RFW #107 Results
Date: 12/07/2024
Location: Hershey, PA
This is it. The last show before Final Round 2024. This season has been jam packed with drama, action, and brutality! You think it couldn’t get any hotter? Think again. I’m Shawn Roberts, the voice of RFW, and I have all the details on this year’s final regular season show in Hershey. Ready, Rapid Fire Fanatics? Here we go!
Old Friendship Strained
We started things out with Mia Mercury coming to the ring to talk about the history between herself and her Final Round opponent, RFW Wildheart Champion Meghan DeWitt.
“Next week’s title match carries a lot of weight. I want to be a two-time Wildheart Champion but Meghan and I are old friends. We were tag team champions together once. The two of us in this huge match is a dream come true but the thing is... Meghan has been different since joining The Diamond Peak. She never needed Claudia Winter and I wish she could see that.” -Mia Mercury
Did Claudia Winter show up with DeWitt to confront Mercury? Of course! Winter brushes aside Mercury’s comments and tours DeWitt’s greatest successes as part of The Diamond Peak. Not untrue!
Things got interesting from here. Shannon Worth came out to interrupt this quarrel. Worth, no stranger to life in The Diamond Peak, agreed that DeWitt saw her career take off with Winter but knows first-hand that Winter will just use her and cast her aside.
Tensions got hot from here and all four nearly came to blows until RFW Commissioner Tiger Johnson and his assistant Delilah stepped in to announce that Shannon Worth and Mia Mercury would compete against Meghan DeWitt and Claudia Winter in a tag team match later on this show.
Andre Jordan Spotlight
The RFW Grand Championship has had quite a year with champion Mark Blood defending it weekly against all comers. His final opponent for 2024 is at Final Round against Andre Jordan.
We were treated to a special video package showing Jordan exercising and training alone, with his girlfriend Lucia Mendez, and with his high school wrestling coach. Jordan sat down in front of the camera to send a message to the world about his mindset going into the biggest match of his career.
“Final Round. It’s the biggest RFW show of the year and I step into the ring with arguably the greatest Grand Champion we’ve had to date. Mark Blood. I have a lot of respect for you, Mark. You have taken our championship and elevated it to new heights. The thing is, I’ve been in RFW a long time. I got goals. I gotta get movin’. I called my shot for Final Round and this is a must win situation. I cannot lose. I will not lose. I will be RFW Grand Champion.” -Andre Jordan
I like the man’s confidence! We got to hear from the champion later in this show. Stay tuned.
Settle it in the Ring
Hector Diaz has had his troubles with Ruslan Panov in recent weeks and came to the ring ready to settle things in the ring. Diaz called out Panov and challenged him to an impromptu match that Panov accepted without hesitation.
As for the match, well, wasn’t much of one. These guys brawled in the ring, out to the floor, out to the crowd, and out into the parking lot! Obviously, this one ended in a double countout. The parking lot brawl was stopped when Tiger Johnson, earning his paycheck on this night, stepped in and told Diaz and Panov this fight could not happen but they could settle their differences in the ring at Final Round.
Add one more grudge match to an already stacked Final Round! Hector Diaz vs. Ruslan Panov? Yes, please!
Knockout
We went back inside the building, back into the ring, where Annika stepped through the ropes with a microphone and a simple message.
“I’m not in the mood for a long monologue so I’ll keep this simple. Yurei. You keep wanting to knock me out? Let’s make it official. Next week at Final Round. A knockout match. You and me. It doesn’t end until one of us is knocked out cold.” -Annika
Yurei stepped out to the aisle, nodded eagerly to make the match official, and slapped her arm cast signaling her weapon of choice when these two collide next week.
The Final Round Concert is On
So much anger and violence this season, huh? I always like chilling out with some music and so does Jessie Vega’s representative Lee Lee Hunt. Hunt approached an already agitated Tiger Johnson with a plea to give Vega the opportunity to perform a concert at Final Round.
“All I’m asking for is a little time for Jessie to perform a couple of songs. Add some variety to your show! Quite honestly, RFW could stand to grow its audience. Jessie Vega is a growing pop music star and she works here. You should be making the most of this opportunity.” -Lee Lee Hunt
I don’t think Johnson was sold on Hunt’s tactics but he looked frazzled, threw up his hands, and agreed to give Vega some time for a concert at Final Round.
Old vs. New
Kimberly Kennedy was backstage with The Elements, Tommy V and Marcus, to discuss their upcoming title match against the RFW Tag Team Champions, The Navigators.
Tommy V sounded confident in their chances against the reigning champs and Marcus criticized The Navigators for their actions last week.
“It’s funny how these guys talk about how great they are, yet they attacked from behind last week. These guys are your champions? They seem awfully afraid of us, and they should, because they know in one week’s time we will carry those belts.” -Marcus
The Navigators walked in and denied fearing The Elements or any other team. Aidan North touted their success as a tag team all over the world and have won titles everywhere they have wrestled. Pete Arrow had some criticism of his own to share.
