The new year is going to start with the bang.Not like a gunshot Ethan Winters type bang but with a symbolical bang.With only one week until the first Pay Per View of the year, leading into the companies first arc with it's new television partner, ACW is in the middle of a refresh.Don't get left behind.
ACW.COM PROUDLY PRESENTS
S01 E05
Recorded LIVE! From the Entertainment Center, Brisbane, Australia
Y Mi Palabra Es La Ley
And here we are, on the last episode of Courage before the pay-per-view. While the set is perfectly in place and the ring is set up, the arena is empty and there isn't a fusillade of pyro streaking across the airwaves.
In fact, the only person visable inside the empty ring (and for that matter arena) is the Executive Producer, looking over the top ropes with his arms hanging freely over them. While there's a slight smile across his lips his eyes look stern and focused.
"Ruben here, ACW viewers, and I assure you that once I make this quick statement Courage will roll on as usual." A gold star streaks across the corner of the screen, stopping at the viewer's lower right corner before the words EARLIER TODAY come out in a bold white font next to it. "First off, the serious."
"Lately, it's been apparent to everyone that Keith Scott Zimmerman, the (black) Scorpion Champion and Orphan have come to a point where this is going beyond a rivalry held within the confines of the ring. I will not let chaos envelop another Courage, especially when our talent is making violent overtures towards our fans.
Therefore, tonight, I am instituting a pair of security details for both Zimmerman AND Orphan, for their protection not only towards each other but towards the rest of the roster and you, our audience."
Ross gave a nod, and a small sigh. It seemed to let a bit of a weight off his chest as this smile was wider and more in keeping with the Ruben fans had known to grow and love over the course of the past decade and change.
"With that unpleasantness out of the way, I can get back to why you're watching us. Actually, I can get to why you're watching us HERE and why you're watching us period. You're watchng us here because we provide wrestling, and there will be plenty of it in the six-man main event tag team match tonight. One side will see the #1 contender to the World Championship Omega team alongside the Amazing Gabriel and the aforementioned Orphan. Their opponents, you ask? Oh, a bunch of no-name nobody loser dorks.
Just former two-time ACW World Champion Andy Sharp.
Oh, and the Spirit of ACW, GoldenHAWK.
Oh, and the ACW World Heavyweight Champion, Mr. Tyson XL.
Just them."
Ross chuckled. "So let us start this, our last Courage before we go on ESEN. OH! Duh-doi, that's right. Well, the rumors are true: we'll have a new network home for our rabid North American fans who won't have to pirate torrent our shows starting with Episode 6. ESEN will be YOUR home for Courage. But until then, we still need to kick off and get through Episode 5 on the last step before the Revival pay-per-view."
The man known as the Black Plague stepped backwards towards the center of the ring and smiled.
"Ladies and gentlemen -- those of you who are both, as well -- sit back.
Relax.
Hell, pop open a beverage of choice and get a snackable or two.
For nobody does it like ACW does it.
And this
is
C O U R A G E!"
The production overlay was almost seamless as the crowd around the ring (sold out or damn near) waved their signs and cheered over being live on the air before a small country's GNP exploded in pyro at the top of the ramp signaling the official beginning of Courage.
Renaud and Tony welcomed everybody to the show, having no clue, of course, how the evening would end up or even what was to come next...
ACW Legends: The Video Game
On a television monitor backstage, you could see Keith Scott Zimmerman executing Hit My Music on Khristain Keller.
A closer look showed it wasn’t happening now or even at Legends V…
Actually, it was. Except it wasn’t actual in-ring footage. It was on ACW Legends: The Video Game.
The camera then rotated to show Kid Chameleon standing up coolly, sunglasses still on, who spoke while continuing his virtual battle: “Gamers, I know you’ve been dying for me to review a game since I arrived in ACW and finally, the time is here. What better way to star than reviewing the new ACW game, Legends?”
In the background, we could hear the ring announcer announcing Zimmerman’s win over long-term rival as Kid removed his shades: “The first thing that’s great about this game is the simplicity. It’s easy to pick up and play, though not easy to master unless your surname’s Chameleon. If you’re not used to playing games, it might be a bit fast for you to begin with but it’ll come to you after a while. One thing to note: The difficulty starts off on normal, which is okay if you’re an avid player like me. Take that down to easy until you master the basics, which shouldn’t take too long.”
On the screen, fans could see Spike Saunders’ stroll to the ring before stepping over the top rope: “Each character has his or her own in-ring entrance, but that’s not actually true. You see, complete the ‘Become A Legend’ mode with your favorite wrestler and you’ll unlock a secret second entrance, which isn’t so secret now I’ve just told the world.”
Kid was now showing the audience the menu screen prior to clicking on the ‘Become A Legend’ category: “From here, you have two options: Past and Present. Past opens up the five paths to Legends using a selected superstar, meaning you can repeat history with Seymour Almasy, oops I mean Orphan, from Legends Two or as recently as Legends V, you can be Tyson XL, who is a wicked character with a cool move list. I enjoyed reducing The Amazing Gabriel to ordinary and Z? Right name. He was a Z-Lister once me and Tyson were done paint-brushing his mask.
“If you choose present…you have to win twenty matches in order to get your shot at the champion at Legends Six. It’s a year-long road and you don’t know who your opponent will be. That’s what makes it exciting.
“Personally, I don’t know how ACW can see into the future, considering they didn’t have the foresight to put The Players on this game. We didn’t make the cut but don’t fret gamers because you can create us in the Make-A-Legend mode. The only problem is you can’t use all of our moves, though you can find our finishers. The Mega Drive is under some other name…Michinoku Driver. What’s with that?”
We see a shot of Tyson XL holding up the World Championship, standing in the middle of the ring: “Now, I’ve been assured the video game has every updated champion, as of Legends V, and what you do in Exhibition mode affects who carries the title. So, you’re supposed to take the title from Tyson XL if you want to be the man in ACW but there was a slight glitch in my game: Zip-Zap had all of the titles! Something tells me someone had taken too many pills and got his hands on MY EXCLUSIVE COPY before I did.”
Suddenly, Kid Chameleon was on the floor. The camera, after much swaying, managed to capture Health Fanatics kicking Kid as he lay helpless on the floor. Speaking of getting your hands on someone…
Somner unplugged the X-Box and brought it down onto Chameleon’s arm repeatedly, forcing him to twitch. Greg Matthews didn’t help the situation, stomping a hole in Kid’s right arm as well, eight or nine times in total, before picking him up and launching him into the wall, head-first.
Matthews and Somner exchanged a high-five. Damon wasn’t done there though. He’d waited a long time to apply this, the aptly-named Breaking Point, which was a variation of the Scorpion Armlock, applied exactly the same way as the Deathlock.
Chameleon tapped out with his left arm, but this wasn’t a sanctioned match and Damon didn’t care, wrenching at the arm as hard as possible. Matthews booted away at the arm simultaneously as Kid cried out, his wing on the verge of being broken courtesy of Breaking Point.
After several seconds of unparalleled pressure and pain, at least in Kid Chameleon’s career, security managed to swarm the room and plead with Damon to let go of the hold. Reluctantly, he relinquished as HF walked away feeling pretty happy with what they’d done.
Just before our cameras cut away, Paul Sanders ran into the ring and ask what happened. Once, he found out, he stood up and growled in frustration, mad at himself for not being there and even crazier about what Health Fanatics had done to The Players in consecutive episodes of Courage.
Would Kid be able to compete tonight? Would The Players be unable to play? Or would The Jock go it alone?
Fight Man vs. KIRU
The following would be the opening contest of tonight's show. The battle would pit two men who were complete polar opposites inside the confines of the squared circle. One the one hand, you had a man that was loved by the masses. A man who despite having something of a losing track record lately, would still give it his all in the ring each and every week. On the other, you have a man with one appearance under his belt. But a man that was quiet, methodical and dangerous. A man who would also look to turn his own luck around. Inside the ring, Tommy Vale was ready to go.
“The opening contest of tonight's Courage is scheduled for one fall! First, making his way to the ring... from New York City, weighing in at 216 pounds... THIS... IS... FIGHT MAN!”
The lights in the arena dimmed. There was static blaring over the speakers.
Suddenly, the SlyTron came to life, and the fans watched as white text scrolled onto the screen.
I AM F-I-G-H-T M-A-N
CUE UP: Isolation by Joy Division.
Within seconds, a man adorned in a blue mask with a white tanktop, red trunks and off-white boots walked out onto the stage. Simply by flashing his goofiest smile, this man garnered a generous round of cheers from the crowd. Waving his hands wildly in conjunction to the classic song currently blaring over the speakers, Fight Man briskly made his way down the stage.
Obviously, colour co-ordination wasn't his forte. But apparently, fighting was.
Climbing into the ring, Fight Man exchanged momentary glances with both the crowd and the official for the upcoming match-up.
Suddenly, the arena became enveloped in a blood red hue and a pair of silver spotlights began to rotate among the crowd in the Entertainment Center. It was as if all the fun had been sucked from the room at one time and had been replaced by a sense of dread as smoke began to billow from the entryway.
“I'm Afraid of Americans (instrumental)” by David Bowie and Trent Reznor.
“And his opponent... hailing from Sapporo in the Hokkaido Prefecture of Japan... weighing in at 217 pounds... THIS... IS... KIRU!”
The man called KIRU looked quite a bit different from his initial appearance a couple of weeks ago on Courage Episode 2. Kiru, who himself put up a very decent battle against “Too Cool” Chris Hopper emerged from the smoke wearing a pair of black leather pants, boots, a face painted in complete black with several unidentifiable kanji symbols in white. And he wasn't alone tonight, either. A downright STUNNING raven-haired woman walked at his side, wearing a sleeveless black leather body suit. She had tanned skin and a scowl on his face that actually managed to match her charge. The pair approached the ring as KIRU continued to scowl at the crowd.
Fight Man was cautious as KIRU opened up the ropes and allowed the young woman into the ring before he climbed in behind her. She got a few cat calls, but largely ignored the jeering crowd.
“Hello, morons,” she said, matter-of-factly. Already, she wasn't endearing herself to anybody. And from the looks of it, she didn't care. “My name is Audrey Morrigan. And this the man you see before you right now? This man is called KIRU. A man that I will now be representing in ACW from here on out. And three weeks ago... he was DISRESPECTED in the middle of this ring! In his first-ever match against 'Too Cool' Chris Hopper, he had been defeated. That, KIRU can accept. But what really crawls under his skin?”
She glanced at KIRU, who continued to stare coldly at Fight Man.
“He was LAMBASTED by some idiot named Jimmy Gonze, whose best years – if he even HAD any, that is – are far behind him. A man that is a former Spirit of ACW Champion, but rides the fumes of a title reign almost twenty years ago! A man so far stuck in the past, he fails to realize his own irrelevance in today's young and hungry generation. The man you see before you will not stand being insulted and treated like some kind of afterthought. This being the first time that KIRU has stepped outside Japan... a land that actually gives this sport the RESPECT it deserves.... mark my words when I say that with my help, he will be an international superstar. And tonight, it starts now. KIRU will cut ACW from ear to ear until he gets the rightful respect that he deserves.”
KIRU showed no emotion still as he and Fight Man began to circle with one another. Audrey Morrigan left the ring and watched her new charge as the bell rang.
DING DING DING!
The two men began to lock up and it was Kiru who was quickly taking the Hardcore Hero to task. He cracked him in the temple with a side of several hard Forearm Smashes before kneeling him over and dropping a hard elbow into the back of Fight Man's head. He continued to hold him by the head and SNAPPED him down to the mat with a vicious takedown, essentially throwing Fight Man to the mat.
Kiru looked out into the sea of disapproving fans and merely shot them a cold smile as he held his hands out, almost begging for the fans to come into the ring and do something about his vicious demeanor. He picked up Fight Man by his mask and tried whipping him to the ropes, but Fight Man turned the tables and shot him off to the ropes. He caught Kiru and fired him across the ring with a big time Monkey Flip that shot Kiru into the ropes!
“I LOVE TO FIGHT!”
The fans cheered for his proclamation as he waited for Kiru to get back to his feet. When he did so, he quickly charged right at the Chop Doctor and knocked him down with a hard Running Back Elbow to the face. After the shot, he went for a lateral press.
ONE!
TW... NO!
Not even a two-count for Fight Man. The Hardcore Hero went for a quick Sleeper-style hold, but Kiru quickly fought back upwards to his feet and struck Fight Man in the side with elbows until he could get himself free from his grip. He backed Fight Man into the corner and rammed him a couple of times with several elbows until he backed him into the corner and FLOORED him with a Knife-Edge Chop!
CHOP! CHOP! CHOP! CHOP! CHOP! CHOP! CHOP! CHOP!
Eight nasty chops from Kiru and quickly, Fight Man's chest was showing the effects of the chops, actually showing a little bit of tricking blood on his chest. Kiru quickly turned him around for an Irish whip, but pulled Fight Man back in and connected with a Hip Toss... INTO THE TURNBUCKLE!
This was quickly turning into one skirmish that even Fight Man may not have wanted any part of as he quickly kicked him in the spine with a sharp boot. Kiru took Fight Man by the head and dragged him back towards the corner, quickly throwing him down with some hard shots smashing him face first into the middle buckle until he was satisfied. Once he was done showing off some Ground and Pound action, Kiru quickly grabbed him by the waist and dropped Fight Man with a big Suplex in the middle of the ring. He turned over and went for a cover.
ONE!
TWO!
NO!
Fight Man kicked out, but Kiru was essentially having his way with the Hardcore Hero right now. Audrey Morrigan was looking on with quite possibly the iciest look ever seen on ACW television. Just like Kiru, no smiles, no cheers, and no emotion whatsoever as Kiru locked in a tight Chinlock that almost doubled as a choke on Fight Man.
The masked New York native was quickly trying to fight his way out of the submission attempt and it wasn't long before he was able to get to his feet. Unfortunately, Kiru had other ideas and buried a hard kick into the chest of Fight Man to stun him. Fight Man fought back with several hard punches to the face to stun Kiru, but when he ran off the ropes, he was kicked HARD in the face, courtesy of a sick Thrust Kick by the Chop Doctor. The man filled with quiet anger quickly picked up the stunned Fight Man and looked for a second suplex, but suddenly shifted his body weight...
FALCON ARROW!
A nicely-executed suplex in the middle of the ring led to another cover by Kiru.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
Fight Man kicked out at the count of two and a half. He'd been beaten severely by Kiru, who was seemingly almost enjoying himself without showing any kind of a smile. He stood up and peppered Fight Man with a couple of light boots to the face, sending him out to the apron. Fight Man wobbled to his feet, but was cut off at the pass with a hard kick to the head. Now teetering on the apron, he was slowly starting to look a little bit wobbly while Kiru looked to bring him back into the ring with another suplex variation.
The first attempt was blocked by Fight Man who shook his legs frantically to avoid being suplexed back into the ring. A second attempt was reversed again. And there would be no third time as Fight Man fought back with a couple of fists to the head before dropping Kiru neck-first across the top rope!
The fans were continuing to get behind Fight Man as he now started to climb to the top turnbuckle in an attempt to get in some offense against his attacker.
FLYING HEADBUTT OFF THE TOP ROPE!
The flying headbutt variation was done to a standing Kiru, knocking him down to the ground. Fight Man quickly collected himself long enough to crawl over and go for a cover with a hook of the leg.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
Kiru kicked out at the last moment, but Fight Man was starting to feel the energy resonate from the excited Australian crowd. He balled up his first and greeted Kiru when he stood up to his feet, cracking him in the side of the head with a very solid right. He whipped Kiru to the ropes, but the Chop Doctor quickly reversed and sent Fight Man flying. Fight Man slid back and took advantage of downed Kiru, telegraphing a back body drop early. He ducked down and CRACKED Kiru right in the jaw with a Goldust-like uppercut, stunning him for a few moments.
KIRU was staggered and sent flying backwards into the corner as Fight Man remained poised and ready to attack. He charged in and cracked him in the side of the head with a mighty big Corner Elbow Smash and when he staggered out of the corner, he grabbed Kiru by the head and dropped him with a BIG Facebuster! He turned him over and hooked the leg again.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
A second made all the difference as Kiru kicked out again. Fight Man was looking a little bit energized by the crowd now and wiped away a couple trickles of blood from his chest as he tried to set Kiru up for his next move. He tried for a Piledriver of some sort, but Kiru saw it coming and executed a simple reversal by twisting his way out and grabbing Fight Man by the arm. After stunning him with another hard chop aimed at the throat, he spun him around and grabbed a leg... LIGHTNING SPIRAL!
The swinging leg hooked Fireman's Carry Slam DROVE Fight Man into the canvas at a sickening angle! After the eye-popping maneuver by Kiru, the Chop Doctor quickly climbed out to the apron and climbed up to the top rope...
THE CUTDOWN!
Kiru nailed his take on the High Angle Senton Bomb to perfection and hit it. The beautiful-looking aerial move off the top rope was just as deadly and after he connected, he rolled back over and hooked both legs of Fight Man.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Kiru had done it, just as Audrey Morrigan said he would do. She climbed up the steps and calmly walked into the ring while Kiru had his hand raised by the referee in victory.
“Here is your winner of the match... KIRU!”
The Chop Doctor was victorious, putting his first-ever notch into his win column in ACW. Some of Kiru's facepaint had been rubbed off, but he didn't care. He came out on the winning end and that was enough for him. Audrey joined him in the ring and raised Kiru's hand to let the crowd know that one of its newest faces was most certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with.
WINNER: KIRU via pinfall
Fashionably Late
One of the numerous back doors to the arena opened, very, very slowly, revealing a man whose eyes darted this way and that before entering, dragging behind him a wheeled duffel bag.
Given the rather traumatizing events of last week, one could forgive Orphan for being more than a tad cautious. He wasn’t dressed to compete, clad instead in a t-shirt and jeans, fresh from his hotel and fashionably late to the Courage E05 party.
The Fal’Cie’s signature long platinum locks, however, were largely a casualty of Keith Scott Zimmerman’s burning kendo stick. Orphan’s hair had been shorn in the week between shows, and he sported a rather more conventional haircut that the Party had nonetheless mourned for a good four hours.
No sooner had he entered the arena, though, did fans realize that one Mister Ruben Ross was not screwing around in the slightest. Awaiting Almasy at the entrance were four of ACW’s finest security. One was even “Big” Rex Silver himself.
“What’s with the escort,” Orphan asked, finding it rather hard to miss in-uniform officers. “It wasn’t me, I swear. I was with the Party in ou—err, their hotel room playing Final Fantasy XII for the fifteenth time.”
Being Orphan under duress, Seymour noted, sadly, wasn’t something he’d gotten good at yet. The three guards moved to flank the former World Champion, and Orphan looked well and truly confused until Silver spoke up.
“Orders of Ruben Ross,” Rex Silver said, firmly. “You and Zimmerman have each been assigned guards. Honestly, the boss doesn’t care if you two kill each other, but he’d like the company to make some money if and when it happens.”
“How considerate of him,” Orphan deadpanned, shaking his head at Rex. In truth, he was more than a little relieved by this latest development. He had planned ahead for the safety of his fangirls, but his own safety was something he hadn’t yet gotten around to. This saved him that bit of trouble.
