We're back, for the third and final part of Spontaneous Combustion on pay-per-view! In this exciting conclusion to our show, we still have four big matches with three titles on the line, including our double main event! And we're not wasting any more time! Let's go right ahead to our next match!

"Liquid Mercury" by Jimmy Page begins to play, bringing out Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman. Ken Collins gets a big ovation from the crowd, and his face is set in a look of grim determination, but as he walks he's obviously favoring his right leg. That's not surprising, considering that a backstage assault to his right knee forced him to give up his shot at the Intercontinental Match last Monday night. The trainers have cleared Ken Collins to wrestle, but that doesn't mean he's anywhere near one hundred percent healthy, and he's going to have to wrestle damn well if he wants to reclaim his Intercontinental Title tonight.

Now, "Perfect Strangers" by Dream Theater hits the speakers, as Lance Errington makes his way from the back and down to the ring. Despite the fact that he's coming into this match with a big advantage over the injured Ken Collins, Lance Errington does not look filled with the same kind of confidence and bravado we usually see from him. Remember, Ken Collins seemed to have had Lance Errington beat during their encounter at Horror Show and in the Submission Cage Match a couple weeks ago, and it was only through dirty dealings on the part of Linda Peterson that Lance Errington won and retained the title. Lance Errington knows full well that injured knee or not, Ken Collins is mad as hell and won't go down without one heck of a fight.

Lance Errington (c)

"The California Crippler" Ken Collins
w/Stacey Lockman

As soon as he gets in the ring, Lance Errington immediately rushes at Ken Collins with a clothesline, but Ken Collins ducks, and when Lance Errington turns around, Ken Collins gives him a BLISTERING chop! Lance Errington staggers back a step, and Ken Collins presses his advantage with three more hard chops, backing Lance Errington up into the corner. Ken Collins grabs Lance Errington, and whips him into the opposite corner. Lance Errington makes hard contact with the turnbuckle, and staggers out of the corner, right into a big backdrop from Ken Collins.

Ken Collins flexes out his knee, then grabs a handful of Lance Errington's hair, and pulls him back up to his feet. Ken Collins takes Lance Errington down with a snapmare. Ken Collins delivers a quick kick to the back of Lance Errington's head with his good leg, then winces. Even the strain of supporting his own weight seems to be taxing Ken Collins' right knee. Ken Collins runs into the ropes, and gives Lance Errington a jumping neck snap. Then, he straddles Lance Errington's fallen form, and begins pummeling him with punches to the face. Eventually, Ken Collins lets up, and gets off Lance Errington. Lance Errington stands up, so Ken Collins puts him in a side headlock... but Lance Errington kicks Ken Collins' right leg out from under him, sending him down to the canvas.

The advantage has now shifted into the court of Lance Errington. Lance Errington gives Ken Collins' right knee a few good stomps, then grabs his leg, and tries to apply a figure-four leglock, but Ken Collins kicks him away. Ken Collins stands up, so Lance Errington gives him a facerake. Lance Errington hooks Ken Collins' right leg, and takes him down with a dragon screw legwhip! He hangs on to Ken Collins' leg, and pulls him back up off the mat, looking for a second dragon screw, but Ken Collins counters with an enzuigiri! Lance Errington sees the enzuigiri coming and ducks, then slaps Ken Collins into a reverse kneebar!

Ken Collins grunts in pain, as he thrashes around in the middle of the ring, looking for some way to break the hold. Stacey Lockman shouts encouragement to Ken Collins, but Lance Errington has Ken Collins trapped in that reverse kneebar right in the middle of the ring, and if this were a regular match Ken Collins might be forced to submit! However, there are no submissions in a Ladder Match, and Lance Errington knows this, so he releases the kneebar of his own accord after about fifteen seconds.

Lance Errington picks Ken Collins up off the mat, then drops him with a kneebreaker. It's obvious that Lance Errington's strategy in this match is to do as much damage to the right knee of Ken Collins as humanly possible, to take away his mobility. Lance Errington grabs Ken Collins by the leg, and drags him over to the ropes, then sets his right leg across the middle rope. Lance Errington steps out onto the ring apron, and slingshots himself back into the ring with an elbowdrop to the outstretched knee of Ken Collins. Lance Errington pulls Ken Collins back up into a standing position, and grabs him for a second kneebreaker, but Ken Collins counters with a few elbows to the head, then slips behind Lance Errington and slaps him into a waistlock... release German suplex! Lance Errington is down!

After rolling back and forth on the mat clutching his knee for a few seconds, Ken Collins slowly stands up. He looks down at Lance Errington with a hate-filled expression, contemplating his next move. Lance Errington gets back up to his feet, so Ken Collins hits him with a pair of stiff chops, then Irish-whips him into the ropes. Lance Errington comes back with a clothesline, which Ken Collins ducks, and when Lance Errington bounces off the opposite set of ropes, Ken Collins hooks him for the California Crossface! Lance Errington, however, is strong enough to keep from behind taken all the way down to the mat. Ken Collins has Lance Errington down on his hands and knees with the California Crossface half applied, but Lance Errington slowly manages to power his way back up into a standing position, then breaks Ken Collins' hold on him with a swift kick to the back of the leg. Lance Errington runs into the ropes, and knocks Ken Collins' legs out from under him with a diving clothesline to the back of the right knee.

Lance Errington grabs the right leg of Ken Collins, lifts it up, then spikes the knee down into the mat with all his might. He pulls Ken Collins up to his feet, and tosses him into the corner. Lance Errington decks Ken Collins with a pair of right hands, then grabs Ken Collins' right leg, and hooks it over the middle rope. Lance Errington lays into Ken Collins' knee with a series of stomps. Ken Collins manages to get his leg disentangled from the ropes, so Lance Errington whips him into the opposite corner, and follows him in with a clothesline... but instead of colliding with the turnbuckle, Ken Collins hops up onto the top turnbuckle, turns himself around, and takes Lance Errington down with the FLYING DROPKICK!!

Ken Collins just nailed Lance Errington with one of his trademark finishing maneuvers, but with his knee in the condition it is in, he might have done as much damage to himself as he did to Lance Errington! After almost twenty seconds, both men begin to stir. Lance Errington and Ken Collins get up at the same time, and Lance Errington hits Ken Collins with a hard right hand. Ken Collins blocks a second right, and fires back with a series of chops, backing Lance Errington up into the ropes. Ken Collins then winds up, and delivers an absolutely MURDEROUS chop, sending Lance Errington careening over the top rope, and down to the floor! Lance Errington pulls himself up off the floor, and steps back up onto the ring apron, so Ken Collins doubles him over with a fist to the gut, then slingshots himself over the top rope... SUNSET FLIP INTO A POWERBOMB ON THE CONCRETE! What a move!

Ken Collins seems to have jarred his knee with that move, so he takes a few moments to flex it out, then begins to head in the direction of the ladder, which is set up in the middle of the isle. Once there, Ken Collins grabs the ladder, and begins to make his way back to the ring. Lance Errington, meanwhile, has managed to get back up and roll into the ring. Ken Collins slides the ladder into the ring, and hops up onto the apron, so Lance Errington rushes over, and hits Ken Collins with a dropkick to the knee that sends him falling off the apron and down to the concrete! The last time these two men wrestled, a damaged shoulder forced Lance Errington to incorporate a dropkick to the knee into his offensive arsenal, and he just used that move again to great effect here tonight!

Lance Errington sets up the ladder in the middle of the ring, and begins to climb. Before he can get too far, Ken Collins slides back into the ring, and shoves the ladder over. Lance Errington lands on the mat with a *thud*, and when he tries to stand up, Ken Collins grabs the ladder, and hits Lance Errington in the head with it. Ken Collins picks up Lance Errington, and tosses him into the corner. Ken Collins drives his left shoulder into Lance Errington's midsection a few times, then brings Lance Errington out of the corner with a hiptoss onto the ladder. Lance Errington rolls off the ladder, clutching his back in pain, so Ken Collins gives him an elbowdrop to the small of the back. It should be noted that while Lance Errington has been rather single-minded in his assault on the right knee of Ken Collins, for his part Ken Collins has been directing all his attention toward simply pummeling Lance Errington any way he can, and has not mounted a consistent attack on any specific part of Lance Errington's anatomy.

Ken Collins picks up the ladder, lifts it up in a vertical suplex, and falls back, dropping the ladder onto Lance Errington's prone body. Then, Ken Collins takes the ladder, and wedges it between the top and middle turnbuckles in the corner. Lance Errington stands up, and Ken Collins drives him into the opposite corner with a series of chops. Ken Collins grabs Lance Errington, and whips him into the corner with the ladder. Lance Errington hits the ladder chest-first, and staggers out of the corner, hunched over and clutching his ribs in pain. Ken Collins takes advantage of this by grabbing Lance Errington by the back of the head, and bringing him down with a faceslam!

With Lance Errington down on the mat, Ken Collins walks over to the corner, and removes the ladder from between the top and middle turnbuckles. He then drops the ladder a few feet from the corner, and pulls Lance Errington back up to his feet. Ken Collins throws Lance Errington into the corner, gives him a pair of stiff chops, then sets him on the top turnbuckle. Ken Collins climbs up after Lance Errington, and hooks him for a superplex! Ken Collins is going to superplex Lance Errington onto the ladder! No, Lance Errington hits Ken Collins with a pair of right hands to the stomach to break his grip, then grabs Ken Collins' right leg... KNEEBREAKER OFF THE TOP TURNBUCKLE! Lance Errington took Ken Collins off the top turnbuckle with a kneebreaker, and now Ken Collins is in a world of hurt!

Lance Errington picks up the ladder, and drives it down into the right knee of Ken Collins a few times. He then lays the ladder on the ground, takes Ken Collins' right leg, and wraps it around the rungs of the ladder. This doesn't look good for Ken Collins! Lance Errington heads over to the corner, and steps up onto the second turnbuckle... flying elbowdrop to the knee of Ken Collins! Ken Collins just got his knee wrenched in a big way! Lance Errington looks down at Ken Collins writhing on the mat, then steps up onto the second turnbuckle once again, and delivers another flying elbowdrop to the knee, causing Ken Collins to howl in anguish! A grim smile of satisfaction spreads across the face of Lance Errington. He knows that Ken Collins' knee won't be able to take much more of this!

Lance Errington picks up the ladder, and stands it up in the corner. He then steps out onto the ring apron, and climbs up to the top turnbuckle. Lance Errington grabs the top of the ladder, and leaps off the turnbuckle, riding the ladder down onto the prone form of Ken Collins! Lance Errington pulls Ken Collins back up to his feet, and hooks him for a DDT, but Ken Collins counters with a series of punches to the midsection. Lance Errington releases his grip on Ken Collins, and staggers back a step, so Ken Collins hobbles forward and throws a clothesline at Lance Errington, but Lance Errington ducks... and when Ken Collins turns around, Lance Errington gets him with the Ace Crusher! No! Ken Collins reaches back and grabs the top rope to block the Ace Crusher! Lance Errington still has Ken Collins set up for the move, and is try to pull him forward off the ropes so he can hit it... Ken Collins grabs Lance Errington's arm, and reverses into the California Crossface! Stacey Lockman lets out an excited cheer on the outside, as the crowd goes wild!

Trapped in the California Crossface, Lance Errington begins to thrash around on the mat. Ken Collins, however, knows that he can't win the match with this move, so after about half a minute, he releases the California Crossface, and pulls Lance Errington back up to his feet, still keeping a firm grip on Lance Errington's arm. Ken Collins hits Lance Errington with a series of elbows to the shoulder, then twists his arm and gives him an armbreaker. Lance Errington slumps back against the ropes, cradling his right arm and shoulder against his body. Ken Collins picks up the ladder, and charges at Lance Errington, jabbing the top of the ladder at his head like a jousting lance! Lance Errington is quick enough to dodge out of the way, kicking Ken Collins in the back of the leg as he does so, and Ken Collins and the ladder go tumbling over the top rope and down to the floor! Ken Collins tried to decapitate Lance Errington with the ladder, but wasn't quick enough, and paid the price!

