Spunk Pro is back! That is right, you have read that/watched that correctly, and well, we got a show for ya! As with everything Spunk Pro, plans happen and plans change, the last time we came to you was, well, January 7, 2008, and it is now February of 2009. Oh well. Spunk hosted a Mixed Martial Arts invitational in December, and I guess decided once again to get the band back together and come out of retirement. Here we are. Last year, well, it never happened, as everybody is pickin up where they left off, because why shouldn't they?
We have a new champion in Dan Sommers, pinning Jesus X, who is still deeply embroiled in a blood feud with Zodiak. This leaves us in now what is a bit of a murky title picture. We have Dan Sommers, the undisputed Spunk Pro Heavyweight Champion and no clear contenders. One would have to think that the title picture would involve some of Spunk Pro's top contenders, with Spunk winning the REAL Tournament in December, beating the Champion with a kick to the face, knocking him out cold. On the other hand, that was not pro wrestling rules, was not a sanctioned Spunk Pro event. Then when looking back, the man with the most wins over Sommers, the fly continually buzzing around him, frustrating him, pinning his shoulders to the mat is none other than the Celtic Bruiser himself, Sean Gabriel. Before Sommers had the chance to win the title, he was pinned a number of times by the Bruiser, and the show directly before was involve in a 60 minute draw in an elimination tag involving the Bruiser himself. Actually, Gabriel cleaned house in that match, which simply turned into Gabriel vs. Sommers and essentially was left up in the air. But then you gotta factor in, well, the rest of the roster!
It looks like we might get some answers, as the show is opening up with Gabriel coming to the ring, looking determined.
Gabriel: "Dan Sommers, let me be the first to, well, publicly congratulate you, boy. You've done it, you are the champion. You have reached the pinnacle of our sport."
He paces around the ring as the fans boo the talk of Sommers. Gabriel smiles and tries to calm them down.
Gabriel: "Now now, let's be fair to the champion. Sure, it was under suspect means, sure he made a deal with the devil and sold out Jesus X, delivering him on a platter to Zodiak to get this, but let's not cloud matters further. Sommers pinned the champion fair and square."
He pauses for a moment, then clears his throat.
Gabriel: "But... This leaves everything looking a bit confusing, Jesus X, he don't want a shot at the title, he don't want his rematch. No. He wants 001 tonight, and he wants to destroy Zodiak before he reclaims his title. I don't blame him. Sommers, this leaves you without a program my boy, but I must tell you, no matte the streak you are on, I can think of a man that you can't pin..."
The fans began to cheer, chanting "Celtic Bruiser" as Gabriel smiles again, shaking his head.
Gabriel: "As you can hear, the fans, they know what man I am talking about. They know who you can't pin. I am here, Sommers. Tell that rat Seamus to make this happen. You know that this is your destiny, boy, you know that..."
The lights go out, as Dan's music begins to play and he comes out from behind the curtain with the title in his hand, it hanging down and scraping against the floor. Sommers hoists it up to his shoulder as he climbs into the ring, McFadden trailing behind him. Gabriel and Sommers face off, as Sommers holds the title right up in his face, then back around his shoulder. McFadden is shouting down Gabriel, as he grabs the mic out of his hand.
McFadden: "Sean, my boy, you are a bigger fool than I thought you ever to be! You want to challenge this man? You want to challenge the champion, Dan Sommers? The most dangerous man in the sport today? I knew you to be a fool, but this, ha, this is suicide, my boy."
Gabriel laughs as he motions for the fans to chant for him again, Sommers flipping out and kicking the ropes, spitting out into the crowd as Seamus tries to calm him down. Sommers grabs the mic from McFadden and gets right in Gabriel's face.
Sommers: "You want this? You want to feel the Nightmare? You GOT it!"
The fans erupt as Sommers throws the mic down, McFadden screaming and jumping up and down, asking Sommers what in the hell he is thinking when, yes, you got it right, more music hits. YUSUKE comes out from behind the curtain next to a loud, thunderous applause. He, as well, has a microphone.
