Waste-of-Time:
"Wasting My Time" by Jimmy Page is bringing us through the intro, and that means it's time for the least exciting pre-game show in professional sports, the Waste-of-Time! In about a half-hour, we'll begin Blood and Thunder, coming to you live from the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan, but first we have two pointless, time-filling matches, and a lot of video packages and hype for our big matches tonight, all coming up within the next half-hour. And if you haven't ordered the pay-per-view yet, do so now. This is worth it, folks... this is the biggest pay-per-view event we've seen since Wrestlewar, and the biggest one we'll see until the next Wrestlewar rolls around. You have a half-hour in which to make that call and experience history in the making... but if you've already done so, then it's time to just sit back and enjoy great wrestling action as only VCW can provide!
One match that exemplifies just how high the stakes have risen in tonight's encounters is the VCW Intercontinental Title match between "The California Crippler" Ken Collins and "The Barcelona Assassin" Lorenzo Vasquez. It started several months ago, with Lorenzo Vasquez walking onto an interview with Ken Collins and Johnny Smiles.
From VCW 113:
Z. Adderloaf: ... Moving on to you, Ken Collins, I have to say that you've really been impressive lately. You dominated last week's two-out-of-three falls match, you lasted for over a half-hour in the Big Fight, and let's not forget that about a month ago, it appeared that you were on the verge of defeating Troy Black in the middle of the ring. Now--
Ziggy Adderloaf is suddenly cut off as "The Barcelona Assassin" Lorenzo Vasquez steps onto the scene, and jerks him aside suddenly. Ken Collins and Johnny Smiles take a threatening step toward him, but he quickly holds out his hands and steps back innocently.
L. Vasquez: Hey, back off, tough guys. If it's a fight you want, I've got a few buddies from the Black Plague waiting around the corner with baseball bats and steel chairs, ready to give Crimson and Macho the night off... all I'm here to do is help Ziggy out with this interview. And since my friends around the corner have been waiting to see me get a guest interview spot, and Ziggy wouldn't dream of disappointing them, I'm sure Ziggy doesn't mind a bit... do you, Ziggy?
Z. Adderloaf: Um... no, certainly, Mister Vasquez. I'd never dream of objecting...
L. Vasquez: Mister Vasquez? I like that, Ziggy. Anyway, I'm asking the questions now, boys. First question... Stacey Lockman. Word on the street back in Beverly Hills says you give good head... but what's your position on doing anal?
Ken Collins steps forward into Lorenzo Vasquez's face angrily, as Stacey Lockman turns red and gives Lorenzo a hateful stare.
K. Collins: I think this interview's over... but first, I've got a question for you. Do you think you can learn some respect, or do I have to beat it into you just like I did Troy Black?
L. Vasquez: Hell, I should've asked you that question... you two have your little "business relationship" ever since Neytron fell off the gravy train, and I bet my ass you'd be in a position to know. And you can be straight with me... you know who I am backstage, and with my inside sources I'm pretty sure know why you're getting this push lately...
Lorenzo Vasquez gets a brief stare from everybody in the room that seems to say "Did he really just say THAT!?", but Ken Collins quickly grabs him by the shirt and shoves him up against the wall, getting right in his face.
K. Collins: I'm going to tell you again... you'd better learn to hold your tongue before I rip it right out of your head.
Lorenzo Vasquez calmly peels Ken Collins's hands off of his shirt and almost gently pushes him back a step.
L. Vasquez: I know some big guys with baseball bats and chairs who wouldn't like that. But what's your problem, man? Is she holding out on you or something? I can understand that, brother... I be a little pissed off too if I ended up jacking off in the locker room every night because my woman wouldn't put out. But that's no reason--
Ken Collins starts to respond, but Stacey Lockman steps forward into Lorenzo Vasquez's face.
S. Lockman: Listen, you greasy-haired maggot, Ken and I are friends, okay!? We helped each other out when Administration X was still running around, and we like spending time with each other. Now, based on your relationship with Troy Black, I can understand how you'd have the idea that you can't be friends with someone without constantly screwing them in the locker room, but--
Lorenzo Vasquez's eyes widen, and his face contorts with disgust as he steps forward to reply.
L. Vasquez: Jesus Christ, woman... you've got to be kidding me. I ain't no damn homo... just come on by my dressing room if you want some proof. I think--
J. Smiles: Hey, listen, Lorenzo... we're really not interested. Why don't you go spend your time on something more important... like maybe taking a bath or something? I've got a rubber ducky you can borrow and everything... just PLEASE, for the love of God, do us all a favor here.
L. Vasquez: Whatever. I just came by to kill this little Ken Collins Admiration Society circle jerk. While you all are bringing up how great Ken Collins is, I figured I might as well mention that he ain't that great, because I beat him three weeks ago, Troy beat him four weeks ago, and Tony beat him six weeks ago. Just to sum it up, Ziggy, Johnny... you can line up to kiss his ass all you want, but the fact is that Ken Collins is a loser, and I think he SUCKS.
Ken Collins steps toward Lorenzo Vasquez, with an eyebrow arched and his face registering a look of amused disbelief, but Lorenzo Vasquez remains unimpressed.
L. Vasquez: Yeah, you heard me, motherfucker. And I'll be laughing my ass off when Crimson and Macho beat both your sorry asses tonight.
K. Collins: Is that a fact!? If you've got a problem with me, how'd you like to settle it in the ring? Me and you, one-on-one... we'll just see who sucks.
L. Vasquez: Oh, come on... you think you want to fight me!? You may be the California Crippler, but you ain't got NOTHING on the Barcelona Assassin. But I'll tell you what... I'll give you plenty of time to realize how stupid this is and back out of it. We'll make the match at No Quarter, on pay-per-view... and at any time before then, if you realize that you don't want to get your fucking arm ripped off, just come on by and beg me to tear up the contract, so you can crawl back under your rock. Otherwise... it's your funeral, bruiser. ... I'll catch you later.
That started the hatred between the two men, and a Submission Match was made at No Quarter. But what happened during and after that match drove Ken Collins to hate Lorenzo Vasquez with a single-minded passion.
From No Quarter 2001:
Ken Collins is down... and Rebecca Black just rolled Stacey Lockman into the ring! What the hell's she doing!? An evil smile of understanding crosses Lorenzo Vasquez's face... and he pulls Stacey Lockman up, then muscles her into position for the Destiny Driver!! Brendan Powers begins uselessly pleading with Lorenzo Vasquez not to do it, but gets only a contempt-filled laugh from Lorenzo Vasquez. Ken Collins looks up as he tries to pull himself to his feet... and Lorenzo looks him in the eye and yells "TAP OUT OR I BREAK HER FUCKING NECK!!" The crowd boos, and Ken Collins starts to ball up his fists and rise to his feet... but there's no way he can make it in time to stop a Destiny Driver, and he seems to realize that, because he slumps forward and taps the mat three times, signalling a submission! The crowd erupts into boos, and Lorenzo Vasquez just robbed Ken Collins!
Ken Collins looks up at Lorenzo Vasquez, demanding that he release Stacey now, and Lorenzo Vasquez just smiles cruelly... DESTINY DRIVER!! That sick son of a bitch!! The crowd erupts into a huge round of boos, and for good reason... Lorenzo Vasquez just assaulted a hundred and twenty pound young woman with the most dangerous move in VCW! That was the move that nearly broke Troy Black's neck... that was the move that put Chris Champlain and Tony Garcia on the shelf for months on end... and Lorenzo Vasquez just nailed Stacey Lockman with it!!
As if horribly injuring Stacey Lockman wasn't bad enough, Lorenzo Vasquez and Rebecca Black showed no remorse the following night... they even came to the ring and laughed about it.
From VCW 116:
R. Black: But this is the best... this is the best... Stacey Lockman. After taking a devestating inverted piledriver from our man, "The Barcelona Assassin" Lorenzo Vasquez... several of the vertebrae in her neck were... were... bruised and severely compressed...
Rebecca Black lowers the microphone as she begins laughing, and Lorenzo Vasquez nearly doubles over in hysterics. The crowd continues to boo loudly. These two are... come on, somebody backstage should have cut their microphone several minutes ago. Rebecca Black wipes a tear from her eye and regains her composure, to continue.
R. Black: Wait, it gets better. She doesn't have any feeling below the waist... and... and... doctors say that there's a relatively small chance that she'll ever be able to walk again!!
Lorenzo Vasquez collapses to the mat, laughing uncontrollably and clutching his sides, as Rebecca Black doubles over from laughter herself. This is just disgusting... the crowd's boos get even louder, indicating clearly that none of them find any humor in this. Rebecca Black raises the microphone again...
R. Black: And... and the general consensus is that... get this... she'll be a paraplegic for the rest of her LIFE!!
Rebecca Black barely gets the sentence out before she loses control, falling to her knees and holding her sides as she laughs uncontrollably, and Lorenzo Vasquez convulses on the mat in hysterics.
Ken Collins proceeded to chase Lorenzo Vasquez with a single-minded passion after that, and Lorenzo Vasquez threw other obstacles in his way. Ken Collins cut through Chris Champlain like a razorblade through lukewarm margerine at Disaster Area 2001, and even rose to the occasion and defeated the legendary Tony Garcia. For her part, Stacey Lockman has managed to somewhat overcome the grim prognosis of her injury, and she came to the arena to watch and offer moral support as Ken Collins battled Johnny Smiles for the VCW Intercontinental Title. But when she did, she became vulnerable to another act of sick, unprovoked cruelty by Lorenzo Vasquez.
From VCW 122:
Ken Collins rushes with a clothesline, but Johnny ducks, then pivots... SUPERKICK! No, Ken Collins catches his foot and takes him down by it, into the ANKLE LOCK SUBMISSION!! Ken Collins has the ankle lock on Johnny!! Johnny's in the middle of the ring, and we might just have a new VCW World Champion! But hold on a second... the ViolenTron just flickered on, showing a backstage scene! What the hell's this...
Backstage...
Lorenzo Vasquez is standing in the locker room where Ken Collins was previously, next to Stacey Lockman, who has been stripped to her bra and panties and bound with nylon rope at the wrists and ankles, with a gag tied over her mouth. A grin filled with pure evil intentions crosses Lorenzo Vasquez's face as he looks into the camera.
L. Vasquez: Hey, Ken... congratulations on beating that chump Johnny Smiles. Now, me and Stacey... I hope you don't mind, but we're gonna start the victory celebration a little bit early.
Lorenzo Vasquez laughs horribly, then reaches over to Stacey Lockman's stomach, and slides his hand down the front of her panties. She squeals in outrage through the gag and squirms helplessly at this indignity, as Lorenzo Vasquez laughs again.