Ken Collins is down on the floor, and looks hurt. This would be a perfect time for Lance Errington to scale the ladder and retrieve his VCW Intercontinental Title... except that the ladder is on floor along with Ken Collins! Lance Errington slides out to the floor, and tries to grab the ladder, but Ken Collins pulls himself up to his feet, and clobbers Lance Errington with a clothesline to the back of the head. Ken Collins grabs Lance Errington's hair, and slams him face-first into the ring apron. He then whips Lance Errington into the ringside guardrail. Ken Collins grabs Lance Errington's right arm and hooks it over the top of the steel rail. He holds on to the rail for support, and gives Lance Errington a series of kicks to the shoulder with his good leg. After spending much of the match simply looking to pummel Lance Errington, it looks as if Ken Collins is now targeting the shoulder of Lance Errington, as he did in their Submission Cage Match a few weeks ago.

Ken Collins lays into Lance Errington with a few hard chops, then tries to whip him into the ringpost, but Lance Errington reverses. Ken Collins crashes knee-first into the steel ringsteps, and his momentum sends him flipping over them in a painful looking manner. Lance Errington slides the ladder back into the ring, then rolls in after it. He sets up the ladder in the middle of the ring, and begins to climb. Lance Errington is halfway up the ladder, as Ken Collins stands up on the floor. Lance Errington is now almost at the top of the ladder. Ken Collins rolls into the ring. Can Ken Collins make it in time before Lance Errington gets the belt? Yes! He steps up onto the bottom rung of the ladder, reaches up, grabs Lance Errington by the back of his trunks, and pulls him down off the ladder! Lance Errington lands on the mat with a resounding *thud*. Ken Collins, knowing that Lance Errington won't be down for long enough for him to attempt to scale the ladder, steps down off the bottom rung, then pushes the ladder over onto Lance Errington as he tries to get back up!

Lance Errington has a lot of fight left in him, and he begins to pull himself into a standing position almost immediately. Ken Collins grabs the ladder, and jabs the top of it into Lance Errington's midsection when he gets up. Ken Collins hits Lance Errington in the ribs with the ladder a few more times, knocking him down to his hands and knees, then raises the ladder high overhead, and brings it down across the right shoulder of Lance Errington with all his might.

Ken Collins sets up the ladder in the middle of the ring, and begins to climb, but sees Lance Errington beginning to stir, and wisely hops off the ladder. Ken Collins picks up the ladder, and swings it at Lance Errington's head! Lance Errington ducks, but Ken Collins catches him between the shoulder blades with the ladder on the back-swing! Lance Errington goes down, clutching his right shoulder in pain. Ken Collins gives Lance Errington a kick to the side of the ribcage with his good leg to roll Lance Errington over onto his back, then stands over Lance Errington, raises the ladder... and drives the top of the ladder down into Lance Errington's midsection! He then lifts the ladder up again, and this time brings the top down on Lance Errington's right shoulder.

The crowd cheers Ken Collins on, as he takes the ladder, and sets it up on top of Lance Errington, pinning his shoulders down to the mat with the bottom rung of the ladder. Ken Collins begins to ascend the ladder. This is smart strategy on the part of Ken Collins, because with the damage Ken Collins has inflicted on the right shoulder of Lance Errington, he might not have the strength necessary to tip the ladder over from this position! Ken Collins is about halfway up the ladder... Lance Errington is trying with all his might to free himself from under the ladder... Ken Collins is at the top of the ladder... Lance Errington begins to shake the ladder back and forth... Ken Collins reaches out for the belt, but Lance Errington musters one final surge of strength, and tips the ladder over! Ken Collins falls from the top of the ladder, landing chest-first across the top rope, then tumbles out to the floor!

Holding his right shoulder and grimacing in pain, Lance Errington slowly pulls himself back up to his feet. It must have put a lot of strain on his shoulder to power the ladder over like that. Lance Errington takes the ladder, and places it roughly parallel to the bottom rope. On the floor, Ken Collins slowly but surely pulls himself back up to his feet, but he's facing away from the ring. When Ken Collins turns toward the ring, Lance Errington runs into the ropes, then hits the ladder with a sliding dropkick, sending it crashing into the midsection of Ken Collins! Ken Collins goes down in a heap.

Lance Errington reaches out to the apron, and pulls the ladder back into the ring. He carries it to the middle of the ring, and sets it up. Lance Errington begins to climb the ladder. Outside the ring, Stacey Lockman is pleading with Ken Collins to get up. Ken Collins manages to stand up, but Lance Errington is nearing the top of the ladder. Just seconds away from losing this match, Ken Collins steps up onto the ring apron, then begins to ascend the turnbuckle. What's he doing? Lance Errington is at the top of the ladder. He reaches out, and his fingers brush the Intercontinental Title, but he can't quite get a grip on it... and Ken Collins leaps off the top turnbuckle, knocking the ladder over with a flying shoulderblock! Ken Collins just saved the match with that spectacular last-ditch effort, but what a toll it must have taken on his knee!

Both men are down on the canvas, trying to muster the strength to get back up. Ken Collins is up first. He takes the ladder, then sticks the top of the ladder between the top and middle ropes. While he is setting it up, Lance Errington stands up behind him, then charges forward and hits Ken Collins with a double ax-handle to the back, sending Ken Collins face-first into the ladder. Lance Errington spins Ken Collins around, and hooks him for the Ace Crusher, but Ken Collins shoves him off. Lance Errington wheels around, and throws a wild haymaker at Ken Collins with his left hand, but Ken Collins ducks, and catches Lance Errington in a waistlock. Ken Collins grits his teeth... what's he going to do? GERMAN SUPLEX ON THE LADDER! Lance Errington hits the ladder shoulder first, and slumps down to the canvas in a heap!

Once again, Ken Collins and Lance Errington are both down on the mat. Ken Collins managed to German suplex Lance Errington into the ladder, but with his knee holding on by just a thread, he did some serious damage to himself in the process! Lance Errington rolls out onto the ring apron, holding his shoulder in pain. Ken Collins slowly pulls himself up to his feet, but then collapses back down to the canvas. Lance Errington gets back up on the ring apron... and when Ken Collins finally manages to stand, Lance Errington grabs the top of the ladder, and jumps down to the floor, causing the bottom part of the ladder to fly up and catch Ken Collins right underneath the jaw! Ken Collins goes down again!

Lance Errington rolls into the ring. He grabs the ladder, and sets it up in the middle of the ring. Lance Errington begins to climb the ladder. Ken Collins has managed to recover just a little by now, and he pulls himself up off the mat, and begins to ascend the other side of the ladder. Despite the pain in his knee, Ken Collins makes good progress, grunting with every rung, and meets Lance Errington at the top of the ladder. Lance Errington punches Ken Collins, but makes the mistake of doing so with his hurt right arm, and winces. Ken Collins fires back with a punch of his own, rocking Lance Errington. Lance Errington tries to get Ken Collins with a left, but Ken Collins blocks, and lays into Lance Errington with even more punches. Up at the top of the ladder with only one good arm, Lance Errington can't out-brawl Ken Collins!

Ken Collins rocks Lance Errington with another solid punch... Lance Errington is holding on to the top of the ladder with his one good arm, teetering backwards precariously. One more solid shot will knock him off the ladder! But wait, Lance Errington grabs the ladder with both hands, and falls to the side, pulling it down with him! The ladder tumbles over, and both men wipe out on the canvas! That was smart thinking by Lance Errington. He knew that if he continues to trade blows with Ken Collins at the top of the ladder he would be knocked off anyway, so he took the ladder and Ken Collins down with him!

After a few moments, Lance Errington slowly stands up, then waits for Ken Collins to do the same. Ken Collins groggily pulls himself up to his feet, so Lance Errington hooks him, and takes him down with the ACE CRUSHER! Unlike in their recent Submission Cage Match, Lance Errington had the presence of mind to bring Ken Collins down across his good shoulder this time. Lance Errington rolls Ken Collins over onto his back, and grabs his legs. He steps through, and tries to turn Ken Collins over into the Scorpion Deathlock! Ken Collins, still groggy from the Ace Crusher, fights back, thrashing around like a wild man... he knows that if Lance Errington can get him turned over, there'll be no hope of winning the title, and he might even suffer permanent injury! After fighting the Scorpion Deathlock for nearly ten seconds, Ken Collins reaches out, grabs Lance Errington's left ankle, and pulls him down to the mat. Ken Collins, wrestling with an already injured knee, has survived or countered everything Lance Errington could throw at him, including his two trademark finishers!

Both men stand. Between the pain in his knee and the effects of the Ace Crusher, Ken Collins can barely remain upright, but he lashes out at Lance Errington with a pair of hard chops. Lance Errington fires back with a facerake, then boots Ken Collins in the midsection, puts him in a standing headscissors, and double underhooks his arms... SWAN SONG! KEN COLLINS' KNEES LAND ON THE LADDER! Lance Errington just pulled out Julian Page's old finisher, the same move he used to earn a countout victory over Johnny Smiles last Monday, and to make matters worse, he dropped Ken Collins knee-first across the ladder with it! Lance Errington sets up the ladder, and begins to climb. Ken Collins is motionless on the mat. Stacey Lockman shouts encouragement to Ken Collins, as the crowd tries to rally behind him. Ken Collins, operating perhaps on adrenaline alone, slowly begins to stand... but collapses backwards into the ropes! Ken Collins' knee is toast, he absolutely cannot stand any longer! And... damn it, Lance Errington reaches the top of the ladder, and grabs the Intercontinental Title! Lance Errington just beat Ken Collins yet again!

Lance Errington raises his arms in triumph, and holds the VCW Intercontinental Title over his head. The crowd boos raucously, and a few drinks are tossed into the ring, narrowly missing Lance Errington. Despite coming into this match with an already injured knee, Ken Collins put up one hell of a fight, putting his own body on the line time and time again to stay in the match. Nevertheless, despite Ken Collins' excellent performance, in the end the damage to his knee proved too much to overcome. Some trainers come from the back, and help Ken Collins out of ring. It was a hell of a match, but it's hard not to be disappointed by the way it ended. As the ring is cleared and the ropes are once again replaced by barbed wire for the Hardcore Cage Match, we're going to take a look backstage as Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio prepare to head to the cage!

Gabriel Black, Charlotte Black, Jasmina Chastity, and Melissa DelArmeggio are the only ones left in the Unholy Alliance dressing room. They're watching the show on a monitor, and Melissa DelArmeggio jumps up and smiles excitedly.

M. DelArmeggio: He did it! He won!!

Gabriel Black nods, and smiles as well.

G. Black: Very good. But your moment is next. Are you ready to win as well? To claim your revenge and move on with your life?

Melissa DelArmeggio's smile fades into a determined stare.

M. DelArmeggio: I'm not afraid of him. And this is MY match. He's already hurt me as much as he can. He can't do anything new to me. I just pray that he comes ready to fight, and not to try some cowardly trick.

G. Black: Don't worry. Whatever happens tonight, you may rest assured that Troy's days in VCW are numbered. If anything remains after you're finished with him tonight and I've finished with Johnny Smiles, I have a master plan that will unfailingly lead to his destruction.

Melissa DelArmeggio takes a deep breath and nods, then steps towards the door.

M. DelArmeggio: I guess this is it. This is gonna hurt, but... it'll be a good pain. A healing pain.

Melissa DelArmeggio walks out of the room, and the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

Troy Black is dressed to wrestle, pacing the floor slowly in a blank, empty room, when Tommy Hustle walks in, wearing street clothes.

