WAYBACK WEDNESDAYS #5: The Match That Changed EVERYTHING

Alright, folks.  We’re finally done with the Cold Blooded homage, and ready to branch out into the wide, open world of non-January wrestling.

Although it’ll be only appropriate if we pay one last visit to One Night Stand in a couple of weeks.  Hint hint.

Anyways, just a couple of days ago, on the fan forums, I introduced the concept of the Lineal Championship- a belt that could only change hands by a challenger pinning the champion.  It could only be on a pinfall, submission, or knockout, but it didn’t matter what match type it happened in- one on one, tag, triple threat, whatever.

You can view the full rules and title history here: http://ffw.freesmfhosting.com/index.php/topic,3638.msg13282.html#new

Notice that the title’s NOT going to be defended tomorrow night.  That match is a tables match (x2!), and there aren’t any official falls in there. 

You might notice a trend here.  The lineal championship follows the FFW Championship pretty closely to begin with, for about the first year and a half.  Only once does it deviate, thanks to a pinfall in a Unity Championship match where Val pinned then-champion Emma. It’d hop over to Scarlett, where it would be reunited with the top belt once she beat Isabella Pazzini for the Championship at Full Frontal. 

And then October 29, 2011, it leaves the FFW Champion and never ever comes back.

Again, the culprits a Unity Championship match, oddly again involving Katherine Stryfe, who entered the match as the first double champion in FFW history, holding both the FFW Championship and the Unity Championship as part of the Eternal Flame.  But this one created a MUCH more bizarre situation than the previous one.  The woman doing the pinning and thus gaining the lineage- Arianna Millar- had only made her FFW debut nine days prior! 

It’s one of the most remarkable rises in FFW history.  After winning Season 4 of Future Shock, Desirae Kain had a choice to make on which belt she would challenge for.  Instead of taking a normal singles title, she elected to go after the Unity belts, and recruited Arianna to the cause.  Millar, who’d really only ever been in SVW’s controversial T&A division, was an odd choice of partners, but hey, she liked pink.

And after a warmup match on October 20 against the Danger Queens, the aptly named Pink Inc made their move.  And the rest, as they say… is history.

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BREAKING POINT #24- PORTLAND, OREGON- OCTOBER 29, 2011

(Match written by John) 

 Ben: The following match is scheduled for one fall and is for the FFW UNITY TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP!!

“Happy Boys & Girls” by Aqua hits the PA, and the crowd cheer. Desirae & Arianna walk out, raising an arm each before twirling. Desirae charges the ring as Arianna skips happily down behind her, both sliding under the bottom rope. They climb adjacent turnbuckles, waving to the crowd.

Ben: Introducing first the challengers, at a combined weight of 261lbs, the team of Arianna Millar and the Future Shock Season 4 Champion, Desirae Kain... PINK INC!!!

Mark: Desirae Kain claims the prize she won in Future Shock tonight and surprised just about everyone by going outside the company to bring in Arianna Millar as her partner.

Erica: They beat the Danger Queens last time they were on FFW Television and they couldn’t ask for a much better warm up than that.

As the haunting melody of "The Crow and The Butterfly" begins to play over the pa system, the arena dims down as purple and pink strobe lights dance around ringside. Up on the rampway, the shadows of two females could be seen. The crowd gives out a mix reaction as two spotlights showcase Katherine and Rebbecca, the two ladies slowly make their way to ringside, ignoring the fans and once they reach the ring, they both roll under the ropes and slid on their knees letting out primal screams.

Ben: Their opponents at a combined weight of 212lbs they are the FFW UNITY TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, the team of Rebbecca Valentine and the reigning FFW CHAMPION Katherine Stryfe.. ETERNAL FLAME!!!

Mark: Last time we saw the Tag Team Champions in action, they were on the wrong end of the decision against Bounce & Pounce at Byte This!

Erica: Tonight they have all the gold on the line and they’ll not want to be part of an upset again.

As the bell rings, Katherine Stryfe steps out of the ring leaving Rebbecca Valentine to face off with Desirae Kain to start the match off. Moving toward each other the pair lock up going back and forth before Valentine manages to exploit her slight height and weight advantage to force Kain onto the back foot, toward the ropes. As they reach them Kain shifts her weight slightly to turn it to her advantage and leaps onto the ring ropes delivering a springboard arm drag only to see Valentine land on her feet and take off toward the opposite ring ropes. Coming back with a clothesline that Kain ducks underneath and takes off into the ring ropes only to see Valentine stop, turn and catch Kain with a dropkick that knocks her to the mat.

MH: Valentine starts the match and I have a feeling in this defence she’s going to have to do all the heavy lifting. Kitty did quite the number on Kat’s knee in her FFW Championship defence and she can’t possibly be one hundred percent tonight.

