[The high-tempo heavy guitar riff of Black Sabbath's "The Mob Rules" thrashes away as we see footage from previous RCW matches...] # Close the city and tell the people that # something's coming to call # Death and darkness are rushing forward to # take a bite from the wall, oh [...Dave Bryant spears Orin LeBlanc into the ringsteps!... Paul Driscoll and Johnny Pleasence slug it out in the middle of the ring, the fans in the arena coming to their feet...] # You've nothing to say # They're breaking away # If you listen to fools... # The mob rules # The mob rules [...Lord Byron hits Liam Cassidy with the Coup De GrŠce inverted DDT neckbreaker... Paul Driscoll hits the Death Valley Driver on Owen Curtis...] # Kill the spirit and you'll be blinded, # the end is always the same # Play with fire, you burn your fingers and # lose your hold of the flame, oh [...Nolan Dorado launches himself off the ring barrier with his Golden Guillotine forward somersault, landing hard with his leg across Carmazzi's throat!...] # It's over, it's done # The end is begun # If you listen to fools... # The mob rules [...Liam Cassidy slips behind Lord Byron, and as Byron spins around, he is caught by a vicious right hook from Cassidy...] # You've nothing to say # Oh, they're breaking away # If you listen to fools... [...Nolan Dorado scales the wall of the steel cage, and without even looking backwards over his shoulder, he pushes himself off the cage, launching himself with a moonsault, landing hard on both Vinny Carmazzi and Orin LeBlanc...] # Break the circle and stop the movement, # the wheel is thrown to the ground # Just remember it might start rolling and # take you right back around [...Johnny Pleasence tosses the ring steps into the crowd, trying to take out some fans... Pleasence stands with the blood-stained RCW Championship belt held aloft...] # You're all fools! # The mob rules! [...the logo crashes onto the screen in an explosion of sparks and flame:] ___ ______ __ ___ ___ __ ______ ___ _________ / _ \/ ___/ | /| / / / _ \/ _ | / |/ / _ \/ _ |/ ___/ __/ / , _/ /__ | |/ |/ / / , _/ __ |/ /|_/ / ___/ __ / (_ / _/ /_/|_|\___/ |__/|__/ /_/|_/_/ |_/_/ /_/_/ /_/ |_\___/___/ LIVE! Rose Garden, Portland, OR Thursday 31 August 2006 [The title graphics explode through the screen in a shower of flame and sparks as Black Sabbath continues to pound over wide-angle scenes of the interior of the Rose Garden. Fireworks explode high above the ring, sparks cascading down from the lighting rig as deafening pyro explosions boom around the cavernous structure, spotlights sweeping over the capacity crowd. Over these scenes we hear the voice-over of Don Ditka:] DD: Welcome everybody to RCW RAMPAGE! We are coming at you *live* from the sold-out Rose Garden arena here in beautiful downtown Portland, Oregon! [Rockets scream down from the lighting rig towards the head of the aisle, triggering another series of flashpots on the perimeter of the giant screen above the entranceway. And then, despite pyros still firing off left and right, a figure strides out from behind the entrance curtain, cast in silhouette by the explosions behind him.] DD: Folks, I'm Don Ditka, and beside me as always is my broadcast colleague "Spotlight" Billy Shakespeare -- but who is this? BS: That's Vinny Carmazzi, Don! DD: It is! Vinny Carmazzi is wasting absolutely no time coming out here as we hit the airwaves tonight! [As Carmazzi makes his way down the aisle, fans on both sides reach out to him, but Carmazzi is in no mood to acknowledge the masses. He is dressed in a gray t-shirt and dirty jeans -- and his dirty blonde hair hangs around his face, unable to disguise the burning fury in his eyes as he walks purposefully towards the ring.] DD: Vinny Carmazzi promised us last week On The Wire that he would come out to the ring at the start of RAMPAGE to call out "Pistol" Paul Driscoll, and he is as good as his word. Let's take a quick look at why Carmazzi is coming out here. [Cut to footage captioned, "August 17th, 2006", showing Pleasence and Carmazzi wrestling in the ring. Pleasence goes to drop the Pleaseantries from Manchester elbowdrop on Carmazzi -- and Vinny dodges out of the way, locking in the Kimura Armbar out of nowhere! Matilda enters the ring and dives onto Carmazzi, forcing him to break the hold. Carmazzi rallies, hitting Pleasence with a discus punch and a top rope legdrop, then a Death Valley Driver, each time Pleasence kicking out... Dave Bryant and Ryan Faith make their way down the aisle... Carmazzi launches himself at both men! Paul Driscoll comes down the aisle and slides into the ring to face Johnny Pleasence -- but is dragged from the ring by Dave Bryant, allowing Pleasence to fly out of the ring with a suicida, laying out Driscoll and Carmazzi! Mark Coleman makes his way out to attack Dave Bryant, only to get jumped from behind by Ryan Faith, allowing Pleasence to hit Coleman with the Johnny Spike! We hear Don Ditka's voice over:] DD: Two weeks ago, Vinny Carmazzi was wrestling RCW World Heavyweight Champion Johnny Pleasence in the main event here on RAMPAGE. After a slow start, Carmazzi looked to have Pleasence beat, and the title within his grasp -- but sheer force of numbers looked to get the better of him. "Pistol" Paul Driscoll and Mark Coleman came out to even the score, but that didn't work out too well for Coleman. [In the ring, Carmazzi applies the Kimura Armbar on Pleasence again, only for Driscoll to send Ryan Faith flying into Carmazzi and Pleasence, breaking the armbar, and allowing Pleasence to pin Carmazzi after the Manchester Driver! Pleasence, Bryant and Faith retreat up the aisle as Driscoll stares down after them, and Carmazzi bores a hole in the back of Driscoll's head with a fierce glare. Cut back to a live shot, showing Carmazzi pacing in the ring, cordless microphone in hand. The fans chant "VIN-NY! VIN-NY! VIN-NY!"] DD: As you saw from that footage, Driscoll inadvertently sent Faith careening into Carmazzi, breaking the Kimura Armbar, applied for the second time in the match on the champion, and Carmazzi is *furious* with Paul Driscoll, a man with whom he has quite the history. [Carmazzi thought he made it very clear last Thursday that he only has one thing on his mind right now, and that is revenge. Much better communicated through violence.] VC: You heard me, Driscoll. We're gonna settle this TONIGHT! [The crowd roars, knowing the bad blood between the two has been building for months.] VC: Get out here now, you son of a bitch. [Though he now has an open microphone, Carmazzi continues circling the ring. His eyes affixed to the curtain at the top of the entryway.] DD: Will Paul Driscoll answer Carmazzi's challenge? BS: Driscoll's certainly not afraid of Carmazzi, Don! [The crowd buzz continues to build... and then, as "Walk All Over You" by AC/DC kicks in, erupts in another huge pop! In the ring, Carmazzi drops the microphone, and adopts a ready pose, his eyes fixed on the top of the aisle, his head nodding as he awaits the arrival of his nemesis.] DD: Here he comes! Here comes Driscoll! [And sure enough, out of the entranceway marches Paul Driscoll, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. He begins to make his way down the aisle, and...] VOICE: HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! DD: It's the RCW President! [The music quickly fades from the PA and Driscoll is stopped in his tracks in the aisle. Carmazzi remains taut as a drum in the ring, his eyes still on Driscoll. The Texan turns to face the besuited and bespectacled RCW President, who is standing at the top of the aisle.] DS: You two hold it right there! Mr. Carmazzi, Mr. Driscoll, I know that the issues between you two run deep. And I know every one of the fans here in the Rose Garden tonight want to see you two settle things once and for all. [Big pop from the crowd!] DS: But... that's not going to happen here tonight. [Big heel pop! In the ring, Carmazzi's face cracks into a scowl, and he visibly curses. Driscoll remains impassive in the aisle. Spreadbury waits for the crowd to settle down.] DS: Instead, I am sanctioning a match between Vinny Carmazzi and "Pistol" Paul Driscoll... two weeks from tonight, on our next RAMPAGE broadcast! [Pop from the assembled fans. In the ring, Carmazzi nods his head. Driscoll still shows no emotion.] DS: But I can't have the two of you running around causing havok here tonight -- not after the events of two weeks ago. So I'm giving both of you the night off! [Heel pop! Both Carmazzi and Driscoll are furious at this decision.] DS: Gentlemen, would you mind escorting Mr. Carmazzi and Mr. Driscoll out of the building? [Spreadbury is talking to a sextet of blue-shirted security officials, who now make their way down the aisle, three of them surrounding Driscoll in the aisle, and the other three making their way down to the ring to escort Carmazzi out of the ring. The fans jeer the RCW President as he watches Driscoll escorted up the aisle.] DS: Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry for the interruption in tonight's show. We'll have our first match in just a few moments. Thank you very much. [The RCW President turns on his heel and heads back through the curtain. As Carmazzi is escorted up the aisle, the camera cuts backstage... and we see the shot is being filmed around a corner. The left half of the screen is take up by a white cinderblock wall. The other half is just the generic setting one would expect to see backstage; cables, boxes, a table. Sitting on that table, visible just enough to be recognizable, Mark Coleman, one leg swinging lazily, talks on a Razor phone. He's wearing his wrestling tights and a Memphis Grizzlies basketball jersey as he speaks.] MC: Yeah... well, appreciate you getting' back to me so quickly. Apologize, though, for doin' this over the phone. Element of surprise and all that. [Coleman pauses as the person on the other end of the phone speaks. He nods.] MC: Simple. You come down to the ring in the main event, watch my back to make sure none of Bryant's buddies sticks their nose where it don't belong, and that's it. [Pause.] MC: Nope. Don't want you to help me win at all. Just keep it fair and even. Knowin' from what I've seen this year, thinkin' you can relate to wanting everything to be as even-sided as possible. [Pause.] MC: No tricks. You know me... up front and honest. [Pause... and Coleman laughs, a loud chuckle.] MC: No, I ain't jokin'. Promise. I just want to beat Dave Bryant. I want that title shot against Johnny Pleasance. And I know Ryan Faith's gonna try somethin'. You know it too, I reckon. [Another pause, this one long. Coleman nods a few times, grunting and muttering in agreement with the person on the other end.] MC: Well, fair's fair, to quote Billie Jean. Can't expect you to do this out of your own goodwill and sense of fair play. What do you want in return? [Another pause, and Coleman nods once.] MC: Done. That's a right fair trade I can make. When it's all said and done, I'll pay you back right quick. Yeah. Ok. Alright, gotta go warm up. Just meet me in the aisleway. [Coleman snaps the phone shut, and the camera quickly pulls back, out of sight, before we cut back to Ditka and Shakespeare at ringside.] DD: Well, folks, what a wild start to this week's RAMPAGE! BS: Never a dull moment around here, Don. DD: Tennessee rookie Mark Coleman goes up against the dangerous Dave Bryant in tonight's main event, and it looks like Coleman has succeeded in securing some insurance ahead of this match -- undoubtedly the biggest match of his young career to date. BS: You're not wrong, Don. If Coleman defeats Bryant here tonight, he gets a match against the RCW World Heavyweight Champion, Johnny Pleasence, in two weeks right here on RAMPAGE! DD: What a main event that's going to be! In addition to that huge match, we'll see bitter rivals Derek Rage and Lord Byron hook it up one on one for the very first time, and we'll see Orin "The Lynx" LeBlanc in action against former King of the Death Match, Akitoshi Ogawa. It's a jam-packed hour here on RAMPAGE, and when we come back, you'll see a match pitting our supposed RCW Supreme Champion, "Your Hero" Danny Daniels, against the bizarre Christian Right. Don't go away! [Fade to commercials.] [Fade back from commercials to a wide-angle shot of the Rose Garden.] ___ ______ __ / _ \/ ___/ | /| / / / , _/ /__ | |/ |/ / "Your Hero" Danny Daniels vs. Christian Right /_/|_|\___/ |__/|__/ [Ring announcer Sy Simmons steps into the ring and raises the microphone to his lips.] SS: Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's opening contest is scheduled for one fall! [Big pop from the sold-out crowd!] SS: Introducing first... [Suddenly, the lights in the arena drop, drawing a big gasp and pop from the assembled fans!] DD: What in the...?! BS: Did we not pay the bills again this month? [A low hum is heard over the PA, like the rumble of distant voices, singing a slow chant. A single spotlight illuminates the ring, which is now filling with smoke -- and suddenly somebody else is in the ring with Sy Simmons, a man dressed in a white suit, visible through the swirls of smoke!] DD: Wait a minute -- that's Christian Right! We've not seen or heard from him since he literally *vanished* from the ring at Wild Summer Night. And now, bold as brass, here he is! BS: He certainly knows how to make an exit, and now he's making quite the entrance, too! [Sy Simmons raises his microphone to his lips again, a look of slight confusion on his face.] SS: Introducing first, already in the ring, hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, and weighing in at 231lbs... here is... CHRRRRRRRRISTIAN RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! [Big heel pop as the lights in the arena rise and Right turns to the fans on each side of the ring, making the sign of the cross to all of them, before removing his suit jacket and loosening his tie.] DD: Here tonight Christian Right finds himself facing a man with whom he last shared the ring as his tag team partner. A man who, two weeks ago, announced himself to the world as the RCW Supreme Champion! BS: You will note, I have no doubt, that Sy Simmons made no mention of the RCW Supreme Title in his introductions, Don. DD: Absolutely, Billy. And that's because Rip City Wrestling doesn't recognise the RCW Supreme Title, and as such, any value