Ray Ricardo Wins Chaotic Fatal Four-Way to Earn Title Shot on IWRA Forge
IWRA Forge kicked off with an explosive fatal four-way match that would determine the next contender for the Forge Men’s Championship. With Black Jack, Marco Tonga, Piotr Kazarian, and Ray Ricardo all vying for the opportunity, the stakes were at an all-time high. Later in the night, the newly crowned champion, Alex Drake, was set to defend his title against last week’s four-way winner, Omar Kareem, making this opening bout a crucial moment in the Forge Men’s division.
An Intense Opening
One by one, the competitors made their way to the ring, each sizing up their opponents before the bell rang. The instant the match began, the action erupted, with Piotr Kazarian locking up with Black Jack while Ray Ricardo went after Marco Tonga. Ricardo managed to bring the powerhouse Tonga to the mat early, but Black Jack had no intention of letting the much larger Kazarian control the fight, battering him with relentless strikes.
As Marco and Piotr struggled to regain their footing, Black Jack and Ricardo clashed in the centre of the ring. Ray managed to overpower Black Jack, throwing him over the ropes and delivering a brutal guillotine onto the concrete floor. Wasting no time, Ricardo attempted a pinfall on Piotr, only for the towering fighter to kick out with force.
Weapons Enter the Fray
Black Jack, unfazed by his brief time on the outside, rolled back into the ring and blindsided Ricardo. Meanwhile, Marco Tonga sent Kazarian into the ropes before planting him with a devastating slam. As the battle raged on, Black Jack decided to introduce some hardware, grabbing a kendo stick from under the ring while Piotr Kazarian retrieved a steel chair. The two stared each other down before Black Jack swung first, but Kazarian barely flinched. The only advantage Black Jack gained was knocking the chair from Piotr’s hands, but that didn’t stop the Russian giant from standing tall.
Alliances Form and Crumble
As the chaos continued, Piotr Kazarian caught Ray Ricardo from behind and dragged him toward the corner where Black Jack stood. In an unexpected moment of cooperation, Piotr and Black Jack executed a flawless double Russian leg sweep on Ricardo. However, their alliance was short-lived—Piotr wasted no time driving a vicious knee into Black Jack’s ribs before Marco Tonga pounced, hammering Black Jack with relentless strikes before taking him down with a thunderous chokeslam. Tonga went for a cover, but Kazarian broke up the pin attempt, determined to keep his own championship hopes alive.
Meanwhile, Ray Ricardo retrieved a chair from under the ring but never got the chance to use it, as Kazarian’s fist knocked it clean from his hands before colliding with his jaw. Black Jack seized the opportunity, picking up the chair and smashing it over Ray Ricardo’s skull, sending him crumbling to the mat. He attempted a pin, but Ricardo somehow kicked out just before Marco Tonga retaliated, slamming the chair down onto Black Jack’s head. Marco swung wildly, striking Kazarian as well and momentarily taking control of the ring.
A Wild Finish
Despite the chaos, Ray Ricardo wasn’t done yet. Shaking off the earlier chair shot, he sprang into action, catching Marco Tonga with a breathtaking hurricanrana that sent the crowd into a frenzy. As the mayhem continued inside and outside the ring, Ray Ricardo seized his moment, landing a sequence of high-impact moves on Marco Tonga before finally securing the pin.
The referee’s hand hit the mat—1…2…3! Ray Ricardo had done it. Against the odds, he emerged victorious in one of the most unpredictable matches in recent memory, earning his shot at the IWRA Forge Men’s Championship.
The Road to the Championship
With this victory, Ray Ricardo now has his sights set on the Forge Men’s Championship, currently held by Alex Drake. However, before he can claim his opportunity, Drake must first defend his title against Omar Kareem in the night’s main event. As the dust settled on the opening match, one thing was certain—Ray Ricardo would be watching closely, knowing that his own championship opportunity was fast approaching.
