Erynys Reich vs [Salem Croft]

[Cartwright]

8th April 2024 - 28th April 2024
One Day Auto-Hit or Auto-Recover

The following match is scheduled for one fall!

 

[sha312]

As Wrestlemania progressed, the energy and excitement were palpable in the air as the crowd relished in the sights of their heroes in battle. Yet many a fan, when they averted their eyes from the ring to the rafters, felt that excitement turn to tension and dread. Like a slumbering beast, the twenty foot, five ton cathedral of pain known as Hell in a Cell hung silently.

Before long, the crowd murmured as the cage began to slowly lower.

The lights begin to flicker slightly and then go out as the sound of thunder echos through the PA system. The tron springs to life as the image of black embers dancing upward appeared. Soon a light mist fills the entryway and as a soft blue light bathed the arena, the crowd hears a soft but menacing drone before the sound of a drearily played guitar. A white light slowly bloomed on the stage to show a figure dressed in black sitting cross legged in the entrance way.

As the music hit, the blue light slowly turned red as the figure stood up from out of the mist as the crowd roared its displeasure in response. Over the din, the announcer called out:

"Introducing first... From Weimar Germany, weighing in at 298 lbs...Erynys Reich!"

As the music blares, Erynys slowly made it halfway down to ring side before the arena went black. A few moments passed before single spotlight shone on the top turnbuckle where he stood staring out into the crowd, his features obscured behind a ghoulish mask. The lights go down again and when they come up a final time, the crowd sees him in the center of the ring where he sits crossed legged.

The smattering of jeers and boos mixed with some of the cheers as the crowd was still in shock and struggling to recover over what had taken place earlier in the evening.

Apathetically, he then moved to the far corner where he discarded his cloak to the ringside attendant as well as his mask to reveal a face covered in equally frightening corpse paint; his eyes blackened as the lingering result of the black mist. He sat calmly in the corner, his gaze fixed, awaiting his opponent.  

[Salem Croft]

As Eryn waited in the ring, the lights would go out across the venue, an anxiousness lingering amongst the audience while they awaited the other man in this match. Some pulled out phones in attempt to see through the darkness, others just waited to see what happened next as music began to play...

"Damn, how did we get here?
Saring down the barrel when the air around you gets clear
Fog lifted
Should have seen it coming 'cause with you - it was all business
Con with it
I tried to show you right though you was conflicted
Dog in him, even though the dog a little off in him
Never thought the dog that I raised would be offing ’em
Tried to give you peace, but the piece - you went off with it
All for the what? For the peace - what an offering

Tried to give a piecе of my mind, I would talk to them
Like they wеre my sons, not a piece, they were all of them
All of you my sons, when I feast - you get all of it
Even with the beasts, when we eat - it is all of them
I don't give a ******** about the fleets, if I wanted them
I wouldn't have to ask, I would speak, and they’d offer 'em
If I had the chance to run it back, would I?
You never need the chance if you live it like you could die..."

As the curse in the next line of the verse was spoken, plumes of fire erupted across the stage, the flickering flames revealing a lone figure standing on the platform. It was there that "Showtime" stood, fists and wrists taped, bare-chested and wearing black jeans that led down into his personalized snakeskin cowboy boots. The brim of his black cowboy hat prevented anyone from seeing Salem's eyes, but the cameraman approaching him up the ramp was able to get a shot of the firm stare aimed at Erynys, the ring announcer making Salem's introduction as he started towards the ring.

"You think I give a <********>, I'm just tryna grab the pedestal to put my people UP
I'm just tryna grab the pedestal to keep us out the MUD
Anyone who grabs the pedestal from me - you getting TOUCHED
Lock the fingers, then I, lock the fingers, then you DUST
Think you stand on solid ground, I'm reaching deep into the CRUST
And I can end it all, believe me, if I see it as a MUST
Pull the cleaver, and I'm turning all your leaders into MUSH
Been in the cut, but I been cleaning off the rust..."

"One has to wonder what's going through this young man's mind right now as Salem approaches the ring, maybe for the last time ever in the WWFG!"

"Not ME, J.R.! I've been waiting to see this for YEARS! This is what that snake gets for screwing with the BOSS!"

"This is what he gets?! He gets his partner stabbing him in the back, he gets him turning on their friends?! Cartwright has been out for Salem since he returned to wrestling, King! How can you support that?!"

"The better question is, how is Salem gonna support his kid without a JOB, J.R.! Haha!"

Tossing his hat to the crowd as he made a slow lap around the hellish chamber, Salem surveyed the unforgiving steel while fans tried to get his attention with cheers and taps, many supportive lyrics patting him on the shoulders and back as he passed by. Eventually, he made it back to the cage entrance, the official ushering him inside while ring crew quickly chained and locked the door behind the "Copperhead Cowboy" and the referee. The next time that door would open, one of the wrestlers currently locked inside would never wrestle in the WWFG again.