that the big gold belt currently adorning the waist of the deranged Danny Daniels exists purely in "Your Hero's" own mind! [As Right hands off his suit jacket and trousers to a ringside assistant, revealing his usual plain black trunks, Sy Simmons speaks again:] SS: And introducing his opponent... ["Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon plays as Danny "Your Hero" Daniels steps out into the arena. He's wearing his usual attire: wraparound sunglasses, a "YOUR HERO" yellow t-shirt, black trunks. The RCW SUPREME Title is wrapped around his waist, and he has a small folder under his left arm. His right arm has a cordless microphone.] D'YH'D: GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS! [After basking in the fans -- however, few cheer for him -- Danny points at ring announcer Sy Simmons.] D'YH'D: Now, Simon... I hate to correct you, but you made a mistake. You forgot to announce that, in this match, the RCW SUPREME TITLE will be on the line! [Danny points to his belt to emphasize the point.] D'YH'D: But that's OK! It's the first title defense of this prestigious belt. It's an easy mistake to make, but let's work on it for next time. OK, Silas? DD: Give me a break. [Danny starts walking down to ringside.] D'YH'D: That's right, my friends! Tonight, you get to witness, IN PERSON, the first ever title defense of the RCW SUPREME belt! It's an honor and privilege for all of you, and I intend to make this a successful one for all of the fans of... ME! "Your Hero", Danny Daniels, a man so nice they named me twice! [Danny reaches the ringside table, and hands the folder over to Don Ditka.] D'YH'D: Everyone remembers the first time of big events. The first time you drove a car. The first time you hit a home run. And now, you get to see the first title defense of the most important title in the history of pro sports! Now, Chris Right is a good man. A religious man. A fine man. But he's not a champion, man. And I... AM! [Danny moves over to the timekeeper's table, unbuckles the belt from around his waist, and holds it in his hands for a moment, as if reluctant to let it out of his sight. Eventually, he hands it over to the timekeeper.] D'YHÕD: Take very good care of it. IÕll be back for it shortly. [He drops off the microphone and rolls into the ring. Daniels poses in the center of the ring, just like the image captured on the faceplate of the belt. Match official Bobby Belshee has by now rolled into the ring, and he signals for the timekeeper to ring the bell to signal the start of the match.] * DING! DING! DING! * BS: What have you got there, Don? DD: It's a dossier, apparently prepared by Danny Daniels, that tells the tale of the tape for this match. [In the ring, Daniels looks across the ring towards Christian Right, a look of uncertainty on his face. Right steps towards him, speaking to his opponent, presumably reading him his last rites or quoting some appropriate psalm. Right outstretches his hand towards Danny Daniels, apparently looking for a handshake. Daniels looks down at the hand.] BS: An unusually sportsmanlike gesture on the part of Christian Right. DD: Did you know that Christian Right started his wrestling career by fighting circus bears in Roanoke, Virginia? BS: I beg your pardon? DD: Well, that's what it says here, Billy Shakespeare. [Daniels tentatively accepts the offer of a handshake from Right -- who immediately yanks Danny towards him and fells him with a short-arm clothesline! Heel pop! Daniels pops right up, and is immediately felled by another clothesline from Right! Daniels pops back up again, and this time gets hip tossed across the ring by Christian Right. Daniels takes a powder, rolling out of the ring under the bottom rope.] BS: Danny Daniels coming off the worse in these early exchanges here, Don. DD: It says here that Danny Daniels single-handedly scaled Mount Everest without the aid of any oxygen or even thermal underwear! BS: Christian Right now -- baseball slide under the bottom rope! [Heel pop as Right bounces off the ropes on the opposite side of the ring, using his momentum to slide out of the ring, boots first, colliding with Daniels and sending him clattering into the steel crowd barriers! Right follows Daniels out of the ring, drags him to his feet, grabs him by the scruff of the neck and the tights, and wheels around, sending Daniels crashing into the steel ringsteps!] * CLANG! * "OOOOOOOOOOOOHH!" BS: Christian Right is firmly in control here, Don! DD: This is ridiculous. "Christian Right has been visited at his own home by the last three Popes." [Right drags Daniels back to his feet, and rolls him back into the ring, breaking Bobby Belshee's count, then climbs back up the ringsteps, basking in the jeers of the fans. He shouts right back at them, before heading back into the ring, where Daniels is trying to shake off the effects of the early beat-down.] DD: "Danny Daniels once single-handedly defeated the Spanish Armada to rescue a poodle named Fluffy." Give me a break. BS: Don, there's a match going on out here. DD: This dossier is ridiculous. Danny Daniels is trying to put himself and his achievements over, to build up this so-called Supreme Title. BS: Sounds like he's also trying to put Christian Right over as a legit challenger to his belt -- and Christian Right is certainly putting up a fight thus far. DD: Let's put this dossier aside and focus on the match at hand, shall we, Billy Shakespeare? BS: What a good idea, Don. [Daniels pulls himself to his feet in the ring, and ducks under a charge from Christian Right! Right wheels around, and finds himself clotheslined to the mat! Pop! Right picks himself back up, and finds himself whipped into the ropes. Daniels dummies a clothesline, but actually drives a fist into the gut of Right as he rebounds off the ropes, bending him double. Daniels himself bounces off the ropes on the side of the ring perpendicular to Right's trajectory, and hits a big running kneelift that takes Right down to the mat! Pop!] DD: Danny Daniels firmly in control, as he has been since the start of this match! BS: Don, you weren't even *watching* the start of this match. DD: I was too, Billy Shakespeare. I've been doing play-by-play in this business for close to twenty years. I never miss a single move, a single hold! BS: Sure. Sure. DD: What are you implying, Billy Shakespeare? BS: Let's just call the match. [Daniels drags Right back to his feet, and sends him for the ride again. On the rebound, Daniels scoops Right up, and drives him to the mat with a thunderous powerslam! Big pop!] DD: Look at the rotation on that powerslam from Danny Daniels! He's going for the cover! [Bobby Belshee drops to the mat as Daniels hooks Right's leg... 1... 2... ...and Right kicks out! Disappointed pop!] DD: Christian Right is still in this thing! [Daniels drags Right to his feet, puts his head between his legs, then hoists him up and *drives* him to the mat with a gutwrench suplex! Big pop! Daniels makes the "my belt!" motion with his hands, then drags Right back to his feet once again, slinging one arm over his shoulder, and grabbing Right's tights. Daniels lifts Right up, cameras flashing all over the arena as Daniels holds him vertical for a moment... and then drops him hard to the mat!] DD: Vertical suplex from Daniels! And now he's going to the corner! BS: Are we about to see that trademark diving headbutt? DD: I think we may be, Billy Shakespeare! Daniels is up on the second turnbuckle, and... oh! "OOOOOOOOOOHHH!" BS: Nobody home! [As Daniels launches himself with the TOODLES~! diving headbutt from the second turnbuckle, Right rolls out of the way, and Daniels hits the canvas head-first! Right gets up to his knees as Daniels rolls onto his back, hands clutching at his sore head. Both men pull themselves back to their feet, and move to the centre of the ring. Right takes a swing at Daniels, but Daniels blocks the punch, and fires back with a right-hand of his own! Big pop as Daniels rocks Right back on his heels with one punch... then another... then another! Daniels grabs Right and tries to whip him into the corner, but Right reverses, and sends Daniels for the ride, "Your Hero" crashing hard into the turnbuckles. Right charges in after Daniels, splashing him from behind, then turns him around, and drives his shoulder into Daniels's gut! Right goes to take another swing at Danny -- but Daniels blocks it, and grabs Right by the hair, then switches places with him, and drives his own shoulder into Right's guts not once, not twice, not three times, not four times, but five times! Big pop!] DD: And Christian Right is left reeling by Danny Daniels! [The stunned Christian Right then finds himself lifted up by Daniels, and seated on the top turnbuckle. The crowd begins to buzz.] DD: What's Danny Daniels doing here? [Daniels himself then climbs to the second turnbuckle, and pulls Right's head and shoulders into a hold, then grabs one of Right's legs. Cameras flash all over the arena as Daniels hefts Right up off the top turnbuckle, twisting his body and throwing Right off behind him! Big, big pop!] DD: HEROPLEX! HEROPLEX! [Both men are down in the ring, but Daniels is only momentarily stunned, rolling onto the prone Christian Right and hooking the leg. Bobby Belshee drops to make the cover!] "ONE!" DD: He's got him! He's got him! "TWO!" DD: Christian Right is out! "THREE!" [Big pop as Belshee signals to the timekeeper to ring the bell!] * DING! DING! DING! * BS: That second turnbuckle exploder suplex is devastating, Don. Nobody's going to get up after that! DD: What an impressive victory here for Danny Daniels! [Daniels pulls himself to his feet as Christian Right rolls from the ring, and allows Bobby Belshee to raise his arm in victory!] SS: Ladies and gentlemen... your winner, by pinfall... "YOUUUUR HEEEERO" DAAAAAAAAANNY DAAAAAAAANIELS! [Big pop as "Nobody Does It Better" kicks in over the PA once more, but the beatific expression disappears from Daniels's face, and he wrenches his arm away from Belshee, moving to the corner and beckoning to Sy Simmons.] DD: Uh-oh. What's got Danny Daniels's goat now? [As Daniels explains something to Simmons, his eyes visibly roll as he nods, and raises his microphone again. Daniels, meanwhile, yells at the timekeeper to bring him his belt.] SS: Ladies and gentlemen, I have been asked to make a correction to my previous announcement. Your winner of this match, by pinfall... and *STILL* the RCW Supreme Champion... "YOUUUUUUUUR HEEEEEEERO"... DAAAAANNY DAAAAAAAANIELS! [A big smile spreads over Daniels's face as he straps the RCW Supreme Championship belt around his waist, again striking the same pose as the figure etched in gold on the belt's big, shiny plate. Cameras flash all over the arena as Daniels poses for the fans.] DD: Give me a break! Danny Daniels demanding that Sy Simmons give him full credit for successfully "defending" his so-called championship. BS: Whichever way you slice it, Don, this was an impressive outing for Danny Daniels. DD: You're right, Billy Shakespeare. Daniels looked very impressive out here against the hardy Christian Right. Folks, when we return, we'll be joined by the first hobo of wrestling, Liam Cassidy! [Cut to a shot of Cassidy backstage, chatting to intern Jamie Bond, and offering him a swig from his silver hip flash. The chyron "UP NEXT" appears on the screen. Fade to commercials.] [Fade back from commercials as the melancholy riffs of "Hobo Blues" kick up on the speakers of the Rose Garden arena. That twangy guitar and harmonica mean only one thing: and the crowd roars as The Jersey Drifter steps out into the aisle.] DD: We are being joined now by Liam Cassidy, a man who was screwed out of a victory last time here on RAMPAGE against "Golden Boy" Nolan Dorado. BS: It wasn't necessarily Dorado that did the screwing though, Don; it was that miscreant Jodee Burwick. DD: LetÕs take you back and show what went down. [As the scraggly Cassidy approaches the ring slapping hands with the fans, cut to footage captioned, "August 17th, 2006". Cassidy is in the ring with Dorado. Nolan charges but is met with a high back body drop and on his way down to the mat, Cassidy turns and levels him with a hard uppercut. Immediately, Jodee scrambles up onto the apron. We hear Ditka's voice-over:] DD: Cassidy hit Dorado with the Pikey Layover, essentially knocking the golden one out. But right away Jodee Burwick stepped onto the apron and tossed Liam a set of brass knuckles. [Jodee tosses said foreign object to Liam and immediately gets the attention of referee Jim Bright, demanding that he check the hobo for a weapon. Bright forces Liam to show his hands, and after wrestling his right hand from behind the hobo's back, Bright turns to the timekeeper and calls for the bell, disqualifying Liam Cassidy. Cassidy protests as a smirking Burwick pulls the victorious Dorado and helps him out of the ring.] BS: Cassidy was disqualified for holding a weapon he never even used. Trust me when I say that Liam Cassidy doesn't need to use brass knucks to knock someone out. Just ask the line of RCW superstars that have felt that right hook of his. DD: I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who disagrees with that, Billy Shakespeare. [Cut back to ringside, where Liam climbs up into the ring. He's wearing his white wife beater tank top with the fisted logo and "JUST ONE SECOND" splashed across the back. He's wearing a pair of dirty blue jeans complete with oil stains and holes in the knees. Of course on top of his mangy hair sits his favorite hat, the musky black fedora. Jack Johnson's "Hobo Blues" fades out as Sy Simmons hands the New Jersey native a wireless microphone. Liam stares straight at the aisle, but his attention is diverted once he notices the loud ovation he is getting from the fans -- and not just those seated in the Hobo Section.] DD: For whatever reason, Billy Shakespeare, these fans have really taken to Liam Cassidy. BS: He's an RCW original, Don. The man came here and couldn't wrestle his way out of a paper bag, but he took to this sport like no one I've ever seen. And now? Well, he's still not that great of a technical wrestler... DD: Despite your training. BS: I can only do so much, Don. But that's taking nothing away from Cassidy. He has the basic fundamentals down. And he can fight. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone in the locker room that looks forward to a match with the Jersey Drifter. [Cassidy smirks when he realizes the crowd is roaring simply for him. Liam reaches into his pocket and pulls out his favorite possession, the dented silver flask. He raises it up in the air and looks around.] LC: Hey, lads! [Saluting the fans, he takes a quick swig of the bourbon inside and quickly puts it back into his pocket.] BS: The following interview has been brought to you by Jim Bean. [Liam turns back to the aisle, pointing at the dressing room. He's about to make a point, when the fans in the Hobo Section start hooting and hollering, louder than the other fans in the arena. This is enough to get Liam's attention, who turns his head and instead points to them.] LC: WhereÕs my hoboes at?! [The Hobo Section explodes after receiving an acknowledgment from their hero. He just grins, obviously still a little unused to this kind of positive reception.] BS: I think those fans all hold season tickets to RCW events, Don. They're always in the same spot, just to the right of us. DD: Thanks in part to Mr. Cassidy, who helps supply the tickets to those fans. Say what you want about him, but he is generous with the money he receives. BS: No kidding, Don. I remember one night he took a bunch of us to the Arm Bar after a show and hired a bunch of... Actually Don, I'd better not get into that, this is a family show. DD: Good grief, Billy! [Okay, this time he's gonna do it. Liam turns back to the aisle and points towards the curtains.] LC: Nolan Dorado, youÕve got about thirty seconds to get yer arse out to this ring right now. [Big pop!] LC: Whether you meant to or not, you screwed me last show. Now I ain't afraid to admit when I get my ass kicked, or when these shoulders get pinned to the mat. It's one thing to beat a man fairly. But it's a whole other thing when you rob a man of what is his. I had you beat, you sumbitch, and you know it. [Bigger pop! The fans all remember.] LC: Now to you, a win's a win. I s'pose a Nancy-boy like you doesn't mind it when his bitch wins the match for him. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!" DD: Thank goodness it's after 10pm, Billy Shakespeare. LC: You never beat me, Dorado, and I ain't gonna sleep right until I get a chance to right the wrong. So come out to this ring right now and give me my rematch. DD: I'm not so sure that Dorado is going to be keen on the idea of stepping into the ring once more with the Jersey Drifter. BS: Who would, Don? LC: Somebody shine that spotlight down there on the aisle. He likes that light. Get him out here. [Liam takes a second swig of the drink.] LC: 'Cause he don't want me coming back there looking for him, I can tell you that. [Suddenly, "WhatÕs Golden" by Jurassic 5 begins thumping over the PA speakers and the audience responds with a deafening chorus of booing and jeering as Cassidy lowers his microphone, staring expectantly towards the entrance curtains. He doesn't have long to wait as the curtains part and a familiar slender, muscular form strides into view.] DD: Surprise, surprise! Here comes Nolan Dorado! BS: He may not be the most honest wrestler on the roster, Don, but I'll give him credit... Dorado's not a coward. Well... at least he's not a *complete* coward. [Dorado glares down the aisle toward Cassidy, his long dirty-blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Beside him, the curvaceous form of Jodee Burwick slinks into view as the crowd's jeers grows even louder. Dressed in his shiny golden wrestling pants with the words "Golden Boy" imprinted on the outside of each leg, Dorado's upper body and eyes are bare as he's missing his trademark shiny golden robe and golden wraparound sunglasses. He mutters an unheard curse as he marches quickly down the aisle, Burwick teetering along in his wake on impossibly high stiletto heels.] DD: Dorado's coming to the ring! He's responding to Cassidy's calling him out! BS: That, or perhaps Cassidy was right in that Dorado didn't want him coming to the back, looking for him. [In the ring, Cassidy drops his wireless microphone with a *THUMP!* as he adopts a defensive posture while Dorado slides underneath the bottom ropes. But Dorado doesn't attack -- he simply rolls to his feet and quickly snatches up the microphone, raising it to his own lips as the fans chant loudly to communicate their feelings towards the "Golden Boy".] "YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!" [Dorado snarls wordlessly as he paces back and forth for a moment, staring daggers at Cassidy who dares him to try something. After a moment, the chanting dies down giving Dorado the opportunity to speak.] ND: Cassidy! You need to get something straight! You... ACK! [Suddenly, Dorado's face screws up in distaste as he looks as if he's about to throw up.] DD: What's going on? BS: I think Dorado's about to be ill... [Fortunately, nothing comes up but Dorado backpedals away from Cassidy, holding his nostrils clamped tightly shut between two fingers.] ND: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT AWFUL SMELL?! WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU BATHED, YOU FILTHY PIG?! [The Hobo Section simply laughs at Dorado's displeasure as Cassidy sniffs his own armpit for a moment before shrugging and grinning. By this time, Jodee Burwick has finally managed to climb into the ring and she steps up beside Dorado, reaching down into her ample cleavage...] DD: Uh oh! The last time she did this, brass knuckles came out of... those... ummm... that place! BS: They're called breasts, Don. [But no weapons emerge from Burwick's cleavage as instead she produces... a pair of clothes pins. Dorado and his (much) older girlfriend then make a dramatic performance out of clipping the clothes pins over their nostrils as the fans boo and jeer mercilessly.] ND: Now listen up, Cassidy! [The unfortunate side effect of having a clothespin clamped over one's nostrils is that the resulting impact on the voice is to make it sound very high-pitched and nasally. As a result, Dorado's attempted threatening tone sounds very much like a small child's whining which causes the audience to laugh at him even louder than before. Not surprisingly, Dorado and Burwick react to the laughter as if they'd been scalded with hot water, while Cassidy chuckles in amusement.] DD: Hehehehe! Oh, my! Dorado may not have anticipated how those clothes pins would make him sound! BS: He doesn't need anyone else to make him look foolish... he does it all by himself! [Again Dorado is forced to wait for the audience noise to die down before he can continue speaking and he reacts to this delay with ill grace. Feigning boredom, Cassidy leans back against the ropes and impatiently gestures for Dorado to continue.] ND: As you can see, you filthy bum... the only thing about you that frightens me is that god-awful smell! That and the slimy maggots that might rub off on me every time I have to kick your ass! [Cassidy pushes himself off the ropes, the expression of amusement quickly fading from his face.] ND: You don't scare me, Cassidy, you and your backstreet boys over there! [The Hobo Section doesn't like to be compared to an out-of-date boy band and they react to this comment with scorn and boisterous verbal abuse.] ND: But the last time I checked, beside my name there was a checkmark in the "W" column while beside yours was one in the "Loss" column! Whine about it all you like but the fact is, you lost! Make all the excuses you want because it doesn't matter to me. But as for your... "request"... for a rematch? Here's my answer so listen up... [Dorado leans in Cassidy's direction, pausing for dramatic effect.] ND: ...NO! [And with that, Dorado drops the microphone as he backs away, sliding out beneath the bottom rope to the arena floor as Burwick turns toward the corner steps. The crowd boos and jeers the two of them at a fever pitch but is studiously ignored as Burwick suddenly pauses and bends down (providing the Hobo Section with a spectacular view) and picks up the microphone herself. Cassidy is glaring angrily at Dorado on the outside of the ring but changes his focus to the surgically enhanced blonde when she steps in front of him.] JB: One last thing, you smelly pile of rags! Don't you _EVER_ put another one of your stinky hands on my Nolan ever again!! [On the outside of the ring, Dorado winces at his girlfriend's attempt to defend him as the male members of the crowd jeer at his public emasculation. Cassidy snorts in disbelief and snatches the microphone out of Burwick's delicately manicured hand as she gasps in shock.] LC: Hah! You don't want hands put on him, girlie, but you sure look like you've had more than a few put on you! [The fans roar their approval as Burwick's face screws up in rage as she grabs the microphone, pulling it towards her while Cassidy retains his grip on it.] JB: How dare you?! You should go wash your mouth out with something you've never seen before... SOAP! "OOOOOOOOOHH!" [Cassidy temporarily wins the microphone tug of war by pulling it towards himself for his response.] LC: I know what soap is, ya overstuffed tart. Lemme tell you this, though. There ain't enough soap in the world that would clean out your mouth after what I hear you like to do with yours! "OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!" [The audience is clearly beginning to enjoy this exchange. Burwick, on the other hand, clearly is not -- but before she can respond, she is pulled away by a concerned-looking Nolan Dorado, who has rolled back into the ring. As Dorado tries to draw the protesting Burwick away from Cassidy, the "Jersey Drifter" turns toward the Hobo Section and grins widely as he gives them a double thumbs-up.] DD: Liam Cassidy and Jodee Burwick exchanging words with Cassidy clearly coming out ahead but... LOOK OUT! [Spotting Cassidy's distraction as the brawler is turned away, Dorado releases Burwick and takes the opportunity to strike as he steps forward and leaps up into the air, spinning around in a complete circle so that his leg lashes out, his foot smashing into the side of Cassidy's head with a devastating impact.] DD: Oh no! A jumping spinning roundhouse kick... right to the head! [The crowd's laughter dies quickly and is replaced by more deafening jeers as Cassidy collapses to his hands and knees. Dorado and Burwick beat a hasty retreat from the ring as the "Jersey Drifter" takes a moment to shakily rise to his feet once more, dazedly forced to use the ring ropes to help pull himself upright.] DD: What a disgusting display, Billy Shakespeare! Nolan Dorado may have just awoken the sleeping giant with that back-stabbing assault! BS: I'll predict this much... if Liam Cassidy wanted a rematch before, he'll be even hungrier for it now considering what Dorado's just done. DD: And for what? To defend the honor of that harpy, Jodee Burwick? [Cassidy stumbles over to the side of the ring facing the entrance as he points an angry finger towards Dorado and curses. Up the aisle, Dorado ignores him and the booing crowd as he drags Burwick away although the shapely blonde is still angrily yelling threats and insults back at the "Jersey Drifter". Liam stumbles around with his hand, trying to grab the mic without taking his eyes off of his new-found enemies.] LC: I'll tell you this, lad. This ain't over... DD: Nolan Dorado has denied Liam Cassidy his demand for a rematch but after this latest confrontation, this issue is *far* from resolved! Folks, we'll be right back! [Fade to commercials.] [Fade back from commercials to a wide-angle shot of the ring in the centre of the arena floor.] ___ ______ __ / _ \/ ___/ | /| / / / , _/ /__ | |/ |/ / Akitoshi Ogawa vs. Orin "The Lynx" LeBlanc /_/|_|\___/ |__/|__/ [Sy Simmons, joined in the ring by referee Jim Bright, raises his microphone to his lips once more.] SS: Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is scheduled for one fall! [The arena lights drop and "Ride Or Die!" by Doomriders booms out over the PA, strobe laser lighting shooting out of the entranceway as dry ice seeps out into the aisle.] SS: Introducing first... accompanied to the ring by Zeke Brackett... hailing from Kumamoto, Japan, and weighing in at 266lbs... AKITOSHI OOOOOOOOOOOGAAAAAAAAAAAAWA! [Heel pop as two figures emerge into the strobe lighting, cast in silhouette. One is the hulking figure of Akitoshi Ogawa, the big, broad-shouldered Japanese man. The other is considerably shorter, but no less bulky, with his fauxhawk hair standing up on top of his head: it's manager Zeke Brackett.] DD: Folks, welcome back to RAMPAGE! As you can see, the former King of the Death Match Akitoshi Ogawa is on his way out here to face the big Canadian, Orin LeBlanc. BS: Ogawa came up short at Wild Summer Night against Mark Coleman, and he'll be determined not to come up short again here tonight. [Ogawa and Brackett make their way down the aisle, Ogawa as impassive as ever, his face not betraying any emotion. Ogawa, however, is in the eye of the storm: Brackett is considerably more animated, jabbing his finger in the faces of jeering fans on either side of the aisle, spitting vituperative insults towards them.] DD: Just look at the contrast between these two men, Billy Shakespeare. Ogawa is focus personified. He is always ready for a fight, and boy, can he give you a fight. But look at Brackett -- he's like a little rubber ball with a bad haircut! BS: Brackett may be short of stature, Don, and he may have a short fuse, but he's almost as dangerous as Ogawa. [Ogawa steadily climbs up the ringsteps and steps into the ring between the ropes, while the diminutive Brackett slides in under the bottom rope. Ogawa fixes his gaze on the head of the aisle, as Brackett stands in front of him, trying to fire up the big man, talking to him, slapping his broad chest. Ogawa doesn't even appear to notice that Brackett is there as "Ride or Die!" fades over the PA.] SS: And introducing his opponent... [Big pop as "Do The Evolution" by Pearl Jam kicks in over the PA!] SS: ...hailing from St. Catherine's, Ontario, Canada, and weighing in at 275lbs, here is... "THE LYNX"... OOOOOOOOOORIN LEBLAAAAAAAANC! [LeBlanc strides out into the aisle, and pushes his shaggy blond hair out of his face, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he hears the cheers of the fans. LeBlanc takes a moment to look around at