L. Vasquez: Ooh, what do we have here?
Back in the ring, Ken Collins just released the ankle lock, and he's clearly not all there as he stares up at the ViolenTron, filled with sheer outrage! And who can blame him... that's one of the most disgusting, horrific scenes we've ever seen! Lorenzo Vasquez has a physically handicapped young woman bound and gagged, and he's doing terrible things to her! Ken Collins yells out in primal outrage, then slides out of the ring and sprints towards the backstage entrance at top speed!! Johnny's still in the ring... but he's getting up, having seen the ViolenTron, and he's managing a limping run towards the backstage entrance himself! He wants to help too! Jerry Rogers begins counting... I don't think either of them are making it back to the ring. Jerry Rogers calls for the bell, and the horrible images continue to play on the ViolenTron...
Backstage...
Lorenzo Vasquez pulls his hand away and glares at Stacey Lockman as she struggles against her restraints and makes unintelligble, but clearly angry noises through her gag.
L. Vasquez: What? You didn't like that!? I tell you what... I'll give you something not to like, you little bitch.
Lorenzo Vasquez grabs Stacey Lockman by the hair and pummels her in the face repeatedly with blows from his right hand, drawing blood from her face with the first few strikes. She thrashes around, trying to avoid the blows or do something, but Lorenzo Vasquez just continues to hit her in the face, finally stopping to smile at his fist, which is slick with Stacey's blood.
L. Vasquez: How about that? Your daddy ever hit you like that!? Huh!? Hell, I got something for you that'll really make you scream...
Lorenzo Vasquez forces Stacey Lockman into a face-down position bent over the bench, then reaches down, unbuckles his belt, and pulls it off. With Stacey Lockman bent over the bench, he draws back the belt and begins whipping her across the bare back with it repeatedly, raising bright pink welts across her pale skin with each blow. He laughs triumphantly as he whips her again and again, until finally the door bursts open, and Rebecca Black steps into the room frantically.
R. Black: Get the fuck out of here! They're coming!
L. Vasquez: Oh, shit!! Let's get outta here!
Lorenzo Vasquez tosses his belt aside and runs out of the locker room, along with Rebecca Black. A few seconds go by, and Ken Collins bursts into the room, staring at the battered, tortured Stacey Lockman with horror.
K. Collins: Oh my God... what did he DO to you, Stacey!?
Johnny Smiles hobbles into the room a second later, and moves forward to kneel at Stacey's side, uncharacteristically serious and worried.
J. Smiles: I'll take care of her. GO GET HIM!!
Ken Collins turns and runs out of the room, down the hallway without hesitation, with the camera shifting viewpoints to follow him. He runs out the doors into the parking lot, where Rebecca Black and Lorenzo Vasquez are seen piling into a car. Ken Collins dashes after the vehicle as it takes off, jumping up on the trunk and smashing at the rear window with his fists, putting spiderweb cracks in it, before he finally slips off of the back and falls to the parking lot. Unhurt by the fall, he immedately gets to his feet and runs after the car again, but it's too far gone, and it takes off into the streets. Ken Collins stares out after the car, yelling at it with rage and frustration.
K. Collins: GET BACK HERE, LORENZO!! TRY TO DO THAT TO ME!! GET BACK HERE!!
Ken Collins turns away from the car as it disappears into the night, and begins walking back to the building entrance. Before he gets there, though, he breaks down, falling to his knees in the parking lot and burying his face in his hands. The camera fades out on the parking lot scene.
At this point, Ken Collins was out for blood and revenge. And he nearly got it a few weeks later, when he teamed up with Johnny Smiles to face Lorenzo Vasquez and Brujah at Gang Wars, but not before Lorenzo Vasquez was able to defeat Johnny Smiles for the VCW Intercontinental Title. At Gang Wars, luck, circumstance, and a lot of shady dealings conspired to save Lorenzo Vasquez from his deserved fate.
From Gang Wars 2001:
Lorenzo Vasquez turns around... and Ken Collins kicks him in the midsection again, then lifts him and gives him a second shoulderbreaker!! Ken Collins grimaces as the move takes its toll on him as well... but now he climbs on Lorenzo Vasquez, and hooks him in the California Crossface!! Lorenzo's in the California Crossface in the middle of the ring... but here comes Brujah, in to break it up... no, Johnny cuts Brujah off, backing him into a corner and unloading on him with right hands!! Lorenzo's struggling in the California Crossface... and he's tapping out! Lorenzo Vasquez is tapping out... but damn it, Jerry Rogers is trying to break up the fight between Brujah and Johnny, the two illegal men, and he doesn't see it!! Ken Collins doesn't seem to know or care about that, though... he's locked in and focused, and all he cares about is that he has Lorenzo Vasquez locked in the California Crossface, and there'll be no escape!! Lorenzo Vasquez is tapping out... THE BELL RINGS!! Ken Collins jumps up to his feet, with his hands raised in victory and a vindicated, triumphant smile spreading across his face... but Jerry Rogers never called for the bell! What's going on here? Ring announcer David Page has a microphone...
D. Page: Ladies and gentlemen, the thirty minute time limit for this match has expired. Therefore... this match has ended in a DRAW!!
The smile fades from Ken Collins's face, and he angrily turns back to Lorenzo Vasquez... but Lorenzo and Brujah have rolled out of the ring to the outside during the confusion, and they're retreating backstage with Rebecca Black! Ken Collins had Lorenzo Vasquez tapping out in the middle of the ring before the bell, and it's only because Jerry Rogers didn't see it that this match ended in a draw!
But now the date was set, and everyone knew that the match was made... Ken Collins would face Lorenzo Vasquez, with the VCW Intercontinental Title on the line, at Blood and Thunder tonight. But that didn't stop them from losing patience, especially after Lorenzo Vasquez couldn't keep his mouth shut...
From VCW 129:
The crowd boos loudly, and a huge "ASSHOLE" chant is starting now... and it's well-deserved, too. Lorenzo Vasquez is a miserable excuse for a human being, with no redeeming features whatsoever, and by some travesty he's allowed to stand up in the ring with a live mic.
L. Vasquez: Speaking of Stacey Lockman... this Sunday's my day of reckoning with Ken Collins. See, this ain't about Ken Collins beating me, because he never has done that, and he knows he never can. I'm just too damn good. But when I took Stacey Lockman and drove her head-first into the mat, when I broke her pretty little neck at No Quarter, I paralyzed her ass, and since then she's been in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down, and her pussy's too numb for her to fuck Ken Collins. Our boy Ken thinks that's my fault... but it's his fault, for getting with a woman who's too fucking stupid to stay out of my way! Stacey got in the ring with me, and she paid the fucking price!! Melissa's gonna pay the price, and Ken Collins, when you get in the ring with me at Blood and Thunder, I'm gonna fucking cripple your ass too!!
Lorenzo Vasquez is shouting into the microphone, showing a lot of intensity... this slimeball seems to actually believe that he's justified in saying and doing all of the disgusting things he does.
Lorenzo Vasquez was then scheduled to face Melissa DelArmeggio, but Ken Collins couldn't restrain himself after that tirade from Lorenzo Vasquez.
From VCW 129:
Melissa begins circling Lorenzo Vasquez cautiously, not wanting to give him an opening to attack her early... but someone's running out of the backstage entrance!! KEN COLLINS!! And he has a chair!! The crowd explodes into cheers as "The California Crippler" Ken Collins runs out of the backstage entrance with a chair, then slides into the ring. Lorenzo Vasquez turns around, and terror washes over his face, just before Ken Collins clobbers him with the chair, causing an immediate disqualification!!
Ken Collins just laid Lorenzo Vasquez out, but he's not done yet... he drives the chair into his shoulder a few times, then drops the chair and pulls Lorenzo Vasquez up... PILEDRIVER ON THE CHAIR!! Lorenzo Vasquez pops up from the impact, then collapses in a heap on the mat, and Ken Collins grabs him... CALIFORNIA CROSSFACE!! He has Lorenzo Vasquez locked in the California Crossface! The crowd goes wild, and Rebecca Black slides into the ring, screaming in fright... but when she gets up, Melissa DelArmeggio nails her with a kick to the face!! Ken Collins keeps pulling back on the California Crossface, trying to hurt Lorenzo Vasquez... he obviously heard what Lorenzo said before the match, and he just can't contain himself!!
But wait a second... here comes the H.A.R.P. Squad! The crowd boos loudly as the H.A.R.P. Squad runs to the ring and slides inside, and they quickly descend upon Ken Collins, pulling him away from Lorenzo Vasquez. It takes three men to pull him off and hold him back, and he starts yelling incoherently at Lorenzo Vasquez and straining to get at him... Ken Collins has LOST it. He still has a match with Bass Rogers later on tonight, too, but it seems like he can only focus on Lorenzo Vasquez! In six days, they'll face each other... but not tonight, as the H.A.R.P. Squad begins hauling Ken Collins away.
That wasn't all we'd see on that night, however. Ken Collins was facing Bass Rogers in a violent, grueling match later in the evening, and Lorenzo Vasquez seized the opportunity to strike out in retaliation.
From VCW 129:
[Bass Rogers] roars angrily and muscles [Ken Collins] up into a Gorilla press... but now the arm gives out, and Ken Collins slides out behind him, grabs him, and takes him down, into the CALIFORNIA CROSSFACE!! He has it on again, and this time Bass Rogers may not be able to make it! But someone's charging out of the backstage entrance... it's Lorenzo Vasquez, with a chair! Lorenzo Vasquez runs to the ring and slides inside, then whacks Ken Collins with the chair, causing an immediate disqualification!!
The crowd boos loudly, and Lorenzo Vasquez just keeps nailing Ken Collins with the chair over and over again! He doesn't want this to get to Blood and Thunder; he's trying to end it now! Bass Rogers starts to stir, and Lorenzo Vasquez whacks him a few times with the chair as well, trying to keep him down. Now he drops the chair, and grabs Ken Collins... and he's motioning for the Destiny Driver, as he yells "I'M GONNA BREAK HIS NECK!!" The crowd boos loudly...
... But now "Wait And Bleed" by Slipknot just started playing, and the crowd erupts in cheers as Lorenzo Vasquez turns a startled stare to the backstage entrance! Here comes the VCW World Champion, the Grave Digger, along with Desmond... and they're being accompanied by Tony Garcia and Melissa DelArmeggio! Lorenzo Vasquez drops Ken Collins and rolls out of the ring, then begins trying to escape through the crowd...
It's clear that Lorenzo Vasquez wanted to take Ken Collins out before Blood and Thunder ever came. Fortunately, he failed, but we have to wonder what's going to happen tonight. You have to believe that at least one of these two men won't be walking out of here tonight... neither man will be satisfied with a simple pinfall or submission victory. What it boils down to is the fact that Ken Collins won't allow Lorenzo Vasquez to walk out of here until he's had his revenge, and Lorenzo Vasquez knows better than to leave Ken Collins up and around for another confrontation. Somebody's getting hurt tonight, and probably hurt very badly.
We're going to start a match now... "Stuntman" by 24-7 Spyz begins playing, and that brings out Tommy Hustle to a mild round of cheers from the crowd. He comes to the ring, looking confident and ready for action, despite the fact that he hasn't achieved consistent success in VCW. He'll be facing a man who would like us to believe that he's a newcomer to VCW, but in actuality is a former VCW competitor returning with a different ring name. Tommy Hustle enters the ring and poses for the crowd, then goes into a fighting stance and begins shadow-boxing to warm up.
