PETE WHEALDON vs. LARRY TACT vs. TONY GAMBLE
Eleven episodes of ReVival and two supercards in, so you know the drill. Music, pyro, and a congress of signs herald the start of the party. And we’re coming off a massive event, so there are a lot of signs.
YOU WANNA KNOW HOW TONY GAMBLE GOT HIS SCARS?
PHIL ATKEN IS A THREAT
PHIL ATKEN WAS IN thReat
MUSTACHE RIDE > CANCER
WE ARE ALONE IN A GODLESS UNIVERSE, BUY GLUE
I WANT TO BE TAKEN ON MR. PHILLIPS’ WILD POWERBOMB RIDE
REINA CAN RASP MY BERRY ANYTIME
SOLID GOLD PRESENTING
YOUNGBLOOD GLOW UP IS REAL
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THIS IS FLAMBO NUMBER FIVE
ARE WE JUST GONNA KEEP PRETENDING THAT ANNA DANIELS ISN’T SUPER HOT IN A CAPE
ow ow ow ow ow OW OW OW OW OW my ass and nuts
WHOA, BLACK BETTY, BAM BALAAM
CANCER JILES SHOPS AT WAWA
DIBS ON WOLF TOTEM
HOW COME THE BELGIANS DON’T HAVE A SUPLEX?
LET THE ANGLO LUCHADOR HAVE A SWORD
HIRE CHET FLEETWOOD YOU COWARDS
SNITCHES GET DITCHES
GUYS I’M NOT SURE IF HE DID IT RIGHT
OH YOU’RE A BOBBY DEAN FAN? NAME EVERY FLAVOR OF BASKIN ROBBINS
I HAVE A STRUCTURED SETTLEMENT AND I NEED CASH NOW
MUSHI ATE THE BUNDT CAKE
RIP SKITTLES ALIEN
And now, Nick and Richard with the recap. As they speak, we get stills of the events at GAN as they unfolded.
Nick Stuart: Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the ReVival number 11! We’re days removed from the Great American Nightmare, where Brandon Youngblood retained the Universal Championship in a classic against Impulse.
Richard Parker: Word coming out of that one is that Impulse suffered a concussion, but the tests are looking promising and he should be ready to go for our next show.
Nick Stuart: We also witnessed our first title change of the ReVival era, as Rezin was able to unseat promising young star Hayes Hanlon and claim the Five-Star Championship for himself.
Richard Parker: We’ll be seeing Hanlon in action later this evening as he takes on that son of a bitch Jiles in our main event. If Nick calls that one solo, it’s because I’m in the back vomiting in protest.
Nick Stuart: Our first Intense champion was crowned when Mortimer Kjetelig, Anna Daniels, The Anglo Luchador, and sentimental favorite Ria Nightshade battled in a 4-way barbed wire ropes match. The Anglo Luchador emerged victorious after a hard-fought battle…
Richard Parker: And tons of blood loss.
Nick Stuart: But equally as big in the match was the appearance of PRIME hall of famer Tony Gamble, who we’ll see in action in just a few moments.
Richard Parker: It’s a testament to everything that PRIME has done over the last six months that some of the company’s biggest names are ready to sign-on as part of the revival!
Nick Stuart: And in the main event of Great American Nightmare, we saw the finals of PRIME Survivor unfold as Fighting For Nora took on the Blue Live Crew, and with it the debut of a new partner for King Blueberry! In the end, the berries were victorious, capping off a string of weekly challenges with an all-timer inside the ring!
Richard Parker: I still think it was suspect that he wasn’t forced to compete with the mannequin, but even I have to admit that the ravishing Raspberry was an upgrade.
Nick Stuart: Replays are available on demand here on the ACE Network, but now it’s time to head to the ring where Vince Howard has the introductions!
The view of the camera shifts to the ring, where Vince Howard stands ready.
Vince Howard: The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first…
As feedback careens into pounding drums and a maximalist wall of guitars, synthesizers, bass, and vocals, the lights begin to oscillate in white seemingly random number pattern generations.
Vince Howard: Weighing in at 227 pounds, he hails from Los Angeles, California… PEEEEEETE! WHEAAAAAAALDON!
Pete Whealdon steps into the chaos of sound and light. A cigarette hanging gamely from his lips, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, zipped up over his bare chest.
He stands still as the chorus of “All Futures” By The Armed is screamed out by gang vocals..
ALL FUTURES.
DESTRUCTION!
