Post by TheShowJordanRichards on Apr 15, 2019 11:12:43 GMT -5
This event was split into two sessions on April 13, 2019 (afternoon and evening). First round matches had 10-minute time limits. Second and third rounds had 15-minute time limits. The final round had a 30-minute time limit. The commentary posted will be minimal for the sake of brevity and the event will be input as a single entity.
The live stream opened with an impressive video package.
Madusa Miceli: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Spectrum Center in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina! We are here for the first of two sessions! By the end of the night, one team will be left standing and will go on to take part in the 'Gauntlet' match at Spring Stampede to determine the NWA World Women's Tag Team Champions! I'm your hostess, Madusa. I'll be joined on commentary by my partners in crime, Renee Young and Charly Caruso! Our special backstage Interviewer is the host of NWA: Show Time After Buzz, Cathy Kelley! It's going to be a fantastic day!"
Renee Young: "Duce, this tournament is going to feature some of the very best tag teams in the world currently and of years gone by!"
Charly Caruso: "I am so happy to be here on commentary for this once-in-a-generation tournament! Let's do it!"
Miceli: "You said it, Charly! Without further adieu, let's go to the ring to kick off this tournament! (Ring Announcer) Jessica (Rose), take it away!"
Match One ~ 4 "The Hive" (Rosemary & Dark Allie with Priscilla Kelly and Sienna the Savage) vs. 13 "Team Crazy Cute" (Maki Itoh & Mizuki)
All first round matches had ten-minute time limits. Nowhere near that amount of time was needed for this mauling. Maki Itoh is as tough as nails and crazy to boot, but she and partner Mizuki were no match for the sadism that awaited them. Rosemary and Allie took apart their opponents with great fury, realizing they would need to conserve energy moving forward. They dismantled them and pinned Mizuki after "Red Wedding."
Winners = "The Hive" by pinfall in 5:08
Match Two ~ 5 "Kuretsu Sisters" (Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino) vs. 12 "The Dollhouse" (Brooke Adams & Santana Garrett with "Hot Mess" Chelsea Green)
We know how tricky the 5-12 matchup can be in the NCAA basketball tournament. Well, this was no different. The Bantamweight Tag team Champions controlled the bulk of the action. However, at the end, Chelsea Green became the wild card. She tripped the foot of Aino as she was attempting a "Superplex" on Adams. Brooke fell on top of Yuki for the controversial pinfall.
Winners = "The Dollhouse" by pinfall in 7:37
Match Three ~ 6 "Four Horsewomen of MMA" ("The Supernova from Moldova" Marina Shafir & Jessamyn "The Gun" Duke with "Queen of Spades" Shayn Baszler) vs. 11 "Bada** Besties" (Toni Storm & "Vixen of Violence" Viper)
This was a case of overseeding for one team and underseeding for another. Storm and Viper are two of the best in the business. The problem is that they don't team very often since Storm globe trots defending the NWA Intercontinental Women's Championship. Shafir and Duke are recent Impact Tag Team Champions, thus getting a higher seed despite their relatively short time as a team (one year officially). The experience edge for the "underdogs" showed, as they used great tandem offense and cunning to win. A Storm "Headbutt" to Shafir staggered her right into the "Viper Driver."
Winners = "Bada** Besties" by pinfall in 8:14
Match Four ~ 3 "Sky Pirates" ("Ōjo Kaizoku" Kairi Hojo & "Genius of the Sky" Io Shirai) with Manami Toyota vs. 14 Princessa Azul & La Baronessa
This easily was the match of the first round. Our first look at the newly-signed luchadoras did not disappoint against one of the most dynamic tag teams on planet earth. This was a super fast-paced match. Both teams flew all over the ring. There were several oohs and ahhs from the crowd and more than one chant started ("This is awesome!," "Women's wrestling!," "Fight forever!," etc.). Eventually, it came down to a miscue. Azul went for a "Twisting Senton" that was missed. As she lay prone writhing in pain, Kairi and Io dispatched of Braonessa and hit the top ropes in opposite corners. Io nailed her vaunted "Moonsault" while Kairi soared with her "Diving Elbow Drop." It was all over.
