Waste-of-Time:
"Wasting My Time" by Jimmy Page is playing as the intro begins, and here we are again, VCW fans, for the least exciting pre-game show in the world of professional sports, the Waste-of-Time! We're back in California at the Cow Palace for Horror Show, and we have a great show on pay-per-view for you tonight! But right here, on free TV, we have two rather unimpressive undercard matches and a lot of hype packages and highlights. So, without further ado, let's get to those!
One of the matches we'll see tonight pits Stacey Lockman, the daughter of legendary NCWA competitor "Pretty Boy" Jimmy Lockman, against Rebecca Black, the daughter of another NCWA legend, Jimmy Lockman's long-time accomplice, "Superstar" Sean Black. Rebecca Black has always harbored a grudge against Stacey Lockman, but only this year has she made a concerted effort to drive her out of VCW. The abuse started at No Quarter, when she threw Stacey Lockman to "The Barcelona Assassin" Lorenzo Vasquez, who gave her the Destiny Driver that would live in infamy...
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!!
Over the next few months, Lorenzo Vasquez and Rebecca Black would torment Stacey Lockman mercilessly, assaulting her physically and emotionally. Doctors feared that Stacey Lockman would never be the same after the severe injury to her neck, but she slowly recovered as she endured the physical and psychological torture that Rebecca Black and Lorenzo Vasquez put her through. At Blood and Thunder, Ken Collins avenged many of those wrongs when he put an end to Lorenzo Vasquez's VCW career with the Destiny Driver, but Stacey Lockman recovered enough to make an impact of her own:
From Blood and Thunder 2001...
Ken Collins scrambles to his feet and glares at Rebecca Black, but then turns back to Lorenzo Vasquez... but Rebecca Black's grabbing a chair at ringside! But a little behind her, Stacey Lockman has seen enough! She rises up out of her chair, standing without the aid of the walker, and climbs up over the guardrail somewhat awkwardly! Rebecca Black climbs up on the apron and raises the chair to nail Ken Collins, ignoring Jerry Rogers frantic threats! Ken Collins turns around... and Stacey grabs the chair from behind and pulls it away! Rebecca Black turns around... and Stacey draws back the chair and NAILS her in the head with it! Rebecca crumples from the apron to the floor, and the crowd explodes into cheers!
After that match, Rebecca Black seemed to become even more mentally unstable than usual, revealing an infatuation with her brother, Troy Black, and acting in increasingly disturbing ways every week. But she hadn't forgotten about Stacey Lockman, and when they met on opposite sides of a match pitting Johnny Smiles and Ken Collins against Troy Black and Brujah, Rebecca Black made her move...
From VCW 133:
But on the outside, Rebecca Black is slinking around to the other side of the ring... and she blindsides Stacey Lockman!! She clobbers her with a few forearms to the back of the neck, then drags her over to the steel ramp and puts her in a standing headscissors!! No, this isn't right! This could reinjure her neck again! But in the ring, Troy Black drops Johnny Smiles with a low blow, and as he looks up he sees Rebecca and Stacey, and he quickly slides out of the ring!
On the outside, Troy Black seems to be telling Rebecca Black to let Stacey Lockman go... and Rebecca Black stares at him in confusion, then shoves Stacey Lockman away! He seems to be explaining something to Rebecca...
Troy Black was trying to keep peace between Rebecca Black and Stacey Lockman, regretting his reign of terror during the Black Plague's heyday, but when he developed a rivalry with Ken Collins during the Survival of the Fittest tournament, there was no keeping them apart. Stacey Lockman returned to the ring to team with Ken Collins against Troy Black and Rebecca Black, and in the process earned a very impressive victory over Rebecca Black.
From VCW 135:
Rebecca Black pulls Ken Collins up to his knees, thrusts her crotch into his face a few times, then hooks him for a double arm DDT, but he backdrops out of it! Rebecca Black gets up... and Ken Collins shakes off the cobwebs just in time to hit her with a savate kick! She's getting up again, but he slips behind her this time, lifts her, and brings her crashing down with a belly-to-back suplex, then rolls through with it, shifts her position slightly, and lifts her... and this time it's a BACKDROP DRIVER!! Rebecca Black just got spiked into the mat, and the crowd LOVES that! It looks like Troy Black has seen about enough of this, though! He climbs to the top turnbuckle... but Ken Collins jumps up onto the top rope near him, then springs off with a springboard dropkick to knock him off! Troy Black takes a SICK bump, falling off of the top turnbuckle to the thinly-padded floor below, and now Ken Collins is the one heading to the top! Rebecca Black pulls herself up, disoriented and groggy, and Ken Collins leaps off... FLYING DROPKICK!! She goes down hard, and Ken Collins goes for the cover... but then changes his mind, tags Stacey Lockman, and Gorilla presses her high over his head, throwing her down on Rebecca Black with an assisted splash! She hooks the leg, and Troy Black climbs up onto the apron, but Ken Collins rushes forward and knocks him off with a big right hand as Linda Peterson counts to three!!
"The California Crippler" Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman are victorious tonight; Stacey Lockman just pinned Rebecca Black, in her first match since being severely injured! They roll out of the ring, and Ken Collins grabs the VCW Intercontinental Title and raises it high above his head, getting cheers from the crowd, before heading backstage with Stacey, celebrating their victory all the way. Back in the ring, Troy Black is amazingly up and mobile after taking that horrible bump, and he's helping Rebecca to her feet as well. She throws her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder, and he looks noticably uncomfortable as he returns the hug, patting her on the back.
Obviously, that victory was made largely possible by Ken Collins's devestating backdrop driver and Flying Dropkick. But two weeks later, after Rebecca Black was handed an easy count-out victory over Pauline Vietjohn, Stacey Lockman came out to shut her up. Both of them had plenty of angry, hateful things to say to each other, and the motivations behind the resentment and dislike were made clear:
From VCW 137:
Linda Peterson raises Rebecca Black's hand in victory, but Rebecca hardly seems concerned with that. She's calling for a microphone now... what could SHE possibly have to say? She appears to be sober tonight, at least, which is usually a good thing. She gets the microphone, and begins speaking...
R. Black: Y'know... it's kind of nice to get a free ride once in a while. As for Pauline Vietjohn... she can consider herself lucky. Maybe on a rare occasion she can actually do her twisting moonsault dropkick right, but I can kick people's asses on a consistent basis. As far as I'm concerned, if I'm in a fight, I'm not gonna climb up on something really high up and dive off with a jumping flip... I'm gonna punch whoever I'm fighting in the fucking mouth.
Rebecca Black clearly doesn't think much of Pauline Vietjohn's style of fighting. But we don't really know how they would have matched up against each other, since the match never had a chance to take place... but wait! "Lovefool" by the Cardigans just started playing! That's Stacey Lockman's music!! The crowd cheers as Stacey Lockman steps out onto the entrance ramp, holding a microphone, but Rebecca Black doesn't look happy at all! She glares at Stacey Lockman, upset at being confronted tonight.
R. Black: What are YOU doing out here? You picked a bad time, princess... I might like getting a free ride against the rookies, but in spite of that I haven't had a match yet and I'm itching for a fight. So unless you want to end up in a wheelchair again, you'd better get outta my face.
The crowd boos, but Rebecca Black just smirks and cracks her knuckles. We know she's dangerous, and that's probably not an idle threat... but Stacey Lockman doesn't seem worried!
S. Lockman: You're looking for a fight, Rebecca? Now that I'm cleared to wrestle, I've been looking for a fight too. The California Crippler lived up to his name at Survival of the Fittest and put Lorenzo Vasquez out of commission, but you're still here, and you still haven't learned your lesson. I haven't forgotten being a victim at your hands--
R. Black: So you're a victim, huh? I'll bet you get in your red Corvette, drive down to your house in Beverly Hills, and cry yourself to sleep in your ten-thousand-dollar king-size bed every night because you're life's so hard. You've had it easy your whole life. Your daddy bought you everything you ever wanted and got you a job in this wrestling company even though you'd never even been in a simple lockup in your life. MY dad taught me to wrestle by beating the shit out of me every night, fucked me up, and kicked me out of the house when I was seventeen. But big, bad Jimmy Lockman, the dirtiest fighter in professional wrestling, handed you everything you ever wanted. The only bad things that have EVER happened to you--and those are few and far between enough--you brought those upon YOURSELF.
The crowd boos, and Stacey Lockman rolls her eyes.
S. Lockman: Okay, maybe I have had it easy... up to a point. I got into this business on my dad's name--just like you did--but now that I'm in, if anything that makes it even harder for me day-to-day. And I don't see how I brought anything upon myself. Did I bring it upon myself when you shoved me up against the wall and snowballed me a couple years ago? Did I bring it on myself when your little sex kitten Amy Lin wanted to make an example out of me earlier this year? Did I bring it upon myself when you helped Lorenzo to break my neck and rob me of every shred of dignity I had, then came out and laughed about it every week on national TV!?
Stacey Lockman's getting angry and shaken as she recalls those events of the past, but Rebecca Black just smirks at her.
R. Black: Yeah... you did. You brought it upon yourself the instant that you stuck your nose in the wrestling business without deserving to be here. Use your fucking head, you little blonde cunt. "Pretty Boy" Jimmy Lockman climbs to the top of the West Coast wrestling scene by screwing over all the other wrestlers and climbing over their backs, and then fifteen or twenty years later, his pampered Valley Girl daughter shows up in this business. You're driving fancy cars and wearing jewelry that were BOUGHT with the BLOOD of the wrestlers your father fucked over, and you're COMPLETELY fucking DEFENSELESS, and you act surprised that a few of your co-workers want to get violent with you. I don't know which fancy college your dad sent you to, but if you're really that dumb he should ask for a refund.
S. Lockman: If you were anyone else, you might have a point. But where do YOU get off being mad at ME over having a father who's a legendary wrestler? When my dad, Jimmy Lockman, was cheating his way to the top of the NCWA... "Superstar" Sean Black was right alongside him.
R. Black: No, you mean right BEHIND him, in his shadow. But that's not even the issue. Even if my dad had been the bigger star, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference to me. Because none of the glory or big paychecks would have trickled down to me or any of his family. All the fame and fortune that my dad got just amounted to more coke for him to snort and more ring rats for him to fuck. Forget about Mom's trust fund... Dad already had that spent by the time I was born. So we had my mother, a fucking Spanish heiress with an internationally famous pro athlete for a husband, working as a fucking bank manager to support four kids.
But you've had your fancy cars and twenty-room house and five-thousand-dollar shopping trips all your life... and even though our fathers were as close as brothers, I'll be damned if you'd EVER invite me in from the cold. But that's okay... I didn't need your fucking charity. I grew up pretty damn quick, and I got into the wrestling business. My dad's enemies came for me too, but I fought them and fucked them and MADE them respect me. But then you... YOU came into MY world. And you didn't have what it takes to earn MY respect. And you still don't. I never liked you, you stuck-up little bitch.
The crowd is speechless after that venom-filled tirade, but Stacey Lockman just gives Rebecca Black a sad, disgusted look.
S. Lockman: You know, every time you open your mouth--
R. Black: Every time YOU open your mouth, it looks empty without Ken Collins's dick in it.
Stacey Lockman blushes, silenced and embarrassed for a second, then seems to remember just who she's talking to.
S. Lockman: Okay, that's not even the pot calling the kettle black. That's the mack truck calling the paperweight heavy.
R. Black: Speaking of calling people heavy... last time we wrestled, I couldn't help but notice that your leotard seemed a little snug. And that big splash that you pinned me with... man, gain a few more pounds, and that move'll be more devestating than the Destiny Driver. So I figure either being in a wheelchair isn't good for your figure... or maybe Ken just likes to watch your fat ass jiggle when he fucks you.
Stacey Lockman's eyes open, and her jaw drops as she stares at Rebecca Black.
S. Lockman: You did NOT just say that.
Rebecca Black gives Stacey Lockman a fiendish grin.