With that, he makes his way down to the ring, removing his hands only to ash his cigarette. Reaching the ringside area, the next chorus explodes out of the growing chaos again. Whealdon puts his cigarette out on the sole of his boot and slides under the bottom rope, before moving to his corner, and replacing his hands in jacket pockets.
“Pieces of Man” by Drown plays over the arena speakers as the lights cut out. Royal blue lights flicker on the stage while golden spotlights scan the crowd. They settle on centerstage where Larry Tact stands. He opens his arms and puffs out his chest, soaking in the crowd’s reaction before bellowing and making his way down the ramp, the spotlight following him. As he walks, Larry critiques some fans at ringside with petty insults before arriving to the ring, glaring at his opposition. He pulls himself up using the ropes and walks slowly along the apron before wiping his boots and entering the ring. He stretches using the ropes before bouncing from side-to-side.
Vince Howard: From Manhattan, New York… Weighing in tonight at 260 pounds… LARRY! TAAAAAAAACT!
Nick Stuart: There’s only one competitor yet to make his entrance. The ReVival era is drawing names from across the spectrum of professional wrestling, including some old, familiar faces…
“You think I’m funny… Funny how?”
The unmistakable voice of Joe Pesci irritates the eardrums right before Metallica’s ‘Better Than You’ begins to blast through the PA System, the calling card of Tony ‘The Grin’ Gamble. He walks out at the same time the music kicks in, passing a quick arrogant glance toward the crowd before making his way toward the ring once the lyrics of the song kick in.
I look at you, then you me
Hungry and thirsty are we
Holding the lion’s share
Holding the key
Holding me back ’cause I’m striving to be
Vince Howard: Making his way to the ring… From Las Vegas, Nevada…
Footage from Revolution 94 when Gamble locked The Illustrious Face Eater into his ‘Smile For Me’ submission and won the Internet Title plays.
Better than you
Better than you
Better than you
Better than you
Vince Howard: And weighing in tonight at 187 pounds…
Tony takes his time walking up the ring steps, staring into the ring for a few seconds with his left hand on the top rope, before ducking between the top and middle rope to step into the ring. Footage from Revolution 106 plays, where Gamble slams Kenjiro Ito face first into the mat with his ‘Stop Laughing At Me’ signature move.
Lock horns, I push and I strive
Some how I feel more alive
Bury the need for it
Bury the seed
Bury me deep when there’s no will to be
Vince Howard: He is… THE GRIN… TONNNYYYYYYYYY GAAAAAAAMBUUUUUUHHHHHHL!!
Another clip shows, this one from the Great American Nightmare; where Tony Gamble became the Five Star Champion by pinning Chandler Tsonda.
Better than you
Better than you
Better than you
Better than you
Nick Stuart: After years away from the ring, PRIME hall of famer Tony Gamble steps foot into a ring for the first time tonight.
Richard Parker: And it sure was nice of Lindsay Troy to let him out of that broom closet in time for the match.
DING DING
The three men circle for a moment as the bell sounds at the start of the opening contest, and then Pete Whealdon dips to the outside and lights up a cigarette.
Nick Stuart: We’ve seen this before from Whealdon in matches like this, using the opening moments to allow his opponents to wear each other down.
And wear each other down they do, as the much larger Tact manages to get his hands on the wily Gamble, and unleashes a flurry of strikes.
Nick Stuart: Probably not the reception that Gamble wanted, but no doubt the one he expected.
Richard Parker: (deadpan) Yes, Nick. Everyone thinks, “gee, I can’t wait to get hit in the face during my first match back.”
For his part, Whealdon leans against the ring post taking a drag, and tapping out his ashes on the floor. Inside the ring, Gamble gains the upper hand with a thumb to Tact’s eye, and then a hard stomp to the foot. This draws some half-hearted clapping and a thumbs-up from Whealdon. It’s only when Gamble snaps Tact to the mat with a DDT that Whealdon stomps out his smoke and slides into the ring.
Richard Parker: Break time is over.
Whealdon draws Gamble up before he can go for a cover with a rear waistlock, and a German suplex sends the Grin down to the mat.
Richard Parker: Hey, Nick, do you ever wonder why Belgians don’t have their own suplex?
Nick Stuart: Yes, Richard, I saw the sign, too.
Gamble rolls through the move onto his knees, and despite the heavy landing he’s ready when Whealdon charges in, catching him in a double leg, hoisting him into the air, and planting him with a turning spinebuster. The Grin lunges, trapping one of Whealdon’s arms in a leg scissor and tries to roll through, attempting to trap the other arm.
