Finger on the Pulse

10.17.25 Colonial Life Arena Columbia, South Carolina We open in a moment of lingering tension in the Red Army locker room, notably empty at the present time except for two worn-out men in the Masters of the Moscowverse. Kenny and Randall alternate their gazes from down to the floor to each other, a mix of confusion and frustration building. It’s as if these two have been processing something rooted deep in their very souls for several minutes, though that timeframe feels much longer when you’re harboring this sort of emotion, with--none too surprisingly--Randall being the first to speak up. “Didn’t we just face those guys, like, a month ago?” he asks, perhaps less angry than he was letting on but certainly confused. “I don’t get why--” “Yeah, I don’t understand either,” Kenny interjects, letting out a heavy sigh as he starts packing his gear up for the night. “I dunno if Ivan made the call, or if Rose is just acting on her own, or what. All I know is I’ve had about enough excitement for the night, and I’m ready to get back on the road.” “That’s not what I mean,” Randall responds, giving his comrade something of a side-eye. “I’m trying to work something out here, hear me out. You mean to tell me, if we’d beaten the Bandits back then, we could’ve gotten that tag title shot tonight?” “I mean, maybe?” Kenny returns the look in kind to The Entertainer. “But I don’t think that’s what we need to worry about.” Randall nods his head in agreement, taking just a moment to ponder the statement. “Again, we really don’t have time to worry about all that,” Kenny continues, pulling his phone out from his bag to show Randall a glimpse of the notification he received a few minutes prior. “Turns out we’re firmly back in the tag division, and we have a second chance at getting back in the rankings with a match against the Pop Culture Phenoms.” “I like the sound of that,” remarks Randall, finally getting around to the business of gathering up his belongings as well. “I’m a sucker for a good trivia night, just didn’t think it’d happen in a wrestling ring.” “Huh?” asks Kenny, staring at his compatriot. “What are you talking about?” Randall just stares back at Freeman, equally confused by the reaction. “What? Pop Culture Phenoms sounds like a trivia night team.” Kenny just continues to stare at The Entertainer, whose eyes widen in shock at the information slowly getting through to his brain. “Oh no, you mean we’re wrestling those guys?” he finally asks in response. “We’re wrestling two shows in a row!? Oh god, I can just about feel my necktoral twitch at the thought of getting back in that ring again after the thrashing we took from the Trash Queens.” Kenny lets out another sigh, just as his phone begins to ring. He answers the call, slightly confused by the information provided to him as he ends the call just as quickly before turning to Randall with a raised eyebrow. “Randall, when you dropped me off at the entrance to the arena…where did you park the rental car, bud?” “I told you already,” replies The Entertainer. “I parked it in the special VIP section of the lot.” “What--” Kenny stops himself for a second, already having a bad feeling as he finishes the question. “What VIP section?” “The spot that’s got the blue lines and stuff,” Randall clarifies. “I thought it was weird they had a diagram of when I was injured with the broken necktoral, but I recognized that wheelchair from anywh--ow!” Randall yelps as Kenny hoists his gym bag, throwing it point blank at The Entertainer. Randall is taken aback by the attack as the bag drops to the floor in front of him. “Randall, you goober!” Kenny exclaims, pointing at Schwartz with a glare. “You parked in a handicap spot, and the arena towed the damn thing on us.” “I’d like to think the spot was more  handicapa--” “Don’t,” Kenny interjects. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence. You do realize we have to deal with a lot of paperwork now, right? The dealership will have questions. Alexei won’t be happy that we lost our transport.” “Well,” Randall replies, looking not nearly as bothered by the development as his friend. “Maybe that’s when we talk to him about the new tag champs joining our ranks, right?” Kenny just mutters under his breath as he picks his gym bag back up, nearly storming his way out of the locker room. Randall, for his part, simply shakes his head before picking up his own bag to leave the room close behind, muttering to himself as well on his way out the door. “I’m pretty sure this makes us co-champs though, I’ll have to consult the rulebook.” Some time passes, and we see the Masters make their way to the parking lot…just as a red Chevy pulls up near the pair. “Oh boy,” remarks Kenny, instantly recognizing the vehicle as its driver steps out…revealing Kent Ramsey with a smile on his face. “Hey fellas,” he says with a wave. “I saw a big ol’ commotion earlier about someone parking in a handicap spot. Heard enough info to work out it was your car…which one of you goofs thought it was a good idea to park in a handicap spot?” Despite asking the question, Ramsey immediately looks at Randall, with Kenny quickly throwing his partner under the bus by pointing to The Entertainer. “Damn shame you seem to get confused easily,” Kent adds, shaking his head with a light chuckle. “Well, I’d be happy to be your driver for the time being. Goodness knows ya still owe me some answers anyway!” The duo look at each other before responding with a nod, as the reporter opens the trunk for them to drop their bags in. They get in the vehicle before pulling away, with Kent asking a very loaded question as the scene fades to black. “So, what’s all this about a multiverse?”