R. Black: Oh, believe me... I did.
S. Lockman: Well, if we're gonna go there, you know... at least everything on MY body is flesh and bone. Maybe one of the reasons Troy's not interested is because your fake breasts look like they came from a Third World plastic surgery clinic where the surgeons take handjobs in the broom closet as payment.
At that comment, Rebecca Black explodes in a storm of anger.
R. Black: What the fuck makes you think you can talk to me like that, you pampered fucking whore!? I could mangle that pretty little face of yours in seconds flat, and then YOU'D need plastic surgery. I could rip your precious little all-natural tits off and shove 'em up your ass. My dad taught me how to hurt people, and he may be a sick asshole, but he's also the greatest wrestler ever to--
S. Lockman: Oh yeah? My dad can beat up your dad.
The crowd cheers, and Stacey Lockman smiles, but Rebecca Black is only further infuriated.
R. Black: Get your ass in here, and I'll make what Lorenzo did to you look fucking pleasant by comparison. I've had it with you. You want to come out here and fuck with me!? Get in the ring, and I'll make you damn sorry you ever opened your mouth.
S. Lockman: After all you've put me through, getting my hands on you will be a pleasure. You asked for it.
Stacey Lockman tosses aside the microphone and rushes to the ring, then slides inside. Rebecca Black stomps and pounds at her as she gets up, clobbering her with a series of stiff right hands! She backs Stacey up into the ropes, then whips her to the other side and rushes at her, but Stacey comes off and takes Rebecca Black down with a Thesz press! She crouches over Rebecca Black and pummels her with some fists to the face, then pulls her up by the hair and lifts her into a corner! Rebecca Black hits the turnbuckle back-first and staggers out, and Stacey Lockman runs at her and knocks her off her feet with a jumping kneelift, shades of her legendary father Jimmy Lockman!!
Rebecca Black's down, and Stacey Lockman grabs her leg, preparing to go for a figure-four leglock, another signature move of her father... but she changes her mind! The crowd seems disappointed and confused, but then Stacey Lockman rolls Rebecca Black over, drops a knee on one of her shoulders, then hooks her in the CALIFORNIA CROSSFACE!! The crowd explodes into cheers, and Stacey Lockman has Rebecca Black trapped in the California Crossface! Rebecca Black's not tapping out, and if there's one thing we know about her it's that she's as vicious and stubborn as any of her brothers, and not likely to give Stacey the satisfaction of tapping out, but she's clearly in a lot of pain!!
Finally, the H.A.R.P. Squad pours out of the backstage entrance and hits the ring, pulling Stacey Lockman away from Rebecca Black. Stacey Lockman's going along peacefully, but there's an aggressive, yet satisfied smile on her face as she looks back at Rebecca Black in the ring. She got a small measure of revenge on Rebecca Black for this past summer's torments, and she liked it a lot! In the ring, Rebecca Black watches Stacey Lockman leave with a grimace of pain on her face, and though she's clutching her shoulder with one hand, she raises the other one and gives Stacey Lockman the finger as she departs, yelling curse words at her that are fortunately not picked up by any microphone.
Stacey Lockman showed some impressive skills and courage in that confrontation, and she continued to strive for improvement in coming weeks. She took part in a match with Pauline Vietjohn against Mary Cohen and the Masked Avenger, and she did quite well for herself until Rebecca Black showed up.
From VCW 139:
The crowd's cheering her on, and seeing the end in sight, she draws a thumb across her throat, then goes and hooks Mary Cohen in the CALIFORNIA CROSSFACE!! The crowd's cheering wildly, and Mary Cohen's in the center of the ring, and the Masked Avenger and Pauline Vietjohn have brawled all the way up the ramp and through the backstage entrance... it looks like Mary Cohen will have to tap out! But wait!! Somebody just jumped the guardrail!! REBECCA BLACK!! Rebecca Black grabs a chair and slides into the ring, and Stacey Lockman sees her! She releases the crossface and stands up, but can't react in time to avoid a chairshot to the head!! Stacey Lockman goes down, and Bobcat McGavin calls for the bell!
The crowd boos loudly, and Rebecca Black drives the chair down into Stacey Lockman's throat, then tosses it aside and pulls her up. Stacey Lockman looks up, just in time to get doubled over by a kick to the midsection! And Rebecca hooks her... DOUBLE ARM DDT!! The crowd boos again, and Stacey Lockman is left down and out on the canvas. And now Rebecca Black grabs the chair again! She stands over Stacey Lockman's fallen body and taunts her for a few seconds... then drives the edge of the chair down into the back of her neck!! No, come on!! Stacey Lockman's neck was seriously injured just this past summer at the hands of Rebecca Black and Lorenzo Vasquez, and this could easily reinjure it!
Now Rebecca Black drops the chair, but somehow, it doesn't seem like she's come to her senses any. She points down to Stacey Lockman and yells, "THIS TIME, I'M GONNA CRIPPLE HER FOR GOOD!!", then begins to pick her up for the Destiny Driver... but someone's coming out of the backstage entrance!! It's KEN COLLINS!! The crowd explodes into cheers, and Rebecca Black sees him coming and drops Stacey Lockman! Rebecca rolls out of the ring as Ken Collins slides inside, and quickly begins fleeing up the ramp.
That wasn't the last time that Stacey Lockman and Rebecca Black would come to a physical confrontation that night. Later that evening, Troy Black was coming to the ring for a match with Ken Collins and Johnny Smiles, and Rebecca Black took that opportunity to confront Stacey Lockman again.
From VCW 139:
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica begins playing over the arena sound system. Troy Black steps out of the backstage entrance, and Rebecca Black steps out after him! She has a microphone...
R. Black: Hey, Stacey... you've got a lot of nerve showing yourself out here, knowing I'm gonna be here, after you nearly got your ass beat by a one-eyed Jew and a bimbo who thinks she's Jeff Jarrett filling in as Heather Dannon's stunt double. If you can barely handle those losers, what're you gonna do about me?
The crowd boos, and Stacey Lockman's motioning for Rebecca Black to come on down and bring it on, but Troy Black's trying to keep her under control and send her backstage. Rebecca Black just shrugs him off, however, and smiles at Stacey.
R. Black: You wanna fight me right NOW? Let me tell you--
Hold it, Troy Black snatched the microphone away from Rebecca Black, and he starts arguing with her... no, Rebecca Black just stepped away from him, and she's running down the ramp! Stacey Lockman charges at her too, and they meet at ringside! They begin brawling next to the ring, trading blows, and Rebecca Black takes the upper hand, then rolls Stacey Lockman into the ring and slides in after her! Stacey Lockman throws a punch, but Rebecca Black blocks it, doubles her over with a kick to the midsection, then takes her down in a front facelock!
Rebecca Black tightens her arm into a chokehold in the facelock, trying to keep Stacey down, but Troy Black slides into the ring, looking angry, and grabs Rebecca Black by the back of her pants! He pulls her off of Stacey Lockman, but as he does her pants come down in the back, exposing her bare posterior to the crowd to a wild chorus of cheers and catcalls! Troy Black drops her and backs away, but Rebecca Black gets up and turns to him... and she's not pulling her pants up again! In fact, she pulls off her tank top and throws that aside as well, revealing her bra!
She smiles and beckons to Troy Black, who's staring at her like she's a dead body or something, and takes a step towards him! He's backing off, totally unsure of what to do, as she puts her hands on her breasts and thrusts them up and together, enhancing her cleavage. Her mouth curls in a naughty, seductive smirk... but Stacey Lockman's up behind her!! Stacey Lockman rushes forward and clobbers Rebecca Black with a forearm to the back of the head, knocking her to her hands and knees! She goes to crawl out of the ring, and Stacey Lockman grabs the back of her pants to pull her forward again... AND PULLS THEM OFF INSTEAD!!
The crowd explodes into cheers as Rebecca Black slips out of her pants, baring her behind completely to the entire arena. She's quick enough to get her hands over her groin before the pants come off, so that the censors don't have to do anything to earn their keep tonight, and she rolls out of the ring, as Stacey Lockman stares down at the pants in her hand, then back at Rebecca angrily. Rebecca Black staggers back up the ramp, keeping her hands over her crotch, as she yells incoherent threats and obscenities at Stacey Lockman. Stacey Lockman slides out of the ring to go after her, but Ken Collins stops her and says something to her, and she calms down enough to just stare Rebecca Black down with a hateful glare as she disappears backstage.
Shortly after that rather revealing experience, Rebecca Black barged into an interview conducted by Ziggy Adderloaf with Brujah. After being humiliated in front of her brother, the focus of her incestuous crush, she was even more eager to mutilate and humiliate Stacey Lockman.
From VCW 139:
Ziggy Adderloaf is standing backstage with Brujah, whose typical stone-faced demeanor now speaks more of deep thought and concern than fierce determination.
Z. Adderloaf: Brujah, tonight is a big opportunity for you. Not only have you become one of the VCW World Tag Team Champions in recent weeks, but tonight you have a shot at the big belt, against the biggest, baddest man in the company, Crimson. What are your--
Suddenly, they're interrupted as the door comes crashing open, and an enraged Rebecca Black storms into the locker room, nude from the waist down (but censored, since this tape isn't live).
R. Black: Did you see that shit? Did you fucking SEE that!? Stacey HUMILIATED me, and Troy just let her do it. He just fucking LET her do it!!
Brujah: Seems to me you do a pretty good job of embarrassing yourself without anyone's help.
Rebecca Black whirls on Brujah, seething with anger, and speaks to him in a venomous tone.
R. Black: Shut up. I don't deserve this shit. All I ever wanted was affection and love. I never really got that from anyone, Brujah. Nobody fucking cares about me. Nobody ever has. Falcon, Lorenzo, Amy... they all used me. They got into my pants and fucking USED me. And I was willing to give EVERYTHING to Troy--my heart, body, and soul--and what does he do!? He turns me down time and time again, insults me, and lets Jimmy Lockman's little fucking slut of a daughter fucking HUMILIATE me out there.
One year ago, he wouldn't have LET anyone do that to his precious Melissa. If they so much as tried, they'd get a Black Dagger and leave the ring on a fucking stretcher. But I'm just his sister... the ONLY person on this whole fucking PLANET who really cares about him, who really loves him, so I guess that's okay. Sweet, perfect little Stacey's ego is more important than my dignity, even to him. And the next time I get in the ring with that bitch... I swear to God, I'm gonna fucking go postal on her ass.
Rebecca Black was seething with anger, and over the next week, it didn't fade a bit. In fact, Rebecca Black went off the deep end, becoming so unstable that she wasn't allowed to appear live on VCW 140. That didn't stop her from sending in a tape from the Ivory Tower in San Francisco, so that everybody could see just how twisted and hateful she had become.
From VCW 140:
Rebecca Black is standing in a bare, blank room, dressed in a white tank top and leather pants. She's leaning against the off-white wall with her arms crossed over her chest, giving the camera an angry, frustrated stare.
R. Black: Maybe they told you, I'm not live in Japan. They said I couldn't say this in front of a live crowd. They didn't want everybody to feel the intensity of my hatred in person. They wanted to put a blue screen behind me and have me do one of those old-time fucking studio promos. Whatever. Screw it, let's get this over with.
Rebecca Black uncrosses her arms and steps away from the wall, taking a few steps towards the camera.
R. Black: I know what everybody's thinking, about me and Stacey. You all think I'm sick and perverted, that I'm psycho and I just want to break her neck because I didn't get to play with as many Barbie dolls as she did when I was a girl. I've heard it before. "Yeah, Rebecca, maybe your dad didn't shower you with money when you were little, but look at you now. You're making two million dollars a year, more than any other wrestler on the roster, because of who your family is." I've even had people tell me that I should be grateful for who my dad was, because I wouldn't have a job in VCW if it wasn't for his name. So where do I get off being pissed at Stacey?
