"UnSolved Mysteries" A black hummer pulled up to the arena, slowly, still with a huge dent in the grill. It seemed as if though The Krow was about to land. The hummer cruised into the garage at a slow and steady pace until, like a blur, something jumped from the grill and went crashing through the thick front windshield. The hummer swerved to a stop just before hitting the wall as the hummer door flew open with intense force. From the hummer came flying at extreme force... Broken?! Fromer SE and LoC superstar, Broken, was tossed to the ground. Right behind him was a wounded yet very pissed off Superbeast. The fans roared as Sylo stood over Broken, seething with rage, as he calculated the best way to inflict the most damage. Sylo turned toward the hummer door and like a man trying to escape from prison began using all his force to slam the door off its hinges. Impressively, it snapped off the hinges and fell with a thud. Sylo didn’t even seem to notice the fresh wounds and broken glass oozing blood as he picked the door and walked over to Broken who just started to come to. “You thought you finished me? You thought that was IT?! Pathetic. Now you’re going to tell me who had you run me over with that hummer,” Sylo snarled. Broken coughed out a laugh and spat toward Sylo. “I’m not telling you shit, you’re almost done anyway, just die already,” Broken replied defiantly. Sylo rested on the hummer door staring down at Broken. He looked at him in amusement only for a moment before the serious demeanour returned. “You know, a lot of people believe torture to be barbaric. Good thing I don’t feel that way. Remember, Levant, a wounded SuperBeast is a lot more dangerous.” Sylo snarled again... BAM!!!! One hummer door delivered to one Brock Levant with force. “Who put you up to it Brock? This can end. I don’t care about you. I can stop the pain and all you have to do is tell me who put you up to it.” Broken spat again. BAM!!!! BAM!!!! BAM!!!! BAM!!! Most of those slams landed on Broken’s neck. He started coughing up deep red blood in a small puddle on the ground nearby. “Look, give me a name and this end. I promise, you don’t have to suffer anymore. Just give me...the name,” Sylo snarled. Broken looked up, choking on his own blood. Sylo leaned in and Broken whispered a name. Sylo smirked, those sharp animal-like canines showing. Sylo put the hummer door down and kneeled next to Broken. “Good boy, that’s all I needed to know...now I’ll end your suffering,” Sylo grinned again. Broken held up two shaking hands, trying to plead, as Sylo lifted the hummer door up one more time... And brought it down on Broken’s neck. BAM!!!!!! CRACK! Sylo threw the door to the side, hoisted a now severely injured Broken up on one shoulder, and headed toward the arena. He had another stop to make but Broken would be joining him as he went to go see one certain man. This was sure to be a roller coaster ride indeed. Welcome to jOlt. "The Master Plan" "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth. The arena was drowned in a sea of boos, their ire being triggered by just the sound of a man's theme song. A man they had come to hate for more reasons than they could possibly remember. That man was Jim Johnson and tonight he was all smiles while taking his time walking down to the ring. An arena full of jeering fans was music to his ears and money in his pocket. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that at this moment he had won. After years and years of riding a rollercoaster of success and failures, Jim Johnson was on top of the sports entertainment world. "Good evening everyone," he began attemping to overpower the booing crowd, "GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME ... TO jOlt!" Boos turned to cheers. "Let's not forget who ressurected this company, shall we?" And we're back to the boos. "I did. Me. Jim Johnson. I orchestrated the downfall of the Legacy of Champions. I made the people who tried to shut me out of this business dance for me and then I cut their legs out from under them. Using an expression I'm sure the old man will understand, I took Black Tom Williams and LoC out back and I put them both out of their misery." And how miserable it was ... seeing that company attempt to limp its way to a finish line that just kept getting further and further away. It was just so easy to manipulate those idiots into giving away everything they had built .. just like they did to me so many years ago. "It was beautiful. I convinced Black Tom to buy the company from Brandon Thomas for a sum that he could barely afford. I used the," Johnson made the all-too-familiar quotes hand motion, "'power of presuasion' to get Scott Riktor to sign on the dotted line. Then the real fun began. I took over their shows. I ran that company into the ground and cost Black Tom Williams nearly every cent he had made in his long and illustrious career in professional wrestling. All the while working behind closed doors to gather a group of investors eager and willing to purchase the failing organization, burn it to the ground, dance on the ashes, and build something spectacular." "I brought jOlt back using the decaying corpse of LoC, and now I have beaten every single one of my enemies in one devastating blow. LoC is dead. jOlt, the company that bought out my beloved PIW, is now under my control. For all intents and purposes ... I have become a god. A god of sports entertainment. I have created my own Legacy, my own Hype. I have done the unimaginable and taken this industry by force while it slept peacefully unaware of the danger. I am ..." "You're Going Down" by Sick Puppies. The only multiple-time jOlt Champion in history was in the building and the fans went insane. Brandon Blade was back and he was sporting the jOlt Championship belt around his waist. "You are ... boring the hell out of everyone!" The fans clearly agreed with their apparent champion. "Jim Johnson, the savior of sports entertainment? Please, you are known for one thing and one thing only ... failure. Everything you've ever attempted to do has blown up in your egotistical face. Every success you've ever had has ultimatey ended in a superb failure. And as the returning jOlt Champion I want to make one thing abundantly clear ... "... jOlt will not fail. We will not bow to your whims. We will not allow you to bully us. We will not allow you to destroy us. What you have done, Jim, is awoken that infamous sleeping giant. You've unleased something upon the world that you have no control over. We, jOlt, we will not be controlled. We will not be your puppets." "HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT ME?!" "Nobody paid to see an old man ramble on in this ring for twenty minutes, Jim. They paid to see us wrestle." The pop was tremendous. Jim Johnson was unimpressed, however. "You know what? I think you're right. I think they paid to see you wrestle, Brandon Blade. And since you technically didn't earn that championship belt you've got strapped to your waist, I think they'd like to see you defend that tonight." Spoiler: they would. "But what they want doesn't matter..." Spoiler: it does. "Because what I want trumps everything. And I, Brandon, I want to see you not only earn that title you have. I want to see you earn your right to be here and to represent this company." "Are you kidding me, Jim? I have more right than you do to represent this company. I am a two-time jOlt Champion! I am the only person in ths history of this company to be able to say that! I bled for jOlt, you stole it." "Maybe so, Brandon, it doesn't change the fact that I am the man running this company now. It also doesn't change the fact that you're going to put your title and your job on the line tonight against ... "The Man of War" Alexander Jerusalem. The fans erupted at the thought of Brandon Blade going up against the biggest monster to ever step foot in jOlt. An over seven foot-tall mammoth of a man and former Legacy Champion. "So you're saying if I win then The Man of War is fired?" "Was that a joke, Brandon? That's a really big 'if' wouldn't you say? But, yes, technically if you were to somehow pull of a miracle you would remain in jOlt and ... "And Hell Followed Him" “Leech” by Sevendust. It left Jim Johnson mid-sentence as the signature music of Brock Levant, better known as Broken, played over the PA. Jim’s face quickly twisted into a look of disgust and anger. He couldn’t believe that someone he paid would defy him in such a way. Who did Broken think he was? No one cuts off Jim Johnson. No one! Johnson lowered the mic as he and Brandon Blade both stared at the entrance ramp but the curtain never moved. Finally the music died down and came to a screeching halt. Fans all throughout the arena murmured as Johnson looked at the ramp one last time before raising the mic again. “As I was sayi-” His mic went dead. Johnson tapped it a few times and began screaming at some poor soul at ringside. The words “Fired” and “Never work in this business again” were really the only intelligible things he said. THAT was until the lights cut out. Everything seemed to go completely silent in an arena packed with thousands. A familiar voice came on the PA, it was that of the late, great Johnny Cash. And he spoke to the masses from beyond the grave. “And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder: One of the four beasts saying: “Come and see.” And I saw. And behold, a white horse. And his name, that sat on him, was Death. And Hell followed with him.” A blinding white light followed. It was as if a bomb had went off on the stage as "Miracle (Pale Horse Remix)" by Nonpoint played. As the light began to die down the silhouette of someone could be seen. Smoke covered the stage but seemed to swirl back, like the story of Moses parting The Red Sea, and standing on stage was the infamous legend; The SuperBeast. Sylo stood, face statuesque, but the slit predator-like eyes of Sylo with their eerie blue glow told a different story. They told a story of an inferno of rage and malice boiling deep down inside a Beast who, by all rights, at the very least should have been in a hospital bed. In one hand he held an ankle. That ankle belonged to Broken, whom he had just drug out onto the stage. In the other hand was a microphone and as Sylo raised the microphone to speak Broken’s leg fell lifelessly onto the unforgiving steel plateau of the top of the stage. Nevermind that the entire time the fans had been going Ape.Shit. “Jimmy, close your mouth, if you don’t your man-crush AJ is going to come out and-” Whatever Sylo said it wasn’t allowed even by Jolt as the audio went silent. “Didn’t expect me, did you? Yeah, Brock didn’t either. Oh, by the way, the reason your microphone was cut off? Yeah, I stopped by the production truck. Y’know I’m starting to understand why you abused your power so much. I mean, my power is a lot different, but it still gets results. You threaten to come back and do unspeakable things to a bunch of middle-aged defenseless men and my God they’ll do damn near anything you ask.” Sylo half smirked, showing those pearly animal like canines on one side. “Brandon Blade, is it? I understand you have business with Jimmy but I’m going to have to pull rank. See, I’ve dealt with this scumbag going on, oh I don’t know, almost ten years and it’s about time he and I finally had a..” Sylo paused thinking of a word. “Talk” Sylo said using quotation marks. "Yeah, I'm done with this clown anyway," Brandon Blade replied before nodding his head and conceding the floor to Sylo, bowing and motioning towards Jim Johnson in the ring before heading backstage to prepare for his jOlt Championship match in the night's Main Event where his very job was on the line. “I understand these people didn’t pay to hear a bunch of guys talk but I think they’ll indulge me for a moment,” Sylo was met with a thunderous cheer. “I’m guessing that means yes.” Sylo ran his free hand through his long black hair, ruffling it a bit as he reached the bottom before looking back toward Jim Johnson. He cocked his head a little, squinted his eyes, and just stared at Johnson for a few seconds before continuing. “You know, I’m starting to think you didn’t want me around, Jimmy. Now, I know that can’t be true. I mean, what reason would you have to not want me here? It’s not like I told you all the way back when you first came slithering into LoC that one day it’d be just you and me and when it was I’d make you wish you were dead. I mean, we were just talking, right? Wait,” Sylo stopped and mocked disappointment. “No, I was being sincere,” The fans approved. Their bloodlust was starting to reach a boiling point. “Something happened when that Hummer hit me, Jimmy. Thankfully I moved just enough not to be seriously injured or even dead. At first I thought the impossible happened and Krow had grown the balls to come face me but then I remembered running someone over in a cheesy Hummer is really two-thousand and three. I was going to come ask you your opinion on why you thought he’d do such a thing, I even waited in the parking lot but, as I can see now, you were already here but what I did find