Thumbtack Deathmatch - Blake Valediction vs. Vladimir Strife

[Vladimir Strife]

Due: February 24th, 9:00PM Pacific/12:00AM Eastern

[Vladimir Strife]

The fans roar with excitement as the veterans stand across the ring from one another, staring the other down. Chants of "Va-le-dic-tion" and "Vlad-im-ir" trade off from those in opposing camps, but the competitors seem deaf to their cries, each weary of the threat before them tonight. In the corners not occupied by the talent sit a trashcan for each filled to the brim with glimmering thumbtacks. They'd cleared them off the inventory of two local hardware stores and one for office supplies, but the imposing beacons of misery more than justified the price tag. Vlad and Blake each peek at them from the corner of their eyes, neither taking their gaze away from the other long enough to give them an opening, as each knew the other well enough to know they wouldn't pass up on such an opportunity.

JP: The atmosphere is just absolutely intense right now, Ray. This will be the very first time that Vladimir Strife and Blake Valediction have been in the same match, despite the storied careers of both men.
Ray: And they're doing so with all of those razor sharp thumbtacks! This is going to be a bloody, agonizing, beautiful match, Jimmy!

The bell chimes out thrice and the contest gets underway, neither man wasting any time as they rush to the center of the ring and begin things the action with a classic collar and elbow tie up. The combatants lock horns and vye for strength, but the size and weight advantage of the GodKing quickly prove to be too much for the cruiserweight, who he backs toward the corner. Blake pushes back, but the Behemoth soon switches gear, pulling him forward and lifting a sharp knee into his gut. As the wind rushes from the whelp's lungs, a muscular arm wraps around his neck and clamps down, constricting like a Python and cutting off the flow of oxygenated blood to his brain. Valediction struggles against the front headlock, but every modicum of relief he makes for himself is stolen back as Vladimir reels him back in tightly. Desperate, he hauls back and throws a hard right into the side of the Romanian, but garners nothing more than the feintest of flinches. Keeping the younger star trapped in his grasp, Strife moves in toward the hold, twisting himself and his catch around until their facing out from one another, his arms slung over his shoulder to maintain the lock and force the base of his opponent's skull against his shoulder. Calmly, the Barbarian Lord drops down onto his knees, the force of the impact carrying through his body and depositing the inertia into the back of Blake's head. The Washington native whips forward from the impact, falling flat on his face against the mat before he rolls out to ringside to recuperate with his arms wrapped around his throbbing head and neck. Meanwhile, the crowd goes ecstatic at the early showing of one of Strife's signature moves.

Ray: Sinner-Plex! God, that was as beautiful as ever! It's great to be back!
JP: Vladimir showing a bit more pacing here in the early minutes of this fight and showing that technical prowess that makes him such a formidable force in the ring.
Ray: And that's great to see, but, bear with me, how much more awesome would it have been for him to just dump Blake headfirst into one of those trashcans and kick it until he stops squirming? Let's get some blood going, boys!
JP: Jesus, give them a minute. We're like.. 30 seconds or so into the match, Ray..

Not one to be bested so easily, Blake shakes off the cobwebs and slips back into the ring, quickly getting up to his feet to keep from being rushed. Vladimir comes at him again, arms raised to take control of him once more, but cruiserweight throws himself at him, dropping down and extending his legs, slamming his heels into the GodKing's knee and knocking it out from under him. Strife drops down onto it, a grimace across his features as Blake grabs the ropes and pulls himself back up. He moves in toward the Behemoth, who comes up from the kneel swinging his arm with intent to decapitates the younger man, and ducks down swiftly. He continues on a few steps, then does a U-turn and dives down, driving his shoulder into the back of the co-owner's knee and buckling it once more with his signature chop block. He's back to his feet in no time again and throws a hard right kick into the side of his boss's face, toppling him over and leaving him flat on his back. Scooping up his legs, Blake takes hold of the infamous Czar of Scars and steps over him, flipping him onto his stomach before curling him as tightly as he can into a vicious Boston Crab, the anguish of the manuever evident on Strife's twisted visage.

JP: Some techinical prowess here from Blake as well as he homes in on that knee of Vladimir's right out of the gate in this contest.
Ray: He may have gotten the upper hand, but he better savor it. No one.. and I mean NO ONE is going to outdo my sexy GodKing. Besides, those knees were made for kneeling and enduring!
JP: And there's one thing I haven't missed - the taste of throwup in my mouth, Thank you, Ray.

Vladimir fights back against the hold, using all of his might to try to straighten his leg, pushing Blake up inch by inch until he finally sends him staggering away, breaking free of the submission. Valediction rushes forward and throws his weight against the ropes, redirecting his momentum as he comes back at the Behemoth and drops down onto him with the point of his elbow into his shoulder blade. With Vlad grounded, Blake applies a headlock of his own, cranking on the pressure as much as he can. Unfortunately for him, the strength and size difference works against him once more and Strife presses up in spite of the side headlock, rising up to his feet with his opponent still tightly latched to his cranium. He grabs him around the sides and, with a mighty heave, picks him up off of the mat and throws him back over his shoulder, the Seattle denizen's hold slipping over his dome. Blake uses this momentum to his advantage, continuing through it with a spin to land upon his feet safely behind the Barbarian Lord. He races past the Western European and takes to the air, slamming the soles of his boots down onto the middle rope and stabilizing himself with the top. The cable stretches, then rejects the force, flinging it back and assisting the cruiserweight as he bounds off of it and twists himself around to slam his horizontal figure across the chest of his adversary. The GodKing plants his right foot behind him and clutches the oncoming mass, stopping his momentum and robbing him of his plans.

Ray: YES!
JP: Vladimir catches the crossbody! He didn't go down!
Ray: One could only wish he would, am I right?
JP: Awww, come on, man... come on.. seriously? This action is incredible and you're just going to put that in there... and god damnit, don't make a joke out of that too!
Ray: Hehe... put it right in there, nice and smooth..
JP: Well, it seems Blake is in more trouble than a guy whose left his drink alone with Ray.

Vladimir hoists his opponent up into the air and, with a mighty step toward the corner, sends him down face first into one of the bins. A collective "Oooooooo!" comes from the surrounding patrons as the American straightens himself out, shimmering tacks raining down from his studded face as his twitching and shuddering facial muscles work a share of the gallery out. Crimson beads rises from pocks left behind the escapees and swell until they break loose and streak down his countenance. Overwhelmed by the pain, Valediction drops to his knees and slowly raises his hands to his bedazzled features.