Item #: SCP-6037

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Foundation webcrawlers are to monitor wrestling news and social media sites for mentions of professional wrestling1 feuds that have continued for over three months. Any long-running feuds that take place in wrestling promotions that regularly receive more than 100,000 viewers are to immediately be added to a watch list for possible SCP-6037 expression. In the event that the feud continues for more than four months, Foundation personnel are to be embedded in the audience of each show until either the feud ends or SCP-6037 is enacted.

In the event that SCP-6037 is enacted, Foundation personnel are to disrupt the show by any means necessary. In addition, the outgoing transmission signal from the venue is to be blocked, preventing the enactment of the ritual.

Should SCP-6037 be successfully enacted, all recordings of the match are to be removed from the internet and replaced with synthetic media showing a non-anomalous match. The area surrounding the site of the SCP-6037 is to be placed under increased monitoring for anomalous and Fifth Church activity for a period no less than fifteen years.

Description: SCP-6037 is a ritualized performance, known as "A Light Without Shadow," associated with the Fifth Church, which is enacted through a broadcasted2 professional wrestling match. In order to effect SCP-6037, the match must be watched by more than 150,000 individuals. The completion of SCP-6037 results in the progressive deterioration of baseline reality3 within a 50 km radius of the event and, to a lesser extent, all viewing households outside that radius. Debriefings and research indicate that SCP-6037 also serves a larger eschatological function within the Fifth Church beyond this primary role.

SCP-6037 rituals involve two wrestlers playing personas, one a "face"4 and another a "heel"5. The two characters played by the wrestlers must be long-standing kayfabe6 rivals involved in a current feud for more than five months, with the event proposed as a final match to settle the rivalry once and for all, often with specific stipulations (e.g. "lights-out iron man match," "electric barbed wire deathmatch," "flaming graveyard match," etc.).

Most attempted performances of SCP-6037 have failed for reasons ranging from technical issues to injuries sustained during the performance. To date, SCP-6037 has been completed successfully only six times. Regardless of success, completion of the ritual is still always fatal to both wrestlers. SCP-6037 may possess anti-memetic properties: viewers of the performance quickly forget and disregard both the supernatural aspects of the event and the deaths of its participants.

The first vector for SCP-6037 is believed to be Arno "Starman" Valentino (real name Guido Bonatti), a heel wrestler and manager7 active in wrestling territories8 across California, Arizona, and northern Mexico from 1943 until his death in 1975. The first confirmed successful instances of SCP-6037 occurred at a wrestling promotion at which Mr. Bonati was then employed, as well as a further three unsuccessful incidents (see Incident Log-6037-eW-1, -5, -8, and -17 for further details). Documents recovered over the course of Operation Stargazer confirmed Valentino's affiliation with the Fifth Church, although the exact nature and extent of the association remain unclear.

The first confirmed instance of SCP-6037 occurred on 09/26/1944 in Oakland, California, USA9 during a title match for the American Wrestling Alliance Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship between Hank Powell (face) and Edgar "Butcher" Reeves (heel). The match was billed as a "bare-knuckled grudge match," and was broadcast to an estimated 375,000 listeners and viewed by 6,000 live attendees.

Foundation agents Louis McKinley and Eric Moutree were dispatched to the scene of the match, but were unable to reach the building until near the conclusion of the match. Both agents unsuccessfully attempted to interfere with the conclusion of the ritual by entering the ring. With the conclusion of the ritual, an area of the ring approximately 1 m2 opened into [REDACTED]. Agent Moutree was listed as missing, presumed dead, while Agent McKinley was successfully extracted, only to expire two days afterwards.

Incident Log-6037-eW-47

Close log

Date: 8/11/2007

Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon, USA

Persons Involved: Invasor Jr. (real name Anibal Ramirez, wrestler (face)), Brodie Kong (real name Alvin Lutz, wrestler (heel)), Jessica Powers (real name Susan Underhill, referee), “Mad” Cyrus King (real name Dwight Landsman, commentary), Aurora (real name Melanie Bauer, commentary), Mike “M.D.” Duke (commentary)

Context: Incident 6037-eW-47, a “Blood Cage Match10,” was the main event for the Xtreme Deathmatch Championships “Insurrection” Pay-Per-View championship. The match was the culmination of a seven-month feud between Lutz and Ramirez. Records of Xtreme Deathmatch Championship booking notes indicate that Lutz was booked as a barely-verbal "monster heel," "loving carnige [sic]" while Ramirez was a enmascarado (masked wrestler) "an old and fading champ, struggling to hold onto his legacy." Unlike traditional booking notes, no fixed outcome was indicated. The reason for this is unclear.