Then, there was the fact that, after last week’s events, he wasn’t particularly sure that he wanted to hear the name “Keith Scott Zimmerman” ever again.
Better to move along and deal with what he could, then. “Do you have the tickets I asked for?”
The Head of Security nodded. “I do. Four seats up in the nosebleeds. Do you want me to hand them over? Your girlfriends are waiting at will call.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Seymour nodded. “If you could, I’d really appreciate it. Tell them that I said hello, and that I’ll see them after the show. Right after. As in, once the cameras are off, these guards and I will go up there to see them.”
“Will do, Seymour,” Rex replied, and Orphan didn’t have it in him to yell at the big security guard for not calling him by his proper name. “I’ll have a few of my men in the area to keep an eye on them.”
“Thank you, Rex,” Almasy managed, the words stunted and clipped. “I have not exactly been a model—“
“Save it,” Silver said, firmly. “It’s my job to protect all the talent, not just the talent everyone likes. And honestly? Keith’s making you look like a choir boy. My job to make sure he doesn’t act like a priest.”
The analogy made Seymour want to vomit and cry simultaneously, but he forced out a nod. “I do appreciate it, Rex. For now, though, I’ve got to go to my locker room and get dressed. I’ve got a match tonight against the top two singles champions in this company and my former best friend.”
On any other night, it would be the sort of clash that the Fal’Cie would relish and look forward to. Tonight, though, the six man tag seemed like a chore that had to be performed before he could deal with what was truly important. Rex Silver nodded at Almasy, and headed off down the nearest hallway, to go present the four Party members with anti-KSZ tickets.
Alone except for his security patrol, Seymour began to walk, dragging his duffel bag behind him. His head slumped as he joylessly headed for the locker room.
If nothing else, Keith Scott Zimmerman had robbed him of the simple pleasure of coming to work.
Because, when it came right down to it, Orphan existed because Seymour Almasy no longer wished to be the man thrown in front of the KSZs of the world.
Hank Wright could have that task, thank you very much.
Tag Team Title Announcement
The scene opened up backstage and panned to the desk of one Teddy Koontz, the esteemed ACW Tag Team Commissioner. Currently, the man that had all the stroke in the ACW Tag Team Division was seated behind his desk, sitting up straight and proper.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I will keep this brief. Last week, there was a part of the ACW webcast that was not able to be released. In that match, the team of The Night Life took on The Squadron in a six-man tag team match that would determine The Squadron getting a future tag team title shot. They put up a good fight, but it was the Night Life that stood tall and won that match, which unfortunately does keep them out of title contention for as far as Revival goes.”
He cleared his throat.
“But the matter stands that the team of Big E. Smalls and The PowerTrip both have earned themselves ACW Tag Team Title shots. And as promised both teams will get their rightful shot. At ACW's Revival Pay Per View... it will be a triple threat match. The Night Life WILL defend their ACW Tag Team Championships against the team of Big E. Smalls AND PowerTrip!”
The Master and Commander of the ACW Tag Team Division smiled, but the camera was still focused on him.
“And as for tonight... there will be a preview of that tag team title match to come. I've cleared it with Ruben Ross and tonight, there will be a triple threat between three of the participants! Kaus from the Night Life will take on Mach 2 from Big E. Smalls and Mr Trip from the PowerTrip. All I've got to say to the likes of you...”
Teddy flashed a cheesy smirk.
“May the best team win!”
Packing to Quitting?
There is a loud sound like a door being kicked open against metal.
"You Son of a Bitch!"
The usually tranquil state of the ACW locker room is invaded by Jimmy Gonze as he sees Hopper standing at his locker in the beginning stages of unbuttoning his shirt to go from street clothes to wrestling attire.
"How dare you screw around with my shit like that!"
Obviously still sore about the little backfire of a practical joke from last Courage. Gonze has the suitcase in hand and the other wrestlers aren't quite sure what the intentions are of the first Spirit of ACW, but they are definitely paying attention as Gonze takes a few steps toward Hopper.
Out of nowhere, Gonze hurls the suitcase at Hopper and then charges at him, landing a good hook to the jaw, which sends Hopper backward into the lockers. The wrestlers swarm into the fray and grabs Gonze away from Hopper. This sea of humanity keeping the two forces from going to war earlier than their scheduled match.
"I'm finished fucking around with you," Gonze exclaimed. "Tonight is your last night in ACW because I'm going to make damn sure that you leave here a bloody mess!"
Hopper shrugs off his "protective detail" and actually grins at Jimmy.
"You know something Gonze? Every since I walked in here you have been yelping and making threats. You have even managed to cheat your way to a victory over me. Yet here I stand, not afraid or intimidated. They let you go and I'll tie you in knots right here in the locker room...
"...and you know I can too."
Hopper leans toward Gonze as he strains against those holding him back.
"You see they aren't protecting me from you by holding you back. They aren't even protecting you from me."
He laughs.
"They are protecting you from yourself."
The wrestlers holding Gonze shove him back toward the door and he stands there fuming as they have a human wall between the rivals. Hopper stand son one of the benches near his locker and keeps talking.
"You want revenge Gonze? You want to see me crawl out of here on my hands and knees wishing I'd never stepped foot in ACW?
Gonze's red face glares back as he replies.
"More than anything! I want you to bleed and suffer you miserable little glory hound!"
Hopper claps loudly.
"Good! That's what I like to see! That's the fire that has been missing from you, Jimmy! That is the spirit that has been gone from the Spirit of ACW. Tonight is your chance because I'm upping the ante. Tonight if you win and clinch our little series, I am gone from ACW....but I am also...
...retiring."
The crowd can be overheard gasping at that statement and even the wrestlers standing between the hated rivals seem caught off guard.
"That's right Gonzo...you beat me tonight and I'll hang it up for good. After nearly seventeen years in the business and sixteen World Titles, I've done it all except put my career on the line. You want the chance to retire me for good?"
Gonze's face is almost as giddy as it is angry. He nods ferociously as the gleam in his eye gets even more pointed.
"Then all you have to do is win. Win tonight and keep me from the ACW Revival event. However, if you lose...a special stipulation will be added to our third and final encounter."
Gonze is curious.
"What's that? You want the loser to wear the suitcase or something stupid like that?"
Hopper chuckles again.
"Not exactly Gonzo. If and when I win tonight, we battle at Revival in am "I Quit" match."
Gasps! Yeah he really went there!
"Now not only is it loser leaves town, but you actually have to force the other man to give up everything in order to win. Are you ready for a real battle Gonzo? or just interested in the ones you can cheat to win?
"It is OK if it takes you a moment to decide, most guys' alls urp up when something like this is thrown at them."
Gonze slaps the door loudly and screams.
"YOU'RE ON MOTHER FUCKER!"
He turns and grabs the door, flinging it open hard with a loud bang again as he exits. Hopper just stands there smiling, knowing he is inside Jimmy's head and that gives him the edge he wanted all along.
The Players v Health Fanatics
Last week in the Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Health Fanatics dominated The Players and stole a win when Greg Matthews struck Paul Sanders with a dumbbell behind the referee’s back and Damon Somner slapped on a Boston Crab to make it look like Paul had passed out due to the pain.
In truth, he was already unconscious and wouldn’t have answered a 33-count, let alone a standard 3-count.
This week in the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, we would see yet another rematch between these two tandems that’d developed quite a rivalry.
The Players, who lost the last encounter, relinquished their privilege to enter first and resembled the walking wounded inside the squared circle. Sanders had a bandage on his head, applied along with stitches after getting his clock cleaned by the dumbbell (Insert Greg Matthews joke here please) and what condition would his leg be in after the dissection Damon Somner dished out?
Plus, as viewers saw earlier, during Kid Chameleon’s world exclusive review of ACW Legends: The Video Game, Health Fanatics jumped The World’s Greatest Gamer and heartbreakingly damaged his right arm, ensuring he won’t get his money’s worth out of his X-Box 360 Live subscription this month. Still, he was a gamer in another sense and despite the injury, defying doctor’s orders in the process, Kid Chameleon and ‘The Jock’ Paul Sanders were here for a 4th instalment, clearly underdogs.
‘Call On Me’ by Eric Prydz allowed Jim Naysmith to annoyingly blow his whistle (ahem) repeatedly and lead out his buoyant boys, Health Fanatics, who had that spring and swagger about them that wreaked of confidence and superiority and given that they had the majority decision in their three duels to date, why not? They were odds-on favourites to make it three out of four.
HF had the gym equipment already laid out for Matthews to show the audience his vast strength, Naysmith and Somner encouraging him, though he wouldn’t get the chance…
The International Playboy Paul Sanders spoiled the party with a baseball slide that hilariously sent Somner to the floor with a thud and lit the crowd up from the get-go.
Naysmith was livid and already complaining, shouting at the official to do his job. Matthews was oblivious to this until he heard his manager mouthing off and turned round…
Sanders was standing in front of him. Greg’s right hand was easy for anyone to see and Paul blocked it effortlessly, returning the gesture with interest in the form of three punches. Kid Chameleon, sling and all, finally came to the outside and rammed Somner’s head into the barricade with his free left paw and The Jock did the same thing to Matthews. 2-0 to Oregon!
2-0 and a high-5! The Players were enjoying themselves and so were the Aussies, giving the Portland pairing their support.
The Players then rolled Health Fanatics back into the ring. Funnily enough, in spite of their limitless stamina and superiority complex, the duo called for a time-out. Alex and Paul exchanged a glance and decided to kick their rivals in the face instead. Chameleon continued to stomp Somner, until the talented technical wrestler was underneath the bottom rope. One more and he fell ungracefully from the apron to the ringside floor in front of Renaud Cardinal and Tony Millar, ACW’s English-speaking commentators.
Chameleon, who’d used his left-hand for the high-5 due to his weaker arm being out of commission, nodded at Paul, who was going to burden the major share of responsibility in this outing in spite of his own injuries, he’d suffered at the hands of Health Fanatics on Episode 4.
That left Sanders and Matthews to start things off officially as the bell sounded. Paul wasted no time, probably aiming to get this one done and dusted early on, sending The Powerhouse into the Players’ corner with authority courtesy of an aggressive whip. While that was assertive, the next manoeuvre was much more spectacular, a beautiful handspring elbow from the 2nd-generation 250-pound prospect thrilling the crowd and yet still hurting HF member, Greg Matthews.
However…
Sanders thought he was in complete corner as Matthews stumbled out of the corner. The reason why Greg’s known as The Powerhouse is you can never ever forget the superhuman strength the prick possesses…
Power Paul had just felt in the form of a belly-to-belly suplex!
Out of nowhere, Greg had captured Paul, who was now wriggling on the canvas uncomfortably. This gave Greg the opportunity to tag in Damon, who’d been taken by surprise by a Sanders baseball slide moments ago, to enter proceedings and essentially repay Paul with another…
Chop block!
Somner hadn’t forgotten his handiwork at Paul’s expense on the previous edition of COURAGE and was fixed to go back to work on The Jock’s right pin.
There was fuck all technical about Damon’s subsequent thought: A barrage of punches to the head to subdue Sanders.
Somner then picked Sanders up and pushed the bigger man to the corner where he unleashed a tasty chop, which was answered by a punch. Damon nipped any hopes of a Sanders fightback in the bud instantly, or so he thought, with a stomp downstairs to the leg, though Paul had a reply to that with another right hand. However, he had no response to the 3rd, 4th and 5th kicks, taking their toll on the Prince of P-Town.
Damon wrapped Paul’s legs up into the ropes and then took a run-up, punting Paul on the right knee, causing Rip City’s Chief to cry out in agony. The Engine was up and running.
Paul’s wasn’t, though. When Damon attempted to whip his antagonist to the opposite corner, The Jock’s legs buckled, giving way, and he didn’t complete the journey, collapsing in a heap, mere inches from the corner.
Boos rained down as Damon laughed. He wasn’t laughing when his figure-4 when Alex Riley, Sanders cleverly countering with an inside cradle, which Damon denied at 2.
Sanders limped to his feet but he’d soon be off them again, the HF cardiovascular guy taking him to ground with an effective dropkick and celebrating the feat with a series of ridiculous star-jumps that had the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane eating out of the palm of his hand. Somner smiled, more so when Naysmith blew the whistle and applauded his charge relentlessly, his hero-worshipping bordering on the sickening.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!
Much to the crowd’s amusement and enjoyment, following another picture-perfect star-jump, Kid Chameleon came in and rocked Somner’s socks off with a clothesline!
Jim was irate outside of the ring, complaining about Chameleon, who was exiting the ring as the referee started counting. Somner was groggy, though favourite to return to his feet first and that prediction proved to be accurate. What he didn’t notice was Sanders’ snail-like ascent to the Promised Land, Kid’s hand stretched out and tempting. When Paul courageously climbed to his feet, it looked like The International Playboy would make way for The World’s Greatest Gamer…
Except Somner, out of sheer desperation, ingeniously swiped Sanders’ legs from out underneath him like a defensive Rugby player stopping a lightning-quick winger who’s shoe-in to cross the try line.
He secured the lock with a leg grapevine, slowly dragging Sanders back into the centre of the squared circle. Naysmith was full of praise for the sly strategist’s thinking, which had broken Players’ hearts momentarily and frustrated the fans.
Somner was smug, holding Paul’s pin in a heel hook position, occasionally stretching it to remind Paul who was the ring general at this minute in time. Eventually, Paul gave the captain a fright, using his free leg to excellent effect, but Damon was like a rottweiler, refusing to relinquish his vice-like grip, though at the 4th time of asking, he had no choice. Paul’s left leg not only forced separation but it also lifted his lighter rival up and over the top rope.
Damon hung on, catching the bottom rope, and balanced himself, annoying the fans by doing a pair of push-ups, skinning the cat and dragging himself back into the battleground without enduring a fall. Getting off on the audience’s irritation, he busted out another three star-jumps, impressing no one, until Naysmith started whistling loudly and flapping his arms around like a madman.
When Somner turned around, he realised why…
Paul Sanders was up…
Clothesline!
And he was now down.
Paul joined him on the canvas shortly afterwards though, feeling the side-effects of Somner’s offence.
The count was on and Naysmith used the whistle to try and get Damon back in the hunt. What he did instead was start a round of applause, which drowned him out, forcing him to cover his own ears and remonstrate with the ringside observers, telling them to be quiet but they ignored the gym instructor’s instructions and got louder instead.
Somner was able to shake the cobwebs loose and tag Greg Matthews, the well-rested strongman in, and just as Greg thought he could have his wicked way with The Jock, Paul made a last-gasp dive to tag Kid Chameleon in…
Alex’s speed was the key in their first contact, taking Matthews by surprise with a superb crossbody block, yielding a 2 in the process.
Greg was up again, but Kid had timed it to perfection, running up the turnbuckles and coming back with a bang, executing an exquisite turn and smacking the taste out of the Seattle native’s mouth with a gorgeous jumping knee!
1…
2…
Matthews was raging, perhaps with himself, but Kid used Greg’s anger against him, feinting with the left foot and picking apart the bodybuilder’s defence with ease, using the sole of the right boot to get Greg keeling over…
A small run-up was all Chameleon needed to get his point across and the fans onside with a front roll kick, a koppu kick to you wrestling fans out there, for another quick-fire near-fall.
He’d not even been in the ring 2 minutes and yet he’d elicited a series of 2-counts. Kid’s arm seemed to be holding up nicely, but that was also the reason why he was using his feet, hoping to kick seven types of nitrogenous waste out of either Health Fanatic and get in and out, just like The Jock had hoped, with a maximum reward for minimal punishment, an ideal scenario considering the circumstances.
Matthews was on his knees, unknowing that Kid was stood right behind him. Chameleon continued to embarrass The Powerhouse, a man you didn’t want to face with only one arm, by treating him to a mouthful of coconut crush, Kid’s special dessert containing a spoonful of nutritious kneepad after ramming Greg’s head into it, accidentally on purpose.
With his work done, at least for the time being, Kid tagged Paul back in, who’d had some time to recuperate. Had it been enough?
A swinging neckbreaker was as good a place to start as any. The teams’ two physical specimens were going to duke it out and not for the first time. It was pretty one-sided as Paul followed up with a lovely legdrop, using his left leg, though it still aggravated his right one on the way down. Somehow, he managed to get a straight 2 for his troubles, but now he was back in serious trouble, taking a poor decision, particularly at this point in proceedings and just after The Players had managed to claw themselves back into the bout.
Now, Paul turned to get back out of there. It was like Kid had never been away. How could Chameleon and Sanders win when neither of them were fit enough to go toe-to-toe with a team called Health Fanatics?
Amazingly, Paul got to Kid first. Chameleon allowed Matthews to tag Somner back in, perhaps preferring his chances against his fellow light-heavyweight.
Kid attempted to steal a march on Somner just like he’d done with Matthews but he seriously underestimated Damon’s nippiness in comparison to his strapping partner and Somner stormed towards him with a scrumptious dropkick that beautifully caught Chameleon on his right arm.
The sling may’ve cushioned the blow slightly, but the grimace on the face told us that it still found its mark.
Nintendo’s Number One was down to a solitary knee as Somner got the chance to show his full-teeth smile off to the spectators again. Australia, renowned as a nation for its high standards when it comes to sport, should theoretically have been in love with someone like Damon, though they weren’t.
Somner had a handful of Kid’s hair, bringing him up to the surface and applying a hammerlock at will, such a simple yet agonising hold for Chameleon to bear. Matters weren’t helped when the hammerlock became a hammerlock slam.
That alone warranted a 2 ½ count, forcing Kid to use his left side to escape defeat. Once again, Damon kept the pressure on, pouring it on in fact, taking his time before delivering a single-arm DDT, leaving Chameleon a quivering mess on the floor as he yelled in anguish, music to Naysmith’s ears and the whistle got an airing to show his appreciation of this technician’s talents.
Damon strolled over and tagged Greg, who entered methodically, and that’s what Health Fanatics could afford now. They had time on their hands, which was running out for The Players, who would’ve found it hard to go the distance with such a fit duo even if they’d been fully-fit but with mounting injuries, they now had a mountain to climb.
Matthews continued where Somner left off, winding the arm up and punishing it further with two well-placed elbows to the bicep area. A round of boos started in Brisbane, the natives uttering their disgust as The Powerhouse ripped Kid’s sling off, tossing it outside of the ring. The despicable Naysmith picked it up like a trophy and paraded it in the air for everyone to see, extracting additional heat, applauding Greg’s hideous lack of sportsmanship and Somner’s trademark smile had also returned.
Alex was favouring his right arm, holding it with his left, protecting it like his life depended on it, which it probably did in fairness, as Greg brought him over to the Fanatics’ corner.
The 270-pound dynamo asserted himself roughly, ramming his shoulder into Chameleon’s right arm repeatedly, five times in total until Chameleon was slumped down in the corner like a heroin addict draped up against a toilet wall. The only thing missing was the syringe.
Greg tagged Damon in, who entered the ring with a slingshot and then unloaded with a sequence of boots to exactly the same spot Matthews had unleashed on just seconds ago. Then, a running shoulderblock of his own piled yet more misery on Chameleon’s cause, Sega’s Ambassador unable to represent anyone right now, particularly The Players. He had no business being in the ring. Somner shoved the helpless and pathetic Alex down and made a cover, leaning on the right arm and shoulder…
1…
2…
Paul’s entrance and subsequent shot to the back of the head caused the referee to reprimand him but it also saved certain defeat and no chance of a rematch with their enemies.