"I don't gotta, I just wanted you to know
I'm a problem, I just wanted you to know
Got it on me, I just wanted you to know
I don’t need to pull a trigger, I just wanted it to show
Yo Ho, you ain’t ******** with a Yonko
No, and I just wanted you to know
I don't need to rule the world, but I could do it if I chose
You a b***h, and it shows, I just wanted you to-wanted you to

Know I know that
I just wanted you to know I know that
You ain’t fooling me, b***h, I rule the Seas
If you get to spewing air - I'mma shoot the breeze
I just wanted you to know I know that
I just wanted you to know I know that
I'm who you wanna be, but you could never be
Even in your dreams, come and find me on the High Seas, rolling with the team..."

Stepping onto the canvas, Salem stared across the squared circle at the man he'd called friend, brother and partner, conflicting emotions playing behind eyes that glared bullets into the giant German. The music faded out and the house lights swelled back in, prompting the timekeeper to ring the starting bell, prompting the crowd to amp their excitement with cheers and applause, eager to see the two men fight for the first and last time.

 

[sha312]

As the cage door slammed shut and was locked and the bell rang, he hoisted himself up to his feet and moved to the center of the ring to engage in a cold staredown with a man he had called a friend and brother.

He raised a hand and held it out to see if Salem would be willing to shake it as an act of good faith.  

[Salem Croft]

Salem watched as Eryn approached and tried to offer a handshake, the gesture bringing a look to Croft's faces though he had a mouthful of oafel. Glaring at Reich, "Showtime" slapped the German's hand aside, stepping up closer and looking up at the giant with sharp words.

"You think you get to shake my hand after stabbing me in the back?! You think this isn't personal, all of a sudden?! After what you did tonight, to us?! ******** you!" he shouted angrily, slapping Reich across the face.

 

[sha312]

The entire crowd let out a collective gasp as the slap connected with the German's face and his head tilted to side as the shock and pain began to register.

"Oooooh, i don't think that was a very wise or nice thing to do J.R.

Reich blinked slowly as he flexed his jaw and slowly rubbed his face where the blow had struck him. A muscle in his jaw twitched slightly as he nodded as if to say "I deserved that." He once again tried to be the bigger man and extended his hand to his opponent.  

[Salem Croft]

Salem's mood was reflected in the attitude of the crowd, booing at the big German as Salem stared his former partner down. Eryn was trying to take a polite approach for some reason, not hours after stabbing "Showtime" and Apex in the back. Shaking his head at the returned-again gesture, Salem smacked the hand away and shoved Erynys back, the "Copperhead Cowboy" backing up himself.

"You wanted this, so let's go!" he spat, glaring at Eryn.

 

[sha312]

He grimaced and set his jaw as he was rebuffed with a slap to his hand and this time he was shoved away. He put his hands on his hips briefly before he looked to answer back with a massive right hand to Salem's face.  

[Salem Croft]

Eryn fired back with a right hand, the blow catching Croft across the chin and staggering him back a step! Rubbing his jaw, Salem smiled menacingly, the pain welcome to the "Gypsy Savage"! Nodding, Salem stepped back up to the German and spoke.

"See, now that's more like it!" he yelled, throwing a right fist back at him!

 

[sha312]

The right hand stung a little bit and Erynys gave his former partner a smile and spat back at him. "You call that a punch? My Nan hit harder than that and she's been gone for years." He looked to return the favor, this time right between the eyes.  

[Salem Croft]

Salem listened to Eryn's taunt and took it in stride, attempting to do the same with the man's punch but heard and felt the cartilage in his nose crackle at the impact! Instinctively reaching up to touch his nostrils as he staggered back a step, "Showtime" saw and felt a drop of blood smear his fingers before stepping up and returning the favor, looking to slam his fist hard into the bridge of Eryn's nose!

 

[sha312]

His eyes glinted as he saw that he had drawn first blood, but his joy was soon smothered as Salem slammed his fest into his nose and his hands instinctively went to his face. He brought them down stained crimson and his eyes widened in shock and then anger, as he would look to retort with a nasty uppercut to the jaw.  

[Salem Croft]

Both men had drawn blood, but neither had yet gained ground - a pursuit Erynys sought to achieve by throwing a stiff uppercut into Salem's jaw! Rocking his head back, "Showtime" staggered back two steps, his eyes blurry for a moment as he tried to recover!

 

[sha312]

He glared as he wiped the blood from his nose. No more games, no more being nice. He had tried to make it as least personal as possible, but it appeared that Salem wasn't having it.