Notes: The “Insurrection” broadcast was deemed a potential SCP-6037 ritual target. However, it was determined that the combined number of PPV buys and audience attendance were insufficient to effect SCP-6037. Post-event investigations indicated that several illegal streaming websites contributed an additional 37,000 - 47,000 viewers, pushing the viewership over the threshold for the SCP-6037 ritual.

Incident 6037-eW-47 follows almost exactly the mold of typical SCP-6037 incidents. The only significant deviation is the survival of Lutz. The reasons for the survival are unclear. For a full log of SCP-6037 incidents, see Addendum 6037-eW-A.

02:05:17

Ramirez enters the arena and walks down the ramp towards the ring. As he passes fans, he pauses to shake hands, smile, and briefly pose for photographs.

Duke: And here comes Invasor Jr.! In el classico11, as they say!

Bauer: That’s right M.D., Invasor looks poised, he looks ready, he looks like he’s going to pull out all the stops for this our main event tonight. But even so, you can see him with the fans, taking his time. You remember backstage last week, he said that the fans are why he does this. Without them, he said, there is no Invasor.

Landsman: Ugh, I can’t stand him. Sucking up like that to the crowd - it’s pathetic! That’s what we at the Academy12 understand - it’s not the fans. All you need to be is the toughest mother in the building and stomp the other guy to pieces!

Lutz’s entrance music begins to play.

Duke: Speaking of…

Lutz emerges from the crowd and attacks Ramirez from behind with a steel chair.

Bauer: Brodie Kong with the steel chair! Not even looking for a fair fight - hoping to end his foe before he can even get into the ring!

Landsman: Yes! Hahaha! Yes! Cave his head in!

Panning shot of the crowd booing Lutz. Interior of Moda Center appears roughly 200% larger than normal, with all seats filled. Appearances of attendees in expanded seating do not match any known individuals.

02:17:09

Ramirez and Lutz have been fighting for several minutes before entering the ring. Several weapons, including another chair, chains, and several light tubes have been strewn on the stage over the course of the fight. After a sequence of moves culminating in a “Neutron Bomb”13 against the ring apron14, Ramirez lies motionless at ringside.

Duke: Things not looking good for Invasor! What a wretched - by god!

Lutz begins to cut at Ramirez’s mask with the shard of a light tube, slicing Ramirez on the forehead. Blood covers Ramirez’s eyes and quickly begins to soak through the mask. Booing is audible from the audience.

Duke: It’s barbaric! Savage! This is outrageous! Someone has to put a stop to this!

Bauer: I agree, M.D., but this is a no disqualifications match! The only way for Invasor to end this brutality is to tap out to Brodie Kong!

Landsman: And we all know he’s not gonna do that! The stubborn son-of-a-bitch would sooner bleed out than give up! I hate him, but Invasor has guts! Cojones!

Bauer: You can hear the fans, they agree with you, King! They see Invasor out there, bleeding, bleeding for them! It’s sacred blood!

Duke: The ref can’t stop it!

Shot of the crowd. Venue size appears to have swelled to approximately 76,000 seats. An approximately 2 cm ball of blue light begins to manifest in front of each member of the crowd.

Landsman: No one can!

02:26:19

Lutz has attacked Underhill, rendering the referee unconscious, before attacking Ramirez for several minutes, severely lacerating his back and chest. Ramirez rises and begins to rally against Lutz. The crowd cheers while Ramirez begins to engage in illegal moves, such as biting and attacking Lutz's eyes. Lutz begins to bleed profusely from a head wound. After a sequence of moves, Ramirez manages to drag a now-exhausted Lutz to all four posts and smash his blooded head into each. However, because the referee is unconscious, the fight continues. Ramirez produces a chair and a steel pipe from beneath the ring and begins to beat the prone Lutz.

During this time, the features on Lutz’s face become increasingly ill-defined and indistinct. It is unclear if this is due to video error. At the same time, designs on Ramirez’s mask become more muted.

Duke: Disgusting! I’ve seen what Brodie Kong has done, but beating a man while he’s down? That’s no way to act! Where’s the honor!? He cannot rise!

Landsman: Invasor knows what he’s doing! Making sure that Brodie can’t get up again! If you want to be on top and stay on top for as long he has, you can’t have any ties! You have to show the way!

Several seconds of indistinct talking as Landsman, Bauer, and an unidentified third voice all attempt to speak over one another.

Bauer: New ref coming out - the old standby, Jessica Powers, used to these tricky matches! I have to agree, though, King. If you let yourself be filled with meaning, you don’t have room for anything else! Not even breath!

Unknown Voice: Correct, chorus! He is more and nothing!

Duke: Here she comes!