Simple. I don't respect her. She's not tough enough to be in this business. Let me explain something to you, and I'll make it really simple so people can understand what I'm getting at. If you're like a lot of VCW fans, you're a big, sweaty, blue-collar grunt with a beer gut who thinks he's a tough guy. You take Stacey Lockman when she first got into this business, and put her up against Joe Average from the local construction company... she wouldn't stand a chance. But ninety-nine percent of you musclebound rednecks out there wouldn't stand a CHANCE against ME. Why? Because I know how to fight. I know how to fight for my LIFE.
I'm sure you hear the horror stories about guys like Tony Garcia and Harley Race kicking the crap out of marks who jumped them in a bar or outside the arena to try to make a name for themselves. But listen to this. When I was about thirteen or fourteen, back when Dad was still doing a few shows, I was outside the arena in his car, when this big fucking redneck came up to me. The motherfucker was about six foot four and two fifty, and he thought he was a tough guy. He was one of them wrasslin' fans who paid money to see the good guys try to beat my dad, and always went home disappointed when they got their ass beat.
Anyway, this guy must've been stupider than most of you idiot fucks, because he thought he was actually gonna have his way with the Superstar's daughter. This drunken waste of human life pulls me out of the car, throws me on the ground, stuffs a rag in my mouth, and starts tearing off my clothes. So you know what I did? I ripped his fucking eye out. I ripped his eye out, and I took him down and dropped a knee on his ankle three or four times until it broke. Dad came along, and this guy was down, crying like a baby, and I had my clothes all torn up. Dad just laughed and kissed me on the forehead, and we drove off. You think Stacey Lockman could take a grown man, even right NOW? Do you think she's CAPABLE of that kind of violence? Fuck no. They'd find her huddled by the car, naked and bawling her eyes out, and it'd be a fucking tragedy, and she'd be such a victim. But I'm not Stacey Lockman. I'm not a victim. I'm a survivor.
Rebecca Black pauses and swallows, trying to reign in anger building inside her.
R. Black: But I'll tell you something else. I had a lot of experience fighting off drunken perverts by then. Except usually the drunk was a hell of a lot tougher than that, and it was down in the basement, and he was my dad. Most of the time, I'd just get my ass beat. Sometimes, I'd need to take the crutches out of the closet and use 'em to walk for a few weeks, or go to the doctor for a cast, telling them I "fell down the stairs" again. They must've thought we were the clumsiest kids in the world. But a few times, Dad got overloaded on booze and cocaine... and he touched me. He stuck his hand down my fucking pants and VIOLATED me. And you know what? After he royally beat my ass, I didn't mind that much. It felt a hell of a lot better than getting your arm torn out of the socket or getting choked out in a facelock, I'll tell you that.
Can you identify with that, Stacey? Do you know what it's like to be in so much pain, to be so overcome by pure terror that you'd actually WELCOME being fucking sexually molested for a change? I think you're learning what that's like, Stacey. I'm teaching you. All this time that I've been making your life hell... you've been getting stronger. You've come back from a broken neck, you've been beaten, humiliated and abused, and you're still here. For a ditzy little Valley Girl, that's pretty good. You're not afraid to get punched in that pretty little face anymore. And you actually came AFTER me, to try to start shit with me... that's really fucking stupid. But it also takes something that you didn't have when you came in from Beverly Hills to do interviews here.
See, in a way, I'm the one who had it good. Your dad bought you all of this fancy shit and made you his little princess. My dad made me into a deadly machine, who KNOWS what true pain and suffering feels like, and doesn't fear any of these half-assed losers in VCW. You know why my brother Troy can keep getting up again and again, in a brutal match when he should've been dead ten minutes ago? Because he's learned to force himself to keep moving and keep getting up long past the point at which his body knows it should stop working. And he didn't get that from riding around in a red Corvette or wearing expensive jewelry bought on Daddy's credit card. Neither did I.
Here's the deal, Stacey. You've started to earn my respect--just a little sliver of it. But as far as I'm concerned, VCW is my world. And as sure as I don't belong in your world with its evenings in the country club and five thousand dollar outfits, you don't belong in mine. As sure as you left me out in the cold when we were growing up, I'm gonna run you out of this business for good. And since you've left a challenge outstanding for me, I'll take it up, for this Sunday at Horror Show. But I don't want a regular match.... I want a STREET FIGHT. You're not escaping this one with a DQ or count-out. This Sunday, one of two things will happen. You'll learn what it means to be tough, to fight for your life, and finally earn my respect... or I'll finish what Lorenzo Vasquez started, and leave you crippled and destroyed, unable to set foot in the ring ever again.
A creepy, horrid smile spreads across Rebecca Black's face as she leans back against the wall again.
R. Black: I used to think you were the lucky one, Stacey. But now you'll realize what I've realized: that I was the lucky one. Because I'm ready for this... and you're NOT. When you're in that ring, you'll be WISHING that you had a sadistic psycho torture you every night in his basement. You'll be wishing you'd learned to fight and claw for your survival. Because when we have our Street Fight, that's what it comes down to. I'm going to make you feel more pain than you've ever experienced in your life. I'm going to rob you of every shred of dignity that you have, and hurt you so bad that you don't even care, that you LIKE being used and humiliated as long as I don't hurt you any more. And then, after all that, I'm going to break your fucking neck. And when you're in the hospital, when you're fucking ruined for the rest of your life, with the doctors telling you that you'll never walk, much less wrestle again... you'll actually SMILE. You'll smile because that means you NEVER have to get in the ring with Rebecca Black again.
Rebecca Black leans back against the wall and looks into the camera for a second, still smiling.
R. Black: So for the next six days, have fun with your fancy cars and daddy's money, princess.
The hate, resentment, and frustration between these two women has reached a boiling point. Tonight, they'll step into the ring with each other in a Street Fight, and we can be relatively certain about one thing: whoever loses that match won't be walking away. Each woman wants to hurt her opponent, to inflict pain and humiliation and serious injury. Tonight, they're going to do just that.
Now, in a more light-hearted vein, we're going to see the New Immortals take on a pair of mystery challengers here on the Waste-of-Time. "Riders On The Storm" by Creed begins playing, and the crowd boos as the New Immortals, "Beautiful" Bobby Danson and "Magnificent" Moy Lazzario, come out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Nicole and Steve "Mongo" McMichael. They come to the ring and take a pair of microphones, then look around at the crowd with smiles.
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 great and glorious tag team. Joining us at ringside tonight are the beautiful Nicole and noted gridiron legend, Steve "Mongo" McMichael.
Nicole smiles and waves to the crowd, and Mongo holds up four fingers and bellows some gibberish about tradition and greatness. Apparently he still thinks of himself as a member of the Four Horsemen. The crowd just boos them.
B. Danson: Last month, we were ashamed to be caught in an embarrassing spectacle with the American Males. We'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for that unforgivable nonsense, and promise it'll never happen again.
M. Lazzario: That's right. That was an undignified waste of your time and our dignity, and we don't intend to repeat it. After all, we're consumate professionals.
B. Danson: Yeah!
M. Lazzario: We're the elite of VCW's tag team division.
B. Danson: Yeah!!
M. Lazzario: We're world-class athletes, charismatic visionaries, and handsome sex symbols!
B. Danson: YEAH!!
M. Lazzario: As Konnan would say, we're bouty bouty and rowdy rowdy!!
B. Danson: ... Huh?
M. Lazzario: Never mind. Anyway, tonight we've issued a special mystery challenge to a pair of top-secret opponents, and the time of reckoning has come.
B. Danson: And this WON'T be a low-rent fiasco like last week's incident with the American Males. I'm staking my reputation as a professional athlete on it.
M. Lazzario: In fact, tonight's the night that'll put the New Immortals back on the map. All those lonely nights on the road, wrestling five times a week, staying in flea-infested hotels in Lower Slobbovia, waking up sore and bruised all over, and running up massive long distance bills calling my brother and reminding him to tape the new episodes of "Frasier" so I can watch them when I get home... all of that will pay off tonight.
B. Danson: So, ladies and gentlemen, without any further ado, our mystery opponents. The largest, most dominant tag team in history... the former WWF World Tag Team Champions... "EARTHQUAKE" JOHN TENTA, "TYPHOON" FRED OTTOMAN... the NATURAL DISASSSTERS!!
"Big Bad John" by Johnny Cash begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd boos as John Tenta and Fred Ottoman come out of the backstage entrance in all of their burly, grizzled glory. Unbelievably, the Natural Disasters are reunited in VCW... but honestly, this isn't much of an improvement over the American Males, and the crowd's booing them loudly. They walk to the ring, pointing at the New Immortals and jawing at them as they make their way to the ring, then climb inside. Mongo and Nicole climb out of the ring, and Linda Peterson climbs inside, then calls for the bell to begin this match!
New Immortals
w/Nicole & Steve "Mongo" McMichael
vs.
Natural Disasters
John Tenta steps out to the apron, and so does Moy Lazzario, so it'll be Fred Ottoman starting off this match against "Beautiful" Bobby Danson. They meet in the middle of the ring and lock up, and Bobby Danson takes control with a quick knee to the midsection. He reaches down, lifts with all of his might, and scoops Fred Ottoman up, then flings him down to the canvas with an amazing bodyslam! That's some pretty impressive power by Bobby Danson, and he smiles and flexes his muscles, then tags in Moy Lazzario and gestures for him to try! Lazzario comes in as Fred Ottoman starts to get up, and he takes a grip on him and starts to lift... but he can't do it. Moy Lazzario can't bodyslam Fred Ottoman, and Ottoman clubs him in the back with a meaty forearm, knocking him to the canvas!
Moy Lazzario starts to get up, and Fred Ottoman grabs him and whips him into a corner of the ring, then charges in after him and smashes him against the turnbuckles with a massive avalanche! Moy Lazzario staggers out, and Fred Ottoman whips him into the opposite turnbuckles, then charges again and crushes him with a second avalanche! Moy Lazzario comes staggering out, and Fred Ottoman grabs him and bodyslams him to the canvas, then stomps up and down around his fallen body! He's looking to finish this match off already! He backs into the ropes for his big splash, but Mongo reaches in from the outside and trips him!
Fred Ottoman staggers forward, then turns to yell at Mongo... but Moy Lazzario gets up behind him and dropkicks him in the back! Fred Ottoman goes down to his hands and knees, and Moy Lazzario steps out to the apron, then climbs to the top turnbuckle. Fred Ottoman gets up and turns around, right into a FLYING DROPKICK!! That knocked him off his feet, and Moy Lazzario goes for the cover! Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... BIG kickout at two by Fred Ottoman!
Moy Lazzario tags in Bobby Danson, who comes in, scoops up Fred Ottoman and slams him again, then turns to Nicole! He calls for Nicole to come up on the apron, and she does, so he tags her in! Nicole stands over Fred Ottoman, stomps up and down around his fallen form, then runs into the ropes and leaps into the air when she comes off, landing sitting on his chest in the same vertical splash that John Tenta uses! Nicole stays seated on Fred Ottoman's chest as Bobby Danson goes down to count... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! Nicole jumps up with a whoop of joy and hugs Bobby Danson, who begins celebrating her "victory" with her! He steps away and raises her hand in victory, and then Fred Ottoman pops up, charges them, and knocks them both down with a double clothesline!
Nicole rolls out of the ring, and Fred Ottoman makes the tag to John Tenta. John Tenta steps in, and Bobby Danson hammers him with a series of punches, but they all just glance off his bearded face, and he snarls angrily at Bobby Danson. Bobby Danson lifts him for a bodyslam... but can't keep the heavier John Tenta up, and he falls back under him! Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... Bobby Danson somehow powers a shoulder up!
Moy Lazzario sees how poorly his partner's faring, and when John Tenta goes to pick Bobby Danson up, Moy Lazzario climbs in the ring behind him and nails him with a low blow! John Tenta doubles over, and Moy Lazzario grabs his head, then takes him down in the ACE CRUSHER!! John Tenta goes down, and Bobby Danson sees his chance, so he steps out to the apron, climbs to the top turnbuckle, and leaps off to hit him with the MINNESOTA JAM!! That could do it! He covers John Tenta, and Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... And only one, before John Tenta powers out dramatically, bench pressing Bobby Danson a foot and a half into the air!
