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Hiro liked to think is rapid tapping was a psychological thing, tricking Salem into releasing the hold...but he knew the Copperhead wasn't deaf or dumb, he let it go because he wouldn't be putting Hiro through a table by way of the guillotine. Hiro rolled away from Salem and under the bottom rope -- dropping to ringside the Ethnic Enigma sucked in as much air as he could, sprawled out in a pretty good deal of pain around his neck. While Salem was looking for a table, Hiro had a hand under the apron as well, but he most certainly was looking for a different kind of wood.

Hiro was not paying much attention to what Salem was setting up in the ring, but he figured it was in fact a table. Though, Hiro had found his weapon of choice -- also made of wood but a lot easier to swing. Salem reached through the ropes, taking a handful of Hiro's short hair and as he helped him to his feet Hiro swungout and aimed a huge kendo stick shot right to the head and shoulder! It was time for things to get exteme now, tables and kendo sticks assuring that. If successful, Hiro would slide under the bottom rope and try to hit Salem in the side with another shot before turning attention to the set up table.

Hiro shots with the Kendo Stick were met with boos from Salem's biggest supporters but an overall pop as one weapon introduced surely meant more would follow. The Ethnic Enigma aimed one more shot at Salem's ribs before tossing the kendo stick away. He tried to send a chop across Croft's chest and begin backing him up towards the set up table hoping to get one step closer towards his first victory.

The first chop connected with a loud, stinging slap -- even Hiro's hand aching from the connection. He weather that storm though and went for another one, though Salem would return the receipt with a louder whip-like snap that immediately lit up the Ethnic Enigma's chest and sent him recoiling backward a few steps. He was then grabbed by Salem, a tight squeeze of his wrist, and sent flying into the table, hitting it with his shoulder but not breaking it thanks to grabbing the ropes to stop his momentum. The match was dangerously close to ending right there, but thankfully it would continue on -- though Hiro was now realizing that perhaps the tables stipulation was more of a risk than it was an advantage.

The Ethic Enigma was given no shot at going back on the offense as Salem was ever the predator -- he grabbed hold of Hiro's head and bashed him against the table, it staying in tact still but causing Hiro to stumble away from the corner out of instinct and fear -- his foot kicking then microphone on the ground and causing a soft boom to radiate out through the arena via the PA system. That sound lit up Hiro's eyes as he realized the opportunity to change things up again was moments away, if he could just stop Salem for only a beat.

It was almost an instantaneous reaction, Hiro and Salem both reaching down for the microphone and grabbing at it, the struggles and huffs in their voices being picked up as they did so. It was a spectacle, tug of war with the pipebomb and the faint sound of warm breathe and growling layered behind booming pops from their fingers. Hiro then had a thought, one that could would potentially lead to a genius victory here should he successfully play things out. He tried to stomp on Salem's foot hard and yank the microphone closer, screaming into it to change the match once more as they continued to wrestle for it.

"HEY!" Hiro shouted as the match officially changed, but Salem didn't care -- he wasn't letting go of the microphone either! Hiro had a plan and didn't want to see it go to waste, so he couldn't let Salem hold on to it and change things up again! The Ethnic Enigma was determined to rip it back, but Salem was too resiliant to just give up -- he nailed Hiro with not just one but TWO knees to the ribs, and nearly ripped the microphone away...but Hiro tried to shove himself into Salem and send both men up against the ropes, still fighting a secondary match for this microphone within the main match itself -- the idea of matchception was already a big time deal in Salem Says, but this was just getting ridiculous.