Chameleon was still down, though not out. However, a beautiful bridging hammerlock by Damon asked serious questions of Kid’s desire to continue. Once again, Paul came to his best friend’s rescue, kicking Damon with his left leg, remonstrating the referee who warned him one more time that he was allowed to interfere.
Somner waved Matthews in, who planted Chameleon with a full-nelson slam! By the time, the authority figure turns around, Damon’s leading Kid a merry dance taking him to a neutral corner and bringing him down to the ground with a sublime springboard armdrag straight out of Mexico.
Damon wandered over to Paul and mouthed something, which was out of our earshot, but it certainly offended the ex-football player from Portland. He wanted a piece of the capital-born Somner, who was conveniently standing behind the referee. The official was striving to get some law and order, though Somner’s continuous baiting and Sanders’ continuous biting meant that wasn’t easy to achieve.
Meanwhile, the crafty Naysmith suddenly pulled out a dumbbell from his kitbag and handed it to Matthews, looking to score for the second time in as many matches. This routine had worked a treat in Adelaide. Would it work again in Brisbane?
Matthews picked Chameleon up and laid him OUT!
So, yes, it had worked. Health Fanatics were going to steal it again in exactly the same fashion as they had even if, yet again, they’d actually been the better side over the course of the contest.
Paul pointed at the indiscretion, seeing it out of the corner of his eye. The authority figure tried to calm him down and Damon smiled, believing it was all in vain and they’d got away with it.
Nevertheless, before ‘the baton’ was passed and the dumbbell stashed, the official turned around and saw the deal going down. Damon tried to distract the man in the middle. His smile was now upside down and he frantically attempted to get the official’s focus off the dumbbell, but unfortunately for him, it was all the authority figured could think about.
Naysmith tried to conceal the evidence, hiding it under the ring and smiling anxiously. He bore a fraught expression. Health Fanatics surrounded the referee as Paul Sanders checked on Kid Chameleon. Last week, it had been the other way round.
Greg Matthews imposingly stood next to the referee while Somner pleaded their case. The referee ordered them away and looked at the fans, who cheered when he signalled HF had done it. Their answer spokes volumes.
Somner was incredulous and now Naysmith was in the ring, but the official brushed past them and wanted a word with the timekeeper. Naysmith and Somner came outside, still giving it large, but the referee told them to go away.
In the front-row, Somner tells various fans to shut up, who are trying to shout out what happened to Kid Chameleon, though the official doesn’t hear their cries. Then again…
He doesn’t have to. He waves his hands, Naysmith scurrying over towards him to find out the official decision. We’ll allow our actual timekeeper to tell you instead…
“If I can have your attention please. The referee has ruled that due to Health Fanatics using an illegal object, your winners, as a result of a disqualification….”
Naysmith’s face was priceless, his whistle probably needing put back in his mouth like shutting up a wailing baby with a dummy.
“THE PLAYERS!”
Somner waggled his finger in the official’s face. Health Fanatics cut distressed figures, similar to Manchester United players conceding a penalty at their precious Old Trafford.
Damon was left with hands on his hips, fuming his team’s indiscretion had been rumbled. The referee walked away. It was a case of what goes around comes around. On Episode 3, Naysmith’s shenanigans had worked wonderfully well. Here, lightning hadn’t struck again and in fact what had sealed the deal in Adelaide’s Entertainment Centre had sealed their fate in Brisbane’s Entertainment Centre.
These two teams were now 2 wins apiece. The Players looked like contenders for the unlikeliest winners’ category considering their injuries and how Paul was asking for medical attention, not for himself even if he was also in need of it, though rather for his partner, Kid Chameleon, who hadn’t moved since getting drilled with the dumbbell.
Naysmith, Somner and Matthews sauntered backstage, still unsure how they’d lost this bout. Paul, standing tall inside the ring, stood over Kid as he watched them make their way backstage, ready to fight on one leg if they fancied it.
I’ve got a feeling, given they’re now 2-2; they’ll get a chance to settle their differences in the near future…
WINNER: The Players
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
As he let out a sigh of relief, Joe Bishop, the head of operations of ACW, slumped into the back of his plush leather chair and looked over at his colleague; the mighty WAR.
Having just finished his last conference call of the day with ESEN, he could now try and concentrate on the show... if only.
"Maybe it's because of how badly the last one went, but I have a bad feeling about all of this."
WAR attempted to smirk, but it just didn't look right. "Once bitten, twice shy is the saying I believe?"
Having been in negotiations for the past month, it was a relief to get ACW back on the airwaves, having been releasing its shows in the form of internet streams since Legends. There was no money to be made in that... and with no TV money comes no talent.
It was only the SlySports payoff that was keeping the company afloat at the minute, but that was all to change.
Bishop had never seen so many zeros.
WAR had, when looking at his former employers bank account.
"At least they signed off having one of our own on the edit team, they could have easily have said no."
Shaking his head, WAR got up from his seat. "Then they lose one of the biggest federations in the World. Would be silly for something so little."
"Where are you going?"
"We need to prepare for after the pay per view... Japan isn't going to book itself."
The Old Republic
“Heck yeah!”
The voice of Spike Saunders boomed as the camera faded into view from the locker-room of the Colossus himself. Lounged back in the corner with a laptop on his lap he was typing maniacally on the keyboard while his protégée Billy Law sat across from him on the bench.
“Eat that Rebel Scum!”
Saunders chuckled as he continued to enjoy what he was doing. The camera panned around the room until getting a good view of the Laptop screen where a nearly identical version of himself was running about blasting creatures and people that came into sight.
“Do not mind him. He gets lost in his world when it comes to that game.” Spoke Billy Law as he noticed the camera crew. “You know, the whole drive up here… he talked, or rather ranted, about how the character customization was subpar. He wasn’t able to create an accurate creation of himself in the game.”
“I hear you, you know.” Saunders shook his head and continued to press various keys on the keyboard. “At least I am trying to clean up the galaxy.”
It was Billy’s turn to shake his head. “Seriously? You chose the Sith. You are trying to save the galaxy as the bad guy. You realize how odd that sounds right?”
“Pfft” He of course made the sound as he spoke it. “Besides, I need to let some of my steam out or Keith and Harris will be roadkill tonight, ya know?”
“Right. But don’t you think you should be training and prepping for the match rather than playing a video game?”
The Colossus peered over his laptop screen and stared at Law for a moment before letting out a sigh. He typed a few keys and then close the laptop lid.
“Suppose so. I know I am ready for them, but it wouldn’t be fair to Hank if I wasn’t at least preparing like he surely is. Alright Billy you win.”
He sat the laptop down on the chair and raised to his feet and headed towards the door.
“I’m going to go crab a Soda out of the machine. Want anything?” Billy shook his head and Saunders continued on out of view.
“Finally!” Billy leapt across the room and landed in the chair before popping open the laptop and as the camera faded out the sounds of gun fire filled the air once more.
The League of Extraordinary Guys Who Aren't Friends But Like Each Other Enough To Work Together And Fuck Some Other Guys Up
The camera panned backstage to the interview area where none other than ACW's newest backstage correspondent, Robbie Gates, was looking rather dapper. Dressed in a brown business suit with white shirt and some weird tie that looked like a Rorschach test, he had a smile across his face as the light on the camera turned on to let him know this was his time.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we've got a HUGE blockbuster match and with me are three of the participants. The unlikely trio of Night Life's leader The Amazing Gabriel, the enigmatic Orphan and the #1 Contender to the ACW World Heavyweight Championship will be opposed by three men standing with me at this time. The Spirit of ACW Champion, GoldenHAWK...”
The camera popped LOUD for the son of the deceased former general manager of ACW. The man. The Spirit of ACW. The man called GoldenHAWK.
“The only former two-time Spirit AND ACW World Heavyweight Champion and the only man who have held both titles at once, Andy Sharp...”
Sharp came into view dressed in his BRAND-SPANKIN-NEW Mr. All-Star Graphic Tee – NOW ON SALE AT ACWSHOP.COM AND WHEREVER ACW MERCH IS SOLD FOR ONLY $20.
“And lastly... the current ACW World Heavyweight Champion... the man called TYSON XL...”
And the crowd EXPLODED all over the arena as the champion came into view dressed and ready for combat. He exchanged glances with Andy Sharp and GoldenHAWK as Robbie Gates looked like a midget compared to the three larger men.
“Now, tonight, the three of you are coming together for a massive six-man tag tonight. Can I get your thoughts on this match?”
“The Amazing Gabriel...” Andy Sharp said in a hushed tone that let Gates knew that tonight, he meant business. “Omega... and Seymour... Orphan. Three of the most talented and downright dangerous men that we've got in ACW right now. It's true. He defeated me two weeks ago and I'm not going to take that away from him. But what I WILL take away from him at Revival is his pride. And maybe... just maybe I'll get the chance to smack that whiny, bitter, and bitchy moustache right off his face. Omega and I go back, too, and we've exchanged victories in the past. I'm not looking past him, either and if he gets in my face, I won't hesitate to kick his already rattled brains into mush.”
“And what of Orphan?” Gates asked.
“No comment.”
Gates raised an eyebrow, but GoldenHAWK took the microphone.
“I'll field that question, Robbie,” he held up the Spirit of ACW Championship for all to see. “Ever since he's stepped foot back into ACW, he's come after me with reckless abandon. He and Keller both. But I showed them that I'm not going to be pushed around. I refuse to let what my father worked for be flushed down the toilet by that bald prick and that emo cosplayer freak. I realized that when I was awarded this championship that I would have a bulls-eye on my back, but if they think that I'm just going to sit here and let them fire their arrows at me, they're both more deluded than I thought. Tonight will be the start of me kicking both of their asses and keeping this championship around my waist.”
He turned to Tyson XL as he held the ACW World Heavyweight Championship over his shoulder.
“And Tyson... we've seen you go tit for tat with Omega in the last few weeks. You've each won handicap matches, you've brawled all over the arena and we're still no closer to figuring out exactly why he's implicated you as the man that took his weapon, Barb. Your thoughts?”
“Last week, I watched as Omega continued to play his games with me. He came out first hand and watched me defeat and dismantle both Locksmiths. I've told his big ass for weeks that if he wants a piece of me then all he has to go is come find me. He found me, but didn't want to fight. He just sat back and continued to accuse me of something that I didn't do. All he's proven to me is that he's a cheap shot artist and The Craziest Chickenshit in Wrestling. When I won this championship and sent Z, Jeremy Hunt and the rest of the Slysports peanut gallery packing, I vowed to be a better champion than that ugly fuschiaed fuck was. And judging by the respect that these people have given me, I think I've done that. But tonight is a new night and Revival is just mere nights away.”
He clutched the championship close.
“He wants this badly just like anybody else does. But I'm going to hurt him. I'm going to Revival, I'm going to hurt him and I'm going to find the person that tried framing me for the theft of Barb. When the guilty party has been found, then they'll WISH they were dealing with Omega instead of me.”
Tyson hoisted his championship over his head and left while Sharp and GoldenHAWK exchanged glances.
“So...” GoldenHAWK jerked a thumb in Tyson's direction. “He's ready.”
Andy nodded.
“Starting to suspect that as well...”
Trolled For the LOLZ1111
...
*booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo*
...
*booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo*
...
As his big fat face graced the large tron at the top of the ramp-way, Khristain Keller had the Worlds attention on him; but he wasn't doing anything with it.
Shifting his eyes from left to right, he looked slightly uncomfortable in some darkly lit hallway in the arena, so much so, that you cringed just looking at him.
He then did the unthinkable.
It looked painful to him, as his cheeks began to vibrate... he couldn't hold it for very much longer so he swiftly turned around as the camera panned out a little.
*click*
Oh. My. God.
K S o F M
As his back lit up with the following, the whole crowd began to... laugh.
"FUCK THIS SHIT."
In the ultimate strop, Keller tossed his flashing jacket to the floor and sorted himself out, he turned to the camera and wiped that idiotic smile from his face.
"I will see you Aussie cunts later on, but I just wanted to touch on something from last week if I may?"
*booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo*
Don't think they wanted to hear it.
"My phone reminder is beeping at me every day, asking me the ultimate question in life; just when will I burn this shithole to the ground? Meh. You see, I am not here to make friends. Make them good guys or even the bad guys. I don't care who you are or what you do or what your finisher is or what your musicthemeamajiggy is... I just want to punch you. Square in the face."
*booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo*
"So right now, is the King Shits New Years Resolutions and you lucky people are going to sit through all three hundred and twenty of them..."
"Fine! Fuck sake. I'll give you only a couple then. Numero uno for all of you Aussies out there. In 2012 I will... I repeat, I will win the ACW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!"
The fans did not want that.
"Dos. I fancy putting someone on the roster in intensive care, you know the good kind? Not like the viral infection type antibiotics one... the broken bones from being skullfucked by a twelve inch dong kind of intensive care. And to wrap this up..."
In case you didn’t get to see it last week (and you probably didn’t because lightning hit the transmitter or the webfeed went out) but last week the Night Life took on The Squadron in another Proving Ground match that did not make it to air last week because apparently ACW hates ratings. But what you didn’t see was the team of Kaus, Fever Pitch, and Zip Zap defeating the Squadron last week and thus, were out of contention for the ACW Tag Team Championships.
So earlier in the evening, Teddy Koontz decreed that the ACW Tag Team Titles were up for grabs in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match between The Night Life, Big E. Smalls, and The PowerTrip. But for tonight, a match would pit three representatives from the teams against one another to try and gain that much needed momentum. And with that in mind, let us go on to the match.
Saliva's 'Click, Click, Boom' served as a warning. Father's lock up your daughters.
‘Click Click Boom! I'm comin' down on the stereo, hear me on the radio’
Husband's tie up your wives.
‘Click Click Boom! I'm on the radio station TOUR around the nation leaving the scene in devastation’
Boy-Friends...
‘I can see it in my mind I can see it in your eyes’
Well you're shit-out-of-luck, Power Trip is here!
‘Come on, comon Everybody come on! Come on, comon Click Click Boom!’
The curtains parted as the team of PowerTrip made their way out and it would be Mr. Trip representing his team tonight. Normally they’d all be for the party but with a bunch of people who would be at ringside already and them wanting to get down to business, Mr. Trip entered the ring and got himself into beast mode as it were. Marshawn Lynch, eat your heart out.
GROUND CONTROL, WE HAVE LIFT-OFF IN FIVE...
FOUR...
THREE...
TWO...
ONE...
Y'ALL DON'T REALLY WANT IT NOW!”
“Here Comes The Boom” by Nelly.
And the fans went CRAZY WACKY WILD for Mach 2. Being accompanied by the energetic Big E. Stark and his lovely girlfriend, Leticia “Lettie” Rios, Mach 2 was all smiles as he made his way to the ring and walked down with a purpose. Mach 2 slid in between the ropes and made his way inside the ring. Already, Mr. Power, Lettie Rios, and Big E. Stark were at ringside.
Somewhere out there in the vast nothingness of space Somewhere far away in space and time Staring upwards at the gleaming stars in the obsidian sky
The fans stared on at the incredibly gaudy and downright unnecessary light show overtaking the entrance. The fans were quiet, looking on at a downright amazing light show. The third time time that Australia had been treated to such a gaudy spectacle.
We're marooned on a small island, in an endless sea Confined to a tiny speck of sand, unable to escape, But tonight on this small planet... on Earth... We're gonna rock civilization
“Slam” by Pendulum hit the speakers and the party truly begun. Carrying the ACW Tag Team Titles, the fans booed the raver brigade making their way down to the ring and it would be Kaus representing the Night Life as they made their way to the ring with a purpose. Zip Zap, Aleczander, and Elixr were all partying it up while Kaus ran into the ring with Fever Pitch not far behind him, giving the Night Life’s silent Killer a pep talk.
Kaus, Mach 2 and Mr. Trip all circled up around one another. All three men were determined to win this match and get their respective teams some momentum headed into the PPV. And the second that bell rang it was Mr. Trip who came out swinging first. Mr. Trip went to work and kicked Mach 2 in the gut, but Kaus came firing off a big elbow to the side of the head at the same time.
The three men were exchanging kicks, some elbows and some punches while their respective tag team partners and everybody at ringside cheered them on. Mach 2 tried getting more involved it the exchange between Kaus and Mr. Trip, but they both shoved him away and made him wait it out.
Kaus got kicked hard in the stomach for his troubles from Mach 2 and Mr. Trip shoved Mach 2 into the ropes. He waited for him off the rebound and knocked him down with a big shoulder block. Mr. Trip smiled and ran off the opposite ropes, but Mach 2 ducked. When he came back, Mach leapfrogged over Mr. Trip. Mach 2 nailed him with a jumping round kick to the face.
The Silent Killer of the Night Life was back on his feet and Mach 2 ran right at him. He flapjacked Mach 2 into the air and the Supersonic Kid caught him by the neck in mid air and tossed him over with a big time headscissors! YOWZA!
Mr. Trip ran at him as well, but he was too quick and tripped him with a drop toe hold, knocking him in the ropes. Mach ran off the ropes and came flying at him with a big dropkick to the side of the head and sent the member of the PowerTrip flying outside the ring.
Stark and Lettie were cheering on their homeslice on the inside of the ring. Kaus whipped him off to the corners. Kaus came running at him, but Mach 2 jumped up and over him with a big roll and kipped back to his feet. He came runnig at Kaus and nailed him with a big running dropkick aimed right at the back of his head.
The fans where cheering on Mach 2, but he had been moving at more light speed as this match began. Kaus was down now as Mach 2 posed for the crowd and pumped a fist in the air. He waited for Kaus to get back to his feet and ran at him with a second headscissors, but Kaus was quick enough to reverse it and drop him in the middle of the ring with a big wheelbarrow powerbomb. He turned him over and went for a quick win.
1...
2...
Mach 2 kicked both legs into Kaus face to break up the pin attempt. Kaus caught him with a knee to the jaw and brought up a second knee before grabbing him by the head and snapping him down to the ground with a painfully quick neckbreaker. He grabbed him by the leg and tied him up, trying for some kind of a half crab. Mr. Trip came back into the ring to try and stop Kaus for good, but the Diamond Child tripped him up as well.
Mr. Trip was in his grip.
Mach 2 was in his grip.
So he stepped over and had half crabs locked in both Mach AND Mr. Trip!
“That's right, break their asses in half, dude!” Fever Pitch yelled, cheering on their representative as both Mach and Trip fought towards the ropes.
That got him some funny looks from everybody at ringside.
It was back inside the ring now and Kaus had two legs and he was ready to break them. Mach and Trip combined had enough strength to get to the ropes pretty quickly and reached out, both men grabbing a pair of ropes at the exact same time. The referee ordered Kaus to let go and he did just that, but not before delivering a hard kick to the side of Mr. Trip's head for good measure.
He singled out Mach 2, but Mach kicked him away and nipped up to his feet. Kaus went for a running big boot, but The Speed Demon ducked underneath him. He came back and Kaus made him pay for it by picking him up and spiking him into the ground with a modified spinebuster. He held onto his legs and twisted him around before attempting another submission, this time in a form of an standing inverted boston crab.