the fans, before fixing his gaze on Ogawa and heading down the aisle.] DD: Here comes Orin LeBlanc. An impressive win for LeBlanc over the legendary Lord Byron two weeks ago, Billy Shakespeare, and now he faces another submission specialist in Akitoshi Ogawa here tonight. BS: LeBlanc can more than hold his own against submission specialists, Don. He's got power to spare, but he can tie you in knots too. This should be a very interesting match! [LeBlanc climbs the ringsteps and steps through the ropes. He stands a few feet away from Ogawa. Brackett turns to LeBlanc and gets up in his face, but LeBlanc is considerably taller than the diminutive manager, and stares right over his head towards Ogawa.] DD: Zeke Brackett doing his best to get in LeBlanc's face, but thus far LeBlanc is staying focused on the man he's got to beat in there tonight. And... [Suddenly, "Would I Lie to You" plays over the loudspeakers.] DD: Oh no. No. Please don't tell me. BS: Well, I don't know *what* to tell you, then. That is most definitely the music for Ring of Truth. [It is, as Owen "Truth" Curtis and Eddie "Flash" Curtis burst through the entrance portal. Owen has on a typical oxford, slacks and tie combo, whereas Eddie is again more casual in jeans and a T-shirt that says "a PERFECT EXPOSURE every time!" They quickly make their way towards ringside, while LeBlanc turns to face them, rolling his eyes.] DD: I'm afraid you're right. I was looking forward to calling this match, too. [...but then Owen's music is cut off -- interrupted by "The Mob Rules"!] DD: That's the RCW President's music! Dan Spreadbury must be on his way out here! And hopefully to set things straight and give Owen Curtis the what for! [Eddie and Owen freeze in the aisle, staring straight down to the entrance... where RCW President Daniel Spreadbury appears!] BS: I think you're right! I thought that Owen had an airtight legal argument that he could do whatever he wanted! Now, I'm not so sure! [Owen procures a cordless mic from his pocket...] OWEN "TRUTH" CURTIS: Hold it right there, Spreadbutter! Hold it, turn around, and get steppin' back the other way, back to the converted bathroom you call an office! You don't belong here! This isn't one of your matches! It's mine! This is, after all, the Ring of Truth! And that means, you're out of here! [The crowd boos lustily...] DS: Ring of Truth? Ring of Truth, you say? Well, to me, and to the Rip City Wrestling Board of Directors, it has the ring of falsehood! [Spreadbury has finished walking the aisle, and is now face to face with Owen and Eddie. Eddie has a smirk on his face, as Owen just glares into Spreadbury's eyes. Spreadbury likewise stares at Owen incredulously.] DS: You think you can just do what you want here, Owen. Well, you can't. See, that settlement you and I both signed said you could have a show. It said... NOTHING... about you running your own promotion. Right there in the definitions, *I'm* defined as the promoter! And so you need to walk back through that portal behind me, exit the arena, and wait until there's not a match on, if you want to have your show! [Owen is pretty much steaming out the ears. He inhales, exhales, and says...] OTC: No. No. The fact is, Danny, I'm going to turn around. I'm going to turn around and go to that ringside table where Pukespeare and Double D-Cup are pretending to call this match, and I'm going to relieve them of their duties! [Owen waits for Spreadbury's reply.] DS: Go ahead, then. [Owen's glare dissolves into a smile. He laughs.] OTC: OK, then, we will. Come on, Eddie. [They turn around -- coming face to face with a large retinue of security guards.] DS: Owen and Eddie, it's just not to be this time. I mean, you did an OK job calling the match last time, but this idea of having your own rules and your own promotion -- it's just not the Truth! Gentlemen, escort these two Curtis brothers out of here! [The guards advance on Owen and Eddie.] OTC: That... won't be necessary. Come on, Ed. Let's blow this popsicle stand. After all, if these folks don't want to hear the Truth... then they don't deserve the Truth! [Owen drops his cordless mic and, with Eddie in tow, marches out there with a furious look on his face. He stops on the way to glare at Spreadbury, as does Eddie. Eddie smirks, then horks up a loogie on Spreadbury's shoes!] DD: Uh-oh. BS: I don't know if that was too wise. [Owen and Eddie then proceed out of the arena, with Spreadbury never taking his eyes off of them. The guards follow them to make sure they actually do leave.] DD: Well, this is a nice change from two weeks ago. Ring of Truth. I just *knew* that was too awful to be true. BS: You said it. DD: Folks, we're going to take a short break, and afterwards, we'll actually get on with this match. [Fade to commercials.] [Fade back from commercials. Match official Jim Bright signals for the bell.] * DING! DING! DING! * DD: Welcome back, folks! Owen and Eddie Curtis have been ejected from the arena, and we can focus on the match at hand. It's Orin LeBlanc going one on one against Akitoshi Ogawa, *live* here in the Rose Garden! [LeBlanc and Ogawa circle each other in the ring, while Brackett stands at ringside, palms on the canvas, looking intently up at the two men facing off. And then, to a big pop from the crowd, Ogawa and LeBlanc collide in the middle of the ring with a collar and elbow tie up, each man vying for supremacy. Ogawa comes out on top in the first exchange, shoving LeBlanc to the mat.] DD: There's nothing to choose between these men in terms of size and power, Billy Shakespeare. BS: But Ogawa has three inches on LeBlanc, and that could prove to be significant. Ogawa will have the leverage advantage. [LeBlanc rolls to one side as Ogawa stalks in after him, and yanks on the big Japanese man's leg, bringing him down to the canvas and flipping him over, applying an ankle lock! Big pop! Ogawa rolls through, forcing LeBlanc off with his free leg, and both men get back to their feet. LeBlanc slips behind Ogawa as he lunges in, and drops to his knees, driving a shoulder into the back of Ogawa's legs, and then rolling underneath the big man as he topples backwards, cinching his legs up into a cross knee-scissors! Big pop!] BS: There's that submission pedigree of LeBlanc coming to the fore, Don. He's going to try and neutralise that height advantage, and that's a smart move. [Ogawa quickly reverses the cross knee scissors into a leg lock of his own, and LeBlanc is forced to grab the ropes. Bright puts the count on Ogawa, who releases LeBlanc on the count of three. Both men again get to their feet, and once again circle each other in the ring. LeBlanc lunges for Ogawa, who sidesteps the Canadian, slips behind him, and applies a hammerlock. LeBlanc twists out, then lifts Ogawa and drops him with a side slam. Pop! LeBlanc grabs hold of Ogawa's right leg and stomps away at the crook of the knee, stomping and stomping! Pop!] DD: LeBlanc is really going to town on the legs of the huge Ogawa here, Billy Shakespeare! [Zeke Brackett hops up onto the apron, shouting abuse at LeBlanc. LeBlanc is drawn away from Ogawa, and Jim Bright interjects himself between LeBlanc and Brackett, trying to keep the Canadian from attacking the manager. Brackett takes advantage, unloading on LeBlanc with a slap to the face that Bright misses because his back is to Brackett, trying in vain to force LeBlanc away from the ropes. LeBlanc is infuriated -- but quickly has his attention forcibly removed from Brackett by Ogawa, who grabs him from behind and takes him down to the mat with a hangman's neckbreaker! Big heel pop!] DD: Brackett interfering here to swing the pendulum back in favour of his man, Billy Shakespeare. BS: Like it or not, it's a smart move. Ogawa doesn't want LeBlanc focusing on his legs all night long. Ogawa needs to put this match on his terms. [Ogawa drags LeBlanc to his feet and hits him with a hard palm thrust to the throat, knocking Orin back on his heels. Ogawa sends LeBlanc for the ride, and on the return, grabs him by the throat, lifts him up, and goes for a chokeslam -- but drops to one knee as he drives LeBlanc down to the canvas, and slams LeBlanc over his knee! Big heel pop!] DD: CHOKESLAM BACKBREAKER! LeBlanc could be out! [Ogawa drops onto LeBlanc and makes the cover as Bright drops to make the count... 1... 2... ...and LeBlanc kicks out! Big relieved pop!] BS: What a devastating move. First Ogawa knocks the wind out of LeBlanc with that strike to the throat, and then puts unbelievable torsion on his back with that chokeslam backbreaker. DD: Ogawa is now firmly in control in this one! [Brackett has a big smile on his face and taunts the fans in the front rows as Ogawa drags LeBlanc to his feet and drives him back into the corner with a series of palm strikes, each of them resonating with a resounding *SMACK* on the chest of LeBlanc. Having forced LeBlanc into the corner, Ogawa sends him for the ride across the ring, LeBlanc colliding with the turnbuckles on the other side with tremendous force! Big heel pop! LeBlanc staggers out of the corner, and is caught by Ogawa with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! Heel pop!] DD: Ogawa continues to focus on the back of Orin LeBlanc! BS: It's good tactics, Don. LeBlanc can't execute any of his signature power moves if his back is compromised. [Again Ogawa drags LeBlanc to his feet and sends him to the ropes. On the return, he hoists him up onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry -- and then rolls forwards, slamming LeBlanc to the mat!] DD: KUMAMOTO ROLL! KUMAMOTO ROLL! This could be it! [Again Ogawa drops onto LeBlanc and Bright makes the count... 1... 2... ...and again LeBlanc kicks out! Pop!] DD: LeBlanc is reeling from this assault from Ogawa. He needs to hit back, and soon! [Ogawa drags the increasingly groggy LeBlanc back to his feet again, but LeBlanc shrugs him off! Pop! LeBlanc fires out with a kick to Ogawa's midsection, latches on with a hammerlock with one arm and a front face lock with the other, and lifts Ogawa up for a windmill suplex, *driving* him down to the mat! Big pop! LeBlanc makes the cover... 1... 2...] "OOOOOOOOOOHH!" DD: Brackett just pulled Jim Bright out of the ring! Brackett new Ogawa was in danger of being pinned, and he pulled the referee right out of the ring! [Bright pulls himself to his feet and gets up in Brackett's face -- and Brackett nails him with a punch! Big heel pop as Bright drops to the floor like he's been shot!] DD: Come on! That's a referee! [LeBlanc rolls out of the ring, and grabs Brackett, tossing him into the ring under the bottom rope. The crowd pops as LeBlanc drags Brackett to his feet by his hair, and then Irish whips him into the corner of the ring, Brackett colliding with the turnbuckles with tremendous force! LeBlanc then turns his attention back to Ogawa, who has got back to his knees, grabbing the Japanese man, and sending him flying into the same corner, inadvertently splashing Brackett!] DD: The fans are on their feet! LeBlanc is cleaning house out there! [LeBlanc looks out to the fans, nods his head, and then charges in himself, hitting a big vertical splash on both men! Big, big pop! Ogawa staggers out of the corner as Brackett drops to the apron and rolls to the outside, and LeBlanc grabs Ogawa -- and executes a devastating guillotine face driver on the big man! Huge, huge pop!] DD: SNOWBLIND! SNOWBLIND! [LeBlanc drops to make the cover on Ogawa.] DD: There's no referee! Jim Bright is still down on the outside! [The fans chant in time with the count they wish they could see:] "ONE!" "TWO!" "THREE!" DD: He had him, but thanks to Zeke Brackett, there's nobody to make the count -- hang on, here comes Bobby Belshee! [Indeed, referee Bobby Belshee is running down the aisle, and slides into the ring to make the count! The fans are going crazy! 1... 2... ...and Ogawa kicks out! Disappointed pop from the fans!] DD: So close! LeBlanc must have had Ogawa down for something like a ten count, but by the time Belshee got in there to make the count, he was able to just get a shoulder up! BS: LeBlanc has to try not to get frustrated now. He can still put the big man away. [LeBlanc drags Ogawa back to his feet and softens up the big Japanese man with a couple of hard reverse knife-edge chops, backing him into the ropes. LeBlanc sends Ogawa for the ride, catching him on the return and *throwing* him with a belly-to-belly suplex! Big pop! Ogawa lands near the ropes, and starts to pull himself up. LeBlanc moves in, and Ogawa grabs him by the neck and throws him through the ropes to the outside, where he lands awkwardly on the floor! Big heel pop!] DD: Ogawa's not done just yet! [Ogawa rolls out of the ring after LeBlanc and starts ripping at the thin matting on the arena floor, pulling up a large section and tossing it aside!] DD: Uh-oh! Bobby Belshee is putting the count on both men here, but I don't think Ogawa cares about that -- he wants to injure Orin LeBlanc! [Ogawa pulls LeBlanc back to his feet, and applies a full nelson on him! The fans react immediately, knowing what comes next!] BS: He's going for the Shunji Street Sweeper -- onto the exposed concrete floor! [Sensing the danger, LeBlanc lifts his arms high above his head, slipping out of the full nelson, and drops to his knees. In desperation, he wheels around, and brings his forearm up between Ogawa's legs, bending the big Japanese man double! Huge pop from the crowd!] DD: Low blow from LeBlanc -- but on this occasion, I can't blame him! This match, and perhaps even his career, was in jeopardy from this deranged individual, and if that's what it takes to slow the big man down, so be it! [As Belshee's count continues, LeBlanc stands, and goes to execute a DDT on Ogawa, dropping him face-first onto the concrete -- but he pauses for a moment, as if unsure whether an act of such brutality is justified... and then his mind is made up for him, as Brackett attacks him from behind! Big heel pop!] DD: LeBlanc was clearly in two minds there, but now Zeke Brackett has stepped in to assist his charge yet again in this match -- and he's rolling LeBlanc back into the ring! [LeBlanc's return to the ring breaks Belshee's count, and Brackett then turns his attention to Ogawa, trying to gee the big man up to finish this match and put LeBlanc away. Ogawa rolls back into the ring after LeBlanc, and both men get to their feet once more.] BS: This match has taken its toll on both men, Don! DD: It certainly has, Billy Shakespeare. These fans are on their feet as these two men slug it out in the middle of the ring yet again! [Ogawa overpowers LeBlanc and sends him for the ride. On the return, LeBlanc ducks under a clothesline attempt from Ogawa, slides up behind him, and quickly applies a half nelson. In a flash, LeBlanc grabs Ogawa's other arm and pulls it across his face, then locks his hands around Ogawa's neck. Ogawa's eyes are wide as LeBlanc lifts him up and falls backwards, dropping the Japanese man on his head and neck. Huge, huge pop!] DD: BEAST'S BURDEN! BEAST'S BURDEN! [LeBlanc makes the cover on Ogawa as Belshee drops to make the count. On the outside, Brackett can't believe it! 1... 