T. Hustle: There you are. They're all looking for you, man, saying your match is next.

Troy Black stops.

T. Black: All right.

T. Hustle: Hey, you messed with a lot of people back in the summer, but I wouldn't wanna be in your shoes, you know? You ain't the only one to have a nasty fight with his ex; the only problem is that your ex is six feet tall and knows karate.

Troy Black shrugs.

T. Black: That's not what worries me. ... Anyway, thanks for telling me about the match.

Troy Black walks past Tommy Hustle and out of sight, and Tommy Hustle looks around at the room in puzzlement, then back in the direction that Troy Black left.

T. Hustle: Man, what the hell was your strange self doing in this empty-ass room that don't even got anything in it!? You got some problems, boy...

Tommy Hustle shakes his head and leaves the room, and the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

The open-top cage is lowered onto the ring, and in one corner is a large bin full of dangerous objects and assorted weapons. There are no tinfoil trashcan lids or balsa wood singapore canes in there, only implements of merciless destruction. To put it bluntly, this is a death match inside of a cage. The weapons in that bin will be used by these two competitors to stab, bludgeon, slash, whip, and tear each other to hell.

The cage has been lowered, and we're ready to head into another match with huge physical and emotional stakes! Metallica's "Sad But True" begins playing, and the crowd explodes into boos as Melissa DelArmeggio comes out of the backstage entrance, wearing an old Ted Nugent concert T-shirt with her blue jeans and heavy boots. Harold Brusco unlocks the cage door and holds it open for Melissa DelArmeggio to enter, but she waves dismissively at it, then grabs the side of the cage and starts to climb it! She climbs to the top of the cage and stands on it, then throws her head back and extends her arms to the heavens as the crowd continues to boo. After holding that pose for several seconds, she finally climbs down into the ring to await Troy Black.

And then "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers as Troy Black steps out of the backstage entrance and begins walking to the ring! He's walking slowly, though, and he's keeping his face a little too neutral as he looks ahead to the cage. From all that we know about Troy Black, we have to believe that he doesn't want this match. But thanks to Melissa DelArmeggio's vague threats about something terrible she would do if he didn't show up, he's here now, and he's headed to the ring! Troy Black climbs the ringsteps and enters through the cage door, and Harold Brusco closes it behind him! Troy Black moves forward to face Melissa DelArmeggio as the bell rings to begin this match!

Troy Black moves forward slowly, and he's saying something to Melissa DelArmeggio. The camera doesn't quite pick it up, but after he has spoken for a few seconds, he extends a hand. Melissa DelArmeggio jerks away from the hand like it's infected with leprosy and says something to Troy Black, then draws back and slaps him HARD across the face!! Troy Black takes the slap, then says something else... and this time Melissa DelArmeggio kicks him in the midsection, then grabs him by the hair and takes him face-first into a side of the cage! Troy Black staggers back, and Melissa DelArmeggio takes aim, then knocks him off his feet with a kick to the head!

Troy Black is down, and Melissa DelArmeggio screams "GET UP AND FIGHT ME, YOU BASTARD!" at him! She warned him not to throw this match! Troy Black slowly gets up, and Melissa DelArmeggio draws back and punches him as he gets to his feet, but he blocks! Troy Black immediately grabs Melissa DelArmeggio in a headlock, takes her to the mat in a headlock takedown, and lays across her shoulders for the cover! Harold Brusco goes down and counts... ONE!! ... Melissa angrily forces a shoulder up at one and a half!

She begins fighting her way to her feet, and grabs Troy Black around the waist when she stands up! She actually lifts him for a belly-to-back suplex, but Troy Black flips out behind her, lands on his feet, hooks her arms, and pulls her down into a backslide! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... Again, at one and a half, Melissa DelArmeggio kicks out! She gets up, looking angry, and lashes out at him with a kick, but Troy Black grabs her leg, then reaches down and sweeps the other one, then holds both and flips over her into a jackknife pinning hold! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... Kickout at one and a half again! Troy Black's trying to end this match early with a flash pin!

Melissa DelArmeggio's not amused by his tactics, however, and as they both get up she knees him in the midsection. She reaches down to pick him up for a bodyslam, but he pulls her down into a small package! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two! They both get up again, and Melissa DelArmeggio screams in outrage and takes a wild swing at him, but Troy Black blocks it, then whips her into a corner! Melissa DelArmeggio hits the turnbuckles chest-first, then staggers back a few steps, and Troy Black rolls her up from behind, and puts his feet on the bottom strand of barbed wire and hooks the back of her pants for leverage! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... KICKOUT!! He almost had her that time!!

But Melissa DelArmeggio pops up again, screams "I HATE YOU, YOU JERK!" and charges forward! She came here wanting a fight, and Troy Black's trying to end the match without giving her one! She moves for a sudden kick from the right leg, but it was just a feint, and when Troy Black goes to catch it she spins and catches him in the side of the head with a rear hook kick!! Nobody ever said Melissa DelArmeggio didn't know how to fight; she's a fairly accomplished karate student, and her feet are lethal. Troy Black goes down, then starts getting up to his hands and knees, but Melissa DelArmeggio draws a foot back and kicks him in the face!

The crowd boos, and Melissa DelArmeggio steps away and reaches into the bin full of weapons. She may need them, against a larger and much more skilled opponent such as Troy Black... and she pulls out a chair wrapped in barbed wire! That could do some damage quickly! Troy Black gets up slowly, and Melissa DelArmeggio charges him and nails him in the head with it! Troy Black gets his arms up to block a small amount of the blow, but still crumples to the mat! He starts getting up again, and Melissa DelArmeggio raises the chair again, then brings it down hard on his back!!

Troy Black slumps to the mat, and Melissa DelArmeggio drops the barbed wire chair at her feet, then steps forward and pulls Troy Black up into a standing headscissors. She lifts him partly off the ground and falls back for a PILEDRIVER ON THE CHAIR!! The crowd explodes into boos and starts a "HOLY SHIT!" chant as Melissa DelArmeggio gets up with a few bleeding punctures in her jeans on her bottom and the backs of her thighs. Troy Black is now bleeding from some scratches on the forehead as well as on his arms, but none of it's really deep or severe. The match could be over already after that move... but instead of going for the cover, Melissa DelArmeggio stands up and kicks Troy Black in the side angrily, then yells "COME ON, GET UP AND FIGHT ME!" After that move, it doesn't seem like he can!

Melissa DelArmeggio glares down at Troy Black and paces around in the ring for a few seconds, seeming unsatisfied. She wants Troy Black to fight back, not seeming to realize that if he did, she could easily be in for one HELL of a fight! After a few seconds, she pulls Troy Black up into position for a DDT on the barbed wire chair... but he elbows her in the midsection, then quickly slips behind her and puts on a sleeperhold!! Melissa DelArmeggio thrashes around in the sleeperhold, and the crowd actually gives a mild pop for the first real offensive move Troy Black has executed in this match! Even so, it still seems like he's trying to win making her lose consciousness rather than by actually hurting her!

Melissa DelArmeggio flails around in the sleeperhold for several seconds, then gets a grip on Troy Black's head and pulls him down into a jawbreaker!! Troy Black pops up straight and staggers back... into the barbed wire ropes! He cringes in pain and pulls away, but Melissa DelArmeggio's back on her feet and she knocks him right back into them with a dropkick! Troy Black slumps against the ropes and cries out in pain as he does so, and Melissa DelArmeggio grabs him by the hair, pulls him forward again, and then snap mares him down onto the barbed wire chair!! He arches his back on impact and cries out in pain again, and the crowd boos!

Like it or not, Troy Black may have to come up with some big-time offense, or Melissa DelArmeggio's just going to destroy him piece by piece. Melissa DelArmeggio hauls him up in front of the barbed wire chair, then pulls him into a standing headscissors. They're not in position for a piledriver, so this must be a power bomb attempt! She lifts Troy Black... but he blocks it! Troy Black blocked the power bomb, and now he counters it with a backdrop ONTO THE BARBED WIRE CHAIR!! The crowd comes alive with cheers, and Melissa DelArmeggio screams in pain for the first time in this match as she lands on the barbed wire chair!

Troy Black turns to look at her with a stricken look on his face, and it's immediately clear that he didn't mean to backdrop her onto the barbed wire chair! He must have thought the chair was in position for another piledriver! But Melissa DelArmeggio's getting up! Troy Black tries to apologize, but Melissa DelArmeggio nails him with a blatant kick to the crotch, then knocks him down with a kick to the face! He failed to capitalize on that moment, and now Melissa DelArmeggio is back in control!

Melissa DelArmeggio glares down at Troy Black, then reaches into the bin full of weapons and pulls out a pair of heavy canvas gloves. What are those for? She puts them on and takes the barbed wire off of the chair, but Troy Black's starting to get up again now, so she drops the barbed wire, grabs the chair, and rushes forward to nail him with a chairshot! That chair is still a heavy steel object, and the blow sends Troy Black down to another chorus of boos! Melissa DelArmeggio turns her attention back to the barbed wire and grabs it, then winds it around her right boot! What's she doing!? Troy Black gets up, but he's a little groggy... and Melissa DelArmeggio comes forward, jumps, and nails him with the BACK BRAIN KICK!! And that with barbed wire wrapped around her boot!! Troy Black crumples to the mat!

But Melissa DelArmeggio's not done yet... she goes to Harold Brusco and snatches the key to the cage door away from him, then goes and unlocks it! She leaves the cage and goes looking under the ring... and she pulls out the ladder from the previous match! Melissa DelArmeggio has the ladder, and the crowd can't contain a loud burst of cheers now! Melissa DelArmeggio slides the ladder in through the cage door, then climbs in after it! Harold Brusco goes to lock the cage again... but now Troy Black is up! Melissa DelArmeggio bends down to get the ladder... and he runs forward and brings her down with a sunset flip!! Her shoulders are down, and Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... KICKOUT!! He caught her by surprise, and he almost had her that time!!

Melissa DelArmeggio gets up angrily, then knees Troy Black in the midsection and steps behind him. She grabs a waistlock, but Troy Black reaches forward and breaks it even as he starts into a forward roll and hooks his legs under her arms, bringing her down in a rolling forward cradle!! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Melissa DelArmeggio! He's still trying to end the match with a quick pin! Troy Black gets up, and Melissa DelArmeggio pulls herself up as well, but hits him with a low blow on the way up!! The crowd boos, and Troy Black doubles over and crumples to the mat.

Melissa DelArmeggio grabs the ladder and stands over Troy Black's fallen body, with the top of the ladder pointing down, then raises it and shoves it DOWN onto his neck! Troy Black thrashes around on the canvas, and Melissa DelArmeggio does it again, then tosses the ladder aside! She pulls Troy Black up, kicks him in the midsection, then steps back, measures him, and gives him a SECOND BACK BRAIN KICK!! Again, she uses the boot wrapped in barbed wire! Troy Black slumps to the canvas, and Melissa DelArmeggio grabs the ladder!

Melissa DelArmeggio opens the ladder up and slides the bottom half under Troy Black's throat, then folds the top half down over the back of his neck. Troy Black's head is caught between the two halves of the ladder... and Melissa DelArmeggio goes to a corner, then climbs up to the top turnbuckle and turns to face him! What's she doing!? No, she can't... FROG SPLASH ON THE LADDER!! But Troy Black pulls his head out of it just in time, and Melissa DelArmeggio just connects with the ladder! It took too long to set up that situation, and gave Troy Black some time to recover! Melissa DelArmeggio rolls around on the mat, clutching her ribs in pain, but if Troy Black hadn't moved, he would've been decapitated!! He stares at Melissa DelArmeggio in disbelief, then at the ladder, as if realizing that she would've just killed or crippled him if she'd hit that move!