John Tenta gets to his feet, ignoring the New Immortals as they clobber him with ineffective blows, then drops Bobby Danson with a clothesline, turns to Moy Lazzario, and drops him with one as well! Bobby Danson gets up, and John Tenta grabs him by the hair and FLOORS him with a massive headbutt, then grabs Moy Lazzario by the hair and knocks him down with a huge headbutt too! Mongo slides into the ring and charges John Tenta... but Tenta grabs him and flings him to the mat with a CRUSHING powerslam!
Mongo rolls out of the ring, clutching his ribs, and John Tenta scoops up Bobby Danson and bodyslams him in the center of the ring, then scoops up Moy Lazzario and slams him down on top of Bobby Danson. The New Immortals have been utterly destroyed and stacked up like kindling, and John Tenta stomps up and down around their fallen bodies! He runs into the ropes, runs past them, and runs into the ropes on the opposite side, then comes off and comes crashing down on Moy Lazzario's chest with the EARTHQUAKE VERTICAL SPLASH!! Bobby Danson and Moy Lazzario are crushed under John Tenta, and he remains sitting on them as Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!!
The
Natural Disasters defeated The New Immortals when Tenta pinned
Danson with the Earthquake Vertical Splash in 0:05:28.
Rating: DUD
The crowd boos as John Tenta stands over the fallen New Immortals and bellows triumphantly. This was nearly six minutes of our life that we'll never get back, but the Natural Disasters have emerged victorious over the New Immortals. Maybe they should've stuck to trying to beat the American Males.
Later on tonight, we'll be seeing Johnny Smiles face off against Julian Page, in what could end up being the definitive match-up between these two men. Ever since the Big Fight, Julian Page and Johnny Smiles have been at odds. Johnny Smiles won the Big Fight and the VCW Intercontinental Title, but Julian Page was one of the final four, and he felt that he never should have lost the VCW Intercontinental Title to begin with. He struck at Johnny Smiles on the first of many occasions with a betrayal at the Big Fight, but he still came up short.
From The Big Fight 2001:
Crimson turns back to the other two men in the ring, Johnny Smiles and Julian Page, and grins sadistically, then turns to each man and gestures for them to come on, as if asking which one wants to be first. Johnny Smiles and Julian Page exchange a glance, and nod... and they're moving in together! They're teaming up to take down Crimson!!
Johnny comes in first and begins drilling him in the side of the head with punches that barely faze him, and Julian Page is right behind him... but Julian Page nails Johnny Smiles in the back!! That bastard!! The crowd boos, and Crimson sends Johnny Smiles sprawling to the mat with a clubbing forearm smash to the back of the head. Julian Page extends his hand to Crimson, and Crimson takes it!! They're shaking hands in the middle of the ring, and now they're both stomping and kicking at Johnny! But Johnny's starting to pull himself up... and he's retaliating with a series of punches to Julian Page, driving him back!! Johnny Smiles is pretty angry about that betrayal, and he's letting Julian Page have it... but Crimson stops that quickly, with a forearm to the back. Johnny Smiles doubles over... DDT!! Julian Page just drilled him with the DDT, and that may have laid him out!!
[portion of match removed]
Julian Page collapses to the mat, and Crimson grabs him and pitches him out over the top rope... but Julian Page grabs the top rope and holds on, and Crimson doesn't see it!! Crimson pulls the limp, lifeless body of Johnny Smiles up off of the mat, and prepares to toss him out again... but meanwhile, Julian Page performs a "skin the cat" flip back into the ring, and he's coming up behind Crimson again... and he nails him with another low blow!! Crimson doubles over again, and once again Julian Page hooks him for the DDT... but Crimson lets out a loud bellow of rage this time, and backdrops him off!! Julian Page goes down, and gets up in time to see Crimson turn to him, his eyes practically burning with rage... and he drops to his knees and starts begging off!! He's backing up, trying to get out of Crimson's way somehow... but Crimson steps forward and grabs him by the throat!! CHOKESLAM!! Julian Page is laid out in a heap on the mat, and after an hour, that may be what it takes to finally put him out of commission... and it is, as Crimson grabs him and hurls him over the top rope to the floor!!
The following night, Julian Page faced Johnny Smiles for the title in a one-on-one match requested by a winner of a VCW fan contest. It was here, perhaps, that the seeds were planted for Julian Page's obsession with bringing Johnny Smiles down.
From VCW 111:
J. Page: Last night... after one solid HOUR of outsmarting and outwrestling twenty-nine other wrestlers, once again, I was screwed out of my rightful place as VCW Intercontinental Champion. Last night, Crimson lost sight of the goal at hand, and threw me out of the Big Fight... and since I wasn't there to save him, Johnny Smiles ended up outsmarting the big lump and winning my VCW Intercontinental Title. But tonight, fortunately, there's one fan out among the festering pile of humanity like you that's above your level, one fan with some intelligence and a sense of justice, and he won the right to make a match on VCW television. The match he made... Julian Page against Johnny Smiles, one-on-one for the VCW Intercontinental Title. And even though I'm still sore and battered from last night, even though I'm hurt, I'm going to make sure that justice is served tonight when--
Hold it, "Degenerated" by the Lone Rangers just kicked on, and that brings forth Johnny Smiles, the new VCW Intercontinental Champion!! He steps out of the backstage area, wearing the VCW Intercontinental Title and carrying a microphone, to a loud burst of cheers from the crowd, and stops at the top of the ramp, staring at Julian Page with a smile on his face.
J. Smiles: HEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRE'S JOHNNY!!
The crowd sings along and cheers wildly.
J. Smiles: Now, Julian... you know, it's true, you did last for over an hour in the Big Fight, and I have to give you credit for that. I mean, I know I was expecting you to get thrown out of there faster than Marty Jannetty gets thrown out of the hotel room of any woman who's crazy enough to invite him in in the first place... but you surprised me. And I think maybe I understand why you lasted so long... it was just so much fun smacking you from one end of the ring to the other that none of us wanted to get rid of you!
The crowd cheers, and Johnny Smiles starts walking towards the ring.
J. Smiles: But in spite of that, I was the one who came out on top in the Big Fight, and I'm the one who's once again the VCW InterJohnnynental Champion. And you're right about one other thing... one of our fans won a contest, and tonight, the match was made... me against you, for the InterJohnnynental Title. But then you lost me when you started talking about justice and all that other rigamarole... because it's clear to me that the reason our lucky fan made that match is because even one whole hour of seeing Julian Page taking the beating of his life wasn't enough, and he wants to see it happen again tonight! So the question again is... what would Johnny do? And the answer's really easy to figure out, even for someone who's dumb enough to try to jump Crimson during the Big Fight... I'm going to go in there and slap you around one more time, right here, right now!!
Johnny Smiles tosses aside the microphone and charges to the ring, sliding inside the ring, and he begins trading blows with Julian Page!
[portion of match removed]
With Julian Page reeling, Johnny Smiles pulls him up into a fireman's carry... he's going for the Smiledriver! But as he starts to spin, his leg gives out, and Julian Page squirms free, hooking an arm around his head and falling down into a DDT!! Julian Page just countered the Smiledriver with the DDT, and now both men are down!! After seven or eight seconds, Julian Page finally manages to drape himself over Johnny Smiles... but he only gets a count of two and three-quarters! Had he been able to go for the cover immediately, it might have been a different story!
Julian Page gets up and hauls Johnny Smiles up from behind, and it's clear that he has another trick up his sleeve. He puts on a full nelson... he's going for a dragon suplex! But Johnny Smiles brings a foot up between his legs!! Julian Page releases the full nelson, and Johnny Smiles, keeping an arm hooked, goes behind him back to back and pulls him down into a quick backslide! Julian Page is caught off guard as Brendan Powers goes down to count, and kicks out just after three! Johnny Smiles has just defeated Julian Page!!
Johnny Smiles has emerged with the victory tonight! He's limping, but still smiling as Brendan Powers hands him the VCW Intercontinental Title, and he raises it over his head to an explosion of cheers from the crowd! Julian Page is getting up behind Johnny Smiles, and reaching into his tights... he's got a pair of brass knuckles! Johnny Smiles turns around, and Julian Page takes a swing at him... but Johnny ducks under the punch, then takes the VCW Intercontinental Title belt into the side of Julian Page's head! The crowd cheers again as Julian Page goes down, and Johnny climbs a little unsteadily to one of the second turnbuckles and poses with the title raised high, drawing an even louder burst of cheers from the crowd.
In their first major singles meeting, Johnny Smiles defeated Julian Page in a close, hard-fought match. They would meet in a Triple Threat Match at No Quarter for the VCW Intercontinental Title, and again Johnny Smiles emerged victorious, but he did so by capitalizing on Crimson's big offense, rather than defeating Julian Page on his own.
From No Quarter 2001:
Julian Page is backing up, begging Crimson for mercy... but Crimson just knees him in the gut, then puts him in a standing headscissors... POWER BOMB!! Crimson just flattened Julian Page! But he's not finished yet... he wants to dispose of Julian Page as well! He lifts him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! Julian Page is a bleeding, twisted carcass on the mat, and he's not getting up any time this lifetime! Johnny Smiles is, though... he's getting to his feet! Crimson turns to look at him... and Johnny nails Crimson with a superkick that sends him spilling out over the top rope! Johnny picks Julian Page up across his shoulders... SMILEDRIVER!! Crimson's down on the outside, Julian Page is clinically dead on the inside, and Johnny Smiles covers Julian Page as Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! Crimson slides into the ring a fraction of a second too late, and Johnny Smiles just retained the VCW Intercontinental Title!
Later, Johnny Smiles lost the VCW Intercontinental Title to Lorenzo Vasquez, and it seemed as though both he and Julian Page had moved on from their earlier issues. But that wasn't the case when Johnny Smiles got a rematch against Lorenzo Vasquez, only to have his old nemesis reappear.
From VCW 126:
Johnny Smiles pulls Lorenzo Vasquez up on his shoulders again, going for the Smiledriver again, and this time he hits it! But as he goes for the cover, Julian Page comes running out of the backstage entrance! He slides into the ring, with brass knuckles in his right hand, and pulls Johnny Smiles off of Lorenzo before three, then decks him with the knuckles for an immediate disqualification!
This match is over, and Johnny Smiles is down... but Lorenzo Vasquez gets up, showing few, if any ill effects from the Smiledriver, then stomps on Johnny's fallen body a few times before nodding to Julian Page and rolling out of the ring. Julian Page pulls Johnny Smiles up again, and once again drills him with the brass knuckles, taking him down! And he pulls him up one more time, then hooks his head... DDT!! Julian Page just destroyed Johnny Smiles in the middle of the ring, and now he's calling for a microphone, as Lorenzo Vasquez and Rebecca Black disappear backstage...
J. Page: You think YOU were screwed out of your title? Here's one thing that you really oughtta know, pal... you wouldn't have been wearing that title in the first place if Bret Hart hadn't cheated me out of it at Wrestlewar, and then if you and Crimson hadn't stabbed me in the back in the Big Fight, and I don't need any stupid highlight reels from war movies to show you that. And if you suppose that I'd forgotten about all this... you're SADLY mistaken. I don't forget about things like that...
In the next coming weeks, Johnny Smiles's career continued to flourish in spite of Julian Page's hatred of him, as he won the Intergender Super Ladder Fat Cat Scramble and formed a strange friendship with Yuri Sonoda. But Julian Page wasn't about to let him enjoy these good times, and he ambushed Johnny Smiles prior to a VCW Television Title match against Brujah...
From VCW 129:
Ziggy Adderloaf is standing backstage with Johnny Smiles, who seems as happy and carefree as usual, as he prepares for their next match. At his side is the large pink stuffed cat from last week's Intergender Super Ladder Fat Cat Scramble, as well as Yuri Sonoda.
