Razor Retains Hardcore Championship in Brutal Triple Threat Match
The IWRA Armageddon pay-per-view continued with a chaotic hardcore triple threat title match between the reigning champion Razor, former champion Matsumoto, and the challenger, Luke Austin. The rivalry between these three had escalated in recent weeks, especially after Razor’s right-hand man, Scorpion, once again spat acid into Luke Austin’s face. Fortunately for Luke, his eyes were not affected this time, unlike the previous attack that had side-lined him for weeks. Meanwhile, Matsumoto, who lost his belt to Razor two weeks prior on Storm, was determined to reclaim his title.
As soon as the bell rang, Luke Austin charged at Razor, unleashing a relentless flurry of strikes and kicks, forcing the champion onto the defensive. With Razor down, Luke turned his attention to Matsumoto, but Matsumoto responded with a stiff punch to the face and attempted to lift him for a slam. Luke quickly evaded, striking Matsumoto in the spine. Razor attempted a sneak attack, but Luke countered, whipping him into the turnbuckles—only to be blindsided by a sling blade from Matsumoto.
From that moment on, the match was absolute mayhem. The second one competitor gained an advantage, the third swooped in to break it up. Luke Austin sent Matsumoto over the top rope, but before he could capitalize, Razor lifted him high into the air and power bombed him over the ropes as well. With both men outside, Matsumoto was the first to retrieve a weapon, grabbing a sledgehammer and driving it into Razor’s midsection. However, Razor managed to dodge a second swing, launching himself at Matsumoto, knocking the sledgehammer from his grasp, and taking him down with a vicious assault.
Razor wasted no time, turning his attention to Luke Austin and raining down brutal strikes onto his face. The champion’s relentless aggression seemed unstoppable until Matsumoto managed to regain control, attempting a pinfall on Luke Austin. Luke, however, powered out and retaliated with a devastating powerbomb. Before he could build momentum, Razor struck with a quick DDT, planting him into the mat. Matsumoto capitalized by delivering a monstrous punch to Razor’s face and attempting another pin, but Luke Austin broke it up just in time.
Luke then slammed Matsumoto to the ground, standing tall over his fallen opponents—until disaster struck. From out of nowhere, Scorpion stormed into the ring behind Luke Austin. The challenger turned around, only to be met with a second dose of Scorpion’s vile acid mist, sending him writhing in agony. As Scorpion quickly fled the scene, Luke was left incapacitated on the mat. Seizing the opportunity, Razor swooped in and pinned Matsumoto, securing his victory and retaining the Hardcore Championship.
As the bell rang, Razor took his championship belt from referee John Cole and celebrated his controversial win to a chorus of boos from the furious crowd. With Scorpion once again playing a pivotal role in the outcome, Luke Austin’s quest for the hardcore title was derailed in the most brutal fashion. However, given the sheer injustice of the match’s ending, it’s clear that Luke Austin won’t let this slide—and Razor may have an even bigger fight on his hands in the weeks to come.