YUSUKE: "Sean Gabriel, while you may be strong, you've had your chances, you've had your time. I've waited, and I've waited, and now is my time. Brute force against brute force is not what is needed, what is needed is technique, discipline and honor to defeat Sommers. That is me, that is YU..."
"We're Not Alone" by Peeping Tom hits the speakers, interrupting YUSUKE, as the fans erupt, chanting for Spunk, as he comes out behind YUSUKE, pushes him aside and poses for the fans a bit before grabbing the mic out of YUSUKE's hands and calling for the music to stop.
Spunk: "Apologies for interrupting this little love fest, but, have we forgotten who knocked Sommers the fuck out in just December?"
The fans go nuts as Spunk shrugs and nods.
Spunk: "Yeah, that was me. Not Sean 'I got choked out, but I'll say I was fouled' Gabriel, and it sure as fuck wasn't you, Yu. You, well, you were tapped out by him if I remember correctly. Now you think that you can beat him?"
YUSUKE nods as Spunk laughs.
Spunk: "What have you done to deserve this? I know you, know what you are ready for, and you aren't ready for this. Gabriel, Sommers, have your match. But know that I am coming for the winner. And Yu, well, YUSUKE, you think that you are big time now? Get through me first. But you better damn well hope that you beat me, because if you don't, don't think that I'm gonna go light on you. I promise that I won't. Hit my music."
His music resumes as he pushes the mic into YUSUKE's chest and stomps off to the back. It looks like our card is already falling apart and reshaping itself however the hell it wants to. Now we have Spunk vs. YUSUKE in a #1 Conteder's match of sorts and a huge, huge Heavyweight title match, DAN SOMMERS. SEAN GABRIEL. YEARS IN THE MAKING!
We were hoping that our first match would start, Havok vs. Paradigm, with Havok already in the ring and Paradigm in the back warming up, when Paddy Baker approaches him. Paradigm looks poised to attack when Baker laughs and tells him to calm down. He asks 'digm how he feels to be the little messenger boy being sent out to his death against an angry Havok, doing the dirty work for Zannino & Co., as always. They argue a bit, before Baker tells him that he knows the contract, he knows how the italians work and is willing to help him. Bianco storms in, fuming at this, saying that Paradigm "owes him a considerable debt" and can't just be "let go." Baker lays down a challenge, if Briggs and Zannino can beat the both of them, Baker will work for Bianco & Co., but if they defeat La Cosa Nostra, Paradigm's debt is paid off. Bianco laughs and accepts, telling Baker he looks forward to having another 'mick' on the crew to demean.
I guess then, Bianco sends out poor Joey Knuckles in his place. Ouch. Havok basically tosses him around and then chokes him out with the Cobra Hold over the knee, the Havoklok.
In what looks to be our original main event, the WWA Welterweight Championship, well, it has fallen apart as we cut to backstage with DEMOS assaulting Shogo Otsuka! Otsuka is laid out, bloody, and DEMOS looks, well, demonic. Officials come back to break it up and Marakuso says he is sick of OdZ running around like they own the place, he strips DEMOS of one of his titles, the WWA Welterweight Championship on the spot. If Shogo can't compete for it, neither can DEMOS. Instead, tonight there will be a Welterweight Invitational for the vacant title!