He twisted and pulled Mach 2's back in ways the human spine wasn't supposed to go and tried for an early submission, but failed to see Mr. Trip come out of his line of sight and he got rocked right in the face with a big discus punch that made him let go of Mach 2.
Mr. Power was slapping the ring apron as Mr. Trip went to work on Kaus with several big right hands to the head. He continued to beat him down in the corner with some right hands and winked at a lovely young lass in the crowd before tossing him to the ropes. He came back and Kaus caught him the head with a kick as he went down for an uppercut. Kaus ran off the ropes and came back off the ropes with an Ohtani springboard dropkick that sent Mr. Trip flying.
Kaus grabbed onto Mr. Trip and grabbed him by the waist then pushed him into the ropes, but Mr. Trip held onto the ropes and sent Kaus rolling backwards. The Diamond Child was back on his feet again, but Mach 2 caught him the back of the head with a NASTY kick upside the head that rocked the Night Life member good.
He stumbled off the apron and Mr. Trip finished him off with a dropkick of his own that sent Kaus tumbling into the barricade violently.
“Mate! Stop fuckin' off and fuck those shitbirds up!” Aleczander yelled and tried to slap Kaus awake.
Meanwhile it was now Mr. Trip and Mach 2 who were exchanging blows in the middle of the ring. Mr. Trip went low and kicked him in the gut. He whipped him to the ropes and when Mach 2 came back, Mach leaped over him and amazingly came crashing down on top of him with a big corkscrew plancha to Kaus and Aleczander on the floor!
The fans were getting wowed by the fast and furious action now as Mr. Trip came around. Not going to be outdone by the likes of either Mach 2 or Kaus, he ran off the ropes himself and tried coming back inside, but Mach 2 got a shoulder in between the ropes and gut checked him in the process. While Kaus was bent over the ropes, Mach 2 rolled over him and came back inside the ring. Mach 2 came back at him, but it was Mr. Trip that made him pay for it by kicking him in the chest and stopping him cold in his tracks. He smirked to the crowd before powering up Mach 2 with a suplex and dumping him back down to the mat with a swinging neckbreaker-type move.
1...
2...
But Mach 2 was able to kick out of that big move and Mr. Trip was stunned that hadn't finished the job. Mr. Power was rooting on his tag team partner as Trip picked up Mach 2 and held up three fingers to the referee. The referee told him two fingers so Mr. Trip fired off some knees into the chest of Mach. He picked up Mach 2 and dumped him back into the center of the ring with a painful back suplex and went for a second cover.
1...
2...
Close, but no cigar! Mach 2 kicked out again, forcing Mr. Trip to get a little bit creative. He stood up and put some boots into the head and chest of his opponent and looked out to the crowd, who were booing him. He quickly flipped them the double deuces and went to the second ropes, trying to come back with a moonsault. He took a little too much time with it and Mach 2 moved, but Mr. Trip was able to land on his feet.
Mach 2 came running at Mr. Trip and ducked his attempt to kick his head off and flew off the ropes, coming back with a hurricanrana that sent him sailing across the ring. Mr. Trip was getting back up but got put back down with a sling blade slam! Masato Yoshino couldn't have done that any better and Mach 2 crawled over for a quick cover, wanting to finish the match.
1...
2...
Mr. Trip was a tough guy himself and kicked out of the big impact move from Mach 2. Rios and Stark were still cheering on their tag team partner while Mach 2 got back up and had the crowd behind the little guy. He grabbed Mr. Trip by the head, but he stopped whatever he was trying to do by hitting a big jaw breaker.
Mr. Trip went running to the ropes, but felt a sharp pain in his back. That strike came from Kaus, who was finally back in the match again, biding his time on the outside of the ring. Kaus grabbed him by the body and tried to suplex him out of the ring. Mach 2 came running at Mr. Trip, but he got both feet up into the face of Mach 2 and elbowed himself free from the grip of Kaus.
Kaus fell to the floor so Mr. Trip climbed out to the apron and came flying right at him with an on-point missile dropkick from off the apron. Whether the fans liked him or hated him, they had to respect the talent and skill that the masked lothario was showing tonight.
He picked himself up while Kaus was on the floor and started to climb to the top turnbuckle while Mach 2 was in his line of sight. He flew off and connected with a second perfect missile dropkick in as many attempts, now hitting Mach 2 right on the button. He climbed over to the fallen form of one of the challengers to the ACW Tag Team Titles and went for a cover again.
1...
2...
NO NO NO!
It was getting very close now, but Mach 2 still somehow kicked out. The crowd as well as Lettie and Big E. were cheering on their tag team partner, but Mr. Trip was not happy with this and protested again to the referee. But he held up two fingers once again, telling him this match was still going on.
He grumbled and picked up Mach 2, but stopped whatever he was doing when he saw Kaus trying to get back into the ring. Trip walked over to him and tried to stop him, but Kaus hit him with some powerful forearms and palmed the back of his head. He ran forward and smacked him face first into the turnbuckle inside the ring, then jumped up and connected with a pretty wicked jumping gamengiri kick from the apron. Trip got hit right between the eyes and crumbled to the ground as Kaus came back into the ring.
Kaus saw that he was down and saw an opportunity to go to the top rope for some more damage...
SONIC BOOM~!
Guile from Street Fighter didn't do a run in, but Kaus ate one hell of a flying knee from Mach 2 that stunned him so bad, he slumped right off the ring ropes.
Mr. Trip had seen enough and looked to stop Mach 2 from getting any momentum going. He stopped him with a punch to the face and lifted him up for a suplex, but Mach was a crafty little dude and fired off a pair of knees in mid air, cracking Trip in the head and making him let go.
Mach 2 landed back on his feet again dropkicked the knee out from under Mr. Trip, bringing him to the ground. He ran off the ropes and quickly went for another headscissors, but this time he drove Trip's head into the ground face-buster style. The innovative maneuver connected right on the money and now it appeared to be Mach 2's time to shine.
1...
2...
But the fall was broken up by Kaus and he saved the match. The other members of the Night Life at ringside cheered him on as he picked up Mach 2 and tried to get him with some sort of suplex move, but Mach 2 flipped behind him and he made him pay for it with a hard kick to the side of the head. Mach 2 came running right at him, but he catapaulted Mach 2 up and over the ropes, sending him flying outside of the ring.
While the high flyer crashed and burned on the floor, Mr. Trip snuck up behind Kaus and hit him with a cheap shot forearm shot to the back of the head. He hoisted him up and looked to finish him with some kind of move out of a torture rack, but Zip Zap ran up on the apron.
“Um... you suck... guy!” Zip Zap proudly yelled.
He got kicked right off the apron from Mr. Trip for his troubles and was sent flying into the barricade.
However, he did what he shoudn't have done and that was give Kaus an opportunity to strike as he kicked him in the back of the head with a wicked shot and turned him around...
TEMPORAL SHIFT~!
And he cradled right into the cover.
1...
2...
3!
Finally! The Night Life had scored a big victory against both of their challengers. Kaus got the heck out of the ring and started to walk up the ramp with the other members of the Night Life in tow. Zip Zap stood back up, still groggy as all get out, but celebrated since he actually helped somebody win a match!
“We'll see you fucks at the PPV!” Aleczander laughed as they retreated from ringside with their music playing over head signifying them as the winners.
Mach 2 grumbled and kicked the mat while Rios and Stark both patted them on the back.
“We'll get 'em at Revival, dude,” Stark said, trying to console Mach 2.
Meanwhile, the members of the PowerTrip had been cheated out of the victory as well, but they had their ladies and rest assured if they brought it like Mr. Trip brought it tonight, they could very well have the belts in tow at Revival.
As for right now, Kaus scored a major win for the Night Life headed into Revival.
WINNER: Kaus via pinfall
Pop
Spike Saunders was headed backstage somewhere, in search of the nearest soda machine. His pupil, Big Billy Law, decided that he was going to engage himself in a game of Star Wars: The Old Republic while Saunders had some business to take care of. He would be teaming with Hank Wright a little later to go up against the unlikely pairing of Keith Scott Zimmerman and Jack Harris, somebody that Spike Saunders had pinned last week in a separate tag match with different partners.
But that was then.
This was now.
And he was thirsty.
Saunders came around the corner and found himself a Coke machine backstage. Pulling some change out from his back pocket, he reached in and deposited the money.
“Billy… shit, forgot what he wanted…”
He took a chance and clicked on some Diet Coke. Nobody drank that Coke Zero piss water (except for three people. This writer and the other two people who that invented the stuff.) The machine spat out his Diet Coke…
THUD!
And that lovely noise was the sound of human skull coming into contact with soda machine! Spike never knew what hit him when he felt a big hand grab him by the back of the head and smack him into the machine two or three more times. Then he felt a big series of elbows collide with his skull and before he knew it, several vicious boots being put into his chest. He continued to stomp down on him until he could barely see his attacker.
A mean ugly mug.
A pierced, ugly mug that only your mother could love.
“Saunders!” He squealed before putting another boot to the chest of the giant. Saunders was coughing now, having been gutchecked by his assailant several more times.
“You and I? We’ve got some unfinished business!”
Saunders glanced up and saw the face of Jack Harris now standing over him. He put a boot down into the chest of Saunders and gnashed his teeth together.
“You cost me money when you stuck your fuckin’ wank of a nose in my business. Now? I’m coming to collect. You got the stones? You come see me at Revival. OH. And looks like you can’t compete tonight. So sorry, mate.”
He threw in one more kick into the chest of The Colossus before he took the bottle of Diet Coke and took a swig. He then started to whistle himself a tune as he walked off backstage, leaving Saunders laying just as a bystander rounded the corner to call for help.
The Great Heel Summit
Backstage we went, where ACW’s newest interviewer, Robbie Gates, had the counterparts to his earlier interview standing with him.
“Alright everyone, earlier tonight, I interviewed one of the teams in tonight’s big six man main event, and now, I have the other team with me. First up, the former Seymo—“
Orphan shot the new interviewer a look so withering that it did damage in the form of -1/-1 counters. It’s a Magic the Gathering reference. Deal.
“—Orphan,”
On cue, the crowd reacted as it usually did to the once Final Fantasy – like so.
No squee this time, presumably because Elyse Frost wasn’t present for the interview.
“And their partner, the impressive, dangerous #1 Contender to the ACW World Championship, Omega.”
Cue even more “BOO HISS DIE BIG SCARY GUY!”
“Now, the three of you have virtually nothing in common, and yet tonight you have been thrown together by Ruben Ross to take on your nemeses in six man tag team action. I’d like to ask if-“
Orphan waved a hand, and shook his head.
“If we can get along, Mr. Gates? I’d be disappointed in how trite your question was, but then, I think most backstage interviewers are required to take a course in How To Ask Boring and Common Questions before being allowed in front of a camera. Just sit back, hold that microphone of yours, and allow us to make you look better than you actually are.”
Gates swallowed, hard, but he continued to hold the microphone for Orphan nonetheless.
“We are three of the best that ACW have to offer. My former friend may not want to comment on me, but I was never one to remain silent, so Andy? I HOPE we cross paths tonight. I HOPE that I see you across the ring from me, because you and I have a long history that has never quite been settled to my satisfaction. This Andy Sharp, the one trying to earn back the approval of the fans? It’s a charade, everyone. I’ve seen the real And—Andrew Sharp, and he’s the man that backfought me for six months, then showed up years later to piss on a camera and be the Cabal’s stooge. That’s Andrew Sharp. No matter how much he pretends otherwise.”
Robbie’s eyes went wide at the comments, but Orphan forged ahead anyway.
“GoldenHAWK? I’ve said enough about you for several lifetimes. HAWK’s progeny will be sent crashing to Earth at Revival, I will become the Spirit of ACW Champion, and all will be right with the world, for a cursed company and a cursed title will be held by the man ACW’s curse came to bear on hardest: me. As for Tyson XL, our World Champion…I have not forgotten about the title you hold. Not by a longshot. I returned here to become the best this company had ever seen, and you are, in the long run, in my way. Consider tonight a warning shot, Mr. XL. You will not get another.”
Shooting sideways glances at his teammates, Orphan smiled.
“I believe that my partners can handle things from here. Gabriel, Omega, I shall see you in the ring.”
And with that, Orphan walked straight off the set, picking up his retinue of armed guards on the way. With his subject gone, Gates put the microphone in front of the Amazing Gabriel’s mouth.
“Man. I thought that guy would NEVER shut up! Good guy, but still...”
The Amazing Gabriel smiled.
“See, two weeks ago... beat Andy Sharp already. I've proven that I'm the better man, so what does that man do? He decides to go cry to Ruben Ross for the millionth time and used his... STROKE... to cry and whine to Ruben Ross and has a rematch made between us for Revival. I don't care what Chad Ochocinco thinks, but child, please! As The Guiding Light of All-Star Championship Wrestling and The Ringleader, I am proud to inform you that I will once again take the high road and I will once again, just like my Night Life defeated his little proteges earlier in the evening, defeat Andy Sharp!”
He gestured to a very tense Omega standing behind him.
“GoldenHAWK? You think that because you've won a title that your testicles have dropped? Doesn't work that way, champ. Orphan's going to deal with you. And as for Tyson? FOR SHAME! SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME!” The leader of the Night Life wagged a finger. “You big, fat thief! You've taken this man's property and you have the audacity to lie about it? Lest we forget that you schemed to take this man's Black Scorpion Title away in a match with multiple participants! You are a thief! You ar...”
He stopped immediately when Omega turned him around and wrapped a big palm around his throat. The Amazing One was gasping for air while Omega continued to tighten his grip.
“You leave Tyson XL to US...”
Tossing Gabriel away, Omega left the stage and turned away not wanting any more to do with any of this. Meanwhile, The Amazing Gabriel latched onto Robbie's arm while he gasped for air.
Gabriel also left in preparation for their match while Robbie Gates cleared his throat after that tense situation.
“There you have it folks! Match later tonight!”
Billy Law & Hank Wright v. Jack Harris & Keith Scott Zimmerman
It has been said one can fall down an abyss climbing up towards the summit. And if it hasn't, well, then, I'm a fucking deep genius. There was one last piece of business between rapidly acrimonious rivals on the way to REVIVAL, and it was this tag match. It seemed the challenger had all the momentum in the world--
--so cue "Going Out West" by the Queens of the Stone Age and let's see if we can't get these fans going nuts.
"The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall!"
Thanks, Tommy.
"Coming down the aisle, at a combined weight of 625 pounds, Billy Law and 'the Tank', Hank Wright!"
So, let's give you an idea of what's going on here as the newcomer and the #1 contender to the [black] Scorpion Championship slap a couple of hands with big grins on their faces as they make their way into the ring: Hank Wright is a notoriously bad-ass mofo and tougher than seeing your ex's new boyfriend in her photostream on her Facebook. He clocks in at 6'6" and 278 pounds. Savvy?
Billy Law is taller by half a foot and outweights him by nearly 70 pounds. Welcome the newest Twin Towers. As they both stepped into the ring over the top rope before putting their fists triumphantly in the air, you could almost feel all the tag teams from the Night Life on down thinking the same thing: dear Lord, let this happen once and never again. But while they briefly conferred, Hank kept an eye towards the entryway and the ACWTron.
He, like everybody else, knew what to expect when the ephemeral guitar of Everlast's "So Long" kicked in.
Do you ever have bad dreams?
Yeah, and he was giving Hank some due to his mind games.
All I have is bad dreams.
Who's he, you might ask? You want to ask those four lovely young women suddenly huddling together despite the fact they're in the cheap seats? How about you ask Rex Silver? Or Kenjiro Ito or Lutawicka, what's left of them? You can also ask the six armed security guards 3 to a side or the jeering audience that mere weeks ago would've followed him to the ends of the earth.
But really, the straps around his neck and his wife getting obliterated on the video wall above his head said it all.
"And their opponents, weighing in at a combined 526 pounds, 'the Unit' Jack Harris and the [black] Scorpion Champion, Keith! Scott! Zimmerman!"
Harris glared at the giants in the ring, while Zimmerman looked all around him like he was on a Sunday stroll having a croissant. Wright's sneer went up across his face as Zimmerman got to ringside and doffed his championships before placing them gently on the apron as Harris ascended the steps. Leon Hurst had drawn the misfortune of refereeing this match as he watched Zimmerman slowly get onto the ring apron while Harris entered the ring. Wright and Zimmerman were looking at each other; the former maliciously, the latter blandly.
The bell rang, snapping Hank out of his trance. The security guards formed a human wall facing the ring, a sextet that Zimmerman smiled and waved at (lookit, I don't know why either, he's a fucking loon). Law took a few more words from Hank before stepping over the top rope and standing on the apron, the tag rope dwarfed in his VIP room of a hand and his shadow cast on the first 3 rows.
Wright hissed through clenched teeth. "Keith. I want Keith. Tag him in, Jack."
Harris gave a hearty chuckle. "Y'know, I want Lucy Pinder?" And with that, the former muscle of the cabal kneed Hank in the sternum. "PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS GET WHAT THEY WANT, BOY-O!" Harris slammed a meaty forearm into Hank's back, then a second, before getting Hank up and whipping him to the ropes. Well, he tried, but Hank reversed and sent Jack into them. Wright having Harris dead to rights slammed into him with a clothesline...only to be surprised when Harris didn't flinch and stood his ground. Slamming his own forearm into his chest, Harris laughed. Wright shook his head before running into the ropes and hitting him with another clothesline. Again, no dice; Harris stood and punched himself in the face before gesturing to the ropes so Wright would have a full pass.
The Governor ran for the ropeYAKUZA KICK...nope, ducked by Wright, who then ducked the subsequent clothesline attempt only to finally drop Harris with a flying shoulder tackle to the delight of the crowd. Harris scrambled to his feet, only to be taken off of them as Wright muscled him into the corner before snapping off a round of hard shoulderblocks into his stomach. Drawing himself back up to full height, Wright grabbed Harris and flung him into the opposite side corner. Harris had barely impacted before he slumped down a step, barely hearing the edict of his tag partner:
"move."
As Hank charged into the corner, Zimmerman dropped down to the floor and then Harris dodged CLANG! went Wright's shoulder into the post. Harris had drawn the attention of Hurst, which was a good thing for the shifty-eyed champion standing on the floor a few more seconds before he leapt up into the air.
MURDERDEATHKEITH
between the ropes! A woozy Hank fell back, only for Harris to hook him up and dump him with a nasty Saito suplex. The Chancellor of Excellence covered with a forearm in the jaw and a lateral press.
Two.
Harris slammed his hands together hoping for a faster count, before bringing Hank up--no, he didn't. Wright pushed off Jack into the ropes, and before Harris could react on the rebound the man who'd beaten the One at Legends V had absolutely planted him with a spinebuster. The crowd roared as Hank stood up and wheeled around to look at Zimmerman.
"YOUR future, Keith."
The champion's response was to look at Hank placidly and nod. Wright shook his head at Keith's insolence before gesturing to Billy. The crowd roared, wanting to see the new rookie monster in action. And with the slap of hands, there it was. Law tagged in and hooked Harris on the left, Wright on the right. Hurst's five count was on but the behemoths easily hoisted the former United States champion in the air looking at the referee while he did. Zimmerman looked down at an imaginary watch and scratched his nose while concern dabbled on Leon's face.
"Three!"
"Four!"