As Salem looked to steady himself, he looked to press his advantage by delivering a rising knee strike.  

[Salem Croft]

Eryn connected with the knee, rocking Salem's head back and sending him bouncing into a set of turnbuckles with enough impact to knock the wind from his lungs! The crowd booed at the big man, who until hours ago had been beloved by the FG Faithful! The giant German took exception, a flash of irritation on his face as he felt scorned by the fickle audience! Salem was still rattled in the corner, but Erynys wasn't intending to stay idle long enough for their fan-favorite to recover, grabbing Salem up and lifting him over his head in a feat of strength before running and launching "Showtime" head-first like a lawn dart into the chains of the other side of the cage!

The "Copperhead Cowboy" couldn't save himself, crumpling and collapsing to the floor of the chamber where he writhed in pain, the crowd's jeers even louder for the German, now! Looking on at his handiwork, Erynys' emotions were masked behind his usually stoic demeanor, did he regret his course of action or was there a sick satisfaction he got seeing his former partner brought so low? He didn't say, but he did go to follow Salem out of the ring as the latter was barely starting to claw his way up from the ground, using the cage like a crutch to try and get back on his feet!

The German Colossus didn't attack, however - rather, Erynys reached under the ring and grabbed a steel chair, sliding it into the ring before grabbing the struggling Salem and rolling him back under the bottom rope onto the canvas! Stepping back into the squared circle, Reich would take the chair and prop it up across a nearby top turnbuckle, securing it before turning back to Salem, who was staggering to his feet! With a kick to the gut, the big man would double the "Gypsy Savage" over, snatching him up for a ruthless powerbomb into the chair atop the turnbuckle!

The chair bent a bit from the collision, Croft looking almost out cold as he was slumped with his head on the bottom rung, eyes looking glazed and half-closed! Eryn was showered with more boos, briefly glancing around at the crowd before grabbing Salem by the ankle and dragging him to the center of the ring for a cover! Hooking Salem's leg, Eryn waited as the referee approached to take the count! Dropping to the mat, the official checked the pin and counted...one...two...no! With half a second to spare, Salem's shoulder bucked up, breaking the attempt and giving the fans cause for cheers as Eryn stood up in disbelief and frustration!

Erynys grabbed Salem's skull with claw-like grip, lifting him to his feet before dropping him back to the mat with a fierce headbutt! Reich admonished the serpent laying on the ground, but whether out of anger at his resistance or perhaps a twisted sense of mercy being rejected, it was anyone's guess! Moving out of the ring again, Eryn lifted the apron skirt and reached for more weapons, this time starting to grab for a trash can! But as he was hunched over pulling it out from under the ring, Eryn failed to see Salem staggering back to his feet, desperation in his eyes as he charged towards that side of the ropes and jumped off the second cable and over, drilling Eryn's skull down into the trash can with a springboard Nap Town Stomp!

The sound of Eryn's face being molded into the warped steel was a sickening one, the giant German momentarily motionless after the impressive maneuver! But Salem appeared not much better for wear, himself - tumbling after the connection to the bottom of the steel wall! Looking visibly winded and aching, the crowd tried to inspire him to capitalize, cheering the "Copperhead Cowboy" on as he clawed at the cage to stand himself back to a vertical base! Moving to Eryn, Salem did what he could to lift the big man just enough to roll him back in the ring, looking to follow suit and make a cover of his own!

The official got into position, counting as Croft attempted the pin! One...two...no! Though he'd just taken a savage header into the steel bin, Eryn had enough in him to break the count at two, shouldering up and forcing Salem to roll to the side! This time, it was Salem who went out of the ring to fish under the apron, the audience unsure what he had in mind! Pulling out a small sack, the audience got fired up as while it had been smaller than the varieties Salem had been known to bring to the ring, this one was no less dangerous - a humble black velvet bag packed full of hundreds of thumbtacks!

Meanwhile, Eryn was starting to recover on the canvas, staggering to his feet as Salem was re-entering the ring! Taking note of the bag, the German started striking Salem with a couple hard rights to the jaw, forcing Salem to drop the bag on the mat while Eryn once again pressed on the attack to prevent their use! Stumbling back into the ropes, "Showtime" used the cables as leverage to both remain standing and rebound, firing off some fists of his own on the return! The German reeled a moment, perhaps still woozy from the Stomp into steel earlier, as Croft went back into the ropes with more vigor this time, trying to build a head of steam to come storming back into Eryn! This time, however, Reich was ready - countering the charge into a sidewalk slam that left Salem stiff on his back to pronounced boos from the crowd!