2... ...3!] * DING! DING! DING! * DD: He did it! He did it! [Huge pop from the fans as "Do The Evolution" kicks in over the PA, and LeBlanc gets to his feet, allowing Belshee to raise his arm in victory! But LeBlanc's celebration is short-lived, as Brackett slides into the ring behind Orin. Almost as if he has eyes in the back of his head, LeBlanc wheels around, and sees Brackett, grabbing the manager by his fauxhawk and running him towards the ropes, sending him sailing out of the ring over the top rope, to the delight of the crowd!] DD: And Brackett gets his, too! He interfered in this match once too often! [Ogawa rolls out of the ring as LeBlanc climbs up onto the second turnbuckle and raises his fists in the air.] SS: Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, as the result of a pinfall... OOOOOOOOOOOORIN... "THE LYNX"... LEBLAAAAAAAAANC! [The crowd continues to cheer as LeBlanc acknowledges their support, watching as Ogawa and Brackett help each other up the aisle towards the locker room.] DD: What a match, Billy Shakespeare! BS: Another tremendous victory for Orin LeBlanc, who is stringing together some very impressive performances right now. DD: He certainly is. Folks, we have to take another short commercial break, but when we come back, we'll see two legends of Portland wrestling finally lock it up, one on one... [The screen cuts to show a graphic of Lord Byron on one side and Derek Rage and Pizzazz on the other, with the words "UP NEXT" emblazoned across the bottom.] DD: ...Derek Rage and Lord Byron in singles competition -- up next! [Fade to commercials.] [Fade back from commercials to footage captioned, "DURING THE BREAK." Mick Silvestri, dressed to the nines in a charcoal grey Armani suit and brandishing a clipboard. He greets the audience with a nod and a smile.] MS: My name is Mick Silvestri, and tonight, you will see the birth of something big. Something gigantic. Something legendary. You have all come to love my client, Nathan Herod, and the unique qualities he brings our favorite pasttime, pro-wrestling. When I discovered him, I knew I was on the verge of conquering the sport. It is time for the next step. A stable. [Silvestri lets the words sink in for a moment.] MS: That is right. Like the famous managers of yesterday I will assemble a group of wrestlers that shall be invincible, each fighter's excellence enhanced by the collective, advantages enforced, weaknesses negated. Naturally, we are talking about establishing a new pecking order here in RCW, something that will change the face of the promotion forever. Last week, I took a last survey of the men fit to join my stable and suffice to say, I found the perfect man to stand beside Nathan Herod and form the core of "the Masters of the Universe". [The smile becomes a full-fledged cheshire cat grin that could very well be described as nuclear in its intensity.] MS: Now, watch in awe as the historic moment approaches. [The camera zooms out a little as we see that Mick is standing in the backstage area of the arena, in front of a locker room door. The British manager clears his throat and knocks on the door. Only a moment passes before it opens... ...and looking rather suspiciously at Silvestri now is Orin "The Lynx" LeBlanc, a towel around his neck, fresh from the shower after his match earlier in the hour.] OL: You need somethin'? MS: Orin... your prayers have been answered. You have heard the rumors backstage that I am forming the mightiest force of wrestlers this continent has ever seen... Mick Silvestri and the "Masters of the Universe"... and you are going to be a part of it. [Before LeBlanc can answer, Silvestri continues.] MS: Oh, I see... you are stunned into silence. Now, my friend, there is no reason to be humble. You _are_ worthy of being my top draft, believe me. Your technical prowess will go hand-in-hand with Nathan's... unique style as the two of you spearhead into taking over this promotion and this whole industry. Others will flock to our banner as success spreads its alluring scent. The scent of triumph. The scent of money. [Mick thrusts the clipboard he was clutching at LeBlanc.] MS: Here is the contract. Pretty much standard fare but a necessity for all my clients to sign to guarantee smooth proceedings with the trademarks and the copyrights and the merchandise and the... I seem to have forgotten my pen, though. Do you have one in your locker room? Do you? [Frowning a little, confusion now on his face, the big Canadian looks over at the contract, even tilting it to the side at one point as if it would help to make any more sense. Finally, he looks up at Silverstri.] OL: Did the boys in the back put you up to this? 'Cause seriously, the last time any sort o'... [He makes the air quotes gesture] ..."manager" expressed interest in me, I got accused o' bein' a pervert an' other assorted unmentionables a short time afterwards. Frankly, it's a headache I'd rather not repeat... MS: No worries, Orin. I only have your very _best_ interests in mind. You will see, as my client, most of your problems will go up into vapors while you can reap the fruits of our labor like ... [LeBlanc holds up a hand in interruption, shaking his head.] OL: Look, I don't know what sort o' notion you got set in your head there but I've been handlin' me an' mine on my own for quite some time now. An' I've gotten to the point where I don't need anyone who thinks they can do the thinkin' for me gettin' in my way. So, no thanks. [Mick playfully wags his finger at Orin.] MS: I see what this is, Orin. Negotiating, are you? I like how your mind works. I am sure we can work over some of the numbers in that contract. In my grand design you _are_ an integral part of the "Masters" and I open to discuss the value of-- [A growl from the Lynx suddenly cuts Silvestri off.] OL: [eyes narrowing] Lemme use less subtle-like words for you. I'm not interested in your "Masters of the Universe", Orko... go find another Battle Cat elsewhere! [Orin shakes his head again in frustration.] I got more important things to deal with tonight anyway... [He thrusts the clipboard back at Mick and SLAMS the door in the Brit's face. Slowly, almost in slow motion, the grin melts from Silvestri's face as he stares at the closed door. Then his shoulders slump, he mutters something to himself and shuffles off. The camera pans to the left, to reveal, behind a corner, Nathan Herod, a scowl on his face as he leans against the wall. Cut back to ringside.] DD: Welcome back, everybody! As you have just seen, Orin LeBlanc's impressive wins two weeks ago and tonight have caught the eye of Nathan Herod's manager, Mick Silvestri -- and it doesn't look like Nathan Herod himself is too happy about it. BS: I don't think Herod has anything to worry about, Don. It doesn't seem like LeBlanc has any interest in procuring a manager right now. DD: Indeed, Billy Shakespeare. Folks, up next we will see a match that has been brewing for quite some time. Two legends of wrestling here in Portland will go up against each other one on one for the very first time. Let's go back and take a look at how we got here. [Cut to footage captioned, "June 29th, 2006", showing footage of the tag team match pitting Derek Rage and "The Jersey Drifter" Liam Cassidy against Dave Bryant and Ryan Faith. Lord Byron stands at ringside, rolling his brass-topped cane between his palms, weighing up his options. Cassidy sends Faith for the ride with an Irish whip, but Faith reverses, and Byron leaps up to the ring apron, cane in hand -- only to be promptly hauled back down to the floor! We hear the original commentary:] DD: Pizzazz! Pizzazz just hauled Byron down off the ring apron in the nick of time! And Byron can't believe it! [Byron stares at the winsome Pizzazz in disbelief, and the furious valet gives Byron a mouthful, pushing him back with both hands, away from the ring apron. Pizzazz shoves at Byron again, and the aristocrat catches the beautiful French Canadian's wrists... a second passes as both stare at each other... Byron looks over her shoulder, seeing Rage turn round in the ring, towards them... and he sweeps Pizzazz off her feet, laying a Hollywood-esque style kiss right on the stunned valet's lips! The crowd erupts into an incredible, shocked pop! Pizzazz struggles... pauses for a moment... and then thrashes wildly, throwing Byron off in fury and catching him with a resounding slap to the face! Another shocked pop! There's a tic in Byron's cheek... and he turns his head back towards Pizzazz, a gloating smile on his face as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, checking it for any trace of blood. He looks up... and his eyes widen!] DD: AND HERE COMES DEREK RAGE! BS: He saw the whole thing, Don! Byron stole a kiss from his valet right under his nose! [Byron quickly backpedals towards the entranceway as both Derek Rage and Pizzazz storm after him, an expression of pure fury on the goliath Canadian's face, Pizzazz close behind. Byron holds up his hands, palms out in a pacifying gesture... his *empty* hands...] BS: Ryan Faith! In the ring! He's got Byron's cane! DD: It's a set-up! Byron must have tossed Faith that damn cane! [Faith launches himself from the ropes at Cassidy, almost caving in the Jersey Drifer's skull with Byron's signature cane! Big heel pop! Faith rolls Cassidy off Bryant, sliding the cane out of the ring as he hooks his opponent's leg. The referee crawls over... up in the aisle, Byron, still pleading innocence to the livid Derek Rage, breaks into a sneer as he looks past the giant Canadian... and Pizzazz spins her man around, pointing to the ring, to see Cassidy being pinned by Ryan Faith! Byron's sneer is frozen on the screen, and a video effect turns the frame blood red. We hear Don Ditka's voice over.] DD: What was it that drove Lord Byron to steal a kiss from Pizzazz that night in June? What was it that made him want to get inside Derek Rage's head? [Cut to footage captioned, "July 16th, 2006", showing Derek Rage battling Dave Bryant at Wild Summer Night. Byron watches from the aisle as Bryant attacks Pizzazz on the outside, leaving her lying after a Sin City Driver. Rage is overcome with fury, launching himself at the still groggy Bryant with lefts and rights, and then rolling him into the ring. In the aisle, Lord Byron looks over towards Pizzazz with concern, and starts to make his way around the side of the ring to tend to her. In the ring, Rage sends Bryant for the ride, and then on the return stops him dead in his tracks with his huge hand, applying a clawhold to the Las Vegas native's head. Huge pop! We hear the original commentary once more:] DD: HAMMER OF GOD! HE'S GOING FOR THE HAMMER OF GOD! [Rage turns around, Bryant's head still in the claw-hold, and lifts him up... and then spots Byron bending over Pizzazz on the outside! Rage drops Bryant to the mat, the Las Vegas native landing on his feet, and bends through the ropes, yelling at Byron to leave his woman alone. Quick as a cat, Byron wheels around and *nails* Rage with the brass top of his cane, Rage ricocheting backwards and staggering back into the ring -- where he is met by a superkick from Bryant!] DD: CALL ME IN THE MORNING! CALL ME IN THE MORNING! [The crowd is incensed as Rage tumbles to the mat like a giant redwood finally felled. Bryant drops on top of Rage, and as Nickrick drops to make the count, Bryant puts his feet up on the ropes to make extra double sure, and quickly rolls out of the ring after scoring the pinfall. Byron is already making his way up the aisle, jauntily swinging his cane as he retreats, a self-satisfied smile on his face. Again, the shot freezes on his face, again the whole picture fades into a deep red.] DD: What is it about Derek Rage that Lord Byron cannot stand? What drives the British blueblood to single him out? [Cut to footage captioned, "Two Weeks Ago", showing Derek Rage battling Nathan Herod. Rage wraps up Herod's legs before reaching forward and wrapping up the smaller man in a prone sleeperhold. We hear the original commentary:] DD: THE ARISTOCLUTCH! THAT'S LORD BYRON'S ARISTOCLUTCH! BS: Derek Rage is sending a message here, Don, and at Nathan Herod's expense! [Herod seems powerless to resist as Rage locks in the infamous submission hold even tighter. The referee steps over to the side of the ring to order Silvestri and Pizzazz apart -- taking his attention away from the entrance curtains where a loud roar of protest from the fans can be heard. Byron is wild-eyed and furious as he races down the aisle toward the ring. Rage releases the Aristoclutch, but it takes him a moment to free himself. At ringside, Byron grabs a metal garbage can and tosses it into the ring as he rolls underneath the bottom rope. On the opposite side of the ring, Silvestri spots this going on and grabs Pizzazz, sparking a shoving match that keeps the referee's attention away from the ring. Byron raises the garbage can high overhead and brings it smashing down onto the top of Derek Rage's skull, dropping the big Canadian with a mighty crash as garbage and debris go flying.] *CRASH!