And now "Tziganne" by Bozzio, Levin, and Stevens begins playing, and here comes our new competitor. He was once called Arthur Justice, but now he's known as Monty Pompous. Monty Pompous steps out of the backstage entrance, wearing a ruffled white silk shirt with red silk slacks and a sheathed rapier at his side, and he walks to the ring, thrusting his chest out and striding forward with confidence. He jumps up on the apron, springs up to the top rope, then leaps off with a front flip and lands on his feet, taking a bow for the crowd, which boos him. He gives them a disgusted glare, then quickly unbuttons his shirt and shrugs it off, then does likewise with his belt and slacks, revealing a black pair of wrestling trunks underneath. He hands them to a ring attendant, motioning for him to take care with them. Linda Peterson enters the ring and calls for the bell, and we're getting this match started!
Monty Pompous
vs.
Tommy Hustle
Monty Pompous moves forward and locks up with Tommy Hustle... and shoves him back hard, causing Tommy Hustle to tumble backwards, head over heels, into the corner! Monty Pompous grins and flexes his muscles, showing off an impressive, finely-chiselled physique, then steps forward and offers to help Tommy Hustle to his feet. Tommy Hustle brushes his offer aside and stands up on his own. Monty Pompous offers him another lockup, and Tommy Hustle shakes his head, so Monty Pompous runs into the ropes, then comes off with a clothesline... but Tommy Hustle ducks, then takes him off his feet with a dropkick when he comes off the other side! The crowd cheers, and Monty Pompous gets up, but Tommy Hustle takes him down with another dropkick! Monty Pompous gets up again, but this time he's doubled over, and Tommy Hustle runs into the ropes, then takes him down with a swinging neckbreaker!
Monty Pompous rolls out of the ring, trying to get a break, but Tommy Hustle runs into the ropes, then dives out over the top rope onto him with a cross bodypress plancha... but Monty Pompous catches him, then brings him down across a knee with a backbreaker! Tommy Hustle ends up in a heap on the floor, and the crowd boos as Monty Pompous stands over him, flexing his muscles. Now Monty Pompous is reaching under the ring... he has a chair! What's he doing with it? He sets it up, then reaches under the ring again, and pulls out a wineglass and a bucket of ice with a bottle of wine in it. What the hell!? He pulls the cork out of the wine, then pours it into the glass, sits down in the chair, and starts sipping it. He's taking a wine break... but Tommy Hustle is up, and he runs forward and dropkicks Monty Pompous, causing him to fall backward in the chair and crash to the floor!
Monty Pompous gets up again, and Tommy Hustle grabs him by the hair, then takes him head-first into the steel ringpost on the outside, getting more cheers from the crowd. Monty Pompous goes down, and Tommy Hustle rolls him into the ring, then climbs up on the apron. Monty Pompous starts to get up, and Tommy Hustle leaps to the top rope, then springs off at him with a springboard Thesz press... but Monty Pompous catches him and counters with a spinebuster!! He just turned this match around in a big hurry, and the crowd boos loudly. Monty Pompous is an impressive physical specimen, and that was a great move that may have changed the course of this match in a hurry.
Monty Pompous pulls Tommy Hustle up and clobbers him with a few big right hands, then whips him into the ropes. Tommy Hustle comes off the ropes... and Monty catches him with an impressive tilt-a-whirl backbreaker in the middle! Tommy Hustle is in a world of pain, and Monty Pompous is starting to dominate this match! He hooks Tommy Hustle for a suplex, then lifts and brings him crashing down with a big vertical suplex! He floats over for the cover, and Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two and a half by Tommy Hustle! Monty Pompous scoops Tommy Hustle up off of the mat, then bodyslams him... and now he runs into the ropes, and hits a legdrop! He covers again, and Linda Peterson counts again... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Still only two and a half!
Monty Pompous slips behind Tommy Hustle as he gets up again, then lifts him... belly-to-back suplex! He goes to the corner, and climbs to the top turnbuckle as Tommy Hustle pulls himself to his feet... but when he comes off with a flying shoulderblock, Tommy Hustle dodges, and he wipes out on the mat! Tommy Hustle takes Monty Pompous down with a Russian legsweep as he starts to get up, then grabs his head and pulls him into a sitting position, and flips over him with a jumping neck snap! Monty Pompous falls back, then starts to get up again, but Tommy Hustle grabs him by the hair and brings him down with a jawbreaker! He covers Monty Pompous, and Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... And only two, before Monty Pompous kicks out with authority!
Tommy Hustle scoops Monty Pompous up and gives him a bodyslam, and now he's heading to the top turnbuckle! He comes off... FLYING SOMERSAULT HEADBUTT!! But no, Monty Pompous rolls out of the way! Both of them are down now, and after a few seconds both start getting up! Monty Pompous backs into the ropes and comes off at Tommy Hustle with a clothesline, but Tommy Hustle ducks and wraps around behind him into a waistlock! He goes for the Backdrop Driver, but Monty Pompous whirls and elbows him in the head, then slips around with a go-behind and locks on a cobra clutch... SWASHBUCKLER!! That's his move, a cobra clutch slam that he calls the Swashbuckler, and he covers Tommy Hustle!! Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! Monty Pompous wins his debut match!
Monty
Pompous pinned Tommy Hustle with the Swashbuckler in 0:05:19.
Rating: * 3/4
The crowd boos as Linda Peterson takes Monty Pompous's hand and raises it, and in return, Monty Pompous grabs her hand and kisses it, then bows to her. This is an impressive debut for Monty Pompous... perhaps he learned something besides how to act like a completely different person. His size and power advantage definitely helped him against Tommy Hustle, but he looked pretty impressive tonight as an athlete. There could be big things in the future for Monty Pompous's VCW career if he can stay on this winning track. Monty Pompous takes a bow to the crowd, then heads backstage to a loud round of boos. A few seconds later, Tommy Hustle gets up and staggers backstage as well.
In another of our matches tonight, we may be looking at the end of an era in VCW. Tony Garcia will be participating in what he claims will be his last match, against none other than Troy Black. A month ago, these two men were close allies, but circumstances have fragmented their alliance and friendship in a big way, with disasterous consequences. It started, in many ways, at Gang Wars, when Tony Garcia introduced the wooden axe handle into the match, and the Grave Digger went on to use it to win against overwhelming odds.
From Gang Wars 2001:
The Grave Digger's still in control... but Amy Lin slides into the ring behind him, and nails him with a low blow! The Grave Digger doubles over... and Tony Garcia charges him, then cuts him down with a lariat! He looks around, seeing that Bobcat McGavin's down... and he's motioning to the back!! He's calling for reinforcements! Here come Brujah and Lorenzo Vasquez!! As if two-on-one wasn't bad enough, the entire Black Plague's getting in on it now! Tony Garcia continues clobbering the Grave Digger, and the Grave Digger's fighting back as well as he can... but Troy Black gets up and starts assaulting him too! And now Brujah slides into the ring, carrying the VCW Television Title... and he nails the Grave Digger upside the head with it, knocking him down to a chorus of boos from the crowd!!
Brujah pulls the Grave Digger up into a standing headscissors, then lifts... POWER BOMB!! He stands back, and Lorenzo Vasquez pulls the Grave Digger up, then drills him to the mat with a DDT! He turns the Grave Digger over, as Amy Lin goes up to the top turnbuckle... MOONSAULT!! Tony Garcia puts the Grave Digger in a standing headscissors... and he throws in a power bomb of his own!! And now Troy Black's going up to the top turnbuckle... BLACK DAGGER!! The Black Plague is destroying the Grave Digger with a five-on-one assault here!! And now they're celebrating, smiling and exchanging high fives... BUT THE GRAVE DIGGER SITS UP!!
The crowd cheers, and every member of the Black Plague scatters to a far corner of the ring in shock... but Tony Garcia grabs his wooden axe handle from the apron, pointing to himself and smiling! He motions for the Grave Digger to bring it on, then yells "GET UP, DIGGER!!"... and the Grave Digger gets up! Tony Garcia swings the axe handle at his head... and the Grave Digger catches it! Tony Garcia stares in shock, and the Grave Digger jerks the axe handle away! He nails Tony Garcia with it, and he goes down! Brujah runs in, and the Grave Digger knocks him down with the wooden axe handle as well! Lorenzo Vasquez tries to sneak in, and he gets the axe handle as well! Amy Lin rushes forward and jumps on the Grave Digger's back... but he falls back into a corner, smashing her against the turnbuckles!! Troy Black charges in... and the Grave Digger nails him with the axe handle as well! The Grave Digger's famous for fighting off the entire SMCW roster with a crowbar, and now he's fighting off the entire Black Plague with the wooden axe handle!!
Troy Black gets up... and the Grave Digger knocks him down with the wooden axe handle again!! Tony Garcia gets up... and the Grave Digger nails him with the axe handle again! Brujah, Lorenzo, and Amy are still down around the ring... and Bobcat McGavin's getting up, so the Grave Digger tosses the axe handle aside! He grabs Troy Black and Tony Garcia by the throat... DOUBLE CHOKESLAM!! They're both down!! The crowd's on its feet, and the Grave Digger draws his thumb across his throat, then lifts Tony Garcia... BURIAL!! Tony Garcia's down!! Troy Black starts to get up, and the Grave Digger lifts him too... no, Troy Black slides out behind him! The Grave Digger turns around... THROAT JAB!! No, the Grave Digger catches his hand, knees him in the gut, then lifts him again... BURIAL!! He hit it that time! The Grave Digger puts one hand on Troy Black, and one hand on Tony Garcia, and Bobcat McGavin counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! HE DID IT!! UNBELIEVABLE!!
This crowd is absolutely stunned and elated... the Grave Digger defeated not only Troy Black and Tony Garcia, but the ENTIRE Black Plague singlehandedly! Every last member of the Black Plague is laid to waste in and around the ring, and the Grave Digger is STILL standing tall as the VCW World Champion! The Black Plague epidemic may have just been cured, and the VCW World Title is still securely in the hands of the Grave Digger! Tonight, he may have just etched his place as one of the greatest VCW World Champions in history, and after this stunning defeat at the hands of one man, the Black Plague may never be the same again!
The Black Plague never really was the same again. When they returned to VCW television eight days later, it was clear that they held Tony Garcia responsible for their failure to get the VCW World Title off of the Grave Digger.
From VCW 126:
T. Black: Look at us. The great and powerful Black Plague... defeated by ONE man at Gang Wars. Every last one of us. And after thinking about it for a while, I think I know why that is.
Troy Black turns to Tony Garcia.
T. Black: Tony... you brought the wooden axe handle into the ring. The Grave Digger got his hands on it. Without that axe handle, the numbers would have been too much for him. We would have overcame him. It would have WORKED. I hold you responsible for what happened at Gang Wars.
Tony Garcia frowns and strokes his chin.