The Gazette - October 18, 2025 The Multiverse: A Mirror Shattered Across Time and Space By Kent Ramsey What if I told you there are countless worlds like our own? No, this is not some comic book or sci-fi tomfoolery…this is real life. Truth is stranger than fiction, and I recently spoke with a pair of eyewitnesses that can attest to the truth behind what was once thought as just an unproven theory of science. “Imagine if you will, a mirror that gets shattered at the beginning of time,” states Kenny Freeman, professional wrestler and key person of interest in the ongoing investigation of strange occurrences worldwide. “Well, the multiverse is that mirror, shattered across time and space, with every fragment containing a reflection of a singular universe with its own unique attributes and traits.” Such traits, I’ve come to learn, include kittens that sound like the self-proclaimed PRIME Tag Team Champion, as well as an entire “council” that all roughly share his name. The revelation of worlds like our own yet so curiously different certainly has a lot to unpack. “We even saw a world where [REDACTED] is not only tolerated but loved,” remarked fellow Master of the Multiverse/Moscowverse, Randall Schwartz. “It was horrifying.” This is clearly just the tip of the iceberg, and I invite you to join us, dear reader, on the deep dive as I continue to travel with these talented competitors on the road throughout the remainder of the year. Kent Ramsey is on it!

10.21.25 On Route to Raleigh, North Carolina “So what exactly is the scoop, wrestling wise?” We return to the Chevy, where Kent has brought it upon himself to ask a new topic after picking the Masters’ brain about their more familiar territory. Kenny shrugs in response, less than eager to give a straight answer. “What’d you mean?” asks Randall, genuinely confused as to what the reporter is looking for. “Well, there’s what went down the other night in Columbia. Saw that your group got new members joining the--” “It’s complicated,” replies Kenny, looking to stop the conversation before much headway can be made. “The report from David Davidson seems to detail things pretty well, I’d highly recommend giving that a read because frankly, that’s about all that needs to be said on the matter.” “Is it, though?” asks Kent, sensing the opening he needs to get what he’s after. “You guys faced Gamble and Hessian not that long ago, and it seems kinda funny that all of a sudden they’ve joined whatever cause you’re a part of.” “That’s what I said,” remarks Randall. “Like, we’ve been loyal ever since we joined, I think we deserved to be made aware of--” He stops when he notices the glare from Kenny, silently telling him to put the kibosh on spilling any further tea on the situation. Kent, for his part, notices the wordless exchange between the Masters from the rearview mirror, and nods to acknowledge the conversation is over for the time being. “Fair enough,” he says, putting his focus back on the road ahead. “What about the deal with The Anglo Luchador? Hell of a thing, demanding a match over twenty bucks.” “Twenty bucks is twenty bucks!” exclaims The Entertainer. “And when Kenny kicks Angle’s ass at Colossus I look forward to collecting.” The remark leaves Kent dumbstruck for a second. “Angle?” “Yeah, The Angled Luchador,” replies Randall. “You never can get a straight answer out of him.” He laughs at his own terrible joke as Kenny just shakes his head with a sigh. “Last year I didn’t even make it on the lineup for Colossus,” he explains. “I’m trying to prove something to myself, my comrades, and everyone that’s ever doubted me…so of course I’m gonna jump on an opportunity to do that, especially at the expense of a former champ like The Anglo Luchador.” He gives another glare at Randall with the last part of that comment, which gets a confused stare in response from The Entertainer as the car pulls into a nearby gas station. “Well, fellas,” Kent says as he pops open the gas cap. “Time to fill this bad boy up on the final stretch of road to Raleigh. We’ll get there in plenty of time for your match!” Kent leaves the car, as Kenny continues to stare at Randall. “We’ll talk about the new guys later,” he states flatly, with Randall eventually nodding in agreement as the scene fades to black on Ramsey topping off the ol’ gas tank for good measure.