was....a black Hummer pulling up,” Sylo kept pacing, back and forth, like an animal stalking his prey. “I did the only logical thing and drop kicked the windshield. Remind me to add that to the list of other cool shit I’ve done,” The fans rang out with cheers again. Sylo let the microphone dangle toward their direction for a moment before crossing his arms, looking back at Jim Johnson. “To my surprise though I didn’t find Krow. I found him. Your employee.” Sylo nodded back over his shoulder at Broken. Broken moaned out in pain and gargled what sounded like “help”. Sylo turned a bit, looking over his shoulder at Broken. “Broken, the adults are talking, it’s rude to interrupt. Jesus, you act like someone broke your fucking neck.” Sylo scoffed as he turned back to Johnson. “As I was saying Jimmy, I yanked him out, not Krow, and you wouldn’t believe what a man will tell you...after you slam a giant heavy door into them enough. Brock says it was you that planned this whole thing and, you know, I believe him because this is what I know Jim,” Sylo’s expression was as serious as it could be. “I know you’re the type to take me out to keep me away from whatever plans you have because you knew I’d be pissed about what you did to LoC. So, what better way to take me out than to have one of my worst enemies run me over in his signature black Hummer. Now, seeing as no one has heard or seen from Krow in some time you decided to plant Broken in the drivers seat. You knew I’d think it was Krow and you knew me well enough to know that even if it took me a life time I’d get revenge somehow. So, you’d use the time I was gone to find Krow so when I came back I’d direct my anger and rage at him, even if he claimed he had nothing to do with it you knew I’d never believe anything he said,” Sylo nodded a little toward Johnson. “It really was the perfect coup except two,” Sylo held up two fingers. “things went wrong. The first was the fact I wasn’t taken out. The second? If you ever decide to slam a Hummer into someone, I suggest tinting the glass so they can’t see the driver,” Sylo snarled. “Little Jimmy Johnson! The master manipulator! The man with a plan! The king without a throne who hides behind thugs, bullies, and even hires the occasional mercenary was outsmarted by a mindless beast. See, Jimmy, you’ve always won because you’ve always known which horse to back and why have you know that? Because you’ve always set the stage for things to go your way...well except PIW, twice, LoC for the most part, and now...well...me. You have this false sense of entitlement. You feel you’ve actually accomplished something but all your accomplishments, Jimmy, amount to a pile of shit. All that’s left is for you to accept what’s been coming to you for some time now and that? That’s me shoving my fist down your fucking throat,” Sylo roared out. “Oh, and since I do know you so well, I know you’ll have a gang of thugs ready to rush out and save your ass so what do you say I slow them down a bit?” Sylo spit to the side and turned, stepping over Broken like trash on the street, and grabbed hold of jOltVision’s bottom rail. Sylo strained, roared, but slowly the whole thing began to lower. It groaned under its own weight as muscle on top of muscle popped out all over Sylo’s massive frame. Everyone, including Johnson, watched in pure astonishment as Sylo finally pushed the jOltVision flush with the stage. Sylo admired his feat of pure strength for a moment before retrieving Broken's body from the ground and hoisting it onto his shoulder. “By the way, as far as Levant goes, I wouldn’t expect him to help much. I’m pretty sure I broke his fucking spine...now...as for you,” Sylo snarled again and exploded into a charge toward the ring, the mic flying behind him landing with a high pitched ring and Broken's body dangling off his shoulder like a ragdoll. Sylo came to an abrupt halt at ringside and tossed Broken's dead weight of a body clear over the top rope. It fell to a heap at Jim Johnson's feet. Jim Johnson stood beside Broken's limp and unconscious body stunned. Up and until this point his plans had gone exactly the way he wanted them to and he did not know how to react to any loose ends, especially a loose end the size of the Superbeast. Johnson took a step back, still focusing on Broken and hoping against all hope that he would awaken. At this point in the game Johnson had no escape, and no one was coming to save him. Jim Johnson was alone and he was about to have a close encounter with Sylo, something most people don't walk away from. The Superbeast was slow and methodical in his approach. He had Jim Johnson right where he wanted him and he was savoring the fact that Jim knew this fact as much as Sylo himself did. "Wait, just wait ... maybe we can make a deal?" Jim Johnson's silver tongue was rusting quickly. Sylo smiled and drove his enormous foot right into Johnson's gut, causing all the air in Jim's lungs to suddenly rush out with a loud groan. The Superbeast hit the ropes with a full head of steam and rebounded... SLAUGHTER! The lifeless body of Brock Levant was joined by the carcas of his employer and Sylo stood over both of his casualties. "You will never kill my Legacy!" Sylo snatched Jim Johnson up by his suit jacket collar and hoisted him onto his shoulders and everyone knew what was coming next ... but then Sylo paused. He looked towards the announce table and a smile once again came over the Superbeast's face. Standing mid-ring, Sylo hit a powerbomb on Jim Johnson that looked as if he was attempting to drive him straight through the canvas. He hoisted him back up and took two steps... then hit another massive powerbomb. Two more steps and Sylo was at the edge of the ring closest to the announce table. Michael Buhrman and Nate Powers scattered as Sylo launched Jim Johnson into the air with a third and final powerbomb. The table crumbled under the weight of Jim Johnson's body and he became one of the few people in the world that can say they have seen the Three Faces of Sin. Sylo leaned over the ropes and gave one final, ground-shaking roar while the cameras moved backstage. Bane Loneheart vs. One Eye The time had come for the second match of the evening for the Underground Championship tournament where the winner would go on to Divide & Conquer to face the Underground Champion, Derecho. First out was Bane Loneheart. As his music blared over the PA speakers, he boasted his confidence as he made his way down to the ring. Loneheart rolled in underneath the bottom rope. Loneheart warmed up in the ring for what was going to be a battle when his music was cut off. “Crawling” by Linkin Park Out from the backstage area came One Eye. In his traditional Japanese custom, he bowed to the fans in attendance as he stood atop of the entrance ramp. One Eye then sprinted down to the ring and slid in underneath the bottom rope where he went up to a single knee. He then pounded the canvas and stood to a vertical base as he stared down Loneheart who was on the opposite of the ring from him. Before any man could move… “One Reason” by Fade This didn’t surprise many as Derecho, the Underground Champion, stepped out from the backstage area with the championship over his shoulder, for the second time tonight. He still had a match later on in the evening against Rune Winters, but right now, he headed back to the announce position where he sat down at ringside to watch this match, just like he had done for Laz and Reno Davis earlier in the evening. Bane and One Eye kept all three of their collective eyes on Derecho as he sat there in silence, much like he did last time. The referee then called for the bell. DING! Bane and One Eye circled each other in the ring and then hooked up. One Eye quickly went into a go behind with a hammerlock and then elbowed Bane in the back of the head that staggered him forward. Bane turned around quickly, however, and it proved to be quick enough to duck an attempt at a Lariat from One Eye. One Eye stopped short as Bane drilled him with a Lariat of his own! One Eye popped back up and Bane drove him down with another Lariat! One Eye popped up a second time and, yet, for a third time, was dropped by Bane with another Lariat. One Eye rolled out of the ring quickly to regain his composure as the opening attack on this match didn’t seem to go his way. Bane gave chase to the outside where he slid out of the ring, but One Eye grabbed Bane by the legs as he was sliding out and then swung him into the barricades at ringside! One Eye then pulled Bane up to his feet and then slammed him face first into the top of the guard rail. Bane held his face in pain as he staggered back a few steps. One Eye then charged in at Bane, but Bane saw it coming and at the last moment, used One Eye’s own momentum against him and tossed him shoulder first into the steel ring post where he fell right in front of Derecho. Derecho just sat there motionless and watched on as Bane brought One Eye to his feet and then pulled him shoulder first back into the ring post. One Eye staggered away as he tried to shake away the pain and get the blood flowing back into the his arm and shoulder. Bane gave chase and then grabbed One Eye and went to slam him into the broken announce table, but One Eye put on the brakes and then slammed Bane’s face into the announce position instead, but One Eye used that arm and felt the twinge of pain in it. Bane staggered toward the ring as One Eye shook off the pain in his shoulder. One Eye then grabbed Bane and rolled him back into the ring. One Eye then rolled in after Bane and waited for him to stand. The match had barely begun and One Eye was already sizing Bane up for the Yoko Geri. As Bane stood, One Eye lunged in, but Bane grabbed One Eye’s leg and twisted it with a Dragon Screw Leg Whip! Bane quickly grabbed the leg of One Eye and dragged it over to the corner. Bane slid out of the ring and grabbed the leg one more time, but One Eye wouldn’t let him slam it into the ring post… he mustered his leg strength and pushed Bane away. Bane staggered back and then grabbed a steel chair from next to where Derecho was sitting. As One Eye was getting back to his feet, Bane slid back into the ring and got back to his. Both men were at a vertical base when Bane swung with the chair, but One Eye ducked out of the way! When the two turned to meet each other, Bane went to swing again with an overhead shot, but One Eye came in close with a knee to the stomach that doubled Bane over. One Eye then yanked the chair away from Bane and jammed it into his stomach which doubled him over again. One Eye then placed the chair under Bane’s chin and then thrusted downward. The chair was jammed into the canvas and Bane’s chin into the top of the chair!! Bane recoiled off the impact and hit the canvas holding his jaw in immense pain! One Eye then picked up the chair and waited for Bane to get back to his feet. Bane did so slowly and when he did, One Eye tossed him the chair and went for a Yoko Geri, but Bane threw the chair right back at One Eye where it bounced off his head and out of the ring! One Eye staggered backward toward the ropes and Bane charged in with a full head of steam, but One Eye lifted Bane up and over the top rope and out to the floor where he landed hard next to the steel chair! One Eye waited patiently as Bane staggered to his feet. One Eye then got a full head of steam, but didn’t see that Bane had grabbed the chair until it was too late! One Eye flew through the middle and top rope with a suicide dive and Bane nailed a home run swing with the chair right into One Eye’s head that made the crowd cringe! The momentum sill carried One Eye out of the ring where he fell onto the apron and then down to the floor. Bane pulled One Eye back to his feet and rolled him into the ring. Bane quickly slid back in and sensed victory as he made the cover! One… Two… Thr… NO! One Eye popped the shoulder up and Bane couldn’t believe it! Bane pulled One Eye to his feet and then used an irish whip to send him into the corner. Bane charged in and ate a back elbow to the face that caused him to stagger backward. Bane composed himself and charged back in where One Eye side stepped and caused Bane to hit chest first into the corner. As Bane Staggered back, One Eye lunged in… Yoko Geri to the back of the head! This caused Bane to smack face first into the top turnbuckle pad! One Eye then used a school boy roll up to pull him out of the corner… One… Two…. Three!! “Crawling” by Linkin Park started up as One Eye defeated Bane Loneheart to move on in the Underground Tournament. Derecho stood up and without saying a word or even acknowledging One Eye, walked to the backstage area. One Eye had his hand raised and perhaps would meet Derecho one on one at Divide & Conquer. Winner: One Eye via Pinfall "Taking Advantage" Click 'Play' Below Kayden Paulton strolled through the backstage hallway, whistling. This was going to be his day (read: night) in the sun (read: moon) tonight. He knew it. Tonight he would finally have his "break out" moment and he would not hesitate to take it. This was Kayden Paulton's night. And, after an original Google Search for "Extreme Hardcore" returned with … somewhat mixed results, Kayden believed he had studied enough film on his opponent to put him down for a three-count. In fact, he was considering one move in particular that he, coincidentally, also learned during his searches on jOlt's returning hardcore legend. A move called the Donkey Punch. It seemed incredibly effective. But fate is a cruel bitch, isn't she? *WHUMP!