Troy Black reaches into the weapons bin and pulls out a nightstick, then goes over to Melissa DelArmeggio as she starts to get up! The camera is in close enough to hear him say "I'm sorry..." just before he raises the nightstick and clubs her in the back of the head with it! The crowd actually cheers loudly, and Melissa DelArmeggio crumples down to the mat! Troy Black rolls her over and covers her, and Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Shoulder up at two and a half! Troy Black looks up to the ceiling with dread, but the fact is that Melissa DelArmeggio's not done yet! He'll need to beat her into unconsciousness to win this match!

Troy Black stands over her, hesitating for a moment, then finally raises the nightstick to strike again! He brings it down... but this time, Melissa DelArmeggio rolls out of the way! She gets up to her feet, a little shaky and groggy, but she grabs the chair on the way up! Troy Black steps forward, but she screams something incomprehensible at him and rushes him with the chair! Troy Black tries to block with the nightstick, but the chair is too heavy, with too much momentum, and it knocks him to the mat anyway! Troy Black goes down, then slowly starts getting back up... and Melissa DelArmeggio goes to the top turnbuckle, then leaps off with a TOP-ROPE CHAIRSHOT that sends him sprawling to the mat again!!

Troy Black's flattened on the canvas, and if Melissa goes for the cover she might have the victory here! But she's not... she's going back to the weapons bin! She reaches in and pulls out a plastic case full of thumbtacks, then scatters them on the mat! Melissa DelArmeggio pulls Troy Black up by the hair, then grabs him by the throat and says something to him! Troy Black barely even seems to register it after being knocked silly with that chairshot, and Melissa DelArmeggio lifts him and drives him down with a CHOKESLAM ON THE TACKS!! The crowd boos and starts another "HOLY SHIT!" chant! Troy Black roars in pain and gets up, with tacks sticking into his back and arms, and staggers forward... and Melissa DelArmeggio jumps up and hits him with another BACK BRAIN KICK!! That's the third one!! Troy Black crumples to the canvas, full of thumbtacks!!

Melissa DelArmeggio signals for the match to be over, then reaches into the weapons bin and pulls out a bed of nails!! The crowd boos loudly, and she sets the bed of nails down, then scoops Troy Black up and bodyslams him down on it! Troy Black is down on the bed of nails, and Melissa DelArmeggio walks over to one of the corners, then climbs to the top turnbuckle! She leaps off with a FROG SPLASH... but Troy Black rolls off of the bed of nails!! Melissa DelArmeggio lands chest-first on the bed of nails, lets out a horrible scream, and begins flailing around on the mat in agony! They're both down... NO, TROY BLACK SITS UP!!

Troy Black sits up, but instead of the zombie-like determination he usually shows at times like this, he's looking at Melissa DelArmeggio with horrified concern. He reaches down and touches her shoulder... and she takes a wild swing at him! Troy Black leaps back to avoid it, but it's clear that Melissa's still trying to fight him! Troy Black mutters something to himself, then climbs up one of the top turnbuckles and starts climbing the cage! Is he going for a high-risk move, or just taking a walk on the match? It looks like perhaps he has seen too much! But before he gets too high, Melissa DelArmeggio gets up behind him, half-crazed with pain, and grabs the ladder! She rams the ladder into Troy Black's back, and he falls from the cage and LANDS STRADDLING THE BARBED WIRE!!

Troy Black's face becomes a mask of pain, and the crowd begins a loud "HOLY SHIT!" chant, but Melissa DelArmeggio is completely unsympathetic! She lifts Troy Black off of the wire, but then places him on the top turnbuckle, facing the cage corner! She climbs up behind him, then leaps up for a REVERSE TOP-ROPE FRANKENSTEINER!! No, Troy Black grabs the cage walls and holds on to block it, and Melissa DelArmeggio just flops down awkwardly to the mat! She was going for the same move that Johnny Smiles used to defeat Troy Black at Survival of the Fittest, but this time there was a cage present, and Troy Black grabbed its walls to save himself!

Troy Black jumps down from the top turnbuckle as Melissa DelArmeggio begins to get up, then kicks her in the midsection and hooks her arms... DOUBLE ARM DDT!! The crowd cheers loudly, but Troy Black buries his face in his hands for a few seconds before he gets up! He looks resigned, but unhappy, and he climbs to the top turnbuckle... then starts climbing the cage!! Troy Black climbs to the top of the cage, with a look of dread on his face, and slowly raises his right fist in the air!! He's going to end it! He knows what it has to take to end this, and he's going to get it over with, but he doesn't look happy about it!! The crowd cheers, and camera flashes go off all around the arena...

L. Errington: Stop! Don't do it!! You can't do it!

What the... Lance Errington just walked out of the backstage entrance, carrying a microphone! He's hobbling down the aisle as fast as he can, taped across the ribs and shoulder after that brutal match immediately before this one! He looks like death warmed over after the grueling Ladder Match, and he probably won't be able to offer Troy Black much of a fight... but that doesn't seem like it's his intention! Troy Black stops and stares at him, and Lance Errington raises the microphone again as he draws near.

L. Errington: Look, Melissa made us all promise not to interfere, but I... I can't do it. I mean, I can't watch YOU do it. Somebody has to end this, Troy, and right now you're the only one who can.

Troy Black's actually stopping to hear Lance Errington out, and that could be a mistake, but Melissa DelArmeggio isn't really showing any signs of stirring in the ring. If he waits any longer, though, he might not want to do it on the basis that she'd be likely to move out of the way!

L. Errington: I know you weren't always like this, Troy. Somewhere, deep down, I'm praying that there may be some decency left in you. At least part of you knows who Melissa really is, and what you're doing. What you're doing is inflicting more pain, scars, and abuse on a woman who is the most virtuous, most beautiful, most wonderful person that either of us has ever known. But you can stop it at any time, and I'm PLEADING with you to stop it NOW. You've made your point.

What!? The crowd boos loudly, and Troy Black stares down at Lance Errington for a second, as you can practically see the thread that his sanity's hanging by fray and snap! And Troy Black leaps off of the cage... ONTO LANCE ERRINGTON ON THE FLOOR!! Lance Errington drops the microphone and goes down under Troy Black, and Troy Black begins raining punches down on his face in a blind rage! He's beating the hell out of Lance Errington!! But inside the cage, Melissa DelArmeggio is slowly beginning to stir!

Troy Black isn't even facing the cage, though, as he continues pummelling Lance Errington! Lance Errington is busted open now, and Troy Black's knuckles shine red with blood as he continues to hammer him in the face repeatedly! But behind him, Melissa DelArmeggio is up, and she orders Harold Brusco to unlock the door, and he does, not knowing what else to do with one of the competitors on the outside of the ring. As Troy Black continues hammering Lance Errington, Melissa DelArmeggio comes up behind him and grabs his shoulder, but he lashes out blindly and hits her with a backhand fist! The crowd cheers, and Troy Black gets up and whirls on Melissa, but seems to regain his senses when he sees her. Did he even know it was her who put the hand on his shoulder?

Troy Black stares at Melissa DelArmeggio and starts to say something, but Melissa DelArmeggio's putting a hand to her face where he struck her. He reaches out to her, and she yells "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU BASTARD!" and steps back! Confused and not knowing what to do, Troy Black begins slowly walking up the ramp, and Melissa DelArmeggio stares after him, then looks down at Lance Errington's fallen body and says something to him. Was she even conscious to hear what Lance Errington said earlier? Does she know? Harold Brusco shouts at them to get back into the cage, but Melissa DelArmeggio waves dismissively at him, and Troy Black's still walking up the ramp, heading backstage. Harold Brusco calls for the bell, and it looks like they'll throw this match out!

A team of medics comes down the aisle, and it looks like there are still more casualties tonight. First Desmond takes out Brujah, then David Wright Hubbard and Lizzie Carter are taken away, and now Lance Errington. The medics load Lance Errington onto a stretcher and begin hauling him away, as Melissa DelArmeggio walks beside it, looking concerned. She looks down at Lance Errington, then looks back up just in time to watch Troy Black disappear through the backstage entrance! What could possibly be on her mind right now?

As Lance Errington is taken away and the ring is cleared and changed back to a normal wrestling ring, we're going to go to a backstage interview with Johnny Smiles as he prepares to face one of the biggest tests of his career in Gabriel Black. Let's take a look right now!

Ziggy Adderloaf is standing backstage with Johnny Smiles in a room that's surprisingly bare and empty.

Z. Adderloaf: Johnny Smiles, in a few short seconds you'll go out and face Gabriel Black for the VCW Television Title, in a match where many say the future of your career is at stake. We know he has most of the Unholy Alliance still able-bodied and watching his back... but I notice that none of your friends are around.

Johnny Smiles sighs and nods.

J. Smiles: It's true. Christina and Yuri had to go get checked on by the doctors after their match, and Sumiko went with them for moral support in case they have to get shots or something, since Christina is scared of needles and all. Lars went to the hospital with Lizzie to watch over her, and Stacey and Ken left so that Ken could rest after that intense ladder match. And my old friend Marty Jannetty was supposed to be here to watch my back, but arena security thought that he was a drunken old bum and threw him out! ... They were probably right about him being a drunken old bum, but that doesn't help me now! It was bad enough not having Sumiko; now I don't even have Marty!

Z. Adderloaf: Calm down, Johnny. You know you need to be mentally prepared for this match against Gabriel Black. There's so much on the line in this contest.

Johnny Smiles nods, and he does calm down.

J. Smiles: You know what, though? I DO have some backup. Look out in the stands, at the thousands of Johnnycoholics packed in the arena. They're all watching my back! And I owe this to them. It's been a long time in coming. They were watching my back last year when I was embroiled in a high-profile, epic rivalry with Arthur Justice. They were watching my back two years ago when I was getting beat up by the Immortals every other week. And even after all that, they're still watching my back now. And for everybody that's been watching for so long... I think it's time I REALLY show them something.

Johnny Smiles grins and walks away, headed for the backstage entrance.

Z. Adderloaf: Hey, wait! I'll watch your back too, Johnny! ... Okay?

The camera fades out on the backstage scene.

David Page has taken center stage in the ring once again, and he's ready to do the introductions for the first of our double main events! He raises the microphone to begin.

D. Page: Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the first of two main event matches you will see this evening. The following contest is set for one fall, with a sixty minute time limit, and it is for the VCW Television Title! Your referee is Jerry Rogers!

Jerry Rogers steps into the ring and waves at the crowd, but doesn't get much reaction apart from a small smattering of boos. This hasn't been one of his better nights, and despite being VCW's senior referee he's not one of the better officials. There's a lot at stake in this match, including the VCW Television Title, and if the Unholy Alliance is able to do so, they'll certainly use any dirty tricks at their disposal.

"Degenerated" by the Lone Rangers begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers loudly as Johnny Smiles comes out of the backstage entrance! He steps out and begins making his way to the ring, slapping hands with the fans on his way.

D. Page: Introducing first, the challenger. From Indianapolis, Indiana, he stands six feet two inches tall and weighs two hundred and thirty pounds. He is a former two-time VCW Intercontinental Champion and the winner of the Big Fight AND the Survival of the Fittest Tournament in this year of 2001, but tonight he seeks to add a first VCW Television Title reign to his rapidly-growing list of accolades. He is one of the most charismatic and popular competitors in all of professional wrestling... JOHNNNNNYYYYYYY SMMMMIIIIILLLLLLESSSSSS!!