* [Still holding onto the garbage can with both hands, Byron then rolls out of the ring as the referee turns around to investigate. Pizzazz charges toward Lord Byron but ends up eating the garbage can as the Englishman drives it into the beautiful woman's face. To add insult to injury, the wild-eyed Byron upends the garbage can over top of the stunned Pizzazz, showering her with trash and refuse as the crowd boos loudly. As the wild-eyed Byron once again backs away up the aisle, we freeze on his face, the entire image once more fading to a deep red.] DD: Is it envy? Is it fear? Or was Lord Byron pushed over the edge by his brutal match at Wild Summer Night with Liam Cassidy? [We now see footage captioned, "Two Weeks Ago", showing Lord Byron wrestling Orin LeBlanc. Derek Rage, head bandaged, charges down the aisle. Lord Byron is leaning out over the top rope, barking away! The crowd pops as LeBlanc is on his feet, behind Byron, sizing him up for the Cobra Clutch -- and then *drives* the distracted blueblood to the mat with the Beast's Burden! LeBlanc pins Byron, and immediately after the bell, Rage pounds on Byron, backing him to the ropes, then whipping him across. He nails the rebounding Byron with a flying lariat! He follows that with an exploder suplex! Byron's back up, out of instinct as much as anything, and runs smack dab into an overhead press! Rage looks to the crowd to find out in which direction to launch the English nobleman! The crowd screams its approval! Rage goes to throw Byron out to the floor, but Byron hangs on to the wrist, and wraps his legs around the top rope as he flies over. His leverage propels Rage over, out and down to the outside mat! Byron picks up the ring steps and smashes Rage in the head with them, with a sickening metallic *thwack*! The crowd responds with thunderous boos! Byron lays the groggy Rage down chest first on the floor, near the bottom half of the ring steps, and sets Rage's right hand on the bottom of the steps. He goes back for the top half... Byron raises the ring steps over his head -- then smashes them down right onto Derek Rage's hand! And if that's not enough, he hops up to the apron, jumps, and legdrops the top half of those steps, smashing Rage's hand further! Rage clutches his hand with extreme anguish as Jim Bright motions for medical help. We freeze on the face of Derek Rage, contorted in pain.] DD: Why Lord Byron has singled out Derek Rage, we do not know. Why he wants to end the career of one of the all-time great tag team wrestlers, we can only speculate. But for Derek Rage, all of that is moot: only one thing matters now... payback. [Cut back to Ditka and Shakespeare at ringside.] DD: Folks, we've not heard anything at all from Lord Byron since before Wild Summer Night, but he's had his opportunity to explain his actions. Tonight, there'll be no time for talking. It's time to face the music. Let's get up to the ring. ___ ______ __ / _ \/ ___/ | /| / / / , _/ /__ | |/ |/ / Derek Rage vs. Lord Byron /_/|_|\___/ |__/|__/ [Sy Simmons stands in the ring, and brings the microphone to his lips once more.] DD: Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first... [The arena is plunged into utter darkness as the lights go out and the sudden hard beat of Public Enemy's "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" thundering over the PA speakers prompts a deafening cheer.] SS: ...accompanied to the ring by Pizzazz... hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and weighing in at 325lbs... here is... DEEEEEEEEREK RAAAAAAAAAGE! [The cheering grows even louder as the statuesque Pizzazz steps into the spotlight shining down at the top of the aisle. Uncharacteristically, she is not smiling. Behind the 6' beauty steps the towering form of Derek Rage, cloaked in his trademark boxer's robe with hood pulled down over his head. His right hand is heavily bandaged, but it is evident that his entire body is taut.] DD: Here's the Intelligent Thug -- and his hand is still heavily taped, Billy Shakespeare. BS: It is, Don. Lord Byron really did a number on that hand two weeks ago. [The fans continue to cheer loudly as Rage and Pizzazz walk down to the ring. At ringside, Rage demonstrates his exceptional height by ascending up onto the ring apron and then stepping over the top rope with one sweeping scissor motion of his long legs. Pizzazz uses a more conventional approach as she ducks between the ropes, standing behind her charge as she removes his robe to reveal Rage's lean but muscled body... all 7'2" of it.] SS: And introducing his opponent... [The arena lights dim, fading almost to total darkness. The capacity crowd hoots, whistles and jeers in anticipation.] # DON'T HOLD BACK... [The "Born To Rule" remix of the Chemical Brothers' "Galvanize" blasts out over the PA system, cutting Simmons off in mid-introduction, and the crowd leaps to their feet..] SS: ...hailing from Lancashire, England, and weighing in at 255lbs... here is... LOOOOOOOOOORD BYYYYYYYRON! # I climbed to the mountaintops, looked down on the masses and I # Don't hold back # As I stand above you all, I see the hate in your faces so I # Don't hold back [A single spotlight lights up the entranceway as the curtain is swept aside... and there's nobody there.] DD: Where's Byron, Billy Shakespeare? BS: Byron's a slippery customer, Don. He could be under the ring and about to jump out on Rage. [But Byron is nowhere to be seen. The crowd boos as the lights in the arena rise once more and Byron's music fades. Derek Rage stands in the centre of the ring. He and Pizzazz share a look of disgust. The giant folds his arms across his chest and waits a few moments longer.] DD: I... I don't think Byron is coming out here tonight, Billy Shakespeare. BS: This is extraordinary. I've never known Byron to back down from a challenge. DD: Well, folks, this is live television -- bear with us. [The crowd begins to boo. Rage acknowledges their impatience with a nod. He still waits. The arena entrance remains empty. There is no sign of Lord Byron. His patience spent, Rage calls for a microphone and snarls into it.] DR: Bloody typical, isn't it, Byron? You know you can't beat me, so you hide and you skulk. I know the best way to get you down to ringside for a match. That's to schedule a match against another opponent. Sure, put me in the ring against Dave Bryant or Nathan Herod and you'll be there, won't you, Byron? But put me in the ring against you and nothing. Typical Englishman, a lot of fancy talk and no goddamned action, innit? Byron, crawl your blue-blooded, yellow-bellied tail out here right now so I can show you exactly why you don't mess with an Intelligent Thug, you bloody wanker. You wanted a Barney, well you bloody well found one, ain't you, me ol' China. [Rage spikes the microphone to the mat and turns his attention to the entranceway once more.] DD: We're still waiting for Byron... Will we be waiting all night? [Suddenly, the crowd pops as a figure strides out through the entrance curtains. And the pop immediately subsides, as the crowd see who it is.] DD: It's the RCW President! BS: A busy night tonight for President Dan... DD: Indeed, Billy Shakespeare. The RCW President has already been called upon tonight to separate Vinny Carmazzi and Paul Driscoll ahead of next week's show, and now here he is again. What's the story with Lord Byron? [The crowd jeers as the RCW President brings his microphone to his lips.] DS: Ladies and gentlemen, I apologise for this interruption in tonight's proceedings. And, Mr. Rage, I apologise to you, too -- because Lord Byron is not here tonight. [Big heel pop. In the ring, Rage's scowl deepens.] DS: In fact, Lord Byron is not only not here tonight -- but he will not be here for at least the next twenty-eight days... [Confused pop from the crowd.] DS: ...because, effective immediately, Lord Byron is *suspended* from active competition! [Heel pop! In the ring, Rage looks to Pizzazz, the two of them exchanging words.] DS: I have taken this action after consultation with the RCW Board of Directors, who agree with me that Lord Byron's failure to appear here at the Rose Garden tonight is unprofessional and unacceptable. And, Byron, I expect you're watching this somewhere right now -- so listen closely. [Spreadbury looks directly into the camera.] DS: You may have decided not to show up tonight just to mess with Derek Rage. If that's the case, it will prove to be a very expensive mistake, Byron. Get some legal representation -- you'll be hearing from our counsel very soon. [The crowd murmurs, unsure how to react to this. Spreadbury's mood lightens slightly as he turns back towards the ring.] DS: Now, Mr. Rage, I realise you are ready for action here tonight, and RCW will fulfill its duty to you by providing an opponent for you. [Big pop!] DS: Unfortunately, we're somewhat short-handed tonight, due to disciplinary matters. I have had to send several athletes away from the Rose Garden tonight, including Vinny Carmazzi, Paul Driscoll, Owen Curtis, Nolan Dorado, and Liam Cassidy. [Spreadbury pauses for a moment, rolling his eyes at the roll call of wrestlers security have had to escort from the building tonight.] DS: So here is your opponent... returning to the ring here in Portland for one night only... [The crowd buzzes in anticipation of the name the RCW President is about to announce!] DD: Has Spreadbury called in another favour, Billy Shakespeare? Who is Derek Rage going to face here tonight?! BS: I'm sure I have no idea, Don! [Spreadbury pauses for a moment...] DS: He hails from Atlanta, Georgia... He weighs in tonight at 250lbs... He is... "NIFTY"... NED... NORTON! ["Meh" pop from the crowd as a wrestler in yellow trunks steps out onto the stage. He is balding slightly, his blond hair pushed over his skull in an attempt to disguise the fact. His body is reasonably toned, but he is a little flabby around the midsection, the flesh of his belly hanging over the waistband of his trunks and wobbling ever so slightly as he walks. He walks over to the RCW President, and shakes his hand.] DD: Ned Norton, indeed! BS: One of the greats... in the field of, uh, enhancement talent, at least. DD: Ned Norton plied his trade here in Portland a decade ago, Billy Shakespeare, and the years haven't been especially kind to this Southern gentleman. [In the ring, Rage looks to Pizzazz and shakes his head. Pizzazz steps through the ropes and to the outside, while referee Pat Nickrick rolls into the ring.] DS: Go get 'em, Ned! [The RCW President motions for Norton to head down the aisle, then makes himself scarce. Norton heads down the aisle, holding his hands out to the fans, none of whom on either side of the aisle are in the least bit interested in him.] DD: As Mr. Norton makes his way to the ring here, Billy Shakespeare, what do you make of the bombshell announcement that Lord Byron has been suspended, effective immediately? BS: I have to say, Don, I'm concerned for Byron. I've known Lord Byron for ten years -- and heaven knows he and I have had our differences -- but for Byron not to appear when he's booked? I've never known him to do that. DD: Certainly Lord Byron was, shall we say, affected by his defeat at the hands of Liam Cassidy at Wild Summer Night -- and his behaviour has become increasingly erratic of late. BS: It certainly has. I just hope Byron's all right. I just hope he's all right. [Norton arrives at ringside and climbs up the ringsteps, stepping between the ropes and into the ring. Nickrick signals for the bell.] * DING! DING! DING! * [Norton extends his hand to Derek Rage, looking for a handshake.] DD: Ever the Southern gentlemen, Ned Norton wants to shake Derek Rage's hand here to start things off in a sportsmanlike fashion. [Derek Rage looks at Norton, then at his hand, then back at Norton again. He shows Norton that his right hand is taped up -- but extends his left hand instead. Before Norton can react... Rage's left hand is wrapped around his skull in a claw hold! Huge pop!] DD: Rage has got the claw! Rage has got the claw! BS: His right hand may be bandaged, but apparently Rage is ambidextrous! [Rage hefts Norton up in the air by the head... and then *drives* him down to the mat with a huge chokeslam! Big, big pop!] DD: LEFT-HANDED HAMMER OF GOD! HAMMER OF GOD! [Rage drops on top of Norton and lies nonchalantly across the prone form of the Atlanta native. Nickrick drops to make the count, as the crowd chant along!] "ONE!" "TWO!" "THREE!" * DING! DING! DING! * [Big pop as "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" kicks in over the PA once more.] SS: Ladies and gentlemen, your winner, by pinfall... DEEEEEEEEREEEEEEK RAAAAAAAAAAGE! [The crowd continues to cheer as Rage rolls out of the ring and beckons for Pizzazz to follow him. Cut to the broadcast table at ringside.] DD: Well, folks, that has to go down in the record books as the shortest match in RCW history. BS: I made that eleven seconds, Don. DD: Poor Ned Norton -- he didn't put up much of a fight against the giant Derek Rage. Will Lord Byron's suspension mean that Rage is going to be robbed of the opportunity to settle the score with the British blueblood? We'll bring you all the news on Byron's suspension as it develops. [Cut to a graphic showing Mark Coleman and Dave Bryant, with the words "UP NEXT" running along the bottom of the screen.] DD: It's time for our last commercial break of the evening. Stay tuned for our main event, as Mark Coleman goes up against Dave Bryant. It's coming... next! [Fade to commercials.] [Fade back from commercials, to footage captioned "DURING THE BREAK." We see the Big Bad WALKING~! down a hallway in the arena. Johnny Pleasence, dressed in black jeans and a black t-shirt, is busy muttering to himself as he adjusts his World Title on his right shoulder. We hear the distant heel pop of the fans in the arena. He takes a few more steps and then stops, looking off screen...] JP: ...the idiot's gonna try and run the soddin' table on us. It's a bloody conspiracy around this joint -- here I am, the most _dominant_ champion in the history of Portland... and we're all supposed to care about Owen Curtis and the wonderful exploits he has with being a "promoter"? The bloody hell do you think about all this? [Camera pans to Ryan Faith leaning against the wall with a bag o' chips in his hand. Another big heel pop from the fans in the arena. Faith is wearing his "Got Faith?" t-shirt -- the only shirt to buy at RCW stands -- and his wrestling attire. Ryan crunches away at a few chips before throwing the bag on the floor. Ryan looks over to his comrade with a fierce look.] RF: Well, you know something, JP? I don't give a flying crap about Owen Curtis or most of the people that line up day in and day out in RCW. Let me tell you another thing, I'm getting fed up with the way people think they can act or treat us. JP: I'm