"The Sweetest Lemonade" As we went live to the arena floor of the Arena of Champions, the crowd full of raucous jOlt was greeted by the visage of Damien Lee. He certainly wasn’t a big fan of these public pronouncements, so it was understandable that instead of any big in-ring fan fair ala most other men or women in charge of certain organizations, he instead kept it pre-recorded. He probably wouldn’t have even done that, if his conversation with the board of directors on Warriors 5 didn’t point to a BIG announcement being made. “Good evening everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying the fortieth edition of iNtense!”, the pride in Lee’s voice when he said THAT, well it was infectious, “Not only has there been amazing action so far, but we’ve got one heck of a show for you up ahead! Before we get any further though, there’s some house cleaning that needs to be done.” “See, as everyone remembers… Vince Jacobs got his rematch with Sylo and the jOlt Championship and THAT will be set for Glory,” the fans jeered that this news, “No, it’s okay. I congratulate him. I may have personal opinions about Superstar Vince Jacobs… but if it takes one of our Champions to defeat another one of our top tier Champions… and that garners a legend of this sport a shot at that very same top title? So be it. Though at this rate, maybe Frank Silver deserves his own shot at Sylo, as well.” Damien Lee waved this off, he had gotten off track, he wasn’t used to the carnival barker role of this job even after all these years, and probably never would be. “That’s neither here nor there, I wanted to make a HUGE announcement pertaining to the OFFICIAL #1 Contendership to the jOlt Championship,” the crowd roared in approval, “Yes, the four men who came out of Divide & Conquer all deserving of that very title.” “I tried to approach this the easy way, but last week’s fatal four-way was ruined not only by the continued machinations of Mr. Jacobs, but also because of the unbridled intensity of the competitors involved… and that second part, THAT is something I can respect.” The crowd applauded this very fact, as Lee smiled before continuing. “It’s something that needs to be not only rewarded, but SHOWCASED…” Damien Lee paused as clips of the four men were shown. “So Kenjiro Ito…” Not just footage from his first month of matches, but classic Jolt Wrestling footage from 2007 were shown as the fans jeered. “Ninja K…” There were clips from his Legacy of Champions days, as the fans gave the cold anti-hero a mixed reaction. “Wippit Guud…” Again, not as much his current jOlt work, but some classic Guud footage. “… and Phoenix, I hope you’re listening.” Now, for a change only stuff from the last month was shown for Phoenix’s highlights. His match against the FBI, his match at Divide & Conquer against One Eye. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to the GLORY GRAND PRIX!” The video feed of the highlights faded away and a shining golden cup replaced them, with the Glory supershow logo emblazoned on it. “Starting tonight, and continuing for the next three weeks the four finalist of Divide & Conquer will all be competing in a series of matches against one another, ending with something special at GLORY. The week one match-ups will consist of a mixture of one-on-one match-ups stretched across tonight’s broadcast of iNtense and Warriors 6, this upcoming Wednesday!” The crowd roared in approval at the idea of some classic matches coming out of the one-on-one match play. “The second week of the Grand Prix will be a four-way tag team match-up where in the competitors of the Glory Grand Prix will get a chance to pick their own partners! And any contracted jOlt superstar is available!” Even more roars, I mean imagine the teams that could face off in THAT match. It would be a test of not only how good they were as individuals but of the alliances they held as well. “On the show before GLORY, we will have the four men meet once again in an over-the-top-rope challenge and hopefully THIS TIME… one of them will come away with the decisive win because each week, during the one-on-one matchups, the tag team match-up and even in the top-rope challenge… each time they win against a fellow Grand Prix competitor, they get two points!” Obviously the crowd loved this the most, almost. It would be a return to the classic Divide & Conquer format and a real feather in the cap of the winner of said match in the ‘what if’ argument pertaining to the pay-per-view itself. “Once the dusts settles at Glory, the Grand Prix winner will be named the NEW #1 contender to the jOlt Championship!” Obviously Damien Lee was keeping his plans for the PPV a secret, but the crowd seemed to love the Glory Grand Prix idea as it way laid out so far, so they didn’t mind. They couldn’t wait to see how it all would pan out. “Meaning once their mettle is tested by the Glory Grand Prix,” Lee smiled, “either Kenjiro Ito, Phoenix, Wippit Guud or Ninja K could very well dethrone Sylo or defeat a new crowned SVJ to become YOUR newest jOlt Champion!” Michael Buhrman chimed in from the broadcast booth, “You have to admit, Lee had been given a lemon of a situation with those four men.” “And he made the SWEETEST lemonade!” Nathan Powers giggled in response. The crowd roared, as Damien Lee smiled and nodded from the jOltVision, as the feed cut away and a familiar whisper hit the air. "I Can Speak For Myself" The whisper of ’Equalizer’ signaled the entrance of the ring veteran Ray Chavez! “Sacrifice” (EQ Mix) by Atom Smash blared over the PA as the fans went crazy. An assortment of Equalizer signs could be seen in certain areas. Ray made his way out onto the entrance ramp where he paused, closely followed by Keith, who placed his hands on his hips and smiled as wide as he could. Ray gazed out into the massive crowd that was cheering him on, his mask reflecting the blue strobe light. Ray briefly nodded in approval for his reaction, then headed down to the ring as several fans reached out in his direction. Brad Arnold handed the microphone over to Keith before exiting the ring. Keith walked to the center of the ring as the fans continued to cheer. Ray made his way to Keith’s side, looking down in his direction from behind the mask that covered half of his face. “This past week was a tough one. First, Ray was brutally attacked by one Jason Rau after his match against Greg Scott Vincent. Then, former Legacy champion, the ‘Superstar’ Vince Jacobs tried to kick his teeth down his throat, which was until Sylo tossed himself in harms’ way. So, not it’s time to lay it all down on the table, because I can assure you ‘The Equalizer’ has a plan…” Ray grabbed Keith’s wrist out of nowhere, firmly, and held it in place. He slowly dropped his head down towards the mic. Keith quickly pulled his arm away, eyes squinted, shaking his head for his client to remain silent. Ray was not as gentle the second time around and he snatched the mic from Keith’s chubby grip. He slowly raised the mic to his mouth as a hush fell over the crowd. Nobody knew what to expect, because Ray had not spoken to a live audience since he arrived in jOlt. “This is an interesting twist…” Buhrman blurted out. “Shhhh….” Nathan said, finger pressed to his lips. “Contrary to Keith’s preference, I assure you… I can speak for myself.” Ray said with a firm tone. The fans seemed to love finally hearing from one of their jOlt favorites. Much had changed since they remembered Ray from his time in the Legacy of Champions or even on the big screen. This was a changed man and they still wanted answers! As much as Keith wanted to spring into action and pull the mic away, his better judgment told him Ray was not in the mood. He remained silent, his lips pursed together in frustration. “My accident has left me different physically, but nothing is wrong with my vocal chords. No offense to you Keith, but I’d prefer to speak for myself from now on. There are a few things I want to get off my chest and only I could put them into the right words.” Ray took a moment to acknowledge the ‘CHAVEZ’ chants. Keith rested his body up against a turnbuckle, having lost the control he once possessed. “Ever since I signed the contract to compete here in jOlt, I’ll be the first to admit the transition hasn’t been as easy as I would have liked. Many of you are wondering just exactly what happened to me in terms of my ‘accident’ but I’ll save that for another day. Right now, I’ll turn my attention to the main event on Warriors.” Ray took a few steps forward and looked directly into the camera. “Sylo, congratulations on becoming a respectable champion. You and I haven’t crossed paths much over the years, but I assure you, if you ever need a partner or somebody to get your back, I’m always here. Hell, you’ve earned that. For me, it definitely wasn’t a onetime deal.” The fans roared with approval as Keith rolled his eyes in the distance. Ray stepped away from the cameraman and slowly paced around the ring while talking. “Now, onto Vince Jacobs. You and I have never seen eye to eye nor will we ever like one another. You made a mistake involving yourself in our match. I have no doubt in my mind that Sylo is going to quite literally tear your ass apart when he gets his hands on you. Just be warned, I will never forget that you took aim at me. Whether it was mind games or a personal message, there will come a time where you’ll have to pay up for your actions.” Ray paused for a moment, trying his best to make out what the fans were chanting now. He finally was able to ascertain ‘CHAVEZ ROCKS’. That was a new one, but it had a catchy ring to it. Ray smiled briefly before continuing. “As far as the Heirs of Wrestling, our tag team champions are concerned, something tells me you guys knew Jacobs would be interfering. Hell, you were competing against Sylo and me, so I can understand your lack of confidence. You guys are a bunch of punks and have much to learn before you can legitimately make it in this business.” Ray looked at the mat, lowering the mic in the process. He gently brushed the hair out from in front of his eyes. He looked up with his piercing hazel eyes focused forward, as if he was staring at some imaginary figure in the middle of the ring. “Jason Rau,” he mentioned, chuckling to himself, “You’ve got some stones on you mate. It amazes me how truly pathetic you have made yourself out to be. So, if I heard you correctly, you’re pissed off because you aren’t getting the respect you deserve? You attacked me after my match to prove a point? Now isn’t this a daisy. I guess it didn’t matter that, while everybody apparently showed you no respect, I was the one who stood up for you when Vincent was going to knock you into next week with that pansy ass chair of his. For my trouble, I was knocked unconscious. But I’m beginning to understand your logic, though. You’re pissed off because….” Ray was interrupted by ‘The Ringer’s’ theme music, as “Passive” by Atom Smash signaled the entrance of the Australian with a chip on his shoulder. He walked out onto the entrance ramp, mic in hand. Jason ignored the booing as he raised the mic up. “Pissed off? You’re damn right I’m pissed. Y’know, you’re an interesting bloke. Rather than listening to you ramble on, I figure’d I come out here and set the record straight. So listen up asshole. I heard what you said about standing up for me, blah blah blah. Get something straight you burned up piece of shit. I never asked you for a mothafuckin thing! But let’s not forget about you taking me out of the ten-way tag match by clotheslining me over the top rope. I landed on my head and when I came too, we had lost, which was your fault!” Ray took a few steps forward and rested his arms on the top rope, never once taking his eyes of Jason. “Then you eliminated me from the Divide and Conquer match!! You just thought I would forget about that?” Ray chimed in, “The clothesline was an accident. It wasn’t deliberate. The battle royal was every man for himself…” Jason shouted loudly, “I don’t give a fuck! In case you can’t count, that’s strike one, two, and three! The penalty is me making a bitch out of you! I never ran in your circles. Don’t forget that! LoC made all you guys soft and chewy, so I’m the one that eats you guys up and spits you out! jOlt was, is, and will forever be the deciding factor to the credibility of your man, myth, or legend. jOlt has always been about putting people to the test. Now all you guys come through trying to poison jOlt and make a mockery of what it stands for. I’m one of the reasons while jOlt endured and became the ‘place to be’. My opinion, LoC was like a circus and you guys were the entertainment for the night. Real wrestlers? Never. Overhyped stuntman if you ask me.” Keith was pissed off, evident by his red face. He ran over to Ray and spoke into the mic, shouting at