What ensued was an incredible bout, featuring 8 top contenders, including a few MPLL stars from Mexico, El Matador, M.Y. Stereo, Espirito, BARACK (Barack Obama/Rock impersonator) and a familiar face to Spunk Pro fans, Wataru Araya. Also shaDow backed out of his tag match obligation to enter, RUINER decided to represent OdZ and a surprise entrant in Juan Leche delighted the fans! The pace was breakneck, crazy submissions, big dives, double teams. I'm sure that you can imagine the insanity. The first elimination was sadly BARACK, who going for a Rock Bottom on El Matador, found himself taunting too much and blabbing about change, and ended up in a modified facebuster and then El Matador pinning him with one foot. Ouch. Espirito was outed by Araya using the Firebuster Arrow soon after. When going for a Firebuster on M.Y., Leche took this to heart and used a springboard crossbody landing on Araya for the quick 3-count! shaDow wasn't long for this world, getting fireball bombed by RUINER for the 3-count. M.Y. went for a german suplex on RUINER, only to get kicked in the balls while the ref wasn't looking and rolled up for a 3-count! This leaves Juan Leche, RUINER and, well, El Matador! R-75 by RUINER on Matador! He is gone, but for a newcomer he did extremely well! Big kenka kick on Leche, RUINER looking to keep the title in OdZ and prove himself to be just as good as DEMOS, his partner. Leche catches him with a savate kick and goes for a crossbody, only for it to be ducked, he picks up the world famous Leche, kicks him in the balls, R-75! 1! 2! 3! New champion, and sadly it is an OdZ member! The title didn't go far, that is for sure.
With shaDow out of the tag match now, this leaves eDo against Johnny Jett, the charismatic International Champion, a belt that eDo helped to make famous when we knew him as Tomohiro Ito, before he, well, went emo. It was a fast-paced and tough match, with DanDead the enforcer getting involved what felt like a few times too many. When the Red Carpet Rub was applied, he had no choice but to tap out and leave Jett with his title secured.
What followed was the contract tag match, where the stakes were high for both Baker and Paradigm. Paradigm has been forced to work under La Cosa Nostra for what seems like years now, for simply losing a match like this. Being in 'debt' to La Cosa Nostra is never a good thing, and we all know Baker and Gabriel's troubles with La Cosa Nostra. With Gabriel having his sight's set on Sommers, it looks like Baker is looking to bring somebody new into the Celtic Bruiser fold. It was another classic tag match, just like we are used to between the sides, but with Paradigm, the young crafty fighter taking Gabriel's place. This inherently made this match a lot more technical and less of a brawl. Baker and Paradigm worked well as a pair, helping each other out of a few tight spots before clearing the ring, Baker getting the shoulder breaker on Zannino after a Piledriver by Paradigm, then locking in the chicken wing armlock while Paradigm keeps Briggs at bay and Zannino is forced to swallow his pride and tap out! What a huge win, as Paradigm and Baker celebrate, Paradigm looking like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. You have to believe with a win over the tag team champs that this unlikely pair is also the first in line for a shot at the tag titles!
Jesus X is staring down the mask of the man that he created. Sorrow fills his eyes, as he understands that a lot of this man's pain is his fault. He has apologized in the past, but none of that seems to matter at the moment, as the monster has found a new master, possibly one more devious than imaginable. Zodiak has no real plan, he has no agenda, he just wants the world to burn. Jesus X is and always has been his target due to his message of redemption. Zodiak sees redemption as a lie, as a message to the weak.
Jesus X throws the figurative and literal first blow, punching 001 in the face, which doesn't even seem to affect him. More and more damage he is inflicting on the monster, who is simply absorbing it. This continues for a few minutes, with Jesus X simply running through his spots, but not really seeming to hurt 001 all that bad. He is getting hurt, no doubt, but he keeps getting up for more. Jesus X finally has him lined up for the Saviour Kick, the fans are pumped, but everybody seems on edge, it can't be this easy, can it? He goes for it, and the big man ducks under, then reaches his giant hand up to Jesus X's throat! CHOKESLAM! That just shook the ring! Jesus X is writhing on the mat as 001 picks him up by his newly grown back hair, the mane that Zodiak had claimed as his own just over a year ago (to be fair, we haven't run since then). He picks him up and then tucks him for what looks to be a powerbomb, but he hoists him up and then holds his arms, outstretched in a crucifix! Zodiak now makes his way through the crowd, hissing through his lips as he calls or him to finish it. What follows is an absolutely devastating Black Tiger Bomb, Jesus X's head bouncing off the mat... But he isn't going for the pin. Zodiak slides in under the ropes and pulls, oh no, a set of clippers out from his trunks. He is going to reclaim Jesus X's hair! Sure, we haven't run in a while, but how is this fair? The buzz is heard at ringside and it looks like this was just a set up, a public castrating! Wait, somebody just ran through the crowd, is that? LARIAT! He just took Zodiak's freaking head off! 001 pulls Zodiak's limp body out of the ring as Jesus X whispers to what looks to be D, Jesus X's estranged brother, "Damien, you don't have to, you don't have to.." D simply shakes his head and grabs a mic, declaring war on both of them. It looks like we have an impromptu tag match!
