The opening bell was immediately followed by a heavy fist beat down on Hammerstone. Hammerstone rolls out of the ring and Schaff follows him out, and gets a momentum-changing boot to the gut. Hammerstone leads the DEFY champion to a spectator’s chair and begins to climb the ring. He pauses at the top rope before leaping down and landing on Schaff, dealing damage to both. Back on his feet, Hammerstone returns to the ring and quickly fiddles with and removes the pad from the turnbuckle as the ref checks on the DEFY champion. Hammerstone collects Schaff, rolling him back into the ring and forcing him down into the corner, proceeding to stomp a mudhole into the baddest man in professional wrestling.
Hammerstone plays to the crowd, showboating around and building heat, giving Schaff the time he needed to recover. The DEFY champion regains control and pulls the traps of his tights down, roaring in impending attack before taking a low blow via a misplaced rope leaving Hammerstone firmly in control. Hammerstone stops entirely and his eyes shoot to the crowd….he shouts “This doofus needs sleeves!” before Schaff gets some blows in. Hammerstone stops the attack with a large dropkick, and delivers a pedigree to Schaff, shouting “Time to play the game”.
Hammerstone gets Schaff back to his feet and pulls his tight straps back up, implying to the crowd “We’re not done yet!” and the crowd laughs and cheers as Hammerstone delivers a dropkick from the top rope.
Hammerstone tries several times to connect with clotheslines, the DEFY champion ducking them until they finally connect and they both end up on the ground. The ref begins to count and neither man reaches their feet until the 9 count. They meet in the middle of the ring and deliver a forearm slugfest. They tussle around and both end up outside the ring again. The ref begins to count and Schaff meets it at 9 with Hammerstone right behind him.
Hammerstone gets knocked hard and is suddenly unable to stand. The DEFY champion is calling to Migs and Farmer, asking “what do I do?” The ref is certain Hammerstone is injured. Hammerstone is glazed over and vacant faced. The crowd is quiet and concerned as medical attention approaches Hammerstone and lifts him up. They were helping him to exit the ring. Schaff turns his back and shakes his head. It results in Hammerstone exploding from the arms of the medical team. He hits Schaff in the back of the head.
Hammerstone quickly rolls up the DEFY champion and puts his feet on the 2nd rope. The ref doesn’t see it and counts, but Schaff kicks out at 2. Hammerstone ends up on the outside the ring and Schaff does a somersault off the ring to hit Hammerstone on the ground. Schaff picks him up and carries him back onto the ring, and tosses him over his shoulder to body slam Hammerstone on the ring edge. Hammerstone tries to escape under the ring and he and the DEFY champion tussle, in the end, Hammerstone launching Schaff into a ring post.
This match of physicality and highflying ability was fairly even and really impressive. Either man could have won, but in the end, and still our champ, Schaff stands tall.
Originally Written by Kelley Jacobi