the top of his lungs. “Then why don’t ya face Ray Chavez in the ring tonight and quit talkin’ so much trash!!” Ray looked down at Keith then refocused his attention on Jason. “I couldn’t agree with Keith more. I’m tired of hearing you whine about this and that, yet you’ve managed to lose every single match before your win against Lazarus. One match, no disqualification, and then we set the record straight once and for all.” Jason Rau began laughing hysterically on the ramp. He held his stomach and wiped a fake tear from his eye. “Core blimey! You kill me Chavez, you really do! I don’t care what that fat man in the ring says, it’s just not going to be that easy for you. You beat Vincent last week and I don’t even know who the hell that guy is. I beat Adam Lazarus. Now he’s known! How bout this? I have an opponent in mind that isn’t going to be a walk in the park for you. He’s from the same school of hard knocks as I. If you can beat… SEPIROTH DU LUC tonight, then we’ll avago!” The fans cheered, wanting the match to happen tonight. Jason dropped the mic on the ramp, sending a high-pitched sound throughout the arena. He stood on the entrance ramp smiling as his music cued in. Back in the ring, Keith was shown leaning in close and whispering a few words into Ray’s ear. Who could believe Ray’s stepping stone to Jason Rau would be another jOlt original in Sepiroth Du Luc! "Shots Fired" The backstage area was bustling with random personnel heavily preoccupied with their respective duties. Keith Kane and Donny Lane were faintly overheard exchanging counterpoints on the aspects of wrestling politics when the athletic form of Kenshiro Inogami strode into view. A muffled roar of approval radiated from within the heart of the heralded arena as the former Legacy Champions continued power walking towards his appointed destination. The constant clicking of heels grew louder with each moment until Dawn Cassidy could be heard beckoning her cameraman to keep up. “Ninja!” She shouted. “Ninja!” The Kansai prefecture native broke his stride and turned his attention toward the source of the disturbance. Hungry for the exclusive, the busty blond approached the ninja and unceremoniously violated his personal space. Immediately, without contact, his right hand would both establish and retain a respectable distance between the two. “With all due respect, Miss Cassidy...” Kenshiro replied. “I have far more pressing matters to attend to...” “Sorry to interrupt but I won’t take up much of your time, if you can spare a few minutes?” She inquired. A momentary silence ensued. “Fine.” Kenshiro answered. “I will honor your request.” “Great!” She replied as her trusty camera man stood at the ready, training the camera for the best angle. The ninja swept the greyish-white bangs from his face before planting both hands on each hip. Dawn began clearing her throat as she was signaled to proceed. “Hello jOlt Wrestling fans; I’m Dawn Cassidy and I am here with the former LoC champion and newest addition to the jOlt Wrestling roster, Kenshiro Inogami better known as Ninja K. First off; there’s been a lot of talk, tweets and questions across the blogosphere concerning your contention for the jOlt World Title as there seems to be manner of resolution as of late; your thoughts?” ”Granted that for two consecutive weeks, there has been a series of mutual stalemates between myself and the other suitors for the jOlt Heavyweight Championship.” Kenshiro explain. “However, I assure you, I have every intention of securing my opportunity to face the current retainer of this promotion’s most esteemed prize.” The Arena of Champions cheered upon mention of the Super Beast and a possible sequel between both infamous rivals. ”Now, speaking of our current Heavyweight Champion, Sylo...” Dawn mentioned. “Do you have any words for him?” Dawn Cassidy quickly found Kenshiro’s prolonged glare very unsettling as he slowly shortened the distance between himself and the microphone in her hand. ”As a matter of fact, I do...” Ninja uttered. “Even now, I suspect that the self-professed ‘King’ of this promotion is listening very intently to what I have to say.” The camera panned in slightly on the ambitious challenger. “I’ve spent five years away from the very craft I hold dear in preparation for my return...However, in all respects, I no longer possess that impetuous spirit that proved costly in years past. What I have to express to him, I shall take the liberty of delivering myself - personally.” Dawn casually re-established a portion of what would be deemed as ‘a comfortable distance’. She cleared her throat before continuing. “Well, as good as it is good to welcome you into the jOlt roster, the road to the jOlt Championship will not be an easy one...” Cassidy expressed candidly. “Tonight; you have a match against the high flying enigma himself; The Phoenix. So what are your thoughts on tonight’s match up and the three other contenders participating in the Grand Prix competition?” “My first priority is the complete disposal of the opposition that stands in my path of achieving retribution.” The ninja replied. “Tonight, I anticipate my opponent to utilize his strengths to his advantage; impeccable speed and agility, not to mention, a measure of resiliency. These three attributes, as well as others, make the Phoenix, a very noteworthy opponent.” Kenshiro mentioned. “However, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase my refined abilities, thus solidifying my claim and right to challenge Sylo for what is rightfully mine.” The audience was rabidly chomping at the bit at the seemingly cryptic premonition. ”In regards to that Canadian pest you acknowledge as Wippit Guud...” Kenshiro paused for most of the duration of the jOlt faithful chanting his rival’s name. “There are a few respectable attributes I can attest to; his uncanny speed and unmatched agility are factors to seriously consider yet I shall have an effective plan of engagement in place soon enough.” The Athletic Freak of Nature started to head down the hallway when Dawn interjected. ”Wait a minute, Ninja...” Dawn replied. “I know you’re pressed for time but what about Kenjiro Ito...” The masses could be heard booing the fellow Osakan’s name. “He’s jOlt first and only Triple Crown Champion. He mentioned to be the biggest threat in this tournament so what do you have to say to him?” Kenshiro stood uncomfortably close to her briefly. ”Fuck Him... Cassidy’s jaw remained agape during the ninja’s departure. She turned her head towards her camera man as the masses were overheard going apeshit. Reno Davis© vs. Lennox Love "I Don't Care" by Antidote hit, bring the new Relentless Champion out to the ring, mic in hand. Before he got to the upcoming match-up, Reno had the small matter of discussing the rules on which he’d build his Relentless reign. Reno couldn’t help but smile, that idea still felt very out of body to him… but he loved it, god damn. “You know, everybody? I was this close to trading in my Relentless Championship the moment I got it, so I could get my shot at Sylo. I mean the Big Blue Guy, as much as I dig his style, has been on kind of a slide since Divide & Conquer… especially against fellow Champions… but then I thought better of it.” “Just because The Nashvillain split my head open on the steel steps on Warriors, doesn’t make me ready to tear it down with the SuperBeast. As positive as I feel about myself, after doing something JCON couldn’t… I have better luck hanging with Ian Curtis then with Sylo, until I put in my reps and pick my spot. Though if I DO take that shot at Sylo, I cooould hang with Ian Curtis.” “If I believed in the after life…” “Another discussion for another time though, because while I was thinking about Sylo and the kind of guy low-grade opponents he’s defending his belt against today to give himself a boost, as opposed to boosting himself off of me… I thought of what I said on Warriors, wanting to bring both RESPECT and ENERGY back to the meaning of the Relentless Championship.” “It was squandered far too long around the waist of The Nashvillain, so I’ve got a couple of stipulations to put into my matches now that this belt gives me the ability to do so.” “I call ‘em the Unrelenting Rules, and the first part is… things will follow the rules of a standard match, this isn’t the Underground division… but still, no count outs. I’m not about to win a match up just because someone decides they want to run away, either that or because we’re having too much fun on the outside.” “Second part is… no holds barred. See, I’m a submission specialist as the Straightjacket that I make people wear when they’re in the ring with me, can attest… but even early in my career I got flack for taking liberties with submissions. I say one of the advantages of being small, is that I can choke you out.” “And the third and final part, and this one might get me a bit of flack… all Unrelenting Rules matches will have a FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT!” The crowd, heavily in favor of Reno up until this point, got a little quiet, “Now listen, I promise to you, this isn’t my excuse to run and hide from my competition for two minutes. Damn, no. It’s exactly the opposite. I’m going to dive into the heart of battle, and I expect my opponents to do the same… I expect them to bring the game plan, and a fast second wind, because we’ll be going for five minutes, if that, but we DEFINITELY won’t be stopping!” “Which brings me to my first challenger…” “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith! While Lennox Love approached the ring and Relentless champion, a referee hurried from the back, passed the Love Machine, and called for the bell. Apparently, whoever was watching in the back decided that this was a sufficient enough challenge to sign the match just moments ago. “You know,” said Davis, as the two men circled, “I’m glad this new era of Relentless caught you’re attention so quickly.” Love smirked. “I just had the look of being closest to the entrance when you asked for a challenger, daddio. Let’s make this quick.” “That’s my plan.” They locked up, and Reno immediately landed a knee to the stomach. He whipped Lennox into the ropes, but the jOlt newcomer planted his foot and reversed – only, he didn’t reverse all the way. Lennox spun behind the Relentless Champion and hooked him in a crossface! The fans erupted as he walked Davis back a few steps, taking full advantage of this no holds barred option, and but without a good grip on Reno, even with his height advantage, Love had to let him go. Davis spun around as the fans cheered him on, and he grinned at Lennox. Lennox went for the waist, and Davis fired off an elbow. Only, Love anticipated it and swept the Relentless Champion’s leg, dropping him to the mat. He bounded into the ropes and came off the other side just in time for the Unwanted Angel to rise to his feet, at which point a flying forearm smash to the forehead put him back down. The two men rolled away from each other, and got back to a defensive stance at almost the same time. A sudden approach. Right from Reno, Left from Lennox. Right, Left. Reno then switched it up a notch and a series of chops backed Love up step by awkward step, and a kick to the gut dropped him to a knee. SNAP DDT! ONE… TWO… TH—KICKOUT! Reno scooped Lennox up again and hoisted him in the air, and with a running start, dropped him face first across one of the top corners. Lennox hit hard and held on to keep himself off the mat, but as soon as he pushed off to stand, Davis dropped him with a reverse neckbreaker! Cover, ONE… TWO… TH—Foot on the ropes! Reno climbed to his feet and immediately dropped an elbow on Lennox’s chest. Another cover, ONE… TWO… THR—Kickout! Reno eyed his opponent and making a note of his recovery speed, the Relentless Champion climbed to the top rope and perched, waiting. Below him, Lennox had rolled to his stomach and was backing his way up, though his eyes continued to go from left to right, trying to get his bearings and locate his opponent. The perfectly – timed MISSILE DROPKICK, unfortunately, told him where he was. Reno landed hard, but popped back up, and gestured to his opponent. His opponent, of course, was rising, but not nearly fast enough. Reno brought him to his feet and turned him around for FALL FROM GRA—LENNOX SHOVED HIM OFF! Lennox moved quickly, through the ropes to the ring apron. Perfectly timed, as Reno turned around, he pulled back and slingshot himself to the top rope, where he pushed off and dropped the Relentless Champion with a flying lariat! Cover, ONE… TWO… TH-KICKOUT! We were in the third minute of the match as Reno sat up and stumbled briefly as he tried to get up, while Lennox wisely used the ropes to get his feet back under him. Wild swing by the Unwanted Angel was dodged, and Lennox hooked him