Tension in Ueno: Tag Team Championship Ladder Match- United Kingdom Elite (c) vs WhiteGale

As looking forward to today she was, Daisuke was also concerned. Having ups and downs as a wrestler was to be expected, but with how things have been for her in this type of situation her track record wasn't good. Whether it was former unintended stubbornness, being out-skilled, or as of late bad luck resulting from a complete cluster funk, when championships have been up for grabs things usually ended up on the negative side of the coin for her. Today however she looked to change that. Just like last few times she was about to face the group that she was moments away from facing she wasn't going out there alone. She had both the physical and mental support of those close to her. Still even with that part of her wondered if things would end up just like the other times. She's been close, and regardless if it was a clean lose or some things when down and made things inconclusive she had a strong feeling that if any of that happened here there wouldn't be another chance. Earlier Lina could tell that Daisuke's mind was racing. Taking a moment to sit down with her and go over her considers did help calm her. Sion felt the same way in a way. While his road to this day was completely different he too had physical and mental scars. Whether it be from Lina's personal issues being taken out on him combined with some of his bad luck in-ring, he too could feel what Daisuke was feeling. Just as he told her the other day when the upcoming match was made official no matter what happens they'll get through this together. That put a smile on Daisuke's face, plus the confidence Sion showed made her remember that even with a lot of the negatives that have gone down lately there were a number of positives too. As they were finishing their physical prep Daisuke did have one question. "How overblown do you think their entrance will be?"


The group start to joke on what the UKE may or may not do for their entrance, but Lita reminded them "Even if they pulled an entrance similar to what Michael Jordan did near the end of Space Jam that doesn't mean a damn thing. You guys know what tonight's all about" They all nodded. Lita had a lot on her mind too. Others close to her had an important match today as well, so it was difficult for her to keep her thoughts in one place. However, she knew where she was needed right now.


They had a few minutes before it was time to go out, to kill that time Lina put on an audio version of that speech from the movie Any Given Sunday. While from a movie about football, most of what was said could relate to today and what Daisuke and Sion were about to go through. When they time came to head out there they were ready to go. When they got to the entryway there was still a little bit before they were due to go out, but that didn't stop their eagerness.


When the time came and Sion's theme played for the team the four of them walked on out. Whether Lita would be permitted to stay or not was something they'd worry about when and if that would come up. Lucy wasn't a factor in the previous meeting the two teams had, but she figured just in case if things were different this time around, plus she wanted to be there for when Daisuke and Sion took the walk out. Fans of both sides were looking forward to this one to whisper Daisuke whispered to Lina some-what jokingly "Warning to those in the first few rows you might get wet." Lina snicked at that and the two shared a quick fist pound high five, each doing one on top of the other (or whatever it's technically called) and waited for the opposition to come out.

This was it. This had certainly been one of the most anticipated matches on the card, it was going to be a match that would put to rest the back and forth between the UK Elite and WhiteGale. A ladder match, a decisive and thematically suitable conclusion. Glory was there, all that was needed was to climb and obtain it. Risky? Very much so. But Ryan and John knew what they were getting into, they were the ones that suggested the idea after all. No matter who won here though, it would be on record that the UK Elite were fighting champs. Some saw this as a egotistical thing done by those who seemed holier than thou, others though felt they were being respectful champs by risking it all to prove once and for all who deserved the gold more.

Ryan and John had every respect for their opponents, in their last encounter they might have won too. But of course the UK Elite weren't going to make it easy, nothing that was worth anything to someone in life was as the saying went. Truth be told though Britain's finest were a tad concerned, not for their in-ring abilities. Those were always top-notch, but it was just the fact that neither had been in a ladder match before. Of course the tag champs had gone over it in training over and over, devising ideas to cover all their bases. But they knew that'd only work if they could do so.

Lucy wasn't there in the dressing room, Ryan had dealt with her. Mr Knight and Mr Carnaby had decided that if they should lose, well they'd like it to be known that they went down fighting. Though the more pragmatic Ms Grange might think otherwise, hence why Ryan locked her in the VIP room as soon as they arrived. She fell for it so easily that it was quite ironic given how Lucy had a penchant for elaborate pranks. Ryan was tying up his wrestling boots, John hung up his blue trenchcoat. The pair weren't going to be overly elaborate in their entrance, in fact due to the match they didn't even have the belts with them.

"You ready John?" Ryan asked as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

The artist sighed and gave a nod, he paused for a second before saying "Boss I gotta be honest, I'm worried. Not about losing, if they get the belts then fair enough it proves they were the better folk. But, I ain't ever been in a ladder match before."

"I know what you mean my friend. But remember our practise, and give it your all. Then we can say we did just that, besides the height and weight favours us. Shall we?" Ryan said as he stood up, the pair had already done their stretching before the fight. John simply nodded again, but he gave an appreciative smile.