Johnny Smiles slides into the ring and goes up to one of the top turnbuckles, then poses for the crowd. He looks to be in high spirits as he sees the fans' enthusiasm for him. From listening to the ring introduction, we can recall that this has indeed been a good year for Johnny Smiles, and a VCW Television Title victory over none other than Gabriel Black would be yet another great achievement for him in 2001. He steps down into the ring, looking pumped up and ready to go, and turns to wait for his opponent.

D. Page: And his opponent...

The crowd begins a thunderous roar of boos as "Denial" by Sevendust begins playing over the arena sound system, and Gabriel Black steps out of the backstage entrance, wearing the VCW Television Title and accompanied by Jasmina Chastity. While it's true that Johnny Smiles's friends have suffered more attrition than the Unholy Alliance tonight, it's telling that both Derek Cole and "Superstar" Sean Black are absent from Gabriel Black's side. That means that this could end up being something close to a fair fight!

D. Page: Accompanied to the ring by Jasmina Chastity, he stands six feet tall and weighs in at two hundred and thirty-seven pounds. He is considered by many people to be the greatest professional wrestler of his generation, if not the greatest of all time, with the longest World Title reign of the past decade to his name and an incomparable won-loss record. He is the current reigning and defending VCW Television Champion... GAAAABRIIIIELLLLL BLAAAAACK!!

As impressive as Johnny Smiles's list of accolades and achievements was, there's no denying that Gabriel Black is, right now, the man to beat. He has faced much bigger challenges than this in his career, and every time he has risen to the occasion. At the rate he's going, it's indeed highly likely that he'll go down in history as the greatest of all time. Gabriel Black seems very confident, and has every reason to be, as he walks to the ring and climbs inside. Assuming, as it now appears, that this may be a fair fight, Johnny Smiles still has a long, difficult road ahead of him. Gabriel Black flashes Johnny Smiles a quick smile across the ring, then takes off the VCW Television Title and hands it off to Jasmina Chastity on the outside. Jerry Rogers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll get this match started!

Gabriel Black (c)
w/Jasmina Chastity

They lock up in the middle of the ring, and Johnny Smiles grabs a headlock, but Gabriel Black grabs his arm to break it and counters into a hammerlock! Johnny Smiles drops to the mat, does a forward roll to take the pressure off the hold, comes up on his feet, and grabs Gabriel Black's wrist with his other hand, then whips him into a corner of the ring! Gabriel Black hits the turnbuckles back-first and staggers out, and Johnny Smiles steps forward and nails him with a SUPERKICK!! The crowd gives a huge round of cheers as Gabriel Black goes down, and Johnny Smiles pulls him up and picks him up in a fireman's carry lift! The crowd rises to its feet as Johnny starts to spin... but Gabriel Black manages to squirm free and flop to the mat behind Johnny, where he quickly rolls out of the ring. Johnny Smiles could've ended this one in a hurry, but Gabriel Black had the Smiledriver scouted and he slipped out!!

On the outside, Gabriel Black goes over talk to Jasmina Chastity, trying to regroup after that near disaster. She doesn't seem to be much help, and the idea of Jasmina Chastity offering Gabriel Black advice on his wrestling strategy is a little silly to begin with... but in the ring, Johnny Smiles runs at them and leaps out onto both of them with a TOPE SUICIDA!! All three of them go down in a heap on the floor! After a few seconds, Johnny Smiles gets up, pulls Gabriel Black up by the hair, and takes him head-first into the apron of the ring! Gabriel Black slumps forward a little, and Johnny Smiles grabs him again and whips him into the guardrail! Gabriel Black hits the steel rail back-first and staggers forward, clutching his back in pain, and Johnny Smiles scoops him up, then bodyslams him down on the thinly-padded concrete floor!

Gabriel Black is down, and Johnny Smiles walks to the other side of the apron, then jumps up on it. He turns to Gabriel Black, then runs along the apron and leaps off with a flying legdrop, but Gabriel Black rolls out of the way, and Johnny Smiles crash-lands on his tailbone on the floor! Both men are down, but after a few seconds they both start to get up. Gabriel Black cuts Johnny Smiles off with a kick to the midsection, then rolls him back into the ring and climbs up to the apron after him. Johnny Smiles gets to his feet, but Gabriel Black leaps to the top rope, then springs off with a SPRINGBOARD CLOTHESLINE!! It connects, and Johnny Smiles goes down hard!

The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black seems to be getting his composure back. He stomps and kicks at Johnny Smiles as he gets up, then stuns him with a forearm smash to the back of the neck, pulls him into a front chancery, and whips him to the mat with a snap suplex! Gabriel Black sits up, grinning to himself, then pulls Johnny Smiles up into a seated position. Gabriel Black takes a few steps back, then runs forward, grabs Johnny Smiles's head, and flips over him for a jumping neck snap! Johnny Smiles squirms on the mat in pain, and Gabriel Black crouches over him and hammers him with a series of punches! Jerry Rogers warns Gabriel Black to stop the closed fists, but he takes a full four-count before doing so!

Gabriel Black gets up from Johnny Smiles, then hauls him up and whips him into a corner, but Johnny Smiles reverses! Gabriel Black hits the turnbuckles back-first and staggers out, and once again Johnny Smiles lashes out at him with a superkick!! But this time, Gabriel Black catches his foot and spins him around by it, then grabs him from behind for a belly-to-back suplex. But as he starts to lift, Johnny Smiles grabs him in a headlock and hammers him with a few quick jabs to the face, stopping him! And before Gabriel Black can do anything else, Johnny Smiles runs forward with the headlock and takes him down with a bulldog!

The crowd cheers, and Johnny Smiles gets up, waiting on Gabriel Black! Gabriel Black gets to his feet and takes a swing at Johnny Smiles, but Johnny blocks it, then opens up on Gabriel Black with a pair of right hands of his own, then whips him into the ropes and takes him down with a dropkick when he comes off! Gabriel Black gets back to his feet again, but Johnny Smiles grabs him and whips him to a corner of the ring! Gabriel Black hits the turnbuckles and slumps against them this time, and Johnny Smiles follows him in, jumps to the second turnbuckle, and begins hammering Gabriel Black with punches as the crowd counts along! He delivers nine punches, then draws back dramatically and hits Gabriel Black with a big number TEN!!

Johnny Smiles steps down, and Gabriel Black staggers out of the corner, looking a little groggy and dazed. Johnny Smiles grabs him and whips him to the opposite corner, where again he hits back-first and slumps against the turnbuckles. Johnny Smiles turns and charges in with a dropkick that catches Gabriel Black square in the chest, knocking him to a seated position in the corner! And Johnny Smiles backs up, then runs forward with a lower dropkick, connecting with Gabriel Black's chest again! And then he completes the sequence by pulling Gabriel Black out of the corner by his legs, then flipping over him into a jackknife hold for the cover! Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Gabriel Black!

Johnny Smiles steps out to the apron, then starts going to the top turnbuckle as Gabriel Black gets up. Gabriel Black makes it to his feet, but he's facing the wrong way, and he turns around just in time for Johnny Smiles to come off and knock him down with a flying axhandle smash! Gabriel Black goes down again! He pulls himself to his hands and knees, but Johnny Smiles grabs him by the hair and takes him to a corner of the ring! He rams Gabriel Black's head into the top turnbuckle ten times as the crowd counts along, then hauls him out of the corner and gives him an atomic drop! Gabriel Black staggers forward, groggy and in pain, and Johnny Smiles runs into the ropes, then comes off to take Gabriel Black down with a jumping shoulderblock!! And then he gets up, backs into the ropes, and comes off with a big splash! He covers Gabriel Black, and Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two again by Gabriel Black!

Gabriel Black starts to get up again, but Johnny Smiles pulls him up, knees him in the midsection, and whips him into the ropes! Gabriel Black comes off the ropes, and Johnny Smiles bends down for a backdrop, but Gabriel Black stops short, puts a leg over his head, and brings him down with a Rocker Dropper!! The crowd boos, and both men are down for a few seconds after that. Gabriel Black just cut Johnny Smiles's hot streak off, with a move used frequently by Johnny's friends Marty Jannetty and Lars Coverdale!

After a few seconds, Gabriel Black begins to get up, with Johnny Smiles getting to his feet shortly after him. Gabriel Black grabs Johnny Smiles by the hair and drives an elbow into the back of his neck, and Johnny Smiles goes down to one knee... but he also pitches forward and grabs at Gabriel Black's legs! He's going for a double-leg takedown... but Gabriel Black grabs him in a front facelock and rides him down to the mat! The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black keeps the front facelock applied, grinding down on the hold! Jerry Rogers goes to ask Johnny Smiles for a submission, and the tide of this match has now definitely turned.

Johnny Smiles starts to fight the hold, but it's wearing him down, and as he pulls himself up he also has to lift Gabriel Black's weight. The front facelock isn't a fancy move, and it won't awe the crowd, but it's a damn effective way to keep your opponent mobilized and grind his neck down, as Gabriel Black's doing to Johnny Smiles right now! Gabriel Black's leaning forward, putting all of his weight on Johnny Smiles's neck to try and keep him down. The crowd starts to come alive, chanting "JOHNNY!" and stomping rhythmically, and Johnny Smiles's strength seems to grow!

Despite Gabriel Black's tight grip, Johnny Smiles fights his way to his feet, then grabs Gabriel Black around the waist... but Gabriel Black gives him a knee to the midsection, then shifts his grip to a front chancery, lifts him, and brings him down with a vertical suplex! But Gabriel Black keeps his grip on Johnny Smiles, rolls to his feet and lifts him again, then brings him down with a second vertical suplex! And he still doesn't release it... he rolls to his feet again, lifts him again, and this time drives him face-first to the canvas with a front-layout suplex! Johnny Smiles is face-down on the canvas, and Gabriel Black stands over him for a second, then drops a leg across the back of his neck! The crowd boos, but Gabriel Black just smirks and does it again! He's methodically taking Johnny Smiles apart!

Gabriel Black gets up, hauls Johnny Smiles up, and places him on the top turnbuckle facing the crowd. Johnny Smiles is looking a little out of it, and Gabriel Black steps out to the apron and climbs up with him, facing into the ring! He pulls him into a standing headscissors, and it looks like he's going for a top-rope piledriver!! If he hits this, it'll end the match right here! Gabriel Black lifts... but Johnny Smiles grabs the top rope to block it, then flings Gabriel Black back into the ring with a big TOP-ROPE BACKDROP!! Gabriel Black crashes on his back to the mat and squirms in pain, putting a hand to his back and crying out!

Gabriel Black is a little bit shaken after that backdrop, but he's starting to get up... but Johnny Smiles is still on the top turnbuckle, and he manages to get up and slowly get turned around! Gabriel Black is slow to stand, and he gets to his feet just in time for Johnny Smiles to leap off and take him down with a FLYING CLOTHESLINE!! Gabriel Black goes down, and Johnny Smiles covers him and hooks a leg! Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two and a half by Gabriel Black! Johnny Smiles starts to get up... then changes his mind, and crouches over Gabriel Black to hammer him with a series of repeated punches to the face! He's beating him senseless!

Jerry Rogers orders Johnny Smiles to get up and stop the closed fists, so he does, but he pulls Gabriel Black up with him! Johnny Smiles whips Gabriel Black into the ropes, and when Gabriel Black comes off, he takes him down with a big hiptoss! Gabriel Black rolls to his feet, but as he turns around by Johnny Smiles he's too stunned to react, and Johnny Smiles fires off three right hands to the face, sending him staggering into a corner of the ring! Johnny Smiles whips Gabriel Black to the opposite corner, then follows him in, jumps to the second turnbuckle, and brings him out of the corner with a monkey flip! Again, Gabriel Black crashes to the mat on his back and grimaces in pain!