around the neck and under the arm, and dropped him backwards with a modified suplex! Roll through and cover, ONE… TWO… THR—KICKOUT! Lennox Love was to his feet first this time, and he bounded off the ropes once… twice… and on the third pass, Reno Davis was to his knees, and ate a hard dropkick of his own to the side of the head! Filled with the sudden rush of adrenalin, Lennox nipped up, and the fans cheered his renewed burst of energy. He climbed to the top rope and measured the Relentless Champion, and dove off the top with a picture – perfect Swanton that hit its mark. Cover, ONE… TWO… THRE—KICKOUT! ”LOVE MA-CHINE!” chanted the fans, and he responded with a fist to his chest and hand in the air, as he backed up and measured Reno, before procuring a purple liquid and filling his mouth with it. The fans knew what was coming, some cheered but some grew an even LOUDER chant for “RE-NO DAVIS!” within the Arena of Champions. Love was just out of the corner, leading with his head, ready to attack. He waited while Reno pulled himself to his feet, and turned around on unsteady legs. LOVE IS BLI— — —DEFLECTED by Reno! He managed to duck out of the way and showing his deft agility, flip his body over to kick Lennox in his jutted out jaw with THE FLIP KICK! Lennox froze, as if he’d been shot and tumbled onto his back. Reno was quick to follow that up by grabbing him by the legs and with a few deft moves he locked Lennox’s body into a move that had submitted it’s fair share of men already! THE STRAIGHTJACKET! Popping back to life, Lennox Love was quick to submit to the Queen Angelito Stretch. The crowd roared at a match well fought that fell nicely below the five-minute limit that Reno had established as well. Suddenly familiar music hit, and it wasn’t Reno’s victory music… oh no, it belonged to a man that the Relentless Champion wanted nothing to do with. Reno had time to celebrate a successful defense later. He’d pat his hard fought opponent on the back, grab his Relentless Championship and then get out of dodge through the adoring crowd. Whatever, Reno thought, another day. It wasn't retreat. Winner: Reno Davis via Submission "The Backbone Shows Its Strength" "13 Steps to Nowhere" by Pantera. The crowd couldn’t help but jeer as the venomous form of Chris Titan came out to greet them. He was already jaw-jacking back at the crowd, this former member of Fueled By Ignorance, and now that this second generation star of jOlt’s original run was free of Chris Titan… he had surrounded himself by like-minded “Originals” as he had called his group up until this point. And that group was growing as if they were scar tissue on his massive frame. Something had to be noted, as Chris Titan walked to the ring flanked by the brash Bane Loneheart, the massive Sepiroth Du Luc, and the femme fatale Persephone… the three others seemed to now share Titan’s own sense of style. Gone were there flashier tights and leather ring outfits. The other originals were now all dressed in t-shirts and jeans. Chris Titan stepped into the ring with the other jOlt originals and procured a mic, a sour look on his face. The fans ALREADY didn’t want to hear what he had to say. His black shirt had a white skeleton, both on the front and back of it… and the thing that stood out was the spine seemed to be three sizes bigger then a normal skeletal spine, and it was a different color then the rest of the shirt’s skeleton. On Chris Titan’s, that spine was metallic gold, “Way back on Warriors 2, Reno Davis told me to pull my head out of my ass and start kicking ass, again. So I kicked his ass. Reno told me that I was letting shit get to me, like a lot of the other originals… that I was a novelty and that THIS wasn’t the jOlt I remembered.” “It’s got a bit of a different Legacy now, doesn’t it? Well let me tell you all something… I’m going to take our new Relentless Champion’s advice further then just kicking his ass with it, you see… it’s high time we start a revolution. And don’t worry Reno, you’ll fall in line with us sooner then later.” “See ‘cause Reno was right, things are different. They’re unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. Which means jOlt’s history is more important that ever. Every cracked corner of this god-forsaken organization needs to be held up as fools like Vince Jacobs, the Giant fuckin’ Smurf and the Divide & Conquer Four run around for accolades… they also forget where they’re standing.” “This is jOlt, the electricity is coursing through our veins. It’s devoid of Legacy just as much as it is All-Stars or the lack of a fuckin’ Brand!” “They’re in a new home… for them, but it’s our home turf. And we’re all the legacy, star power and brand name that you’ll ever fuckin’ need!” “Who are we? Go to hell. If you knew jOlt, you’d know what we’re capable of. Bane Loneheart, the dangerous, burning hot superstar and a hell of a hand with a lead pipe! You fools backstage have already learned that, though.” Bane wore the same shirt as Titan, though the spine on his shirt was bright orange. “Total Conquest, Sepiroth Du Luc and Persephone…” the two wore matching designs, though Persephone wore a tank-top, both had red spines, “They’re dangerous apart but even bigger and badder as a team who’ll leave every damn one of their opponents leaking crimson. Then there’s me… Chris Titan.” “I’m the Backbone.” “Which means they are too.” The t-shirts made sense, THIS was the name of these collection of jOlt Originals it seemed and Chris Titan wasn’t just done with THAT revelation, “They follow me, because they’re just as sick of being treated like shit as I am. See, I’m like the Titan Atlas, for example, I hold this fuckin’ world on my back without any of you noticing… you think there’d be a show without Chris Titan?! I hold jOlt on my BACK… Bane holds it on his BACK… SDL and Persephone hold it on their BACK! So many more men and women backstage hold this company on their BACK! So are WE the Backbone of jOlt? You bet your damn asses, and it’s only BEGINNING to strengthen. You think the four of us are impressive?” Titan laughed as he rolled his head back and forth and bounced up and down, hyping up his massive frame with a sense of excitement that brought a chill throughout the Arena of Champions. “I’m going to war, and I’m building an army out of the core of this organization.” Wow, those were fighting words. “And I know war.” Titan lifted up the front of his Backbone shirt, “Each one of these scars on my body are mirrored a hundred fold on the scars I’ve inflicted in this business, badges of honor that belong to any sad sap who faces me. I break my back, breaking backs for you god damn people and what do I get? I get to carry around Chris Register! Now that I’m free of that Ignorant SOB though?” “hahaha, I’m going to do anything I want.” Titan pounded his fist against his chest and then gestured to the people around him, “The Backbone will do ANYTHING WE WANT!” “Doesn’t matter… gold and blood,” his outstretched hand crushed itself into a massive fist, “will both be in our hands shortly. And it will only be the beginning… hah, we've been stirring up shit for weeks so if you think we’re making a statement with this official debut? Shit, we’re just getting started.” Chris Titan shook his head as the jeers continued to rain down on him. “You mutants disgust me… this company used to tour once upon a time.” Titan spot a huge logy to his side and then scowled at the camera in front of him as he said his final words, “Your idols will fall, your Champions will burn, the foundations will crumble… and the Backbone will only strengthen.” "Tonight..." Cameras ventured backstage to find Jonathan Conspiracy roaming around seemingly aimlessly. "You gonna pay what you owe!" Conspiracy continued to move about speaking to no one in particular, but it seemed as if he wasn't roaming around aimlessly like many thought. As Conspiracy's journey continued, he could be heard continuing to carry on a conversation with himself. "I've been here busting my hump, coming to your rescue and assisting you in the fight against all things smelly, obese, unkind to the eyes and evil, while you tweet lyrics from "The Smurfs" theme song... Oh you gonna pay what you owe!" The journey finally ended in the darkest corner of the Arena of Champions, a place not many called home. There could only be one person that Mr. Conspiracy was intent on finding here. The jOlt Champion himself... "The Superbeast" Sylo The last time Jonathan was here he had Veronica with him. It was her idea to seek out Sylo and join him in the fight against Team SVJ, comprised of Vince Jacobs, Derecho, The Nashvillain and his cronies the West Texas Terrorists. This time however it looked as if Jonathan returned for some form of payment. "Jonathan, this is an unexpected surprise," stated Sylo as he looked up to see his frienemy standing before him. The Superbeast could tell that there was something different about this visit from JCON. "What brings you back around these parts Jonathan? Who is gonna pay what they owe?" Jonathan looked up at the man who now towered over him before he turned his attention to the Legacy and jOlt Championship Title Belts in Sylo's possession. He pointed at the championships and turned his attention back to Sylo. "You will pay what you owe. Over the years Sylo you have been deemed unstoppable, uncontrollable, and downright mean and vicious. You're tough, one of the best to set foot in the ring... something that is synonymous with being "One Letter Better", but lately there have been many who doubt my ability. The dirt sheets, the tweets, all of social media really and even the backstage conversations have been about "Mr. Conspiracy" Jonathan Leary losing a step. Jonathan Conspiracy the "paper champion". I think I even heard someone cough "DILDO!" under their breath at me this evening as I entered the arena, and it WASN'T Wippit. Tonight I need to prove my worth. Tonight I need to do to you, what you did to me. Tonight I become the standard by which jOlt is judged. Tonight I reach the "Pinnacle" again, tonight Sylo... tonight... after battling alongside you to fight the good fight against spotlights, underground nachos, hamburglar/grimmis hybrids and Western Texas hermaphadites... tonight. Many people might think I'm "Insane" Sylo, many people will look at me and say why give him a shot... he's far from number one contendership material, but look at your contenders Sylo. You have an Underground Champion that fears being the guy, he beats you but pretty much gives the title shot to some egomaniacal flash in the pan who just so happens to have brought his own low wattage light bulb..." You are probably wondering what Sylo is doing at this very moment aren't you? He could be doing pushups, shadow boxing, daydreaming of Aria Murphy, maybe even Aria Murphy AND Sweet Aroma (let's hope Jonathan doesn't find out, if he is) or he could be standing in silence as JCON continued his monologue. "Oh and then you have the D&C Four! By the time someone emerges from that debacle, the winner will have nothing left in their tank to be deemed a worthy opponent, and let's not even talk about the new Relentless Champion, Reno Davis. I don't anticipate him remaining champion long enough to come calling for a shot at your championship. So to make a long story short Sylo, you want your championship reign to go down in the history books, and the way to do that is to..." "Face Jonathan Conspiracy in the main event... Tonight!" Sylo had finally interrupted Jonathan Conspiracy's long drawn out challenge with the end result, a jOlt Championship Main Event match on iNtense 40. "You don't have to sell me on your abilities Jonathan. We have a history that weaves through many a promotion, and those that have followed our paths will see why you belong in the main event against me tonight for this most prestigious of championships. Those unfamiliar with who you are have yet to see why you are called "One Letter Better" but by the end of the night they will know. Tonight Jonathan, I allow you to dig for gold, but in the end you will hail the king like everyone else." Satisfied with getting a jOlt Championship match, Jonathan Conspiracy backed away from "The Superbeast". Within an instant he could catapult himself into household conversation in a positive way. There was no better night than... ...Tonight! "And Now, Your Main Event Of The Evening! (Not Really, But Please Read This)" It had been a couple of nights removed from the main event of jOlt's fifth edition of Warriors. And in the main event of that show, it had been the biggest win that the Heirs of Wrestling had seen in their careers since joining with the organization. The virtual kingpins of the tag team division, the three jOlt Tag Team Champions laughed and cackled amongst themselves as the canera caught them stumbling