Paradise City Live Broadcast
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Paradise City! If you are just joining us, it’s time for the main event, and it will take place in a steel cage,” Jude Paul says as the steel cage is lowered from the ceiling over the ring.
The cage is a massive, twenty-foot-high, five-ton steel mesh structure that completely encloses the ring and ringside area.
“Once each competitor is inside, the door will be chained shut and padlocked, leaving only our three competitors inside.”
The announcers are interrupted by the sounds of Grady Chandler’s music ripping through the arena.
“Thank God,” Scott Harrington mumbles as the duo makes their way down the ramp. Their appearance is met with a chorus of boos.
Grady leaves his hand on the small of Harper’s back, guiding her through the door of the cage. The referee shakes his head, pointing back up the ramp. “She needs to get out. You know the rules, Chandler.”
Grady scoffs, waving him off. “She will. The match hasn’t even started yet. Relax, old man.”
Harper rolls her eyes, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she poses in front of the ring while Grady poses on the apron.
“Once that cage is locked, Harper won’t be much aid to Grady, Jude. I’m not sure why he thought bringing her out here was a good idea,” Scott says.
This time, their comments are interrupted by the second challenger, Wolf Bennett. When he steps through the entrance, fans chant his name, and he smiles, shaking hands with as many as he can on his way down the ramp.
“Wolf Bennett will enter the cage for the sixth time in his career tonight,” Jude says. “That puts him at an advantage over his opponents. The champion, Colin Ryker, has only participated in one other cage match, while Grady Chandler has two under his belt.”
“It will be interesting to see how much of that veteran knowledge Wolf uses tonight,” Scott says.
Walking through the door, Wolf keeps an eye not only on Grady Chandler but also on Harper, who flits around the ring. She smiles and wiggles her finger in his direction as he climbs the steps of the ring. Once more, the crowd roars as he stands in the center, arms stretched out wide.
“Oh, and here comes the champ!” Jude says when Colin Ryker stalks out with the belt hanging over his left shoulder.
He rolls his shoulders and neck, shaking out his arms before beginning his trek down the ramp.
“Remember, the only way to win this match is by pinfall or submission, which means one of these men has to do enough damage that he can either pin or force one of his opponents into submission.”
“Having that extra competitor makes it hard because you have to worry about them interfering,” Scott adds.
“Get her the fuck out of here,” Colin yells, reaching the cage door. He points at Harper. “I’m not stepping foot in there until her ass is gone.”
“Alright, Valentine, let’s go,” the referee shouts. She huffs, crossing her arms and looking up at Grady. “Go on. Don’t make me ban you altogether.”
“Fine, I’m going!” Harper yells when the extra referee, who stands outside the door, moves toward her. She sneers at Ryker when she passes by him, but his only reply is an eye roll. When she’s a safe distance away, he finally enters the cage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a triple-threat cage match for the EWE Championship!” The ring announcer draws out the final syllable of his announcement. “Introducing first, from St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in at 205 pounds, he is your EWE Champion: Colin Ryker.”
Ryker stands in the center of the ring and lifts the belt over his head with both hands, receiving a mixed reaction from the crowd.
“And his first opponent, from Detroit, Michigan, weighing in at 213 pounds, ‘The Lunatic’ Grady Chandler!”
Chandler steps into the spotlight, and the arena erupts with a loud “boo.” He snickers to himself, glancing over his shoulder at the other two men with an unbothered shrug.
“And their opponent, from Willowbrook, Texas, weighing in at 232 pounds, ‘The Gladiator’ Wolf Bennett!”
For the first time, the entire crowd cheers when Wolf steps into the spotlight. With a knowing smirk, he looks over his shoulder at Ryker, and the champ rolls his eyes.
“It would seem Wolf Bennett is the crowd favorite tonight, Jude,” Scott says.
“He might be a crowd favorite, but Wolf has been having some issues with his previous Achilles injury, which may come into play tonight. If one of his competitors decides to take advantage of that old injury, it could be over for Wolf Bennett,” Jude argues.
The bell rings, and one of the referees on the outside of the ring padlocks the door of the cage.
All three men circle each other before Wolf Bennett and Colin Ryker share a side glance.
There’s a subtle nod between them before Ryker dropkicks the man next to him: Grady Chandler.
The crowd explodes as Chandler staggers straight into a hard clothesline from Wolf Bennett.
The impact sends him down to the mat with a loud thud that makes the crowd wince.