Winners = "Sky Pirates" by pinfall in 9:11
Match Five ~ 7 "The IIconics" (Jessie McKay & Peyton Royce) vs. 10 "Sadistic Tails" (Kana & Mio Shirai)
this was another match that had a controversial ending, as Kana cinched in the "Kana Lock" on Royce, who began tapping out. However, McKay had the referee's attention, so the fall wasn't counted. Hikaru Shida and Syuri, who lost to their former stable mates this past Thursday on the latest episode of Femme Fatales, interfered. They trashed Mio and dropped Kana with a "Double Penalty Kick." Royce was able to cover easily and get the three-count after McKay turned the referee around.
Winners = "The IIconics" by pinfall in 7:56
Match Six ~ 2 "The Four Horsewomen" ("Money in the Bank" Mercedes KV & Bayley Rose) vs. 15 Kikyo & Takako Inoue
The legendary Inoue "sisters" (current Trainers) were on hand to throw their hats in the ring against the current Impact Tag team Champions. They put up a whale of a fight, but it was not to be. KV and Rose are a well oiled machine and much quicker and more athletic at this stage of their careers. They eventually got the win with the "Backstabber/Bayley-to-Belly" combination.
Winners = "The Four Horsewomen" by pinfall in 8:12
Match Seven ~ 8 Hikaru Shida & Syuri vs. "B.O.O.T.Y. (Beauties Obsessed with Owning This Yard)" (Salina de la Renta & Aria Blake with Brandi Lauren)
This was a very evenly matched battle, as confirmed by the seeding. In a turnabout's fair play scenario, "Sadistic Tails" came out for an attempted interference in retaliation for what happened in match five. Shida and Syuri were alert and thwarted it. But, it caused them to fall victim to their opponents. They were dropped with Stereo "Superkicks" and Syuri was pinned after an "Assisted DDT."
Winners = "B.O.O.T.Y." by pinfall in 9:23
Match Eight ~ 1 "Fly Kicks" (Dakota Kai & Nixon Newell) vs. 16 "Jumping Bomb Angels" (Itsuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno)
Itsuki and Noriyo defy logic and time in many respects. They still can go, although both are fully retired. they stay in excellent shape and do a match here and there. The top seed and Tag Team Champions, "Fly Kicks," are one of the most dynamic and beautiful teams in the sport. It was obvious who would win, but the match was more competitive than it had the right to be. After quite a bit of back-and-forth, a "Kai-O Kick" and "Shiniest Wizard" did Tateno in.
Winners = "Fly Kicks" by pinfall in 8:43
This was the end of the afternoon session. The live stream picked back up for the evening session later on.
Match Nine ~ 4 "The Hive" (Priscilla Kelly & Sienna the Savage with Rosemary and Dark Allie) vs. 12 "The Dollhouse" (Brooke Adams & Santana Garrett with "Hot Mess" Chelsea Green)
This was the first grudge match scenario presented in the tournament format, as the initial targets of "The Hive" were members of "The Dollhouse," specifically Garrett. The bad blood still existed, as Garrett personally was on a mission. Ultimately, her ire got herself in trouble. She had Kelly in the corner and was wailing on her. She refused to break at the five-count, then shoved down the referee. This earned a bell ring and DQ.
Winners = "The Hive" by disqualification in 10:14
After the match, both teams brawled to the back.
Match Ten ~ 3 "Sky Pirates" ("Ōjo Kaizoku" Kairi Hojo & "Genius of the Sky" Io Shirai) with Manami Toyota vs. 11 "Bada** Besties" (Toni Storm & "Vixen of Violence" Viper)
Once again, Hojo and Shirai had the match of the round, this time against the hard-hitting Europeans. All four ladies have battled individually in the past, so they were very familiar foes. Storm and Shirai renewed their epic rivalry from Stardom that resulted in a 30-minute masterpiece a couple of years ago. The largest woman in the match took on the smallest as Kairi and Viper engaged a tit-for-tat sequence. The scintillating end sequence came after Kairi dispatched of Viper outside the ring after a "Suicide Dive." Inside the ring, Toni hit "Storm Zero" on Io. As she went for the cover, Kairi came off the top and landed the "Diving Elbow Drop" to the exposed back of Storm to break up the pin. Io then hit the "Moonsault" to finish it off.
Winners = "Sky Pirates" by pinfall in 13:56
After the match, there was a four-way handshake, hug, and mutual show of respect.