through the halls. A couple of stagehands walked by, going about their business moving some large crates around until it was brought to a halt. “WHO DARES TO ROLL THIS SHIT IN MY PATH?” The two nondescript tech monkeys turned around where their path was halted with a quick thump. Standing on top of the crate with an open bottle of Merlot in his hand, “The Prince of Precision” Ryan Gallway was waving his hands around, trying to maintain his balance while stumbling around in a drunken stupor. The Heirs had been given the night off when Damien Lee as well as numerous attempts at contacting them for bookings had failed. But here they were... and possibly a little bit tipsy. “HEY!” Ryan yelled at the stagehands. “BACK UP OFF MY SHIT! I'M CLAIMING THIS AS RYAN'S PROPERTY NOW! THIS IS MY SOAPBOX!” He was wearing an Heirs of Wrestling “We Are Your Better!” T-shirt (BUY IT NOW!) and his pin-striped dress pants were being held up by his jOlt Tag Team Championship. “Ry, you need to tone it down!” Frank shouted as he came a-running right behind him, also looking a little bit tipsy himself. Wearing the same Heirs shirt, jeans, and his own jOlt Tag Team Championship he was cackling like a madman. “YOU need to back up off my ****! The future jOlt World Champion commands you!” Sadly, it was true. By nature of his (massive fluke) win over Sylo the week before to retain their Tag Titles, Frank Silver now had a future title opportunity to use. And here he was... throwing his own empty wine bottle across the hallway. Some champ, eh? “Ladies, ladies!” came another voice. That of Mack Brody, who appeared to be more sober than the other two. He was just being a jackass. He raised his title over his head. “Who's ready for some Mack-tion?! ...dude, that's going on a shirt!” The three delinquents were carefully walking through the halls some more until they came to their locker room. Sure, they had the night off, but the party appeared to still be rolling on from the end of Warriors. Frank opened the door... “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! !” “WHAT THE WHAT?! WHAT THE WHAT?! WHAT THE WHAT?!” “MACK DON'T NEED THIS!” A HUGE wave of unmarked bottles had fallen out of their locker room door, sending the Heirs jumping back several feet. Once the unstoppable flood of bottles stopping falling and rolling amongst the floor, Ryan did a full on header into the pile of bottles while Frank and Mack both carefully stood still, trying not to trip. “What the hell is this?!” Frank screamed. “WHO DARES DO THIS TO YOUR FUTURE JOLT WORLD CHAMPION?!?! WHO?!!?” Frank ducked down to pick up one of the bottles off the ground and opened its contents. Little blue pills. “AHHHHHHHHH!” Frank tossed the bottle across the ground as Ryan struggled to pick himself up. “What is it, Frank?” “GRRRRRRRRRRR......... it's that ****ing blue pill... You know... the one for boner meds...” “Dixaflopin?” Frank looked over to Ryan with a deadpan look on his face. “No, you retard. Those three pricks who've been a nuisance to us since they've come back.” “Ibepokin? Dixafix? Mycoxarizin?” “VIAGRA.” Mack finally shouted. Ryan frowned. “Oh.” Silver, Gallway, and Brody all exchanged glances with one another. Though they may not have been there tonight, it appeared Team VIAGRA was hot on their trail. Surely, something that would not be forgotten about by the Heirs Ray Chavez vs. Sepiroth Du Luc “Passive” by A Perfect Circle instantly triggered a huge amount of boos. The dim, alternating blue and red lights flickered while a blue pyrotechnic blast shot out from behind the jOltVision. Jason Rau emerged from behind the curtain with a serious demeanor. This man was all about business since he had decided to change his attitude to better suit his demands. He made his way past the ring and to the announce table where Michael Buhrman and Nathan Powers sat. He took a seat and put on a headset. “Thanks for joining us Jason,” Nathan said to break the ice. “I wouldn’t miss Chavez losing for the world. You just watch how pitiful this guy really is.” Jason said coldly. “Infected” by Bad Religion. The fans turned their heads to the entrance ramp where Sepiroth Du Luc emerged accompanied by Persephone. Both of them wore the now trademark Backbone t-shirts, with both of their Backbones a bright red color. Du Luc seemed visibly upset coming off his loss last Intense to the team of Sweet Sweet Lovin’. Tonight he would take it out on Ray Chavez. “The following match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, being accompanied by Persephone, weighing in at 280 pounds, standing at 6 ft. 5 inches, he is Sepiroth Du Luc!!” A hush fell over the crowd. The whisper of ’Equalizer’ signaled the entrance of a fan favorite that was slowly climbing up the ranks in the company. Ray had his game face on, behind the mask, because he knew he had to beat Du Luc first before he could get payback on Jason Rau. Even manager, Keith Kane, had a lot riding on the match, since this would be Ray’s 2nd win if he could pull it off. One step closer to a big time contract which Keith would receive a large percentage of. “Sacrifice” (EQ Mix) by Atom Smash blared over the PA as the fans went crazy. An assortment of Equalizer signs could be seen in certain areas. Ray made his way out onto the entrance ramp where he paused, closely followed by Keith, who placed his hands on his hips and smiled as wide as he could. Ray gazed out into the massive crowd that was cheering him on, his mask reflecting the blue strobe light. Ray briefly nodded in approval for his reaction, then headed down to the ring as several fans reached out in his direction. Referee Darius Underwood called for the bell. DING, DING, DING. Persephone grimaced at Keith before raising her hand up and giving him the finger. Keith snapped his head around, shocked, and pointed at her, mouthing something nobody could hear. Sepiroth was a bit larger than Ray was, most apparent when they stood face-to-face. Du Luc hailed from Berlin, Germany and interestingly enough, Ray was part German himself. Go figure! Sepiroth looked Ray up and down with pure disgust. “Seems you’ve bitten off more than you can chew,” Sepiroth said. He turned his attention to the ref and started mouthing off to him, before quickly snapping around and slapping Ray hard across his face. It didn’t take Ray long to react and dropped Sepiroth with a solid right. Sepiroth quickly bounced up only to be elevated high in the air and slammed back-first onto the mat with a standing spinebuster! The fans popped at that move. Ray moved in close as Sepiroth grabbed his leg, taking him down to a prone position. He quickly maneuvered around Ray’s body until he had him in a front facelock. He stretched out his legs behind him, applying more pressure as Ray struggled to break free. The referee was right there to check on Ray. Darius struggled to listen for Ray to give behind Du Luc’s incessant cursing for Ray to give up. Ray vaulted up onto his knees. “Where did that come from?” Nathan wondered out loud. “Does it matter? I assure you this freak isn’t walking away the winner.” Rau stated matter-of-factly. One more burst of strength and Ray was up on his feet, though Sepiroth still had the hold clinched in, reluctant to let go. Ray mustered up what bit of strength he could and arched back, hoisting Sepiroth high into the air and thrusting him forward!! Du Luc came crashing down face-first on the mat. Persephone pounded both hands against the mat, screaming at her partner to get up. Ray picked up Sepiroth from the mat. He spun around under his arm and hit short-arm clothesline. Du Luc did not take much time on the ground, instantly springing up and delivering a cross body block out of nowhere! 1… KICKOUT by ‘The Equalizer’! Sepiroth stood up before Ray could and started pounding on his back with several thunderous forearm shots. He drove a few knees into Ray’s ribcage for good measure. Du Luc clasped two handfuls of Ray’s hair and picked him up. He drove his knee into Ray’s midsection, doubling him over. He then flipped him over, into a seated position, with a snapmare. Sepiroth bounced off the ropes and drove his knee into Ray’s face, without stopping momentum. Sepiroth looked at Persephone at ringside, who was clapping her hands with approval. Sepiroth felt like the victory was within his grasps as he pretty much had control of the match now. “Come on Ray, ya got this.” Keith shouted for inspiration. “What is that fat man screaming over there? That guy is almost as sickening to look as Chavez is. Two peas in a pod, I guess.” Rau said sarcastically. Du Luc kicked Ray in the lower part of his back as he tried to get up, plopping him on his stomach. Sepiroth again bounced off the ropes and jumped high in the air, landing in a seated position on Ray’s back. The pain shot through Ray’s entire body. He felt the Sepiroth’s hands wrap around his chin as he applied a Camel Clutch. The referee slid into position and checked with Ray. Du Luc pulled back even farther, bending Ray back with each thrust. Ray clawed at the mat, inching his way close to the ropes. Sepiroth had made a mistake in applying the move so close to the ropes in the first place. After a few more inches, Ray managed to grab the lower rope, prompting Underwood to tell Du Luc to break the hold. Du Luc would not release though! Ray squirmed on the mat in pain. Keith could not take it any longer and climbed up on the ring apron, shouting at the ref to break the hold. The ref started the count. 1… 2… Persephone ran to where Keith was standing and pulled his legs out from under him, causing his head to collide with the apron on the way down. Persephone smiled and dusted off her hands, making her way back to her side of the ring. 3… 4… BREAK! Sepiroth was not an idiot and broke the hold. He just wanted to inflict a bit more damage before releasing, which actually helped his odds of taking the win against Chavez. Ray used the ropes to help him get to an upright position, slower than usual. Sepiroth sprinted over to Ray and hit him with three solid rights, each one sending Ray bouncing off the ropes. On the fourth, Ray managed to block the shot and deliver several back fists to the Du Luc’s jaw, ultimately stunning him! The fans were behind Chavez. Ray drove his foot into Du Luc’s stomach, air be gone! Ray rebounded off the ropes and soared high, hitting Sepiroth with a Jumping Implant DDT, or as he liked to call, ”The Popular Demand”! Du Luc did not know where he was after that move and instinctively rolled out of the ring, falling down near the announce tables. Ray was in hot pursuit, not willing to give Du Luc any time to shake the cobwebs off. Ray exited the ring only to be tackled by Sepiroth, causing his back to hit the apron. Sepiroth looks at the jeering fans and pointed to his head. He grabbed Ray’s arm and went to Irish Whip him into the announce table. Ray managed a reversal and this time, sent Du Luc plowing into the announce table back-first!! Sepiroth fell to his knees, gripping his throbbing back. “Look at this bloke. This isn’t The Equalizer I remember. This is a joke!” Rau exclaimed before standing up. Both he and Ray stood looking at each other. Ray could feel his hand trembling as he held back from pouncing on Jason. Jason shouted, “That’s what I thought!” With those words, he spat into Ray’s face. ‘The Equalizer’ was fuming now as he prepared himself to attack. Jason motioned for Ray to turn around first, which he did, only to be hit with an Eternal Punishment from Du Luc!! “Ouch!” Nathan yelled. “That is one monstrous clothesline from hell!” Buhrman pointed out. “Maybe the spit got in his good eye,” sneered Rau. “Uh, I actually think he has good use of both his eyes, Jason.” “Shut up,” Jason said staring menacingly at Buhrman. Sepiroth rolled in the ring as the referee continued the count. 3… 4… Keith was sluggish in getting up, but soon realized what was transpiring. He spotted Ray on the mat and ran over to him. “Come on chief, ya got to get up!” he said, doing his best to help his meal ticket. 