T. Garcia: You know... maybe you've got a point. Maybe I made a mistake back there.
L. Vasquez: Yeah, and while we're at it here, what about you losing to Ken Collins two weeks ago? You told him he'd have to go through you to get a shot at me, then told me it'd never happen... but then it did. Now I've got a match with that crazy son of a bitch written in for Blood and Thunder. That wasn't supposed to happen, Tony.
A. Lin: And let me bring up one other thing here. Remember when you were supposed to take out Desmond, after Disaster Area? He turned on us, and you were supposed to come out that night and deal with him... but he's still walking around without a horrible, crippling injury. In fact, he almost beat you that night. We're still waiting on his dose of Tony Garcia locker room justice, and it looks like we'll be waiting for a good long time.
T. Garcia: Yeah... okay. I guess all our problems have a real easy solution, don't they? It's me. Well, let me put it to you like this. If you can't pull your own damn weight, don't go relying on me to jump in and do it for you, then bitch at me when I don't do it right. I can still take care of business... but I think it's high time some of you started handling your own business instead of dumping it on me.
Tony Garcia glares around at the rest of the people in the locker room defensively, but none of them say anything more...
Tony Garcia's words didn't fend off the blame for long, though, and soon the Black Plague was once again viewing him as a weak link and scapegoat. At that point, Tony Garcia decided to change his standing by pursuing the Black Plague's ultimate goal... by winning the VCW World Title from the Grave Digger.
From VCW 127:
... "I, Zombie (Europe In The Raw Mix)" by White Zombie begins playing, and the crowd explodes into boos as Tony Garcia comes out of the backstage entrance! He begins walking to the ring briskly, and he doesn't look happy. Last time we saw him, he was pinned by the Grave Digger in a tag team match last week... could this have anything to do with that!? He climbs inside the ring and grabs a microphone, without wasting any time.
T. Garcia: All right, people... we're about to have some problems. Back in the back... they're trying to chew ME out for losing last week, for getting pinned by the Grave Digger. The Black Plague doesn't think I can cut the mustard these days. They think I'm getting old and washed up. Well, let me tell you something, kids... I may be the oldest man on the roster, but I'm also the baddest man on the roster, and every last son of a bitch backstage knows it.
The crowd boos, but evidently Tony Garcia's loss last week didn't sit well with the Black Plague. There's clearly some dissention going on in their ranks.
T. Garcia: And everyone else is getting in these little two-bit worthless matches tonight. You've got Lorenzo in a tag team match for no good reason. Troy Black's gonna be in a match with six women and Desmond tonight. Brujah's defending his title against some punk kid. Ain't NONE of this getting a damn thing accomplished. So that's why I'm out here... I'm gonna show everybody who the baddest man in VCW is, and put the Black Plague back on the map... if the Grave Digger has the guts to do it one more time, I'm calling him out for a title match right here, TONIGHT!
The crowd cheers for that challenge... that's been a pay-per-view main event lately, and Tony Garcia wants that match tonight! He paces in the ring for a few seconds before continuing.
T. Garcia: Digger... you listen to me, and you listen good. I've been in this business for twenty-five years... that's more than twice what you've got on your record. I may not be no seven feet two inches tall or four hundred pounds, but the trail of broken bodies I left on barroom floors and in hospital beds during those twenty-five years speaks for itself. But here... just in these past two years or so, you've gotten more than I have in my career. You've been a World Champion in two organizations. I was VCW World Champion for ONE DAY.
See, in my career, I haven't been getting these handouts. And I've always busted my ass day in and day out, working for it... I haven't ever asked for any kind of handouts. But that's gonna change tonight. Because right now, Digger... I'm asking you for one more match, for the VCW World Title, tonight. I'm... no. No, wait.
Tony Garcia steps into the middle of the ring, then drops down on his knees.
T. Garcia: Look at me, Digger... I'm on my knees. I'm down on my knees, BEGGING you for one more shot at the title. Right here, tonight, you give me one more chance, one more shot at the title, and I GUARANTEE you that I'm gonna knock you on your big ass, boy.
Tony Garcia seems desperate to get this title shot, and if he wins this would redeem him in the eyes of the Black Plague, without a doubt... but now "Wait And Bleed" by Slipknot begins playing, and here comes the VCW World Champion, the Grave Digger! The crowd erupts into cheers as the Grave Digger steps out on the ramp, wearing the VCW World Title and carrying a microphone... he could be here to accept!
G. Digger: If you've been around so long, you've been around long enough to know that times change. Back in your time, a World Title wasn't the sort of thing that you defend any given week on TV... but it isn't your time any more. I'm the champion, and it's my time. And if you want a title match on my time, you've got it.
Tony Garcia got the match that night, and proceeded to wrestle what many have called the best match of his career, or at least the best match he's had in quite some time.
From VCW 127:
Tony Garcia's sucking wind, and his confidence is starting to crumble, but he pulls the Grave Digger up and whips him into the ropes, running at him from the other side. He swings at him with a lariat... but the Grave Digger ducks, and Tony Garcia mows down Bobcat McGavin!! Tony Garcia turns around, but the Grave Digger comes off the other side, and nails Tony Garcia with an amazing jumping clothesline! Tony Garcia's down!! The Grave Digger gets back up, and he's headed to the top turnbuckle... but he can barely walk with the pain in his back, and Tony Garcia's up again, in time to catch him with a punch to the gut! The Grave Digger falls onto the turnbuckle, and Tony Garcia climbs up with him, then puts him on his shoulders... is he going to... TOP-ROPE SAMOAN DROP!! Tony Garcia just DRILLED the Grave Digger down into the canvas! He crawls over him and hooks a leg... but Bobcat McGavin's still down! Is the Grave Digger just not kicking out because there's no count forcing him to, or does Tony Garcia have him beat in the middle of the ring, with no referee to count it!?
Tony Garcia gets up... but someone's coming out of the backstage entrance!! It's Troy Black!! The crowd boos as he runs to the ring, then slides inside, grabbing Tony Garcia's wooden axe handle, and he raises it to nail the Grave Digger! But Tony Garcia stops him, evidently telling Troy that he doesn't want to win it like that. Troy Black stares at him strangely, then seems to be arguing with him... but the Grave Digger sits up behind Tony Garcia! Troy Black quickly bolts out of the ring, and Tony Garcia turns around... right into the Grave Yard Slam!! Tony Garcia's down, but he's getting back up somehow... and Troy Black slides into the ring behind the Grave Digger! He draws back the axe handle again and swings... but the Grave Digger ducks, and Troy Black nails Tony Garcia with it! Troy Black turns around... and the Grave Digger mows him down with a lariat! But Rebecca Black's on the top turnbuckle with a chair... and she comes off the top with a chairshot to the Grave Digger... WITH NO EFFECT!
The Grave Digger just stares at her, then grabs the chair and RIPS IT APART!! He did that seemingly with ease, and Rebecca Black screams and runs out of the ring, wanting nothing to do with him! Tony Garcia's getting up, and the Grave Digger rushes him, then nails him with a Yakuza kick!! And now Bobcat McGavin's back up again, as the Grave Digger goes to the top turnbuckle... FLYING ELBOWDROP!! The Grave Digger just landed nearly four hundred pounds on Tony Garcia, and he covers and hooks the leg... AND GETS THREE!! It's over!! The Grave Digger just beat Tony Garcia again!!
Once again, after perhaps his toughest match yet, the Grave Digger stands tall as the VCW World Champion! Tony Garcia's down, and Troy and Rebecca Black are having a fit on the outside of the ring! The title stays with the Grave Digger, and the Black Plague may be out of immediate contention after this! Tony Garcia gave the Grave Digger one HELL of a fight, but Troy Black's attempt to interfere seemingly backfired, and the Grave Digger is still the VCW World Champion! Tony Garcia rolls out of the ring, and Troy Black is yelling something at him... but he may not be coherent enough to understand.
That time, Troy Black introduced the wooden axe handle into the fray, and it may have cost Tony Garcia a chance to defeat the Grave Digger. But the following week, the trend of blaming Tony Garcia for the Black Plague's woes continued, when Troy Black came out and confronted him in a scathingly intense interview that turned ugly quickly...
From VCW 128:
The crowd continues booing and chanting, as Troy Black paces in the ring, waiting for it to die down. Finally he speaks again.
T. Black: Last week... we had one more title shot. One more chance at the VCW World Title. There's absolutely no reason why that title shouldn't be ours right now. But Tony Garcia takes the title shot... and he doesn't get the job done. It's not enough that he drags me down, and causes me to lose to the Grave Digger at Gang Wars... we get ONE more title shot, and he can't get the job done.
The crowd boos loudly; Troy Black seems to be ignoring the fact that he's largely respomsible for Tony Garcia's loss last week. It was still anybody's match when Troy Black first distracted Tony Garcia, then hit him with the wooden axe handle, both by accident. We may never know if Tony Garcia could have won that match on his own merits...
T. Black: We sat back and tolerated it when the Grave Digger squashed him in record time to win the title. We tolerated it when time and time again he lost to the Grave Digger in rematches. We tolerated it when he couldn't even get rid of Desmond and Ken Collins, for all his talk about broken bones and bar fights from the past. We even tolerated it when he caused me to lose to the Grave Digger in a handicap match at Gang Wars. But after tonight... he's reached the end of my tolerance. Tony... I know you're back there, listening, and I DEMAND that you come out here right NOW and explain what the problem is, and how you intend to fix it.
The crowd boos... and now "I, Zombie (Europe In The Raw Mix)" by White Zombie just hit the arena sound system! Tony Garcia steps out of the backstage entrance, carrying his wooden axe handle, and he doesn't look too pleased as he points down the aisle at Troy Black, yelling something at him. He climbs in the ring too... and he's calling for a microphone! The other members of the Black Plague step to the side silently as Tony Garcia and Troy Black look at each other face to face in the ring.
T. Black: You think you need the axe handle here to deal with me? Drop it. That's not how we settle things here.
Tony Garcia tosses aside his axe handle, then cracks his knuckles and steps forward, towering over Troy Black by half a foot. He gets his microphone, and raises it to address Troy.
T. Garcia: You want to know what my problem is, Troy? You want to know what my damn problem is? It's YOU. Last week, I was wrestling the best match of my career. Now maybe I had the Digger beat, and maybe I didn't. And then you come down and start shoving that axe handle in my face. I didn't ask you to do that. I didn't need you to do that. I didn't WANT you to do that, Troy. I knew damn well where my axe handle was, and if I was gonna need it. And I wasn't gonna need it, because by then it was more than the title. It was me and the Digger, squaring off to prove who's the baddest man in the business... and I had all the proof I needed last week.
Then, after that, you turned and took a swing, and cracked me upside the head with the axe handle. Maybe I could've beat him, and maybe I couldn't... but I sure as hell can't beat anybody if you're gonna come in and whack me in the head during my matches. I know you were trying to help, and I ain't gonna blame you for getting in my business. But you sure as hell better not try to pin this thing on me.