Gabriel Black gets to his feet again, but Johnny Smiles is up first and waiting on him, and he nails him with a kick to the midsection, then scoops him up and bodyslams him to the canvas! He has Gabriel Black down, and he steps out to the apron, then climbs to the top turnbuckle! Johnny Smiles is on the top turnbuckle, and he leaps off with a FLYING ELBOWDROP!! But Gabriel Black gets his knees up, and Johnny Smiles catches his knees right in the chest! He rolls off of Gabriel Black, clutching his ribs, and the crowd boos. Once again, Gabriel Black has cut off Johnny Smiles's hot streak of offense before he built up too much momentum!

After several seconds, Gabriel Black starts to get to his feet, with Johnny Smiles coming up just behind him. Gabriel Black kicks Johnny Smiles in the midsection to stun him, then grabs his head, turns him around, and brings him down with a reverse neckbreaker! The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black gets up, smiling to himself and once again in control of this match. He's been focusing on Johnny Smiles's neck a lot in this match, and he could be wearing him down in preparation for the Destiny Driver! He's made no secret that he sees Johnny Smiles as a blight on VCW's upper echelon, and he's not just looking to beat him, he's looking to take him out!

Johnny Smiles pulls himself to his hands and knees, but Gabriel Black steps over to straddle him, then sits on his back and applies a camel clutch! The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black takes a deep seat as he wrenches back on Johnny Smiles's head! Johnny Smiles grits his teeth in pain, and Jerry Rogers goes to ask him for the submission, but Johnny Smiles just shakes his head. He's not going to give up easily tonight! Not with so much on the line! Gabriel Black doesn't seem surprised or even disappointed; he has to know that if nothing else, Johnny Smiles isn't an easy quitter in big, important matches like this one.

As the crowd gets behind Johnny Smiles once again, chanting his name and cheering him on, he starts to struggle to his feet! Gabriel Black is sitting on his back, but Johnny Smiles still gets to his knees, then stands up with Gabriel Black on his back!! He's up... but Gabriel Black drops off of his back, grabs his legs from behind and takes him down to the mat, then floats over to hook him in a half-nelson with one arm, as he slaps Johnny Smiles in the back of the head with his free hand! The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black gets a cocky smirk on his face again... but Johnny Smiles fights up to his knees, then takes Gabriel Black down with a fireman's carry! They both get up, and Gabriel Black charges with a clothesline, but Johnny Smiles ducks and hooks his arm, then swings up on the other side to bring him down with a crucifix! Jerry Rogers counts the pin... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two and a half by Gabriel Black!

Both men get up again, and Gabriel Black knees Johnny Smiles in the midsection, then hooks him for a DDT... but Johnny Smiles grabs him around the waist, lifts him, and brings him down on a knee with an inverted atomic drop! Gabriel Black is doubled over and stunned, and Johnny Smiles backs up, measures him, and lunges forward with a superkick! But Gabriel Black ducks, then slips behind Johnny Smiles, grabs a waistlock, and lifts him in a German suplex... but Johnny Smiles flips out behind him, lands on his feet, and puts on a COBRA CLUTCH!! The crowd comes alive, and Gabriel Black flails around desperately in Johnny Smiles's grasp!

Gabriel Black's struggling, trying to get to the ropes, but Johnny Smiles has a good, tight grip on him, and he can't quite make it! Gabriel Black's still struggling desperately, thrashing around... and Johnny Smiles lifts him and drops him on his head with a COBRA CLUTCH SUPLEX!! The crowd cheers loudly, and Gabriel Black's struggling gets even weaker, but instead of holding the bridge, Johnny Smiles rolls up to his feet, still holding the cobra clutch... and he lifts him and gives him another COBRA CLUTCH SUPLEX!! And this time he rolls onto his side, and locks his legs around Gabriel Black in a bodyscissors!

Johnny Smiles has Gabriel Black trapped in a bodyscissors cobra clutch, and though they're somewhat close to the ropes now, Gabriel Black is so out of it that he may not have the strength to make it! He struggles weakly, but he doesn't seem to be all there after getting dropped on his head twice in a row like that! He nudges closer and closer to the ropes, and reaches out with a hand... but he's still a good three or four inches away. He stretches forward desperately, closing it another inch or two... and then his hand goes limp! Gabriel Black's hand went limp in that hold! Jerry Rogers lifts his hand... and it falls. He lifts it again... and it falls again. Jerry Rogers starts to raise Gabriel Black's hand for a third time, but Jasmina Chastity reaches into the ring and scratches Johnny Smiles across the face, and he releases the hold!

The crowd boos loudly, and Jerry Rogers looks up, confused, to see Johnny Smiles holding his face. He stops to question Jasmina Chastity, although after the tour-de-force of incompetence he displayed during the SJW World Tag Team Title match earlier, it's not likely he'll make a good call here. Jasmina Chastity's denying any wrongdoing, of course, even as Johnny Smiles gets up and turns to accuse her! After a few seconds, Johnny Smiles seems to realize that he won't get anywhere like this, and he turns to pick up Gabriel Black's limp body... but Gabriel Black comes to life long enough to hit him with a low blow!! And damn it, Jerry Rogers was still distracted by Jasmina Chastity, and he turns around just in time to miss it!

Johnny Smiles crumples to the mat, and both men are down now. Jerry Rogers starts a ten count, with both men laid out on the canvas. Gabriel Black's nearly knocked out, and Johnny Smiles has to have a sore neck and a lot of general fatigue setting in! Finally, at a count of eight, Gabriel Black starts to get back to his feet, and a second later Johnny Smiles starts pulling himself up on the ropes. Gabriel Black regains his composure and charges at Johnny Smiles as Johnny leans against the ropes... but Johnny Smiles lowers his head and BACKDROPS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR!!

The crowd explodes into cheers, and Gabriel Black crashes hard on the thinly-padded concrete! He's in a lot of pain, and Johnny Smiles goes over to the turnbuckles and climbs to the top turnbuckle! Gabriel Black gets up, nearly paralyzed by pain, and turns to Johnny Smiles, who comes off with a FLYING AXHANDLE SMASH TO THE FLOOR!! He nails Gabriel Black right between the eyes, and Gabriel Black goes down! The crowd cheers, and Johnny Smiles goes down to his hands and knees as well, exhausted and battered!

Johnny Smiles starts to get up, but Jasmina Chastity's coming up behind him! She creeps up behind him... and he turns around and sees her! She backs away, begging off, and Johnny Smiles looks around to the crowd for approval! They clearly encourage him, and so he chases after her! Jasmina Chastity screams and runs, and Johnny Smiles chases her around the ring! Halfway around the ring, she trips on a camera cable and falls down, and when she gets up Johnny Smiles catches the back of her black sweatpants and pulls them down in back, showing that she's wearing only a small black thong underneath of them! The crowd explodes into cheers and catcalls, and Johnny Smiles rolls her into the ring, then climbs in after her!

Johnny Smiles climbs into the ring and grabs Jasmina Chastity, then drags her all the way around the ring, allowing the fans on each side to get a good look at her black thong! Jerry Rogers breaks off his count, starts to object to Jasmina Chastity's presence in the ring, then stops to stare at her thong. Johnny Smiles pulls her up on his shoulders in a fireman's carry lift and spins! Is he going for a Smiledriver!? No... it's an airplane spin! Johnny Smiles is giving Jasmina Chastity an airplane spin, and her thong is still hanging out the back of her sweatpants! He spins her around for several seconds, then finally sets her down, and she staggers around a few steps, looking queasy, then keels over! Johnny Smiles turns to the crowd on a few sides of the ring, cupping his hand to his ear like Hulk Hogan at each side, then backs into the ropes... but Gabriel Black has recovered on the outside, and he grabs Johnny Smiles by the ankles and pulls him out before he can do a Hulk Hogan-style legdrop on Jasmina Chastity!

Gabriel Black quickly gives Johnny Smiles a knee to the midsection, then grabs him by the hair and takes him head-first into the steel ringpost. Johnny Smiles was giving the fans what it seemed like they wanted to see, and it may have cost him, as Gabriel Black now has the advantage back! Johnny Smiles is slumped against the ringpost, looking out of it, and Gabriel Black hauls him up by the hair, then snap mares him down on the floor! Johnny Smiles gets up to his hands and knees, but Gabriel Black gives him a few swift kicks to the back and ribs, then clubs him in the back of the neck and hauls him over a few feet to the ramp! He pulls Johnny Smiles up into a front facelock, and gives him a DDT ON THE STEEL RAMP!! What a devastating move!!

Gabriel Black gets up, smiling, and takes a quick glance into the ring to check on the count, only to find that instead of counting them out of the ring, Jerry Rogers is helping Jasmina Chastity up and "accidentally" feeling her up a few times in the process. He smiles and takes up the protective mats on the outside of the ring, then pulls Johnny Smiles up near them and lifts him in a rear gutwrench! NO! He's going for a Destiny Driver on the concrete... and somehow, by the grace of God, Johnny Smiles squirms and slips out the back to avoid it!

Gabriel Black turns around, and Johnny Smiles kicks him in the midsection, then grabs him and whips him to the guardrail, but Gabriel Black reverses it! Johnny Smiles collides back-first with the guardrail and staggers out, and Gabriel Black charges... but Johnny Smiles catches him coming in, then falls back and drops him THROAT-FIRST ON THE GUARDRAIL!! Gabriel Black just took a Hotshot onto the steel rail, and he's down clutching his throat! After a few seconds, Johnny Smiles gets up, hauls Gabriel Black up, and scoops him up, then carries him over to the exposed concrete and BODYSLAMS HIM ON THE CONCRETE!! The crowd explodes into cheers, and Gabriel Black yells out in pain!

But now Jerry Rogers is finally doing his job and counting them out, so Johnny Smiles pulls Gabriel Black up, rolls him into the ring, and climbs up after him. Gabriel Black starts to stand up, but he's shaky on his feet, and it looks like a lot's been taken out of him! Johnny Smiles scoops him up again, and this time he brings him down across a knee in a backbreaker! The crowd cheers loudly again, and Johnny Smiles hauls Gabriel Black to his feet again, then whips him to a corner of the ring! Gabriel Black hits the turnbuckles back-first, shouts in pain, and hobbles forward clutching his back... and Johnny Smiles catches him coming out and brings him down with a SPINEBUSTER!! The crowd gives another huge round of cheers, and Johnny Smiles turns him over into a Boston crab!! Johnny Smiles is taking Gabriel Black apart now, and doing it with power moves that aren't typically part of his offense!

Gabriel Black's caught in the Boston crab, and the crowd is electric as Johnny Smiles leans back on it! Gabriel Black's struggling, but he's in a lot of pain, and the crowd's giving him a loud chant of "TAP OUT!" He may have to do just that! But he's not giving up yet... he's pushing himself up and slowly clawing his way towards the ropes! Johnny Smiles is leaning back, keeping the pressure on, but Gabriel Black is making a slow, steady crawl to the ropes! He has never submitted in his career, and tonight, you just know that he's not going to submit--that he's not going to actually admit that Johnny Smiles is a better wrestler than he is--unless there's absolutely nothing else he can do!!

Gabriel Black yells in pain and pounds his fist on the mat in his struggle, and Jerry Rogers asks him if he's submitting, only to get an anguished "NO!" from Gabriel Black! He can't bear the thought of giving up to Johnny Smiles! They've been at it for about a half-hour now, and after all this time, he doesn't want to give it up! He begins his slow crawl to the ropes again, and little by little he's actually making progress! Johnny Smiles leans back, keeping the pressure on, but Gabriel Black refuses to give up, and after a lengthy struggle he reaches out and grabs the bottom rope, to a huge explosion of boos from the crowd!! Jerry Rogers orders Johnny Smiles to break the hold, and he does with a solemn frown on his face. He just found out again what we already know... despite his other despicable qualities, Gabriel Black's toughness and determination in the face of adversity are off the charts!