Z. Adderloaf: I'm here with Johnny Smiles and Yuri Sonoda. Johnny, Yuri, last week you won the Intergender Super Ladder Fat Cat Scramble... and I can see you've got the cat with you tonight.
Y. Sonoda: Her name's Sumiko. Maybe we didn't win an actual title belt, but I know I'll always have fond memories of the day that I won her in our match. Normally, we take turns on who gets to be with her... but today, we decided we both do.
Z. Adderloaf: You really surprised a lot of critics by performing well in that match, both of you. How'd you do it?
J. Smiles: Well, we pretty much beat up Amy Lin and Jacob Idol, got our cat, and put her on the bed. I didn't sweat the details. It was just a great time to be involved in the first ever Intergender Super Ladder Fat Cat Scramble.
Y. Sonoda: It was tough, and I was really nervous not knowing what to do. Then, when Amy Lin pulled down my pants, I was so embarrassed, because everyone could see me... but then I remembered Johnny's advice, and pretended I was in my underwear. So I wasn't too embarrassed anymore, and I won the match!
J. Smiles: I'm just glad I could be of help there. It's a true accolade in our careers.
Z. Adderloaf: Speaking of career accolades, you have a chance to win the VCW Television Title from Brujah in a few moments. What're your thoughts on that?
J. Smiles: Well, it's not like an InterJohnnynental Title match, or an Intergender Super Ladder Fat Cat Scramble. But I'm ready all the same. Brujah may hit people really hard, but--
Johnny Smiles is cut off as Julian Page rushes onto the scene, wielding a chair, and bashes it against his head. He goes down hard, and Yuri leaps back with a scream.
Y. Sonoda: Aaah!! What're you doing!? Don't hurt him!
Julian Page just kicks Yuri Sonoda in the midsection, then nails her with a shot from the chair, dropping her to the floor. Johnny Smiles starts to get up again, but Julian Page whacks him in the back with the chair, then drops the chair and grabs him by the hair. He pulls Johnny Smiles up and gives him a DDT on the floor, then stomps down on him a few times and pulls him up again, this time into a standing headscissors.
J. Page: Where do YOU get off getting a title shot, you obnoxious twit!? You're not getting a title shot, pal... THIS is what you get!
Julian Page hooks Johnny's arms, then gives him a double underhook faceslam on the discarded steel chair. As Julian Page gets up, Yuri Sonoda is starting to get up, so he grabs her by the hair and bashes her head into the wall, sending her sprawling to the floor again. Julian Page kicks at Johnny's fallen body a few more times, then glares down at him.
J. Page: You don't deserve a title shot. You cheated me, a DESERVING champion, out of the VCW Intercontinental Title... you're not getting a title shot until we're settled with this. Why don't you show up at Blood and Thunder, and I'll gonna kick your ass again.
Julian Page pauses, staring down at Johnny Smiles, then starts to step away.
J. Page: And your cat sucks, too.
Julian Page grabs Sumiko the stuffed cat and executes a double underhook faceslam on it on the floor, then gets up and walks away, as Ziggy Adderloaf stares around at all the carnage wide-eyed.
When Blood and Thunder came, both men went into the match talking big. But only one of them could emerge with the victory, and the outcome of that match shocked many VCW fans.
From Blood and Thunder 2001:
"Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin begins playing, and the crowd boos loudly as Julian Page steps out of the backstage entrance, with an insufferably arrogant smirk on his face. He has a lot to smile about, too... he just saw the Technicians crumble before his teammates in the earlier portion of tonight's pay-per-view, and he now has a chance to make a good night for the Hammer of the Gods into an even better night by achieving a victory here tonight. He steps into the ring, looking around at the crowd, then grabs a microphone.
J. Page: Jake... Rob... I want you boys to keep the champagne cold and the women hot, because our backstage celebration's about to get even bigger. As for you people out there... just open your eyes. You really oughtta know by now that I'm the new face of professional wrestling. If your idea of true wrestling greatness is seeing some grown man performing a wrestling move on a stuffed animal, then you're in for some dark days. Johnny Smiles can luck his way into victory when he's in a battle royal or a three-way dance or a stupid ladder match with stuffed animals involved, but tonight... he's face to face with an elite professional wrestler.
Those of you who don't believe me, or who don't want to believe me, can wait for the rude shock that's coming your way in a few minutes. But those of you who believe... those few select ones of you who are MY people, the guys who love watching a wrestling sensation at work and those girls who can't get enough of staring at my shapely, toned rear... tonight is the time to rejoice as your heroes are vindicated. Tonight, the conquerors have landed on the shore, and we're sweeping towards victory with every passing minute. We are the elite, the proud, the essence of excellence, the living embodiment of greatness... we are the Hammer of the Gods.
The crowd boos loudly... what a bunch of conceited dribble that is. But then they explode into cheers as "Degenerated" by the Lone Rangers begins playing, and Johnny Smiles comes out of the backstage entrance! He's carrying a microphone, and he stops at the top of the ramp, staring down the aisle at Julian Page.
J. Smiles: HEEEEEEERRRRRRRE'S JOHNNY!!
The crowd chants along and explodes into cheers at the end.
J. Smiles: You've had your chance to talk to your friends, and now I'll talk to mine. Lars... Marty... Ken... Yuri... Sumiko the cat... oh, and all the millions of other Johnnycoholics here and all around the globe... I want you guys to throw some more cookies in the oven and use the whole tube of frosting on the cake, because our worldwide celebration's about to get even bigger. But first, all of you people... just look at this shmuck I'm about to be facing. If your idea of wrestling greatness is seeing a grown man performing a wrestling move on a stuffed animal... then your idea of wrestling greatness and mine are the same. I can luck my way into victory when I'm in a battle royal or three-way dance, but tonight, I'm face to face with a pompous jackass!!
Julian Page flinches back and stares angrily down the aisle at Johnny Smiles, and Johnny starts walking down the aisle.
J. Smiles: Now, as far as all your babbling about excellence... it just so happens that I asked Marty and Lars, who are two primary authorities on what's totally excellent, and you're definitely not excellent. I asked Ken Collins, who is a foremost authority on wrestling... and he says you're definitely not a wrestling sensation. And as far as your alleged claims as to the shapeliness and tone of your nether regions... I know someone who has you outclassed there as well. A certain Japanese female acquaintance of mine, who looks pretty in pink and whom I've come to like--no, LOVE with all my heart in the past few months. She's been sharing my bed pretty frequently these days. Her plush, well-rounded, curvaceous posterior puts yours to shame. I'm talking, of course... about Sumiko, my stuffed cat!! She has a TAIL, for crying out loud! How can you compete with that!?
The crowd cheers, and Julian Page yells at them to shut up, but Johnny's climbing into the ring now.
J. Smiles: But regardless of all the shapeliness and tone that you have attributed to your butt... it's still going to get kicked all over the arena tonight!
Johnny Smiles tosses aside the microphone and rushes at Julian Page, and this match is on! Linda Peterson enters the ring and calls for the bell to officially begin it!
[portion of match removed]
Julian Page pulls Johnny Smiles up by the hair, then puts on a front facelock and gives a thumbs-down sign... DDT!! He hit it!! Johnny Smiles is down, and Julian Page goes for the cover again! Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... KICKOUT!! Johnny Smiles kicked out of the DDT, and the crowd explodes! He's still in this match! Angered, Julian Page stomps down at Johnny Smiles a few times, then pulls him up into a standing headscissors and tries to hook the arms... but Johnny Smiles brings him down with a double leg takedown instead, then holds the legs and falls back, slingshotting Julian Page straight into one of the top turnbuckles! Julian Page collides with the turnbuckle and staggers out, right into a fireman's carry! Johnny Smiles spins for the Smiledriver... but Julian Page slips out behind him! Johnny Smiles turns around, right into a kick to the midsection! Julian Page puts on a standing headscissors and hooks his arms... DOUBLE UNDERHOOK FACESLAM!! He now calls that move the Swan Song, and it may have just won this match! He covers Johnny Smiles and hooks a leg, and Linda Peterson counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! Damn it, Julian Page wins!!
The crowd boos loudly, and Julian Page smiles in victory as he raises his hands high above his head. For better or worse, he just beat Johnny Smiles more or less cleanly in the middle of the ring, and you just know that's going to fuel his ego to even greater heights. The crowd's not happy with this outcome, but Julian Page just did exactly what he intended to do, and beat Johnny Smiles in the middle of the ring.
That victory seemed to vindicate Julian Page's claims, to prove that he was better than Johnny Smiles and that he was the superior wrestler. It seemed to be Johnny Smiles's darkest hour... but fortunately for Johnny and his legions of fans, his finest hour thus far was to come just one month later, in the Survival of the Fittest tournament. But before he made it to Troy Black in the finals, he had to face Julian Page in the semi-finals. In that match, he had not only an opportunity to advance to the finals, but an opportunity to redeem himself after his loss at Blood and Thunder.
From Survival of the Fittest 2001:
Now Johnny Smiles pulls Julian Page up, and hooks his arms in a standing headscissors, trying to hit Julian Page with his own move, but Julian Page pulls his arms free and brings him down with a double-leg takedown! Holding both of Johnny's legs, Julian Page steps through for a scorpion deathlock, but Johnny Smiles kicks him away, knocking him into a corner of the ring! Julian Page hits the turnbuckles back-first and staggers out... into a fireman's carry as Johnny Smiles gets up! Johnny Smiles on the other side for the spin this time, and this time his knee holds up as he brings Julian Page down with the SMILEDRIVER!! He just hit it! The crowd erupts, and Johnny Smiles makes the cover... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! He did it! He beat Julian Page!! Johnny Smiles is going to the Survival of the Fittest Tournament finals!!
Johnny Smiles defeated his arch-enemy and advanced to the finals, where he later defeated Troy Black in an epic match to propel himself into main event stardom, and earn the coveted Wrestlewar IV main event spot against whoever the champion may be. The sentimental favorite of the fans had overcome all opposition to win the tournament, and it was a time for celebration... but Julian Page refused to leave the situation alone. After costing Johnny Smiles a match against Butch Manson, he showed just how deep his jealousy and resentment had grown.
From VCW 137:
Butch Manson gets up and charges Johnny Smiles with a clothesline, but Johnny Smiles ducks, and Butch Manson clobbers Brendan Powers! Brendan Powers goes down, and Butch Manson turns around... into a superkick!! He goes down! Butch Manson is getting up... but someone's coming out of the backstage entrance! It's Julian Page!! What does HE want here!? Butch Manson staggers forward... into a fireman's carry lift! Johnny's gonna give him the Smiledriver... but Julian Page reaches into the ring and pulls his foot, tripping him up! Johnny Smiles goes down, then gets up and turns to see what tripped him... and Julian Page jumps up on the apron, grabs him by the hair, and pulls him down throat-first across the top rope!! Johnny Smiles staggers back, and both Butch Manson and Brendan Powers are getting up! Johnny Smiles staggers backwards and bumps into Butch Manson... and Butch Manson lifts him in a torture rack!! No, come on!! Johnny's bloody and battered, and Butch Manson's racking him in the middle of the ring... and Brendan Powers is up to check on him! Johnny Smiles is trying to hold out... but he can't! He submits, and Butch Manson wins!!
Damn it, Johnny Smiles just got screwed! Julian Page cost him the match... and now he's sliding into the ring! Butch Manson drops Johnny Smiles and rolls to the outside, staggering around with a groggy look on his face, raising his hands in victory; he doesn't seem quite sure what just happened, but he knows he won somehow! Johnny Smiles is starting to get up... but Julian Page drops him with a right hand, then crouches over him and begins hammering his bloody face with a frenzied series of punches! What's his problem!?
Finally he gets up and stops punching Johnny Smiles... but now he's pulling him up into a standing headscissors! He hooks his arms... SWAN SONG!! Johnny Smiles's blood-soaked face was just driven to the canvas, and now Julian Page is up and calling for a microphone! What's he going to say? He already had his daily tirade of excuses and blame!