EH: The price of being a double champion - just like the price of eating a dodgy takeaway is a night talking on the porcelain telephone.

Valentine gets to her feet a hair before Kain, and shows no mercy as she lays into one half of the challengers with a series of rapid fire blows before hooking her head and delivering a snap suplex. Again Valentine is back on her feet almost immediately and drives an elbow into Kain’s chest and makes the cover.

MH: Valentine’s trying to steal this one early, maybe a little too early?

One...

EH: If she steals it then it’s a short day, otherwise, well she’s still in control and hasn’t lost a thing.

Tw-Kickout!

As Kain kicks out, Valentine is once again all over here, pulling her up to her feet, driving knees into her and doubling her up only to drive her head first into the mat with a DDT. As Kain is pulled to her feet she tries to mount some offence driving a forearm into Valentine’s stomach again and again, breaking free she runs to the ring ropes but it all turns out to be for naught as she is immediately taken back down to the mat with a Japanese arm drag. As the pair hit the mat, Valentine rolls backward into the mount position on Kain and begins to drive her fists into the challengers face, before wrapping both hands around her throat, breaking the choke at the referee’s count of four. Ignoring the referee’s reprimand, Valentine continues the attack as she drags Kain to her feet, locks in the side head lock and walks her over to the Eternal Flame corner, tagging in Katherine Stryfe.

MH: A quick tag for Eternal Flame. These two ladies have held the tag titles for a long time and their additional experience is starting to show it’s benefits.

EH: This is where we get to ask serious questions over Kat’s health in this one - and I don’t mean ‘Who let the dogs out?’

Katherine quickly joins her trainee in grasping Kain and lifting her up and dropping her backwards with a double suplex. As Valentine leaves the ring, Stryfe gets up to her feet and climbs up the inside turnbuckle to the middle rope and delivers a leg drop across Kains throat.Pulling Kain up to her feet, Stryfe delivers an open hand slap across her cheek before snapmaring her into a sitting position and delivering a flipping front neckbreaker, using her momentum to get to her feet and delivers a dropkick to her face, once more sending her backward onto the mat. Stryfe hooks the leg and makes the cover.

MH: Another pin by the Eternal Flame and Desirae is in trouble, the Future Shock Champion is being dominated by the FFW Champion and her tag partner.

One...

EH: Kain has heart, we saw it in the Future Shock final and that’s the reason that she’s even here tonight.

Two...

...TH-Kickout!!

Kain manages to kick out and manages to get to her feet as Stryfe hangs back, sizing her up and absolutely nailing her as soon as she is vertical with a spinning heel kick that sees Kain keel backwards, hitting the mat hard. Stryfe is far from finished though as she takes hold of the ankle and drags her back to the Eternal Flame corner and tags in her partner. Once more, Kain is on the receiving end of a double attack as both members of the Eternal Flame deliver leg drops on the downed girl. Pulling her to her feet, Valentine sets Kain up again into a Half Nelson suplex. Once more Kain is pulled to her feet and sent into a neutral corner, Valentine making the quick tag to Stryfe and gets into position as Stryfe charges in and leapfrogs over Valentine into a splash only for Kain to telegraph it and get her feet up, driving boot leather into the FFW Champions face. As the tag champions collide, Kain steps up onto the ropes and delivers an enzugiri to the back of Katherine’s head that sends her onto all fours allowing Kain to use her as a stepping stone to leap onto Rebbecca’s shoulder and snap off a hurricanrana. As Kain gets to her feet, she spies Kat making her way up from her knees and stops her in her tracks with a rolling liger kick trapping Stryfe against the turnbuckle. Kain manages to make it to her feet as Stryfe staggers in the corner and takes the opportunity to deliver a Tornado DDT.

MH: More good teamwork from Eternal Flame, exchanging quick tags and cutting the ring in two. Ari’s pretty much a spectator, but the moment she gets in the ring, Eternal Flame are in huge trouble, I can tell.

EH: You can tell?

MH: Yeah, a wife gives off certain signs that a husband has to learn to pick up on if he wants to survive.

Lying back on the mat, Kain takes a couple of second to gather herself, before rolling onto her front and crawling toward her corner, she makes the tag to Arianna Millar who hits the ring as Stryfe gets up to her knees and charges at the FFW Champion diving from her feet as she approaches and into a shoulder block, rolling backward and makes the pin.

MH: Here we go!! Business is pinking up right here!!

One..

EH: Arianna has Katherine Stryfe reeling. She can spell upset right?

Two...

...NO!!

Katherine Stryfe kicks out of the pin attempt as Arianna Millar pulls her up and into an Atomic Drop, quickly followed by a dropkick to her shoulder blades that causes Stryfe to hit the ropes chest first, Arianna rolling her up into a school girl pin as she bounces back.