"Fi--" DOUBLE SUPLEX shook the ring, and as Hank left it, Law dropped down into a lateral press with a forearm in the mug of his own accord.
Harris shook loose at two. Undeterred, Law gave Harris a little bit of room before slamming a knee into the Pikey Madman's upper back before he could get mobile. The crowd cheered as Law repeated the move a couple more times, then whipped Harris towards the ropes away from the hard camera. But Harris had a sudden surge of energy, and using his own impressive physique managed to reverse Law into the ropes.
It was then he felt a mosquito.
Well, not really, actually; Zimmerman had just kicked him in the back. Law came to a stop and slowly turned around to see this pissant close-up.
"Did you really think that"HIT MY MUSIC! Zimmerman landed back-first on the apron as the crowd gasped over Zimmerman's championship-winning-and-defending signature that hadn't been seen in months. And the gasping wasn't going to end there, because Law staggered into the middle of the ring for the coup de gras--
WHIRLWIND BACKBREAKER!
Cackling, Harris made the cover.
One!
Two!
Th--kickout!
Harris sneered but the crowd roared. Nevertheless, this was a golden opportunity. Harris underhooked Law before starting to rock him with a series of knees to the head and upper chest. Wright shook his head in dismay as Harris grunted and then yelled before slamming Law ribs-first across the top rope. Wasting no time after that, Harris ran forward with another yell before SMACKING Billy in the face with a $1,000,000 kneelift.
Welcome to ACW, kid.
Harris raised his right arm in the air slowly, to jeers. He looked to the corner, where Zimmerman shook his head. Harris looked at Keith for a second, before turning his attention back to Law. A stomp to the head slowed Law, while the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh brought him to a halt.
However, despite this assault, Law kept trying to get up.
"FOOK!" yelled Harris, before running into the ropes. Law got up.
Probably shouldn't've.
FLYING CROSSBODY! Harris quickly hooked a leg.
ONE.
TWO...that's it. Harris slammed a fist into the mat before getting back up. He cracked his knuckles, and looked to Zimmerman once again. Keith gestured at Law before cracking his knuckles. Harris looked back at Law, and the Unit knew that he had only this momentary window to capitalize. While Zimmerman realigned his championship title, Harris had Law up.
And kept him up.
SPLAT.
BLACKWATER VALLEY DRIVER! The crowd oohed and aahed at Harris' offensive, but it made no difference to the Pikey Madman who hooked a leg off his cover.
ONE!
TWO!
TH--WRIGHT SAVE!
Harris groaned in pain as the Lone Star had made the diving elbow to the back of the head connect to keep his squad in the match. That done, Hank was perfectly fine with leaving the ring per Leon's orders as Harris looked on to his side of the ring. Keith looked up, unconcerned. The (black) Scorpion smiled as his thumb rubbed against his index and middle fingers, while Harris shook his head.
But he still was in the match, something he was reminded of emphatically when Law took him off of his feet.
CHECKMATE!
The ring shook off the force of the fireman's carry alley-oop neckbreaker, and Jack Harris was nothing but a grease spot on the L&N after that. But now the race was on: Hank Wright was antsy to get back in the ring and finish what he started, while Keith Scott Zimmerman...stood on the ring apron scratching at his right eyebrow. Law was farther away from his corner than Harris was, and both men stumbled towards their salvation.
For Billy Law, when his arm outstretched, Hank Wright quickly gathered up the tag rope and banged in.
For Jack Harris some 180 degrees away, when his arm outstret MIST TO THE FACE?! Harris' body went limp as he staggered back towards the center of the ring, and that played WRIGHT (hee hee hee me so clever) into Hank's hands. Or should I say arms?
THE WRIGHT WAY!
If you were checking your watches, it was officially Keene Hammer time. And Wright stacked up Harris, covering him.
ONE.
TWO.
HERE COMES KEITH SCOTT ZIMMERMAN -- in some parallel universe.
THREE.
The (black) Scorpion dropped down to the floor with the same calm look on his face as Hank and Billy stood to their massive heights.
"Here are your winners, Billy Law and Hank Wright!"
Wright dropped his arms and gestured for a belt around his waist, while Law was content to smile and bump fists with the Tank afterwards. The maiden voyage of WrightLaw had been a smashing success. Zimmerman enlocked his fingers and put them behind his head while looking skyward; his erstwhile tag partner was still out cold on the mat.
With the Queens of the Stone Age blaring, all that there was left to do was go to the back and drain a few beers.
Unless, of course, you were the (black) Scorpion champion.
"what a stirring display of strength and power." he murmured into a microphone from ringside, the crowd jeering every syllable. "two monsters beat one. congratulations on your victory." The crowd despised Keith for the sarcasm of his last sentence, but he merely scratched the inside wrist of the arm holding the microphone while Law and Wright looked on from the aisleway. Other referees were starting to come out as Harris continued his midring slumber.
"hank tees off on jack. billy tees off on jack. jack loses. and keith couldn't rent a fuck, let alone give one." He smiled wanly, before scratching at his eyebrow again. "it seems to me history has shown a track record of somebody stepping in front of a tank to represent the few against absolute despotis---yes, get him out of the ring before I set foot in it again--" This said to the agents and referees. Then he refocused on Hank. "so since i'm standing here and you're all the way over there, how about you give me what i want? how about you come to this ring and actually fight ME and not a stand-in?"
It was Wright's turn to look blankly at Keith. Then he looked at Law. Before the rookie could turn a phrase, Wright bypassed the referees sludging with Harris to the back as he slid in the ring. Zimmerman's arms were down and a serene smile was on his face as Wright stood up.
For a second, he hesitated, remembering what'd happened last episode.
Then he didn't.
Hank speared Keith to the mat and began slamming elbows into Zimmerman's face and head, the champion laughing wildly as Hank continued his assault. Wright drew them both up to their respective bases before whipping Keith into the ropes.
The gasp from the crowd got Hank's attention, and now he was looking in the aisleway where the security guards and referees were trying to break up Jack Harris' stomps on a suddenly fallen Billy Law, Wright having missed Harris' sucker Yakuza kick on Law on his way to the back. I wonder if Keith paid him extra to play possum.
Wright turned back to where the back of Keith's head was fallen down into his chest as he lay against the apron on the outside. Confidently, he reached over the top rope to snatch Zimmerman like dirty laundry off of the floor.
THWACK!
And in the next moment, the champion had waylaid his erstwhile opponent with a 2x4 shot to the face that broke the heavy wood in half. Now it was Wright's head that slumped as he fell to the canvas, Zimmerman violently yanking up the ring apron before pulling out two silver objects. Grabbing Wright by the wrists and smiling grimly, it was mere seconds before Keith had Hank handcuffed to the top ropes. Hank came back to his senses a few beats later, but he was caught dead to rights. Before him stood Keith, seething, and reaching for the microphone once again.
For the briefest of moments, Keith bared his teeth.
sniiiiiiiiiiiiiiifffffffffffff
"so about last week. you said you wished i had cancer...and then you LAUGHED ABOUT IT!?" Keith's voice hadn't been that loud in a while, and where the crowd should've been booing there was an almost respectful hush. "you're the worst kind of fucking hypocrite i ever had the displeasure of completely outsmarting. for that comment alone, i should've left you for dead. just like i could've last week. or two weeks before that. i mean, i have our old buddy here and everything..." Zimmerman reached into his boot and grabbed a black object that Hank knew all too well, even with the small ribbon of blood coming down his face.
To confirm everyone's worst suspicions, Zimmerman pushed his thumb up and small blue and white electric waves rippled upwards on the taser.
Keith stared at it like it was a classic painting or a new car, before turning his attention back to Hank.
"but why destroy you now? i think, in the long run, this is going to be more humiliating. so i'll tell you what i'm going to do, hank. i'm going to leave this ring the better man and you completely helpless. but i want you to think about one thing in the interval between now and revival."
Hank kicked out at Keith, who smartly backed up a couple of steps before Wright could make any contact.
"i'm the one who crumbled fuck mountain. still am...but that's another story for another time. anyhow, i'm the one who crumbled fuck mountain...i'm the one ruining a former two-time world champion's life for fun...i'm the one who's ending careers and slashing faces...and none of those men DARED joke about me getting a life-ruining disease. come revival? you're going to see a cancer, my overgrown friend.
that cancer...is me.
and i'll be vishnudamned if i'm not the one who's going to get the last laugh."
The evil in Keith's grin could barely be explained in words.
"catch."
And with that, Keith underhand threw the taser, which then smacked Hank in the head. Wright roared as Keith shrugged. So Long came on over the PA, and the crowd jeered as Zimmerman rolled from the ring and gathered up his belts on the way. He snapped the straps together and put them around his neck, backing up an aisle that was now clear of the deitrius of the Law/Harris fight.
Handcuffed to the ropes, Wright could only yell in Keith's direction. "You're going to pay for this, you sideshow freak! With your blood! WITH YOUR TITLE!"
And hearing these threats--just made Keith smile a sadist's grin and break out into song.
"nothinggggg
seems to kill we
no matter how hard i tryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..."
WINNER: Law & Wright via pinfall (Wright over Harris)
Shit Luck
Shit luck.
That was exactly the kind of luck that Dude In Mask had been having ever since Legends V had come and gone.
Before the PPV, he was the ACW Gateway Champion and had been scheduled to defend that very championship against Steve Knox. But due to some behind-the-scenes legal mumbo-jumbo (Knox holding out for more money what would have been the start of his actual contract) he left the company in a huff.
From there things had only gotten worse for ACW’s Masked Marvel. He lost his coveted title in what would’ve been his fourth defense to a guy who hadn’t actually been on any of the ACW shows as of yet, competing on the World Wide Wrestlecide internet show. He went on to have several more key setbacks. And that’s what brought us to now.
Sitting backstage with a black towel over his head, Dude In Mask looked up at the whiteboard backstage that told everybody their matches on the card for this show, the go-home show before ACW’s Revival PPV broadcast.
Tonight, he was paired off against another young and talented athlete among the roster, “The Fiery Underdog” Carrachio Salfeugo. He looked down at his open palms, then clinched them into a ball. He was frustrated. He had become one of the more popular ACW superstars in some time, but his recent spill of bad luck had seen some of that interest in him wane. He let out a few heavy breaths. He just had to turn his luck around.
“Hey, Dude!”
He turned around, recognizing the very friendly voice of Carrachio Salfuego, who was dressed to compete for their match a little bit later.
“Hey, man, I’m sorry to hear about what happened last week with Hank Wright,” he said in his broken English. “You guys tore the house down, though and you should be proud of that match, man. Had me glued to the edge of my seat.”
He frowned, not wanting think back on last week. Salfuego realized this still may have been a pretty sore subject so he decided to try and change it quickly.
“But how about us tonight, man? I know we gonna have a great match, yes?”
Dude In Mask took the towel off his head and looked right at Carrachio Salfuego. For just a moment, things were very tense between the two men, but he quickly bucked up and smiled, patting Salfuego on the shoulder.
“You and I, Dude, what do you say after the show, we go hit the bar, man. I found this great place just a couple blocks from here, heard they got some hotties there!”
ACW’s Masked Marvel nodded and smiled affirmatively.
“That’s that I thought. We go tear it down out there, then we go tear it up at the club, man! Take it easy, all right?”
DIM smiled as Carrachio walked off in the opposite direction, also getting ready for his match. Dude In Mask, on the other hand, sighed with disgust. He had to turn his luck around quickly.
He just had to.
Match 2: Jimmy Gonze -VS- "Too Cool" Chris Hopper
The lights go out as the loud voice of Brian Johnson cuts through the crowd noise as he screams to begin the hard-rocking riffs of AC/DC's "TNT" The Aussie crowd, who love their home-grown rock band, immediately begin chanting "Oy!" with the riffs. As the pyro explodes, the figure of "Too Cool" Chris Hopper steps out from behind the curtain. Hopper is wearing his blue wrestling tights and black boots, complete with sunglasses as he gets a loud reception. He walks down to the ring, reaching out to slap hands with the fans as he slides into the ring.
Hopper bends down and flexes for the crowd as they cheer him yet again. He climbs the corner and raises his arms up to the crowd. He is working every side of the arena and the fans are really rewarding his showmanship. Hopper just continues nodding at his fans, who are already chanting his name with the importance of this impending match-up.
Then it was time for Gonze to enter and the mood all changed.
The lights went out and the screen fired up with "Diamond Eyes" by the Deftones...
Gonze appeared at the top of the ramp looking mean as fuck. With his patchy gray hair spiked to a mohawk and his wrists taped, he stomped his way down to the ring as the fans jeer him. He seemed motivated, knowing that this could be the night he vanquishes Hopper from ACW for good. He curses at the fans sitting near the entrance aisle all the way down to the ring. The amount of heat he is getting is shocking from where this all began a few short episodes ago.
Gonze reaches the ring and immediately tells Hopper to stay in the corner as he works the crowd into another frenzy with curses and hand gestures. The crowd responds in kind and the referee begins checking Hopper for the pre-match. Before the referee can turn to check him, Gonze has rushed over to the corner and landed a big shot that floors Hopper!
Gonze turns around and the light gleams off the pair of brass knuckles on his fist. The crowd goes ballistic as the referee still can't see, but is trying to move around and find out what has caused the uproar.
Gonze quickly drops down and starts pounding Hopper on the head with those knucks and the bigger man is motionless!
Referee Paige Allen finally notices the knuckles and grabs the fist when Gonze raised it for another blow. He stopped Gonze from the attack, and forced him to give up the knuckles or face disqualification. Gonze yells back, "The match hasn't started yet fellah!" The camera angle shows Hopper bleeding profusely as he lays near the corner.
The referee gets the brass knuckles from Gonze as he motions for the bell, silencing Gonze's argument about the match not being underway.
DING! DING!! DING!!!
The match begins, but Hopper is still laid out. Gonze is trying to get over to Hopper, but the referee is saying he must check on him first and see if he can medically continue after that barrage of brass-knuckled bombs thrown by Gonze.
Gonze is cursing everything he sees as the referee waves him off again. Referee Paige Allen bends down to check on Hopper and Hopper's eyes are actually opened now. Hopper doesn't seem to be himself, but nods when the referee speaks. As the referee stands, Gonze is over quickly...
Gonze pulls Hopper away from the ropes and drops a double foot stomp on Hopper's chest. The "King of Cool" now having difficulty breathing through the blood on his face as Gonze drops for a cover and a quick victory!
ONE!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THR........HE GOT A SHOULDER UP!!!
The fans erupt in cheers as the referee holds up just two fingers. Gonze looks particularly pissed off that his early attack didn't yield the fruit he expected.
Jimmy gets up and says something to the referee, which we can only assume was a threat or some jab about his inability to count to three correctly and timely. Gonze turns and pulls Hopper up by is now-bloody hair. Hopper looks rough and the crimson mask is a shocking sight on television.
Jimmy goes for a punch, but Hopper blocks and swings wildly! The fans gasp realizing that Hopper's senses have not fully recovered and he is still bumbling a bit after that attack. The announcers begging talking about concussions in wrestling and how they can affect depth perception and striking ability!
Gonze is all smiles now. The sly dog knows that Hopper is still semi-impaired and uses it to his advantage. Gonze lunges as if he is going to throw another haymaker and Hopper violently throws his left arm up to block, leaving himself wide open for the uppercut Jimmy followed in with. Hopper's face contorts in an obviously negative fashion as he crumples to the canvas in a bloody heap.
Gonze laughs at the crowd before yelling at the referee to, "get his arse over here and count!" Jimmy drops to a cover and hooks the leg for good measure.
ONE!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THR...........HOPPER'S SHOULDER ESCAPES AGAIN!!!
The first Spirit of ACW is livid! Sneak attack to bust him open and knock him senseless and then one of the smoothest uppercuts in wrestling history and he STILL can't finish Hopper off? It MSUT be the referee's fault and Jimmy is over to give him an earful. Many of the words he is using are not fit for television viewing audiences, but suffice it to say, Gonze was in full blue streak mode.
As Gonze is going off on the referee, "Too Cool" is pulling himself up slowly and surely. The bloody hero is still trying to gather his wits as his opponent gives a piece of his mind to the referee.
Turns out he should have used that piece for better thinking.
Jimmy turns around and Hopper drills him with a brogue kick that gets the crowd back on their feet! Gonze hit the canvas with authority and Hopper still seems a little out of sorts, but you would be too if you had taken the barrage Gonze had thrown at him!
Chris staggers over to Gonze, but Jimmy immediately jabs him in the throat to a chorus of boos and a warning by the referee!
Gonze quickly up to his feet and he pushes Hopper's bloody body back against the corner, drilling him with European Uppercuts, one after the other. Hopper is visibly staggered. Gonze grabs Hopper's right arm and twists it around the top rope as tight as he can. He begins throwing jabs at the exposed bicep and elbow joint. The referee finally calls for the break since Hopper's body was somehow into the ropes, but Gonze keeps throwing the jabs at Chris' right arm until the referee physically forces the break.
Hopper is left holding that arm while standing in the corner. Gonze again gives some words of....well they weren't encouraging words...to the referee.
Gonze suddenly rushes at the corner and jumps up to hit a knee on Hopper's bowed head! Hopper is down in the corner again and the fans are giving all kinds of Hell to Jimmy Gonze as he taunts them and Hopper a little bit more.
Jimmy slides out of the ring and grabs Hopper's feet. "The King of Cool" is not defending himself at all as Gonze pulls his feet on opposite sides of the steel ring steps. Gonze sticks each foot under one of his arms and yells at the crowd as he jumps back, propelling himself off the poll and jerking Hopper's nether regions right into the steel poll!
The crowd gasped loudly as Gonze sat prideful on the arena floor. Hopper is grabbing that area in pain as Jimmy gets to his feet and grabs the left leg, slamming it into the ring post. He does it again, but the referee tells him that if he does it again, he will disqualify him. Gonze is incredulous at that idea. He demands to know how he could dare do that? The referee explains that Hopper is under the bottom rope and therefore is not allowed to be attacked or put in any holds as per the rope break rule.
This sets the man from "Bodymore, Murdaland" off yet again and he slides under the ropes and jumps up to start yelling at the referee again for such a threat.
"I'm Jimmy fucking Gonze! I'm a made fucking man in these parts and the first Spirit of ACW! You're fucking with the wrong man to talk to me like that You know what I'm capable of?"
A different voice can be heard by the camera on the ring apron...
"I do."
Gonze turns around to a stiff jab to the nose from Hopper as the crowd goes nuts!
Hopper quickly hits a standing front kick that staggers Gonze backward, pissing him off more than causing real damage. Jimmy rushes quickly at Hopper, but his fist is a missing blow with Hopper spinning around into a backfist right upside Gonze's face! Gonze is staggered by the MMA-style blow and Hopper grabs him by the head and nails him with a running bulldog!
Hopper is up and shaking his head as the blood seems to have finally stopped flowing from those gashes on his forehead. He raises his arm to the crowd and they respond with one of the biggest pops of the night! Chris is waiting for Gonze to get to his feet, almost urging the ACW veteran to stand up and take some more!
Jimmy stands up and Hopper rushes in with a knee to the gut. Chris grabs that left arm and steps over it, flipping Gonze over for an arm breaker submission hold! He has it in the center of the ring!