J. Page: Earlier tonight, I told everybody... I have a new hit list. The people who have been holding me down... I'm going to drag THEM down for a change. And Johnny, you're public enemy number one. Forget about the time you cheated me out of the Intercontinental Title... that's old news by now. But at Survival of the Fittest, you cheated me out of the Wrestlewar main event! That should have been ME, kicking Troy Black's ass in the finals... not you. You don't deserve to be in the Wrestlewar main event. You'll always be the undercard comedy act, and a couple of fluke victories won't change that.
The crowd boos. Julian Page is staring down at Johnny Smiles with an intense, irrational hatred... he really seems to believe what he's saying!
J. Page: Now, in the past, when I've set career goals to win titles or big matches, the entire world has risen up to turn against me and cheat me out of what I've worked for. But now... I've set a different goal. My goal now, the sole purpose of my career... is to end your fifteen minutes of fame early, Johnny. You're at the top of my hit list, and I'm going to do EVERYTHING in my power to see you fall, to cheat you of your ill-gotten destiny as surely as you cheated me of my hard-earned rewards. See, now that I've been screwed out of everything, time and again, I have nothing to lose... and nothing to fill my time except looking for ways to take you down.
Now, whether I steal your title shot, run you out of VCW, or even END your CAREER, one thing's for certain... you'll NEVER make it to Wrestlewar, and you'll NEVER hold the VCW World Title. I'd sacrifice everything... I'd DIE before I let you go to Wrestlewar and win the VCW World Title. Whatever the cost, it doesn't matter... this time, you're the one who's screwed, you dumb son of a bitch.
Julian Page tosses aside the microphone, and now he kneels over Johnny Smiles, turns him over, and begins punching him again! Julian Page seems to have taken leave of all his better judgment and senses, and he's beating the hell out of Johnny Smiles in a furious rage! The crowd boos, but there's no sign of Julian Page stopping the onslaught! Finally, several members of the H.A.R.P. Squad run down to the ring and grab Julian Page, forcibly dragging him away from Johnny Smiles. And some medics are coming out for Johnny; he appears to have been knocked completely unconscious.
Julian Page had set his mind on crushing Johnny Smiles's Wrestlewar dream by any means available. He sent Jacob Idol of the Hammer of the Gods to try and cripple him in a match, but when Jacob Idol couldn't get the job done on his own, Julian Page came out to help him.
From VCW 138:
Johnny Smiles backs up, this time staying clear of Jasmina Chastity as he waits on Jacob Idol to stand. When he does, Johnny rushes forward and NAILS him with a superkick! The crowd cheers wildly! Jacob Idol may be nearly out now, and Johnny Smiles rolls his right shoulder and rubs it, then pulls Jacob Idol to his feet! Using the strength on his good left side, Johnny lifts Jacob Idol in a fireman's carry and spins... SMILEDRIVER!! He just planted him, and the crowd's on its feet cheering, as Jasmina Chastity seems ready to tear her hair out at ringside! He goes for the cover... but someone's coming out of the backstage entrance! JULIAN PAGE!! Jerry Rogers counts, but before he can get to three, Julian Page reaches into the ring, grabs Johnny Smiles by the leg, and pulls him out, then drops him with a right hand! Jerry Rogers calls for the bell; Johnny Smiles has just won via disqualification!
This match is over... but it looks like Julian Page and Jacob Idol aren't done yet. Julian Page picks Johnny up and rams him shoulder-first into one of the steel ringposts, then rolls him into the ring, where Jacob Idol's just getting up. Julian Page is yelling at Jacob Idol, telling him to get up and work over Johnny Smiles's arm, and Jacob Idol immediately grabs him and puts on an armbar... it doesn't even look like Jacob Idol knows coherently that he's lost the match! He's looking at Jerry Rogers, and he seems to be confused as to why Jerry Rogers isn't asking Johnny Smiles to tap out! But the results are the same... Johnny Smiles is in a world of hurt, and he may be seriously injured!
After all of these assaults, Johnny Smiles was ready to retaliate. He and Julian Page each had some choice words for each other the following week, as they once again headed towards an inevitable collision.
From VCW 139:
J. Smiles: But that's not the only thing we have to do tonight. We also have a wrestling match, against the Hammer of the Gods. If I understand correctly, Julian Page has a problem with me going to Wrestlewar IV and getting a shot at the VCW World Title. And I appreciate that, because he knows as well as I do that if the champion's somebody like Gabriel Black or Crimson, I'm gonna get killed... but Julian Page has taken it upon himself to decide to STOP me from having that match. Again, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm perfectly capable of chickening out and no-showing that match on my own, and I DON'T need any of Julian Page's help, thank you very much!
The crowd actually cheers for that cowardly statement.
J. Smiles: I see where he's coming from, really. Julian Page may be upset because he sees me do things that he doesn't get to do. I won Sumiko in the Intergender Super Ladder Fat Cat Scramble, and he never won a stuffed cat. I won the VCW InterJohnnynental Title at the Big Fight... he LOST it to Bret "The Hitman" Hart. And now I won the Wrestlewar main event spot at Survival of the Fittest. But Julian Page has achieved one major accomplishment lately... it was no mean feat, but he's officially knocked Virginia off the top spot and taken the lead as the public enemy number two of myself and all the Johnnycoholics around the world!!
Julian Page's rebuttal to Johnny Smiles's statement gave new insight into the lows he was willing, even eager, to sink to, with a graphic description of his intentions for Johnny Smiles.
From VCW 139:
J. Page: But that's fine. This is just one of the reasons I hate you, Johnny. One of many. And it ties in perfectly to my plan tonight. See, we're wrestlers. We aren't remembered for our pre-match shenanigans... we're known for being the elite masters of in-ring competition. And in order to be remembered tonight, we have to go in there and top what these people have already seen, in terms of shock value. We have to hurt you so badly, so greviously, that all of the fourteen-year-old virgins sitting around masturbating to the sight of Rebecca Black's bare ass will look up on the screen and VOMIT at the sight of your broken, mangled body. And that's fine, because I wanted to do that anyway. I want to snap your leg so hard that jagged shards of bone stick out of your flesh. Johnny, when I get through with you, you're gonna look like Sid Vicious after he came off the second rope in the four-way in WCW!!
Julian Page throws aside the microphone, and the Hammer of the Gods is storming the ring! They all slide inside and begin attacking their opponents in a pier-six brawl...
After the inconclusive result of that meeting, the match was inevitable. Johnny Smiles and Julian Page would meet one more time at Horror Show, to settle their old score. But when James Applebee met with some VCW executives from the upper offices in the Ivory Tower, they added a new twist to the conflict, one that could change Johnny Smiles's career forever.
From VCW 140:
Official #2: Good. I like your organizational skills. But now, the people at the home offices... they're worried about this Johnny Smiles situation. He won the tournament--
J. Applebee: He did. I officiated the end of that match myself. You know I'm a liscensed VCW official, and I stand by my decision. What's the problem?
Official #1: The problem is that, after some review, not everybody's sure that his victory in that match was entirely on the level. He came off looking pretty weak for a main-event competitor who just won the big tournament, and since that time his won-loss record has been mediocre at best. So--
J. Applebee: So what? I made the call. It's what the people want to see, and you won't find a single VCW fan who's in favor of taking him out of that main-event match.
Official #2: I'm sure you're acutely aware of our office's employee review policy, Mr. Applebee, in which we review each employee's performance, and see whether or not he or she is positioned properly. In this case, many people are in favor of extending that to our athletes. So we have a suggestion from the front offices that we urge you to consider. Book Julian Page against Johnny Smiles at Horror Show, as Julian Page has requested... and use his performance there as a basis for deciding whether he is, in fact, positioned properly in the current booking plans.
J. Applebee: So you're saying that if Johnny Smiles wins that match, he deserves to keep his Wrestlewar IV title shot--
Official #1: And if he loses, perhaps it would be best to strip it from him.
J. Applebee: Then what?
Official #1: Put it up for grabs in a match between the two competitors with the best won-loss records here... barring the current champion, of course.
James Applebee grabs a clipboard and begins looking through several of the pages on it.
J. Applebee: According to my records, one of those would be Troy Black... the other would be either Gabriel Black or Crimson, depending on who walks out with the belt this Sunday. If Tojo Akamatsu has it by then, we have to compare all of their records... it's hard saying right now.
Official #2: Any of those three would make a much more viable Wrestlewar challenger than Johnny Smiles. With all due respect, sir, he simply isn't main event material. He has no commerical potential. No legitimate credibility. A viable main event level product is the keystone to the salvation of this company's financial state, and Johnny Smiles does not fit in--
James Applebee stands up from his desk.
J. Applebee: Johnny Smiles won the title shot fair and square. I'll put his title shot in the balance in the match with Julian Page, but not because I'm looking for an excuse to strip it from him... it's because I have faith in him, and I don't mind putting him to the test, because I think he can pass it. The match is made, gentlemen. I trust that everyone in the front offices will be watching it very closely.
Official #1: I'm certain they will, Mr. Applebee.
So it was decided that if Julian Page can defeat Johnny Smiles tonight, Johnny Smiles will be stripped of his Wrestlewar title shot. This is a big moment in Johnny Smiles's career, with big things at stake for the future. All things considered, he's had a great year; he went from a pointless feud with Virginia and Administration X to winning both the Big Fight AND the Survival of the Fittest Tournament in the same year, and earned pinfall victories over former VCW World Champions like Troy Black and David Wright Hubbard. But tonight, everything could change. Tonight, Johnny Smiles must defeat Julian Page to prove one more time that he deserves his spot.
We're going to see another pointless undercard match now. "Stuntman" by 24-7 Spyz begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers as Tommy Hustle comes out of the backstage entrance. He jogs to the ring and slides inside, then begins shadow-boxing in one of the corners in preparation for this match. He'll be facing Jockey Oldcastle, in what promises to be a speed versus power match in its purest form.
Then "Minstrel in the Gallery" by Jethro Tull hits the sound system, and the crowd responds with boos as Jockey Oldcastle makes his way out of the backstage entrance and begins walking to the ring. He's normally one-half of the Knights of the Squared Circle, along with Monty Pompous, but tonight he's going after Tommy Hustle in singles competition. History buffs may note that this isn't Jockey Oldcastle's first appearance on the Waste-of-Time; he was seen at Deck the Halls 2000 challenging Johnny Stagger for the NCXCW World Title. Jockey Oldcastle finally makes his way to the ring and slowly climbs inside. Brendan Powers calls for the bell, and that'll kick this match off!
Tommy Hustle
vs.
Jockey Oldcastle
Tommy Hustle charges at Jockey Oldcastle and hits him with a dropkick that sends him staggering back into the ropes! Jockey Oldcastle lumbers forward again, but runs right into another dropkick that knocks him off his feet! He starts getting up slowly, but as he does, Tommy Hustle runs and hits him with a dropkick to the face, knocking him down again! Jockey Oldcastle rolls out of the ring, then begins walking around outside, gasping for breath and leaning on the apron. This is just pathetic... we're about twenty seconds into this match, and he's completely blown up already!
Tommy Hustle climbs to one of the top turnbuckles and leaps off at Jockey Oldcastle with a MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR! It connects, and Jockey Oldcastle goes down under him like a deflated sack of flour! He's down, and Tommy Hustle rains down a series of punches on his bearded face as the crowd cheers him on! Tommy Hustle is beating the hell out of Jockey Oldcastle so far, and the crowd is loving it!
Tommy Hustle grabs a double handful of Jockey Oldcastle's thick, curly hair and starts to pull him up, but Jockey Oldcastle cuts him off with a meaty fist to the midsection. He grabs Tommy Hustle and takes him head-first into the ring apron, then pauses to catch his breath as Tommy Hustle collapses to the floor. After a few seconds, he rolls back into the ring and begins getting to his feet... but Tommy Hustle gets up on the outside, too! He climbs up on the apron, then springs to the top rope as Jockey Oldcastle turns around, and leaps off to catch him with a SPRINGBOARD THESZ PRESS! Jockey Oldcastle goes down under Tommy Hustle, and Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Jockey Oldcastle!
