IMPULSE vs. NOVA
Nick Stuart: This one…should be a barnburner.
Richard Parker: A main event anywhere out there.
Nick Stuart: Impulse and Nova. Two of the very best the sport has to offer…and they are about to tangle up here on ReVival!
The lights cut out in the arena, and a stormy sky appears on the video screen.
As thunder booms over the speakers and lightning lights up the darkened clouds on-screen, George Clinton’s voice can be heard speaking in soft, reverberating tones.
“Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time…for y’all have knocked her up. I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe; but I was not offended, for I knew I had to rise above it all…or drown in my own shit.”
The stormy sky fades, replaced by a field of stars. One of the stars shoots across the screen, and as the field of stars comes together to form the word “NOVA,” Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain” lilts over the PA system.
Vince Howard: This contest is for one fall and has a thirty minute time limit. Introducing first…from parts unknown…standing six feet three inches and weighing in at two hundred forty pounds…he is a PRIME Hall of Famer…one of the longest reigning Universal Champions in PRIME history…his accolades are numerous…he is the RIIIIISEN STAR! He is…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOVA!
Nick Stuart: Nova’s run in Survivor almost saw he and Garbage Bag Johnny become the first PRIME Tag Team Champions in this era. But at the end, a few hiccups managed to cost them. The Winds of Change managed to score an upset win at Great American Nightmare, and we haven’t heard from Johnny since. But tonight…Nova looks to get on track in the biggest of ways. Few men have been as hot since the return of PRIME as the Marathon Man. But the PRIME Hall of Famer is one of the very best…is tonight the night where he gets on track and sets his path forward…
At this moment, a spotlight hits the entrance ramp where Nova is knelt, one fist raised in the air. The smoke wafting up from the cigarette hanging out of his mouth swirls iridescently under the hot glare of the spotlight. After a moment, the Risen Star climbs to his feet and makes his way down to the ring, rolling under the bottom rope before standing and flicking his cigarette away.
The lights come up.
“Cannonball” by SIRSY fills the arena, and a blue – and – purple strobe combination lights up the entranceway.
As the first verse hits the midway point, the second set of “HEY HEY,” Impulse walks out to the top of the ramp, absent Calico Rose. He stops and looks around, nodding his appreciation.
Richard Parker: Oh man no Cally…
Nick Stuart: Conspicuous by her absence…but perhaps with good reason? Impulse is coming off a devastating loss to the Universal Champion Brandon Youngblood…having suffered a concussion in the process.
Vince Howard: And his opponent…from New York City New York…standing five feet and ten inches and weighing in at one hundred ninety-one pounds…a master in the ring…THE MAAAAARATHON MAN! IMMMMMPULSE!
The song hits the chorus at about the time he begins to walk to the ring. Impulse slaps an errant hand here and there. On reaching the ringside area, Impulse is up on the ring apron handing his leather jacket to a ring attendant, and takes off his T-shirt and tosses it into the crowd, ready for action.
Nick Stuart: Only one man has managed to defeat him in PRIME, but here, he faces off against a man he has stated he’s wanted to face from the beginning. What better place than here? What better time than now?
DING DING
With the bell ringing, we are officially underway. As we are, Impulse and Nova draw close to each other, a sizeable gap between the pair, Nova taking more of a combat stance while Impulse tries and swoops in, his knee hitting the canvas, coming in low in a wrestling stance. Nova narrowing avoids the attempt at a sweeping lock up, side stepping, the pair circling before finally locking up in the center of the ring with a collar and elbow tie up.
Nick Stuart: Collar and elbow tie up here, these two have solid fundamental bases behind their arsenal, and here, we are seeing that on display.
Richard Parker: Nova’s size already playing a factor.
Nick Stuart: Nova quickly getting the advantage here, able to get a side headlock off the muscle, but OH! Impulse picks his leg and trips him to the canvas, following him down to the canvas with a headlock of his own!
Richard Parker: Say what you will about the Marathon Man, at least he’s got a bit of pitbull mentality in him. He’s going to need that here.
Nick Stuart: There’s been many times in the past with Impulse that his skills as a grappler have been tested. He’s extremely talented in this environment, but he’s had to swim uphill thanks to the size of his opponents. Youngblood nearly outweighed him by one hundred pounds. Nova here…he has an almost fifty pound weight advantage as well as nearly half a foot.
Richard Parker: Keeping hold of the side headlock, but Nova’s rising from the canvas.
Nick Stuart: The Risen Star has seen his share of challenges. Trying now to grab at Impulse’s hands as they are now both to a stand, trying to pull that grip free, but he’s struggling, it’s like a vice. Backing into the ropes, Timo Bolamba is on it, looking to see if he needs to administer a count, but in the wake of this Nova is fighting his way free, trying to fight his way free, tries to whip his way clear but Impulse is maintaining that headlock OH SUPLEX! Back drop suplex but Impulse maintains the hold! And you can see Nova’s frustration grow with him smacking the canvas! Float over COVER!
