The camera cuts to the back to see Zadie Chen clad in her floral gear and domino mask, and Sarah Esposito in a new tiger-striped sports crop top and trunks. The two of them are chatting and warming up.
A.B.: And there we see two members of Empress Ngozi's team in the upcoming main event. We first saw them at the draft: Zadie Chen, the 7th overall pick and Sarah Esposito, the number 1 draft pick. They would actually team together at that same event against the newly formed Francophone duo of "Socialite" Seraphina Dubois and "Emperor" Talon.
Shamoon: Yeah, and Esposito tossed Talon around like a sack of potatoes and pinned him.
Dominga: I'm still not sure about her, but I'll admit that was fun to watch.
A.B.: She definitely has an opportunity to prove herself, yet again, tonight, but now, it's time for our next match.
A bopping pop track plays with some male vocalists singing about a woman of incredible beauty. Seraphina Dubois, in her frilly, bee-inspired gear, walks out like a runway model, holding up her arms and splaying her fingers to loud boos.
Briar Lane: The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from Montréal, Québec, Canada, standing 5 feet 7 and weighing in at 132 pounds, "SOCIALITE" SERAPHINA DUBOIS!
Dubois slowly makes her way down to the ring, flicking her hands at the crowd in disgust.
A.B.: The 19th overall pick at the draft. A fourth-generational talent.
Shamoon: Yeah, what family does she come from again? Who was her father?
Dominga: Oh, come on, Aaz. Do your research! Her father was... Wait, who was he again?
Shamoon: So, you don't even know.
Dominga: Just give me a minute. I have it written down. (checks notes) "Diamond Eyes" Damas Dubois...
Shamoon: I'm a wrestling fan, born and raised in Canada. I have no idea who that is.
A.B. (leans over): Her grandfather was... the "Great Golden" Gabrielle Dubois. I can't say I'm familiar.
Dominga: Okay, hold on. Her great-grandfather was the... X-... Xe... Xenogenetic... Xylophi... Xylophylic... Xarles... Dubois... Yeah... uh...
Shamoon: Those are not real words.
A.B.: Well, they are actually. Xenogenetic refers to something of foreign origin. Xylophylic means having an affinity for wood. Dubois is French for "of the woods", so I suppose it makes sense.
Shamoon: I think she made these guys up. Who the hell is named Xarles?
A.B.: Well, wrestling is full of niche circles. And regardless of her pedigree, her in-ring ability is certainly legitimate.
Dubois wipes her feet while entering, throwing up her splayed fingers once more.
Shamoon: Speaking of "pedigree", where's the "Emperor"? I thought they were... close?
A.B.: To answer that, we have to go back to last night at Ascension. You both remember Talon interfering in the Tectonic Triple Threat.
Dominga: How could I forget? He had the audacity to put his hands on Dennis Zázrak's perfect body!
A.B.: Talon assaulted his former tag team partner, Zázrak, and tossed him over the guard rails in an effort to cost him the match as revenge for Zázrak abandoning him at the Super Fight in November.
Dominga: And just like he's done his entire career, Talon FAILED and Zázrak walked out as the perfect champion- (starts crying) I WANNA GO TO FIGHT PIT!
A.B.: Talon was fined an undisclosed sum and suspended from tonight's episode.
An energetic Samba beat plays. The stage is lit with a neon purple colour. Festa, her shoulders, face, ribs and back taped up, rolls forward into a cross-legged sitting position, "Ow!" The lights change to red, she lifts herself to a knee and backflips, landing in a superhero pose, "Ow!"
A strobe effect of green, yellow, white and red is created. She gets up and skips to the ring with a spaced-out look on her face, holding out her arms and waving them like a tubeman, "Ow!"
Her eyes are pink tonight.
The crowd cheers her on. Dubois audibly laughed.
Shamoon: Oof, she looks rough.
Briar Lane: And the opponent, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, standing 5 foot 6 and weighing in at 129 pounds, LUISA FESTA!
A.B.: The fallout from Ascension continues. Luisa Festa was the 4th participant in the cage match to crown the first-ever Bloodbath Champion. She fought valiantly, but-
Dominga: Valiantly? She was bounced around that cage like a basketball. She did NOT belong in that match. And now, she's going to be easy pickings for Dubois.
Shamoon: I mean, you have to give her credit for even showing up tonight.
Dominga: I don't have to do anything. This is a tough business. If you can't handle it, go home.
Shamoon: There's just no winning with you, is there?
Dominga: No, but it's cute of you to keep trying.
Shamoon: You just called me cute.
Dominga: Shut up, Shamoon!
A.B.: Are you two done?
Referee Atoye Bonds calls for the bell. Festa rolls her shoulders, while saying, "Ow!" over and over. Dubois shakes her wrist with a confident smirk. The two of them lock up, and Dubois immediately counters into a standing wristlock into an arm wrench.
