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Gallows Unable To Find Sanctuary From Samedi

Posted: Jun 9th 2021 By: CMBurnham

Since the very beginning of CPW, Samedi and Mistress Maria have stated that they have had one goal in mind: Make EPW All-American Champion Drake Gallows follow them.

Gallows has always been his own man. Despite being the younger brother of pro wrestler Crisstopher Crow, Gallows entered the business under his own name and established his own identity. He has proven repeatedly that he stands on his own and forges his own path. And this is not just in wrestling. Gallows has always been an independent thinker outside the ring as well as inside.

Samedi has found himself most comfortable surrounded by others. Whether as part of Legion, The Order of Thornes, Mr. Durden's Pandemonium Sideshow or The Plague, Samedi has surrounded himself with those who have similar mindsets to his. And in most cases, he has established control over those groups, at least to some degree.

These two could not be more dissimilar. And perhaps that is why Samedi set out on this mission: to prove that no one is incapable of denying his will.

Samedi was not even advertised on the initial CPW card, where Gallows found himself in a Fatal 4-Way Match against Rob Cabella, Derek James and Dexter Hardaway. Galllows looked to be on the verge of victory when Samedi and Maria walked onto the entrance stage and Maria said 5 simple words: "Drake Gallows, you WILL follow". That was enough to allow Cabella to take advantage and score the pinfall in the very first match in CPW history. And Gallows was determined to find out what was meant by that message. After the match, he stormed to the back, looking for Samedi in the hallways and rooms of Hillspring Church. But the lights went out as he entered one large room and Samedi hit Gallows from behind, leaving him laying.

Two months later, Gallows appeared on the screen after Samedi gained a pinfall over The Canadian Red Devil and challenged "The Dark Priest" to a one-on-one match in April. That match saw Gallows dominate the voodoo practicioner until Mistress slipped Samedi a weapon to use, allowing Gallows to be declared victorious.

Thinking that that might have put Samedi off of pursuing him, in May, Gallows again found himsel fin fatal 4-Way action, against Brawler Morrison, Urn Stokes and the debuting Paul Puertorico (w/ Aerokid). And while this time, Gallows was able to get the victory, events mirrored what happened in January quite a bit. Samedi and Maria again walked onto the stage, but this time, Maria challenged Gallows to face Samedi in a "Samedi's Sanctuary" match. Gallows, who has competed in casket matches, Ladder matches and Clockwork Orange House of Fun matches, had no problem accepting the match, but the question remained for everyone else: What IS a "Samedi's Sanctuary" Match? What are the rules and stipulations? How can Gallows prepare strategy?

None of that was conveyed, even to the officials, until right before the match began. The ring soon found itself surrounded with items you might expect to see at Halloween rather than the beginning of summer. Gravestones, Giant Spiders, as well as the more traditional cookie sheets were all accessible. And on the entrance stage, two druids brought out a door. So apparently, this would be a hardcore match. Nothing Gallows had not faced before. At least, not on paper.

Gallows held his own at the beginning, dominating Samedi, smashing gravestones over his head and mangling cookie sheets the same way. And then Mistress Maria began to get physically involved. Ever since her first appearances at ringside in BPW with The Ritual, Maria was more of a distanced observer, but she understood that there were no rules to prevent her from interacting this night and she entered the fray to back her man up. Even the druids on the outside helped out as well. More and more weapons entered the ring, including the door on the stage, erected in a corner of the ring, and a drip pan utilised by Gallows. But still Samedi and his horde kept coming back.

And then, a simple moment that many initially questioned. Seeing that Gallows was not going to give up despite the overwhelming numbers, Maria grabbed a pair of scissors from the ring announce table and slid in the ring, cutting some of Gallows' hair. She then pinned that hair to a doll designed in the image of Gallows. And anyone who thought that all of Samedi and Maria's presentation was simply theatrical, designed just to play psychological games on their opponents, were left in amazement as Maria began to violently abuse the doll. When she twisted one of the dolls legs, Gallows' leg collapsed underneath him. When she wrenched one of his arms, Gallows clutched in pain at his elbow. And most importantly, when she threw the doll out of the ring, Gallows catapulted himself into the door in the corner, shattering it. He then collapsed in a heap and Samedi was easily able to pin him.

One question remains: After the match, Samedi and Maria left without Gallows, who was eventually able to stand under his own power. So, seemingly, Gallows still did not "follow" Samedi. Does this mean that Samedi is satisfied, having proven that he and Maria have the tools to make everyone in CPW do their bidding? Or does he still have one more trick up his sleeve for "The Urban Legend"? And if so, can Gallows physically and mentally resist Samedi's will?