The crowd gives a small round of cheers... a few of them are in support of Tony Garcia, since he seems to be talking more about the reality of what happened. But Troy Black just looks even angrier.
T. Black: Listen, you ungrateful son of a bitch... I'm the only one who ever gave you so many chances at the title. My dad looked out for himself and himself alone, and you were his sidekick the whole way. Gabriel... he dressed you in a stupid mask, tried to break your neck, and then made up for it with a bunch of false promises. And now look at me. The youngest son, the one who you all said didn't have the body to make it in this business without taking my own weight in steroids every day like Dad used to... and if you'll remember, I'm the one whose neck you tried to break for two years while Gabriel strings you along as his sidekick in a goofy mask. I lost count of all the times you snubbed me when I was younger, of all the times you tried to hurt me and Melissa, even less than a year ago. And it's not like I didn't care about her back then. By all rights, I should hate your guts.
And despite ALL that, I bend over backwards to get you shot after shot at the title, something that NOBODY has ever done for you. You held the title for ONE day because of me and ONLY because of me, and then you lose it in record time. And then I get you MORE shots at the title, so you can get squashed by the Grave Digger time after time after time. You can't even beat him for the title with me in the match helping you out... you find a way to screw that up, too. And we get ONE more title shot, last week, and I give it to you--not myself, but YOU--and you mess up again, then try to pin it on me. I don't know who you think you're kidding, you fat sack of shit. It looks to me like you're not the baddest man on the roster... just the saddest man on the roster.
Troy Black stares at Tony Garcia venomously, and Tony Garcia's eyes widen with ire. The crowd boos... then cheers as Tony Garcia grabs Troy Black by the neck and shoves him into the corner of the ring.
T. Garcia: You think so!? Maybe you did get me a few opportunities, and I respect that. But that doesn't mean you can blame me for every little thing that goes wrong, and that DOES NOT mean that you can talk to me like that, boy. If you want to settle something, maybe we can get this settled RIGHT NOW. So you got a fucking problem with me, or what!?
Troy Black quickly shakes his head no, raising the microphone.
T. Black: No, come on, Tony. Look... I'm sorry. I don't have a problem. Just calm down... we'll make this right.
Tony Garcia loosens his grip on Troy Black, backing up.
T. Garcia: Yeah, okay. But I got some things to think about before all that. I'm gonna take some time alone and think about it real good.
Tony Garcia tosses aside the microphone and turns to leave... and quickly, Troy Black signals the rest of the Black Plague! Lorenzo Vasquez rushes Tony Garcia with a series of weakened, pained punches, but Tony Garcia knocks him to the mat with a massive right hand, then turns around... just in time for Brujah to charge him and nail him in the head with the VCW Television Title!! Tony Garcia goes down to one knee, still ready to get up and fight... and Troy Black grabs the wooden axe handle, then nails him HARD upside the head with it! Tony Garcia goes down, and Troy Black begins bludgeoning him in the back of the head and neck with it repeatedly! This is a three-on-one gang assault on Tony Garcia by the Black Plague!!
Troy Black gets up and brings Tony Garcia down with a double arm DDT, and now he's going up to the top turnbuckle... BLACK DAGGER!! The crowd boos loudly, and Tony Garcia convulses with the impact! As Troy Black rolls away, Brujah gets to the top of the opposite turnbuckle, and leaps off... SWANDIVE HEADBUTT!! Brujah gets to his feet... and now Amy Lin's up as well... MOONSAULT!! She just nailed Tony Garcia as well! And now Brujah's sitting up on one of the top turnbuckles, and Troy Black and Lorenzo Vasquez both work together to lift Tony Garcia up for him, with Lorenzo grimacing at the pain of the exertion. Brujah hoists Tony Garcia up, on the top turnbuckle... TOP-ROPE POWER BOMB!! Tony Garcia crashes to the mat forcefully, and Troy Black goes up top again... and nails him with a SECOND Black Dagger!! This is just getting horrific and excessive!!
Lorenzo Vasquez grabs Tony Garcia's legs, then steps through and puts on a figure-four leglock... and now Brujah has the axe handle, and he's forcing it down on Tony Garcia's throat, choking him out while he's trapped in the figure-four! Troy Black goes up to the top rope, and he's directing Brujah to leave the axe handle there on his throat. He leaps off... no, come on... FLYING DOUBLE STOMP ON THE AXE HANDLE!! Troy Black just stomped down on the axe handle with a foot on either end, while it was across Tony Garcia's throat!! The axe handle was broken immediately from the impact, and Tony Garcia starts thrashing around so violently that Lorenzo Vasquez has to release the figure-four!! The crowd boos loudly as Tony Garcia convulses, clutching his throat and spitting up blood... and Troy Black grabs Brujah's VCW Television Title and begins bashing Tony Garcia in the head with it repeatedly!
After several blows, Tony Garcia finally goes limp, with blood trickling out of his mouth, but that doesn't stop Troy Black from continuing to smash him in the back of the head with the title belt... and now the back of his head's busted open and bleeding heavily as well! Troy Black drops the title, and begins stomping at Tony Garcia, and Amy Lin grabs his right leg and puts on a half Boston, as Lorenzo Vasquez grabs his right arm and puts on the Barcelona Armbar!! This is no ordinary attack... they're clearly trying to take Tony Garcia out of commission permanently! Brujah shakes his head and starts to walk away, but Rebecca Black says something to him and points to Tony Garcia, and he turns and begins half-heartedly stomping at him. This beating just isn't going to end until Tony Garcia is reduced to a bloody pulp in the ring...
But wait a second... someone's coming out of the backstage entrance!! It's Russel "The Muscle" Taylor! The crowd cheers as he charges to the ring, but Rebecca Black gets Brujah's attention and points to him. Russel Taylor slides into the ring... but Brujah grabs the VCW Television Title belt and charges Russel Taylor as he advances, nailing him upside the head with it! Russel Taylor goes down, clutching his head, and rolls out of the ring in pain! So much for Russel...
But now someone else is coming out of the back! About two dozen someones, actually... the H.A.R.P. Squad is finally here! They slide into the ring, in large numbers, and quickly begin pulling the attackers off of Tony Garcia. Their sheer numbers quickly overwhelm the Black Plague, and Troy, Amy, Lorenzo, Brujah, and Rebecca are forced to the outside of the ring as the H.A.R.P. Squad stands over Tony Garcia's fallen form, signalling for some medics. Blood is still trickling from Tony Garcia's mouth and head in copious quantities, and his breathing is very shallow, except for an occasional coughing spasm that forces a spray of blood up from his mouth. He may be hurt badly... the Black Plague was clearly looking to eliminate him from VCW entirely. They destroyed Sandis Arlington... they destroyed Gabriel Black... and they may have just destroyed Tony Garcia now as well.
Tony Garcia was beaten to a pulp in the ring, but the violence didn't stop there. Troy Black must have known how dangerous and how determined Tony Garcia can be, because he was hell-bent on ending it then and there, continuing his sadistic attack later in the parking lot.
From VCW 128:
Tony Garcia is being pushed towards an ambulance, on a stretcher, by a team of paramedics. The back doors open, and they ease him inside, then a few medics climb in back with him and close the doors behind them. The ambulance seems ready to go, when the Black Plague rushes the ambulance. Troy Black, Amy Lin, and Brujah are carrying baseball bats, and Lorenzo Vasquez has a cinderblock and a length of rope. Troy Black flings open the driver's side door, then raises the baseball bat threateningly.
T. Black: Get out of the ambulance or I smear you on the parking lot concrete.
The ambulance driver panics, and the rest of the medics scatter as Brujah and Amy Lin swing their baseball bats with hostile intent. Troy Black moves around to the back of the ambulance, then flings those doors open as well, revealing the medics who are inside, tending to Tony Garcia.
T. Black: Get out, or you're gonna get hurt.
Troy Black raises the baseball bat to swing, and those medics bolt from the ambulance and start fleeing as well. Troy Black looks at Tony Garcia, still down on a stretcher inside the ambulance, and smiles faintly before slamming the doors closed. He walks back to the driver's side door, where Lorenzo Vasquez is tying the steering wheel in place with the rope.
L. Vasquez: This is so bad-ass, man... I wish I could do this to everyone who pisses me off.
T. Black: Throw the cinderblock on.
Lorenzo Vasquez checks the rope quickly, then tosses the cinderblock inside onto the gas pedal and leaps back. The ambulance takes off and quickly begins picking up momentum as it speeds across the parking lot out of control, and finally crashes into the side of a shipping truck at a dangerously high speed. The side of the truck caves in, and its position shifts a little bit, but there wasn't a lot of give in that impact. When the camera shifts back to the Black Plague, it can be seen that they're smiling and cheering... except for Troy Black, who stares at the wrecked ambulance with a burning glare.
T. Black: We're not done with him yet.
Troy Black drops his baseball bat and runs across the parking lot to the ambulance, then flings open the back doors and drags Tony Garcia out. He has fallen off the stretcher, with several more abrasions and bleeding cuts on his body, and is clearly unconscious. Troy Black pulls Tony Garcia to the concrete of the parking lot, then rips off his neckbrace and pulls him up into a standing headscissors. He brings Tony Garcia down with a piledriver on the concrete, then crouches over him and begins grinding his face into the pavement. Tony Garcia's face quickly becomes a bloody mess, and Troy Black finally gets up, then stomps down on him a few times as the other Black Plague members catch up to him, staring after him in horror or admiration, in some cases a little of both.
T. Black: Okay... now we're done here.
Rebecca Black steps forward, with a stare of wide-eyed delight on her face, then throws her arms around Troy Black and kisses him on the cheek.
R. Black: Have I told you how much I LOVE you today, Troy? That was BEAUTIFUL.
Ignoring his sister, Troy Black bends down to talk softly to Tony Garcia.
T. Black: This is how it ends, Tony. Twenty-five years gone, and you're extinct like all the other dinosaurs. ... When your wife and little girls come to visit you in the hospital, tell them Uncle Troy said "hi".
Troy Black turns and starts walking back towards the arena, as the camera fades out on the fallen carcass of Tony Garcia.
Troy Black had wanted to finish off Tony Garcia there, and he probably thought he had done just that. But nobody, not even Troy Black, counted on just how tough Tony Garcia really is. He came back the following week, with a shocking announcement and one final challenge.
From VCW 129:
"I, Zombie (Europe In The Raw Mix)" by White Zombie is playing... it can't be! We saw Tony Garcia beaten within an inch of his life last week! Could he be back already!? HE IS!! Tony Garcia steps out of the backstage entrance to a loud mixed reaction from the crowd, wearing a business suit and a neckbrace. He raises his wooden axe handle high to the crowd... but he looks to be in rough shape. He's wearing a neckbrace, and he's walking very slowly and gingerly. His eyes are a bit glassy, as if glazed over from painkillers and pain that wasn't quite stopped by painkillers. Still, he slowly makes his way to the ring, then climbs inside, and the crowd is STUNNED. We figured he'd be out for a long time... the fact that he's even walking right now is a small miracle! He climbs into the ring and grabs a microphone... what's this?
