2024 J-1 Pinnacle - A1 - Slashmaster vs. Thumper

[Kip Whistler]

Round One in Block A:
Slashmaster (0) vs. Thumper Moore III (0)

[Thumper Moore III]

“Our Solemn Hour” by Within Temptation plays as “I. AM. UNDENIABLE.” appears on the Jerkatron.

LERAY: First out is Thumper Moore III, and for fans of indie wrestling, this is a bit of a dream match for them as he faces off in Round One of the J-1 Tournament against the one and only Slashmaster.

BEEMAN: Thumper is going to try to make sure this doesn’t turn into a nightmare match for him.

LERAY: He does look very confident.

BEEMAN: Then he’s either lying or stupid. He may have no idea of the force of nature he’s up against.

LERAY: But this isn’t the 13th of the month or a Friday. Slashmaster has proven vulnerable— or, should I say, less invulnerable— when here as a full-time competitor. Time will tell— the lights are out!

[Slashmaster]

A thick fog begins to roll across the stage, illuminated only by flashes of red light. The unmistakable haunting chimes of Slashmaster’s theme music, a chilling, discordant dirge, echo through the arena. A single spotlight clicks on, revealing the monstrous figure of Slashmaster standing at the top of the ramp.

LERAY:  "And there he is… Slashmaster. This is his first time stepping into this tournament. You can feel the tension in the air, Beeman."

BEEMAN: "Tension? That’s sheer terror, LeRay! Thumper Moore III may be brave, but I bet he’s second-guessing everything now."

Slashmaster walks slowly, deliberately, to the ring, dragging his machete along the steel barricade, sending out a menacing metallic screech. Thumper Moore III stands in the ring, his confident demeanor still in place, as he watches the slasher approach. Slashmaster finally reaches the ring, placing his machete on the stairs before climbing over the ropes with an effortless show of power. The lights come back on fully, and the bell rings to start the match.

LERAY: “Here we go! Thumper Moore III versus Slashmaster in Round One of the J-1 Pinnacle Tournament!”

Thumper immediately goes on the offensive, charging at Slashmaster with a flurry of quick strikes, trying to use his speed to gain an advantage. He lands a few kicks to Slashmaster’s midsection, followed by a rapid-fire series of punches to the masked man’s chest. Capitalising on his success Thumper decides to up the ante and bounces off the ropes, aiming a powerful clothesline at Slashmaster’s neck. Thumper backs up, gears up for another attempt, and charges in again—only to be caught mid-air by Slashmaster’s massive hand around his throat.

LERAY: “Uh-oh… Thumper Moore is in trouble!”

Slashmaster lifts Thumper high into the air, his grip unbreakable. Thumper struggles, kicking his legs desperately, but Slashmaster slams him down with a brutal chokeslam that shakes the entire ring. The crowd gasps as Thumper clutches his back in agony. Slashmaster looms over his fallen opponent, and with the methodical, cold precision of a killer, he grabs Thumper by his gear, lifting him back up to his feet. But Thumper isn’t done yet—he delivers a stinging elbow to Slashmaster’s jaw, followed by another, and another! The crowd starts to rally behind Thumper, chanting his name as he fights back with everything he’s got.

LERAY: “Thumper Moore is showing incredible heart here! He’s not going down without a fight!”

Thumper builds momentum, bouncing off the ropes once more and delivering a running knee to Slashmaster’s face. Slashmaster staggers back a step, and the crowd erupts in cheers. Sensing an opportunity, Thumper runs up the turnbuckle, launching himself off with a high-flying crossbody— only for Slashmaster to catch him in mid-air once again. Without a moment’s hesitation, Slashmaster spins around and plants Thumper into the mat with a thunderous powerslam.

BEEMAN: “Did you see that?! Thumper just got squashed like a bug! Slashmaster isn’t just a force of nature, he’s a walking catastrophe!”

Slashmaster rises to his feet, staring down at Thumper with unrelenting malice. He then looks out into the crowd, as if savoring the fear and anticipation radiating from the audience. The match continues, and Thumper must dig deep to survive this encounter with the embodiment of pure evil.

[Thumper Moore III]

LERAY: It’s incredible to see a man of Thumper’s size just ragdolled like that, but such is the immense strength of Slashmaster. Slash grabs Thumper by the arm and drags him to his feet— he scales the top turnbuckle. It looks like Slash is going to go old school for this one.

BEEMAN: He’s tightrope walking the top rope— such balance.

LERAY: Slash leaps for the clubbing—Thumper catches him in midair and power slams Slashmaster! Both men on their back for a moment. Thumper rolls to one knee and Slash sits up with malice in his eyes! He grabs Moore by the throat as both men go to their feet. Another choke slam?

BEEMAN: Moore will never survive another.

LERAY: Up he goes and Thumper wriggles free behind Slash. He pushes him into the ropes, runs into the ropes himself 90 degrees away and they meet back in the middle— POUNCE! Slashmaster crashes into the corner!