bloody well beyond fed up, mate -- damned near livid I am. RF: It's an eerie flipping feeling.One day you're the king of the mountain and the next day you're scooping shit out of the horse stalls. JP: What the hell does your girl think about all this? Is she still a fan of all things Portland? RF: Well, she's born and bred Portland. So it's not like I can take that out of her. But man, even she's been complaining more and more about the crap we're going through. This isn't some silly little game like everyone thinks. JP: Damn right -- it's definitely not a game. Our _careers_ are on the line here, mate! We come out on the wrong side of things, and we're done! We'll be mentioned in the same breath as that bloke with a monkey from up North! RF: Monkeys... aussies... Jesus H. Christ, what have we gotten ourselves into? I'm not going to just stand around and let my reputation and name be tarnished. This is our fight. This is our federation to rule. JP: So, what do you think, mate? How do you think we need to play this? Everyone's expecting us to raise holy hell... but that'd be too damned easy. RF: Yeah, but people have got to learn that we make the rules. They've got to learn that we are the reason why RCW is afloat. If we gotta muscle up, we muscle up. If we got to play dirty politics. We do it. I'm not sitting by and just waiting for something to happen. Because only bad things have been happening since the pay-per-view. JP: ...bloody hell, man. We were on top of the world after Wild Summer Night, and now it's all been swept under the rug. This damned Mark Coleman... Danny Daniels running around with his own title...Driscoll still thinking he matters... RF: It's like the circus came to town and all the clowns were let loose. We rule this roost. This is our ground and we need to establish that and we make sure that people realize that we are not a joke. JP: It's high time we upped the ante, mate. RF: It's time we laid down marshall law. Curfews will be set... and people will be left out in the dust. JP: Sounds about right. Are we going to be denied on this one, old son? RF: Hell no, man. JP: Damn right we won't. [Cut back to Ditka and Shakespeare at ringside.] DD: Welcome back to RAMPAGE. It's been one heck of a night, Billy Shakespeare, and things are only going to get wilder as we head into our main event -- and ominous words from the RCW World Heavyweight Champion, Johnny Pleasence, and his right-hand man, Ryan Faith, during our commercial break. BS: Absolutely, Don. Mark Coleman has made his intentions very clear: he wants to wrestle Pleasence, and he intends to take the title from him. But in order to earn that match, Coleman has to go through Pleasence's brothers in arms -- first, Ryan Faith, and now Dave Bryant. DD: That's right. Two weeks ago, the rookie from Tennessee looked very impressive as he wrestled Ryan Faith. [Cut to footage captioned, "Two Weeks Ago", showing Ryan Faith and Mark Coleman in action. Coleman forces his way out of Faith's sleeper hold, hitting a powerslam on his opponent, then a delayed vertical suplex, then a kneebreaker followed by a clothesline. Coleman attempts the Southern Cross Bomb, but Faith slips out, and rolls Coleman up for a schoolboy that nearly wins him the match... but at the second attempt, Coleman gets Faith up and brings him *down* with the SCB, and scores the pinfall. But just as soon as the official has raised his arm, Dave Bryant knocks Coleman down with the Call Me In The Morning superkick, bending over the prone form of the Tennesseean. Over these scenes, we hear Ditka's voice-over.] DD: Mark Coleman and Ryan Faith left it all out there in the ring two weeks ago -- and it was no surprise when Dave Bryant attacked Coleman after the bell, leaving him laid out after the Call Me In The Morning superkick. [Cut back to the announce table at ringside.] DD: Now, we know Dave Bryant's very unlikely to be coming out here on his own tonight -- and so Mark Coleman has wisely rustled him up some back-up. Who will it be, Billy Shakespeare? BS: Johnny Pleasence has more enemies than anybody else here in RCW, Don. I don't think Coleman will have had to look very hard to find somebody to stand by him tonight. DD: Could it be Vinny Carmazzi, who nearly defeated Johnny Pleasence two weeks ago? Or Paul Driscoll, who was narrowly defeated by the Big Bad at Wild Summer Night? BS: We don't have long to wait to find out, Don. DD: Right you are, Billy Shakespeare. Let's get up to the ring! ___ ______ __ / _ \/ ___/ | /| / / / , _/ /__ | |/ |/ / Mark Coleman vs. Dave Bryant /_/|_|\___/ |__/|__/ [Sy Simmons once again takes his place in the middle of the ring as RCW head official Juan Morales rolls into the squared circle behind him.] SS: Ladies and gentlemen, the following match is scheduled for one fall, and it is tonight's main event! [Big pop!] SS: Introducing first... ["Physical (You're So)" by Nine Inch Nails blasts out over the PA and the arena lights drop to a big heel pop from the fans. SS: ...accompanied to the ring by Glory, hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada, and weighing in at 220lbs... here is... DAAAAAAAAAVE BRRRRRRRYAAAANT! [A spotlight falls on the entrance. From the curtain emerges a lovely little blonde, clad in a royal blue gown slit quite far up the thigh, and cut way low in the neck. She takes a few steps into the aisle before turning, smiling coquettishly, and pointing at the curtain.] # I wanna take you baby... # I wanna take you out... # I wanna wine and dine you... # Oh I wanna twist and twist and shout... # [With that, a man emerges from the curtain... clad in a royal blue robe, complete with a hood over his head. He stands in front of the girl, a smirk just visible beneath the shadow of the hood. She smirks back, before reaching up and pushing the hood back with a flourish, revealing unto the world... Dave Bryant.] # I want you hot in my arms... # So soft on my bed... # You get the key to my heart... # Oh when you wear that sweet dress... # [The crowd despises him on sight, and lets him know, showering the former "Doctor of Love" with a resounding heel pop. He looks around briefly, chuckles, then motions Glory on ahead. She turns, sauntering down the aisle, and slowly stepping up the ringsteps to the apron, where she parts the ropes for Dave, her gown "slipping" down to reveal most of a well-formed leg.] # But you're too physical, physical to me... # DD: Here he comes, Billy Shakespeare. A wily veteran, a former world champion, a man with a mean streak a mile wide. A man who thrives on the humiliation of others. A man who will pose a very serious threat to Mark Coleman's chances of securing a title shot against Johnny Pleasence. BS: You're right, Don. Ryan Faith is a tremendous young competitor, but he's a rookie, just like Coleman. If Coleman's looking for a real test, he'll get all that he could ask for, and then some, from Dave Bryant. [Bryant makes his way down the aisle, climbing up to the ring apron, sliding one hand up Glory's thigh briefly before stepping between the ropes, walking to the center of the ring and stopping, arms outstretched as he enjoys the "adoration" of the fans.] # You're just too physical, physical, no to me... # [Glory slips all the way into the ring, sidling up behind Bryant and sliding her hands around to the belt of his robe, undoing the knot, then stepping in front of him to slide said robe off. Glory makes her way out of the ring, handing the robe off to a nearby attendant and telling him in no uncertain terms to keep it whole, or his life is forefeit. Bryant himself, clad in his usual royal blue shorts, walks over to a corner and leans against it, looking around and grinning at the crowd as the lights come up, and the music fades.] SS: And introducing his opponent... [The guitar intro to Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" kicks in over the PA, to a huge roar from the crowd!] SS: ...hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, and weighing in at 251lbs, here is... MAAAAAAAAARK COOOOOOOOOOOOLEMAN! [Coleman strides out into the aisle, and looks out at the capacity crowd in front of him, his trademark grin spreading across his face. He takes a few steps to the side of the entranceway before heading down the aisle, raising his fists to the fans on that side of the arena. He turns the other way, acknowledging the fans on the other side. And then he starts to make his way down the aisle, slapping hands with the fans as he goes.] DD: What a tremendous young man Mark Coleman is, Billy Shakespeare. Just 21 years of age, and here he is, only one match away from a shot at the RCW World Heavyweight Championship. BS: He's got a remarkable amount of raw talent, Don, that's for sure. He's got power, he's got speed, he's got submission skills -- and he's got an attitude that these fans really appreciate. [Coleman comes about halfway down the aisle, and then he stops. His music fades, and the fans hush as he raises his eyebrows, a twinkle in his eyes, rubbing his hands together.] DD: So this is it -- who's Coleman's backup going to be? Will it be Driscoll? Will it be Carmazzi? [And then... ..."Do The Evolution" by Pearl Jam kicks in over the PA! Big pop!] DD: It's Orin LeBlanc! "The Lynx" is Coleman's backup! [Sure enough, out into the entranceway comes Orin LeBlanc, showered and dressed in sweatpants and a vest top.] DD: We saw LeBlanc in action earlier tonight, as he defeated Akitoshi Ogawa in a really impressive display. We've seen him rebuff Mick Silvestri. And now here he is, as Coleman's insurance policy. BS: Orin LeBlanc is certainly a commodity in demand, Don. [LeBlanc makes his way down the aisle. LeBlanc acknowledges Coleman with a nod, and then takes up his position in the aisle, folding his arms. Coleman heads the rest of the way down the aisle, climbs the ringsteps, and enters the ring, warming up on the ropes as Pearl Jam fades from the PA.] DD: Orin LeBlanc is a smart choice, Billy Shakespeare. LeBlanc has crossed swords with Ryan Faith, and he has issues with Johnny Pleasence -- The Lynx is one of the men whose blood has been made to stain the gold plate of the RCW World Championship belt, thanks to the Big Bad. BS: I'm sure LeBlanc would love to get his hands on Pleasence -- but at the same time, I'm sure he also respects what Coleman is trying to do here, and he'll only get involved if he has to. DD: With LeBlanc out there in the aisle, Coleman can focus his attention on Dave Bryant. We've seen the footage from two weeks ago that shows Bryant was able to get the better of Coleman after his victory over Ryan Faith, laying him out with the Call Me In The Morning superkick. BS: Coleman may have beaten Ryan Faith last week, but he paid a heavy price: a superkick from Bryant, and a Johnny Spike from the champion. DD: To his credit, though, this young challenger has taken his licks, and he's still here. Will he get past Bryant here tonight? BS: We're about to find out, Don. Juan Morales is checking both men for foreign objects in their pads and boots, and then we'll be underway. [Having completed his checks, Morales calls the two men to the center of the ring, and Coleman and Bryant lock gazes as Morales reminds them that he won't take any nonsense in this match. RCW's head official then signals for the bell.] * DING! DING! DING! * DD: And we're underway! [The grin has vanished from Coleman's face: he is a picture of focus and determination as he stares at the slightly shorter Bryant, who, by contrast, is now full of piss and vinegar, swaggering and smirking as he jaws at Coleman.] DD: Just look at the arrogance of Dave Bryant. He's certain that he's the man who can stop Coleman in his tracks. He's the man that'll end this rookie's winning streak. BS: Certainly he'll test Coleman, Don. No doubt about it. [Bryant seems to tire of jawing with Coleman, unable as he is to get a rise out of the Tenneseean... and so he unloads on Coleman with a big slap!] "OOOOOOOOOOOHH!" [Coleman just rolls with the blow, raising his eyebrows at the stinging sensation burning his left cheek. And then Coleman turns his head back towards Bryant, a grin now tugging at the corners of his mouth -- and he gives Bryant a two-handed shove, staggering the Nevada native back on his heels -- and then grabs him in a waistlock and takes him down to the mat with an amateur-style takedown! Pop!] DD: Fight fire with... BS: ...a waistlock takedown, Don? DD: ...Yes. [Coleman rides Bryant, the rookie taking the veteran to amateur wrestling school, then grabs hold of Bryant's right leg and applies a straight legbar, wrapping his legs around Bryant's upper thigh and pulling back on his heel.] DD: Kneebar from Coleman here in the early going! BS: The kneebar hyperextends the knee, Don, and that's really a very painful hold. [Bryant's face has lost its smirk as he feels pain shooting up his right leg. He grabs hold of the bottom rope, and Morales puts the count on Coleman. The rookie immediately releases the hold, and allows Bryant to get back to his feet, while he accepts the applause of the crowd.] DD: A clean break from Coleman, as we've come to expect from this young man. BS: That's all very well, Don, but you can be sure that if the boot were on the other foot, Bryant wouldn't extend a similar courtesy to Mark Coleman. DD: Be that as it may, Billy Shakespeare, Coleman doesn't feel that he has to break the rules to defeat his opponents. Should he make it past Dave Bryant tonight, he may need to re-assess that policy before he faces Johnny Pleasence for the title. [Bryant and Coleman lock up again. Bryant slips out, applying a hammerlock on Coleman. Coleman twists himself free, then brings Bryant right back to the mat with a single-leg takedown. He tries to flip Bryant over onto his belly, but Bryant kicks out with his free leg, catching Coleman hard in the ribs, and the rookie staggers backwards. Bryant gets back to his feet, and immediately lunges in, grabbing Coleman and lifting him up, then bringing him down belly-first on his knee. Heel pop!] DD: GUTBUSTER! [Bryant allows the winded Coleman to roll off Bryant's knee and drop to the canvas. Bryant dives on Coleman, applying a chokehold on the rookie, and drawing a count from Morales. Morales's count reaches two... three... four... five -- and finally the official steps in to break the chokehold!] BS: No clean break from