T. Garcia: Hey, I got something to say. And it's probably gonna be the last time, so listen up good.
The last time? This doesn't sound good. Tony Garcia paces in the ring, then smiles, but it seems a little forced and bitter.
T. Garcia: All right, Troy... you got me. Last week, the Black Plague went and beat the hell out of me. They wanted to get rid of me. I guess that's what you get for twenty-five years of hard work and sacrifice. But I ain't here to bitch and whine about nothing... I got nothing to complain about. Even if it was just one day, I was the VCW World Champion. And that's something that ninety percent of the people in this business will never come close to touching. So I ain't got no regrets, and no complaints about getting held back... I got the title. I lived the dream for one day.
The crowd is murmuring and giving a quiet, mixed reaction... they don't know what to expect from this.
T. Garcia: Now... after I got attacked, the doctors told me some things. They told me I've got some cracked ribs, some neck damage, a concussion, all kinds of bruises, internal injuries... all that stuff. According to the doctors, I probably shouldn't be up here walking around right now. According to the doctors... I'm done as a professional wrestler. It's time to retire.
The crowd goes into a hush as Tony Garcia pauses, looking around the arena full of fans.
T. Garcia: But not yet. I got one more fight left in me. Me and Troy Black have had some pretty big showdowns in the past. Hell, the first-ever Wrestlewar... it don't get no bigger than that. We hooked up in the first Iron Cage Axe Handle Death Match at Wrestlewar... and I took him DOWN. Maybe he forgot about that, or maybe he just thought I wouldn't be back after what he did last week. I got one more match left in me, folks... and that match is Tony Garcia versus Troy Black, one-on-one, at Blood and Thunder in six days!
Tony Garcia got the match, but he also got an attack by Troy Black and Crimson that set up a match later in the evening, where Troy Black and Crimson faced Desmond and the Grave Digger, with Tony Garcia in the corner of Desmond and the Digger. In the closing moments of that match, Tony Garcia gave Troy a little bit of payback six days early...
From VCW 129:
Desmond's down now, and Troy Black goes up to the top turnbuckle... and once on top, he looks at Melissa DelArmeggio, then blows her a kiss! Melissa jumps up on the apron, angrily shouting at Troy Black, and Bobcat McGavin quickly tries to usher her down... but as he does, Tony Garcia jumps up on the apron and nails Troy Black in the back of the head with the wooden axe handle!! Troy Black falls off of the turnbuckle to the mat, and now Desmond's getting up! Tony Garcia throws Desmond the axe handle, and his face takes on a grim stare of anticipation as Troy Black gets up... and Desmond hits him with the axe handle!! Troy Black goes down hard from that second blow, and Bobcat McGavin turns around just after Desmond tosses the incriminating evidence aside! He pulls Troy Black up now... OUTCAST!! He just hit it! He goes down to cover Troy Black, and the crowd counts along... HE GETS THREE!! Thanks to Tony Garcia, Desmond just beat Troy Black!!
The crowd explodes into cheers... they can't believe it! Desmond just pinned Troy Black, in the middle of the ring!! Tony Garcia enters the ring, raising his hand and then patting him on the back in congratulation, and then Melissa comes in, jumping on him, wrapping her legs around her waist, and kissing him! Desmond just took home the biggest win of his career right now, and Troy Black is going to be absolutely FURIOUS when he comes to! He's starting to get up right now... but Tony Garcia grabs a handful of his hair, then draws back and gives him a huge right hand, sending him down again to a huge eruption of cheers from the crowd!
That loss to Desmond has no doubt burned inside Troy Black's mind for six days, and tonight, when he faces Tony Garcia, that'll no doubt be weighing heavily on his mind. A happy ending would see Tony Garcia emerge victorious in his last match, avenging his career-ending injuries against Troy Black... but realistically, though Tony Garcia's big, mean, and coming into this match with a vast experience advantage, he's far from healthy, and he's facing arguably the best wrestler in VCW history. It may take a small miracle for Tony Garcia to emerge with the victory, but he's going into this match ready to leave all of the blood, sweat, and inner fury in his body behind on the mat. He'll be saving nothing for later... this is it. Can Tony Garcia overcome Troy Black and achieve his revenge? We'll find out in a matter of hours.
Before that, though, we're going to see a second match in the Waste-of-Time. "Riders On The Storm" by Creed begins playing, and here come two men who are quite proficient in the art of wasting time. The New Immortals, "Beautiful" Bobby Danson and "Magnificent" Moy Lazzario, come out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Nicole and Steve "Mongo" McMichael. They walk to the ring, smiling and waving to the crowd, then climb inside and grab microphones. This seldom ever means anything remotely worthwhile or significant is forthcoming...
M. Lazzario: Hi, I'm "Magnificent" Moy Lazzario.
B. Danson: And I'm his tag team partner, "Beautiful" Bobby Danson. Together, we're the New Immortals... two great wrestlers, one heck of a great tag team. With us, as usual, are the lovely and talented Nicole and the mighty Mongo.
Nicole smiles and waves to the crowd, as Mongo bellows some kind of gibberish and raises four fingers in the air, but the crowd boos loudly. Bobby Danson raises the microphone to speak again.
B. Danson: That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Here we are, in Detroit. Ahh... Detroit. There's no place like Detroit, folks. Why, it's the Big Apple! The Windy City! The Cradle of Civilization! The Red Planet!!
The crowd gives a confused round of boos as Moy Lazzario taps Bobby Danson on the shoulder.
M. Lazzario: Um... no it's not. Those are New York, Chicago, Babylon, and Mars. Detroit's not any of those things.
B. Danson: Oh... right. I forgot. This place is just a dump filled with factories that provide nothing but cheap, inferior American automobiles, vast amounts of pollution, and a bunch of jobs for drooling slimeballs who should have been weeded out of the gene pool a long time ago. My mistake.
Bobby Danson smiles sheepishly, as the crowd boos loudly. Meanwhile, it appears that Moy Lazzario is putting on some sort of puppet show with his fingers, making the thumb and pinky talk to one another.
M. Lazzario: Hola, gordo!! ... Como estas? ... MOOOOY bien, gracias!!
B. Danson: Um... not that it's a problem or anything, but what are you doing?
M. Lazzario: I don't know, just goofing off. Hey, you know... I need a new finisher. Maybe I could call it the Moy Buster...
B. Danson: Yeah, go for it, if you want to. Works for me. What brought this on?
M. Lazzario: And I'm starting to think I need my own theme music. It could talk about how I charge to the wrestling ring and win a lot, then get a lot of head from women. Something catchy, like that "Joxer the Mighty" tune from Xena. Maybe a bodyguard, too. I know of this big, strapping chap named Dredd...
B. Danson: That does it. You've gone too far now.
Bobby Danson swats Moy Lazzario on the back of the head. Moy Lazzario looks around groggily, then looks up, as if coming out of a trance.
M. Lazzario: Huh? What happened?
B. Danson: It looked to me like you got filled with your own hype to the point where you got lost in your own realities and confused it with what was actually going on in the world.
M. Lazzario: Oops. Sorry about that. It won't happen again.
B. Danson: See that it doesn't.
M. Lazzario: Right, then.
Bobby Danson clears his throat, then looks up and raises the microphone again. What the hell was THAT all about?
B. Danson: Well, ladies and gentlemen, I was just thinking it over, and I've decided to volunteer my opinions on the issues of gun control. I went ahead and did some research, and it seems that it's something of a trade off. Violent crime increases in areas with liberal gun control laws, while non-violent crime decreases. Guns can be used in self-defense, but more often they're used to kill people or shoot some poor, defenseless animal. Mongo, what do you think about guns?
Steve McMichael takes the microphone, and the crowd groans in anticipation of what he might say next.
S. McMichael: You wanna see some guns, baby, you just check out these twenty-one inch monsters that Mongo's packing. Y'all should know that I'm big and bad enough to whoop every one of those young chumps in the starting lineup for your sissy Detroit Lions! There's a lotta great athaletes in the VCW, Beautiful Bobby, but I can whoop anyone, anytime, because I'm the baddest man in the entire sports industry, my friend!!
Bobby Danson takes the microphone back from Mongo, and Mongo flexes his muscles proudly.
B. Danson: Good point, Mongo. I see that our views on gun control are very similar. And furthermore--
Hold it, "Domination" by Pantera just started up over the arena sound system, and I think that this load of nonsense is just about over! Blade and John Uldwall, the Wrecking Crew, come out of the backstage entrance, and they begin quickly heading to the ring! They're not going to sit by and listen to this nonsense... we've got a show to go on with, and they're ready to hit the ring for our next match. They climb into the ring, and Bobcat McGavin enters as well, calling for the bell to begin the match!
New Immortals
w/Nicole & Steve "Mongo" McMichael
vs.
Wrecking Crew
John Uldwall's starting out for the Wrecking Crew, and it looks like Moy Lazzario is starting out for the New Immortals... no, he turns and tags in Bobby Danson. Bobby Danson hesitates, then tags Moy Lazzario back again, slapping his hand. Moy Lazzario shakes his head no and slaps Bobby Danson's hand, tagging him instead... and then the New Immortals just shrug and start playing patty-cake. John Uldwall has seen about enough of this, though, and he runs forward and knocks Moy Lazzario down with a clothesline, then grabs him and snap mares him into the middle of the ring!
Moy Lazzario gets up and charges forward with a dropkick, but John Uldwall dodges out of the way, and Moy Lazzario wipes out on the mat. John Uldwall drops an elbow into Moy Lazzario, but Moy Lazzario's getting up again... and he charges forward with another dropkick attempt! Once again, John Uldwall dodges, and Moy Lazzario wipes out... and John Uldwall drops another elbow on him! Moy Lazzario gets up again, and charges with another dropkick... and once AGAIN, he misses and wipes out! John Uldwall goes for another elbowdrop, but Moy Lazzario rolls out of the way this time, then kips up and points to his brain with an arrogant smile. John Uldwall looks at him as he gets up, then rolls his eyes and taps Moy Lazzario on the shoulder. Moy Lazzario turns around... and John Uldwall mows him down with a massive clothesline!
Moy Lazzario crawls to his corner and tags in Bobby Danson, and now Bobby Danson locks up in the ring with John Uldwall. Bobby Danson scoops John Uldwall up and takes him down with a bodyslam. John Uldwall pops back up angrily, but Bobby Danson draws back, then nails him with a jumping, spinning uppercut with a cry of "SHRYUKEN!!" John Uldwall staggers back a few feet, then yells "HADOKEN!!" and thrusts his arms forward, touching at the base of the wrists with his palms spread, and Bobby Danson flies back as if struck, landing flat on his back on the canvas despite the fact that he was standing about six feet away! But then Bobby Danson kips up, yells "ROUND TWO!! FIGHT!!", and goes into a battle stance. What the hell?