Tommy Hustle pulls Jockey Oldcastle up and whips him into a corner of the ring. Jockey Oldcastle hits the turnbuckles back-first and slumps in the corner, gasping noisily, and Tommy Hustle runs up to the second turnbuckles, straddling him, and begins raining punches down on his forehead as the crowd counts along! But after eight punches, Jockey Oldcastle grabs him and staggers out of the corner, clutching Tommy Hustle tightly in a bearhug! He squeezes and puts on the pressure for a few seconds, before even this resthold becomes too much physical exertion for him, and he flings Tommy Hustle to the mat with something that theoretically resembles a belly-to-belly suplex, but in actuality looks like he just dropped him to one side.
With Tommy Hustle down, Jockey Oldcastle goes back and slumps in the corner again, still breathing hard. Brendan Powers actually goes and checks in with him to see if he wants to continue the match, and Jockey Oldcastle mutters something to him and waves him away. Tommy Hustle stays down after that careless belly-to-belly toss far longer than one would expect, and it even appears that Jockey Oldcastle could have had the three-count if he'd gone for the pin after that! Finally, after several seconds of rest, Jockey Oldcastle wipes a wrist across his sweaty forehead, then comes forward and pulls Tommy Hustle up.
Jockey Oldcastle pelts Tommy Hustle in the face with a few weak, careless right hands, then whips him into the ropes. Tommy Hustle comes off the ropes, and Jockey Oldcastle puts his head down for a backdrop, but Tommy Hustle leaps over him to counter with a sunset flip! Jockey Oldcastle pinwheels his arms wildly at his side, trying not to lose his balance... then regains his footing and drops down onto Tommy Hustle's chest with a sitdown splash! He just crushed Tommy Hustle under his four hundred pounts of mass, and Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Shoulder up at two by Tommy Hustle! Jockey Oldcastle gets up, still breathing somewhat heavily, and drags Tommy Hustle into the center of the ring. He backs up into the ropes, then lumbers forward and pounces at him with the Big Splash... but Tommy Hustle rolls out of the way! Jockey Oldcastle wipes out on his face, and Tommy Hustle gets up!
He runs into the ropes as Jockey Oldcastle gets to his feet, and comes off to take him down with a high cross body!! Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Jockey Oldcastle! Jockey Oldcastle starts getting up again, and again Tommy Hustle runs into the ropes and takes him down with a high cross body! Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two and a half by Jockey Oldcastle! This is certainly one strategy; Tommy Hustle's going to deplete all of Jockey Oldcastle's limited stamina by making him repeatedly kick out of pins! Jockey Oldcastle starts to get up again, and Tommy Hustle runs into the ropes, then comes off with a third high cross body... but this time, Jockey Oldcastle catches him! He bodyslams him to the canvas, then staggers back a few steps, lumbers forward, and drops an elbow right on Tommy Hustle's chest! Tommy Hustle cries out in pain and thrashes around, clutching his ribs, and Jockey Oldcastle goes for the cover... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! Jockey Oldcastle pulls this one out!
Jockey
Oldcastle pinned Tommy Hustle after an elbowdrop in 0:05:15.
Rating: -**
The crowd boos as Jockey Oldcastle rolls out of the ring and begins staggering backstage, gasping for breath and sweating profusely. His athleticism and physical conditioning were clearly nowhere near that of Tommy Hustle, but his sheer size and power proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. Still, it's not hard to see why he competes primarily in tag team competition; when he gets fatigued, he could certainly benefit from a tag out of the match. Tommy Hustle rolls out of the ring and begins heading backstage too, muttering something to himself as he rolls his eyes. With this match behind us, we'll move on now to our final hype segment.
The upcoming encounter between Gabriel Black and Crimson is a long-unfulfilled dream match in VCW. Neither man is loved by the fans; both are usually looked at as arrogant bullies. Nobody can deny Crimson's power and toughness or Gabriel Black's sheer ability and talent, but their attitudes alienate many viewers. Nor is this the beginning of the underlying dislike between the two men. In the early days of VCW, when Gabriel Black and Jessica Judd were dating and Crimson was Jessica Judd's bodyguard, Gabriel's treatment of Jessica Judd often put him at odds with Crimson.
From VCW 36:
J. Judd: Please... Gabriel, darlin', you're the best thing that ever happened to my life, you can't leave me. I'll do anything to stay with you, honey. I'm sorry about what happened last night, I really didn't mean for it to happen. I just said somethin' in the heat of an interview, and I had to make good on it... I realize it's my own fault for bein' kind of dumb, but all I can say is I'm really, really sorry... I'll do anything you want, just don't leave me.
G. Black: Very well. First of all, I think you need to be punished for your indecent, perverted behavior last night. You will fight the Torturer tonight, and you will take whatever beating he chooses to give you... you will not submit, you will pass out before you submit. Secondly... there is a relatively inexpensive commodity known as soap. I want you to purchase some of it and use it regularly and without fail before you enter my presence, or I will solve the problem of the filth on your skin by having the Torturer remove the skin from your body. If I must sleep with you, I would prefer to sleep with YOU alone, not you and the sweat of your opponent. Is this understood?
J. Judd: Yeah, honey. I'll do all that, I promise.
G. Black: And if that idiotic bodyguard of yours interferes in my business again, you will fire him.
Crimson did indeed interfere in Jessica Judd's match with the Torturer, saving her from almost certain severe injury, and gave a stern warning to Gabriel Black afterwards.
From VCW 36:
As Crimson breaks the guitar to pieces over the Torturer's head, the referee has no choice but to disqualify Jessica Judd and award the match to the Torturer. "Head Like A Hole" by Nine Inch Nails plays over the arena sound system to signify the Torturer's victory, but that doesn't stop Crimson from picking the Torturer up off of the mat, then scooping him up and slamming him back down with a powerslam. The crowd cheers wildly... but it's clear that Crimson is still not finished, as he peels the Torturer up off of the mat, and sends him into the ropes, then nails him with a nasty-looking kick to the face as he comes off the ropes. The crowd continues to cheer loudly as Crimson picks the Torturer up off of the mat AGAIN, grabs him by the throat, and executes the Chokeslam on him, to the deafening cheers of the crowd. As Crimson finishes off the Torturer, Jessica Judd stands up. She makes a futile effort to lecture Crimson as he grabs a microphone.
Crimson: Hey, Gabriel, got any more minions to send after me!? I don't give a damn. Send anybody you want, boy, because they'll all end up like that after I get done with them. I'm takin' charge here. You and your Inquisition want to make trouble!? Well, you've got a hell of a lot of trouble on your hands now.
Crimson steps over the top rope and begins heading backstage; Jessica Judd follows him, protesting at Crimson as he continues backstage. The Road Girl follows both of them.
Soon, Crimson broke out on his own to come after Gabriel Black and the VCW World Title, but he never got his chance. Thanks to some swift political maneuvering by Gabriel Black, Crimson was sidetracked into battles with Tony Garcia, Neytron DelArmeggio, Bass Rogers and others, while Gabriel Black continued his reign of terror. Now, two years later, Jessica Judd is a fading memory in VCW history, and Crimson is a two-time VCW World Champion, but Crimson and Gabriel Black still have yet to meet one-on-one in a pay-per-view match. This confrontation is long overdue, and the VCW audience is eager to watch both men beat the hell out of each other, and that may happen tonight. The collision course for Horror Show started when Gabriel Black demanded a shot at the VCW World Title as part of a plan to force his brother, Troy Black into a match.
From VCW 136:
G. Black: Now, onto other matters... my brother, Troy Black. It remains a high priority of mine to bring him into the ring and dispense justice by ending his career. Unfortunately, he insists on showing his cowardice at every turn by hiding from the inevitable. At Survival of the Fittest, he threw Brujah in the way, but he didn't stop me. He didn't even slow me down. And because of his reluctance to face me, I now have a new plan to force a confrontation with my brother.
I sat down and thought about it after defeating Brujah, and I asked myself how I might motivate Troy to enter the ring with me. And the easiest answer was to ask "What motivates ANY wrestler?". There is one answer to that... one universal goal among everyone who steps into the ring... and that is to be a World Champion. So I've devisvt a plan that will benefit me in more ways than one. The VCW Television Title is a prestigious title, to be sure... but why stop here? Why not strive for more? And that is exactly what I will do. If Troy needs a reason to face me... let that reason be championship gold, put up on the line against his career, after I defeat Crimson to regain the VCW World Title!!
Wow, that's a big statement!! The crowd explodes into boos and murmurs, with a few cheers thrown in. Gabriel Black paces back and forth in the ring, smiling, as he gives them a second to die down, then continues.
G. Black: Troy challenged my VCW World Title reign twice before. The first time, I injured his neck and nearly ended his career. The second time he challenged me, by some utter fluke, he defeated me. Putting aside Spontaneous Combustion last year, because I kicked out of the backslide before three and everyone saw it... we have each defeated each other once in title matches. If Troy has any professional pride... if he ever aspires to the pinnacle of success in VCW again, he will accept my offer for a tiebreaker once I have the title. And if not, then I would suggest that he retire immediately, because there's simply no place for that sort of gutless, pathetic coward in VCW.
Gabriel Black has a valid point; if he had the VCW World Title, it'd be highly unusual for Troy Black to turn down a title shot if Gabriel offered one. But he may be overlooking one thing... that thing is six feet nine inches tall, nearly three hundred pounds, and arguably the baddest man in VCW history. He still has to defeat the VCW World Champion, Crimson, before this plan can be enacted.
G. Black: I was unable to enter the Survival of the Fittest tournament to earn a title shot at Wrestlewar... however, I don't feel that will be an issue. And in any case, I'm not concerned about that coveted Wrestlewar main event spot; I'm confident it will be mine, because I will surely win the title before Wrestlewar, and hold onto it for a long, long time. But let's cut through the formalities. I am Gabriel Black, the man with the greatest won-loss record in professional wrestling HISTORY, and on that basis I DEMAND a shot at Crimson...
Crimson responded to that challenge at the end of that show with a warning, driving home the reality of just how daunting a task Gabriel Black had picked for himself.
From VCW 136:
Crimson: And now that we got THAT settled... Gabriel Black, you dumb motherfucker, after you saw what I did to Johnny, after you saw what I did to Bass Rogers, and after you saw what I did to the goddamn GRAVE DIGGER... what the hell do you think I'm gonna do to YOU? You came back to VCW, crying about how they nearly broke your back at Wrestlewar III... Now, I don't give a fuck about that, but if you get in the same ring with me, you'll be lucky to get out with just a broken back. So save your wife and baby the trouble of crying over your coffin, and do what anyone with any goddamn sense is doing right now... stay the fuck outta my way. I ain't gonna tell you again.
Gabriel Black wasn't yet free to focus on Crimson; he still had unresolved issues with the Grave Digger. But that didn't stop him from continuing to issue challenges to Crimson in coming weeks.
From VCW 138:
G. Black: Last week, Crimson failed to even acknowledge my challenge for the VCW World Title. Perhaps last week I was too busy to concern myself with his avoidance of me, but now that the Grave Digger has been disposed of, that's not the case now.
The crowd boos loudly. Who does he think he's fooling? The Grave Digger challenged Gabriel Black and Lance Errington to a Handicap Casket Match tonight, and now Gabriel Black's doing just what he accuses Crimson of doing--he's not even acknowledging that challenge!