Nick Stuart: Gamble looking to end this match quickly. He’s trying to tie up Pete Whealdon in “Smile For Me”.
Richard Parker: The man’s been around a long time, Nick. He knows you don’t get paid by the minute. Get in, win, get out.
A running stomp by Larry Tact breaks up the hold before Gamble can lock it in. A series of punches creates an opening, and a gutwrench suplex drives Gamble to the mat. With Whealdon momentarily disabled, Tact moves in for a cover.
ONE!
Nick Stuart: Larry Tact is seconds away from picking up his first win here in PRIME!
TWO!
But Gamble gets his shoulder up before Whealdon can break up the count.
Richard Parker: Not yet, Nick.
Gamble rolls out of the ring for a moment to get his bearings, leaving Whealdon and Tact alone in the ring. The two exchange a series of stiff forearm shots, the latest shot from Tact rocking Whealdon and staggering him. Tact uses the opening to get some momentum off the fair side ropes before connecting with a jumping knee lift. The force of the knee sends Whealdon stumbling back into the ropes, and he rebounds off with a stiff lariat that takes Tact off his feet.
Both men groggy inside the ring, as Gamble starts to lurk outside, peering just above the ring apron, smiling that trademark grin and waiting to make his move.
Whealdon is to his feet first, and he strides toward Tact to continue his offensive, but Tact’s tank is deep, and his ring acumen strong, so he’s quick to adjust his stance.
Nick Stuart: And now it’s Larry Tact’s turn, planting Pete Whealdon with a spinebuster of his own!
Richard Parker: But here comes Gamble!
Gamble, having dipped down again out of view, reaches into the ring and trips up Tact, bringing him down to the mat before sliding him out of the ring between the canvas and apron.
Nick Stuart: Tony Gamble up on the ring apron. It looks like he’s thinking high-risk here.
Gamble heads to the top, testing the ropes beneath him as he looks for a moonsault, but this is his first time in a PRIME ring in over a decade, so his footing is unsteady and he has to catch himself to stave off a tumble to the outside.
Nick Stuart: Gamble’s been out of the game a while. It looks like he’s got some ring rust to knock off.
Tact finds his opening. He moves underneath Gamble, knocking his legs off the rope and catching him across his shoulder.
Nick Stuart: Running powerslam by Tact plants Tony Gamble in the center of the ring!
Tact pulls Gamble back up to his feet and looks to connect with the Humbling, his trademark uranage, but releases his grip when he catches sight of Whealdon charging in with a kick. Whealdon’s foot narrowly misses both men, but the move leaves him off balance and vulnerable to retaliatory strike from Tact.
Nick Stuart: Whealdon in trouble! Tact looking to end this now… STARBREAKER!
Richard Parker: Hope Pete knows a good chiropractor, because he’s gonna need it after that.
Nick Stuart: Tact with the cover, he’s got the leg hooked…
ONE!
TWO!
Richard Parker: Gamble!
Before the referee’s hand can hit the mat a third time, Tony Gamble dives at Larry Tact, connecting with a forearm shot to the base of the neck to break the cover and stop the count. He pulls Tact off, landing a few additional shots before throwing him between the ropes to the outside.
Nick Stuart: Tony Gamble might have just stolen this win from Larry Tact.
Richard Parker: There’s a reason he’s in the hall of fame, Nick. The man knows what he’s doing.
Nick Stuart: But he’s wasting valuable time here.
The Grin leans over the ropes, delivering a few choice words to Tact before flashing that trademark smirk to the camera. But by the time he returns his focus to the other man in the ring, a wobbly Pete Whealdon has already made it back to his feet.
Nick Stuart: CHEERS PRICKS!
Richard Parker: Nicholas Stuart, what would your mother say if she heard you talking like that?
Nick Stuart: Tony Gamble turned right around into Whealdon’s trademark backfist!
The hand connects hard with Gamble’s jaw, blasting the grin off his face and into the 4th row. He hits the mat, and Whealdon all but falls on top of him for the cover.
ONE!
Nick Stuart: Tact back on his feet outside the ring…
TWO!
Using the ring apron for leverage, Tact pulls himself up and starts to crawl under the bottom rope.
Nick Stuart: Can he make it in time to stop the count?
Nope.
THREE!
DING DING DING
Vince Howard: The winner of this match… PETE! WHEAAAAAALDOOON!
Nick Stuart: Pete Whealdon with a huge win tonight over a PRIME Hall of Famer. We’ve got to take a quick commercial break and then we’ll be back with more action!