John Uldwall and Bobby Danson lock up again, and this time John Uldwall hooks him and brings him crashing to the mat with a vertical suplex! Bobby Danson gets up, and John Uldwall tags in Blade, and they both grab Bobby Danson, then whip him into the ropes and nail him with a double clothesline. John Uldwall steps out, and Blade hammers Bobby Danson with a few right hands, then whips him into the ropes again and tackles him off of his feet! Moy Lazzario comes running in to help his partner, but Blade lifts him up in a Gorilla Press, then tosses him down on Bobby Danson as he gets up! They both begin getting up again, and this time Blade grabs Bobby Danson and Gorilla Presses him onto Moy Lazzario as he gets up! They go down in a heap, then start to stand again... but John Uldwall rushes Steve "Mongo" McMichael on the outside, then tosses him into the ring! Blade grabs Mongo and lifts with a lot of effort... then tosses him down onto both New Immortals as they get up! And now John Uldwall slides into the ring, so Blade picks him up in a Gorilla Press, and tosses him down onto both New Immortals and Mongo, sending them all down in a heap!! Blade climbs to the top turnbuckle as everyone gets up in the wreckage... then leaps from the top and takes EVERYBODY out with a flying cross bodypress! All five of them are down in a heap in the ring, and Mongo's not even in this match!
Mongo, Moy Lazzario, and John Uldwall roll to the outside, and Blade sets Bobby Danson up for a power bomb, but Bobby Danson backdrops out of it! Blade tries to counter with a sunset flip, but Bobby Danson flails his arms, trying to keep his balance, and Nicole jumps up on the apron, then grabs his hands to steady him so he doesn't go over. Bobcat McGavin yells at her to knock off the interference, but she shakes her head in refusal... but John Uldwall comes from behind and dumps her into the ring, onto Bobby Danson! Bobby Danson goes down in the sunset flip, under Nicole, and Bobcat McGavin counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two and a half by Bobby Danson! He was half a second away from being pinned with an assist by his own valet!
Bobby Danson and Nicole both begin getting up, then their heads bonk together as they try to stand, and they both go back down. Blade stares in bewilderment at them, and they're getting up again. Bobby Danson turns to Blade and advances to lock up, but Nicole taps him on the shoulder, evidently mad at him over the recent roughing up she's endured. Bobby Danson brushes her off, then turns back to Blade, but she grabs him by the shoulder and begins lecturing him about something. He rolls his eyes and says something, and she draws back to slap him... but Bobby Danson ducks, and she slaps Blade standing behind him! Bobby Danson points and laughs, but then Nicole turns to him and slaps him instead!
Bobby Danson grabs his cheek, then spreads his arms wide to Nicole, speaking with a sincere face, evidently trying to apologize. He steps forward for a hug, but Nicole ducks out of the way, and Bobby Danson ends up hugging Blade! Blade gives him an incredulous, angry stare, then wraps his own arms around Bobby Danson, and takes him down with a belly-to-belly suplex! Nicole laughs, but then screams as Blade turns to her angrily, then lifts her up for a Gorilla Press! He's going to toss her down onto Bobby Danson, but Moy Lazzario slips into the ring behind him and clips his leg, causing him to fall down under Nicole! Nicole's on top of Blade, and Bobby Danson makes the count... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Blade kicks out at two, not that Bobby Danson's count was legal anyway.
At Bobcat McGavin's insistence, Moy Lazzario helps Nicole out of the ring quickly, and Blade's getting up, looking pretty angry, but Bobby Danson cuts him off with a clothesline as he gets up! He goes down, and Bobby Danson clobbers him with several forearms to the back as he tries to get up again. Bobby Danson tags in Moy Lazzario, then lifts Blade up into position for a belly-to-back suplex, as Moy Lazzario springs off the top rope, then nails him with a springnboard spinning leg lariat just as Bobby Danson falls back into the belly-to-back suplex! What a move that was by the New Immortals!
Blade's down, and Moy Lazzario stomps down on him several times, then pulls him up and whips him into the ropes. He comes off the other side with a Lou Thesz press, then starts hammering into him with a series of right hands! He pulls Blade up, gives him two middle fingers, and kicks him in the midsection, but when he goes for the Ace Crusher, Blade shoves him forward! Blade charges forward, ducks under a clothesline from Moy Lazzario, then leaps up onto the second rope and jumps backwards with a springboard leg lariat of his own as Moy Lazzario turns around! Moy Lazzario goes down, and the crowd cheers! Blade gets up, shaking off the effects of the New Immortals' offense, then makes the tag to John Uldwall!!
John Uldwall comes in and mows Moy Lazzario down with a clothesline, then does the same to Bobby Danson as he runs in. Both New Immortals get up, but John Uldwall stomps on Moy Lazzario's toes, then pokes Bobby Danson in the eyes, then kicks Moy Lazzario in the shin, and bobs Bobby Danson on the head! Moy Lazzario hops up and down on one foot as Bobby Danson staggers in a circle... and John Uldwall grabs both of them by the hair, then bangs their heads together! They both go down! Now Blade's in the ring, and he cuts off Bobby Danson as he gets up, kicking him in the midsection, then putting on a standing headscissors... POWER BOMB!! Bobby Danson's down, and on the other side of the ring, John Uldwall lifts Moy Lazzario up high and brings him down with a HUGE backbreaker! He points to the corner, and Blade begins climbing to the top turnbuckle in that corner as John Uldwall crouches in the opposite corner. Moy Lazzario gets up... just in time for the BREAKDOWN!! It connects, and John Uldwall covers and hooks the leg! Bobcat McGavin counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! The Wrecking Crew win!
The Wrecking Crew
defeated The New Immortals when Uldwall pinned Lazzario after the
Breakdown in 0:09:27.
Rating: * 1/2
The crowd cheers as Blade and John Uldwall go to opposite top turnbuckles, raising their hands in victory, and Bobby Danson and Moy Lazzario roll out of the ring, then start staggering backstage with Nicole and Mongo. The Wrecking Crew have won this match on the Waste-of-Time... maybe it'll help them to get back to the top of the VCW World Tag Team Title division again soon. With Stiff Competition and the Ontario Colour Show both at least temporarily out of commission, there's a big opportunity for them to step up. They head backstage, with the crowd still cheering them on as they leave.
Our biggest match tonight isn't like some of the others. It doesn't have a rich, storied history of conflict and betrayal. It's just about the two biggest men in VCW competing for the biggest prize in VCW, when Crimson challenges the Grave Digger for the VCW World Title. These two men first crossed paths about a month ago, when Crimson was sent to take out Desmond for the Black Plague.
From VCW 125:
... Desmond goes down hard, and Crimson runs into the ropes, then takes him down with a second big boot as he gets up. He grabs Desmond by the throat as he gets up again, then drills him hard into the mat with the Chokeslam! He makes the cover, and that's it!!
Desmond was just totally outclassed here... Crimson may be the baddest man in VCW, and he's been taking every opportunity he can to show that. But he's not done... he pulls Desmond up and grabs him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! He did it again! He's going to take out Desmond tonight, making a special request stop on the Homicide Road Tour for that big paycheck he mentioned earlier! He pulls him up again... but someone's coming out of the backstage entrance! The Grave Digger!! The VCW World Champion is running out of the back to come to Desmond's aid!
Crimson shoves Desmond aside as he sees movement, but his eyes widen a little bit when he sees who it is. Desmond rolls out of the ring, and the Grave Digger climbs up on the apron, then steps into the ring with Crimson as the crowd goes absolutely wild! The Grave Digger's a full five inches taller than Crimson, and Crimson's obviously not used to seeing someone that much bigger than he is face to face! They're staring at each other, and this could get ugly... but Crimson slowly takes a few steps back, never taking his eyes off of the Grave Digger, then steps out over the top rope, to a chorus of boos from the crowd. They want to see this fight now... but Crimson's backing off, walking backwards up the ramp as he stares into the ring at the Grave Digger.
We suspected that Crimson wouldn't forget that confrontation soon, but we had no idea just how soon he would choose to act on it. The Grave Digger had a match that night against the dangerous and unpredictable Chris Champlain, and he managed to win decisively. But after the match, Crimson made his presence felt and his feelings towards the Grave Digger known.
From VCW 125:
Once again, the Grave Digger has defended the VCW World Title, and tonight he's done so by absolutely destroying Chris Champlain! The crowd's going wild cheering for him... but suddenly they begin booing as Crimson runs out of the backstage entrance... and he's carrying a shovel! Crimson slides into the ring with the shovel in his hands, and the Grave Digger turns around... and Crimson nails him with a two-handed swing to the midsection! The Grave Digger doubles over, and Crimson raises the shovel high, then brings it down hard across the back of his head so hard that the shovel handle breaks!! Crimson just broke a shovel over the Grave Digger's head, and the Grave Digger goes down in a heap on the mat! But Crimson grabs a double handful of his hair and pulls him up, then grips his throat, braces himself, and lifts... CHOKESLAM!! Crimson actually Chokeslammed the nearly four hundred pounds of the Grave Digger!!
The crowd boos, but now the Grave Digger is down and laid out in the middle of the ring! Crimson spits on him, then stands over him, saying something to him that the cameras don't quite pick up, before giving him two middle fingers and stepping out of the ring. He just broke a shovel over the Grave Digger's head, and now he's heading backstage as the crowd boos loudly. The Grave Digger may be seriously hurt after that attack... and Crimson had better hope that's the case, because if the Grave Digger's able to come after him when he gets up, there could be some big trouble!
Many people expected that a match between the Grave Digger and Crimson would be inevitable after that attack, but the following week, Crimson made it official by barging into a VCW executive meeting.
From VCW 126:
A conference appears to be taking place at a large table, with VCW Commissioner James Applebee sitting at the head of the table, and numerous VCW officials and committee members sitting around the table with him. But the meeting is abruptly interrupted as the door is flung open, and Crimson storms inside. James Applebee rises up from his seat as soon as he sees him.
J. Applebee: What the hell are you doing!? We've got a meeting in here!
Crimson: I've got a pair of eyes, you dumb son of a bitch. I can see what you're doing just fine. But I think I have a little something to bring to the table here. Specifically, I've come to this meeting representing the Homicide Road Tour, and I'm here to bar the door and kick the shit outta every last motherfucker in here unless I get a good reason why that's not a good idea.
J. Applebee: You want a good reason not to do that? How about because we could have you arrested?
Crimson: Yeah, you just do that, and then you'll have the satisfaction of knowing I'm in the big house while you're in the hospital, learning to walk again and sucking mush through a straw for dinner. I think we can make that work.
J. Applebee: For God's sake, Crimson... what the hell do you WANT? You've been on a total rampage for the last month or two. There has to be something that you want to get out of all this.
Crimson: Yeah, actually... there is one thing I wouldn't mind having. I want my damn belt back. I lost it at Wrestlewar... and even though I kicked David Wright Hubbard's ass half a dozen times, I never got a rematch. Not once. Now I'm stuck here in this match with Tony Garcia against the Grave Digger and Ken Collins tonight... but I'm still not getting a title shot. I got the whole damn locker room scared that their ass is gonna be next on the Homicide Road Tour... still no fucking title shot. And it's starting to piss me off a little bit.