EH: This is it! Ari’s going to do it!! I tell you this is the end of the match! NEW CHAMPIONS!! Remember I called it now!! Violent Femmes, Jo - are you watching? This is your future bitches!!

One...

MH: Erm.. She is in there with the FFW Champion, you know. Stryfe’s didn’t get there by being a push over to beat you know. In fact she’s a pretty tough competitor!

Two...

...NO!!

Stryfe again kicks out, sending Millar into the ropes and as Pink Perfection comes back, Stryfe delivers a drop toe hold sending Arianna face first into the mat. The two girls get to their feet at the same time, Arianna tries to get the upperhand by unleashes a vicious slap to Stryfe’s chest, only to be the recipient of a similar blow from one half of the Tag Champions. Again and again and again they exchange blows, before Stryfe gets the upperhand and attempts to land a spinning neck breaker only for Arianna to push her away and counter with a swinging neckbreaker of her own. Arianna wastes no time as she pulls Kat up into a jawbreaker. Quickly she moves into her own corner and tags Desirae back in. With Stryfe getting to her feet, both members of Pink Inc deliver a dropkick to her and pull her up, Millar lifting her up into a slingshot suplex, driving her opponent into the mat as Kain springboards of the ring ropes and lands a moonsault onto the champion, holding on for the pin.

MH: Good tag work from Pink Inc. The Violent Femmes and Jo McFarlane won’t know what hit them at the next Breaking Point!

One...

EH: For now though Pink Inc. had better concentrate - just like Orange Juice - on the Eternal Flame otherwise the Violent Femmes and Jo will just be meeting the Flames latest victims.

Two...

...THRE-NO!!

Rebbecca Valentine makes the save as she enters the ring and drops an elbow right to the back of Desirae’s head, causing her to roll off and out of the pin, holding the back of her head in pain. Valentine is ushered out of the ring as Desirae manages to get to her feet and looks to put Stryfe away with a standing moonsault - only for Stryfe to get her knees up. Kicking her legs as she holds her midsection, Desirae rolls onto the apron meanwhile Stryfe crawls toward her corner. As she dives and makes the tag Desirae is pulling herself up to her feet on the apron. As Valentine approaches, Desirae drives her shoulder into her midsection three times, before finally standing up straight and catapults herself back into the ring, delivering a flying forearm into her face. From her back, Desirae kips up straight into a hurricanrana. Desirae makes the pin once more.

MH: Stryfe managed to get out there and Rebbecca Valentine finds herself in the firing line.

One...

EH: Desirae doesn’t seem to care who is in there with her, she’s ruling the roost right now.

Two...

...THR-NO!!

Desirae pulls Rebbecca to her feet and looks to whip her into the ropes only for Rebbecca to reverse it and send Desirae into the ropes where she leaps onto the second rope with a springboard spear.

MH: Overnight Sensation!! Desirae’s picking up the win after Arianna got the ball rolling for her team.

EH: NO!! She saw that one from so far away she had time to write herself a letter and get it delivered to herself by the Post Office and move out of the way! Valentine’s turned the match on it’s head!!

Valentine does indeed have it scouted, side-stepping the spear and taking Desirae down with a facebuster. With both girls down, the referee starts a ten count, both women responding on three as try to make their way to their respective corners. Valentine getting their first and tagging in Stryfe who tries to get to Desirae and pull her up short, managing to grab her ankle in the nick of time. As Kat pulls her back, Kain gets to one foot and hops up and down as she still reaches for the tag and lashes out with a kick to the left knee of Stryfe that takes it out from under her, sending her to one knee. Getting her feet under her once more, Desirae steps up onto Stryfe’s bended knee and delivers a huge shining wizard to the back of her head. Landing she pushes off from the mat and makes the tag to Arianna who charges right across the ring, landing a dropkick to Rebbecca as she is between the ropes entering the ring sending her to the outside. Meanwhile Desirae pulls Stryfe up, lifting her into a suplex and placing her onto Arianna’s shoulders before running into the ropes, hitting a huge cutter as Arianna slams Kat into the mat. As  Arianna hooks both legs and rolls her up in a pinfall, Desirae gets to her feet and once more heads to the ropes diving over the top of them with a moonsault that causes Rebbecca to crash into the barricade. The referee slides into position and makes the pin.

EH: Desirae exploited Stryfe’s knee injury!

MH: PINK EXPRESS!! Kat Stryfe’s been drilled into the mat! Pink Inc. might have just snapped her in two!! She is NOT kicking out after that!!

EH: Moonsault!! Desirae’s making sure Rebbecca stays outside and can’t save her partner!

One...

Two...

….THREE!!!

EH: Millar picks up the win!! She’s pinned the FFW Champion!! This is a MAMMOTH upset!!