5… 6… ‘The Equalizer’ started to show life and shake his head. 7… He stood up and leisurely entered the ring. Sepiroth went for a clothesline as Ray ducked and locked his arms around from behind. He hit a booming German Suplex and continued to lock on. And another! Still locked. For the third German Suplex, he stood his ground and sent Du Luc into a 180, landing hard on his chest!! The fans were ecstatic! Sepiroth was groggy as he made his way to his feet. He was feeling the full impact of the three German Suplexes, not realizing he was walking into the waiting arms of ‘The Equalizer’ Ray Chavez. Ray lifted him up on his shoulders and dropped him with The D\/D!! He hooked the leg. 1… 2… 3!! “Now ain’t this a bitch. Want something done right, I guess you need to do it yourself.” Jason said before standing up and ripping the headset off, now infuriated by Chavez’s win. “Jason, sit down, this is uncalled for,” Buhrman pleaded, but it was too late. The referee raised Ray’s arm in the air as Jason Rau slid in from behind. He spun Ray around, kicking him in the gut with brute force. He under hooked his arms and hit his patented Aussie Driver!! “Oh my god!! Not again!!” Nathan shouted. “This move is unlike any piledriver we’ve ever seen in a jOlt ring. It starts out like a Pedrigree as Rau then lifts him in the air and spikes his opponent’s head into the mat with a piledriver. A truly devastating move, that Chavez has been on the receiving end of… twice.” Buhrman pointed out. Ray was out cold, but that would not stop ‘The Ringer’ from slapping him on the back of the head several times, adding insult to injury. Keith ineptly entered the ring as fast as he could. Without thinking, he turned Rau around and told him to STOP. It was then that Keith realized he had just trapped himself in the lion’s den. Like a true predator, Jason was unreluctant as he kicked Keith square in the balls. Keith dropped into a fetal position, hands tucked between his legs. Jason reached down and ripped Keith’s leather belt from his pants. Referee Darius Underwood had seen enough as he grabbed the belt and tried pulling it away. Jason held on firmly and gave Darius a headbutt for his troubles. He then turned his attention back to Keith. He held the belt up, noticing the rather large buckle, he shook his head and laughed. He then folded the belt, buckle in hand. He used his left hand to rip Keith’s shirt off, exposing his hairy back. He let loose as he viciously beat Keith with his own belt!! Keith bounced around the mat like a fish out of water, but Jason would not stop the attack. He must have hit him about fifteen times before he finally stopped to catch his breath. He then focused on the man he hated most. Ray was still sprawled out on his stomach, still out from the Aussie Driver. Jason gazed down at the belt, opting to switch the end he held. Now the buckle dangled as he clutched the belt with his right hand. Several jOlt staff members and referees ran down the ramp towards the ring. Before they were able to enter, Jason hit Ray not ONCE, But THREE TIMES, with the buckle of the belt!! The staff was finally able to restrain Jason as EMTs rushed out to check on both Ray and Keith’s condition. Jason dropped the belt to the mat and pushed several staff members out of his way. He exited the ring as the fans were letting him have it verbally. He nodded approvingly at the dismay he had caused and he backpedaled up the ramp. The EMTs checked on Ray, noticing a small pool of blood had formed from the open gash on the back of his head. Once again, Jason Rau was able to pull one over on ‘The Equalizer’, but how long could this possibly go on before Ray got some retribution? Winner: Ray Chavez via Pinfall "Get Ready" Friday... Gregg Scott Vincent arrived at arena after a long workout session, just a few blocks away from the Arena of Champions. He was wearing his street attire, which consisted of an orange ‘TapOut’ shirt and a pair of camouflage shorts, with a cigarette sagging from his mouth as usual as he walked up a flight of stairs. The past couple of weeks had been nothing had been disappointing, after losing the last two of his matches, and the Divide and Conquer battle royal, Gregg decided to put more work in the gym, trying to boost his strength and endurance with workout programs he had drawn up for himself, but the reality of the situation was that Gregg needed to layoff the amount of cigarettes he smoked. Although, that would never happen because he was addicted to the cancer sticks, and now you could understand why GSV had to hit the gym on a daily basis. He approached the entrance to Damien Lee’s Skybox and tossed the cigarette to the ground putting it out with the bottom of his shoe. He opened the door and barged in without a knock. “You wanted to see me, Damien?” he asked as he sat down across from the CEO. Damien finished penciling in some numbers on the paperwork in front of him and looked up at GSV with a half-smile, which was kind of surprising because of the unwarranted behavior GSV had displayed over the past couple of weeks. “I did.” he said, “It has come to my attention that you are not the only one responsible for the backstage attacks over the past couple of weeks. Rune has informed me that Mike Extreme has been instigating most of the situation. So, I wanted to meet with you and apologize in person.” Gregg shook his head with a semi grinned formed on his face. “Don’t apologize for Mike’s ignorance. I am plenty capable of handling the situation myself, just keep your dog off my ass, and I will handle this shit in the ring.” Damien nodded his head. “As long as you keep it in the ring from here on out, you will have no problem with Rune. I can promise you that.” Damien leaned forward and held both hands together, “There’s something else I was going to tell you. The ratings have been outstanding over the past couple of weeks and you’ve been a big part of that. They want to see more GSV, as do I. So next week on Warriors, you will have a shot at the jOlt title.” Gregg perched up in his chair and squinted his eyes at the CEO of jOlt. He was somewhat surprised by the words of Damien Lee, but he grinned from ear to ear and his pride began to blossom. “No shit!?!” he exclaimed, “Well how bout that.” “Take the week off and get ready for Warriors. I’ll handle Mike Extreme on Intense. You need to be ready to put on a good show for these fans, they are finally buying into you, and the company is profiting from it.” Damien was almost finished, but there was one more thing Damien Lee had to add, “And Gregg, could you lay off the cigarettes?” Gregg slightly chuckled, the idea had crossed his mind a number of times before, but the craving was too intolerable. “I’ve thought about it.” he answered, “And maybe I will...” he thought about it again and shook his head as he laughed, “Naw, probably not.” Damien shrugged his shoulders. “I watched you take a beating over the past two weeks, I know you can go up against the best of them, but just imagine what you could accomplish if you gave up smoking and focused more on endurance. You could become a top contender in jOlt if you were to stop.” he paused as he caught a breath of air, “You should really consider it.” he finished. Gregg shook it his from left to right, in a partial manner, and stood up as he prepared to fire up another cigarette. All the talk about cigarettes had him aching for another cancer stick. “We’ll see about it.” He chuckled lightly before he replied with an answer. Damien stood up and extended his hand towards Gregg. A smile formed and he adjusted the expansive eyeglasses on his face, as Gregg grabbed a hold of the CEO’s hand and gave him a partial handshake. Damien continued to grin as he looked at GSV, “Enjoy a week off and get that body healed. You have a big match coming up and I want you to be one hundred percent before Wednesday. Do we have a deal?” GSV grinned. “We have a deal.” Phoenix vs. Ninja K Nestled within the confides of the northwestern upper portions of the Arena of Champions, Camera Twenty offered a warm vision of enthusiastic fans cheering at the opportunity of being seen on television. A diverse display of creative homemade signs separated the smarks and the run-of-the-mill marks yet the air was thick with anticipation. Camera One assumed full command of the broadcast via a gradual pan of the jOlt ringside area - with ring announcer Brad Miller, scanning the stands patiently. Vicarious by Tool used the state-of-the-art PA system gradually siphoned away the arena lighting as the jOltVision flickered to life. Cue fanatic frenzy. Camera Five offered a retreating pan shot to monitor Ninja K, sauntering forward through the billowing overcast of strobe-lit smoke. Taking a moment to scan the vast confines of the arena, Kenshiro began his stoic trek down the exposed stairway... b>”Ladies and Gentlemen; this contest is scheduled for one fall - Introducing First, weighting in 245 pounds -- From the Kansai Prefecture of Osaka, Japan - Kenshiro! Inogami! The Obsidian & Gold clad ninja would quickly clear the barricades, scale the ring steps before stepping through the ropes. Torqueing the bones in his neck & knuckles gnarling, the ninja stood patiently in preparation of the impending battle. Michael Buhrman and Nathan Powers were overhead exchanging opposing perspectives as Referee Ian Nguyen wrung the tension free from his arms. Kenshiro’s musical introduction subsided, giving way for Manchu Picchu by The Strokes to rekindle the energetic spark from within the audience both home and abroad. The Golden Enigma would part the entrance curtains and set himself at the apex of the ramp way. Arms crossed over his chest, Phoenix extended them outwards, commanding a series of flaming spires to systematically ascend the each side of the ramp way before setting the outer rims of the jOltVision ablaze - obliterating any remnants of darkness from the arena. ”...And his opponent; weighing in at 229 pounds -- This is Phoenix!!! The masses responded in kind to the pyrotechnical display as the Bird of Prey advanced boldly toward the squared circle. A silent war of stares was initiated by the masked duo with Phoenix, perched atop the opposing turnbuckle and a brazen ninja, holding firm to his respective corner. Executing a Corkscrew Moonsault, the Phoenix gracefully landed in a kneeling posture before standing erect. Allowing themselves to be inspected by the appointed ring official, the two Grand Prix participants were immediately set loose as the opening bell was signaled. Mutually encircling the heart of the ring, both masked men would eventually interlock fingers in a calculating manner. Phoenix would draw first blood with a measured Forearm Strike before connecting with a swift Front Kick to the midsection. A Standing Rear Waist Lock by Phoenix yet Kenshiro stunned his opposition with a stiff Back Elbow - a perfect set up for a quick Drop Toe Hold. Seeing himself being dragged toward the ring’s epicenter, The Golden Man swung his free leg towards the Ronin’s head, which missed its mark, placing him on his back. The nimble Phoenix quickly arched himself back to his feet, the Bird of Prey used a Standing Backflip to reclaim his freedom. Phoenix would soon find himself ensnared with a torrid Side Headlock Takedown. Leg Scissors Counter by the Golden Enigma. A Sweeping Round House by Ninja was deftly evaded by Phoenix with a Reverse Somersault to his feet. A salvo of applause overwhelmed the arena as a mutual stalemate was assured. The masked duo were careful in their mutual encroachment before colliding with a mutual Elbow & Collar Tie Up. Both tussling about, the Man on Fire seized control with a taunt Spinning Wristlock, applying more torque to bring the ninja down to a knee. Checking the integrity of the hold, Ninja rolled forward and implemented a Fireman’s Carry into a Standing Surfboard Hold. The referee knelt down to check on the Phoenix, who definitely fought himself back to his vertical base. Kenshiro would cut the Bird of Prey down with a searing Buzzsaw Kick against the inner left thigh, hobbling the enigmatic luchadore to fall prey to Kenshiro’s signature Gemini Suplex combination. The ailing Phoenix clasped onto his head having been pillaged by the punishing sequence until the ninja’s forearm ground Phoenix's head during a Lateral Press...1...2...Phoenix jerked his shoulder upward to cradle his ailing cranium. Incensed by the Golden Bird’s resilience, Ninja would quickly cinch in a Triangle Scissor Lock. The Bird of Prey frantically worked his way towards the ropes as the referee monitored closely. The masses would offer a respectable pop as Phoenix firmly latched onto the ring rope. Kenshiro released him on the count of 4, rolling to a knee to contemplate his next course of action. Pulling the battered luchador to his feet, the former Legacy Champion hoisted Phoenix onto his shoulders yet the masked vigilante elbowed his way loose to reclaim his footing. Ninja’s Right Hand was blocked and countered with a European Uppercut. The fleet-footed Fire Bird vaulted off the nearby ropes and spiked Kenshiro into the mat with a Tornado DDT! Phoenix crawled over, hooking the leg deep...1...2...Shoulder Up! The pyro centric luchador aired his grievances to the referee as Kenshiro rolled away and fell off the ring apron. Slow to regain his vertical base, Ninja would turn toward the ring yet was violently hurled over the barricades via Phoenix’s picturesque Diving Somersault Head Scissors Take Down! Fans in proximity would pat the recovering Fire Bird in appreciation as he scaled over the padded barrier. The