BEEMAN: The ring must have moved three to four inches with that impact.

LERAY: Moore looks to capitalize. He charges into the corner but Slash is too quick, and he gets a boot up into Moore’s face. Thumper is staggered. Slash picks him up on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes— he walks to the corner— Snake Eyes! Moore collapses in a heap near the corner. What does Slash have planned now?

[Slashmaster]

Slashmaster methodically stalks Thumper Moore III, who is crumpled near the corner, struggling to get back into the match. Slashmaster’s movements are deliberate, almost predatory, as he steps toward his fallen opponent with that signature, haunting calm.

LERAY: "Slashmaster is in complete control right now, and Thumper needs to find a way to fight back or this match will slip away from him fast!"

BEEMAN: "Slip away? LeRay, it’s already out of his hands. Slashmaster has that twisted look in his eye, and we all know that means he’s planning something truly sinister."

Slashmaster grabs Thumper by the arm, dragging him up once more. He forces Thumper into the corner, pressing his massive forearm against Thumper's throat, squeezing the air out of him. The referee starts a count, warning Slashmaster to back off, but the slasher holds the choke until the count of four before stepping back, as if relishing every second of his opponent's helplessness.

LERAY: "Slashmaster pushing the rules to their absolute limit, and you have to wonder if anyone can control this man."

Thumper clutches his throat, gasping for breath, but he shows signs of life, throwing a wild punch at Slashmaster’s midsection. It connects, but barely fazes the monster. Slashmaster sneers, his eyes narrowing, and he drives his knee into Thumper’s gut, doubling him over.

BEEMAN: "You have to admire Thumper's guts—literally and figuratively—but he’s just delaying the inevitable here!"

With Thumper bent over, Slashmaster grabs him and lifts him high, setting him up for a spine-crushing backbreaker across his knee. He slams Thumper down hard, bending him painfully before shoving him to the mat like discarded prey.

LERAY: "Thumper Moore is in excruciating pain! Slashmaster is just dissecting his opponent piece by piece."

Slashmaster rises, his chilling composure unwavering, and steps toward the corner. He looks up at the top turnbuckle, a sinister idea brewing behind that mask. The crowd starts to buzz with anticipation, some cheering for Thumper to get up, others gasping in suspense at what Slashmaster might be planning. Slashmaster begins to ascend the turnbuckle, his heavy frame moving with an eerie grace. He balances himself on the top rope, looking to deliver a rare but devastating high-flying move. Meanwhile, Thumper Moore III is beginning to stir, fighting through the pain, determined not to let this match end just yet.

LERAY: "This could be a make-or-break moment! If Slashmaster hits whatever he's planning, this match might be over!"

Thumper sees Slashmaster perched on the top rope, and with a surge of adrenaline, he pushes himself to his feet. He charges the corner, leaping up to deliver a powerful forearm that rocks Slashmaster and sends the crowd into a frenzy.

LERAY: "Thumper Moore is back in it! He's not out yet!"

Thumper climbs up to the second rope, throwing more forearms at Slashmaster, who teeters dangerously on the top turnbuckle. The two men exchange blows in a high-stakes battle, each strike met with gasps from the crowd.

BEEMAN: "This is a dangerous place for both of them! One wrong move, and someone’s going to crash hard!"

With one final, mighty blow, Thumper manages to unbalance Slashmaster, who wobbles precariously. Summoning all his strength, Thumper grabs Slashmaster around the waist and with a tremendous effort, launches him off the top turnbuckle with a thunderous belly-to-belly suplex! Slashmaster crashes to the mat, and the ring shakes from the impact!

LERAY: "What a move! Thumper Moore might have just turned this match around with that incredible suplex!"

BEEMAN: "I can’t believe he pulled that off! But does Thumper have anything left to capitalize?"

Both men are down, and the crowd is on their feet, roaring in anticipation as the battle rages on. The referee begins to count, and it’s anyone's match as Thumper and Slashmaster fight through their exhaustion and pain.

[Slashmaster]

The match reaches a fever pitch, and the crowd’s energy surges as Slashmaster stands in the ring, looming over his barely-conscious opponent. He grips his opponent by the throat, dragging them to their feet. The referee warns him to release, but Slashmaster only grins under the mask, savoring the moment.

In one brutal motion, Slashmaster hoists his opponent up and slams them down with a bone-rattling Hatchet, the ring shaking with the force of the impact. The crowd gasps, watching as his opponent’s body sprawls lifelessly on the mat.

One... Two... Three!

The bell rings, as Slashmaster stands tall, fists clenched and eyes locked on the fallen opponent. With no hint of mercy, he leans down, and whispers something to his defeated adversary, before raising both arms in a chilling victory pose. The crowd, split between fear and admiration, watches as Slashmaster stakes his claim as the true force of destruction in the ring, as he exits to the haunting sound of his theme music.