Gonze in serious trouble as he is flailing his arm at the bottom rope, which is a good 15 inches out of his reach! The fans are chanting for Hopper as he cinches that hold in tighter. The referee is asking what Gonze wants to do, but the former Spirit of ACW refuses to yield and keeps trying to get some part of his body to the ropes.
Jimmy's right leg finally slides under the bottom rope and the referee yells for the break. Hopper, being a truly honorable man, releases the hold immediately. Hopper stands to his feet, still ginger on his left knee from the earlier attack, but smiles as Gonze grabs his left arm in pain from the cross armbreaker hold.
Jimmy looks wounded and Hopper moves in for another assault when Gonze plays a trump every heel has...the kick tot he groin! "Too Cool" drops to his knee the mat. Before any reactions can be had to that shot, Gonze follows with a well-placed kick to Hopper's nose that sends him back flat on the canvas as the crowd gets angry!
Jimmy refuses to relent. He gets over to Chris' body, seeing his neck and head are nearly out of the ring where he is lying, and grabs his legs. He snaps Hopper back with a hot shot, sending his neck into the bottom rope with vengeance! Hopper is left clutching his throat and gasping for air as Gonze again rubs his left elbow and seems proud of himself.
Gonze moves over to Hopper and reaches to pull him up to his feet, but Chris pulls a fast one and rolls Jimmy into a small package!
ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TH........GONZE KICKS HIS WAY OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jimmy rolls to his feet and rushes at Hopper, but Hopper blocks the stomp attempt, grabbing the foot and spinning Jimmy over onto the canvas in center ring, turning it into an Achilles Tendon Lock! The fans erupt knowing Hopper is getting to his feet with that hold and the leverage should make Jimmy tap like a little girl!
Jimmy is yelling every word his mind can think of as he strains to escape the hold. "Too Cool" has it locked in tight and that right foot may never work right again! The fans begin chanting "break it off!" over and over as Hopper yells out while exerting more strength on the hold. Gonze yelps in pain and finally pushes himself up with his arms and front rolls his way out of the hold.
Hopper is fired up and he limpingly rushes toward Gonze and dives on top of him with a barrage of punches and elbows! This is the kind of thing you see in an MMA fight when a fighter gets knocked off his feet! Hopper is a house of fire right now as the fans keep cheering him on! Jimmy manages to get his left leg on the ropes and the referee calls for a break and for Hopper to get off Gonze immediately.
Hopper does as ordered because he is cool like that.
Hopper pulls Gonze up, whipping him across the ring and then lifting him with a Gorilla Press lift! Hopper starts showing off for the fans and it backfired. He held Gonze over his head for too long and that left knee just had not regained enough strength. Gonze shifted and Hopper tumbled back and over the top rope...both men hitting the arena floor!
The referee begins counting as Hopper and Gonze both get to their feet at about the same time outside the ring. As the referee hits the count of three, Hopper sidesteps a charging rush by Gonze, sending the first Spirit of ACW flying into the ring post. Hopper pulls him up and rolls him into the ring. Hopper takes a moment to catch his breath and even gives a couple of high fives to ringside fans before sliding back inside the ring himself at the count of eight.
Hopper pulls Gonze to his feet and plasters him with a short-arm lariat that nearly forces Gonze to do a flip! What an impact as the fans are really starting to pick up the momentum now!
Hopper pulls Gonze up and get his arms wrapped around his waist, lifting him for a German suplex! Hopper rolls through and manages to lift for a SECOND GERMAN SUPLEX! This time he bridges the hold back and turns it into a pinfall attempt!
ONE!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THR...................KICKOUT BY GONZE!!!!!!!!!!!
The fans were so ready to cheer a victory that the "OHHHHH!!!!" they screamed when the kickout occurred was palpable! Hopper gets to his feet and Gonze seems slow to move at all. Chris gets over and pulls Gonze up. "Too Cool" goes to whip Jimmy across the ring....
But Jimmy reverses it into an Irish Whip of his own! Hopper hits the corner hard and staggers back toward Gonze and Jimmy's SPEAR BACK INTO THE CORNER!!! He has Hopper on the verge yet again with that massive running tackle!
The fans go berserk yet again as Gonze taunts them a little before reaching down and pulling Hopper to his feet only to crumple him with another European Uppercut to the jaw! Chris' head snapped back in an awkward fashion after that move and he just fell down into the corner, sitting against it like a drunk man against the street lamp at 4 AM.
Gonze goes over and begins landing repeated knee shots to Hopper's exposed face, reopening the wounds he suffered early in the match and getting the blood flowing yet again down Hopper's face. Gonze quickly takes advantage and rolls Hopper into a cover and using his body to hook both legs. Referee Paige Allen goes down to make the count and Gonze gets his legs up on the middle rope for leverage as the announcers begin screaming deja vu is sending Hopper out of ACW!
ONE!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THRE.......THE REFEREE SAW THE FEET!!! HE STOPPED COUNTING!!!
He taps Gonze on the back and Jimmy thinks it is over! Gonze is up and raising his arms, staggering to the opposite corner and yelling how he sent him packing! Jimmy is on a roll, telling fans off and hyping himself that he doesn't even notice the referee holding up only two fingers for several seconds. Finally, Jimmy notices and his joy turns into ferocity in a split second.
Gonze starts arguing about how he was tapped on the shoulder and that only happens when the match is over. Referee Paige Allen points to the middle rope and begins explaining what he saw with Gonze again trying to use the ropes for leverage to gain the victory. He says he will not allow such a thing to happen on his watch.
Jimmy goes nuts and begins to physically threaten the referee, but what he doesn't see is Hopper standing up behind him. Everyone thinks it will be a sneak attack for the win, but Jimmy gets a read thanks to the referee's facial expression and spins around to throw a punch at the advancing ACW newbie. Hopper blocks the punch and grabs Gonze by the neck...
ICEBREAKER!!!!!!!!!
ICEBREAKER! He nailed that Ace Crusher to perfection and Gonze is down in the middle of the ring! Hopper grabs the leg and covers for the referee count...
ONE!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOPPER WINS!!! Chris Hopper has evened his series with Jimmy Gonze at one victory apiece, but more importantly he secures the "I Quit!" stipulation for their "Revival" match! The fans erupt in cheers as the three count was struck and Hopper rose up to greet them. They know the stakes just went up for Revival!
Three Men and a Piece of Paper
The scene was set for the stereotypical pay per view contract signing... but this sure as hell wasn't any ordinary signing.
About to enter the ring were two ACW legends, and one in the making; Orphan (Seymour Almasy), Khristain Keller and GoldenHAWK. The later being the current Spirit of ACW Champion. Many smarks would tell you that the belt that GoldenHAWK currently held would not be his until he was victorious over these two men at Revival. Those smarks, would be correct.
For the second week in a row, Orphan breached the gorilla position to no music at all, only hatred. He casually made his way down to the ring which contained a small desk and three microphones.
No fangirls, they were sitting in the cheap seats so that KSZ couldn't skull fuck them to Hobbiton (get it? we are in Aussieland!). He was however flanked by two big burly humans, his two armed guards who had been given to him for one night only, especially from Mr Ruben Ross. What.A.Guy.
Orphan didn't looking like he wanted to be there, as he twitched and jumped around 10 foot when a fan managed to touch his shoulder.
This was going to be a long night.
Just as he slid onto the canvas, the next contestant arrived.
'Black Tongue' by Mastodon blew out of the arena's P.A. system as even more boo's came in his way, who you ask? Don't be a fucking dick. Khristain fucking Keller. Dressed in casual jeans and a black tshirt, Keller made his way up the ring steps and watched Orphans every move. He was especially impressed by his entourage for the evening, although he was secretly looking to get a glimpse of a fangirls clunge up close and personal.
Let's just take a minute to remember how much history these two men had... KELLER TRIED TO FUCKING KILL HIM!
Yeah. Like dead.
Smiling a little as he reminisced, K2 swung into the ring and picked up one of the mics, Orphan was yet to touch his. As both guards looked Keller up and down as if to say 'Not tonight friend'.
The King Shit of Fuck Mountain wouldn't even try.... would he?
Rage Against the Machine heralded the arrival of the Son of ACW.
GoldenHAWK, ironically enough, carried the only ACW title done up in silver with him to the ring. Looking down at the plate of the belt was all it took to remind him of his dearly departed father as he lifted the belt up to the capacity crowd in attendence. This night might just be the signing away of his title reign, but he made a promise to himself many weeks ago that it would not make him leave his fathers great company.
This was going to be interested.
HAWK picked up his mic and dropped the Spirit title on the table, for everyone to see.
"Let's get this fucker started then shall we?"... that was Keller encase you were wondering.
Everyone then looked at Orphan, who promptly nodded to the table as one of his guards picked up the mic, checked it, and then put it to Orphans mouth.
Ego much?
"I grow tired of dealing with you two," Orphan said, voice dripping with disdain. "I grow tired of the progeny of the HAWK wishing to play hero, and I grow tired of the man who tried to end my career continuing to breathe. I have much on my plate, gentlemen."
"When this all started, all I wanted was revenge. And I got my vengeance, for both of you have felt my wrath since my glorious return. But now? Now, I am simply annoyed that my hand has not yet been raised against either of you, most specifically a bird of prey who desperately needs to have his wings clipped."
Orphan walked over on his own accord and picked up the pen he then jabbed the pen in the direction of the champion.
"When I sign this contract, it is signing the death warrant of your title reign, child," the Fal'Cie grinned. "The Spirit of ACW will be mine, SilverHAWK will spin in his grave, and all will be right in the world once more."
Orphan stooped down, putting pen to paper. Once the signing was made, he looked up at Khristain Keller, and shook his head.
"Well, all will be right in the world once you're in a pine box, anyway."
Keller smiled.
"Nice. Who else would come to a contract signing with two armed guards? The Chocobo Cocksucker that's who!"
Orphan seemed a little shocked that Keller even knew what a Chocobo was. Did they even have cocks?
"You signed without even reading the rules of the match you utter trumpet."
Orphan shrugged. "I want this over with." He was constantly looking over his shoulder, as if Zimmermann was going to jump out from the crowd any moment and spring an attack, but he should have had his eye on the ball.
"Kid... you want to tell us?"
Keller motioned to HAWK, as Champion, it was his decision.
"It's something even your puny brain can handle Keller, three way dance, you need to pin both men to win. Think you can handle that?"
K2 moved over to the table and signed on the dotted line.
"That's fine by my son, only you to go."
Backing off, keeping his eye on Orphan and GoldenHAWK, Keller leaned back into the corner of the ring and watched as HAWK put the microphone to his lips once again.
"You want to know why I want the match that way? Well, because neither of you have the ability to even entertain the possibility that I could beat you. Your heads are both so far up your own asses with grand schemes of evilness or looking out encase you because another flaming troll doll that you fail to see that I'm the future of ACW."
"You fail to see it because you've yet to truly come up against a HAWK at the top of his game."
He moved over to the table, took the pen, and signed on the contract before holding the belt high into the air.
"Take a mental image of this you two, fast forward to the end of our match and this is exactly what you are going to see."
He stood as a symbol of victory.
The other two just seen him as an image of weakess.
All three men thought they could win the match at Revival but only one man could. The other two? Well they would be forgotten about pretty quickly.
yeah right.
Dude In Mask vs. Carrachio Salfuego
Just a few short months ago, ACW's Masked Marvel known as Dude In Mask appeared to be the on the fast track to success. However, it seemed that since Legends V had come and gone, he was a man that had his fair share of failures. After his scheduled opponent at Legends V, Steve Knox, no-showed the PPV and left the company, he had lost his ACW Gateway Title in his first defense to a virtual unknown and the title hadn't been seen on ACW TV since.
He'd nearly had his neck broken by KSZ, squashed by Omega, and last week, seemed to regain some of his fire when he nearly defeated Hank “The Tank” Wright. However, Wright had been on a crazy big win streak and kept his momentum alive with a huge win. And now, here he was, still trying to pick up some of the momentum that he'd lost in the last several weeks. DIM wanted a match tonight to prove himself and the Fiery Underdog, Carrachio Salfuego, took up the challenge. So here we were tonight.
“The following contest is scheduled for one fall! First, making his way to the ring, from Madrid, Spain, weighing in at 205 pounds... CARRACHIO SALFUEGO!”
“Shadows” by Breed 77.
And as the opening riffs to the song played over the speakers, out came 205 pounds of HOT FIYA himself. The Fiery Underdog, as he was called by the fanbase. He did a forward roll and when his feet hit the entrance, a HUGE explosion of red fire blasted from the entryway.
Possessing incredible speed and great aerial maneuvers, the quick and flashy Carrachio Salfuego looked to be in decent spirits despite not actually knowing who he was facing. The permagrin never left the youngster's face as he approached the ring and slid under the ropes before nipping up to his feet! Impressive, youngster. Most impressive.
“Glory” by Sugar Ray.
The lights began to flash multiple shades of silver and blue before the curtains parted and out came Salfuego's opponent. The crowd was very happy to see him here tonight, despite the losing streak he seemed to be on. Last week in his grueling match he showed he still had that major competitive spirit and wasn't about to go and lose it.
“And his opponent, coming to the ring and hailing from Australia... weighing in at 231 and 1/16th pounds... this is D! I! M! DUDE IN MASK!”
Dude In Mask wasn't his usual self tonight, keeping his gaze in on the ring and looking on at Salfuego as he jumped over the ropes and made his way in. He pointed two fingers to the heavens and beat on his chest. He wasn't showing much of a grin on his face, but he did at least reach out his hand to Carrachio Salfuego for a handshake.
DING DING DING!
The fans cheered on both men, being fan favorites in the ring. They slapped hands together as a sign of respect before both men circled up, looking for that all important first advantage. The Dudester went for the Hammerlock early and tied up Carrachio Salfuego, but the Fiery Underdog reversed it quickly and trapped up DIM in his own Standing Armbar attempt.
Dude In Mask had showed in the past he was a very accomplished grappler and quickly reversed that, wrapping up the arm of Salfuego again. He shot him up and over looking for some variation of a standing takedown, but Salfuego flipped out and landed on his feet!
Salfuego did what he did best and that was hit the ropes as DIM went for a Clothesline. Salfuego ducked the oncoming shot and continued to keep on running back. With a full head of steam he came bouncing off the ropes and tried for a Wheelbarrow-type move on the Dudester. DIM tried to reverse that, but Salfuego grabbed him by the arm in mid-air and SHOT him across the ring with a rapid-fire Arm Drag!
The Fiery Underdog snapped back to his feet and when DIM came running at him, he took him over with a second quick Arm Drag. DIM was back on his feet again and this time, Salfuego grabbed him by the arm and snapped him up and over with a Japanese Arm Drag. He flipped through it while DIM remained in the seated position and drove both feet into his face with a Seated Dropkick!
ONE!
TW- NO!
Too quick to be trying any of that on the Dudester. ACW’s Masked Marvel found himself trapped once again in the grip of Carrachio Salfuego as he tied him up in another Armbar attempt, trying to force him to the ground. He wasn’t trying to illicit a submission so much as try and wear down the masked man early, knowing that he could also fly around and set the ring on fire, so to speak.
Dude In Mask fought upwards and tried turning the tables on Salfuego with another Armbar variation of his own, but Salfuego sent him into the ropes with another Irish whip. DIM came running back and Salfuego hit the mat quickly as DIM kept on running. When he came back, he ate a BIG Sweet-Ass Dropkick from the Dudester that knocked him through the ropes and out to the floor!
The kick came at Salfuego like a shotgun blast and he was still on the outside trying to regroup from his bad landing to the floor. Dude In Mask quickly had the momentum and the fans cheered on the Masked Marvel as he leaped over the ropes and jumped to the second rope…
ROUNDING ASAI MOONSAULT!
He came flying off the ropes HBK-style and hit the floor, landing right across the body of Salfuego which sent both men down and out to the ground! Some big “ACW” chants were hitting the ring already as Dude In Mask picked himself up. Where he would normally play to the crowd, he seemed to be a lot more laser focused tonight as he picked up Salfuego and tossed him back inside the ring.
Carrachio tried to defend himself against the onslaught of the fired-up Dude In Mask who sent him flying with a Cross Chop. Salfuego was now trapped in the corner and had nowhere to go as he ate one chop, then another, then another.
WHOO!
WHOO!
WHOO!
WHOO!
WHOO!
Very few in ACW’s current line-up could throw the chops as well as Dude In Mask could and now Salfuego was being worn down quickly for DIM’s next move. He lifted him up and took him over in the middle of the ring with a picture-perfect Snap Suplex! He floated over right into a pinning predicament.
ONE!
TWO!
THR- NO!
Carrachio Salfuego was a bit tougher than that and didn’t earn his name of the Fiery Underdog by being some kind of pushover. Dude In Mask got back to his feet and twisted the arm around before delivering another series of chops (WHOO! WHOO! WHOO!) to the chest. He whipped Salfuego across the ring, but the Fiery Underdog reversed it and sent him flying into the corner.
DIM charged and ate nothing but a boot as Salfuego got a foot up into his face. He came running at Dude In Mask once more, but DIM grabbed him by the head and sent him flying over the ropes. Salfeugo adjusted himself and came back into the ring with a Slingshot Headscissors that sent the Dudester flying again!
Getting himself some love from the Aussie fanbase that were all fired up, Carrachio Salfuego came running at DIM in the corner, but the Dude-A-Mania moved. When Salfuego turned around…
DUDE, THAT HURT!
…He got straight TURNED inside-out with a Running Pump Kick from the Dudemeister. Salfeugo spun around and hit the mat in a bad way. Dude In Mask was wrestling a very solid game tonight and had virtually stymied any chance of a comeback that Salfuego had planned thus far.
He set up Salfeugo carefully in the middle of the ring and kept him positioned into a Surfboard-type submission, cracking back on the leg. After a couple of attempts at pulling Carrachio off the canvas, he carefully pulled him up and had him TRAPPED in the middle of the ring in a vicious Surfboard Stretch!
The fans looked on in amazement at DIM’s grappling skills as he kept the hold locked in, also being very careful not to keep his shoulders both on the mat. He didn’t want to be put in any kind of surprise pinning situation that he created.
“Do you give up, Salfuego” Referee Slim J asked.
Salfuego shook his head no and told the referee that he wasn’t going to give up. Dude In Mask pulled back further on the submission attempt, but he wasn’t going to let go, so he switched it up and applied a very tightly-wrapped DRAGON SLEEPER Surfboard Stretch.
Struggling to find a way out of the submission now, Carrachio showed some quick thinking by taking his free arm and swinging at whatever body part he could hit. It may have been sheer desperation, but it was very effective as he managed to connect into DIM’s temple about two or three times.
Finally, he managed to fight his way from the Dragon Sleeper portion of the surfboard and fought back with a couple of back headbutts, having no other way to free himself. DIM finally relented, but Salfuego’s energy had to have been sapped away by the effectiveness of the submission attempt.
Dude In Mask went on the attack again and connected with another pair of stinging Chops before whipping Carrachio Salfuego off to the ropes again, but The Fiery Underdog managed to snag onto the ropes to keep from flying. The Dudester came charging right at Salfuego, but it was some quick thinking that allowed him to Back Body Drop DIM right over the ropes and send him out to the floor in front of the ring!
