The Triad Challenge (Part 2)

Madoka Kawada: And his partner in the first round. 

Balmer walks out with a tank-top and denim jacket with skull patches on it, as well as a black ski mask with a skull painted on it. He drops the jacket and tank top at the entrance before marching to the ring. 

Madoka Kawada: This is “The End” Aiden Balmer!

Christine Donahue: With all the introductions finally out of the way for this match, let’s do a quick rundown as to some of the rules Splat uses for all their matches, including for the Multiuniversal Championship.  First there are no countouts in Splat matches. There is a 40-minute time limit for each match. If the match is not decided at that time, both teams will be eliminated. The winning team in each first-round match will go on to face their tag team partner in Round 2. 

Biff Franklin: While the referee is groping these wrestlers, checking for foreign objects, it will be interesting to see if any match goes over the 40-minute time limit because that automatically makes the final match a triple threat rather than a four-way. 

The two teams stand in their corners, working out who starts first. Aiden Balmer seems intent on starting which prompts Adrien Cochrane to just give an “as you wish” wave to the ring. He’s not gonna argue with someone so hungry to get in there. Meanwhile, on the other side, it looks like Jan Van Der Roost and Morgan Payne are discussing things a little more calmly. In fact, it looks like Payne’s gonna start and Van Der Roost is offering some of his veteran knowledge. He slaps her on the shoulder as she starts hopping on her feet, loosening up. Van Der Roost and Cochrane get out onto the apron. Aiden Balmer rolls his shoulders and nods his head, ready for war. Morgan Payne bumps a fist across her jaw a couple of times.

The bell rings.

Aiden Balmer comes out of his corner looking to tie up but Morgan Payne comes out with her fists up, ready to throw hands. They circle the mat, carefully watching each other as their tag partners for the match look on. Balmer starts taunting Payne to come to lock up with him. “C’mon, little girl!” He dwarfs her by about a foot and 115 pounds. Balmer keeps taunting Payne. She finally stops and straightens out of her stance. Very calmly and with a lack of amusement in her face, she turns her fists and throws Balmer two middle fingers and quite clearly can be seen telling Balmer to suck something that she doesn’t have. 

Biff Franklin: Morgan Payne is a feisty one, isn’t she? I like her already. Looks like Balmer likes her too.

Balmer’s killer grin just widens and he steps in for the lock-up but Payne shoots in to meet him, going under his arms and grabs one of his legs, throwing all of her weight into his lower body. Low Single Takedown brings Balmer to the mat and Payne immediately goes for a Calf Slicer but he pushes her off with a boot and sends her rolling across the mat. Payne pops up into a crouch and as Balmer gets up to his feet, she comes in fast for a running Sok Tong but as she jumps and cocks up her elbow for the strike, Balmer catches her around the waist, spins her around and just Spinebusts the hell out of her right onto the mat so hard she bounces a bit.

Christine Donahue: As much as I hate to admit it sometimes, someone’s size can certainly come into factor during matches like this.  

Aiden Balmer comes up to his feet with a roar to the crowd and a taunt to Jan Van Der Roost, pointing at Morgan Payne as she rolls out of the ring to get her bearings back. Balmer comes over to the ropes and Payne springs on him! Tries to anyway. She grabs him by the foot and tries to yank him down to the mat but even with her deceptive strength, big Balmer is able to brace his feet and he finally kicks her in the head through the ropes to get her off. Payne stumbles into the commentary table and Balmer follows her out. He grabs her by her ponytail and just slams her face into the tabletop. 

Christine Donahue: We might want to step back.

Balmer hoists her up overhead with a Gorilla Press and just drops her onto the table itself but it doesn’t give out under her 130lb frame. Balmer laughs and pulls her off, lifting her up again and tosses her through the top and middle ropes, back inside the ring. 

Biff Franklin: Splat doesn’t wimp out on tables. They get the kind that’ll survive an avalanche.

Payne hits the mat but immediately comes to and starts getting to her feet. She just makes it up as Balmer slides back in and starts rising. Jan Van Der Roost is asking for a tag but first Payne charges in at the rising Balmer and this time, she nails SOK TONG with authority! Her elbow comes smashing down onto the crown of Balmer’s head and he drops again. Payne contemplates going at him some more but all she does is grab the top rope and start stomping away at him, starting to curse him out in Italian before the referee reaches 4 and Payne backs off, walks over, and tags in Jan.

Christine Donahue: Jan Van Der Roost is entering this match for the first time. 

Biff Franklin: I’m surprised I never had any run-ins with the Rooster. Of course, he probably avoided all the places I wrestled. Most people did.

Christine Donahue: Did they now? Unlikely.

Jan Van Der Roost introduces himself into the match and to Aiden Balmer, lifting him to his feet and setting him back in the corner where he starts laying into his chest with stiff chops that sound with a SMACK each time he hits. Van Der Roost lays into him more with a couple of European Uppercuts before running to the opposite corner and coming back for a corner clothesline but Balmer comes out of the corner he’s in with a big boot, leveling the Rooster and going for a cover.

ONE!

T--!

 He picks Van Der Roost up and throws him into his team’s corner where he tags in Adrien Cochrane. Cochrane gets into the ring and Balmer starts laying into Van Der Roost with hard rights and kicks to the midsection until the referee - and Adrien Cochrane for that matter - get him to back off and get onto the apron. Cochrane pulls Van Der Roost out of the corner and backs up a bit. The fans applaud as Cochrane extends a hand of good sportsmanship to his opponent. Rooster shakes out the cobwebs and accepts the handshake. The two circle around before locking up and engage in a rather impressive display of veteran chain wrestling. Van Der Roost and Cochrane engage in back and forth arm drags and takedowns ending with Van Der Roost going for a dropkick but Cochrane evaded and as Van Der Roost popped up to his feet, Cochrane floored him with a dropkick that was just heavenly!! So much that the fans popped and applauded for the man known as The Dropkick King.

Biff Franklin: Not gonna lie, they don’t call him the Dropkick King for nothing. 

Christine Donahue: You don’t say? You’re on a roll tonight.

As Van Der Roost works his way back to his feet, Cochrane decides to shoot for a big one and gets out onto the apron. Fans know what’s coming as Van Der Roost makes it to his feet and Cochrane springboards off the ropes, coming in for the CRESCENT CITY CONNECTION--but NO!! Van Der Roost scouts it and steps out of Adrien’s range as he comes down. Cochrane also scouts and is able to land safely on his feet but he eats a headbutt from Van Der Roost who follows up with a Running Clothesline off the ropes and goes for a cover.

ONE!

TWO!

Biff Franklin: We might have our first victory… or maybe not.

But Cochrane kicks out and Van Der Roost tags Morgan Payne back into the match. Payne gets right down to business as Cochrane makes it up to his feet. He’s heading over to tag Balmer back into the match but Payne runs in just as he’s reaching out and catches him under the arms in a Full Nelson hold and snaps the 190lb man off his feet, over her head and down onto the mat with a bridging Dragon Suplex!

ONE!

TWO!

Cochrane kicks out again! As he comes up to his knees, Payne starts laying into him with stiff Muay