ONE
TWO
Nova bridges his shoulders up, but Impulse is there to quickly smother with another headlock.
Richard Parker: Nova is going to have to work his way through this. Impulse…he looks like he’s a man on a mission here.
Nick Stuart: Coming off his Universal Championship match loss at Great American Nightmare, Impulse might be considered a bit rudderless, a man without a path forward. But as we heard earlier, he’s a man undeterred, a man ready to make his own path. And he’s showcasing his wrestling acumen here to full effect.
Richard Parker: I don’t know how much of a path forward the man has, and I can’t lie…I miss Cally not being out here to serve me drinks. I was really looking forward to that.
Nick Stuart: Nova trying to muscle his way up and Impulse staying with him…staying with him, oh MY what a reversal! The small bit of spacing is enough for Nova to get those hands free, and now he’s quickly chasing Impulse to the canvas, wrenching on a hammerlock, VICIOUS hammerlock, Impulse in tremendous pain here, oh my! Nova is on him like a junkyard dog, the hammerlock, looking to wrench his head with his other arm, and Impulse diving to the ropes, and Timo is there!
Richard Parker: I heard the man has a jet.
Nick Stuart: Will you stop!
Richard Parker: Hey, I wasn’t the one who was annoyed at learning this fact!
Nick Stuart: Timo calling for the clean break here! And he’s ready for the count, but Nova relents, oh using Impulse’s body to push himself up and to his own feet! A little testiness from the Risen Star as he tries to loosen up his neck. And Impulse is looking over at him, more than a little annoyed.
Richard Parker: I think we have a sensitive little boy right here…
Nick Stuart: Impulse picking himself up now, dusting himself off, Nova calling for him to come over. And OH! Impulse coming over with a sharp forearm strike! That rocked Nova back, and Nova with one of his own that flattens Impulse!
Richard Parker: Looks like these two are looking to prove something to the other.
Nick Stuart: Impulse right back up and he’s grabbing hold of a side headlock but Nova turns and launches him across the ring in a whip…Impulse rising and kneeing the corner and explodes out with a nasty European uppercut of his own!
Richard Parker: A striking contest breaking out?
Nick Stuart: Nova scrambling to his feet and IMPULSE exploding with a front dropkick that sends Nova into the ropes!
Richard Parker: Nova grabbing his chest here…
Nick Stuart: And Nova springing off and dropping a heavy elbow and all he hits is the canvas! Impulse on his feet and ANOTHER dropkick! Both men down and scrambling back up, and Impulse going for another dropkick but Nova avoids this time!
Richard Parker: Timing is everything!
Nick Stuart: Nova turning and hitting a wicked leaping knee! And dropping one on Impulse’s chest! Grabbing Impulse by the head and bringing him up to a stand, and even with Impulse holding his chest, he gets a forearm shiver in there! And another! Nova grabbing a side headlock but Impulse quick to lift and hit a back suplex!
Richard Parker: This is what I like to see! Two men just beating the hell out of each other!
And the fans are going wild as the two continue the frenetic action.
Nick Stuart: Impulse trying to bring the two back to a stand, snapmare by Nova and a sharp kick to the spine of Impulse! He runs to the ropes and hits a baseball slide dropkick! Oh man! This is looking like old school Nova here! Body splash! Cover!
ONE
TWO
THR–
KICKOUT!
Richard Parker: Nova going to need more than that!
Nick Stuart: But he is back at it, lifting Impulse off the canvas, front chancery, lifting him up for a vertical suplex but OH Impulse slips out and behind! Lands on his feet. OH SCINTILLATING RUSSIAN LEGSWEEP by the Marathon Man!
Richard Parker: There’s no defense here, just a wild sprint!
Nick Stuart: Impulse maybe thinking twice after his match up with Brandon Youngblood, throwing caution to the wind.
Richard Parker: Not laying around here like he said Brandon did to him at Great American Nightmare…
Nick Stuart: Dropping an elbow on Nova, and another! He’s backing up and springing off the ropes and WOW! WOAAAAH!
Richard Parker: Nova was ready there!
Nick Stuart: Exploder suplex! Exploder suplex and both men are down! Trying to catch their breath. But this one, this one, I don’t see this one ending without a bevy of offense. This is what you look for when you watch PRIME, fast, hard hitting action from two of the best the sport has to offer, perhaps two of the best the sport has ever offered! And this isn’t even our main event! Still to come, Rezin puts his newly won 5 Star Championship up against the undefeated phenom GREAT SCOTT! Both men rising to their feet, on their knees, reaching for each other, grappling, still grappling, and Nova thrusts his hip into Impulse’s stomach, kitchen sink knee, a european uppercut!
Richard Parker: These look like killing blows!
Nick Stuart: Impulse is up but he’s flattened with another european uppercut! And another! Another! Another! Shoulder block takes Impulse down this time, and Nova off the ropes and IMPULSE CATCHES HIM WITH A BACK ELBOW!