masked vigilante quickly rolled in and out the ring in order to reset the referee’s count. Pulling the ninja by the hair to his feet, Phoenix unleashed a searing Knife Edge Chop. Ninja would retort with an Overhand Slap to the Chest. Amidst the cheering masses, the physical exchanged continue until Kenshiro gained the upper hand with a stern Open Palm Punch, backing Phoenix up a few paces. The aerial firebrand blocked the incoming Overhand Chop and retaliating with a European Uppercut. A Spinning Back Fist was the perfect set up for Phoenix to connect with an Enziguri, sending Ninja crashing against the barricades. Utilizing a nearby chair, Phoenix raised his index finger toward the heavens before blasting Ninja with a Leaping Ax Kick. Extending his arms outward, the pyro centric phenom silently basked in the wave of adulation. Silently reenergized, the Bird of Prey peeled the ninja off of the padded exterior and shoved him back in the ring to avoid the threat of a countout. Quickly shaking the cobwebs free, Kenshiro leveled the aerial avenger with an audible Kick to the Face. Left sprawled along the apron, Phoenix was left at the mercy of the Ronin - who dragged his prey by both right arm and foot back inside before hooking the leg deep...1...2...Kickout! Ignoring the ongoing rally by the jubilant crowd, Ninja would sweep the bangs from his visage before maliciously pummeling Phoenix with a battery of Back Mounted Crossface Strikes. The referee quickly retreated as Ninja feinted a strike in his direction before grinding his Firearm against Phoenix’s face before committing to another Lateral Press...1...2...2 9/10ths! A growing sense of agitation radiated from the ninja’s face after Phoenix managed to kick out. Smarks and marks alike cheered in unison while Ninja worked to stand the battered carcass of Phoenix erect before executing an Irish Whip to the distant turnbuckle. Gaining some running room, Ninja would proceed with a Running Cartwheel Roundhouse Kick. The lissome luchadore somersaulted to his feet, swiveled about as Ninja perched himself along the turnbuckles to stun him with a Double Ax Handle to the Back. A Sledgehammer Forearm to the back compromised Ninja’s footing, leaving him seated atop the turnbuckles. Extending the ninja’s arms outward, Phoenix nodded adamantly - signaling to the masses that the end was near. The Fire Bird hoisted Kenshiro toward the heavens... From The Ashes (Seated Crucifix Power Bomb) The impact bounced Ninja up & over onto his stomach as Phoenix briefly remained sprawled out on his back. Still nursing his ailing head, the Man on Fire clambered awkwardly over the fallen ninja and worked to cover him for the win...1...2...2.5! Sealing his eyes briefly shut in disbelief, the Phoenix would recollect himself by standing himself erect. Seizing the ninja, The Golden Guardian sent Kenshiro away with a fierce Hammer Throw to the opposing corner. The acrobatic Bird of Prey strode forward with a Double Handspring Body Splash. Ninja quickly drove both feet into the airborne Phoenix’s chest, using the ropes and momentum to vault himself atop the turnbuckles. The Golden One crashed and burned, reverse somersaulting over onto his feet. Staggering wildly about towards the ropes, the Athletic Freak of Nature ascended into the air before connecting with a Flipping Seated Senton! The referee leaped and slid in close for the official count...1...2...Kenshiro quickly rose to his feet and leapt upward... Seppuku (Double Foot Stomp to the Chest) The Osaka native collapsed onto his side while Phoenix howled in sheer anguish. The jOlt faithful roared in hindsight as Phoenix crossed his arms over his chest, reeling from the impact as Ninja remained on all fours - visually stalking after his prey. Grimacing from the damage done unto his back, Kenshiro gestured the end was near with a throat slashing gesture before pulling Phoenix up to a seated position and landing a Buzzsaw Kick flush to the back of his neck. Arms quick to protect the exposed neck, the Bird of Prey quickly found his arms pulled behind his back... Imploding Star Submission (A Modified MMA Leg Nelson - The Vasque-Fix ) Phoenix’s visage displayed the definition of extreme anguish as Referee Nguyen monitored his condition. Angrily nodding his head in defiance, the bell was quickly sounded as the enigmatic luchadore adamantly conceded defeat. ’Vicarious’ by Tool began cranking out from the PA system as both suitors of the jOlt Heavyweight Championship laid sprawled out along the squared circle. Brad Arnold announced the winner of the contest, who silently rolled himself under the ropes to the outside. Making his gradual advancement up the ramp way, Kenshiro stopped and began staring back at the prostrate Phoenix for several moments before disappearing through the backstage curtains. Winner: Ninja K via Submission "Fortifying the Walls" "You know," Damien Lee said, "We didn't have an attack at all tonight." He stared out the tinted glass wall of the Skybox, overlooking the jOlt ring. Rune Winters was relaxing in a recliner with his trusty shovel within arms reach. Lee had taken a huge risk in assigning Rune Winters with the task of patrolling the backstage in an attempt to hinder the lawlessness that had overwhelmed the company. It was a huge risk but it paid off. In the few weeks since Rune Winters was given immunity to proactively attack the would-be attackers, he had brought the multiple nightly acts of violence to what jOlt had tonight. None. He had taken the threats from the board of investors to appoint their own disciplinary official and he had silenced them. Still, Rune Winters himself was not as confident as his employer. "The night's not over yet," Rune said opening the eyes he had previously been resting. "I wouldn't get my hopes up, Lee. Mike Extreme did try to attack you earlier." Damien Lee turned towards his deputized enforcer. "And that's something I would much rather have than a guy like Kayden Paulton being sent to the emergency room, or a pure talent like Adam Lazarus having his knee taken out with a lead pipe. By giving you the authority to treat these men as they've treated others you have done exactly what I hired you to do." "Yeah," Rune replied, "I painted a target on your back." "Exactly." "And people say I'm crazy." "I haven't heard that rumor." "I tend to stop them before they get started," Rune said while lightly tapping the spade of his shovel. "I bet you do. Why a shovel, by the way, if you don't mind me asking?" Rune Winters tilted his head upwards, as if the ceiling would supply him with an answer to the question. Then he realized that the answer wasn't that difficult to begin with. "Because it hurts ... a lot." "Works for me." Damien turned once again towards the ring. Watching the crowd move around between matches, preparing for the end of tonight's event, he pondered what would have happened if Rune Winters wasn't in jOlt or if he had declined the offer outright. "Rune, I'm going to need you to do something else for me soon." The concern on Damien Lee's face was visible through his reflection in the glass, even though Rune Winters was a good fifteen feet away from the man at the time. "What?" "When the time comes," Damien Lee said with caution in his voice, "I'm going to need you to defend what I've built." "That's going to cost you extra." Even though he respected Damien Lee as a man, Rune Winters still did nothing for anyone else for free. The only time he worked out of the kindness of his heart was when he worked for himself, and that really was never much work at all. "Yes, I know. But they're going to come for me soon enough." "Who's going to come for you?" "All of them. Everyone. We won't have many allies, if any at all." Rune Winters kicked the foot rest back into the recliner and leaned forward. Then, very calmly and very clearly, he said the following words that would be all the assurance Damien Lee needed to continue his fight. "That's fine," he said, "I've never played well with others anyway." Wippit Guud vs. Kenjiro Ito As "Raise a Little Hell" by Trooper began, the amassed humanity stood cheering, welcoming the first competitor in this Grand Prix match. Wippit stepped out to an explosion of flashbulbs, dazzling the cruiserweight momentarily under their brilliance. The smile on his face tried to out-shine the flashes, and he ran down to the ring amidst fans reaching out to touch him. I AM THE WAY INTO THE DOLEFUL CITY, I AM THE WAY INTO ETERNAL GRIEF, I AM THE WAY TO A FORSAKEN RACE JUSTICE IT WAS THAT MOVED MY GREAT CREATOR; DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE CREATED ME, AND HIGHEST WISDOM JOINED WITH PRIMAL LOVE. BEFORE ME NOTHING BUT ETERNAL THINGS WERE MADE, AND I SHALL LAST ETERNALLY. I AM KENJIRO ITO. "Run This Town" by Jay Z. Kenjiro Ito stepped made his entrance through a shower of blue and white pyro. Apparently, since Ito was officially on the jOlt payroll he was now deemed worthy of a little expenditure on the part of the jOlt brass. Ito entered the ring, and once again Wippit was giving up size and strength, in this case over 1/2 a foot and almost 100 lbs. Not that it's ever stopped Guud before, so would Wippit be the one to pick up the Grand Prix points tonight? Or will Ito upset the upstart from Japan? The bell rang and the match was underway. Classic elbow-and-collar to begin, which Ito easily converted into a side headlock. Wippit had no strength to pull him back to the ropes, and so instead he drove a closed fist into some ribs. A second and third punch followed, but then Ito swung around into a front facelock. Hooking the arm, he lifted Wippit up into a vertical suplex, holding him there for a good 5 seconds before falling backwards to crash onto the mat. Kenjiro sat up, but so did Wippit. They both got to their feet and locked up again, but Wippit twisted in his catlike way and pulled Ito over with an armdrag. He applied pressure in an armbar, but Kenjiro was already up on his feet. Guud 180'd around to twist the arm behind Billow's back to gain some leverage. Ito with an elbow, but Wippit ducked it easily, and shoved the arm up higher. Ito suddenly twisted, and reversed the hammerlock, putting Wip's arm painfully behind his back. He held back far enough to where Wippit couldn't strike him, so the smaller man decided to put his gymnastics background to good use, ducking and rolling to come back to his feet. He twirled to twist Ito" arm around at an awkward angle, and then swung with a heel kick to send him staggering - but not down! That was solved by a dropkick from Wippit, but Kenjiro bounced right back up. A second dropkick sent him down, but again he was on his feet within moments. WIPSMACK! NO! Ito saw Wippit start the back handspring and pulled away, leaving him to kick nothing but air. Wippit rotated through to his feet, just in time to be hit with a big clothesline from Ito, giving the advantage back to the larger man. Wippit swung out a leg to trip Kenjiro, but the Ito nimbly hopped over it. But Wip was moving his whole body, and as he came to his hands and knees the other leg swung around to catch Ito at the knee, and send him crashing to the mat. Wippit was already on his feet as Kenjiro got to his, and a clothesline from the smaller man sent him backwards but not down. Wippit ran to the ropes for some added momentum and crashed into Kenjiro again, driving him against the other ropes but not dropping him. Wip with an irish whip, reversed by Ito, and on the return he caught Wippit's cross-body and converted it into a powerbomb! ONE! TWO! Kickout by Wippit! Ito again on his feet, and he pulled Wippit up, and sent a chop to the chest- WOOOOOO! and a second chop- WOOOOOO! driving Wippit backwards towards a corner. A third chop- WOOOOOO! had Wippit against the turnbuckles. Ito grabbed an arm, pulled Wippit towards him, and drove him back hard with a shoulder block right to the sternum. He then drove a shoulder to Wippit's midsection, and again, and then climbed to the second turnbuckles while Wippit was stunned. He hopped down and snapmared Wippit over to the mat. With Wippit prone, he mounted the turnbuckles to ascend to the top ropes, and after a moment of showboating, jumped off with a moonsault! Ito with the pin again... ONE! TWO! Kickout, just barely, by Wippit. Ito looked a bit perturbed but got to his feet, and grabbed Wippit's head to pull him to his fee- JAWBREAKER! Ito grabbed his jaw and walked wildly about the ring in pain, giving Wippit time to get unsteadily back to his feet. Coming full circle, Ito walked up to Wippit, who jumped up and took him down with a hurricarana! Which he held for the cover ONE! TWO! Kickout! Wippit with a near fall. He rolled over to his feet and ran to a corner, running up the ropes like it was a stepladder. He paused at the top for a moment, and then jumped with his own moonsault! Ito sat up! But Wippit saw it and rotated faster to land on his feet! But before Wippit could gain his balance, Kenjiro was up and drove his foot into Wippit's chest with a side kick, driving him backwards to the ropes. He bounced off and came back, where he was lifted into a back body drop. Wippit again landed on his feet! And he ran to the far ropes and bounced off for even more speed. He charged at Ito with a clothesline, but Ito ducked, and again Wippit bounced off a set of ropes. 