* Mike Extreme's massive elbow smashed into the back of Kayden Paulton's cranium. Extreme then grabbed Paulton by his tights and flung him into a thick cinder block wall. Finally, ending his onslaught with a horrible stomp right into Kayden's face, Extreme stood over his victim's body and laughed. "You and me have a dance scheduled for tonight, Paulie K. Here's the thing …" One last stomp to Kayden Paulton's head sent him flopping lifeless to the floor. "… I'm not big on dancing." The Hardcore Legend turned to walk away, leaving a battered Kayden Paulton to try and somehow get himself together for their match later in the night. But after a few steps something caught Mike Extreme's eye and he stopped dead in his tracks. A dumpster, pushed up against the wall not more than a yard away from Paulton. Extreme smiled and yanked the dumpster away from the wall. He lined the wheels up with Kayden Paulton, laughing once again, and shoved the dumpster right into Paulton's prone body. "Forget trying to make it to the match, Kayden Paulton might not make it out of this first iNtense broadcast alive," remarked a shocked Michael Burhman. Mike Extreme made a left down another hallway and was lost from sight as iNtense moved on to yet another area backstage. "Tonight, We Ride" The camera pans backstage where the fans are greeted by jOlt interviewer, Donny Layne. The long-time backstage interviewer smiled on the set of the jOlt interview area, ready to greet the fans watching the new edition of iNtense. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Donny started up, “tonight we have ourselves one heck of a show and thanks so much for inviting us into your homes. Standing by with me at this time is none other than a trio who have made waves everywhere they've went. Empire Pro Wrestling, All-Star Championship Wrestling, the defunct Sin City Championship Wrestling, among other places. With me are the tag team of Frank Silver... Ryan Gallway... and Mack Brody... collectively, they make up the stable called The Heirs of Wrestling!” No sooner does Layne finish his introduction when a pair of large men appear on screen. The first man is pretty well-built, standing about 6'3” and hovering around the 250 mark. Blue eyes, brown shoulder-length hair and a pretty BOSS red dress shirt and brown pants. The man called Frank Silver. Behind him is an even BIGGER man. With a bare chest and a monster that resembled more bodybuilder than wrestler, the man with the bleach-blonde spiked hair and hooped earrings nodded to the camera. We call this gentlemen Mack Brody. “HEY, HEY, HEY! CULTURE AND CLASS, COMING ATCHA ASS!” And lest we forget the cruiserweight contingent of the trio. Brown hair, blue dress shirt, black dress pants and a silk scarf.... yeah, that's right... a scarf, you uncultured swines... appeared right next to Frank. This was Ryan Gallway. The trio each had matching shit-eating smiles on their faces. Camera time. Their best friend. “Now,” Donny began, “Heirs, thanks for giving us this time. You've been highly regarded as a good tag team combination. And with a pedigree that includes training from Hall of Famers and world champions alike, we...” “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Ryan Gallway looked at Donny Layne with total disdain on his face. Shaking his head like a disappointed father, The Prince of Precision glared at the equally-angry Frank and Mack. Donny was nonplussed. “I... beg your pardon?” Frank made his voice sound like a nervous girl. “I beg your parSHUTUP." The mouthpiece for the Heirs was not amused. "You heard the man. We ALLOW you the time to come out here, shoot a ratings spike for this part of the night and you have the NERVE to insult us like that?” “For SERIOUS?” Mack growled, also looking genuinely offended. Donny nervously shrugged, not sure what he said to offend the Heirs. “Now, you listen here, Generic Interview Backstage Asshole #5...” Frank snapped. “You have the GALL to call us a 'good tag team combination'? Are you kidding me with this shit? You're basically telling Michael Jordan in his prime that he was an 'okay athlete.' You're basically telling Michael Phelps rocking eight gold medals in his sport is about 'slightly above average.' We come onto this show, bless jOlt's Tag Team Division with our collective star power and you try and pigeonhole us into some lame subset? NO. You use words like 'good' and 'okay' and 'above average' to describe people with a lick of talent. Us? THIS IS TALENT INCARNATE!” Gallway nearly facepalmed. “Now, you're probably new or inexperienced or legally retarded, Layne-Brain, so we're going to give you a free pass tonight. But I'm 'bout to fuck you up with some TRUTH! The truth is this... jOlt NEEDS us here to bolster this tag team division. Truth is, what you’re seeing here is a group of guys who have taken tag team wrestling from a dying art into a Goddamn renaissance. We’re in our fourth year as a team which is an eternity these days, but we’ve already conquered so many other places because not only can we talk the talk and back it up, but we’ve got wads of cash that would make most of these guys back here blush. We don’t count dollars in just regular numbers, we count dollars in INCHES. Do you know how much money is in a wad of hundreds a foot high?” “We-” “Fuck no, you don't!” Gallway cackled. Layne shook his head and frowned. But he was a consummate professional... he did have a job to do. “Well, to another line of questioning, tonight you guys are taking on a pretty successful tag team here in jOlt tonight when you go up against the team of Fueled By Ignorance, Chris Titan and Chris Register. Former jOlt Tag Team Champions...” “...What, in like 2000?” Frank sneered. “Now THAT'S a tag team who's merely 'good' or 'above average,' Layne. Yeah, once upon a time, they did rule the roost around here as a team, but while they've been doing what... whole lotta nothing for the last several years? We've created a DYNASTY of tag team wrestling. And that dynasty is going to continue to roll over the competition here in jOlt. We stomp heads, we laugh about it... then we go back and watch it on youtube. It's at youtube channel HoWbetterThanFBI. Seriously, Mack has that badass HTC One X and he's going to film it all from ringside. Go buy it now!” Mack showed off his proud baby phone to the camera. “All ready to go, guys. We've got this.” Frank, Mack, and Ryan walked off the set while jovially laughing like a bunch of douchy frat guys. Donny Layne was now all alone, wiping a bead of nervous sweat from his brow. “All right... that was the Heirs of Wrestling. Thanks for joining us.” Fueled by Ignorance vs. Heirs of Wrestling The fans had earlier witnessed a scathing interview with The Heirs of Wrestling, but here they were now in jOlt. They were young, rich, and most importantly, ready for action. But a pair of wrestling veterans and another successful tag team once upon a time in jOlt history may have a thing or two to say about that. The team of Chris Register and Chris Titan were former jOlt Tag Team Champions who knew how to get it done in the squared circle and if anybody could shut the young'uns the hell up, it would be them. “13 Steps To Nowhere” by Pantera. And the fans in the arena gave a nice ovation to a pair of returning wrestling veterans who were in definite fighting shape. The Maple Ridge, Canada native, Chris Titan made his way out from the back looking all business. Behind him, the Wisconsin native called Chris Register made his way out. Tonight, Fueled by Ignorance was reborn. Two Chrises, no waiting. “The following tag team bout is set for one fall! First, making their way to the ring at a combined weight of 467 pounds, they are the team of Chris Titan and Chris Register... FUELED BY IGNORANCE... THE FBI!” Titan, especially, seemed to be a little bit miffed about the pre-match comments from their opponents, but here he was with a chance to reunite with his tag team partner again and head to the top of the mountain. Titan was focused while Register took a few moments to slap hands with the fans before joining him in the ring. They stopped as their opponents arrived next... “Forever (Travis Barker Remix)” by Drake. Next, the lights dimmed to a single spotlight. And in this giant spotlight, the fans booed the presence of the self-proclaimed tag team dynasty. Frank Silver, Ryan Gallway, flanked by their friend and big bodyguard, Mack Brody, appeared ready for action as well. “And their opponents... being accompanied to the ring by Mack Brody... hailing from a wonderful Spring residence in The Florida Everglades... at a combined weight of 440 pounds, they are the team of Frank Silver and Ryan Gallway... The Heirs of Wrestling!” The Heirs each took a turnbuckle in the ring and talked some shit to the crowd while Mack Brody had his arms folded all badass-like as a friend and bodyguard should. The metrosexual bodyguard mean-mugged the camera, then used the giant tron to check his hair and make sure each spike was up to snuff as Ryan and Frank took their time in the ring. Register and Titan looked equally unimpressed by the young, rich, cocky pricks but had to watch out for Mack Brody on the outside. Brody was true to his word, filming the match on his HTC On X phone on the outside. “Kick their ass, Frank!” Mack shouted from behind the lens. DING DING DING! The bigger Frank Silver started off with Chris Titan first and the two men locked up in the center of the ring. Frank went for the go-behind quickly and tried to keep Titan down, but the former jOlt Tag Team Champion wasn't going to take their words lying down either. He reversed and now had Frank in the Rear Waistlock position, but instead just decided to wail on him a bit with some hard rights to the cheers of the crowd. He backed Frank into the corner and reeled back before just delivering a nice open-handed SLAP. The taste may have flown out of Frank's mouth and into the crowd. “How's that for good, you little prick?” Titan muttered, remembering the harsh words from earlier. Frank had no answer for that as Register took him over with a quick Arm Drag and tossed him over head. When Frank got back to his feet, Titan caught him under the jaw with a European Uppercut! Two more shots caught the bigger Frank underneath the jaw and palmed him by the back of the head before introducing Silver face-first into the top turnbuckle! The Baron of Ballistics was rocked and now Titan tagged in the other Chris, that being Chris Register. The two men used the entirety of the five-count to stomp themselves a collective mudhole into the mouthpiece of the Heirs before whipping him to the ropes. When he came back, both Chrises nailed a double Back Elbow and they followed that up with a tandem Elbow Drop across the chest! “Just like riding a bike,” Register laughed as he waited for Frank to get back up. When The Sovereign Superman did just that, Register caught him in the chest and nailed a Swinging Neckbreaker before following up with the cover. ONE! TWO... NO! Frank shot a shoulder up. Register picked Frank up and fired off a pair of Knife-Edge Chops and backed him up in the corner before setting Silver up on the top rope. The Wisconsonite...idonian...whatever made his way up top and had a Hurricanrana in mind... but Ryan Gallway ran over to him. He yelled at Ryan to back the **** up, not wanting any shenanigans from him, but the distraction proved costly when Frank pushed Register off the top... he landed on his feet, but failed to see Frank coming with a HARD Tomahawk Chop off the top rope! He picked Register up off the mat and tossed him onto the second rope, pressing a knee into the back of his head while choking him against it. The referee ordered a five-count and Frank backed off, giving a scout's honor to the referee. The ref failed to see Ryan drive a flying kick into Register's face! Chris was knocked silly and stumbled into a HARD Big Boot from Frank! Silver laughed at his fallen opponent before grabbing Register by the head while Titan looked on, not pleased with Register falling for a trap like that. Mack was still filming on his phone while Frank tagged Ryan Gallway in. Gallway leaped over the ropes and Frank held Register in a Reverse STO position. Gallway Dropkicked Register in the back of the head and the extra force snapped Register with a reverse STO into the turnbuckle! Frank left the ring while Gallway leaped into action and went for the cover. ONE! TWO! NO! Register kicked out and two and a half, but the Heirs were now working him over expertly. Ryan lived up to his moniker of the Pirahna of the Heirs and stomped away at him several times. He doubled over Register with a spinning kick to the legs only to bounce off the ropes and plant