Gabriel Black begins pulling himself up, and Johnny Smiles goes into a corner of the ring, slaps his thigh, and stomps the mat in a slow, building rhythm! The crowd cheers, and it's obvious Johnny Smiles is looking for a superkick here! Gabriel Black gets up and turns to Johnny Smiles... and Johnny rushes forward at him! Gabriel Black's hands go up to catch a superkick, but Johnny Smiles goes low and takes him to the mat with a SPEAR instead!! The crowd explodes into cheers, and Johnny Smiles crouches over Gabriel Black, unloading right hands into his face! He just outsmarted Gabriel Black that time by calling for the superkick, but hitting him with the spear instead!!

Again, Jerry Rogers orders Johnny Smiles to get up and stop punching Gabriel Black. Johnny Smiles complies, then pulls Gabriel Black up into a standing headscissors! He lifts him... and drives him down to the mat with a POWER BOMB!! The crowd cheers loudly, and Johnny Smiles goes for the cover and hooks a leg! Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THRE... KICKOUT!! At two and nine-tenths, Gabriel Black just kicked out after that power bomb!

Johnny Smiles gets up again, pulls Gabriel Black to his feet, then whips him to the ropes! Gabriel Black comes off the ropes, and Johnny Smiles pulls him up in a fireman's carry lift, then starts to pivot for the Smiledriver, but Gabriel Black slips out behind him! Johnny Smiles turns around, just in time for Gabriel Black to haul him up with a fireman's carry lift of his own, spin, and drive him to the mat with a SMILEDRIVER!! The crowd explodes into boos, and Gabriel Black just drilled Johnny Smiles with his own finishing move! If he goes for the pin right now, he could hand him the ultimate defeat by beating him with his own move!

But after a second or two of favoring his back, which was clearly taxed by that lifting effort, Gabriel Black's not going for the pin! Instead, he gets up and signals for the Destiny Driver!! The crowd's already deafening boos get even louder, and Gabriel Black hauls Johnny Smiles up from the rear gutwrench position and turns him upside-down! The pain and effort on his back are showing on Gabriel Black's face, but he has Johnny Smiles up... but somehow, Johnny Smiles has the presence to counter it with a spinning headscissors, taking Gabriel Black to the mat! Gabriel Black gets up, putting a hand to his back and grimacing in pain, but he's facing the wrong way! Johnny Smiles comes up from behind him, lifts him on his shoulders, and turns to drop him with an ANGLE SLAM!! The crowd cheers, and Johnny Smiles covers Gabriel Black, hooking a leg! Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... Kickout at two and three-quarters!

The crowd boos, and Johnny Smiles steps out to the apron and starts going to the top turnbuckle! Gabriel Black pulls himself up on the ropes... but he sees Johnny Smiles get to the top turnbuckle out of the corner of his eye, and shoves all of his weight against the top rope, shaking it and causing Johnny Smiles to lose his balance and fall crotch-first on the turnbuckle! The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black hobbles over to the corner, then climbs up with Johnny Smiles. He hooks him in a front chancery, braces himself, and yells out in pain as he lifts Johnny Smiles and brings him down in a SUPERPLEX!! The crowd boos, and now both men are down on the canvas! That had to take its toll on Gabriel Black as well, but it cut Johnny Smiles off just in time to keep Gabriel Black in this match!

Both men are down, and neither one stirs as Jerry Rogers begins a ten-count. Finally, at eight Gabriel Black pulls himself up off of the mat, then steps out to the apron. He's going up to the top turnbuckle, and Johnny Smiles gets to his feet and staggers around as Gabriel Black goes up! Johnny Smiles turns around as Gabriel Black comes off, and he turns right into the DESTINY HAMMER... no, he dodges!! Gabriel Black misses the Destiny Hammer, and he lands on his feet, stumbles, and turns around, right into a fireman's carry lift! Johnny Smiles has him up, and he pivots, then drives him down with the SMILEDRIVER!! The crowd goes positively electric, and Jasmina Chastity screams in frustration!! Gabriel Black's laid out, and Johnny Smiles goes for the cover! Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... FOOT ON THE ROPES!! Damn it, Gabriel Black was just a little too close to the ropes, and he managed to flop a foot up on the bottom rope on instinct alone!!

Johnny Smiles groans in disappointment, then slowly gets up and hauls Gabriel Black to his feet. He whips Gabriel Black into a corner of the ring, but Gabriel Black somehow finds the strength to reverse it! Johnny Smiles hits the turnbuckles and staggers out, into a rear gutwrench lift! Gabriel Black starts to pull Johnny Smiles upside-down into position for the Destiny Driver... but his back gives out, and Johnny Smiles slips out behind Gabriel Black as he falters, then hooks him from behind and brings him down with a BACKSLIDE!! Gabriel Black struggles and kicks his feet wildly, and Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THRE... KICKOUT!! Gabriel Black just BARELY kicked out of the backslide! He was beaten by a surprise backslide in his match with Troy Black one year ago at this same event, and he just barely avoided a repeat of that incident!!

Gabriel Black rolls out of the ring, and the crowd boos loudly, but Johnny Smiles loudly says "Oh no, you don't!" then slides out after him! He comes up behind Gabriel Black, clubs him in the back, and then scoops him up! Johnny Smiles has Gabriel Black up, and he goes over to one of the posts and rams Gabriel Black back-first into the steel ringpost!! The crowd cheers loudly, and Gabriel Black screams in pain as Johnny Smiles drops him! Gabriel Black grabs at Johnny Smiles's legs, trying to pull himself up on Johnny's body, but Johnny Smiles saves him the trouble by hauling him up, then grabbing him and shoving him hard back-first into the ring apron, to another huge burst of cheers!

Johnny Smiles turns Gabriel Black around and tries to roll him back into the ring, but Gabriel Black puts his hands on the apron to block it, then gives him an elbow to the midsection! Gabriel Black rolls Johnny Smiles into the ring, then goes down to one knee, leaning on the apron and trying to recover somehow! But inside the ring, Johnny Smiles is up, and he leans out of the ring to grab Gabriel Black by the hair! He pulls him up to the apron and starts to drag him back into the ring, but Gabriel Black grabs Johnny Smiles by the hair and drops back off of the apron, pulling him throat-first across the top rope! Johnny Smiles flops back into the ring, and the crowd boos loudly!!

A nearby camera catches Gabriel Black muttering "I can't deal with this..." to himself, and he goes over to the timekeeper's table! What's he doing!? Gabriel Black shoves the timekeeper out of his chair, then grabs the steel chair, folds it up, and slides inside with it! Johnny Smiles is starting to get up, and Jerry Rogers goes over to Gabriel Black, admonishing him to put the chair down! But Gabriel Black ignores him, charges Johnny Smiles, and leaps at him to nail him with a huge JUMPING CHAIRSHOT!! Johnny Smiles goes down in a heap, Gabriel Black crumples to his hands and knees, and Jerry Rogers calls for the bell! Damn it!! After over forty minutes of intense action, what a disgusting, disappointing way for this match to end!!

The crowd boos loudly and starts throwing trash into the ring, and a huge chant of "REFUND!" goes up in the crowd! What a cheap way for this match to end! After over forty minutes, Gabriel Black took the low road and scrambled Johnny Smiles's brains with a chair! He gets up with a pained grin on his face, then looks around at the booing crowd! Garbage is raining down all around him, and Gabriel Black glares out at them and yells for them to shut up! After a few seconds, he calls for a microphone and gets one...

G. Black: Look, you idiots. I came out here in my home state, and Johnny and I gave you a match that couldn't have happened with anybody but me in it, so shut the hell up and be happy with what you got. If I'd known you were gonna be such a bunch of dicks, I would've gone home after the first four minutes. And we already have your money, and you're not getting it back, so sit down and shut up!!

The crowd boos loudly, and a lot more trash rains down on Gabriel Black, including a full cup of cola that barely misses him and splatters all over the mat. After he took the low road and derailed this match with that big chairshot, how can he possibly expect the fans not to be upset with him!?

G. Black: All right, you bastards. You think you're unhappy now!? I'll give you something to cry about!

Gabriel Black throws down the microphone and goes over to Johnny Smiles, who's still down and out on the mat! He stands over him... and signals for the Destiny Driver! He has Johnny Smiles prone and defenseless, and he's going to finish him off for good! But this had to be his intent from the beginning... he never once went for the pin, never attempted his fisherman suplex despite having opportunities to try for it! Every bit of Gabriel Black's offense was geared toward breaking Johnny Smiles down! Winning the match was his secondary goal from the beginning!! Now he's going to hit him with the Destiny Driver, and none of Johnny Smiles's friends are left in the building to come to his aid!!

Gabriel Black bends down and starts to lift Johnny Smiles up, but he barely gets him off of the ground! His back may be too badly hurt after that grueling forty-minute match! He lifts him again, and this time he gets him up, but before he gets him all the way upside-down he has to drop him down on his back! Gabriel Black slumps forward and puts his hand on his back, grimacing in pain... then looks around at the crowd, and down at Johnny Smiles! He pulls him up again, and this time he braces himself carefully and gives out a groan as he lifts him with a mighty effort! He has him up for the Destiny Driver... but Russel "The Muscle" Taylor's sprinting down the aisle!!

Gabriel Black pauses to get a firm grip on Johnny Smiles, but that pause is all it takes for Russel Taylor to slide into the ring, then rush forward and shove Gabriel Black, causing him to fall down under Johnny Smiles! The crowd gives a small pop for that, and Gabriel Black gets up near the ropes, but Russel Taylor runs forward and knocks him out over the top rope with a clothesline!! Again, a portion of the crowd cheers, and Gabriel Black crashes to the floor, then begins retreating up the aisle with Jasmina Chastity! Russel Taylor helps Johnny Smiles up, then takes his hands and raises them in victory!! The crowd cheers loudly... but not quite as loudly as one might expect. Some of them appear to be leaving, and many others seem somewhat subdued. Russel Taylor gives Johnny Smiles a brief hug, then grabs the discarded microphone...

R. Taylor: All around me, all night long, people have been getting hurt and beat up. But it ENDS NOW! I had to stop Gabriel Black from hurting Johnny... and now, I'm gonna stop Crimson once and for all, and restore some honor and integrity to the VCW World Title!!

The crowd reaction is pretty flat after the disappointment they've just seen, and it's not hard to see why. Johnny Smiles manages some faint words of encouragement for Russel Taylor before he rolls out of the ring and begins staggering backstage, and VCW ring announcer David Page comes in and takes the microphone from Russel Taylor.

D. Page: At this time, VCW is proud to bring you the second of our double main events of the evening! The following contest is set for one fall, with a sixty-minute time limit, and it is for the VCW World Title! Your referee is Brendan Powers!!

Brendan Powers enters the ring and prepares to officiate this match, and "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler begins playing over the arena sound system. Russel Taylor rolls out of the ring and goes around shaking hands with fans in the front row, but the crowd's cheers for him still seem somewhat subdued. It looks like the last match has totally drained this crowd.

D. Page: Introducing first, from... uh, from Power City, USA, he stands six feet two inches tall, and weighs two hundred and sixty-six pounds. He is a truly inspirational athlete whose career has gone from dismal obscurity to amazing new heights in the past several months, owing to his dedication, determination, and discipline. Tonight, armed with his physical conditioning and limitless work ethic that have brought him this far, he seeks to bring down an evil colossus. He is the challenger for the VCW World Title... RUSSSSSELLLLLLL ... "THE MUSSSSCLLLE" TAAYYYYYYLORRRRRR!!

