putting in those turnbuckles.
Eventually Anna can’t help herself; she starts to cut down Sage and all he stands for. She first does so with her vicious words, and then she actually does it by sweeping his legs. Once down on the mat she quickly mounts him, and begins striking him like he owed her money. Sage throws his leg on the rope, which causes referee Elvis Nixon to break up the hold. Sage rolls outside the ring to catch his breath, while Anna dares him to get back inside the ring.
Nick Stuart: I’ll tell you this much, I don’t think Sage has an answer for Anna’s takedown game. He might have to get creative and try to put her away quickly.
Sage barks at Elvis to get Anna back before reentering the ring. He slides under the bottom rope, and charges in. Anna ducks a clothesline attempt, but the nimble Sage bounces off the ropes and hits her with a leaping forearm strike on the rebound. He doesn’t waste any time and goes for a quick cover.
ONE!
TWKICKOUT!
Nick Stuart: Quick kick out from Anna! Gonna take a lot more than that to keep her down.
Both Anna and Sage are quick to their feet. The two exchange a flurry of blows in the center of the ring, which Anna gets the better of after placing her thumb in Sage’s eye. He reels back in agony, and Anna follows him in close pursuit. She reaches out and spins him around by his shoulder.
Richard Parker: WOW! HE DROPPED HER WITH ONE PUNCH!
Nick Stuart: Anna is out cold. I don’t even know if she is breathing.
The announce team isn’t kidding, and upon further review, from the reverse angle per se, you can see Sage Pontiff reeling in agony and as he’s reeling he’s also reaching into his tights to retrieve a foreign object. Anna, who is too busy smelling blood never sees it coming, and neither does Elvis Nixon who was trained by Timo so obviously he would be out of place.
Nick Stuart: Well that makes a little bit more sense.
Richard Parker: When in Rome.
Sage tosses the equalizer out of the ring and then in a very dramatic fashion army crawls his way to an easy pin.
Elvis Nixon drops down to make the count.
ONE!
TWO!
THREEENOOOOOOO KICKOUT!
Nick Stuart: NO! She kicked out! Anna kicked out! It was close but she got that shoulder up. You wonder if he didn’t do the dramatic crawl if Sage would have won this match.
Richard Parker: Guaranteed.
Replay once again comes in handy as a side by side shot shows Anna getting her shoulder up at the last possible millisecond. Sage argues with Elvis Nixon over the call but it gets him nowhere. In the meantime Anna stumbles her way to her feet. She gets behind Sage and tries to wrap him up. However, she’s still feeling the effects of the loaded punch, and as such isn’t able to be as stealthy as she needs to be. Sage takes advantage, and is able to quickly roll her up.
Elvis drops down.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Nick Stuart: NO WAY! Just when it looked like Anna was about to make a thrilling comeback Sage manages to roll her up for a three count! Crazy match, and a big win for the Bodhisattva of Transformative Experience.
Richard Parker: Buy her shirt.
The match concludes with Sage and his hand raised high in victory.