both feet into the side of his face with a Running Front Dropkick! Chris was down now and Ryan took his time on the ring apron. “LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!” he shouted, making sure Mack got his next move. Ryan ran across the apron and leaped to the top turnbuckle before flying across the ring and coming down with a Diving Headbutt! He was a buck 85, but Ryan Gallway was easily the most ring-savvy out of all the Heirs. Ryan pushed Register down and hooked both legs again. ONE! TWO! NO! Ryan Gallway shook his head before he grabbed onto Register's arm and started to kick away at the joint. He kicked the shoulder with some nasty shots and slapped on a tight Fujiwara Armbar. He cranked back on the hold while Chris Titan looked on from ringside, looking laser beam-focused while Register was in pain. The former jOlt Tag Team Champion was in a very bad position right now, but kept on fighting until he was close enough to make it to the ropes. Gallway let go of the hold and grabbed the bad arm, so Register quickly used his good one and coldcocked Ryan in the jaw. He fired off two more shots and whipped him to the ropes while Frank blind-tagged himself in. Register missed a Clothesline, but Frank and Ryan did NOT miss some high-low action. Frank chopped the back of his leg while Ryan connected with a Flying Knee Strike to the face that he called the Falling Comet Crash! Ryan cleared the ring while Silver went for the cover on Register! ONE! TWO! NO! Again, Register kicked out and didn't wan to succumb to defeat so easily. The fans were lending their support to the FBI while Chris Titan had a hand extended, waiting for a clear opportunity to tag in. Frank stood up and picked up where Ryan left off, throwing stomp after stomp into the good arm of Register. Silver continued to stomp, Garvin-style, across the body. Legs, arms, knees, then finally, the head... THE BOOTLICKER! Frank then picked up Register off the mat and shoved him to the ropes before connecting with a hard Spinebuster! Chris was down, but Frank was smiling now, sticking out his pinky to the crowd... then he ran the ropes and dropped YE OLDE ROYALE ELBOWE! ONE! TWO... NO! Register wasn't going down to an Elbow Drop, no matter how good it looked. But he needed to make a tag right away. Frank kicked him and climbed to the second rope, waiting to pop off a moonsault... but Register was right on his tail, setting up Frank on the second buckle before dropping him down with a HARSH Electric Chair Drop! Frank was down and finally, Register had an opening. Chris shook his head and crawled over to the ropes while The Sovereign Superman was trying to get his bearings. Silver and Register crawled to their respective corners where Ryan and a fired-up Titan were both ready to come to their partner's aid. Frank headed over to his partner and made the tag to Ryan, but he was unable to stop Register... Tagged to Titan! The other half of the FBI made his way into the ring and nearly buzzsawed right through The Prince of Precision with a perfect Back Elbow Strike. When Ryan got up a second time, he was kicked in the gut and taken down with a second Elbow Smash. A third time was most certainly NOT the charm for Ryan, for when the 185-pounder got back up, Titan connected with an Interved Atomic Drop. He charged off the ropes and nearly DECAPITATED Ryan with his trademarked Power Clothesline! Gallway flipped backwards and landed on his stomach from the brutal shot. The move turned Ryan inside out, but Titan gave him no reprieve as he grabbed him by the waist and connected with a Bridging German Suplex! ONE! TWO! THR... FRANK WITH THE SAVE! Frank got there in the nick of time and dropped an elbow across the exposed chest of Titan. Frank tried coming to his partner's aid, but a recovered Register caught him with an elbow to the back of the head. Both Titan and Register had Gallway and Silver in their respective grips before they signalled to the crowd and dropped them with stereo DDTs! Ryan was down now while Register cleared Frank from the ring and pushed him to the outside. Titan tagged into Register and waited for the groggy Ryan to get back to his feet, but Mack immediately stopped filming with his phone and stood on the ring apron now, trying to save his friends from taking a beating. The referee was distracted by the big guy. “Hey! Look! Diversion! Look at me!” Mack shouted, utterly confusing the referee. But it did what it needed to do. The groggy, but able Frank clipped Titan's leg as he left the ring, making him take a nasty spill on the ring apron before collapsing to the floor. Register saw Frank and tried for a punch, but Frank ducked. Ryan's high right roundhouse kick did not and whacked Chris upside the head, making him stumble around. Silver and Gallway hit the ring now and it was Frank grabbing Register while Ryan moved in for the kill... THE ASCENSION! Their signature double-team move was a high and tight Enzuigiri from Ryan combined with a Flatliner by Frank! The double-team went undetected by the referee and Ryan was now on top of Register, hooking the leg while Frank kept Titan at bay. ONE! TWO! THREE! The bell sounded and the crowd booed their asses off, but The Heirs had won the match by hook or by crook! They scored a huge win over the very able FBI and took off out of the ring like thieves in the night, laughing the whole way up the ramp at their huge victory in jOlt! Meanwhile, Register was down and out, holding his face in pain while Chris Titan walked back into the ring. He shot a glance up at the departing Heirs and then shot a look of frustration in the direction of his tag team partner. Register and Titan put up a good fight, but the numbers game had proven too much for the FBI. Titan shook his head and growled before he went to check on Register. Quite a setback for The FBI but a huge win to kick off The HoW's tenure in jOlt! Winner: Heirs of Wrestling via Pinfall "Awakening" “They all hate me.” A lone voice resounds over the image of pitch black. “They wish their hated upon me.” The scene slowly fades in and pans around a wrestling ring. It seems to be inside of an arena somewhere, but it’s completely empty and the lights are turned off. The only source of dim light comes from the upper walls where small windows allow pale rays of what can be assumed as perhaps city lights through. Particles of dust flutter in the rays of monochrome. The camera continues to pan around the ring. “I wanted to avoid reliving my past, but they hated me for it.” The scene fades to black and then fades back in. A dark office is the scene. We can see a metal desk with the LoC Underground Championship laid out across it. A man sits alone in what can faintly be made out to be a brown leather chair, like one you would find in an athletic office. The absence of sufficient light hides the person’s identity, but with the title on display, it can only be assumed that it is of the current Underground Champion, Derecho. “What defines a man?” “I asked this of myself, but I could not find the answer. I then simplified the question.” “What defines me?” “Who Am I?” With those last words, the scene quickly snaps to 21st Century Wrestling, on an episode of Uncut where Derecho faced Ninja K in his very first match with the company. “I am a professional wrestler” The scene quickly snaps back “But am I truly that?” The scene snaps again to Legacy of Champions where after Alias interfered in his match, Derecho won the Legacy Championship by pinning the then champion, Sylo. “Am I just tainted by luck?” The scene snaps back as Derecho grasps at his face with his right hand. “Just what am I?” The scene snaps again, this time to X Wrestling, the company that Derecho, under his real name of Jason Roberts, owned and operated from 1999-2003. Various clips snap one after the other of wrestlers past such as Quick Death, Disciplinarian, Ninja K, Cameron Cage, Shawn Striker, Synn, Steve Chambers, Judas Fixx, Mattock, etc. After the flashbacks of those individuals, moments in xW’s history flash one after the other. Mike Patterson german suplexing Ninja K off the top of steel cage through an announce table. The Crystal Nightmares match between Mattock and Judas Fixx, the Triple Threat Theater between Kage and Osyrus, bloodbath after bloodbath after bloodbath was on display. Just as fast as each image flashed, it once again flashed to complete black. “Was that me?” “Is this who I truly am?” “No” From black, it faded back in as Derecho sat in the chair. He grasped even harder at his face, as if he wanted to suppress those memories. “I am a wrestler. As Underground Champion, I must not listen to them.” “My way….” “….is the right way” “I will outwrestle….” “…I am forever…” “…I am…” “I….” “Urgh…” Derecho continued to sit there, face buried in his hand. It had been nine long years since the doors of xW were open. It had been nine long years since he sat in that very office and devised some of wrestling’s most brutal match concepts. Some called him a genius… others called him the devil. Many wondered how he could have slept at night after he put his roster through that kind of punishment and pain. When Derecho returned to LoC, he made it clear his goal was the Legacy Championship… not because of the prestige… not because of the fame… not because he wanted to boost his ego. He thought that when LoC transitioned into jOlt that he could continue on with a new goal, but being the Underground Champion during a transition didn’t allow him to set his sights on a new goal just yet… but why would he want a new goal? To further boost his ego? No… Because he was afraid. He swore to never return to what he was. To never become again what he had abandoned, but it was clear. He defeated Suicide in LoC and became the Underground Champion after winning their Or Die Trying Tournament and capturing the Relentless Championship. After cashing in the Relentless Title on Suicide… Derecho and Superstar Vince Jacobs stood atop of the Legacy of Champions as the two pillars of the company. Derecho believed that he could maintain his ability to purely wrestle as the Underground Champion. Each and every defense, he was able to overcome the odds and defeat his opponents. One by one, with each and every victory, he proved that pure wrestling had its place, even in the LoC Underground Division. The fans hated Derecho for never once picking up a steel chair, for never once using a trash can, for never once using a Singapore cane. The fans even went so far as to turn their backs to him during matches, but in Derecho’s mind, he didn’t care because he never cared for the fans’ opinions. He was winning matches the way he wanted to, and he retained his championship and remained as one of the pillars of LoC. But then things changed. Even with the transition, the fans still hated him… even his peers began to question him. Some wondered if there was a breaking point and when it would be reached. “They are forcing my hand…” Derecho muttered that phrase to himself because he truly believed it to be so. He believed that people looked down at him. The biggest thing that could ever shatter ones ego is the absence of recognition… the absence of fear… and the absence of respect. Derecho had built his entire career around the limelight. Derecho even found that limelight in jOlt as he is formerly one half of the jOlt tag team champions alongside his best friend and greatest rival, The Blazer. Usually, the fans never respected him, but every worker admired his ring work… every promoter was happy to have him on their roster because he brought in money… he brought in advertisers and positive exposure. Since Derecho’s crusade to preserve the essence of pro-wrestling in a hardcore environment, it seemed as if all of that started to slip away and disappear. The fans’ hatred grew from typical heel heat, to genuine hatred. His peers even began to question whether or not Derecho was fit to carry the LoC Underground on his back. The gossip made their rounds and its venom coursed through the locker rooms, getting worse and worse with each retelling. Derecho did not want to revert. He didn’t want to give in, but he sensed that perhaps his way was truly wrong. “Heh… heh…” Derecho began to calmly laugh to himself, until suddenly, he burst out laughing, his hand still covering his face. “How ironic. This place…. This setting…. Four years of my life that I cannot bury… that I cannot extinguish from memory… is the place where I came to make a decision.” “Heh….” “I delight in it.” Derecho finally let go of the grasp on his face and stood up. He picks up the Underground Championship and slings it over his shoulder. The camera pans up and focuses on Derecho’s right eye, which is closed. All of a sudden, it snaps open and a trickle of blood runs down Derecho’s forehead, over his eye, and down his cheek. Apparently, Derecho had grasped at his face so hard, he ripped and tore the skin on his forehead. “iNtense is such a lovely name…” Derecho closed his now bloody and with that the scene fades to complete black once again. “So it begins….” Silence. Mike Extreme vs. Kayden Paulton "Melancholy (Holy Martyr)" by