J. Applebee: You want a match with the Grave Digger?
Crimson: Yeah. I ain't gonna sit here like the Black Plague and ask for a half-dozen different matches with him... you put that big piece of shit in the ring with me, one-on-one, just ONCE... and I guarantee you it's his ass.
J. Applebee: I have to admit... you're probably the top contender for the VCW World Title, as it stands right now. And we need a big main event for a big pay-per-view coming up... you've got it. You've got a match with the Grave Digger, one-on-one, for the VCW World Title, at Blood and Thunder. You want your title back? Let's see if you can TAKE it back.
That6 night, Crimson teamed with Tony Garcia to face the Grave Digger and "The California Crippler" Ken Collins. The Grave Digger won that match, but Crimson struck after the match, laying the Grave Digger out for a second straight week.
From VCW 126:
The Grave Digger turns and grabs Rebecca Black by the throat... and Tony Garcia clobbers him in the back! The Grave Digger releases Rebecca, and Garcia lifts him... TORTURE RACK!! No, the Grave Digger slips out behind him, then hooks on a cobra clutch... CRADLE TO GRAVE!! Tony Garcia's down, and as he pulls himself to his feet, the Grave Digger draws a thumb across his throat, then lifts him upside-down... BURIAL!! The Grave Digger covers Tony Garcia, and gets three!
The crowd explodes into cheers... but "The Barcelona Assassin" Lorenzo Vasquez is running out of the backstage entrance, with the VCW Intercontinental Title belt in hand, and he comes up behind Ken Collins during his brawl with Crimson, then clocks him in the head with it! Crimson looks down, shrugs, and walks around to the other side of the ring, as Lorenzo Vasquez begins stomping away at Ken Collins... but the Grave Digger sees him, and slides out of the ring! Lorenzo Vasquez tries to run, but the Grave Digger catches him by the hair, and drags him inside the ring, then hoists him up... we're about to see a Burial on the VCW Intercontinental Champion! Rebecca Black screams uselessly... but Crimson was rummaging under the ring, and he just slid inside with a shovel! The Grave Digger prepares to drop... and Crimson DESTROYS him with a hard shot from the shovel! The Grave Digger's down!!
Lorenzo Vasquez rolls out of the ring, along with Tony Garcia... he just got bailed out of a deadly situation. But now Crimson's picking up the Grave Digger, and grabbing him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! He just drilled the Grave Digger! The crowd boos loudly, as Crimson stands over the Grave Digger, smiling... for the second straight week, Crimson has laid the Grave Digger out at the end of the show!
Despite the pressure of a big title defense against Tony Garcia next week, the Grave Digger still made certain that he notified Crimson of the future consequences of his previous actions.
From VCW 127:
Some trainers and members of the H.A.R.P. Squad are coming out now, tending to Falcon and Ken Collins, and escorting Lance Errington and Lorenzo Vasquez away from the ring, as the Grave Digger paces inside, with the crowd cheering for him. As the chaos around the ring dies down, he grabs a microphone.
G. Digger: With that out of the way, there's two things on my mind. The first is Crimson. Maybe I'll be walking out of here with the title tonight, and maybe I won't... but either way, I have some problems to settle with Crimson. Every time I've met him so far, he's brought me down... but every one of those times, he struck from behind, with a shovel. At Blood and Thunder, title or no title, I'm fighting him face to face, not from behind... and he'd better bring the shovel, because when it's all said and done, I'll need it after the match to dig his grave and put him SIX FEET UNDER.
Those words from the Grave Digger only seemed to infuriate Crimson further, however. After the Grave Digger defeated Tony Garcia to retain the VCW World Title, Crimson struck yet again, laying the Grave Digger out for a third straight week.
From VCW 127:
The Grave Digger grabs the VCW World Title, and goes to the top turnbuckle... but someone's coming out of the crowd!! It's Crimson again, and he's carrying a shovel!! He slides into the ring behind the Grave Digger... no, not again!! The Grave Digger turns around... and Crimson just nails him right between the eyes with the shovel! The Grave Digger goes down, bleeding from the forehead, and Crimson grabs him by the throat, and pulls him up... CHOKESLAM!! For the THIRD straight week, Crimson just blindsided the Grave Digger with a shovel... but this time, it was after what may have been the toughest match of his career!
The crowd's booing loudly now, as Crimson picks up the VCW World Title and puts it on around his own waist, as if trying it on... and then he takes it off, dropping it back down on Grave Digger as he points down to him and says a few parting words. He steps out over the top rope with his shovel, not even acknowledging Troy Black as he berates Tony Garcia, and stopping only to swat Rebecca Black on the posterior and laugh as he makes his way backstage. We just saw two big, dangerous men go at it... but Crimson is another one of the biggest, most dangerous men in this sport.
The week after that, all three members of Hell's Bikers were scheduled to face the Grave Digger and Stiff Competition. When Ziggy Adderloaf interviewed Hell's Bikers, it seemed as though Crimson showed no fear or hesitation at all as he prepared to face the Grave Digger, despite the Grave Digger's size, power, and track record.
From VCW 128:
Ziggy Adderloaf is standing backstage with the three members of Hell's Bikers. Jack Norman and Butch Manson are wearing their VCW World Tag Team Titles, while Crimson stands imposingly behind them, clutching a shovel in his hands.
Z. Adderloaf: I'm here now with Hell's Bikers. At Blood and Thunder, Jack Norman and Butch Manson will defend the VCW World Tag Team Titles against Stiff Competition, and Crimson will challenge the Grave Digger for the VCW World Title... but tonight, they'll be facing their opponents in six-man tag team action. What are you guys thinking as you go into this match?
Crimson: I'm thinking the Grave Digger's one dead son of a bitch. I might finish him off right here, tonight, or I might finish him off at Blood and Thunder. It don't make a damn bit of difference anyway. One way or the other, I'm gonna kill that motherfucker, and I'm gonna be the next VCW World Champion when I finally get my belt back.
J. Norman: Y'know somethin'... people used to be real quick to write us off. They think that just because we don't do no space tiger planchas or shit like that, it means they can overlook us. But just look at us now. We're the VCW World Tag Team Champions, and after Crimson wins the big belt at Blood and Thunder, all three of us are gonna be world champions here in VCW. We'll be World Tag Team Champions, and VCW World Champion. Because we know the big man's gonna beat the Grave Digger... and we DAMN sure know we ain't losing these belts to Stiff Competition.
Z. Adderloaf: So, would you say that tonight, you're going to try to take down the competition a little bit?
B. Manson: I'd say that tonight, we're gonna do whatever the hell we want, just like we'll do at Blood and Thunder. Because there ain't a son of a bitch, or three sons of bitches, who can stop us. Stiff Competition and the Grave Digger just ain't gonna cut it.
Z. Adderloaf: One thing a lot of people have been wondering, Crimson... when you face the Grave Digger, it'll be the first time you've faced a high-caliber opponent who's larger than you are in all respects. What's your strategy in a situation like that?
Crimson glares down at Ziggy Adderloaf, causing him to shrink away.
Crimson: What's my strategy? I'll tell you my strategy, boy... I'm gonna put up my fists and beat the ever-loving shit out of that motherfucker, then grab him by the throat and stick him flat on his back. You can look at him and say how mean and big and bad he is, but VCW's my turf, and he's carrying around my belt, and his ass is as good as dead. He's undefeated right now... well, I don't give a shit. I went undefeated for even longer. He's seven feet tall, he's the VCW World Champion... but none of that matters. What matters is that he's the next stop on the Homicide Road Tour, and that means he's a dead man. And there ain't nothing gonna change that.
Despite these big words, the match didn't quite turn out that way. Not only did the Grave Digger emerge victorious again, but Crimson's attempt at another post-match attack backfired on him.
From VCW 128:
Butch Manson gets up... and the Grave Digger hooks him from behind, then gives him the Cradle to Grave! Jack Norman’s up, and he bellows as he makes a desperate charge at the Grave Digger... but he gets caught!! GRAVE YARD SLAM!! Jack Norman’s down too! Butch Manson’s trying to pull himself to his feet, and the Grave Digger grabs him, and lifts him upside down... BURIAL!! He just drove Butch Manson head-first to the mat! He folds his arms across his chest for the pin, and gets the three count!!
The Grave Digger just annihilated Jack Norman and Butch Manson, and the crowd is cheering loudly. Crimson can’t be happy about this match... he never even got his hands on the Grave Digger, and on top of that his team came out on the losing end! He storms into the ring, then begins yelling at Linda Peterson... he’s clearly not happy with the outcome of this match. But as he yells at her, the Grave Digger just grabbed Crimson’s shovel, from the apron! Crimson turns around, disgusted with the match outcome... and the Grave Digger nails him with the shovel!! Crimson goes down, his forehead busted open, and the crowd explodes into a huge round of cheers!!
Jack Norman and Butch Manson are still down, and the Grave Digger points at Crimson, then draws his thumb across his throat! He hoists Crimson up in the air, upside down... BURIAL!! The Grave Digger just gave Crimson a taste of his own medicine, laying him out with the shovel, then burying him in the middle of the ring...
That wasn't the only time when Crimson would have an occasion to feel the Burial, however... the very next week, he had a match with Troy Black against Desmond and the Grave Digger. Desmond pinned Troy Black in the middle of the ring, but the brawl between the Grave Digger and Crimson raged on until the Grave Digger buried Crimson on the steel ramp.
From VCW 129:
The crowd explodes into cheers... they can't believe it! Desmond just pinned Troy Black, in the middle of the ring!! Tony Garcia enters the ring, raising his hand and then patting him on the back in congratulation, and then Melissa comes in, jumping on him, wrapping her legs around her waist, and kissing him! Desmond just took home the biggest win of his career right now, and Troy Black is going to be absolutely FURIOUS when he comes to! He's starting to get up right now... but Tony Garcia grabs a handful of his hair, then draws back and gives him a huge right hand, sending him down again to a huge eruption of cheers from the crowd! And in the aisle, the Grave Digger just stunned Crimson with a kneelift, and now he lifts him... BURIAL!! Troy Black's down, Crimson's down, and Desmond and the Grave Digger are standing tall as the winners!
Crimson has yet to prove that he can go toe-to-toe with the Grave Digger and ultimately emerge as the winner, but that may be exactly what he does tonight. If there is anyone who is as much of a dominant force as the Grave Digger, it's unquestionably Crimson. Tonight, the two biggest, baddest men in VCW lock horns, with the biggest prize in VCW on the line... the question is, which one will triumph? Will the Grave Digger suffer his first loss in VCW, and Crimson achieve his second title reign? Or will the Grave Digger bury Crimson just as he did Troy Black and Tony Garcia? We'll find out in tonight's main event!
The Waste-of-Time is over now, and we're ready for a huge night of VCW action! The pay-per-view is starting now, and without any further ado, let's get this show on the road! Let's get started with one of the biggest nights in VCW history! It's time for Blood and Thunder!!
Click here to see Blood and Thunder!