“You two sound so confident, yet while we’ve been around the world putting in the work, where have you been? It’s been a decade since NRWL was running. What have you been doing since then? How must rust do you need to shake off to defeat a well-oiled machine?” -Pete Arrow
Both teams have a good argument. I wouldn’t count out The Elements by any stretch, though The Navigators have proven themselves the team to beat in this business. We’re going to know who comes out on top next week.
Mark Blood Spotlight
We saw Andre Jordan training and talking about his chance for glory against Mark Blood. The RFW Grand Champion had a video package of his own for us to enjoy. Blood was shown running through neighborhoods in his hometown of Philadelphia, training in the ring with students from his father’s wrestling school, weight training, and studying videos of Jordan’s matches. The champion had his own words for his challenger.
“I like you, Andre. You’ve come a long way, you’ve had your successes, you’ve overcome failures, you keep working hard. Yeah, anyone could have challenged me. Anyone. But you not only challenged me but you earned the right to challenge me. I am excited for this match. But Andre, you need to understand that the weekly open challenge hasn’t been about giving someone their fairytale moment. I have no intention of stopping. I have every intention of being RFW Grand Champion into 2025. I will win this match. I just hope you are prepared for that.” -Mark Blood
Strong words from Mark Blood! The champion has been battered and bruised but intends to continue this impressive reign. I can’t hide my excitement for this match. Is it Final Round yet?
No Holding Back
Next week go from one Blood family member to another because our cameras caught Tracy Blood backstage approaching her Final Round opponent, Cate Stiles. These two have had a long rivalry here in RFW and Blood came to Stiles to tell her she knows they will have a great match and neither one of them will hold back.
Stiles took a long look at Blood before saying anything but admitted she felt the same way.
“You and I are not friends and I don’t think you came here to try and change that. We have been through so much together. Final Round is going to add to this story. I know I will walk away proud of what we do next week. I can’t leave that ring without giving any less than my best.” -Cate Stiles
On that note, Blood mentioned that she heard a rumor, then dismissed the camera crew so she and Stiles could speak in private.
What rumor were they discussing? Honestly, I don’t know! But I’d love to know. What a tease, Tracy. What a tease.
The Makings of a Champion
Our very own Kimberly Kennedy was center of the ring for an interview with RFW World Champion Kassidy Fortune and her challenger at Final Round Kami King.
Kennedy recapped the series of matches Fortune and King had throughout our Rapid Fire Festival this past summer and asked Fortune what she thinks of facing King one more time. Fortune said she knows King well, knows she can beat her, but admitted King is more determined than she was a few months ago and that makes her dangerous. Fortune stopped being complimentary and said if any self doubt exists in King’s mind she will fail.
King admitted Fortune got the better of her in the past but said she is at the top of her game now and, much like she has in previous weeks, King pointed out that Fortune is nursing injuries and no matter how confident she is none of it matters if her body won’t hold up.
That one got under the champion’s skin but maybe not to the effect King was hoping.
“You keep saying this! Stop it. Sure, I didn’t win this title without some wear and tear. Have you looked around RFW lately? Everybody is beat up! It’s part of the job, honey. It’s part of being the champion. If you truly believe you can beat me, good for you. Let’s say you do win. Are you prepared to carry the responsibility of being RFW’s top champion? Are you cut out for this? I think you want it but I don’t think you know what you are in for.” -Kassidy Fortune
With that, Fortune wished King good luck and extended her hand that King reluctantly shook. The World Champ walked away while King stayed in the ring and watched her leave and I’ll say this, King had a hint of worry on her face. This one is going to be highly competitive.
Shannon Worth and Mia Mercury vs. The Diamond Peak (Meghan DeWitt and Claudia Winter)
Our main event was up next pitting RFW Wildheart Champion Meghan DeWitt and Claudia Winter against the impromptu pairing of Mia Mercury and Shannon Worth. You’d think Worth and Mercury would be at a disadvantage here due to never teaming up before but they performed surprisingly well early in this match.
DeWitt turned things around for The Diamond Peak and did most of the work for her team as Winter stood on the apron and taunted Worth. DeWitt missed a flying knee and Mercury was able to quickly capitalize by rolling her up into a pin. Winter stepped in to break the pin but caught a right hand by Worth for her trouble. The match turned into a brawl in the ring until Worth dragged Winter out of the ring and body slammed her outside on the floor. Back in the ring, DeWitt found herself victim to Mercury’s flying elbow and Mercury pinned DeWitt to win the match.
Mia Mercury celebrated in the ring alone because Shannon Worth continued to beat on Claudia Winter until Meghan DeWitt recovered and pulled Winter to safety. Worth laughed as DeWitt helped Winter to the back but despite the save from DeWitt, Winter looked quite frustrated with her Wildheart Champion!
Ok, Rapid Fire Fanatics, that’s all the time we’ve got for this week. Be sure to check in next week for the results of our grand finale, Final Round 2024!