Ben: Your winners, via pinfall...and NEW FFW UNITY TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, the team of “Pink Perfection” Arianna Millar and Desirae Kain... PINK INC!!!

MH: Eternal Flame have been shellshocked here tonight!! Once again they are on the wrong end of an upset!!

EH: She may have had an assist from Desir- What the Hell?!?!

No sooner had the announcement been made did Ben find himself dispossed of both his microphone and his seat as Colleen and Arabella climbed over the barrier. Arabella immediately slid into the ring, with the steel chair in hand and as the referee raises Arianna’s hand the Future Shock rookie taps the chair on the mat and the moment Arianna turns around she crashes the steel into the side of her head, spinning her around and sending blood flying as she dropped to the mat. Arabella immediately switching focus and repeatedly slamming the chair into the body of Katherine Stryfe - in particular her knee and head.

MH: NO!!! NO!!!! The Violent Femmes are here and they are ruining Pink Inc’s victory party!! This is a disgrace! Where the hell’s security?!? We need them down here NOW!!

EH: Look at that chair!! It’s so dented it looks like Arabella hit a picasso painting!!

Meanwhile on the outside, Colleen attacks Desirae with the microphone, before picking up Rebbecca and dropping her throat first over the barricade, then choking her using the steel. As the Eternal Flame stops struggling, Colleen lets her go and goes back to Desirae once more
driving the microphone into her forehead, followed by a number of stern right hooks, before rolling her back into the ring and following her in. As she pulls her to her feet, she calls over to Arabella who is stomping away on Arianna and the Italian measures up for a chair shot that never comes as Wendy Briese hits the ring at a sprint to a huge pop from the crowd and yanks the chair away from Arabella. Tossing the chair to one side she drives her foot into Arabella’s gut doubling her up and delivers a gutwrench power bomb to her.

MH: YES!! WENDY IS IN THE HOUSE!!! FFW’s White Knight is making the save!! Desirae, Wendy and Ari are owning the Violent Femmes right here, right now and that’s after winning the tag titles in an hellacious encounter!!

EH: And now the set’s complete - Jo McFarlane’s incoming!! Wendy better watch her back here.

MH: It’s breaking down right here but Ari’s stirring and the odds are evening up now!!

Colleen pushes away Desirae and meets the rising Wendy with a barrage of right hands that Wendy returns in kind, the crowd exploding it a huge boo as Jo McFarlane rolls into the ring, twirling her kendo stick and swings it violently into Wendy’s back. Colleen doesn’t let up the shots on Wendy as Jo again fires in another kendo stick shot on the red head - at least not until Desirae gets to her feet, catching her arm and spinning The Franchise around and straight into a jumping kick to her chest. Arianna manages to recover and tackles Jo from behind, sending the kendo stick flying as Arabella manages to get to her feet, holding her back as she goes after Wendy Briese only for security to hit the ring en masse and pull the opposing factions apart.

MH: Security and the 82nd Airborne are in the ring and just about managing to keep the peace. There’s no love lost between these six! The fuse is let and at Breaking Point this Powder Keg’s going to provide a bigger kaboom than any pyro Mr. Showtime ever let off!!

The chaos in the ring continues as Breaking Point fades off the air.

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One hell of a brawl finished the show, to boot! 

Sadly, Arianna’s reign as the lineal champion would only last two weeks.  At the next Breaking Point, she would be pinned by Jo McFarlane in a trios match, who would take control of the title.  Desirae Kain would actually gain the lineage herself for a bit over a month after a win over Kaitlynn Stryfe in early may, but surrender it to Wendy Briese in June, a match also notable for kicking off a monstrous 14-match winless streak that proved the beginning of the end of poor Desirae’s career.

Pink Inc, though, would hold onto the championships until Cold Blooded 2012, when they lost the belts to Bounce & Pounce.  However, after Bounce & Pounce would be stripped of the belts 18 days later, Ari and Desi would shine again when they won a triple threat match at Chaos Theory to reclaim the belts.  Sadly, their second reign would be mired in tension and distrust, with the two girls turning on each other almost immediately after losing the belts to Team Adonis.  Today, neither woman is in FFW, although Arianna’s in SVW, now with the surname Manning, having divorced from husband Johnathan “Crazy Crazy” Millar.

Kat Stryfe would lose her other title to Stacey a month later at Violent Night, and The Eternal Flame would make an unsuccessful rematch attempt for the belts in December, then quietly split apart to go amiably in their own directions.  Rebbecca Valentine would struggle, eventually departing the company less than a year later.  Katherine Stryfe would also struggle for a time, but would regroup to win the Evolution Championship, becoming the first ever Grand Slam champion in the process, before she too would depart, only to make a recent return just a few days ago.

The lineal championship is now enjoying it’s third reign with Caroline Stark.