Getting back up, Eryn shook his head down at his former partner, oblivious to the crowd's opinion of him and his recent decisions as he moved over to the sack of tacks, a sick smile on his face as he taunted the audience by looking around at them as he poured the contents out on the middle of the mat near Salem, a few pins bouncing onto his writhing body! Instinctively, Croft tried to roll away from the thumbtacks, but Eryn was in pursuit, catching Salem as he tried to crawl up the ropes! Goozling the "Gypsy Savage" by the throat, Eryn indicated his intent to chokeslam Salem into the pile of tacks, an effort the crowd was happy to see thwarted as Salem broke the grip with a sudden burst of strength, chopping down at Eryn's grasping arm and looking to gouge Reich's eyes with a quick jab of his fingers!

It was a dirty move, one Salem would likely never employ under other circumstances, but with his career on the line, Croft had everything to lose and no rules to follow! Seeing an opportunity with Eryn's vision impaired, Salem ascended the nearest set of turnbuckles and looked to perhaps size Reich up for a dropkick into the pile of thumbtacks! It was not to be, though, as through his blurred sight the giant German chased Salem as he was just getting situated on the top turnbuckle, climbing the corner quickly with his size and once again grabbing Salem around the neck! With an impressive display of strength, Reich raised and swung the "Copperhead Cowboy" around, driving him back-first into the tacks with a vicious chokeslam from the top rope!

Boos turned to worried anxiety as Salem's body flopped like a bloodied fish, his eyes practically bulging from his head as he writhed and bucked from his back in agony, shiny tacks stained with the crimson quickly starting to bubble up across his back! Eryn rushed back over to the man, dropping his weight down into Salem as he hooked his leg for another cover! The referee tried to find a good position to check the pin with all the tacks now in the ring, finally finding a relatively safe spot! One...two...no! Once more, Salem managed to shoulder up, surely a result of the adrenaline the sharp tacks had instilled into him! But as he shouldered up, Salem twisted and latched his arm around Eryn's own neck while they were both on the mat, striking like his serpent namesake to snatch Reich into his guillotine choke, the Anaconda Coil! Sinking it in as deep as possible, the crowd cheered riotously as Salem twisted, beginning to roll Eryn back and forth through the thumbtacks!

Both men were struggling on the mat, each one getting stuck with needles like pincushions, neither willing to relent or submit! Thinking fast, Eryn would suddenly roll with Salem's choice of direction, using his size and strength advantage to take both of them over the edge of the mat and land roughly on the steel grates surrounding the ring, forcing Salem to relinquish his hold from the impact! Grasping his throat and feeling the sharp aches from the tacks all over his body, Eryn went red faced while "Showtime" looked slow to recover, the adrenaline wearing off faster after the sheer exertion it took to twist Reich around the mat! Though both men were struggling to stand, it was Eryn who collected himself first - charging the "Gypsy Savage with a tackling Spear into the cage wall, the chains shaking from the brutal impact!

Still somewhat shaky on his feet, Eryn stood back up as Salem seemed laid out, the big German roaring defiantly at the incensed crowd as he dragged a finger across his throat, intent on ending this affair and Salem's career as "Showtime" was slumped against the steel wall! Picking Croft up by the arm, Eryn dragged the barely standing Salem back towards the ring and rolled him in, following after! But rather than going for a pin, Reich reached to the nearby corner where the chair he'd powerbombed Salem into earlier still laid, bringing it with him to collar the laid-out serpent with! Lifting the man up across his shoulders, Salem was facing up at the lights as Reich began bouncing Croft roughly up and down, shaking him hard in a Torture Rack with the chair around his neck!

Salem looked like a rag doll, Reich intending to make the man submit in front of all his fans as the official studied Croft's face, looking for the moment to stop the match! The fans were on the edges of their seats, many across the arena standing in fear and nervousness as they witnessed what might be the last moments of Salem's career! But with a desperate burst of strength and resilience, Salem kicked his legs and twisted during a big bounce from Erynys, catching Reich around the neck and coming to the mat with his patented "Cause Of Death" Cutter, the move amplified by the back of the chair around Croft's neck tucked behind Eryn's skull on the way down!

The crowd jumped to their feet in unison, excitement palpable in the air despite both men being down flat on their backs! Blood and thumbtacks stained and scattered across the canvas, the audience anxiously watching what would happen as it seemed the first man to recover would ultimately be the last one standing! Their bodies twitched, but with a slow stretch of his arm, Salem managed to roll and get his hand over Eryn's chest, the act looking almost like a brotherly gesture but enough for the referee to make a count! Dropping to the mat, the official smacked a barren part of the Canvas! One! Two! Three! Mercifully, the ref got up and called for the bell, an eruption of cheers rattling the arena!

"YOUR WINNER OF THIS MATCH..."SHOWTIIIIIIIME" SALEM CROFT!"