G. Black: But I understand that Crimson may be a little threatened by me. Comparing Crimson to Gabriel Black is like... perhaps like comparing an American car to a German car. Crimson's large and heavy and smelly and ugly... but when the time comes for him to go the distance, he'll break down just like any random collection of scrap metal that rolls off the assembly line in Detroit. But me... I'm a little bit smaller, but I'm sleek, streamlined, and efficient, just like a state-of-the-art German automobile. And long after Crimson's left in the repair shop in a twisted heap, I'll still be moving ahead at top speed.
The Grave Digger refused to let Gabriel Black ignore him, however, and those two would have their final confrontation. Gabriel Black silenced many doubters who didn't believe he had a chance against Crimson by utterly destroying the Grave Digger, closing the lid on the casket of his VCW career, then hinting that Crimson might be next. His words after the match were a strange echo of Crimson's own threats two weeks ago.
From VCW 138:
The Grave Digger's down, and Gabriel Black says something to Lance Errington, then begins trying to lift the Grave Digger. Lance Errington comes to help him, and the two of them together seem to be just BARELY able to lift the massive Grave Digger upside-down! Gabriel Black's holding him in an upside-down belly-to-belly position, with Lance Errington's help. No, don't do it... is he going to... DESTINY DRIVER!! HE GAVE HIM THE DESTINY DRIVER!! DAMN IT!! The crowd explodes into boos, and the Grave Digger crumples to the mat and deflates! Gabriel Black just hit the Grave Digger with the Destiny Driver!! That move broke Steve Austin's neck! It broke Troy Black's neck! And now, the Grave Digger just had all of his nearly four hundred pounds driven straight down on his neck in the Destiny Driver!!
Gabriel slumps back against the ropes, spent from the effort of lifting the Grave Digger even with Lance Errington's help, and a weary, cruel smile slowly spreads across his face as he looks down at the fallen body of the Grave Digger. He promised... he SWORE upon the life of his daughter that he'd destroy the Grave Digger, that this would be the LAST we see of the Grave Digger in VCW, and he just used the one move that'll make that promise a reality! Gabriel stares down at the motionless Grave Digger with an evil smile, and Lance Errington falls to his knees and bows down in front of Gabriel Black as if worshipping him.
The crowd's boos are deafening as Lance Errington and Gabriel Black slowly lift the Grave Digger and carry him to the open casket. The Grave Digger needs medical attention now, and should probably be placed on a stretcher, and not in a casket, but Gabriel Black and Lance Errington want to put the finishing touches on this match! They roll him into the casket, and Gabriel Black spits on his motionless form, then slams the lid shut and locks it!! Bobcat McGavin calls for the bell, and this match is over!!
The crowd boos loudly, and Lance Errington raises his arms in victory, then rushes forward and gives Gabriel Black a big, enthusiastic hug. They seperate and exchange a double high-five, and from the camradarie we're seeing here, it looks like no matter what they've said, they were in this together all along! Gabriel Black reaches under the ring... and grabs a can of spray paint!? He walks over to the casket, opens the can, and spray paints "S-M-C-W" on the side of the casket, then chucks aside the can. And now Gabriel Black and Lance Errington grab the casket, lift at one side, and tip it over on its side with a big shove, as the crowd continues booing loudly!!
Gabriel Black rolls into the ring and calls for a microphone, and he quickly gets one. Weary and battered, he slumps against the ropes, and begins to speak in a breathless, but loud and commanding voice.
G. Black: Make no mistake... the Grave Digger is no more. You saw me face the biggest... the most dominant man in this company... and I DESTROYED him. I utterly ANNIHILATED him. So Applebee... Brujah, Troy... even Crimson... ANYONE who crosses me... if I can do THAT to the Grave Digger... just IMAGINE what I'll do to YOU.
Gabriel Black threw Crimson's words right back at him, and a message was definitely sent. Not only was Crimson a dominant, merciless fighter who could and would end careers, but so was Gabriel Black. He was more than willing to send a message at the expense of the Grave Digger, and after that everybody knew that if he got the chance, he could and would take Crimson out with the Destiny Driver as well.
That message may have given Crimson pause, because next week Butch Manson and Jack Norman came to the ring, calling out Lance Errington and Gabriel Black. No doubt Crimson sent his henchment out to rough up Gabriel Black, perhaps to make sure he never made it to Horror Show for his title match.
From VCW 139:
B. Manson: Crimson sent us out here to say one thing. Last week... he saw what Gabriel Black did to the Grave Digger. But he ain't impressed. What you don't realize is that the boss could've taken out the Grave Digger ANY TIME HE WANTED. He just didn't feel like wasting the effort. And tell the truth, he decided he don't feel like wasting the effort on YOU either, Gabriel.
The crowd boos again... what's this? If you read between the lines, it sounds like Crimson's thinking about ducking Gabriel Black! Just last week, Crimson was ready to face Gabriel Black... but then Gabriel Black utterly destroyed the Grave Digger and sent him packing from VCW, and now, conveniently, Crimson decides he doesn't want to waste the effort on him!?
B. Manson: So I tell you what. Bring out your little blue-blood butt buddy, Lance Errington, and if you want a shot at the big boss, let's see you measure up to us first. If you got the guts to take me and big Jack on, maybe THAT'll impress the boss a little bit.
Whether Crimson's hiding behind Jack and Butch or not, that's one hell of a challenge! And here comes the answer, because "Denial" by Sevendust just kicked on, and that brings out Lance Errington and Gabriel Black, accompanied by Derek Cole! The crowd boos them, though there are a few scattered cheers from fans who prefer even these two scoundrels to Jack Norman and Butch Manson. They're here, and they're ready for a fight! Gabriel Black has a microphone, and he raises it to speak...
G. Black: So, Crimson wants to throw his sacrificial lambs to the slaughter first, does he? Perhaps this started as a ploy to lure my brother into a VCW World Title match, but now, I must admit, I'm looking forward to my day in the ring with Crimson. If I must make an example out of you first, then so be it.
J. Norman: You think you want a piece of us? You're looking at a big, bad pair of former VCW World Tag Team Champions, and we're gonna give you boys a lesson in what it is to fight like a real man! Kinda like Three Musketeers candy bars are big on chocolate and short on fat, tonight Jack Norman is big on ass-whooping and short on mercy, and I'm ready to take you boys down and show you how we fight on the street!
The crowd gives a confused round of boos as Jack Norman pounds his chest, and everybody stares at him strangely. Derek Cole raises his microphone with an incredulous, vaguely amused expression on his face.
D. Cole: WHAT did he just say?
B. Manson: Just... never mind him! The point is, you want a shot at Crimson, you've gotta go through us first! Are you man enough to take us on!?
L. Errington: You grease monkeys really want to fight us, don't you? Just know this: this isn't my battle. I have no issue with Crimson. But I'm not going to stand by and let a pair of lumbering goons like YOU take an ego trip at my expense. Calling out Gabriel Black is a bad enough idea... but when you call me out, you're asking for a lesson in brutality. You're coming head on at a man who doesn't bluff, who doesn't back down, and who doesn't have a SINGLE inhibition against destroying one of his fellow members of the collective festering cesspool known as humanity.
I'll put you in your place by any means necessary, in any way I see fit... but no matter what it has to be, at the end of the night, you'll be regretting every word you've said. Because those words have committed you to play a game where there are no winners, only varying degrees of losers... and I'm the man who knows all the rules of that game, inside and out. I have no issue with you, and my eyes remain focused on Ken Collins and his VCW Intercontinental Title... but right now, you've just sentenced yourselves to cruel and unusual punishment, and I'll have to provide it for you.
B. Manson: All right, then! Later on tonight--
G. Black: Later on tonight, you say? No, not later on tonight... right here, RIGHT NOW.
The crowd cheers... they're gonna go at it NOW!? Apparently they are, because Gabriel Black just tossed aside his microphone, and now he and Lance Errington are headed for the ring, followed by Derek Cole! Jack Norman and Butch Manson seem a little bit caught off-guard, but it looks like we have one hell of a match to kick off the show!
[portion of match removed]
Grimacing in frustration, Butch Manson pulls Gabriel up for a piledriver, but now Gabriel Black brings him down with a double-leg takedown, then falls back to slingshot him into the turnbuckle! Butch Manson's face crashes into the top turnbuckle, and he turns and staggers out, into a kick to the midsection from Gabriel Black! Gabriel quickly grabs a front chancery and hooks his leg, then brings him down with a fisherman suplex! On the outside, Lance Errington just took Jack Norman head-first into the steel ringpost, so there'll be nobody to make the save as Linda Peterson counts... and she gets three!! Gabriel Black wins!!
Gabriel Black releases the hold and rolls out of the ring as Butch Manson sits up, then pounds his fists into the mat in frustration. On the outside, Gabriel Black, Lance Errington, and Derek Cole are heading backstage, and the ball is clearly in Crimson's court now: Gabriel Black went through his henchmen right here on the spot, and now it's up to Crimson to make good on the VCW World Title shot he offered last week!
Gabriel Black defeated Crimson's henchmen, and now it was up to Crimson to respond to his challenge with a firm answer. Prior to a VCW World Title defense against Brujah, he spoke to Ziggy Adderloaf, and made his intentions towards Gabriel Black clear, even to the point of all but ignoring Brujah.
From VCW 139:
Ziggy Adderloaf is standing backstage with Crimson. Crimson towers over him, and a nasty grin spreads across his face as he taps the VCW World Title belt around his waist.
Z. Adderloaf: Crimson, I'll be honest with you. Brujah doesn't seem focused on this match, and you've been unstoppable for the past several months. On paper, you're the heavy favorite...
Crimson: You can just take your paper and shove it up your ass. In the ring, I'm still the favorite. You say Brujah ain't focused... that's all right, because I don't even care about his ass. I got Gabriel Black, two weeks away from making the biggest fucking mistake of his life, thinking he's hot shit because he just beat my boys tonight. The dumb son of a bitch thinks he impressed me by taking out the Grave Digger last week? Let me tell you something. The only reason I didn't take out the Digger is because I didn't fear him. I knew that I had his fucking number, so it's no skin off my nose if he wants me to whip his big ass every day of the week.
See, one thing about Gabriel... he fears me. He hasn't learned to respect me, but he’s sure as hell afraid of me. He's a family man. He's got a baby daughter and a poor little wife, and he knows that after Horror Show, they'll be a widow and an orphan. So he tries to scare me with what he did to the Digger... but I ain't scared. And he don't need to worry about his family... he's got brothers who can take care of his daughter, and I'LL take care of his wife. All he needs to worry about is himself... his own brittle ass. Because I'm gonna snap his scrawny back clean in half, and that's gonna be the end of his whole damn career.
Z. Adderloaf: You heard it here, fans. Crimson's not even thinking about Brujah, just about what he'll do to Gabriel Black at Horror Show. Nevertheless, I know you're thinking about it, and we have that match! Crimson puts the VCW World Title on the line against Brujah in our main event, next!!
After he destroyed Brujah, Crimson spoke directly to Gabriel Black from the middle of the ring at the end of the show.
From VCW 139:
The VCW World Champion has defended his title again! The crowd boos as Crimson stands up, smiling, and stomps down on Brujah's fallen body one last time. And now he's calling for a microphone...
Crimson: See this, Gabriel? You got another two weeks to reconsider, before you're the next victim on the Homicide Road Tour. This here... it's nothing personal. But you, Gabriel... I don't like you, motherfucker. I ain't gonna stop after I've defended my title. Everyone thinks you're so big and bad because you took the Grave Digger out... so just imagine what they'll say about me when I break your fucking back again and put you out of business for good.
The following week, Crimson retained the VCW World Title by taking SJPW World Champion Toju Akamatsu to a thirty-minute draw in Osaka. He may be the baddest man in VCW right now... but he has a VCW legend coming after him. Gabriel Black's previous VCW World Title reign lasted for a year and a half, whereas Crimson's previous reign only lasted a few months. Can Gabriel Black cut Crimson's second title run short to embark on another reign of terror? We'll find out tonight when Crimson defends the VCW World Title against Gabriel Black in tonight's main event! Make sure you join us on pay-per-view for the exciting conclusion to this epic confrontation!
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