Iced Earth. A familiar tune to former jOlt fans and one that resulted in a familiar reaction from everyone. Boos/ Mike Extreme walked out from behind the curtain. His girlfriend (and former porn star) Misty Gold followed, as well as another unexpected party. Walking just a step behind Extreme was wrestling manager extraordinaire, Violet. The leggy manager was decked out in a purple mini skirt suit, complete with purple lipstick and her patented long purple hair. She was grinning ear-to-ear as she followed what must be her latest aquisition in Mike Extreme to the ring. All three entered; Extreme hopping onto the apron and pulling Misty up onto his knee, allowing her to sensually slide through the ropes, while Violet took the more tradition route of the ring steps. Once inside Ms. Violet called for a microphone. "Boo him all you want, you insignificant insects," Violent eloquently said (she always had such a way with words), "the fact of the matter is standing before you is not only the most dangerous man in jOlt today ... but the most intelligent." Extreme snarled while Misty Gold nodded and ran her fingers down her man's abdomen. "How, you say? I don't blame you, I never expect any of you to understand intelligent thinking. I don't like to disappoint myself in such a manner." None of that helped endear any of the people in the ring to the audience. "It's called seizing an opportunity when one presents itself ... such as tonight when Kayden Paulton was idiotically whistling his way to work. Mike Extreme, my client, seized an opportunity and with no one here to punish him for his actions ... he took Kayden Paulton out. It was brilliant." Nobody likes when someone gets jumped from behind while whistling the theme song to Andy Griffith. Nobody. "You don't like that, do you?" That's already been established. "That's just too bad because it happened and now ... we demand the referee ring that bell and declare Mike Extreme the winner of his match via Forfeit." Referee Ian Nyugen looked as if he didn't agree with Violet's plan, so Mike Extreme carefully approached him to try and presuade his decision. Basically, he pinned the referee in the corner and informed him that he had better make the call or he'd face a similar fate to Kayden Paulton. *DING-DING* Ian Nyugen began his count. ONE... TWO... THREE... FOUR... FIVE... Halfway there, Violet gave her client a nice pat on the back and they shared a nod. SIX... SEVEN... EIGHT... NINE... TEN! *DING-DING-DING* Misty Gold leapt into the open arms of her man and they shared a deep passionate kiss while Violet celebrated in the ring. "RAISE THIS MAN'S HAND!" Mike Extreme took one hand off of his girlfriend's main money making talent and held it out for Ian Nyugen to raise. "BRAD ARNOLD," Violet screamed, "TELL US WHO THE WINNER IS!" "The winner of this match ... by forfeit ... MIKE EXTREME!" And just like that Mike Extreme advanced to the second round of the Underground tournament without even breaking a sweat. iNtense moved backstage while the celebration in the ring continued. Winner: Mike Extreme via Forfeit "Fueled by Hatred" "This wasn't the way it was supposed to go down, Reg!" Chris Titan kicked a folding chair halfway across the locker room while his partner, Chris Register, sat in another holding his face in his hands. The defeat they faced at the hands of the Heirs of Wrestling his both men hard but in very different ways. "YOU dropped the ball out there, man!" "It was three on two, Chris." "I don't care if it was three hundred on two, Reg, you cost us the match! OUR return to jOlt and you got us beat!" Chris Register picked his head up out of his hands and looked his partner, Chris Titan, dead in his eyes. "You were the one that got taken out at ringside." "RRRRRRAAAH!" Titan flung another chair across the locker room, just over Chris Register's head. The chair slammed into the wall, leaving a huge gash in the drywall. Clearly, Chris Titan's anger had completely boiled over. "I didn't want to team with you, Reg ... those days were long gone as far as I was concerned. But that's what the brass wanted us to do, so that's what I'm doing. I swear to God, though, if you don't get your shit together, man, ... I will kick the living shit out of you." "You know, Chris, it's really easy for you to use me as the scape goat when the fact is that we both messed up out there. And maybe, just maybe, it's because your head is the one that's not in the game." "Shut. The. Hell. Up." "Fine, Chris, have it your way. From now on we both go out there and we do our jobs and that's that. No buddy-buddy B.S., just a business partnership." "We were never buddies, Reg. You just never realized that. I'm done with you holding me back. No more screw ups or else." With that Chris Titan stormed out of the locker room, slamming the door nearly off its hinges as he left. Chris Register's head returned to his hands; the darkness helping him to forget about the world around him, his recent failure in the ring, and the hostile situation the future held. "God, I so don't want to be here right now." "Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance" “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by the original man in black himself started to play in the Arena and the fans packed inside responded accordingly. . .with a tsunami of boos that stretched from the rafters to the floor, from one end of the building to the other. But the Nashvillain was floating on a cloud and he wasn’t going to let the LoC/jOlt fans bring him down as they tossed garbage and hurled insults toward the masked ring veteran as he slowly walked towards the ring with the Relentless championship, his new, shiny prize, draped over his shoulder in full display. He made his way slowly into the ring and lifted the title belt high over his head to an even bigger chorus of boos. He cracked a sly smile as he snatched a tossed mic out of the air and waited for the fans to quiet down before he began. “Last night at Or Die Trying I did exactly what I set out to do. Last night I did exactly what I said I was gonna do. Last night I became YER new Relentless champion.” Nash looked down at the Relentless title while the crowd booed in unison. “See, sometimes in life things don’t happen the way ya want them too. Sometimes things don’t always go as planned. But the people who are smart, the people who are cunning, the people that have the will to survive and the wherewithal to succeed will always have a back up plan. And I always have a back up plan. I said I’d be taking the Relentless title back home with me and I’ll be goddamned if I didn’t do it.” The Nashvillain paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before bringing the mic back to his lips. He began to speak but found his words drowned out by a hypnotizing bassline and an eerie chorus: Human being to the mob What’s a mob to a king? What’s a king to a God? What’s a God to a non-believer? Who don’t believe in anything? “No Church in the Wild”. The fans erupted as the one and only JCon a.k.a. Jonathan Conspiracy a.k.a. Mr. One Letter Better himself stepped through the curtains and into full view of his adoring fan base. As always, and looking as beautiful as ever, was his alluring valet Sweet Aroma who stood a few steps behind her man. From behind his back JCon revealed a microphone of his own that he had stuffed into his tights. He signaled for the production team to cut his music and raised a hand in the air to silence the fans before beginning to speak. “You know, I’m sure you have a great reason for being out here old man. You want to gloat over your new title, you want to rub it in the face of these fans. But as old people tend to do. . .you were starting to ramble and I just HAD to come out here and say my piece. . .before you put me to sleep with that monologue.” The crowd popped huge at JCon’s biting insult and JCon himself just couldn’t hold back a venomous smile. “Let’s just cut to the chase here Nash. We all saw what you did at Or Die Trying, and I have to give it to you, it was pretty clever. You came out here after Derecho took advantage of a beaten down Suicide and became the Underground champion and with the help of the rulebook forced him to relinquish the Relentless championship. Hell, I don’t know if anyone realized but you became the Relentless champion by just. . .picking that belt up off the floor.” The Nashvillain chuckled into his mic. “Don’t be jealo-.” “Oh, I’m not jealous,” JCon said, cutting off Nash. “I just said I tip my hat to you. Brilliant idea. But if you’re gonna be the Relentless champion than you’re gonna have to follow the rules that go along with that. Since you’re such a stickler for the rules, I won’t have to explain’em to you, but for the benefit of the people who haven’t studied the official handbook, allow me to explain. As Relentless champion, Nash, you are not allowed to turn down a challenger at any time. So while you were out here putting everyone to sleep, I was in the back solidifying deals and I have some good news and I got a little bit of bad news for you champ. “The bad news is that you’ve got a match. Tonight. In fact, right now. For that belt. And since I’ve officially made the challenge, you’re looking at your opponent.” The fans packed in the arena let out a deafening roar of applause and it was a few moments before JCon could be heard again. “So what’s the good news? Well, the good news is that you’re gonna go down in the record books. That’s right. You’re gonna go down in history as the shortest reigning Relentless champion that this company has ever seen!” With that, Mr. One Letter Better dropped his mic and started down the rampway with Sweet Aroma trailing behind him. The Nashvillain however held up a hand to stop Conspiracy in his tracks. “Hold on, Mr. JCon. Just hold on just one, teeny-tiny second. Ya see, if you were a smart man you woulda kept yer mouth shut and listened in the back while I finished up my “monologue”. Because yer right, I did have a reason for comin’ out here. Since yer obviously familiar with the rules and regulations that go along with havin’ this belt ya know that I can’t turn down a challenge. But ya should also know that the reigning Relentless champion, which I am, gets to pick his own stipulation for his title defenses. And I pick the Freebird rule. Any member of my team may defend this belt in my place and you’ll never know which one it’ll be. . .” “BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” JCon cut Nash off again with a stream of laughter. “Let me get this straight. Your stipulation is that either you. . .or your scrawny, noodle armed manager can defend your belt at anytime?” “Yep.” Nash replied, a sinister smirk creeping onto his face. “Me, my manager G.G. Gentry or these two hungry, young Southern savages. . .Eli and Ezra Conway. . .the WEST TEXAS TERRORISTS!” “West Texas who?” was the only thing the obviously puzzled JCon had time to say before a huge forearm smash to the back of his head knocked him to the cold, hard steel of the entrance ramp. His valet and longtime partner Sweet Aroma let out a terrified scream as two identical twin brothers descended onto Mr. One Letter Better like vultures upon fresh carrion. She quickly got over her fear and jumped into action determined to make the save before her man got beaten into a bloody pulp right before her eyes. She leapt at the slightly larger of the two men and landed on his back, fingers desperately clawing at the man’s eyes. The man let out an enraged roar before flipping Sweet Aroma over his shoulder with a Judo toss. She to landed on the unforgiving steel of the ramp but was either too dumb or too incensed to stay down. JCon was trying desperately to get to his feet, trading blows with both men as Sweet Aroma decided to get back into the fray. She got to her feet and reared back for the biggest right hook she could muster letting it fly like a piston with compressed air rocketing behind it. Too bad it was caught. The bigger twin scowled menacingly before wrenching her arm down and simultaneously delivering one of the biggest clotheslines the audience had ever seen. Sweet Aroma crumpled like a house of cards in a tornado and was seemingly out cold even before her head smacked against the ramp. JCon let out a scream of anguish but was powerless to do much of anything to help her against the pummeling he was receiving from the other Conway twin as the young man planted steel-toed boot after steel-toed boot into the New York native’s ribs. Finally when he thought he was going to pass out from the pain he felt himself being lifted up roughly to his feet and rolled into the ring. He guessed his Relentless title match was about to begin. The Nashvillain(c) vs. Jonathan Conspiracy Nash, not even dressed for a wrestling match clad in blue jeans, work boots and a Confederate flag tee shirt, dropped the mic and the title belt to the mat while he screamed at the ref who was running down to ringside to hurry up and start the match while the Terrorists rolled JCon underneath the bottom rope. The newly introduced Conway twins got in their last parting shots as the