3rd time's the charm, and Ito caught Wippit this time and drove him down with a Lou Thez press, knocking the wind out of the small man. Ito was a different type of wrestler then most. Instead of laying in the punches he rolled Wip over on his stomach and synched in a rear naked choke hold. Wippit writhed in pain as the referee for the contest checked to see if he wanted to go on. Wippit refused to give up, and it was evident to Ito that this wasn"t going to get him anywhere. He let go off Wippit and lifted him up before whipping him into the ropes and bending over for the Back Body Drop. Wippit bounced of the ropes and came back with a kick in Ito" face before hopping over Ito with a Sunset Flip. 1 … 2 … Ito kicked out. Wippit Guud had another near fall but couldn't quite put Kenjiro Ito away in this contest. Guud looked frustrated but didn't want to let his emotions overwhelm him and he pulled Ito to his feet and then hit a strong European uppercut. Ito hit the canvas and stood back up and was again caught this time with a forearm to the side of the head that sent him staggering backwards. Wippit took off running and caught Ito with a back elbow that sent him into the ropes and to the outside on the arena floor. Ito hit the floor and looked to be out of this match as Guud walked around the ring stalking his prey. Ito began to get to his feet as Guud bounced off the far ropes and came sprinting forward and jumped through the ropes with a senton suicida. Ito hit the guard rail and Guud landed on top of him as both men crashed to the floor once again. The fans in the audience began chanting as they were more then appreciative of this amazing contest. The referee in charge of the match began his mandatory ten count. ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! Wippit Guud had managed to get to his feet with a little help from the apron and he rolled under the ropes to break the count. He didn't waste any time going back on the attack as he rolled out of the ring and went straight towards Ito. Guud lifted Ito to his feet and whipped him into the guard rail. Guud took off sprinting towards Ito and leapt into the air for a giant splash. Ito moved! Wippit Guud came down sternum first on the metal guard rail and was now laying on the ground gasping for air. Ito was still beaten up from the senton delivered by Guud earlier, so both men didn't look to be moving much. Then, all at once, Ito knipped up and fire burned in his eyes. He stomped on Guud and then lifted him up and rolled him under the bottom ropes. Ito pulled Guud up to his feet and threw him into the ropes. As Guud came charging back forwards Ito wrapped his arms around him and lifted him into the air and over for a belly to belly suplex. Ito rolled over on-top of Guud and waited for the referee to count. ONE! TWO! NO! Guud kicked out!!!! Suddenly the crowd was beyond boisterous with boos, which made no sense when one took into account that both Wippit Guud was hugely over with the fans. Chris Titan hopped out from the front row and onto the apron, immediately catching the attention of the referee. The boos increased, Sepiroth Du Luc and Bane Loneheart had come from the opposite side of the arena, out of the audience. Loneheart had gone to grab a chair, and Du Luc had rolled in the ring behind Ito and Wippit. Du Luc lifted the much smaller Wippit Guud up and wrapped him in a full nelson. Wippit started tugging on the massive arm of SDL. Loneheart slid into the ring and drew the chair back. Wippit struggled. SDL did his best to ignore the nuisance tugging at his arm. Wippit Guud felt proud as he noticed that he loosened Roland's grip just a tad. "HEY!" Chris Titan screamed in the ref's face just when it looked like steel-against-skull impact was coming. He did so to mask the sound of the chair" Wippit tugged one more time as Loneheart brought the chair forward. This final tug allowed Ito just enough give to dive forward, but Du Luc still had something of a grasp on him. SDL fell forward with Wippit, out of the way of the steel chair, and Ito was leveled. The crowd went crazy as Wippit got to his knees and looked down and Ito in shock. SDL and Bane Loneheart looked at one another, confused and somewhat angry. No time to be bitter about now, though. The two men rolled out of the ring and hopped into the crowd and disappeared. Titan bit his lip and cursed to himself before hopping down from the apron and retreating into the crowd. But before the team disappeared, Chris Titan clearly mouthed the words "You fucked up" to his cohorts. Apparently, they had intended to give Kenjiro Ito the easy victory over Wippit Guud. Wippit thoughtfully kicked the chair out of the ring as the referee turned around and surprisingly looked down at Kenjiro Ito. It was clear in Wippit's face … he didn't want to win this way. In fact, had this not have been the Grand Prix to decide the number one contender to the jOlt Championship,Wippit might not have taken the opportunity. He shrugged his shoulders and dove over Kenjiro Ito's body. 1... 2... 3!!!! Wippit Guud gains two points!!! The official went to raise Wippit's hand, but Wippit wouldn't have any of it, he simply slid out of the ring and stood there with his hands on his waist. The crowd was cheering for him, but he was still disenchanted with the way the victory had come about. However, sometimes you just have to play the cards you're dealt. Winner: Wippit Guud via Pinfall "Lost Cause" The bright lights of the set shifted through the heavy black curtain and Phoenix stood there, underneath the stairs of the Gorilla Position, still sore and feeling slightly broken for his unfortunate loss to Ninja K, making his jOlt debut. As much of a wave as he had made in his initial month or so in jOlt… fighting Ninja K it seemed, was still for the time being a fight above his weight class. If not in talent then at least in reputation. The Athletic Ninja Freak of Nature certainly had brought unseen things out of the man on Fire… but right now, that was in the past. This was only the beginning of the Glory Grand Prix, so as the light show that led to the transition on the other side of these curtains from the Wippit Guud versus Kenjiro Ito match, to the upcoming battle between Superstar Vince Jacobs and another masked avenger in Citizen… the light danced across the white and gold mask of Phoenix, and the Masked Avenger himself kept things in perspective. There would be another day, another battle. Warriors 6, in fact. “Damn IT. Damn it all, that Canadian midget was cheating the entire time!” Where the angry words of a familiar voice, as he pushed his way to the backstage and down the stairs. “The last Triple Crown Champion does NOT disserve to be treated like that…” Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Kenjiro Ito was fresh off of his loss as well in his first Grand Prix match, and he was piiiiissed. “Gods forbid that you’re treated like everyone else.” Phoenix growled from under the stairs. “Oh you’re kidding me, you!?” Ito returned, incredulous, letting backstage techs pass by him as he stopped to watch Phoenix enter into the dim lighting of the Gorilla position, as he came out from underneath the stairs. “What did I do to deserve trying to slow down a damn hockey puck only to run into… well, actually, I’m alright with you… I mean you’re the reason I’m here.” “If I’m to be pointless so far in the Grand Prix, at least you are as well,” Phoenix hissed back at the Bad Will Ambassador, “And I do not think that the very fact you still compete in jOlt… doesn’t chip away at me every day, Ito. If not for me you would be just as forgotten as the other men who competed against you in your era of jOlt.” “You mean the properly-capitalized era of Jolt that had something to do with Wrestling, as opposed to the cartoon obsessed world that you live in full of mythic creatures, comic book superheroes and god-damn giant smurfs with Championship belts?! Hazard the thought!” Ito yelled for everyone to hear, his arms flailing with mock aplomb in the air. “I can not wait to face you in the ring once more, to shut your mouth, Ito.” Phoenix growled at the Bringer of the Ice Age. “Oh yeah, because you proved oh so capable against Ninja K, Bird Man!” “More capable then you did against Guud, it would seem.” Kenjiro Ito stared at Phoenix, stone-faced. “I’m done here, good day.” “Did I strike a nerve, It—“ Phoenix started to reply with a soft chuckle. “I said good day! No Canadian midget is going to stop the momentum of the next jOlt Champion… I shouldn’t even be in this tournament, I should be the Champion. I’ve got all the title belts to prove it. They’re mine, it’s all mine…” Kenjiro Ito continued to rant, but the audio trailed off as he walked too far away from the camera for it to be picked up. After an auspicious start to his Grand Prix it seemed Ito was getting his mind back on track to becoming jOlt Champion. And that was as far as ANYONE would want to think about what went on, within the mind of Kenjiro Ito. Phoenix however simply watched him walk away, and quietly quoted wisdom once spoken by Vegetius, a writer of the Roman Empire. Maybe Chris Titan's words for war earlier in the night had put his mind towards the subject, but these words were most certainly aimed at Ito alone and not jOlt as a whole. Right? “A handful of men, inured to war, proceed to certain victory, while on the contrary, numerous armies of raw and undisciplined troops are but multitudes of men dragged to the slaughter.” "Tired of This Shit!" "You know why you’re here, right?” The camera focused on Damien Lee, who sat in his plush black chair, behind his premiere dark oak desk, with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was drinking on it, as he looked at Mike Extreme, who was accompanied by Misty Gold and Violet in this segment on Intense. The trio of trouble scoffed at the CEO as he lectured them on Mike Extreme’s prior engagements with Gregg Scott Vincent. The two brawlers had crossed paths a several times over the past couple of weeks and Mike Extreme was the majority of the problem, so Damien Lee sat behind his desk, gazing across at The Extreme One ready to begin. “You’ve been stirring up a lot of trouble lately and I’m not happy about it. All this time I’ve been handing down fines and punishments to Gregg, but you’ve been the one instigating all of it. Therefore, I will deduct twenty percent of your salary at the end of the month because I WILL NOT have you guys taking matters into your own hands! If you have a problem, come to me, and we will make sure the problem is fixed in the ring. Do you understand?” Damien took another drink and stared at The Extreme One through his high quality eyeglasses. Misty and Violent looked at each other before they both looked up at Extreme and opted to take a step back, because they feared the look that slowly formed on his face. “Well what did you expect when that little bitch called me out? What did you think would happen? I would wait until we met in the ring?” Mike cocked his head back and laughed with the palm of his right hand on his stomach, "Fucking hilarious!” Misty poked Extreme on his side and whispered into his ear, “Take it easy, Mike…” Mike ignored her and looked at Damien Lee with a sly grin stretching from ear to ear, “Fuck off Lee, I’ve had enough of your all mighty bullshit! You need to be pulling everyone else in here and lecturing them, NOT ME! GSV called me out and I answered. It just so happens the dick doesn’t lay down quiet that easy. But he has it coming, I PROMISE YOU THAT!” “Mike, this is your final warning. If you interfere in any more matches, or decide you want to break any more of rules, then you will be suspended until your match with GSV at GLORY, are we clear?" “Ohhhhh…that’s how you’re gonna play it, huh? Well how about I just put my hand through your face and make it official then!?!” he stated as he walked around the desk and hovered over Damien Lee. “I really wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Lee said. Mike curved his eyes. "Why Not?" "Because he is right behind you." "WHO?!" "Turn around." "Mike EXXXTREME! You look amped, buddy. Like you just downed forty seven Mountain Dews and aggressive pogo-sticked all afternoon. Is this a private meeting, by the way, or an open forum? You two mind if I'm