The lights around the ring would go out, the crowd was beginning to loudly voice their mixed opinions. Because they knew who was going to be showing. And they were correct, the theme song of the tag champs Imperial Code 2 began blaring from the speakers. At the 0:48 mark Ryan and John would arrive from the start of the entrance ramp, both looked ready to compete right off the bat. That was how they intended to look after all. There were determined expressions on their faces as they gazed up above the ring, where the belts were tied.

Ryan patted John on the back and the pair proceeded to walk down the ramp, when they got to the end Mr Knight would enter the ring by sliding in while John climbed up the stairs and entering over the top rope. The British duo stood in the closest corner as the bell rung three times, with a voice being heard over the loudspeakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a ladder match. And is for the Tension Tag Titles! Introducing first the challengers, at a combined weight of 350 pounds. Hailing from Canada and representing WhiteGale. Sion and Daisuke Kamiya!"

After a pause to get the reactions of the crowd the announcer would go on with "And their opponents, with a combined total of 417 pounds. They hail from the United Kingdom and are the defending Tension Tag Team Champions! Ryan Knight and John Carnaby!"

Mr Knight would motion for a microphone to be handed to him, once it was done the young man would tap it twice before saying "Before we begin, I wish to say something. I feel the need to have this now, before we begin as no doubt we'll be too battered following the end of it. Tonight we put to rest who is more deserving of the gold, no doubt the debate will rage on even long after this match is over. But know this! You pair, are tenacious and have the sprits of wrestlers within you. Me and John, we got a lot of respect for you and that ain't gonna change. We've said our piece, is there anything you wish to get off your chest now? This is as good a time as any." Ryan would then offer the mic outwards if either Sion or Dai wanted to say something.

While they knew their opposition were ones to take their time with making their intro, Daisuke and Sion weren't liking the near minute wait it too Ryan and John to come through the curtain. Lina made a very small sarcastic clap when their opposition finally appeared "About time they showed up." They were all a bit surprised not to see the two do something else as in previous walks down the aisle. Regardless if they walked, drove part way, or came down from the ceiling it wouldn't have meant anything once the bell rang. The champions did appear to be ready when they stepped into the ring and that is what the challengers were looking for.

Lita noticed that there was no sign of Lucy with them, nor from what she could see above after taking a quick glance at the area well beyond the ring. At the very least she figured Lucy would be watching from above, but not seeing her there nor anywhere made her think something may be up. She decided not to sweat too much at the current moment however.

After the introductions were done Daisuke saw Ryan wanting to talk some more. She hopped a little bit in place, very eager to get things going and Ryan wanting to get some last minute words was giving her a slight anxious feeling. Lina stood behind Daisuke and gave her shoulder some attention. While she could hear Ryan talking she tried to block it out, wanting to keep her mind focused on what was at hand. When Ryan checked to see if Daisuke or Sion wanted to stay something part of Daisuke wanted to take and chuck it towards the ceiling, feeling that there has been far too much talk already, even though she did not disagree with with what Ryan was saying. Sion on the other hand did have something to say, but he didn't need the stick to tell Ryan "The time for talk's long gone, let's do this."

So it was like that was it? There was nothing that Sion or Daisuke wished to get off their chests before this fated duel? Ryan would admit he was a little saddened, would have made this whole thing all the more exciting. But no matter, if the enemy wished to get down to business then so be it. They'd get to that sooner rather than later, Ryan nodded to John who returned it.

"Very well.....if's that what you wish. Our actions will speak for us, until our bodies break and glory is taken! Let's begin!" Ryan muttered before tossing the microphone right out the ring, it was now clear. The time for talking verbally was over, and it was now time to put the debate to rest of who was better. The United Kingdom Elite or WhiteGale. John and Ryan were looking calm on the outside, but inside they knew that anything could happen here. It was anything goes, and tornado tag so both members of the team were out in play at all times.

And sure enough it was go time, the bell would ring. And in that instant Ryan and John would waste no time in trying to take the fight straight to the enemy, there would be no elaborate removal of upper body attire or stretching or discussing who would go first. No the tag champs were going to get to Sion and Dai, with Ryan gunning for Sion and John going for Dai. The pair decided that starting off with punches and chops to the guts was the way to go, might as well start out swinging.

It's not that they didn't want to talk, they felt they already said enough and came ready to compete> No need to kill the mood and chatter delay things, plus Sion could tell just by looking at her that Daisuke was eager for the bell and didn't want to keep her waiting.

Daisuke had the had the same idea that John and Ryan had, and when she saw John coming at her she looked to return similar fire. As for Sion he was looking for the opposite. He wouldn't be surprised if things were to get a bit messy later, but saw no reason not to keep the actual wrestling part of it around. He did take a couple of shots from Ryan, which backed him up a couple of steps. Instead of how Daisuke was responding he looked to grab hold of Ryan. Nothing specific came to mind, but just wanted to get some sort of control in the opening moments even though Ryan tagged him right off the bat.

The bell had rung, and within a few moments things were already getting underway. The UK Elite had established themselves as fighting champs, and if this would be their last match holding the belts then they'd go out swinging. The rules of the match were tornado after all, and that usually gave way to a sort of chaos that only occurred in normal tag matches when everyone on the apron ran in. The unpredictability of it couldn't be underestimated, or totally prepared for. And if there's one thing Ryan and John disliked it was not being prepared, they wanted their bases covered and the odds in their favour. They trained for this sort of match however there was always the concern of what could go wrong.