referee hit the ring running and signaled for the bell. DING! DING! DING! Nash began to scream at the fallen JCon while he planted his size thirteen work boots wherever they found an opening. The fans were on their feet, half of them urging JCon to get to his and the other half letting the current Relentless champion know just what they thought of him. They had seen the beloved JCon beaten unmercifully from behind by the two pitbull-like twins, and even worse. . .the radiant Sweet Aroma had been knocked unconscious and was still lying on the entrance ramp unmoving as medical personnel began to emerge from backstage. The Nashvillain it seemed would’ve been content to stomp JCon onto the “injured reserve” list but referee Blake Van Sant was determined to keep the match clean, at least between the bells, and gave the masked big man a five count before he backed him off of One Letter Better. Nash circled the ring taunting the crowd as he went while the referee sat JCon up in the corner and looked to be asking him if he wanted to even continue. To his credit, despite the beating he had taken already at the hands of the West Texas Terrorists, JCon shoved the ref aside and struggled up to one knee with the help of the ropes. The crowd let out a pop for their beloved grappler when they realized he was slowly trying to get to his feet. . .but their hope was short lived as: BAM! BAM! BAM! Nash went back on the attack laying three big Bionic elbow shots to the center of JCon’s forehead. Amazingly though, JCon fought back and delivered an eye gouge to the Tennessee native, setting the crowd on fire and sending the Nashvillain reeling. ‘Con pulled himself to his feet with the space the eye gouge bought him and the crowd went ape **** before once again having the air driven out of them like needle popping a balloon as JCon dropped down to one knee clutching his rib area. In virtually no time Nash was back on the attack, roaring in anger while he drove JCon back to the canvas with a powerful double axe handle delivered right to the injured torso of Conspiracy. But what would have put down a regular wrestler once again failed to do the job as an image of JCon’s hand reaching out and grabbing the bottom rope to pull himself back up filled the huge screen above the entrance ramp reviving the spirits of the fans just a little bit. Nash however was through with toying around. He stomped on JCon’s outstretched arm causing the downed grappler to cry out in pain. The “Fighting Savior of All Things Southern” pantomimed a knife being cut across his throat signaling to everyone in attendance that he was ending this right now. He reached down and pulled an almost limp JCon from the mat, viciously grabbing him around the neck and screaming words at him that were drowned out by the sold out crowd. It didn’t matter what he said however, what happened next needed no context. A swift boot to JCon’s gut, doubling him over. Nash powering JCon’s arms into the double underhook position. JCon being lifted vertically into the air, his head hovering dangerously close to the stained canvas. Nash giving a little jump before spiking JCon’s head directly into the mat with a double underhook sit-down piledriver. . .the move he claimed was Banned In 48 States! Nash flipped the limp body of JCon over and hooked his leg deep as he ordered the ref to make the count. ONE! TWO! THREE! The bell sounded and “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” played into the arena as the referee handed Nashvillain back his Relentless championship belt. The crowd continued to boo as the West Texas Terrorists slid into the ring and once again put the boots to JCon until they had kicked/rolled him right out of the ring and into the waiting hands of the medical personnel. The last shot the audience saw as the show went backstage was the crowd in a fury, JCon being attended to on the floor and G.G. Gentry joining his client, the Nashvillain and his new posse, the West Texas Terrorists to embrace and celebrate their “tough, hard fought” first title defense. Winner: Nashvillain via Pinfall "A Citizen's Warning" Inside of the jOlt arena, the fans were still abuzz for the return show when the tron sparked to life. The screen immersed the arena in a glowing black, nothing more than a silhouette of a masked man standing before them. It was a mask that the wrestling world was familiar with, not only as the mask that Christopher Sheffield wore the first time that he entered the Legacy of Champions. This was a mask that should strike fear into anyone staring at it, and it most certainly would. “Throughout history there have been men who were evil, and have made their intentions for domination clear.” The voice was overly eerie; obviously not the real voice of the man behind the mask, but a vocalizer was being used to make him sound like one of those guys off of Gangland who didn’t want to be shanked. “Then there are the men who fight for the righteous side of the spectrum,” the man paused, “but have ulterior motives that never come to light, but they profit from the fact that you all feel that they are the person you all should be rooting for.” “I am not every man, and I do not look for your admiration, or your applause.” The man paused once more, “I do not look to profit gain from my actions, I only seek the expose all of those who stand in my way. My mission is simple, everyone is suspect under my radar, and you all will be exposed at one point or another.” “I have been afforded the opportunity to start my quest in the worst division in sports television history. I will pick my way through the filth of the Underground division over the coming months, and the eventual results of my quest will lead me to the worst violator of them all.” “Jason Roberts,” the man let the name linger on the minds of the fan in attendance, “You have done awful acts over the portion of your career. Regardless of the fact that you’ve played the hero or the villain role, it has all benefited you in some aspect for another.” “You’re time will come, after I have eliminated all of the other competition on my path to you. You have been warned, and Citizen will have his victim served to him on a silver platter.” The lights cued back up, and the tron was blank once more. Derecho(c) vs. Rune Winters The time for the Underground Championship match had arrived. The fans witnessed what had transpired with Derecho earlier and many wondered what it meant when Derecho stated that it had begun. The answer to that question was about to be given. “Blood, Milk, and Sky (Miss September Mix) by White Zombie Rune Winters stepped out from behind the curtain. He made his way down to the ring where he hopped up onto the ring apron and then stepped in between the middle and top rope. Rune went over to the corner near the hard camera and announce position and ascended where he took in the reaction from the crowd. Rune then hopped off the turnbuckles and warmed up in the ring. It was quite obvious that he was prepared for a fight and with Derecho defending the Underground Championship successfully for the past six months in LoC using nothing but pure, technical wrestling, Rune wondered if he could actually outwrestle Derecho tonight and “save” the Underground Championship from the fate it had been given. Rune Winter’s music died down and then there was silence from the P.A. speakers. The fans quieted down as well as it seemed like an eternity had passed and still there was no sign of Derecho. Rune even started to question whether or not Derecho was going to come out from the back, but then there was a thunderous boom and all of the power went out completely. It was pitch black. There was a low rumble as the big screen lit up, but the screen itself was completely dark as well, but you could tell that the screen had been illuminated from its backlights. On the screen, an eye opens up… the same exact eye that had been shown in Derecho’s vignette earlier. His voice boomed across the arena. “And so it begins….” The arena then became bathed in a crimson hue as the opening guitar riffs of “Black Hearts and Dollar Signs” by Fade struck up.. but something was a little different about this song. Some of the music in the beginning seemed a bit different and when the lyrics struck up, they too, were different. Music wise, it was slightly different, but this was a new song indeed. “One Reason” by Fade Derecho stepped out from behind the black curtain. He sported a different look as well. A long, black cloth trench coat covered his body, but it was open in the middle. His hair was slightly longer and now jet black rather than the dark brown it was before. His face paint doubled as there were now two “black scars”, once over each eye. He traded the jump suit for no shirt and long black tights with silver knee pads and silver boots. Around his waist was the LoC Underground Championship. Derecho made his way to the ring slowly. Derecho then climbed up onto the ring apron and stepped into the ring between the middle and top rope. Rune stepped out of the ring as red sparks rained down from the above the ring. Derecho tilted his head back as he let the sparks bounce off of his face. Shortly after the pyro stopped and the lights returned to normal in addition to his music dying down. Derecho took off his coat and unfastened the Underground Championship from around his waist and passed it over to the referee. Winters came back into the ring and met Derecho in the center. The referee held up the Underground Championship high above his head and then passed it off to ringside. He then called for the bell and the match had finally begun. DING DING DING Rune went to encircle Derecho, but Derecho didn’t budge… he just stood there, but his eyes were locked onto Rune the entire time. Rune stopped in his tracks and then tried to circle around the other way, but Derecho stood still once again and just kept his eyes on Rune. Rune wanted to know why Derecho wasn’t moving an inch, but Derecho didn’t answer.... He just stood there! Rune shoved Derecho in the chest and Derecho staggered back. Derecho hung his head low so that his hair covered his face, but despite being pushed, he just stood there. The crowd didn’t know what to make of this either and began to boo Derecho. Rune shoved him again and again Derecho just stood there and hung he head low. Rune grew impatient and laid in a huge right hand to the side of Derecho’s face. Derecho’s head rocked back, but he didn’t even bother bringing his head back forward to face Rune. He kept his head turned away from him and Rune had no idea what to make of this. He walked up to Derecho and shouted at him. “HEY” “HEY!!” “LOOK AT ME LIKE A MAN” “COME ON!” “FACE ME LIKE A MAN AND STOP BEING SOME SOFTCORE LITTLE BITCH” The crowd “OOOH”ed at the insult and that seemed to be the final straw for Derecho. Derecho began to chuckle to himself and then the chuckle escalated into pure laughter. Rune shoved Derecho again and then shouted out “YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY? HUH!?” Derecho then snapped his attention to Rune… when Derecho flipped his hair back he literally had tears flowing from his eyes. The camera panned in close enough to get a good look at them.. and then Derecho muttered two simple words… “I’m sorry” Rune had a real puzzled look on his face, but as soon as Derecho muttered those words, he clenched his hand into a fist and started a flurry of offense! Rune’s head rocked back as Derecho laced into him with rapid fire rights and lefts, combination blows! Rune tried to block one, but Derecho switched to knee strikes to the stomach and then one final one to the face of Rune Winters! Rune staggered back, but then shook it off. Rune then charged in with a clothesline, but Derecho ducked underneath it, turned and then hit a leaping calf kick to the chest of Winters that staggered him back. So far, Derecho had stuck to his pro-wrestling guns and it seemed to be working so far. Rune then got his balance back and then baited Derecho to come at him. Derecho took the bait and charged in, but Rune lifted him up and over the top rope where Derecho landed feet first on the ring apron. Rune went for a haymaker punch, but Derecho blocked it and then headbutted Rune in the face! This staggered Rune back and allowed Derecho access to the ring once again. Derecho stepped back in and then hit a forearm shot to the face, but this only got Rune’s attention. Rune then returned the favor and headbutted Derecho in the face that dropped him onto his back. Rune then smiled and leaned over. “WHAT ARE YOU SORRY FOR NOW, HUH!?” Derecho clenched at the sides of his head as he rolled on the canvas. Rune wondered what Derecho was doing, but quickly thought nothing of it. He had Derecho down and was about to prove that sticking to pure wrestling in a hardcore division wasn’t going to work. Rune reached into his tights and pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. He loaded them up onto his fist and pulled Derecho up to his feet. He looked at Derecho and yelled at him once again. “WHAT ARE YOU SO SORRY FOR!?” Derecho then smiled “I’m sorry for you”, Derecho muttered Derecho then headbutted Rune in the face once again and then planted his foot upside his skull with a Step Up Enzugiri. Derecho then reached down and grabbed the brass knuckles off of Rune’s hand and placed it on his own. As Rune got back up to his feet, he didn’t look too happy that Derecho took his weapon away from him. Derecho however, didn’t even give Rune time to think and punched him as hard as he could in his throat!!!! Derecho then dropped the knuckles onto the ground as he looked on, almost in shock that he did that. Rune gasped for air as he fell to his knees. While down, Derecho looked at Rune and realized that he just caused this. That the damage Rune sustained was at his hands. Rather than recoiling at the sight of this… Derecho decided that he would take advantage of the situation and flat out kneed Rune right in the side of the skull!! Rune was down on the canvas in pain and agony while gasping for air. Derecho then meandered over to the ropes and stepped out of the ring. He picked up a steel chair and brought it back into the ring with him. Could this be it? Could this be the time when Derecho finally turns toward the hardcore style in an Underground match? Rune finally was able to catch his breath from that throat punch and got back up to his feet. Derecho readied the chair so that as soon as Rune turned to face him… SMACK!!!!!!!!!!! HOME RUN SWING WITH THE CHAIR RIGHT INTO RUNE’S FACE!!!! Instantly… blood everywhere… all over Rune’s face and on the canvas. Derecho must have easily broken Rune’s nose with that chairshot. Rune hit the canvas flat on his back, but immediately turned onto his side so that he wouldn’t choke on the copious amounts of blood flowing from his nose. Derecho didn’t stop, though. Derecho lifted the chair high above his head with even more tears in his eyes. He slammed the chair down over the rib cage of Rune Winters! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Derecho repeatedly slammed the chair down over Rune’s ribs. Derecho then stopped and unfolded the chair and placed it dead center in the middle of the ring. Derecho pulled Rune up to his feet and shot him into the ropes. Derecho then scooped up Winters on the rebound, pivoted, and planted Winters with a massive spine buster into the unfolded steel chair which was now reduced to a twisted heap of metal! Derecho, who was 240 pounds at best, just put down the near 290 pound Winters with ease. Derecho then left the ring after the spinebuster and grabbed two more steel chairs… after all that, he wasn’t even close to being finished. Derecho slid the chairs into the ring and then rolled back in. He grabbed the first chair and unfolded it in the center of the ring near the body of Rune Winters. He then pulled Rune up to his feet and unfolded the second chair and hung it around his neck. Derecho then used all of his strength to hoist the near 290 pounder up onto his shoulder.. Good lord no… Derecho tilts ever so slightly to the side and free falls…. A FOREVER REMINDER ONTO THE UNFOLDED CHAIR The chair collapsed under the weight.. the chair around Rune’s neck scissors, but thankfully doesn’t close off his airway, but Rune’s body lays there, with no motion, not even a twitch. The blood from his nose continues to pour out. The situation is becoming very dangerous and the referee, if he had any common sense, might want to start thinking about stopping this match even though it had just begun. Everyone in the arena had initially booed Derecho, but not now. Those boos have been silenced. Some of the members of the audience as just looking on in complete awe and silence. There are some people who are still booing, but the number is decreasing with each passing moment. This is almost surreal to some. Many are waiting for Derecho to just pin Winters, but it doesn’t happen. Derecho, inconceivably, isn’t done yet. Derecho pulls Winters up from the metal heap and removes the chair from around his neck. Derecho then hoists Winters up onto his shoulders in a fireman’s carry and walks him over to the corner where he places him down. Rune cannot even stand under his own power anymore and just falls to a seated position. Derecho slides out of the ring and lifts up the ring apron and begins searching for something under the ring. Derecho then pulls out copious amounts of barbed wire from under the ring and keeps it off to the side for a moment. Derecho reaches back underneath the ring and he then pulls out a rather large pane of glass. Just what in the blue hell is Derecho planning on doing!? Derecho leans the glass up against the ring apron and then picks up the massive entanglement of barbed wire. He lays it all out on the floor at ringside and then heads back for the glass pane. He picks it up and then makes a bridge from the ring apron to the barricade with the pane of glass, which now hovers over that makeshift pit of barbed wire. This was a scene out of X Wrestling. This was a small taste of one of Derecho’s many creations… the Crystal Nightmares match, only on a much smaller scale. Rune, while in the corner, happens to muster enough energy to glance over and see what Derecho is setting up. Rune wants no part of it and begins to squirm in an attempt to get out of the ring. Derecho notices this and slides back in as quickly as he can where he picks up the steel chair that was wrapped around Rune’s neck. Derecho gets a running start and swings low! SMACK!!! Derecho slams the chair right into the back of Rune’s skull. Rune then collapses face first into the canvas as Derecho’s face lights up with a huge smile. Derecho pulls the lifeless Rune up off the canvas and brings him back to the turnbuckle pads. He then hoists Rune up to a seated position atop the turnbuckles. Derecho then pulls him forward and hangs his bloodied body over his shoulder… in position for another A Forever Reminder, but Derecho then puts his back to the corner and one turnbuckle at a time, climbs up. Derecho very carefully climbs up to the middle turnbuckle where he sits on atop the corner with Rune still on his shoulder. Derecho uses this position to swing his right leg over the top rope and turn his body toward ringside where that pane of glass is set up. Derecho then swings his left leg over the top rope and then stands. With Rune on his left shoulder, Derecho doesn’t chance ascending to the very top. Instead Derecho gets his footing where he wants it and leaps off as the crowd holds their breath…. A FOREVER REMINDER THROUGH THE GLASS AND INTO THE BARBED WIRE!!!!! There is no “OOH” reaction. There is no crowd noise. There is only silence. Women have their hands over their mouth, men just stare on in disbelief. There is not a single sound coming from the audience at all. Among the silence, only one sound could be heard… the sound of a man laughing… Derecho was laughing. The referee couldn’t watch this anymore… he had to make the call. DING DING DING The referee called for the bell. A man’s life was at stake here. The ring announcer made the official decision clear. “Your winner via knockout and STILL Undergound Champion….. DERECHO!” Derecho sits up as chunks of glass roll off of his body. Derecho stands and then pulls Rune back up. Derecho rolls Rune back into the ring complete with the barbed wire sticking to his trunks and his skin. Derecho rolls back in and continues to laugh as he looks down at Rune Winters. The referee is trying to get Derecho to realize that the match is over… and that he has already won, but Derecho is blindly ignoring the referee. Derecho went to advance toward Rune, but the referee grabbed Derecho by the arm and prevented him from going any further. Derecho snapped his attention to the referee and scooped him up onto his shoulder! A FOREVER REMINDER TO THE REFEREE! Derecho quickly got back up and then it was like a light bulb went on over his head. Derecho hopped out of the ring and lifted up the ring apron. He then pulled out something that was very familiar to Rune Winters… HIS SHOVEL Derecho slides back to the ring with the shovel in hand. He’s going to end Winters’ life with his own weapon! Derecho drops the shovel for a moment and then drags Winters to the opposite corner. Derecho pulls him up and props his back up against it ensuring that he won’t fall. Derecho then heads back to grab the shovel. By this time, every referee and official run out from the back and step in front of Rune Winters. Derecho turns around and readies the shovel like a baseball bat and then sees all of the officials standing in his way. There are around five to six of them and they are all pleading with Derecho to drop the shovel. Derecho looks like he’s about to when he just throws the shovel right at all of them like a javelin! While some cover up and others get out of the way, Derecho uses the distraction to lunge in and lay in right hands to the referees and officials! One by one they drop to the canvas and before anyone knows it, Derecho has gone through all of them! Derecho then uses his legs and kick a few of them out of the ring. The officials that are getting back up, Derecho grabs them by the shirt and belt and tosses them out through the middle rope. Derecho has single-handedly cleared the ring of everyone who has stepped into his way! Derecho then picks up the shovel and then jams the handle of it into Rune’s stomach! He then grabs the shovel on both ends and then breaks the handle of it over the back of Winters’ neck!!!! Derecho drops both of the broken halves of the shovel onto the canvas and then exits the ring. He then grabs the Underground Championship from ringside and then rolls back into the ring with it. Derecho walks over to Rune Winters and collects a healthy amount of blood from Rune’s face. He then smears the blood all over the face of the Underground Championship and then holds the belt high into the air. There’s no boos… no cheers… only silence. With the title high into the air, Derecho begins to scream out. “IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED!?” “IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED!?” Derecho then clutched the title close to his chest and dropped to his knees. The tears began to flow once again as Derecho rolled out of the ring with the title belt, stained in blood, still held close to his chest. As Derecho made his way up the ramp, we could hear him mutter… “This is what they wanted…” After Derecho leaves, the camera pulls back. There are referees, officials, broken chairs, a broken shovel, shattered glass, barbed wire and a ring canvas stained with the blood of one man. The scene was surreal, but from this moment on… one thing was certain… Derecho had completely snapped! Even though LoC just transitioned into jOlt Wrestling, Derecho made as big of an impact as any man could on the debut edition of iNtense. The name of the show alone couldn’t do any justice for what had just transpired here tonight. Rather than iNtense, perhaps tonight should have been named after the show Derecho held every Monday night when he ran X Wrestling… Massacre. Winner: Derecho via Knockout "Warpath" "Ladies and Gentlemen," Donny Layne began, "I am standing outside the Alexander Jerusalem's locker room, hoping to get a word with the Man of War on tonight's Loser Leaves Town match." *KNOCK-"WHOA!" Donny Layne fell flat on his face through the doorway as Alexander Jerusalem nearly ripped it off its hinges. "I knew you were outside my door, moron. I have a television back here." "Right," Donny said while dusting off his slacks, "I'd like to get a word from you on..." "On the Loser Leaves Town match. I got that part, too. Listen, I'm going to make this perfectly clear to everyone out there and everyone in the back ... I am THE most dominant monster in jOlt, period. "It's been far too long since I was able to get in the ring and just destroy someone. For years I've had to play second fiddle in LoC to Brandon Thomas or Ray Chavez or, the Legacy Champion himself, Superstar Vince Jacobs. But this isn't LoC anymore. This is jOlt, and in jOlt I've been given free reign to do as I please. And the last time that happened I won the Legacy Championship. Of course after that Brandon Thomas took control and shipped me off to Japan. He sent me to the other end of the world just so I couldn't come anywhere near his precious championship belt." The Man of War snarled and snatched Donny Layne's microphone right out of his tiny hand before shoving him out of the picture. "You see, that's the only way to keep me from dominating each and every person on this roster. You'd need to legally find a way to ship me out of town. Because when I am in town ... I run the damn place. "There are other monsters in jOlt, but there is only one Man of War. These other big men can't hold a candle to the pure destruction I bring to the ring. If I wasn't in Japan all those years ago ... well, let's just say there would have been a much different streak in people's memory banks. A streak that would have never ended and one notorious streak that would have never began. Without me being out of the picture a guy like Sylo is only second best. "So, beat up Jim Johnson oh, great and powerful Superbeast. Attack a middle aged, one hundred and fifty pound man. That's so impressive, let me tell you. But make no mistake about me, tonight I walk out of here as the jOlt Champion and Brandon Blade ... just walks. Or, more accurately, gets carted to the nearest hospital. Maybe they'll put him in the bed next to Jim Johnson, so the boss knows he's finally backed the right horse in this race. "Tonight ... I take the first step in my Warpath ... right over Brandon Blade's carcas." "Best of Luck" In a few short seconds Brandon Blade was about to put the jOlt Championship that was slung over his shoulder on the line tonight, along with his very job. He knew that the odds were stacked against him in a match against jOlt's largest competitor, The Man of War. He knew that in order to beat Alexander Jerusalem he would have to leave literally every ounce of strength, endurance, and courage he could muster in the ring ... and he was ready to do just that. Brandon took his final step towards the curtain. *CLUNK!