A new referee, visually indistinguishable from Underhill, emerges from backstage and attempts to disengage Ramirez from Lutz. Ramirez swings at the new referee with the pipe, narrowly missing her head. Loud booing is audible from the audience. Crowd shot indicates further growth of venue to an estimated 137,000 audience members. The small blue lights begin to move from the audience members towards the ring, stopping at the steel barrier.

02:31:45

After several more minutes of beatings, Lutz rises to the cheers of the audience and begins to trade blows with Ramirez. As Ramirez strikes Lutz, the audience boos; when Lutz strikes Ramirez, the audience cheers.

At this point, Ramirez and Lutz are visually indistinguishable from one another. After several strikes to the head, the wrestler identified as Ramirez stands, dazed.

The blue lights have all gathered approximately 15 meters above the ring. Despite their number, they provide no illumination.

Duke: This fight, it’s one as primal as I’ve ever seen! Life on death and then beyond!

Landsman: Do you hear them, Duke? They’re calling for it! The hated one, he’s going! It’s coming up to burn through! Like fire through a world of paper!

Unknown voice: He is completing! He feels the steel rods of their cries move his flesh! If he wanted to, he could not stop!

Bauer: The loved one, it looks as though - yes! It’s the signature! He is going to swallow the sun!

The wrestler identified as Lutz climbs to the top rope and performs a leg drop onto the back of the wrestler identified as Ramirez. Video analysis confirms that the wrestler identified as Ramirez expired at this time. The referee resembling Underhill counts off as the wrestler identified as Lutz pins his opponent to the ring.

Bauer: The judge counts! One!

Landsman: It’s beautiful! The signs!

Bauer: Two!

Unknown Voice: The light!

Duke: It’s too close! I can almost see it!

Bauer: Three! The despised beloved is a winner!

Unknown Voice: The light! The light! The light!

The crowd begins to cheer uproariously as the wrestler identified as Lutz collapses. A pale light emerges from the body of both wrestlers. The blue light descends rapidly towards the ring, meeting the rising light. When the two meet, the entire arena is fully and internally illuminated. Approximately 2 m above the ring, wind begins to howl with the opening of a [REDACTED] severe loss of integrity to baseline reality and physical structural support of the arena.

Following the dissipation of the light, the two wrestlers remain in the ring along with the unconscious referee. The secondary referee is gone, as are all additional crowd members and expanded dimensions of the arena. Gradually the figures of Lutz and Ramirez become more visually distinct.

Following the conclusion of the event, referee, announcers, and members of the crowd are unable to recall the anomalous aspects of the match. Breakdown in baseline reality of the area over the next 18-36 months. Statistically significant increases in arson, assault, fraud charges among members of the audience. A spike in non-traditional religious organizations, Ponzi schemes, fan clubs, and other affinity groups within the affected area.

Footnotes

1. Here meaning a choreographed performance with a predetermined outcome designed to evoke physical combat, rather than an actual contest of pure physical skill.

2. Whether television, radio, or internet streaming.

3. Examples of effects include inversion of physical laws in areas approximately 3 m2 for a period of 1-4 seconds, the spontaneous manifestation and disappearance of physical objects, particularly newspaper, a 38% decline in consensus regarding the historicity of well-known non-anomalous events, such as the American Civil War. For a complete list of observed effects, please consult Appendix 6037-89-o-57

4. A heroic character meant to be cheered and supported by the audience, such as El Santo or Hulk Hogan.

5. A villainous character meant to be booed and hated, such as The Iron Sheik or Hulk Hogan.

6. The presentation of the scripted events and outcomes of professional wrestling as "real."

7. Non-fighting character affiliated with a wrestler

8. Prior to the 1980's, wrestling promotions in the United States and Canada functioned as an effective cartel, with each promotion operating in discrete geographical areas known as a "territory." As a part of Operation Hubcap, the Foundation provided surreptitious funding and support to World Wrestling Federation CEO Vincent McMahon, leading to the consolidation of professional wrestling in the USA by the mid-80's, significantly decreasing the number of potential SCP-6037 vectors in North America.

9. Researcher Richard Postman has noted that the date and location of the instance coincide almost exactly with the death of radio evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson from what was later ruled an accidental barbiturate overdose. The relation, if any, between the two events is unclear.

10. Stipulation match whereby the ring ropes are wrapped with barbed wire and a wrestler can win only by making their opponent bleed on all four ring posts

11. A reference to Ramirez’s luchador mask, based on the design from his 1991-1995 peak popularity as a face in several promotions in Mexico and Japan.

12. Reference to “The Murder Academy,” a heel wrestling faction led by Landsman, which engaged in an on-and-off feud with Ramirez for four months.

13. Lutz's signature move, a modified version of the standard “power bomb”

14. Noted by commentators as the hardest part of the ring.