Which was why Ryan and John were more ferocious than usual, rather than take it at a slower pace and assess the enemy. No this time they were deciding to be more aggressive, and their opening gambit was working a bit it seemed. Daisuke was pegged as the more willing to duke it out, so she began trading quickly against the master of creation. Meanwhile Sion got clocked a bit by the paragon of Britain, who was quite the capable grappler but had no qualms about duking it out if need be.

Ryan decided that if Sion aimed to grab him he'd oblige, the young man would try to put himself and Sion into an old fashioned elbow and collar tie-up. Mr Knight would try to lean in and try to go for a couple of knees to the gut of the guy, though Sion could perhaps use the close proximity to his advantage as well. At this point it was a case of both teams jockeying for the opening control.

With John and Daisuke however the artist knew that Daisuke was certainly not going to be cowed, as shown by how she went right into trading with the artist. Mr Carnaby wasn't good in these sort of pitched battles, he could do them but it wasn't his style of combat. So he decided to play to his upper body strength, and try to grab hold of Daisuke's arm and try to cinch in a wristlock. Which could have the added benefit of trying to wear down that climbing ability that would be needed to obtain the win.

This was a different type of match for Lina to be involved with. She's heard and seen this before but this was a new situation from her vantage point. She was a bit surprised seeing Daisuke and Sion do something different to start off but did not object to it. Sion looked to move a little bit when Ryan's knee came his way. He felt slightly graze by him. Felt it but nto enough to get him to left go. She wondered if Sion had anything in mind from that position, which he didn't, was one of those do it and see what happens type of moments. Though she did notice him look to move one of his legs close to Ryan's, as a thought came to mind of attempting to trip him up.

She also kept an eye on John and Daisuke as it looked like they were going to trade blows right off the bat, though she turned more of her attention towards them as John went for the wristlock. With their being Sion and Ryan in the ring as well Daisuke had less room to maneuver around as John held the move in, though that didn't stop her from looking for a way out. Things could go bad is this didn't work out, but she's seen this done a lot so it make sense to her to try it. When she felt like she would look to flip herself that lighter competitors have been known to do and try to turn the tables on him, or at the very least do it in a way that would get her to escape from it and have him lose the grip.

Lina had a feeling it would be only a matter of time before the ladder would come into play, just a matter of when and how. Depending what went on in the ring would play a factor in it for sure. As Lita she took another quick look around, no sign of Lucy, then turned her attention back to the ring.

This starting pitched battle was clearly evidence of how the majority of this match was going to be, chaotic and hard hitting. Perhaps it was fuelled by the stakes in this match, those golden belts shining in the reflection of the lights above the ring. Mr Knight trusted in his significant strength to overpower Sion, to make it easier to take him out of the fight.

But Sion's wrestling experience was more significant than the paragon of Britain, as evidenced by his slight adjust to his position to better tank Ryan's attack. And moving his other leg to trip Mr Knight up and taking the man out from under him, the stodgy Brit fell onto his back with a heavy thud. But just because he was down didn't mean he was out, and Ryan would quickly try to get roll backwards and get back to a vertical base. However he was vulnerable to being intercepted while trying to transition to a stature where Ryan could continue fighting.

Meanwhile John considered himself pretty damn adept at submission holds, which often was quite useful in opponents who were smaller and weaker than the artist. As it let him keep them close and whittle them down, but Daisuke was seemingly pretty nimble. Because she was able to relieve the pressure by deftly herself around and even managed to convert the hold to favour her, John winced in response to the sudden hold. But he knew not to panic, first thing. Second thing was that John had a free arm, and would try to lean away and lure Daisuke close some quick shots to the gut. It looked like the fights were now taking place in separate parts of the ring, though how long it'd be in the ring was uncertain. The ladders were outside after all.....

Since Sion didn't have anything thought up Ryan didn't have to put in much effort to recover from that takedown. However, being behind Ryan he saw how Ryan was getting up he looked to stay on him and attempted to take him down again, this time with a back suplex. Even though with the type of match they were in it might seem a little bit out of place, there was nothing wrong with keeping things simple right now.

Lina looked impressed with Daisuke's movement, though wasn't surprised to see John fighting back from it. Daisuke grunted and let go of what little of him she had.

If Sion's attempt to take Ryan back down again was a successful one Lina would gesture at him to temporary switch targets. Lina noticed how the four of them broken off, but if Sion did take Ryan down with that back suplex she would want to remind John that it was still 2 on 2 as Sion would aim a dropkick at at John to give Daisuke a couple of seconds before moving his attention back at Ryan. Now didn't seem like a good time for a flat out double team as Ryan would theoretically need only a few seconds to get recover and for sure put an end to it quickly, but getting the teamwork aspect early was also important. Though if Ryan was able to prevent the attempted move from landing she would encourage Sion to stay on him.