The action is hot and heavy, with Damien (as his brother called him) does most of the work, as Jesus X is still rattled by the assault. Damien seems to be doing some damage to the monster, but 001 and Zodiak are keeping their tags up, keeping the match flowing and the ring cut off. Things go awry when Damien and Zodiak spill to the floor, Jesus X is looking to dive out onto Zodiak and save his brother when he turns around to stare at the monster 001's chest! When his hand wraps around Jesus X's throat it was no surprise. What followed next was a chokeslam with speed and power unlike we've seen in a long time, Jesus X landing directly on his neck, his body crumpling on top of it, and he looks to be hurt, bad! Damien tries to tend to his brother, but this just won't work, not in a 2-on-1 situation against men, no demons like these. He has a few valiant comebacks, but it all proves to be in vain as Zodiak picks him up and plants him with the Zodiak Spike (MDII, for the uninitiated) or the text book 3-count. But they don't look done, oh no, Zodiak is calling for 001 to "finish him." 001 picks him up, hoists him up onto his shoulders and just launches him across the ring, landing on top of his already laid out brother, the downed brother's in the shape of a crucifix now. Zodiak laughs as he leaves them both laid out in the ring.
We move now to what is one of our main events, Spunk facing off with his protege, YUSUKE in a match to determine who faces the winner of Dan Sommers and Sean Gabriel. The action starts off like you think it would, looking more like a kickboxing match than a wrestling bout, with spunk finally taking it to the mat with a judo throw, an ashi guruma! This just makes YUSUKE fight harder, both men going back and forth. YUSUKE catches a high kick from Spunk and CAPTURE SUPLEX! I think it is clear at this point that nobody is going easy here, both men have decided that this match is important. YUSUKE wants to prove that he can hang, and Spunk wants to prove that he is the top fighter in Spunk Pro. The chances of this match lasting long is, well, slim, because these guys are just killing each other. This is not a pace you usually see from heavyweights, this is two men throwing everything at each other, regardless of the damage they've taken. This is a fight to the death. YUSUKE scores a tight nearfall with a high kick on the master of high kicks, which as you can imagine is a slap to the face. Spunk quickly hoists him up, MF-1, but he isn't pinning him! He plants him with a few more kicks and then goes for a german suplex, one of YUSUKE's moves! 1..2...2.999! YUSUKE is furious as he slaps Spunk a few times, German of his own! 1...2...2.99! YUSUKE gets him up again, DRAGON SUPLEX! 1...2...2.999! This is crazy, he is going for it again, Spunk with a few elbows, goes behind, German Suplex! Another tight fall! He quickly transitions into a rear naked choke! YUSUKE is in serious trouble, but he makes the ropes. Spunk has him lined up for a high kick, YUSUKE catches, CAPTURE! 1...2..2.99!! These two aren't going to be able to get out of bed in the morning, no fucking way. YUSUKE off the ropes, looking for a kneel kick, Spunk ducks. Spunk sits him up, he dashes off the ropes, RUNNING FACE KICK! YUSUKE pops back up! Spunk with a few low kicks, a mid kick, a slap in the face, savate and then, BOOM! Terminal Saikyo High kick! YUSUKE has collapsed as Spunk drapes himself over him for the 1...2...3! Wooooow. Spunk has pulled this off, but YUSUKE had him beat what felt like 8 times, you gotta think this isn't how Spunk wanted it to go.
Spunk drapes YUSUKE over his shoulder and helps him to the back in what is, well, a mixed signal.