The crowd cheers, but their applause seems to be lacking a little heart. Russel Taylor makes his rounds interacting with the fans, then climbs into the ring and begins stretching in preparation for this match. He's pumped up and ready for this, and if anything could win this crowd back over, it'd be an inspired performance against Crimson by Russel Taylor, one that wins him the VCW World Title! But can he deliver that performance? We know that he'll give this match everything he has... but is that good enough against the man he must defeat again!?

D. Page: And his opponent...

"Walk" by Pantera begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd offers a somewhat halfhearted round of boos as Crimson comes out of the backstage entrance, wearing the VCW World Title. He just scowls at them and begins strolling leisurely to the ring, looking somewhat bored with the task ahead of him.

D. Page: From Atlanta, Georgia, this man stands six feet nine inches tall, and weighs in at three hundred pounds. Among all the wrestlers of VCW, nobody matches his reputation as an evil presence, a sheer destructive force, and a powerful, unstoppable combatant. Since his arrival, he has gripped VCW in a reign of terror, inflicting a never-ending spree of destruction and terror known as the Homicide Road Tour. He is the reigning and defending THREE-TIME VCW CHAMPION of the WOOOOORRRRLLLD... CRRRRRIIMMMMMMSONNNNNN!!

Crimson walks slowly to the ring, then climbs up on the apron and steps in over the top rope. He raises a fist in the air and bellows, then seems to lose interest even in making that gesture and stops to take his belt off, then hands it to Brendan Powers, who holds it up for the crowd to see. Crimson seems a little sluggish and apathetic, but he'd damn sure better have his game on, or we could see the VCW World Title change hands! After suffering a defeat once, could he actually be so careless as to underestimate Russel Taylor again!? We're about to find out, as Brendan Powers calls for the bell to begin this match!

They move forward and lock up in the middle of the ring, and it looks like they're starting out with a test of strength. Crimson and Russel Taylor both plant their feet firmly in the ring and begin pushing at each other, and neither man's giving an inch! Not many in VCW can match Crimson in terms of sheer power, but Russel "The Muscle" Taylor may be one man who can! They strain against each other, and after several seconds Crimson is forced back a step! Crimson growls in effort and pushes forward, and he starts to push Russel Taylor back... but then, in an explosion of power, Russel Taylor shoves Crimson back, sending him staggering into a corner of the ring!! Some people in the crowd cheer, and Crimson stares at Russel Taylor in disbelief! The VCW World Champion was just overpowered!

Crimson moves in more cautiously now, circling around Russel Taylor warily. Crimson hasn't faced many men stronger than he is in his career. Tony Garcia and SJPW's Toju Akamatsu have overpowered Crimson in the past, and Bass Rogers may have been stronger than Crimson, while the Grave Digger most certainly was. But now that Russel Taylor has won that test of strength, Crimson has to face the facts, that he can't overlook Russel Taylor and expect an easy win! After stalling for several seconds, Crimson moves in for a lockup... and drives a knee right into Russel Taylor's stomach! Crimson hammers Russel with a big punch, sending him staggering into the ropes, then whips him to the other side... but Russel Taylor reverses, then mows Crimson down with a big clothesline when he comes off the ropes!

Crimson pops up angrily, but Russel Taylor runs into the ropes and comes off to nail him with another clothesline! Again, Crimson bolts to his feet, and Russel Taylor rushes forward and takes him down with a third clothesline! Crimson gets to his feet, and Russel Taylor scoops him up, then bodyslams him to the canvas! The VCW World Champion is down, and Russel "The Muscle" Taylor drops an elbow on him, then covers him! Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... And only one, before Crimson kicks out angrily! It'll take a hell of a lot more than that to get the job done here!

Crimson gets up and takes a swing at Russel Taylor, but he blocks it, then whips Crimson into a corner of the ring! Russel Taylor rushes forward and hits Crimson with a clothesline in the corner, then whips him to the opposite corner! This time, Crimson staggers out after hitting the turnbuckles, and Russel Taylor scoops him up and brings him crashing to the mat with a POWERSLAM!! A mild round of cheers goes up from the crowd, and Russel Taylor hooks the leg for the cover again! Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... And a big kickout at two by Crimson!

Crimson rolls out of the ring, and Russel Taylor goes out after him! He hammers Crimson with a few forearm smashes, then tries to roll him back into the ring, but Crimson reaches over and rakes his face to put a stop to that! Russel Taylor is momentarily stunned by the pain, and Crimson grabs his head and rams it into the ring apron! That gets a round of boos from the crowd, and Crimson casually stands on the back of Russel Taylor's neck for a few seconds, then pulls him up, knees him in the midsection, and whips him into the guardrail! Russel Taylor hits the rail back-first, then staggers out... and Crimson raises his foot up, and Russel Taylor staggers into it and goes down hard!

Crimson stops and sneers at the crowd for a few seconds, then pulls Russel Taylor up and rolls him back into the ring. Crimson climbs in after Russel Taylor as he gets up, then whips him into a corner of the ring. Russel Taylor hits the turnbuckles back-first, and Crimson charges in and nails him with a kneelift! Russel Taylor doubles over in the corner, and Crimson drives another knee into his midsection, then hooks him and flings him out of the corner with a big gutwrench suplex! The VCW World Champion is firmly in control, and he comes forward and drops a leg on Russel Taylor's chest! He covers him, and Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Russel!

Crimson gets up, scowling, then pulls Russel Taylor up, scoops him up, and brings him down on a knee in a backbreaker. Russel Taylor's down, and Crimson casually goes over and puts a foot on his throat! Brendan Powers counts, and at four Crimson lifts his foot up... then he puts it back down a second later! Brendan Powers protests angrily, then begins a fast count, and Crimson lets his foot up at four again, then cusses at Brendan Powers, intimidating him into backing off. Russel Taylor sits up, and Crimson crouches down by him and puts on a chinlock. Russel Taylor struggles in the chinlock, but Crimson keeps it applied tightly, and rides him down to the mat with it.

Brendan Powers goes down to check on Russel "The Muscle" Taylor, and he's still in the match, but he's losing strength. He waves his arms around weakly, his movements becoming slower and more lethargic, as Crimson keeps him down in the chinlock. He tries to squirm towards the ropes, but Crimson's too big, and his grip's too strong! Russel Taylor's arms tremble as he gropes around, looking for some way out... and then he goes limp! Brendan Powers checks his arm... and it falls. He checks it again... and again it falls! He checks it a third time... and this time, it stays up! Russel Taylor's still in this match!

The crowd is mostly non-responsive, but still Russel Taylor's pumping his fists in the air and fighting his way to his feet! He gets up to one knee as Crimson keeps the chinlock applied, then fights his way to his feet and gives Crimson an elbow to the midsection! Crimson's grip loosens, and a second elbow to the midsection breaks the chinlock! Russel Taylor backs into the ropes, then charges Crimson with a clothesline... and runs right into a big boot!! A small response of boos comes up from the crowd, and Crimson glares down at Russel Taylor in annoyance.

Crimson pulls Russel Taylor up from behind, hooks his arms in a full nelson, and holds him like that for a second, then lifts him up and drives him down to the mat with a full nelson slam! Russel Taylor crashes hard to the canvas, and Crimson draws a thumb across his throat to signal the end! He pulls Russel Taylor up in a standing headscissors... he's going to hit him with a power bomb, his own finishing move! Crimson starts to lift, but Russel Taylor blocks it, then counters it with a big backdrop! Crimson crashes to the mat, and starts to get up... but Russel Taylor lunges forward and knocks him back down with a desperate clothesline!

A small round of cheers goes up from the crowd, and both men are down now. After a few seconds, Russel Taylor gets up and goes to pull Crimson up, but Crimson cuts him off with a punch to the midsection! Crimson gets to his feet and takes a swing at Russel Taylor, but Russel blocks it, then opens up on Crimson with a right hand, and backs him into the ropes with two more big punches! Russel Taylor whips Crimson to the ropes on the other side, then grabs him when he comes off and takes him down with a big SPINEBUSTER!! Crimson's down, and a little burst of cheers goes up from the crowd for that move! Now Russel Taylor steps out to the apron and starts going up to the top! Crimson stands up, and Russel Taylor comes off to cut him down with a FLYING CLOTHESLINE!! Russel Taylor actually took to the air just now, and it paid off big! He covers Crimson and hooks a leg, and Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Crimson!

Russel Taylor pulls Crimson up, grabs him, and actually proceeds to lift him in a Gorilla Press!! What an amazing feat of strength! The small crowd reaction doesn't really do it justice, but Russel Taylor has Crimson pressed over his head, and in an amazing show of power he pushes him up into the air a few times before flinging him to the mat with a Gorilla Press!! Crimson gets to his feet, looking a little disoriented, and Russel Taylor rushes him and knocks him off his feet with another big clothesline! He's really taking the fight to the VCW World Champion here!

Crimson starts getting up again, but this time Russel Taylor pulls him up into a standing headscissors! He's going for his move, and this could end it right here! He lifts him up, steps forward, and drives him to the mat with a POWER BOMB!! Crimson lands hard on the mat, and Russel Taylor goes for the cover! Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Crimson! Russel Taylor looks a little frustrated, but he pulls Crimson up into another standing headscissors... and now it's Crimson, countering with the backdrop! Russel Taylor crashes to the mat, then starts to stand up, but Crimson rushes him and knocks him down with a big boot!!

Now Crimson glares at Russel Taylor and pulls him into a standing headscissors. He takes a good grip on him and lifts... and now it's Crimson with the POWER BOMB!! He just used Russel's own move against him, and he covers! Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... Kickout at two and three-quarters! Russel Taylor's drawing on everything he has to stay in this match! Crimson scowls and pulls him up, then grabs him by the throat... but Russel Taylor stops him with a kick to the midsection, then pulls him into another standing headscissors, and drives him down with a POWER BOMB!! Russel Taylor just hit another Power Bomb, and he covers Crimson again! Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Crimson kicks out at two and a half!

Both men stay down for a few seconds, but Russel Taylor gets up first, then goes to a corner and raises his right arm in the air! He winds up his arm and slaps his elbow, then looks up at the rafters, stomping his feet on the mat and saying some sort of prayer to the heavens!! Crimson starts to pull himself up, and Russel Taylor crosses himself, winds his arm up, and charges... LEAPING ELBOWSMASH!! But just before it connects, Crimson gets a foot up and counters it with a BIG BOOT!! He saw it coming, and he nearly kicked Russel Taylor's head clean off to counter it!!

Russel Taylor's down, and what energy the crowd had left after their earlier disappointment seems to deflate. Crimson just scowls around at all of them, pulls Russel Taylor up by the hair like a dead piece of meat, then grabs his throat! He blocked the move that Russel Taylor used to beat him, and now he lifts him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! The VCW World Champion just DRILLED Russel Taylor into the canvas, and Russel's laid out!! Crimson smirks to himself and puts one foot over Russel Taylor's chest, and Brendan Powers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! Crimson retains the VCW World Title!!

The crowd boos and throws a few more pieces of trash at the ring, and Crimson steps out of the ring and reclaims his title! He's not sticking around to celebrate... he just straps the belt around his waist, then begins walking up the ramp, stopping only to cast a glare of contempt into the ring at Russel Taylor, who is still laid out! He gave it everything he had, but the one move that could have beaten Crimson, the magic bullet in his arsenal, misfired in a big way! And against a man as dominant as Crimson, the VCW World Champion, you just don't get a second chance!!

Crimson is still the VCW World Champion, and Russel "The Muscle" Taylor has just gone down in defeat. That brings us to the end of Spontaneous Combustion! We don't know if anyone can stop Crimson, or what will become of Johnny Smiles and Gabriel Black after the disappointing ending to their match tonight. Surely there will be a lot of aftershocks from this explosive event. Join us tomorrow night for VCW Monday Night Wrestling! Thank you for watching Spontaneous Combustion, and good night!!

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