The entrance of King Kamehameha had instantly killed the momentum that Black Mask had been building. To everyone in the crowd it was as if the match had already ended, to them Black Mask's chance of winning had just been reduced to zero in the blink of an eye.
"Hey, this is no big deal. The boss just beat that huge guy. He should have plenty left in the tank to beat this guy, right?" Dark Mistress said with forced confidence.
"No, he's just been putting up a front. At this point, I'm sure it's a struggle for him to even stand. The adrenaline rush he used to defeat his last two opponents has worn off, now his reserves of energy are all used up. Victory should be impossible for him now." Night Queen said.
"So you really think Black Mask is going to lose?" Black Maria asked in an accusatory manner.
Night Queen shot an icy glare back at Maria. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll believe that my darling will win until the referee raises his opponent's hand." Night Queen said as she watched the fight. "I'm just saying I'm worried about him is all." She said as she continued to watch unwaveringly.
King Kamehameha had completely dominated Black Mask who was too exhausted and damaged to fight back at all. Over and over he continued to beat on Black Mask. He had plenty of opportunity to pin him and end the match, but he chose to continue the beat down instead.
"I just have to say this whole situation has been an absolute masterclass from King Kamehameha. He perfectly orchestrated this gauntlet in a way that made it impossible for Black Mask to win. He filled the lineup with strong opponents to wear him down then he had his two enforcers beat him down until he could barely stand, and now he's in there himself to finish this gauntlet up personally. What a genius maneuver this was." Bill said.
"True this was quite the scheme King Kamehameha used to keep Black Mask from getting that title shot. Though I have to say, we've never seen him execute such an underhanded plot before. It seems a bit out of character for him." Ted responded.
"Well, that's just part of being a seasoned vet like King Kamehameha. You learn to be more crafty, and how to do what it takes to win." Bill replied.
Meanwhile, King Kamehameha had continued his beat down, and after another Super Samoan Spear, Black Mask was down and King Kamehameha finally moved in to make the cover.
"1!"
"2!"
As the referee moved his hand down to make the third count, Black Mask's consciousness faded to black.
"I can't lose here. I want to win. I HAVE to win." Black Mask thought.
"Do you want to win?" A deep voice said from somewhere deep in his subconscious.
"What? Who are you?" Black Mask asked but he couldn't see anything but blackness.
"Don't waste time asking pointless questions, and answer mine. DO YOU WANT TO WIN? If you want to win, I can give you the power. You just have to release my chains. So tell me, do you want to win this fight?"
Black Mask took a moment to consider what the mysterious voice was saying."There are people who are depending on me, the dreams of me and my friends, and my grandfather's legacy. I can't afford to let it end here. I want to win. I HAVE to win." He thought. "Give me the power, I need to win." He said.
"Very good, I'll let the blackness fill your body until it overflows with power." The voice said with an ominous laugh.
Back in the ring, the referee was about to make the third count when suddenly Black Mask had his hand around King Kamehameha's neck and was holding him up in the air.
"What just happened? One second Black Mask seems completely helpless and the next he's got King Kamehameha in a chokehold!" Ted announced.
Black Mask then lifted King Kamehameha over his head in a Military Press position.
"Oh! I think he's going for an Eclipse Press!" Ted observed.
Black mask then power slammed King Kamehameha into the mat, knocking him out instantly. He then covered and the referee started the count.
"1!"
"2!"
"3!"
"And it's over! A sudden reversal by Black Mask ends the match and he wins the title eliminator gauntlet! And he punctuated it by defeating the champion himself!!!" Ted announced.
"Yeah like I was saying, this plan wasn't well thought out. It was a terrible failure for the champion, after all this work he still lost. That certainly makes you think his title will be in jeopardy once those two actually fight for it." Bill added.
After Black Masks hand had been raised in victory, he had collapsed from all of his injuries.