It was a very bad crash landing indeed for DIM as he fixed his crooked mask and tried to recover from the nasty tumble he’d taken. But he didn’t have a lot of time to be able to adjust himself for when he saw a big blur coming at him out of his peripheral vision, he knew he was in trouble…
TOPE CON HILO!
Beautiful.
Breath-taking.
Amazing.
Just three words that could describe the perfect Top Con Hilo to the outside. Salfuego cleared the ropes with ease and came down upon Dude In Mask with a hell of a lot of force. DIM was recovering as Salfeugo rolled through to his feet and actually slapped hands with one or two of the ACW fans in the front row.
Finding his second wind, he seemed to shake off the effects of DIM’s submission attempt as he tossed him under the ropes. He leaped over the ropes and connected with a Slingshot Corkscrew Splash across the body of DIM before coming back and going for a cover of his own.
ONE!
TWO!
THR… KICK OUT!
Dude In Mask kicked out at two and a half as Carrachio Salfuego pulled him back to his feet again. He delivered a pair of kicks to the legs to chop the taller athlete down and peppered him with some stinging Forearm Smashes.
With DIM out on his feet, he whipped ACW’s Masked Marvel into the ropes, but Dude In Mask showed great reflexes for a man of his size and ran UP the turnbuckles, backflipping and landing behind Salfeugo on his feet.
Dude In Mask took off like a house of fire and ran the ropes. Salfuego tried stopping him with a kick, but DIM kept on going. Salfuego ran off the opposite side now as the two men tried some big move…
DOUBLE CROSS BODY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING!
Both men SMASHED into each other with tremendous force, each man thinking of utilizing the same type of move. The collision was great and knocked the wind right out of both competitors now as they struggled to get back into the game. The referee started his ten count to get both men back on their feet now.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
FOUR!
FIVE!
Both men were starting to stir as the fans continued to cheer for both fan favorites. It would be ACW’s Masked Marvel getting back to his feet first with Salfuego not too far behind. Salfuego fired off some well-executed kicks to the legs to try and once again bring the taller man down. DIM returned fire with a few Knife-Edge Chops of his own in retaliation and tried to do the same to him.
Eventually, Dude In Mask got the better of the strike exchange and batted him around the ring a couple times, looking for big Clothesline. He hit it and when Salfeugo came back to his feet, he connected with a big running Back Elbow that put him down again.
A third time and he was back to his feet, but The Dudester picked him up by the body and turned him around, dropping him in the middle of the ring with a hard Lungblower! He drove him down quickly and hooked both legs of the Fiery Underdog.
ONE!
TWO!
THR… NO!
DIM was starting to show a few signs of frustration now, thinking that was all he could do. He picked up Carrachio Salfuego and grabbed him in a Reverse DDT move, looking for one of his signature moves, but once again Salfuego punched his way out of it and freed himself from whatever he had planned.
Dude In Mask turned around again and Salfeugo caught him in the temple with another hard Forearm Smash. Dude In Mask fired back again, but Salfuego ducked and came back, cracking him in the back of the head with a No-Hands Enzuigiri kick!
The Dude In Mask stumbled backwards into the corner and The Fiery Underdog immediately followed it up with a Flying Back Elbow that made Dude In Mask crumble to the ground. Salfeugo leaped over the ropes and waited on the apron for DIM to get back to his feet and when he did… SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY!
ONE!
TWO!
THR… NO!
It was the closest fall of the match yet, but Dude In Mask had kicked out. Salfuego decided he was going to try his luck for another attack as he grabbed him by the head in a DDT, possibly looking for his Espritu De Madrid finisher. He ran off the ropes and looked for that Tornado DDT, but DIM shoved him away.
Salfeugo landed on his feet, but DIM stopped him in his tracks with a hard kick to the chest. He grabbed him by the head and was looking for his move called Dude, That Hurt a Lot… NO!
The Fiery Underdog fought his way out of that. Dude In Mask elbowed him in the face a couple more times, but Salfeugo managed to save himself from a beatdown by returning fire with another kick. He sent DIM into the ropes and DIM landed right in the corner. Salfuego came charging at him again, but DIM jumped into the air. Salfeugo adjusted himself though and slid out to the floor.
He tripped DIM up and brought him to the ground before climbing back into the ring and readying another high-flying move as he waited patiently… Salfuego jumped…
But for whatever reason, his own body sweat, not having good equilibrium. He SLIPPED on the ropes and crashed and burned, big time on the canvas! The crowd was shocked at what happened, but Dude In Mask saw his opportunity quickly and rolled him up in a La Majistral pin attempt.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
He did it. He finally did it. His first big win in some time against a very game Carrachio Salfuego in the middle of the ring!
“Here is your winner of the match… D! I! M! DUDE IN MASK!”
The Fiery Underdog had made a major mistake and Dude In Mask capitalized on the situation, being able to finally score his first big win in some time. Slim J was checking on him as a concerned Dude In Mask glanced down at him for all of a second…
…And he JUMPED to the top turnbuckle in jubilation of his victory! He laughed and giggled hysterically. The monkey was finally off his back after several major set backs in the last several weeks and he was back on the winning track.
He jumped off the turnbuckle and walked back over to the fallen Salfuego again, who was still hurt from the bad spill that he took against the ropes. He held his gut in pain while Dude In Mask waited for him to get back up again. Slim J helped him up and even though the look of disappointment crossed the face of Salfeugo, he still held a hand out and extended it to him, proud of the match otherwise.
Dude In Mask extended a hand, and was ready to shake it…
Then ran it over his mask before exiting out of the ring!
The fans booed the Dude In Mask for this action as he climbed out of the ropes. He looked into the camera, overjoyed and was proud of his victory tonight.
“Did you see that? Did you see me win?! Did you all see that win?!” He laughed.
The Dudester was on cloud nine as a very disappointed Carrachio Salfeugo watched Dude In Mask parade up the ramp, having been very happy with his victory.
But the fans? Not so much.
WINNER: Dude In Mask via pinfall
Andy Sharp, Tyson XL, and GoldenHAWK vs. Omega, The Amazing Gabriel and Orphan
One last show. One more main event until ACW's Revival Pay Per View. So let's say we kick this off in style! Tommy Vale was in the ring and ready to announce the big blockbuster main event that had been made earlier in the evening by Ruben Ross.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is YOUR Courage main event of the evening!”
Green strobe lights.
Darkened arena.
Can I get some music, please?
“War” by Sick Puppies.
And when the first drums hit the arena, the fans went BONZO GONZO for the man parting the curtains. The crowd reaction still had some boos among the cheers, but the man called Mr. All-Star didn't let that get to him as he made his way towards the ring.
“First, making his way to the ring, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada... weighing in at 246 pounds... he is “MR. ALL-STAR” ANDY SHARP!”
Andy Sharp looked out to the crowd and slapped hands with some of the fans before he climbed into the ropes and made his way into the ring.
“Wake Up” by Rage Against The Machine.
And the jubilation continued form the fans as the curtains parted. They recognized the mask. The get-up. The Spirit of ACW Title. And most importantly they recognized the Spirit of ACW around his waist. He raised the title over his head on the entrance to a huge pop.
“Next, making his way to the ring weighing in at 220 pounds... he is the current Spirit of ACW Champion... GOLDENHAWK!”
He continued walking on down to the ring. He climbed into the ropes and raised the title high over his head on the turnbuckle! He was getting some mad props for his exciting performances lately and looked to get some payback on Orphan tonight before their match. Andy reached out and shook his hand before they waited for their partner.
“Piece by Piece” by Strata.
And the crowd EXPLODED one more time! A shower of red fireworks exploded from the entrance as the massive form of the massive ACW Champion erupted from the stage.
“And their tag team partner... from San Diego, California, weighing in at 323 pounds... he is the ACW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION... TYSON XL!!”
With a look of grit and determination on his face, the ACW World Heavyweight Champion raised the title for all to see and made his way down to the ring. Normally, he'd be slapping hands with the fans as well, but tonight he was in another zone. He had a chance to get at Omega just days before their big world title match. The mystery of who framed him for the theft of Barb was still ongoing, but Tyson XL couldn't think about any of that. He jumped over the ropes and gave the title to the referee. He, Andy, and GoldenHAWK waited for their opponents.
“Self vs. Self” by Pendulum feat. In Flames.
The horrid mash-up of rock and techno stylings hit the speakers next and the crowd started to boo to their hearts content for the leader of the Night Life. With the lovely Elyse Frost on his arm with a nice little “I <3 Gaby Bear” sleeveless low-cut shirt and a microskirt – emphasis on the MICRO – the object of Andy Sharp's ire made his way out with a big grin and a smile across his face.
“And their opponents, first making his way to the ring from Los Angeles, California... weighing in at 226 pounds... he is the leader of the Night Life... THE AMAZING GABRIEL!”
He and Elyse stopped short of the ring as they appeared to be waiting for TAG's tag team partners.
A single white spotlight illuminated the entryway of the arena. The crowd booed with fervor, but it was a different sort than the usual. The man standing, ready for war, clad in a blood-stained straitjacket was on the side of the angels tonight. Well, as much as he could be, anyway, really.
The once-Seymour Almasy began a slow, purposeful walk down to the ring, his arms at his sides. He was no fool; tonight, the jacket wasn’t tied up. He shed it halfway down the aisle, looking up at their opponents with reddened eyes and a blackened heart. His Party were watching the match from a secured location in the arena due to KSZ and Orphan not being able to stay away from one another. And the armed security detail was around him, trying to keep KSZ away from him.
“Hailing from Orphan’s Cradle, he stands 5’8” tall, and weighs in at 183 lbs! He is the winner of the 2005 End Game match, a former two-time ACW World Champion who has forsaken the identity that garnered him those accolades! This is ACW’S FORGOTTEN SON...THE FAL’CIE…ORRRRRRPHHHAAAANNNN!”
Orphan was a man who was very different from the fan favorite that people loved once upon a time. The camera cut to Andy Sharp, who shook his head as he finally got to witness firsthand what the former Seymour Almasy had become.
CUE UP: “Redeemer” by Marilyn Manson
The arena lights went out as a few strobe lights circulated around the arena. The music continued as Omega slowly made his way from the backstage area. He looked around as he walked onto the stage. He was still searching for ‘Barb’. He made his way slowly down the ramp toward the ring. He heard a loud chorus of boos from the fans because of his actions the past several weeks. With a big smile on his face, he stomped down to the ringside area.
“And their tag team partner... from parts unknown, weighing in at 335 pounds... he is the Craziest Bastard in Wrestling... OME...”
He never got to finish his statement for the second that Omega stepped past his tag team partners and climbed onto the apron, he got PUNCHED square in the face by an irate Tyson XL, who howled and tried following him to the outside. Omega scrambled back to his feet and climbed back up the steps while TAG and Orphan watched their berserk tag team partner go mad.
“He's quite a creature,” Orphan sighed as he looked at TAG.
“Pfft, don't look at me, dude, let 'em fight!” TAG laughed.
The referee in the middle of it all – Leon Hurst – was trying his best to keep them all at bay as the got some order restored. So let's take a commercial break and let these six men try and get all that worked out, m'kay?
COMMERCIAL BREAK GOES HERE, BITCHES!
Annnnnnnnnndddddddd we're now back and the match was just getting under way. Omega merely smiled, laughing at Tyson XL in the opposite corner who was ready to kill him. Tyson was angry and if he made a mistake, he would be easy pickings at Revival and the ACW World Heavyweight Championship would belong to him.
DING DING DING!
Starting off the match-up for both sides was going to be The Amazing Gabriel and Andy Sharp. There was quite a collection of people on the outside ranging from TAG having Elyse Frost and Orphan with his mandated security group.
“You can't touch this shit!” The Amazing Gabriel cackled, also doing a couple of gyrations.
He felt a big right cross across his jaw, knocking him down to the canvas, courtesy of Andy Sharp.
“Yes. I can.”
He grabbed The Amazing Gabriel and didn't waste any time in locking up with The Amazing One. He palmed him by the back of the head and smashed him face first into the turnbuckle and kicked him in the chest. He punched him in the face several times and continued to hurt him until he whipped him across the ring. TAG bounced off the corner and staggered into a NASTY Clothesline that turned him inside out!
The Australian fans were going crazy for Mr. All-Star as he grabbed him by the head and clocked him with a pair of European Uppercuts underneath the jaw. He measured up TAG and a third shot knocked him LOOPY and it knocked him back to the ground.
“Stop him! Ref! This is crazy!” Gabriel screamed.
TAG got palmed by the back of his head and was introduced to the turnbuckle in the corner of the babyfaces. He tagged in Tyson XL, who had himself quite a history with The Amazing One as he rammed him in the corner with several hard back elbows. Heavy T was getting some heavy applause from the crowd as he Biel Tossed Gabriel almost HALFWAY across the ring!
The fans were cheering for him as he picked up The Amazing One and scooped him up. Just to show off his strength, he spun him around several times before dropping him hard in the middle of the ring. He sat Gabriel up and KICKED him hard in the back of the spine and ran off the ropes, coming back and nearly crushing his former leader and mentor with a BIG-TIME Senton Splash! The ACW Champion rolled TAG over and hooked both legs.
ONE!
TWO!
THR- NO!
The first cover of the match and The Amazing Gabriel kicked out. The Ringleader tried to pull away, but Tyson wouldn't let him go and pulled him back to his feet. He raised a big palm and brought it down into the chest of Gabriel, eliciting a big SMACK sound that had the crowd cheering. He let him have it with two more and whipped him into the ropes before clobbering him with a big Back Elbow Smash.
Omega and Orphan were both looking on in the ring, hoping to get themselves the first chance at a tag to try and get The Amazing One out of the ring. Tyson picked him up and buried a couple of hard elbows into the back of his former leader's head and tossed him into the corner. He ran forward and tried to charge him, but TAG rolled out of harm's way and tagged in Omega before sliding out of the ring.
Tyson XL stopped himself in the corner and waited for Omega to get into the ring. The #1 Contender to the ACW World Heavyweight Championship climbed over the ropes and smiled at the opportunity to hurt the champion before their big match-up at Revival. Tyson XL tried to walk forward, but felt a pair of arms grab him by the leg. It was The Amazing Gabriel on the outside, grabbing his leg. Tyson kicked him away, but Omega made him pay for it by catching him with a very STIFF right hand.
Tyson XL stumbled over while Omega ran forward and RAMMED him hard into his corner where Orphan was watching. He watched Omega work over Tyson XL in the corner with a hard series of body shots. He then went for the elbows, hitting him with elbows again and again and again, trying to wear him out.
Omega grabbed Tyson XL by the back of the head and lifted him up before spiking Tyson XL into the canvas with a big-time Belly to Back Suplex, he turned him around and went for a cover.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
Tyson XL shot a big shoulder up at two and a half. Omega grabbed him by the neck and pulled him back to his feet, intent on finishing him off early with a big Powerbomb, but Tyson XL elbowed him in the leg to free himself. He elbowed him in the side of the head and doubled him over with a big knee before trying to whip Omega. Omega reversed and sent Tyson XL across the ring and tried charging at him with a big Corner Clothesline. Tyson XL got both feet up and nailed him in the face!
The ACW World Heavyweight Champion whipped him across the ring and ran at him, connecting with a big back elbow... CCS ENZUIGIRI KICK! The big combination of moves a la Samoa Joe knocked him down to the ground. Tyson XL went for a cover over the big man.
ONE!
TWO – NO!
Both men appeared to be at a stalemate as he picked up Omega and whipped him across the ring, but Omega reversed and sent him into the corner. He got into a fist fight, but Orphan tagged himself in, much to the chagrin of Omega. The #1 Contender was sent back to the corner, but Tyson was weakened enough for Orphan to capitalized with a good pair of kicks to the legs and body of the champion.
He picked up the champion and locked him in a Muay Thai clinch before bringing up a couple of hard knees into the head. Orphan tried to toss him across the ring, but Tyson XL stopped him dead and lifted Orphan up before dropping him HARD with a big Scoop Slam! He ran off the ropes and went for a big Knee Drop, but Orphan moved, sending Tyson down in the mat. Orphan got back up, though, and made him pay for it with a STIFF Dropkick to the head!
The fans booed him as he stood up and posed for the jeering crowd, then stared down Andy Sharp himself in the corner as he shook his head, wondering what became of his best friend. Orphan crawled over and tried for a cover on the champion.
ONE!
TWO... NO!
Hardly even a two count as Tyson threw off the diminutive Orphan. The former two-time ACW World Heavyweight Champion grabbed Tyson by the head, but he stopped him with a big punch to the gut. He ran off the ropes and GoldenHAWK blind tagged himself in. Tyson missed the clothesline he was going for on Orphan, but Orphan didn't see HAWK coming and got TACKLED to the ground! The Golden Boy of ACW pounded away on Orphan and one of his two challengers tried to back away quickly.
He ran over and connected with a big Running Elbow Smash to the head of TAG on the apron! He went back over to Orphan hooked him by the arm with a Hammerlock...
WELCOME TO ACW, MOTHERFUCKER!
Courtesy of the former ACW star, Christopher Sheffield, he decapitated him with the Hammerlock recoiled into the Short-Arm Clothesline and turned him inside out! He waited and posed for the crowd. He winked at Andy Sharp in the corner and busted out a Standing Shooting Star Press, something that he picked up from Andy Sharp himself during a training session earlier in the week! He hooked both legs of Orphan.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
Orphan was a veteran despite his young age and kicked out quickly. GoldenHAWK tried grabbing Orphan by the head, but the Fal'Cie had other ideas and rolled out of the ring to save himself from taking any more punishment. Truth be told, his mind may not have been in all of the match with all of this KSZ-running-around-like-a-deranged-fucker business, but he had to get some momentum towards Revival.
The Amazing Gabriel took the tag from Orphan and made his way back into the ring, leaping over the ropes and coming face to face with GoldenHAWK. He ran at him, but shockingly, The Golden Child grabbed him and threw him far with a quick Arm Drag. He adjusted himself and went for a Headlock, but The Amazing Gabriel was a little smarter than the average wrestler and countered with a back suplex...
...But GoldenHAWK flipped out behind him and TAG got popped in the mouth and a big punch from the Golden Child. He threw The Amazing Gabriel into the ropes viciously and turned him nearly inside out with a Jumping Calf Kick, another big move that Andy Sharp had taught him!
ONE!
TWO!
THR... SHOULDER UP!
The Amazing Gabriel was tough as they come (hey, he DID defeat Andy Sharp two weeks ago!) and got pulled back to his feet again by GoldenHAWK. He tossed TAG over with another Irish Whip, but The Night Life's leader shot him over the ropes and sent him out to the apron. He turned and tried to punch him, but he blocked and caught him with a big right hook to the head. But he didn't see Orphan coming off the apron with a big kick that sent him out to the floor!
GoldenHAWK took a big spill to the ground and he was down and out, but The Amazing Gabriel rolled out of the ring and lifted HAWK up before dumping him on top of the guardrail. He turned him around and rammed him spine-first into the apron and rolled him underneath the bottom rope. With GoldenHAWK now at the mercy of Team Bad Guys, The Amazing One slingshotted over the ropes and connected with a picture-perfect Slingshot Senton! He rolled over and hooked both legs.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... KICK OUT!