Bryant there, Don. DD: Indeed not, Billy Shakespeare, and ruthless competitors like Bryant know that our head official Juan Morales gives a lot of leeway when it comes to potential disqualification. Morales may just want a high level of competitiveness in there, but if unscrupulous wrestlers can take advantage of that... well, it could become a problem. BS: I'm sure Mark Coleman would agree with you right now, Don. [Coleman lies on the canvas, trying to suck some air into his lungs after the blows to his midsection and Bryant's attempt to choke the life out of him. Bryant bounces off the ropes, and goes to drop a leg across Coleman's throat... but the rookie rolls out of the way in the nick of time! Big pop! Coleman and Bryant both pull themselves to their feet, while on the outside Glory applauds her man. A brief shot of the aisle shows that LeBlanc is still on sentry duty, cutting an imposing figure in the middle of the aisle, arms folded.] DD: Bryant and Coleman now, locking up in the middle of the ring again. [Indeed, the two men lock up again. Coleman slips behind Bryant, who fires back with an attempted back elbow, but Coleman ducks underneath it, then brings his head up in front of Bryant's arm, lifting the Nevada man up and dropping him on the back of his head with a side suplex! Big pop! Coleman immediately grabs hold of Bryant's right leg again, and grapevines it, falling back to the mat to apply that little extra bit of torsion. Big pop!] BS: Coleman is staying on Bryant's leg, and it's a smart move. If Bryant doesn't have strength in his legs, he can't execute that devastating superkick of his. [Bryant reaches back with his hands, and again manages to grab the bottom rope. Again, Morales puts in the count, and again, Coleman gives a clean break. However, this time he grabs Bryant by the leg and drags him towards the middle of the ring, before unloading on his opponent with a series of kicks to Bryant's thigh and knee, stomping and kicking at that right leg, doing everything he can to weaken it. He flips Bryant over onto his belly, and applies a half Boston crab on Bryant, whose face twists with pain.] DD: Mark Coleman is really doing a number on Bryant's right leg! [Bryant reaches out with his fingers, but Coleman has dragged him too far from the ropes. Bryant forces his upper body off the mat with his arms, relieving some of the pressure on his knee and lower back, but Coleman is relentless, leaning back further and forcing Bryant back down to the mat. The crowd chants for Coleman as he keeps the hold locked in.] "LET'S GO COLE-MAN!" * CLAP CLAP CLAP * "LET'S GO COLEMAN!" DD: These fans showing their appreciation for Mark Coleman here, Billy Shakespeare! BS: These people want to see somebody... anybody!... take the title from Johnny Pleasence, but they'd love it to be Mark Coleman. [Again, Bryant forces himself up on his arms, and then ducks his head and shoulders down in a forward roll, pulling Coleman off his feet and sending him backwards, his feet lifting off the mat! Coleman is forced to let go, and his shoulders hit the mat. Bryant then bridges backwards over top of Coleman, grabbing both his legs, and pinning the rookie's shoulders to the canvas! Morales makes the count... 1... 2... ...and Coleman escapes, Bryant tumbling to the mat! Relieved pop!] BS: What a beautiful counter from Dave Bryant. He may be a cocky so-and-so, but he's a supreme technician. Coleman is lucky to have escaped that bridge pinning combination. [Coleman is quickly back to his feet, and drops an elbow on Bryant's right knee, then swiftly applies a figure four toe hold! Pop!] DD: Now there's a submission hold I've not seen in a few years, Billy Shakespeare! BS: And what a painful one it is, Don. Your foot is twisted, your ankle is hyperextended... ouch. [Bryant reaches up with his free arm and tries to tug on Coleman's hair, but Morales catches him and warns him against it. Bryant tries to twist his body away from Coleman, but Coleman is too strong. In the end, Bryant raises his free arm -- and jams Coleman in his eye! Big heel pop!] BS: And there's the other side of Dave Bryant. First he executes a beautiful counterhold... and then he switches it up with a thumb to the eye. [Coleman releases Bryant and rolls to his knees, blinking to try and stop his eyes watering, while Bryant pulls himself up on the ropes, working the kinks out of his battered right leg. Bryant charges towards Coleman -- and Coleman grabs him, lifting him up, and executing a kneebreaker! Big pop!] DD: We know what comes next! [But instead of the usual clothesline, Coleman executes a second kneebreaker on Bryant... and *then* clotheslines him to the mat! Big pop!] DD: Two for the price of one! BS: Bryant is really feeling the effects of all the attention Coleman has been lavishing on that right leg of his now, Don. His mobility looks to be severely affected. [Coleman brings Bryant back to his feet, and sends him to the ropes. Bryant stops short, his right leg giving him too much pain, and as he turns -- he's *blasted* by a clothesline from Coleman, knocking Bryant through the ropes and to the outside! Big pop!] DD: Coleman clotheslining Bryant right out of the ring! And... hang on! [Suddenly, there is a commotion in the aisle, as two figures step out from the entranceway. A spotlight shines down on them -- revealing them to be Ryan Faith and RCW World Heavyweight Champion Johnny Pleasence! Big heel pop!] DD: Here we go! We knew it was only a matter of time before tweedledum and tweedledee here put in an appearance! [In the aisle, LeBlanc stands ready to take on Pleasence and Faith, but the champion and his young protegŽ stop a few yards away from LeBlanc, a threatening presence like the dark clouds that precede a storm. Meanwhile, Coleman looks on from the ring at the arrival of the intruders, not noticing that Bryant has sneakily re-entered the ring behind him, and...] DD: Small package! Small package from Bryant! [Coleman suddenly finds himself pinned in the middle of the ring, and Morales is there to make the count... 1... 2... ...and Coleman kicks out! Relieved pop from the fans!] DD: Coleman looks furious with himself that he allowed himself to be distracted by Pleasence and Faith, Billy Shakespeare! BS: Absolutely, Don. That's why he's got Orin LeBlanc out there in the aisle -- and so far, the Lynx has proven to be an effective deterrent! DD: But for how long, I wonder? [A red-faced Coleman brings Bryant back to his feet, slings one arm over his neck, grabs hold of Bryant's tights, and hoists him up into the air! Cameras flash all over the arena as Coleman holds Bryant dead vertical for two... three... four seconds! And then *down* to the mat with authority!] DD: Beautiful delayed vertical suplex by Coleman! BS: The extra rush of blood to the head from being suspended upside down like that can leave you very disorientated, Don. [Coleman stays on Bryant, bringing him back to his feet, then locking his head under his arm, and... Big pop!] DD: INVERTED DDT! INVERTED DDT! [Coleman drives the back of Bryant's head into the canvas with a big inverted DDT, and floats over to make the cover. Morales is there to make the count... 1... ...In the aisle, Faith goes to take a step forwards, but he's held back by Johnny Pleasence... ...2... ...and Bryant just kicks out! Heel pop!] DD: Bryant is still alive in there, Billy Shakespeare, but only just! BS: Coleman's channeling the embarrassment he felt at nearly falling foul of that small package, and now Bryant is paying the price! [Coleman drags Bryant to his feet and sends him to the ropes. On the return, Coleman lifts him up -- and then steps out from under him, leaving him to crash to the mat face-first! Big pop!] DD: FLAPJACK! FLAPJACK! [Coleman immediately grabs hold of both of Bryant's legs, crossing them over at the ankles, as if he's about to apply a surfboard hold... but he doesn't. Instead, he leans on the crossed ankles with one knee, while lying down on Bryant and locking on a crossface submission! Big, big pop!] DD: TENNESSEE VALLEY LOCK! TVL! BS: This is the first time we've seen this submission hold! [The fans have been waiting for Coleman to debut his signature submission hold, and have a chant ready and waiting...] "T-V-L! T-V-L! T-V-L! T-V-L! T-V-L!" BS: After all the punishment Bryant's legs have taken in this match, I can't see him withstanding this hold for long, and he's got absolutely nowhere to go. With Coleman's body weight fully on top of him, he can't drag himself to the ropes, and Coleman's got him right in the middle of the ring. DD: Will Dave Bryant submit to the Tennessee Valley Lock?! Hold it -- hold it, Pleasence and Faith are coming at LeBlanc! [Indeed, in the aisle, Pleasence and Faith now charge at LeBlanc, in an effort to come to the aid of Bryant and rescue the match. LeBlanc is ready, however, and fells Faith with a big right hand, then starts slugging it out with Pleasence in the aisle. Faith is quickly back on his feet, and the numbers look to be overwhelming LeBlanc -- but LeBlanc takes Pleasence down, and then turns back to Faith, lifting him up and dropping him throat-first on the steel crowd barriers! Big pop!] DD: Oh my! LeBlanc may have just seriously injured Ryan Faith right there! BS: Johnny Pleasence is getting back to his feet -- and... hang on, who the heck is that?! DD: Somebody's just come out of the crowd! BS: It's Nathan Herod! [Indeed it is. As LeBlanc tries to keep Pleasence from making it any further towards the ring, suddenly a man climbs vaults the barriers behind LeBlanc, carrying a chair -- and *blasts* him in the back of the head with the unforgiving steel!] * CLANG! * [Huge heel pop as LeBlanc goes down hard under the force of the chairshot, and Herod stands above him, still brandishing the chair. Pleasence too stands above LeBlanc, a smirk on his face. He takes just a moment to spit on the Lynx before turning his attention back to the ring. Meanwhile, Coleman still has the TVL locked in on Bryant, whose back is to the aisle.] DD: Pleasence is coming -- and neither Coleman nor Bryant can see him coming! [Morales's eagle eyes are watching Dave Bryant, watching to see if he will tap out, his hand hovering above the mat, while Pleasence comes down the aisle to the aid of his partner... ...Pleasence hits ringside... ...Bryant's hand wavers... ...Pleasence slides into the ring... ...HUGE POP!] * DING! DING! DING! * DD: DAVE BRYANT TAPPED! DAVE BRYANT TAPPED! And now... damn him! Damn that Johnny Pleasence! [Pleasence has flown into the ring, just moments too late to prevent Bryant from tapping out, but he wastes no time in crowning Coleman with a hard shot from his RCW Championship belt, right to the back of the head of the youngster. Big, big heel pop!] DD: Give me a break! Coleman just forced Dave Bryant to submit to the Tennessee Valley Lock, and that *damned* Johnny Pleasence has just bashed Coleman's skull in with that belt! [The dazed Coleman rolls off Bryant. Pleasence doesn't even take a moment to check on his fallen comrade, instead kneeling over Coleman, and shoving the gold belt in his face, yelling at him that this is the closest he'll ever get to it. Then Pleasence viciously rams the belt into Coleman's forehead, whipping Coleman's head back to the canvas, before laying the belt over Coleman's face. The RCW Champion stands, basking in the hatred of the capacity crowd, inhaling their jeers, seeming to grow in stature under the torrents of abuse raining down on him from the stands on every side!] DD: Come on! Come on, Pleasence! [Pleasence swaggers to the ropes, bounces off them as sloppily as he can, and then swaggers back over to Coleman, before dropping an incredibly lazy elbow -- right onto the belt lying on Coleman's face! Huge heel pop!] DD: PLEASANTRIES FROM ENGLAND -- ONTO THE DAMN BELT! [Pleasence lifts the belt off the head of Mark Coleman, and the camera shows that he has been busted open by the sharp edges of the gold plate. Pleasence, smelling blood, drops to the canvas and lays right hand after right hand after right hand after right hand into the forehead of the Tennesseean, opening up the cut as much as possible, getting as much crimson as he can to flow down the face of the rookie.] DD: This is disgusting! Do something, Morales! [Head official Juan Morales steps in to try and force Pleasence to unhand Coleman, but the official gets a blow to the head for his trouble!] DD: Oh, big man, Johnny Pleasence! What a big man! That's a $50,000 fine right there! BS: Coleman is helpless in there, Don! Orin LeBlanc has been laid out in the aisle by Nathan Herod, and Pleasence is having his way with Coleman! DD: That damned jealous Nathan Herod had no business coming out here to attack LeBlanc! The Lynx already made it abundantly clear that he had no interest in working with Silvestri, so what's Herod's damn problem?! BS: I don't know, Don, but it looks to me like the back of LeBlanc's head was busted open from that wicked chairshot. DD: It's like a damn accident scene out here! Bryant is down, Faith is down, LeBlanc is down, and Mark Coleman... Mark Coleman, who has defeated Dave Bryant here tonight to earn a shot at the RCW World Heavyweight Champion... Mark Coleman has been busted open yet again at the hands of that damned Johnny Pleasence. It's disgusting. Disgusting! [Pleasence leans over the semi-conscious form of Mark Coleman once again, and wipes his hand across the rookie's bloody forehead. Pleasence then wipes the blood he has collected across the face of his big, gold championship belt, a gory trophy sullying the surface of the most coveted belt in the world of professional wrestling. Pleasence straps the bloody belt around his waist, and then climbs the turnbuckles, posing for the crowd, who continue to hurl abuse at him.] DD: Damn him. Damn him! Folks, we're out of time. We're right out of time. Johnny Pleasence has left Mark Coleman lying in a pool of his own blood, and it makes me sick. Damn that Johnny Pleasence! [The camera cuts to show Mark Coleman, bleeding from a deep cut on his forehead, crimson running down his face. Fade to black.] ____________________________________________________________________ / Copyright (C) 2006 Rip City Wrestling, Inc. All rights reserved. / / www.ripcitywrestling.com / /___________________________________________________________________/