Now it is time, it is time for Dan Sommers to have his first and possibly only title defense against a very game Sean Gabriel. Sommers was the man that took Gabriel's WILD International Heavyweight Title, his manager and Gabriel is the man who has been seeking his vengeance. It starts out with a feeling out period, also known as punching each other in the face, with Gabriel finally breaking it down and starts stretching Sommers, working him over and trying to get the pace where he wants it to be, to where he can start grinding out the punishment. He drapes him over the shoulders and drops him throat first over the ropes. Sommers staggers around, but a few well placed punches lands Gabriel into a daze, enough to get locked into an abdominal stretch. Sommers of course, using the ropes as leverage! Pulling away just in time for the ref to check, until finally ref Druid sees it and calls for the break.
The back and forth jabs and overhands continue, both men going toe to toe until Sommers starts unleashing his flurry of knees, his knees being his deadliest weapon behind his fists and his brute strength. He follows up with a few well-placed knee drops to the back o the head. Sommers then picks Gabriel up and dumps him out of the ring to catch his breath. Gabriel walks in to a few more knees, a huge running powerslam and another knee to the face, with Sommers picking up a quick 2-count, lifting Gabriel's head up at two. He follows up picking Gabriel up and powerbombing him right onto the top turnbuckle! Ouch. Gabriel tries to fight back with a few punches, but is downed by a big headbutt from the champ for another close 2-count. Sommers, uncharacteristically perched up top and a diving double axe handle! 1...2... no! Gabriel kicks out. Gabriel now fighting back with a few tight fists, school boy! 1! 2! NO! This has just upset Sommers, as he decks him and there it is, the Alabama Death Drop (Reverse DDT), 1...2...2.5! Gabriel is still game! Alabama Deathlock applied! He has it on him, but Gabriel able to get the rope break!
This is just all Sommers now, as he picks Gabriel up by the hair, who is punching away at Sommers in the ribs, but Sommer isn't even flinching as he drives him down with the sit out powerbomb! 1...2.. Gabriel kicks out with force! Gabriel off the ropes, running knee to the gut, off the ropes again and a big diving elbow! He is starting to get fired up, and a headbutt downs him and give the champ a breather. There it is, that brutal Dan Sommers backdrop suplex he is known for! This is usually a sign of things to come, and there is the sitout powerbomb again! ONE COUNT ONLY! Gabriel picks him up and shotguns him against the ropes again throat first! Gabriel going up top, diving elbow drop! The fans are feeling it! Sommers whipped off the ropes and a big back body drop! Elbow drop off the ropes! Gabriel is making this interesting! Gabriel off the ropes and nails a big lariat! He peels off his elbow pad as he calls for another! Sommers staggering up, wait! McFadden grabbed his foot, tripping him up, Gabriel turns around to shout at McFadden as ref Druid admonishes McFadden, as Sommers has peeled back his knee pad, Gabriel turns around and he finds himself up on the shoulders of Dan Sommers! The crowd is livid, screaming, shouting as Gabriel is trying to elbow himself to freedom. He got his freedom, but it wasn't the direction that he wanted. Oh no, it was a fate far worse. He came rushing down, head first onto the bare knee of Dan Sommers, the crack was heard throughout the arena as it dropped silent. Gabriel crumbled to the canvas as Sommers went to pick him up again, but he was limp, Druid pushes Sommers away, checks on Gabriel and calls for the bell. This one is over, Sean Gabriel, the Celtic Bruiser, has been knocked out cold!
Sean Gabriel, one of the toughest men we've ever seen, has been annihilated by Dan Sommers Baker and Paradigm are out checking on Gabriel as Baker looks concerned, calling for a stretcher. Sommers hoists the title over his shoulder and the look in his eyes is nothing short of demonic as McFadden pats the title and shouts into the camera about nobody being able to stop this man. For once, McFadden could be right, as he stands menacingly over Gabriel with the crew holding him back from attacking the downed Gabriel while they load him onto a stretcher.