GoldenHAWK kicked out, but now he was at the mercy of the bad guys. Andy and Tyson both looked on from the ring apron as the younger Hawk was now easy pickings for TAG who rolled him over with a snapmare and kicked him HARD in the back of the spine several times.
The Amazing Gabriel tagged in Omega and the #1 Contender to the ACW World Heavyweight Championship picked him up and kneed him in the chest several times before running to the ropes and came back with a BIG BOOT to the jaw that nearly knocked the Hawk out cold!
Instead of going for a cover, Omega unleashed some hard hits on the body of GoldenHAWK while he was down and roughed him up. He meanmugged the referee and made him back up several steps before he pulled the Spirit of ACW back to his feet again. He was standing on spaghetti legs when he bounced off the ropes and came back with a big High Impact Clothesline! The HAWK was turned inside out and upside down before crashing to the mat and Omega went for a quick lateral press.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
The Golden Child had much resiliency in him and shockingly kicked out as the fans continued to cheer. Omega didn't give two shits what the fans thought and picked GoldenHAWK up by the head and locked him in a Front Facelock. He struggled and tried to fight his way out of the hold, but struggled while Omega carried him over to Tyson XL.
“This will be you when we have that ACW World Heavyweight Title, you thief!” He scowled.
Tyson tried running into the ring, but he got stopped in his tracks by the referee. While that was going on, Omega whipped HAWK over to the corner and ran forward, hitting a hard Spear to his exposed chest in the corner! The Spirit of ACW was doubled over now and at the mercy of the merciless Omega. Hawk fell into his arms and picked him back up and pushed him into the corner.
He tagged Orphan back in and ran off to the ropes and measuring him up, coming back with a Rolling Koppou Kick to the side of his head! The Spirit of ACW Champion stumbled forward before collapsing to his knees. He rolled Hawk away from the ropes and smartly went for a lateral press.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
The fans cheered when Hawk kicked out of the big kick from his archrival, but wasn't about to let him go. He pulled him back to his feet and drove a succession of knees into the side of the head. He hoisted him up and drove GoldenHAWK across his knee before pushing him over and slapping on an Abdominal Stretch in the middle of the ring.
Andy and Tyson both were trying to get the crowd further behind them as GoldenHAWK was now locked in a submission by Orphan. He used his free arm and threw some hard punches into his rib cage to try and weaken the man that held the belt he coveted.
“Do you give up, GoldenHAWK?” He asked.
“No!” He shouted.
The crowd popped heavily for the young HAWK as he struggled and tried to fight his way back up. He had a little bit of a strength advantage over Orphan and was continuing to fight, but Orphan saw him struggle and rolled backwards, trying for a cradle pin.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... NO!
Hawk kicked out and rolled back to his feet. Orphan scrambled back to his feet and tried to keep him from getting back again, but he caught Orphan in the jaw with a big Dropkick! He dropped to the ground and scrambled to his corner, but the Amazing Gabriel tagged himself in and ran forward, grabbing HAWK by his leg.
Hawk hopped upwards to his feet on one leg and tried to swat TAG away, but the Night Life's leader kept him from being able to go any further with it. He pulled El Hijo De Hawk back to their corner and Omega tagged himself in now and ran forward, catching Hawk with a big kick to the side of the head!
The crowd was deflated that the Spirit of ACW wasn't able to make it back to Andy or Tyson, who were both aching for that tag.
Omega didn't give a fuck what either of them thought, though, and with a big uppercut to the jaw he sent GoldenHAWK rocking and sent him tumbling back into the ring. He hooked him up and held him high in a Vertical Suplex position before CRASHING him down to the ground with a big Front Suplex!
The Amazing Gabriel was going up at bat now and leaped over the ropes, delivering a hard kicks to the chest to continue to soften him up. He waited for HAWK to get back to his feet when he staggered upwards, he grabbed him by the back of the head and dropped him...
CRUSH!
The Double Knee Backbreaker stunned GoldenHAWK and dropped him like a bad habit in the center of the ring. He smiled and hooked the far leg as he counted down along with the referee.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... KICK OUT!
The second that he kicked out, The Amazing Gabriel went to the next move and slapped on a Leg Scissors across his neck, trying to get a tapout. The Son of SilverHAWK tried to fight his way out of the hold while the fans were going crazy, hoping that either Andy Sharp or Tyson XL would be the first to get back into the ring.
“Do you give up, HAWK?” Hurst asked him.
“HELL NO!”
The Golden Child was still in the game and struggled to turn over, trying to get himself free from the hold. He elbowed The Amazing Gabriel's knees, trying his absolute best to free himself from his grip. He finally turned him over and went for another cover.
ONE!
TWO!
THR... KICK OUT!
The Amazing One scrambled out of the desparation attempt at a pinfall, but didn't get too far before The Amazing Gabriel stunned him with a hard high kick to the head. Hawk was knocked woozy and was put down, which allowed for The Amazing Gabriel to run off to the ropes and connected with a Springboard Corkscrew Senton! He rolled right off him and got back to his feet and leaped to the ropes again, this time for a Springboard Moonsault! He completed the combination of moves that he called the CELESTIAL PHENOMENON!
And with that sequence of moves, The Amazing Gabriel kneeled over and rubbed his hands as if to say that was that before going for another cover.
ONE!
TWO!
THRE... SAVED BY ANDY SHARP!
What a sequence of moves, but Andy Sharp put a stop to that and saved the match for his team. The Amazing Gabriel yelled at the referee.
“Dude, no! WHAT THE HELL! DISQUALIFY HIM!” TAG yelled.
Leon Hurst yelled back that the match was going to continue. He grabbed him by the arms and double underhooked them, setting him up...
NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZ... NO!
GoldenHAWK rolled him up!
ONE!
TWO!
THRE-- NO!
He tried catching The Amazing Gabriel off-guard with a modified cradle pin again, but The Amazing One kicked out again, not wanting to be caught unaware. He stood back up and went to kick GoldenHAWK's head off, but he caught the foot and spun him around...
breakDOWN!
The Diamond Cutter that SilverHAWK had used to great effect in his own career served him well and caught The Ringleader, dropping him to the ground. Both men were down now and all other parties were interested in what was going on. Sharp and Tyson XL were both waiting patiently, both had arms extended while Omega was ready for a tag. Orphan seemed preoccupied, looking over his shoulder in case the [Black] Scorpion Champion decided to try something funny.
And by funny, I actually mean “tried to flail Orphan's skin off his bones.”
GoldenHAWK slowly came around and rolled to his corner, but The Amazing Gabriel started to show signs of life and crawled over to try and get over to him. He came back towards the corner...
TAGGED TO ANDY SHARP!
The Amazing Gabriel got back to his feet and tried running away from Mr. All-Star, but the fans were going Crazy-Go-Nuts with excitement as he walloped the Night Life's leader with a big right hand to the face to knock him down. He stood up a second time and Sharp made him pay for it with a Running Back Elbow to the head.
He ran over and attacked Omega with a big Running Dropkick that knocked him right off the apron. He stood up and stared down Orphan, but chose not to strike.
“Doesn't have to be like this,” Sharp told him.
“No. It does.”
Sharp didn't have time to offer for a rebuttal, but saw Gabriel trying to get back up. He hit him low with a Back Kick to the gut and shot him off to a neutral corner. The moment that Gabriel hit the corner, he ate a Running Yakuza Kick from Andy Sharp!
While he was stunned, he grabbed him by the head and charged across the ring firmly planting The Amazing One into the mat with a big Running Bulldog! He turned him over and hooked both legs.
ONE!
TWO!
THR.. NO!
The Amazing One kicked out and the crowd booed at the two and a half count being registered. He motioned for Gabriel to get back to his feet as he climbed to the second turnbuckle, holding his wrist and signaling to the cheering Aussies. He came flying off the second ropes and took his head off with a Second Rope Flying Clothesline!
The leader of the Night Life took a tumble and waited for him to get back to his feet again. The Amazing Gabriel got back up, only to be grabbed by the back of the head and dropped across Andy's knee with a vicicous backbreaker. He kept him in place and turned around, SPIKING him down to the ground with a big vicious neckbreaker!
ONE!
TWO!
THR... KICK OUT!
This time, The Amazing Gabriel still kicked out at the count of two and three fourths, but Sharp was not deterred and was dead set on making The Amazing One pay for everything that he'd put him through in the last several weeks.
He beat down on him with a couple elbows, but Gabriel returned fire with a low spinning kick to the chest. Andy was doubled over when Gabriel came sailing off the ropes looking for a side boot, but Andy moved. When Gabriel turned around...
TIGER BOMB!
The Double Underhook Bomb caught him perfectly and Andy flipped him around, hooking both legs and stacking him up for the pin.
ONE!
TWO!
SAVED BY ORPHAN!
Orphan clipped Andy in the back of the head and kept him for the cover. Andy turned around and was prepared to fight Orphan, but he got caught with a big boot to the head from Omega, who was back in the fray.
But Tyson XL had seen enough...
RUNNING.
TWISTING.
SPEAR!
His speciality move that was enough to knock off Spike Saunders several weeks ago caught him in the chest and he ripped right through Omega in the process. The two men fell through the ropes and started to exchange fists on the outside as the crowd started to cheer.
GoldenHAWK entered the fray as well and tackled Orphan in the corner, spearing him on his own and attacking him with fists in the corner. This left The Amazing Gabriel all alone with Mr. All-Star, who kicked him in the gut and tried going for his finisher...
THE SHARPER IM... NO!
TAG slipped out the back and caught him with a low blow!
This was most definitely NOT a sportsmanlike act like what he'd promised earlier in the evening, but the referee didn't see it as he was disposed of with both Orphan and GoldenHAWK continuing their brawl. The Amazing Gabriel had Andy doubled over...
THE PILL POPPER!
He bounced off the ropes and CLOCKED Andy in the temple with his Springboard Gamengiri kick, damn near knocking him out in the process. He hooked both legs and held on for dear life.
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
The crowd was shocked, but when “Self vs. Self” hit the speakers again, they'd just realized the grim reality. Andy Sharp had just been bested by The Amazing Gabriel for the second straight time! Sure, it was due to illegal tactics, but ask the Amazing Gabriel if he gave a shit about any of that.
“HERE ARE YOUR WINNERS OF THE MATCH... OMEGA, ORPHAN, AND THE AMAZING GABRIEL!”
The Amazing Gabriel and Elyse Frost both got the hell out of the ring and headed back up the ramp, running through Orphan's security detail. He kissed Elyse passionately and they had a sickening embrace, going at it like two animals on a National Geographic Special.
Tyson XL shook his head with disbelief that he'd taken his eye off the ball, but Omega wasn't done with him and CRACKED him over the head with his own championship, smiling and holding the title high over his head.
Meanwhile, Orphan's business was concluded as his security detail got behind an angry Spirit of ACW Champion as he fled the scene as well, wanting to get back to The Party as soon as he possibly could. He headed back up the ramp and out of sight, running right past The Amazing Gabriel's two-person parade, slowly starting to turn into a live sex celebration.
Sharp was still down and out, coming around with the help of the referee. And with Revival coming in mere days time, he had momentum going into their match.
The camera faded from the scene of Omega and The Amazing Gabriel, staring down at their fallen adversaries. And if tonight was any indication of what was to go down at Revival, we may very well have new champions.
WINNER: OMEGA, ORPHAN, AND THE AMAZING GABRIEL
For there to be a Revival, someone has to die first, right?
Finally, a long night for Orphan was over. His contract signing? Taken care of. His six man tag team match? Over. That meant that it was time to kick back, relax, and go visit his Party up in the nosebleeds. Maybe he’d even watch the main event with them.
His mannerisms seemed…freer somehow. Ruben Ross’ edict had worked. Tonight had been a Keith Scott Zimmerman free-zone, and his sanity was much better for it. Sipping away at a Cherry Coke he’d gotten from one of the backstage vending machines, everything was right with the world.
“Thanks again, guys,” he said. “I really appreciate you following me around for the entire ni…”
The Fal’Cie looked around, and for the first time all night, realized something was very, very wrong.
His security detail was nowhere to be found.
Instantly, the carefree, happy expression on Orphan’s face vanished, and every muscle in his body tensed. He felt, suddenly, like a victim in a horror movie, rooted to where he stood, terrified to move even another step in any direction. Fifty feet away, down the hallway, he spotted one of his security detail, laid out on the ground.
As the terrified Orphan stepped forward to check the man’s body, he saw a trail of blood leading away from the downed man, and leading onwards in the direction of his locker room.
“He didn’t,’ Orphan groaned, still trembling, practically forcing himself down the bloody path to the second of his guards, also laid out and open, blood pouring from a head wound.
Digging down into his tights, the Forgotten Son of ACW came up with a pair of brass knuckles, which he slipped onto his right hand. Damned if he wouldn’t go down fighting, which was where this seemed to be going.
Another bloody trail. A third victim, propped up right outside the door to his locker room.
What Orphan saw when he threw the door open made him sick to his stomach, but he couldn’t honestly say that it surprised him.
There, laid out and strewn throughout his lockerroom were the bodies of three more of ACW’s finest security guards. Orphan’s eyes scanned the room, looking for any sign of the obvious assailant. Unable to find him, the Fal’Cie decided on an unusual tactic. He walked to one of the corners of the room, raised his brass knuckle-clad fist, and beckoned “whoever it was” forward. With his back in the corner, he’d see “whoever it was” coming.
Of course, “whoever it was” could only be one horrific individual.
Blood thundered in Orphan’s ears, drowning out the other sound in the room: running water. The faucet in the attached bathroom shut off, and the door opened to reveal one Keith Scott Zimmerman, casually drying his hands off on a towel that had been stained dark red courtesy of his earlier handiwork. A bloodied lead pipe lay in the middle of the floor, the likely weapon.
Calm as a cucumber, KSZ strode to the middle of the room. “oh good,” he said, “you got my message.”
“All of them,” Orphan asked, horrified, his decision to retreat to the corner suddenly seemingly a very, very poor one.
“all of them,” Keith agreed. “they were getting in the way. no one seems to understand that i do things on my time, not theirs.”
“What the Hell is this ABOUT, Keith,” Orphan demanded, glaring angry daggers at the black Scorpion champion. “I didn’t come back here for this. I came back here for—“
“i assume you watch the show, tourist,” Keith spat, “so there is no need to ask questions that I have already answered, a week ago, no less.”
“I don’t give two shits about Hank Wright, Keith,” Orphan retorted. “So, why me? What’s your obsession with me all of a sudden? I’m here to turn this company on its ass for what it’s done to me. Wasn’t even in the company when--”
“ah yes, that,” Keith said, neatly cutting off ACW’s Forgotten Son. “your grand plan for vengeance and all, against khristain keller and acw, for perceived wrongs. You know, that sounds rather familiar.”
“Forgive me,” Orphan spat, “for not being the only person ACW’s chewed up and spit out.”
“poor seymourphan,” KSZ sneered, “with your spirit of acw championship opportunity and four fangirls who sleep with you command. woe is you. you know that i’d trade with you in a heartbeat, yes? well, maybe not. one allison is worth a thousand cosplaying trollops.”
With great difficulty, the Fal’Cie ignored the barb.
“Wrestling and those girls is all I have,” Orphan growled, stepping out of the corner. “And I will be damned if you take either one from me.”
“you think moving them will keep them safe,” Keith asked, and the look in Orphan’s eyes made it damned clear that the Fal’Cie wasn’t considering that a rhetorical question. “i can get at you whenever i please. Them whenever I please.”
“Don’t you dare, you son of a bitch. Don’t you fucking dare.”
“there we are,” Keith said, approvingly, MILESwide grin on his face. “i knew he was still in there somewhere. You can play the coward all you want, seymourorphanseymour, whatever you are, but i know what you really are. Remember, only one of us is playing at something here…”
“If you’re going to insist on this, you nutjob, leave THEM out of it. I’m right here, and nothing’s stopping you from picking up that pipe and caving my skull in.” It was a decidedly horrifying thought, Orphan knew, and he swallowed hard, but it was certainly 100% true.
“but where’s the FUN in that,” Keith asked, shaking his head. “if i wanted to hospitalize you, i could have done it one hundred times over. i hospitalize someone every week these days, so they can know a thimbleful of what Alison goes through. “
“Your wife’s still alive, Keith,” Orphan shot back, “mine—“
“ah yes, laura. i know all about Laura,” Keith grinned. “jennifer keeps your fansite very well updated. how many interesting things i’ve learned about you two. like the fact that she put a bullet in her head because you wouldn’t--”
The well-crafted vaneer of Orphan shattered, his eyes kaleidoscopic with anger, and steel filled his voice.
“if you mention her name again, Keith…” Orphan warned, taking a step out of the corner.
“You’ll what,” Zimmerman cackled, “give me exactly what i want?”
The question hung damningly in the air, as Orphan shook with anger, trying desperately to resist the urge to charge and throttle Keith, Ross’ edict be damned.
“so that’s all i have to do to get you to drop the charade,” KSZ asked, shaking his head. “if I’d have known, we could have skipped to this part and saved acw six security guards. to answer your first question, though, what this is about is you and i in another life. it’s about you ceasing your life as a second-rate, well, me impersonator, and giving me a challenge for a change.”
A demon’s gleam lit up Zimmerman’s eyes.
“to borrow a turn of phrase from an inferior…the new you sucks, seymorphan. i want the old you.”
“Not gonna happen,” Orphan retorted. “Just because I lost two years of my career and not my wife doesn’t make you any more justified in turning your back on the world than me.”
“you talk too much,” Zimmerman suddenly decided. “worse, what you say isn’t particularly interesting. Hank Wright has the market cornered on self-righteousness. i grow bored with this game. i prefer another.”
Zimmerman stooped to the ground, picking up a second, non-bloodied lead pipe. He tossed it across the room to a stunned Orphan, who deftly caught the weapon.
“this game is called ‘fight for your life,’” the black Scorpion giggled, “and I think you know the rules pretty well. one man leaves. the other man leaves too – in a hearse.”
Orphan’s eyes were wide, but he could do nothing save grasp the pipe tightly and hope he’d come up with something. ANYTHING.
“are you ready to come to the Lord,” Zimmerman asked, picking up the bloodied pipe, a manic grin on his face. Orphan said nothing, but steeled himself against his corner, trying to judge the distance, trying to figure out how to evade or block the first blow with the pipe that would surely be aimed for his skull.
“Don’t do this, Keith,” Orphan tried, desperately, body trembling with adrenaline and terror. “Ross’ll—“
“what he does, quite frankly, seymorphan, I could care less,” Zimmerman explained. “you and I have long overdue business to settle, and now that our companions have been dealt with, I think it’s long past time.”
“What happened to not wanting to hospitalize me,” Orphan got out, clutching the pipe even tighter as Keith Scott Zimmerman stalked closer, armed to the teeth.
“i lied,” Zimmerman shrugged, wheeling around to swing the lead pipe. The sickening sound of metal on bone echoed, and suddenly, the picture zoomed out of focus, the image being broadcast now the floor of the locker room.
What happened? Simple. Keith kneecapped the cameraman, whose yells of pain were forcing Keith to speak more loudly to be heard.
“i don’t think they’ll want to see what you look like when this is over,” Keith grinned, before stepping over to the downed camera and swinging the pipe right into your living room.
S01 E05
Recorded LIVE! From the Entertainment Center, Brisbane, Australia