Match Eleven ~ 2 "The Four Horsewomen" ("Money in the Bank" Mercedes KV & Bayley Rose) vs. 7 "The IIconics" (Jessie McKay & Peyton Royce)
Winners = "The IIconics" by pinfall in 8:13
"The Four Horsewomen" were livid after the controversial loss. They protested to the referee, but the decision stood.
Match Twelve ~ 1 "Fly Kicks" (Dakota Kai & Nixon Newell) vs. 9 "B.O.O.T.Y. (Beauties Obsessed with Owning This Yard)" (Salina de la Renta & Brandi Lauren with Aria Blake)
Order was restored after the last huge upset. Kai and Newell overwhelmed the former Trios Champions with their educated feet. They took out Lauren and de la Renta after a "Kai-ropractor" pinned Lauren.
Winners = "Fly Kicks" by pinfall in 8:47
Match Thirteen ~ 3 "Sky Pirates" ("Ōjo Kaizoku" Kairi Hojo & "Genius of the Sky" Io Shirai) with Manami Toyota vs. 7 "The IIconics" (Jessie McKay & Peyton Royce)
The Japanese contingent was the first to punch its ticket to the finals after a fantastic performance against the upset-minded "IIconics." McKay and Royce tried to use trickery to gain another fall over a higher seed. But, this time, it was not to be. Royce and McKay's planned double-team backfired and they hit each other, which allowed Kairi to scoop McKay in a "Schoolgirl Roll" for the flash pin.
Winners = "Sky Pirates" by pinfall in 13:19
Match Fourteen ~ 1 "Fly Kicks" (Dakota Kai & Nixon Newell) vs. 4 "The Hive" (Dark Allie & Priscilla Kelly with rosemary and Sienna the Savage)
It was all chalk on the top half of the bracket, as 1 and 4 advanced to the semis. The third different combination of "The Hive," a brilliant strategy which makes them almost impossible to scout, nearly pulled the upset. But, they were denied by the acumen of the top team in the bracket. Newell dropped Allie with "The Shiniest Wizard" and scored the pinfall to set up the dream finals.
As announced earlier in the day on www.nwafemmefatales.com, an added attraction saw Ronda Rousey put her Women's Championship on the line against a former champion in Charlotte Flair, where both of their respective factions were barred from ringside. Both women were interviewed by Cathy Kelley before the match.
Match Fifteen ~ NWA: Femme Fatales Women's Championship ~ "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair
Winner and STILL NWA: Femme Fatales Women's Champion = Ronda Rousey by disqualification in 18:30
Flair continued the beat down after the bell until officials removed her.
Match Sixteen ~ 1 "Fly Kicks" (Dakota Kai & Nixon Newell) vs. 3 "Sky Pirates" ("Ōjo Kaizoku" Kairi Hojo & "Genius of the Sky" Io Shirai) with Manami Toyota
Match of the tournament, pure and simple. Perhaps the two best teams fielded put on a clinic. Neither team could sustain the advantage because both were so good at counter wrestling. We thought we had reached an impasse as the pairings used every ounce of remaining strength to fight, going the distance in thirty minutes.
Winners = time limit draw in 30:00
The crowd gave them a standing ovation. Then GM Karlee Perez came out with a microphone.
Karlee Perez: "What a night! What a tournament! And, what a finale! Both of these teams deserve to go to Spring Stampede, am I right?! But, we have a problem. The match went the entire thirty-minute time limit. So, there is no definitive winner. That does not work. The NWA will only allow one team from each organization to enter the 'Gauntlet' match. In other words, we must have one winner. With that being said, ladies, I hope you have something left in the tank, because we're going to sudden death overtime! The first fall wins!"
The crowd roared as all four ladies looked at one another intently. They summoned what they had left and went at it again. After another five minutes, Kairi caught Kai in the "Anchor." Newell tried to break it up, but Io had her legs from the outside. Kai had no hope of getting to the ropes as Kairi basically had her folded in half. She was forced to tap out.
Winners = "Sky Pirates" by submission in a total match time of 35:06
All four ladies crumpled after the bell, knowing they literally had left everything in the ring. It was several minutes before they arose, finally giving the crowd another pop with a group hug before leaving the ring.
Miceli: "What a day! Sixteen huge matches culminating in 'Sky Pirates' being crowned the representative for NWA: Femme Fatales in the World Tag Team Title 'Gauntlet' in just over a week! Fans, that's all for us here. For Renee Young and Charly Caruso, I'm Madusa! Keep on rockin' and rollin'!"