Bliss Kingdom 5: The Inner Circle

Chapter 16: Gauntlet Match

(AEW Dynamite)

The match that the crowd at Daily's Place were waiting for a long time is the gauntlet match as the New Evolution leader Alex Auditore takes on the entire Pinnacle; the Pharaoh must win in order to keep his shot at MJF's TNT Championship in tact, so Alex addressed his fellow brethren of the New Evolution and Bliss Kingdom.

Alex: interfere when the series is over in case the Pinnacle will attempt to jump me

Scott: the boys will come before the Pinnacle even knows it

Travis: you go and kick their asses, bro

Alex smirked.

Alex: time for an uphill battle

Alexa: be careful, hubby

Alex: I always am

The Pharaoh left the locker room as the rest of the group watches from the TV.

(In the ring)

Daily's Place was at full capacity for this week's AEW as they are pumped and ready to have a good time.

Alex's theme played and the Pharaoh stood on stage with a serious war face on as he has to go through all the members of the Pinnacle while MJF sits at commentary to spectate the match.

(Alex vs. Tully)

The first member of the Pinnacle that Alex has to go through is against FTR's manager, Tully Blanchard.

Tully's name was a bit of a blur of Alex, but he knew that Tully was a member of the Four Horsemen, the same group that Ric Flair was in before. The bell rang and the two locked up.

Although, he was past his prime, Tully still had the skills he had used in a long time.

However, Alex ended things with Blanchard after avoiding a shot before hitting the AKO on Tully for the pinfall win, but it was only level 1.

(Alex vs. Spears)

Level 2 was the Chairman, Shawn Spears. Alex waited for Spears to come running down the ramp, but he was ambushed from behind by a chair shot by Spears himself.

Meanwhile, MJF was clapping and smiling from the commentary area.

MJF: get him Spears! Get him!

The bell didn't ring, so Spears took the opportunity to weaken Alex with a nother shot; as Shawn went for the shot, Alex ducked out of the way and superkicked Spears, disarming him as the chair is thrown out.

The bell rang and the two men traded punched as level 2 of the gauntlet match gets underway.

Alex went for an early cover after he swept Spears' foot, but he kicked out. The Pharaoh proceeded to taunt Shawn by doing the 10 hand taunt while the crowd chanted the number, much to the chagrin of Spears.

Alex ducked a right hand from Spears and attempts to hit an AKO, but Shawn blocked it and got out of the way to collect and regroup himself.

(Minutes later)

Spears got Alex on his shoulders, attempting to hit his finisher, but the Pharaoh landed some elbows on Shawn. Alex went for the roll up pin, but Shawn kicked out. The Pharaoh fazed the Chairman with a superkick then finishes him with another AKO to clear out Level 2.

MJF was livid, and he got on the mic to grab Alex's attention.

MJF: hey hey! There is no way you will keep your title shot; remember I call the conditions around here, so I combine Levels 3 and 4 because it's a handicap match; oh boys!

(Alex vs. FTR)

On cue, FTR ambushed Alex from behind for a two on one beat down. The referee managed to keep FTR in bay as Cash Wheeler went to the ring apron while Alex stumbled to get back on his feet. Alex leaned against the turnbuckle as the referee asked if he's able to continue.

Alex nodded and the referee gave the signal to ring the bell. After it rang, Dax Harwood landed a running splash to the corner. Harwood went for the quick pin, but the Pharaoh kicked out.

(Minutes later)

Cash was the legal man for FTR as he grounded Alex with a headlock. The Pharaoh managed to turn things around by hitting a back suplex on Wheeler to create some separation for the mean time.

Cash went to tag Dax, and the other half of FTR took advantage by landing some quick foot stomps; the referee held him back to prevent any disqualifications.

(Minutes later)

FTR looked to end it as they set up for their finisher, the Goodnight Express, in which WWE fans knew it as the Shatter Machine. 

However, Alex countered by hitting a DDT on Harwood. Cash went to interfere, but he was met by an AKO. Then the Pharaoh turned and gave Dax an AKO as well; Alex pinned Cash to cleared out Levels 3 and 4, much to the chagrin of the TNT Champion.

MJF began to throw chairs and papers around, but then realized who the last Level of the gauntlet is as he smirked.

MJF: Wardlow!

(Alex vs. Wardlow)

The muscle of the Pinnacle came out and smirked at Alex while the Pharaoh was recovering. Wardlow did not give any time for Alex to recover as he ran down to the ring and landed right hands on Alex while the Pharaoh covered in defense mode. Wardlow got up and yelled out a battle face.

Alex got back up and attempted to fight back, but his punches had no effect on the big man and Wardlow fired back with a monstrous headbutt.

Wardlow turned to give MJF a thumbs up as the Salt of the Earth clapped and cheered on for his insurance policy.

As he picked Alex up, Wardlow Irish whipped him to the turnbuckle hard. Then he picked him up and landed his finisher, the F10.

However, as Wardlow went for the pin, Alex managed to get his shoulder at the count of 2.99, much to the shock of both Wardlow and MJF.

The Pinnacle muscle picked him up, but Alex got his fighting spirit and lands right forearms to Wardlow to faze him for a while. Then he chopped the big man down to size by superkicking him on the shins and stomach, before going for the head.

Alex picked up Wardlow and put him in the position of Orton's hanging DDT as he stares down at MJF. He pointed at the TNT Champion before nailing Wardlow with the DDT.

Then the Pharaoh went to set the big man up and finish up the gauntlet match with one more AKO.

However, the rest of the Pinnacle came running through the crowd and attempt to turn the match around. FTR went to distract the referee while Shawn Spears got a chair and attempts to hit Alex with it, but the Pharaoh ducked and kicks the chair in Spears' face before leveling him with a dropkick.

Then the New Evolution came running down as Chase and Scott pulled down FTR and proceeded to brawl with them. As the referee is attempting to restore order, Wardlow was met by the Ambassador of Anger, Vade Drifter.

Vade silently stared down at Wardlow before he slowly got down from the apron; as the Pinnacle's muscle turned around, Alex landed a big AKO outta nowhere, The referee came back in and counted the pin.

Alex was victorious as MJF sat at the commentary booth speechless, now knowing that there is no more running and hiding from the co-founder of Bliss Kingdom, the leader of the New Evolution, Randy Orton's protege and Pinoy Pharaoh, Alex Auditore.

The show ended with Alex staring down at MJF as he does the belt taunt while Scott, Vade and Chase cheered their friend on.