Richard Parker: Nova wasn’t expecting that!
Nick Stuart: And Impulse grabbing the arm and wrenching it back in a hammerlock of his own, the messenger is important here, OH, Nova with a punch to the kidney to break the hold quickly! But Impulse thrusts his shoulder into the jaw of Nova! This is looking more and more like a british styled wrestling contest and these fans are here for it, they’re loving every moment of action here! What a display by both men!
Richard Parker: Impulse looking for the advantage!
Nick Stuart: Impulse launching himself over Nova off the carom of the ropes, sunset flip attempt, he’s got Nova by the legs but OH! 12 to 6 elbow puts a stop to that! Oh that one has Impulse grabbing his head and kicking at the canvas hard, and he’s stumbling to get up, but he falls right back down!
Richard Parker: Uh oh. That’s…that’s not looking good…
Nick Stuart: He can’t get to his feet all the way after that elbow…I’m…I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention…Impulse is coming off a concussion from that brutal contest at Great American Nightmare. I don’t know if it came off that hellacious spinebuster that’s been plastered all over social media, or at another point in that match, but Randall Knox was cleared for action tonight, but did he rush back? Did he rush back too soon? Timo Bolamba isn’t checking on him…
Richard Parker: I think Timo needs to get in there, Impulse isn’t looking so great, even if he’s on his feet and Nova isn’t about to give him any quarter!
Nick Stuart: He is not! He is not! Front facelock and A DEVASTATING SPIKING BRAINBUSTER BY NOVA! OH MY WORD! OH MY WORD!
Richard Parker: That was almost more DDT than anything!
Nick Stuart: And Impulse, Impulse is splayed out, he’s grabbing at his head, oh my word he’s rolling away from the impact, grabbing at the ropes, and Nova…Nova…Nova…The PRIME Hall of Famer…the former Universal Champion…he’s had a rough road both outside the ring and in it…we just saw a massive upset last ReVival when Hayes Hanlon defeated Cancer Jiles. Impulse has only lost to one man since coming to PRIME. This would be a massive win here and would give him so much momentum moving forward–
Richard Parker: But Randall’s hurt!
Nick Stuart: Timo is checking on Impulse, oh my, this is…I don’t think Nova wants to hurt the man, but Timo is protecting him, checking on him, making sure he is able to see…WAIT!
Richard Parker: What the hell?!
In the midst of all this, from out of the crowd, a shadowy figure. And as Nova is resting against the ropes, this figure quickly scurries to the ring apron, and smashes a fist into the back of the Risen Star’s head, dropping him instantly. The figure drops from the apron, the boos pouring down, and they saunter over the barricade, one of the camera’s trained on them as they walk up the steps of the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Nick Stuart: What the hell was that?! What the hell?!
Richard Parker: And everything here was cooking so damn well!
Impulse didn’t see it. Neither did Timo. Nova is staggering, glass eyed, his legs wobbly. The Marathon Man is finally deemed okay enough to continue the match, the concern over another concussion ebbing away after plenty of protests that he is fine, that he is ready to go, that he was fine right off the jump. Regardless, it is Bolamba’s job to protect the wrestlers from themselves in such instances. Impulse uses the ropes and gets to his feet, the pair in the ring mimicking each other unknowingly on not such great footing. A crying shame.
Nick Stuart: Nova…Nova…he’s barely cognizant…
Richard Parker: I think the same could be said of Impulse…
Nick Stuart: Nova trying to grab onto Impulse…but oh my, he’s damn near tripping and falling as he does so…and Impulse is able to evade SUDDEN IMPACT! SUDDEN IMPACT! SUDDEN IMPACT!
Richard Parker: Nova took every bit of that one! Oh my Hoyt!
Nick Stuart: A damn shame! A damn shame! Cover!
ONE
TWO
THREE
DING DING DING
There isn’t a grand explosion, instead a well of boos at how this contest, action packed and furious as they come, now has a disgusting shadow lingering over it.
Vince Howard: Your winner…by pinfall…IMMMMMMMPULSE!
And as if to throw salt in the wound, the puppet master makes himself known.
Nick Stuart: BRUCE SHANAHAN!
Richard Parker: Well I’ll damn well be…
Nick Stuart: That son of a bitch Bruce Shanahan was the one who hit Nova!
Richard Parker: It just…ehhh…
Nick Stuart: Bruce Shanahan ruined this match! I just…you know…YOU KNOW…Impulse isn’t going to be happy to win like this. And Nova…
Richard Parker: I think pissed is an understatement…
In the ring, Impulse struggles to his feet, his head rocked, and Timo is there, raising his hand in victory. But none of this seems right. He quickly pulls his hand down, and with glassy vision, after seeing the crumbled form of the Risen Star, his eyes catch, for a moment, the spotlight in the crowd that illuminates Bruce Shanahan. The words he spits would surely have Cally aghast.
Unfortunately for all, the scene fades to a commercial, a spectacular showdown ruined by the machinations of MESSIAH.