“Looks like the champ and Wolf Bennett have decided to team up for the first part of the match,” Jude says.
“Smart. They’re just eliminating the middleman,” Scott adds.
“And if you remember, Grady Chandler wasn’t originally part of this match. He inserted himself by attacking Wolf Bennett two weeks ago on Monday Night Rage before the General Manager of Monday Night Rage, Theo Rafferty, added him to this match.”
“I think Wolf Bennett is going to use the cage to his advantage tonight, settle the score.”
Picking him off the mat, Wolf snakes his forearm around Grady’s neck and forces him to bend backward, suspended over Wolf’s right thigh. They hover for a moment before Wolf quickly pivots, falling backwards to drive Chandler’s face into the mat.
“Honor Bound!” Scott shouts into the headset.
Wolf sits up and shoves Grady onto his back, hooking his right leg for the pinfall. The referee falls next to them, slapping the mat once, before Ryker jumps into the mix.
“It looks like the camaraderie between these two is going to be short-lived, Jude,” Scott says as Wolf and Ryker begin to circle one another.
“I hope you’re ready, old man,” Ryker shouts.
“You’re only a year younger than me!” Wolf laughs, shaking his head.
Ryker makes the first move, swinging, but Wolf blocks with his forearms and kicks his opponent in the gut.
The champion doubles over, and Wolf punches him in the head—once, twice, three times—the impact sends him stumbling into the corner.
When Wolf approaches, Ryker throws a hard elbow into his chest, but Wolf doesn’t back down.
Wolf tries to corner the champ, but Ryker elbows him three more times in the ribs. Wolf clutches his midsection, stumbling back into the center of the ring. Ryker bounces from the bottom rope to the middle rope and propels himself backward for a springboard crossbody.
“Ryker going for the pin…Oh! Wolf kicks out in one and a half!” Jude says.
Wolf rolls beneath the bottom rope, but Ryker follows, grabbing him by the nape of his neck and slamming him face-first into the apron. He does it four more times before tossing Wolf into the steel staircase.
“Come on, baby!” Harper Valentine yells through the steel cage, attempting to rouse Grady Chandler, who has only begun to stir. “You got this. Come on!”
Slowly, Grady uses the ropes to stand, falling back into the corner. With a shake of his head, he begins to gain more clarity, realizing the fight has moved to the outside of the ring. He climbs to the top turnbuckle, watching his opponents fight each other.
Colin Ryker smashes Wolf Bennett’s face into the steel cage, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Wolf clings to the cage, attempting to gain some leverage to get away from the intertwined steel, but Ryker doesn’t let up.
Planting his left foot, Wolf throws his elbow back into the ribs of the champion.
Another strike, and Ryker finally releases his grip.
Free from the cage, Wolf turns on his heel and punches him in the face.
Ryker stumbles, but neither man has time to regain their bearings before Grady Chandler jumps off the top turnbuckle, landing on top of them.
“Chandler taking advantage of his two opponents having beaten down on one another,” Jude Paul says.
Scott scoffs. “Yeah, he sure did enjoy his little break there.”
“I wouldn’t call that a break, Scott. He was recovering from a brutal attack.”
With Wolf Bennett and Colin Ryker still on the ground, Grady stands above them, lifting his right fist into the air, mocking Wolf’s signature pose.
The crowd boos, and he laughs, waving them off before finding Harper only a few feet away.
He beckons her forward and kisses her through the opening of the chain-link wall.
She whispers to him and giggles. A devilish grin spreads across Grady’s face as he watches her skip away.
“What is he doing, Scott?” Jude asks as Grady lifts different sections of the ring apron, looking underneath the ring.
“Well, Jude, it appears he’s looking for something.”
“Well, whatever it is, it will be legal. There are no disqualifications in this match.”
“Looks like he’s going for a multitude of things—steel chair,” Scott says. Grady tosses a black steel chair over the top rope, and it bounces into the center of the ring. “Won’t do him much good in there, though. Both of his opponents are still on the ground.”
“I don’t think he’s done, Scott,” Jude says when Grady pulls a steel ladder out.
Over his shoulder, Grady sees the champion stagger finally to his feet, but the other man is missing.
Quickly scouring the cage, he doesn’t see him.
“Fuck it,” he mumbles under his breath. “I’ll deal with him in a minute.
” Lifting the ladder, Grady charges. The top step acts as a lariat, ramming into Ryker’s midsection.
The champion falls to his knees, and Grady super kicks the side of his head.