* A shot to the back of Brandon's knee with a lead pipe dropped the jOlt Champion in a heap on the concrete. He looked up to see who his assailant was only to find a former friend standing over him. "Bane?" "Brandon. I lost tonight ... again. And you're jOlt Champion ... again. Not this time, pal. You are not going to outshine me this time. Bane drove a boot into Brandon Blade's chest and straighted out Brandon's injured leg on the cold, hard cement. "Jim Johnson wanted me to wish you the best of luck." *CLANG!* Another shot, this time right to Brandon's kneecap. He writhed in pain on the ground while security rushed Bane Loneheart, dragging him away from his victim. Brandon pulled himself to his feet using some equipment boxes. He picked his jOlt Championship up off of the ground and dusted it off. "They just couldn't make it easy, could they?" Brandon Blade(c) vs. Alexander Jerusalem "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Main Event!" Brad Arnold was standing mid-ring in his classic tuxedo, "The following contest is a Loser Leaves jOlt match and is for the jOlt Championship! Introducing first ..." "Man of War" cued up and the lopsided jOltron came to life with those same words in big, bold red letters. It was time for jOlt's largest competitor to enter the ring for the first time. "From New York City, New York ... standing seven foot four inches tall and weighing in at five-hundred pounds ... THE MAN OF WAR ALEXANDER JERUSALEM!" AJ entered from the side of the jOltron and stopped in front of it. There he stood with a snide smirk on his face, unimpressed with the damage caused by Sylo. He rolled his neck and looked out across the arena, calmly letting the audience know he cared less than nothing about them. The fans were quick to pick up on this gesture and they shot back at AJ with a chorus of boos. Boos which he just laughed off and brushed aside like yesterday's newspaper. He didn't need the fans. He had already made that abundantly clear. The Man of War was here to cause chaos and destruction, and for the time being he was here to do that for Jim Johnson. Tonight AJ's job was crystal clear: destroy Brandon Blade, take his jOlt Championship, and his job. *BOOM* "You're Going Down" by Sick Puppies. "And his opponent, the jOlt CHAMPION! He stands at six foot four inches and weighs in at two-hundred forty pounds ... BRANDON BLADE!" The champion was here. Brandon Blade walked out alongside the entrance ramp. He had his title strapped around his waist. His eyes were focussed on one thing, Alexander Jerusalem. He began to take his first steps towards the ring with a noticeable limp that he attempted to play off as nothing, always keeping his eyes on his enemy. AJ noticed this and began provoking Blade, but Brandon was unaffected. He crouched down and screamed, 'C'mon Blade!', while summoning Brandon forward with both of his hands. Blade stopped dead, smiled, and made a bee line for the ring. The jOlt Championship flew into the air as Blade slid under the ropes. It was now officially on. The punches went back and forth. First Blade laid in a few solid rights, then AJ, then Brandon again, then AJ again. It wasn't until Brandon attempted a dropkick that one person finally got the upper hand. AJ snatched Blade up from around his waist and drove him to the mat with a side slam. It wasn't much, but for a man with broken ribs the pain was intense. Yet all Brandon would allow himself to show was clenched teeth and squinted eyes. He made no sound. Still, the wolf smelled blood. AJ turned to Blade with a smile on his face. He stepped over Brandon's body, leaned in, and grabbed his legs. It took a little while to get the struggling jOlt Champion over, but soon enough AJ had a Boston crab jOltked in. Brandon's teeth remained clenched and as hard as they tried to hold it back, a yell of pain seeped through. Just a small grunt. Enough to let his enemy know he was hurting. AJ jOltked the hold in tighter as Brandon attempted to reach the ropes and he dragged Blade back to the middle of the ring. Brandon allowed his body to go numb. His arms fell but his hands remained facing outward. If there's one thing not to take for granted with Blade it's his knowledge of technical wrestling. He knows every move and every counter. He knows how to relieve the pain of a hold such as a Boston crab. He stopped struggling and soon enough AJ had to release him. The Man of War couldn't be happier. He had just pulled the life out of his opponent. The jOlt Champion was lying in the ring unconcious. AJ took the opportunity to banter with some fans in the front row. When those fans popped and pointed behind him, he had no idea what he was in store for. Brandon nipped up and charged AJ, dropping him with a running DDT. Brandon followed up by hitting the ropes and returning with a rolling thunder that took the wind right out of AJ's lungs and his sails. It only took Blade a few seconds to gain the upper hand, which was the reason why he was such a threat to Jim Johnson. He could take it to him and he was taking it to him. If only he would fall along the wayside like so many other jOlt stars. If only he could look the other way and allow Jim Johson to have his free reign. That just wasn't in Brandon's nature. He fought for what he believed in and he believed in jOlt. Brandon grabbed AJ's legs and pulled them in for the cover. One...! Two...! Thr...kickout! Following the attempted pinfall Brandon grabbed a dazed AJ by his left arm, as he tried to get back to his feet, and whipped him into the turnbuckle. Brandon ran in and hit a devastating leaping splash. The move forced AJ to stumble out of the corner and find the heel of Brandon's boot slamming him in the jaw. Blade clobbered AJ with a running side kick. The impact of the move was huge, the slapping sound of boot meeting jaw echoed through the arena. The Man of War fell backwards, the ropes broke his fall otherwise he would have fallen right out of the ring. AJ was out on his feet. Brandon had AJ on the ropes and dazed. Now was the opportune time. In a flash Brandon had leaped atop the turnbuckle. He lined AJ up and took the jump. It was perfect, he wrapped his arm around AJ's head and was set to drive it into the mat. It was at that time that AJ spun Blade and sent him over the ropes. Brandon's body flopped onto the ring apron before bouncing and finding a final resting spot on the thin padding below. Inside the ring AJ was lying on his back. His desperation attempt had paid off. For now he could wait and catch his breath as neither man would be counted out in this match. The seconds dragged on until AJ finally found himself on his feet again. Brandon was nowhere to be found. AJ searched, but he was unaware of the fact that Brandon found him first. In fact, Brandon had climbed the turnbuckle just as he had minutes earlier. AJ turned and this time he was caught off guard. Blade of Glory Brandon Blade twisted his body in the air and landed his perfect variation of a Stardust Press. He immediately hooked AJ's leg and went for the pinfall. This had to be the end. One...! Two...! Thr-kickout! It would take more than that to put down The Man of War, much more. Brandon knew this as he kneeled back and wiped his hair from his eyes. It was wishful thinking that he might pick up the pinfall right there. He had to put AJ away for good. He stood up and waited for the big man to get to his feet. The gesture to the crowd meant that it was time for the Finishing Touch. A swift kick to AJ's midsection curled him over. Brandon pulled him in, but AJ quickly shoved Brandon off and into the ropes. Blade's arms found themselves thightly wrapped in the top and middle ropes. He was defenseless and the match had almost gone his way. He had come damn close to putting the Finishing Touch on The Man of War. Now, he was up shit's creek without a paddle. He had a seven foot monster heading his way and that monster was pissed off. *WHUMP* Brandon keeled over as much as the ropes would allow following a stiff kick to his gut. AJ began pummeling Blade with rights and lefts before snatching Brandon's legs up. In one fluid jerk he had released Brandon from the ropes, but solving one problem only lead to a bigger one. AJ slammed Blade's body almost through the mat with an H-Bomb. Brandon's limbs twitched and his eyes rolled back into his head. This was a man fighting without medical clearance. His back and ribs were all torn up and surely riddled with pain. A move like the H-Bomb could send him into a coma, and it just may have. AJ stood up, 'Look at him now!' he screamed as he pointed to the lifeless body of Brandon Blade. This man was jOlt's saving grace but now it looked like he would be ungracefully beaten. Alexander Jerusalem was an unstoppable powerhouse who, so far, could not be stopped. No man in jOlt had the ability to put him down except for Blade. If he couldn't pull it off again who knows what havoc The Man of War would unleash as jOlt Champion. AJ dropped over Blade, hooking his leg and driving his forearm into Brandon's face. One...! Two...! Thre...kickout! Brandon's shoulder jumped off the mat just barely breaking the three count. Armageddon was averted for now, but AJ was still in control. He grabbed Brandon and lifted him to his feet. *SMACK* AJ's huge hand slapped Blade right in his face. A clear show of disrespect but, to be honest, why would AJ respect Brandon Blade? All Blade was to AJ was a man in his way to becoming champion. Egomaniacs don't pay attention to who they step on. He smacked Blade again. The result was Brandon waking right up and somehow managing to pull off an axe kick. The shot stumbled AJ and allowed Blade to follow up with ... THE CUTTING EDGE! The Man of War's head smacked off the mat and Brandon Blade sprung back up to his feet and leapt on top of AJ's body. This was it, he was seconds away from retaining his jOlt Championship and sending Alexander Jerusalem packing. One...! The fans went crazy ... Two...! Because Superstar Vince Jacobs had just yanked Head Referee Mike Hunt out of the ring by his ankles. He slid into the ring behind Blade ... SUPERSTAR KICK! SVJ rolled out of the ring and headed towards the entrance stage. The fans went insane one more time ... Because Sylo was flying down through the crowd towards the ring. The Superbeast jumped onto the ring apron just as Alexander Jerusalem was beginning to come to inside. Sylo stepped through the ropes and the two jOlt giants stood toe-to-toe. AJ fired the first shot to Sylo's face only to receive a massive roar in return. The Superbeast snatched AJ's hand and flung him into the ropes ... SLAUGHTER! "OH MY GOD, THE RING COLLAPSED! THE RING COLLAPSED!" The Superbeast caught The Man of War with a vicious spear right into the turnbuckle, and the force of impact was so incredible that the post became dislodged from the ring. Both men tumbled to the ground on top of the ring post. The ropes snapped back and nearly killed Brandon Blade, who was groggy but starting to come to after the the collapsing ring shook him and the entire arena. Sylo rose and let out another roar. He brought AJ to his feet before hoisting him up onto his massive shoulders, an impressive feat of strength even for a man of the Superbeast's size. Sylo took a large step and faced SVJ on the entrance ramp. He pointed and then let loose on The Man of War ... SYSTEMATIC SHUTDOWN! *DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING-DING!* Brandon Blade came to just in time to witness Mike Hunt calling him for a disqualification while Sylo manhandled Alexander Jerusalem in the ring. What would this mean for the jOlt Champion? Was he fired? Blade's face went blank, the champion simply sat in the corner of the ring staring at the Superbeast in awe. Meanwhile, Sylo was leaning over the lifeless body of Alexander Jerusalem and staring at the Legacy Champion standing at the top of the entrance ramp. The Superbeast got back to his feet and let out one final roar. He took his hands and made the universal hand motion for "Your championship goes here" as iNtense faded to black. Winner: Alexander Jerusalem via Disqualification