Dubois keeps the wristlock cinched tight, stepping around Festa and torquing the arm high. Festa winces, drops to a knee, then rolls forward, relieving the pressure and popping back up only for Dubois to seamlessly go behind and transition into a hammerlock.
A.B.: Seraphina Dubois is very composed here. No wasted motion. She’s isolating that arm, forcing Festa to constantly react.
Festa tries a back elbow with her free arm, but Dubois ducks it while still keeping the hammerlock and performs a back suplex, bringing Festa's own weight down on her arm.
Dubois shoves Festa chest-first into the ropes, yanks her back by the arm and snaps her down with a crisp arm drag, flowing directly into a grounded armbar. Festa kicks her legs, bridges, then rotates her hips, attempting to thread her leg over Dubois’ head, but Dubois anticipates it, stepping over and floating into side control, pressing her knee into Festa’s ribs.
Festa: Ow!
Dominga: She’s dissecting her.
Dubois grinds her forearm across Festa’s face, then hooks the near arm and rolls into a Fujiwara armbar. Festa claws at the mat, hits the canvas in frustration and manages to inch toward the ropes.
A.B.: Festa’s BJJ background is saving her here. She knows how to survive positions that would already be over for most wrestlers.
Dubois releases at four, rises smoothly, and shakes out her wrist, smirking. She pulls Festa up and snaps her down with a snapmare, then a sharp penalty kick to the spine.
Festa: OW!
Dubois follows with a short knee to the back and a chinlock, grinding Festa down.
Crowd: Festa! *stomp* *stomp* Festa! *stomp* *stomp* Festa! *stomp* *stomp* Festa! *stomp* *stomp* Festa! *stomp* *stomp*
Shamoon: Luisa Festa has been taking a beating since Ascension. You have to wonder how much is too much.
Dominga: She can tap out any time.
Festa plants a foot, slowly rises, and tries to peel Dubois’s hands away. Dubois responds by rolling her over and trapping her arm again, this time stepping over and dropping into a cross-arm breaker, but Festa reacts instantly, clasping her hands, tucking her chin, and rolling through, pulling Dubois over her shoulder into closed guard.
A.B.: That was instinctive. Festa just dragged this into her world.
The crowd murmurs as Festa throws up her legs, fishing for an arm. Dubois pulls free just in time, standing and stomping Festa’s legs aside before dropping a knee between them and shoving her back flat.
Dominga: Nice try. Didn’t work.
Dubois hauls Festa up and hits a smooth Russian leg sweep, floats over for a pin.
A.B.: Cover here. Kick out at two, by Festa!
Dubois exhales sharply, annoyed now. Festa sits up, so she performs a crucifix pin.
Atoye Bonds slides in: One! Two!
Shamoon: She’s still in this!
Dubois tries another pinfall, and Festa kicks out again.
Shamoon: When has that ever worked? Why do they always do that? If someone kicks out, pinning them again isn't going to make them unconscious.
Dubois drags Festa to her feet once more, holding her in a front facelock. She then attempts a swinging neckbreaker.
A.B.: Dubois going for the French Kiss, but no! Festa slips out. O'Connor Roll! Pinning predicament! Dubois kicks out!
Festa uses the momentum from the kick out to run the ropes and charge at Dubois. She then leaps, spins around hits the Quebecois in the face with a flying hip attack.
Festa: Ow!
Shamoon: Volleyball by Festa!
Dominga: Did she just hit her in the face with her butt?
With Dubois down on her back, Festa takes hold of a leg, then does a spinning toe hold and grasps the other leg, crossing them into a "4". She then spins into an inverted Figure 4 Leglock.
A.B.: Samba Lock by Festa! Dubois is screaming. Trying to crawl to the ropes.
Dominga: She's going to break her legs!
A.B.: Dubois is inches away from the r- No, she taps out. Dubois taps. The pain was too much.
Festa releases the hold, and Dubois dramatically clutches her knee. The Afro-Brazillian struggles to her feet, clutching her... everything and smiling as the crowd cheers.
Shamoon: And with that, Luisa Festa has just scored her first W in PSW.
A.B.: A much-needed bounce-back win.
Dominga: I don't get it. Dubois was working Festa the whole match and no tap. She gets caught in one submission hold, and it's over.
Shamoon: Dubois is a wrestler. Festa's a wrestler and a grappler.
Dominga: The hell is the difference?
A.B.: That BJJ background. That is the difference.
Dominga: Whatever, she got lucky with an incompetent opponent. That's all.
Dubois is still crying on the mat, as if her leg is broken. Bonds isn't buying it and simply raises Festa's hand.
Festa then spins around in an almost trance-like state while doing her strange tubeman dance.
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