here?" Rune Winters stood just a couple of feet behind Mike Extreme, shovel in hand just waiting for the opportunity to use it. Mike started to charge at Rune, but Misty and Violet blocked the path forcing The Extreme One to stop in his tracks because they understood the consequences if Extreme caused a scene in front of Damien Lee. “It’s not worth it Mike.” Misty gripped his arm and squeezed, “Just let it go.” “You should probably listen to the chick that took home the award biggest cum dumpster.” Rune said with a mocking grin. "I did win that award," Misty replied with a wink. "I know, and I'm sure your parents would be proud all their emotional abuse during your childhood paid off in the end ... literally in some cases." "You son of a bitch ..." Mike parted Misty and Violet with his enormous strength and charged at Rune without any hesitation, but everyone knew what would happen next. WHOCK! The shovel slammed into Mike’s face and he fell backwards to the ground. Damien jumped out of his seat and ran around the desk, as Violet and Misty doubled over to check on The Extreme One. Mike was taking a nap with drool seeping from his mouth and Rune Winters stood over him laughing. "It's crazy. It's like ... how do these guys keep thinking they're going to outrun me swinging a shovel at their faces?" Damien Lee shook his head, looking at the unconscious body of Mike Extreme on his floor. Looking back at Rune he said, "I'm starting to think this isn't the best approach to stop people being attacked and going to the hospital." "What do you mean?" Rune responded, "I'm like Batman ... but with a shovel. This is justice, Lee, shovel justice." Another head shake from Damien Lee, who then addressed Mike Extreme's handlers, “Violent ... Misty, when Mike wakes up, you tell him he is suspended until Glory.” Misty looked up at Damien with a sullen tone distinguished on her face. Her silence was a mere indication that she was angry as she grinded her teeth and stared endlessly into the CEO’s eyes. Violet quickly rose from her knees and caught Damien’s attention. “You hypocrite! How can you suspend Mike and allow this mad man to roam around smashing shovels over people's heads?” she stated. “That's a good point.” "What?! That's all you have to say about it?! That's a good point?!" "Correct." "You're going to hear from our lawyers, Damien! This suspension is a complete and total abuse of power!" "Understood, you to ladies have a wonderful night." Damien said, as the door slammed shut. Sylo© vs. Jonathan Conspiracy The main event had arrived and while Jonathan Conspiracy had a good feeling coming into this match after his victory over Eli Conway, he had to go one on one with the Superbeast himself, Sylo. This was a whole different animal, but if JCON could pull it off, Sylo’s run could be a short one! Human beings in a mob What's a mob to a king? What's a king to a god? What's a god to a nonbeliever......who don't believe in anything Make it out alive Alright alright No church in the wild Tears on the mausoleum floor... "No Church in the Wild" by Jay-Z and Kanye West flooded the Arena of Champions. Out stepped the man who was more than an icon… a man that was one letter better… JCON himself, Jonathan Conspiracy. JCON had made his way down to the ring and stepped inside. Back on Intense 38, this man stood alongside Sylo to battle SVJ, Derecho, Nashvillain, and the West Texas Terrorists. Now he stands against Sylo for a shot at the jOlt Championship! Lights...out. Johnny Cash would follow. “And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder. One of the four beasts sang 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. ” “Miracle (Pale horse remix)” - Nonpoint. A blinding white explosion, a symbol of mass destruction that had become synonymous with The Perfect Predator, The SuperBeast, Sylo, rocked the entire Arena of Champions to its base. Through the blast and smoke stepped the 7’1”, 335 lb., and FIRST jOlt Champion since its resurrection as well as the LAST Legacy Champion. The man that had been dubbed jOlt’s reckoning wore the Legacy Championship around his waist and held the jOlt title over his shoulder with just as much respect as he scanned the arena. Sylo moved to the right of the stage, shouting something almost inaudible that only increased the volume. He repeated this motion to the other side and the Arena of Champions was beginning to burst at the seams. Finally, The Harbinger of Destruction, moved to the dead center of the stage, crouching down, studying, strategizing, before jumping to his feet. Sylo made his way to the ring and leapt up on the apron before entering. Sylo passed both championships to the referee, but the referee only held up the jOlt Championship to signify that the match was only for this title. The referee passed the championship off to ringside and then called for the bell. At the sound of the bell, Sylo stood there across from Jonathan Conspiracy and cracked a grin. JCON didn’t let that bother him as he slowly began to circle around Sylo. Sylo followed suit and slowly began to circle as well like a predator that stalked its prey. JCON had had enough of the slow encircling and picked up the pace as he went for the leg of Sylo, but Sylo dashed to the side and didn’t let JCON have it. JCON smirked as the two squared off once again. They stopped encircling each other and went to lock up, but JCON ducked and went behind Sylo with a waist lock. JCON showed off his strength as he lifted Sylo up and took him down to the canvas with a takedown. JCON continued to apply pressure as he held onto the waist lock. Sylo didn’t seem amused by this and with sheer power, stood back up to a vertical base. Sylo the pried JCON’s hands apart and quickly switched to a waist lock of his own. Sylo didn’t waste any time and popped his hips which took JCON over with a Release German Suplex! JCON landed on his upper back/lower neck! JCON grabbed the back of his neck in pain as he stared at Sylo across the ring. Sylo sneered at JCON as he knew that he had the power advantage in this match. JCON got back to his feet and began to crack his neck to get the feeling back into it. JCON then began to circle Sylo once again, but this time, instead of a lock up, JCON thrust his knee into the stomach of Sylo! With Sylo doubled over, JCON unleashed a large European Uppercut that rocked Sylo’s head back. JCON unleashed a second one that, again, swayed Sylo’s head back in a jolting motion. JCON then used a well-placed stomp to the side of Sylo’s knee to cause him to kneel a bit forward. JCON then grabbed Sylo’s head and pulled it down into a knee strike to the face! Sylo staggered back from the impact, but when he turned around, he saw, for a brief second, JCON approaching him. Sylo ramped up the energy and exploded from out of nowhere and nailed a massive clothesline that almost took JCON and spun him inside out! JCON popped back up to his feet and staggered around from being hit hard. Sylo picked him and planted him with a massive spine buster in the center of the ring! Sylo then made the cover with the leg hooked! One…. Two…. JCON popped the shoulder up in time! Sylo stood and grabbed JCON by the head as he pulled him back up to a vertical base! Sylo backed JCON into the ropes and shot him off in the opposite direction. JCON bounced back and ran right into a big boot from Sylo that knocked him down. Sylo then took off to the ropes and gained full momentum. Sylo let out a battle cry as he let gravity take its course and crashed all 335lbs of his frame down onto the sternum of JCON with a running Senton. Sylo turned and covered JCON once again. One… Two…. JCON pulled the shoulder up off the canvas once again. Sylo brought JCON to his feet once again, but JCON fired a punch to the stomach of Sylo, then another, and another. These punches stunned Sylo enough to the point where JCON began to open up with punches to the ribs and then to the face of Sylo. JCON felt he had Sylo dazed enough and lifted him up for an inverted atomic drop. JCON dropped him and then took off to the ropes. Off the rebound, JCON leapt into the air with a big shoulder block that knocked Sylo to the canvas. Sylo popped back up, but by the time he did, JCON had already taken off to the ropes again. Another big time shoulder block by JCON took Sylo down to the canvas. Sylo popped back up as JCON bounced off the ropes once again. Sylo swung with a clothesline, but JCON ducked underneath and brought his knee into the lower back of Sylo... not once... not twice… but thrice! After the repeated blows, JCON hooked Sylo by the head and dropped him! Co-Conspirator!!! JCON hit that falling reverse DDT and then signaled for the end! Surely JCON didn’t believe that he would beat Sylo at this point, but he was going to give it a shot! JCON headed to the corner and ascended the turnbuckle pads to the very top. The arena got on their feet as he leapt off for his patented top turnbuckle leg drop!! CONSPIRACY THEORY! CRASH! MISSED! Sylo rolled out of the way and popped back to his feet! JCON staggered back up as he held his backside in pain! Sylo then grabbed JCON in a front waist lock and popped the hips with a Release Belly to Belly Suplex! JCON hit the canvas, but Sylo wasn’t done. Sylo grabbed JCON and pulled him back up where he hooked him around the neck and leg for a T-Bone Suplex! JCON hit the canvas, but Sylo popped back up again! Sylo bent over to pull JCON back to his feet, but JCON shocked him as he pulled him right into a Small Package!! One…. Two… THREE!!?? NO! Sylo kicked out at the very last second! The arena was shocked because it looked like JCON had just become the new jOlt Champion only to find out that it was just a half a second away! JCON staggered back to his feet as those suplexes still took their toll, but an angered Sylo was already vertical. Sylo measured JCON up and again, almost took his damn head off with another massive clothesline! Sylo then walked to the corner where he ascended the turnbuckle pads! The people rose to their feet as it was rare for Sylo to take flight... especially on free TV! Sylo then yelled out... “I’VE GOT YOUR CONSPIRACY THEORY RIGHT HERE B.ITCH!” Sylo leapt off and dropped a huge leg across the neck of JCON!! The people popped huge as Sylo stood up and made the motion that it was academic from here. Sylo then pulled JCON back up to his feet and hoisted him high up onto his shoulders. With one quick motion… SYSTEMATIC SHUTDOWN! Sylo then went for the cover and hooked the leg... One…. Two…. Three! “Miracle (Pale horse remix)” - Nonpoint. The bell sounded and the referee handed Sylo both the jOlt Championship and the Legacy Championship. Sylo placed his boot on the chest of Jonathan Conspiracy and raised both championships high into the air. “Superstar” Vince Jacobs had to have taken notice of what happened here tonight. Now that he had become the number one contender, perhaps come Glory, this would be his fate as well. One must also wonder about the fate of Jonathan Conspiracy. After challenging the Superbeast and falling, where would he go from here? Winner: Sylo via Pinfall "Another Chink in the Armor" "Mike Extreme ... ladies." A worse for wear Mike Extreme was being helped to his car by his manager, Violet, and girlfriend, Misty Gold. They were stopped in their tracks by Chris Titan and the rest of his jOlt Backbone group: Sepiroth Du Luc, Persphone, and Bane Loneheart. "Is he conscious?" Titan asked Extreme's handlers. "Barely," Violet replied, "Damien Lee's attack dog clobbered him with a shovel." "We noticed." Chris Titan lifted Mike Extreme's chin up, so he could look the man in his eyes. "You used to be the baddest man in jOlt. You were the king of the X-Treme Division ... but we don't have an X-Treme Division anymore, do we?" The question was rhetorical. "I have a proposition for you, Mike. For all three of you, actually. We need more like-minded individuals. We need people that see Damien Lee for the hypocrite and turncoat that he truly is. We need Mike Extreme to return to form. If Rune Winters wants to come after you with a shovel, Mike, we'll come after him with an army. An army you could be a part of ... if you wanted to." "Look," Violet interjected, "we probably need to get Mike checked for a concussion. Not to mention he's been suspended until Glory. So what could we possibly do, if we even wanted to?" "We can start a revolution ... and the Glory will be ours." Chris Titan addressed Mike Extreme once again. "Think about it, Mike. We could overthrow this bullshit regime Damien Lee has taken over from Jim Johnson, that PIW piece of shit. We could punish anyone who would try to stand in our way ... "We could take. jOlt. Back. Are you with us?" Mike Extreme stood on his own two feet. "We'll see you in a month." A handshake. A new soldier. A war was brewing.