"Wasting My Time" by Jimmy Page is playing, and we're going to kick off the least exciting pay-per-view pre-game show in the wrestling industry, the Waste-of-Time! We're bringing you Spontaneous Combustion live from the America West Arena in Arizona, and you're going to see one hell of a show! But first, you're going to see a bunch of matches that didn't make the grade and several video history packages to shill our main events on tonight's pay-per-view!

Without a doubt, the Hardcore Cage Match between Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio has the most emotional history behind it of any recent match in VCW. In the early days of VCW, during the reign of Gabriel Black's Inquisition, they ended up allies by necessity against an array of hostile forces. One of the most enduring visual moments of VCW's early days came after Tony Garcia had defeated Troy Black in the Iron Cage Axe Handle Match, a brutal match inside of a custom-built cage of solid iron.

Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio were frequently allies in the battle against Gabriel Black's Inquisition, until a plot involving Stormy Weathers and Melissa's brother Neytron effectively banished her from VCW. A year and a half after Wrestlewar, Troy Black was the VCW World Champion, and the former Torturer, Tony Garcia, rose up as his first challenger in an Iron Cage Axe Handle Match. The stage set was eerily similar to the first meeting between these two men at Wrestlewar, and when Neytron DelArmeggio and Gabriel Black interfered on Tony Garcia's behalf, everyone was in for a big surprise.

After Troy Black went on to retain the VCW World Title against Tony Garcia and fought off a post-match attack by his brother Gabriel, the alliance and friendship between Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio became something more. In the past, Troy Black had, at least publicly, never encouraged her attempts at physical affection. But that night, with their enemies brought low, that changed as the show went off the air.

For the next several months, Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio were closer than ever, but they were plagued by an assortment of new enemies, both great and small. Troy Black was faced with the threat of the returning monster Crimson and SMCW mainstay Strahd, as well as Tony Garcia and "The Barcelona Assassin" Lorenzo Vasquez, and Melissa DelArmeggio had to deal with not only Big Trouble, a pair of giants managed by her former manager Stormy Weathers, but also Rebecca Black, Gwen Frye, and a host of other enemies. But on the night before Wrestlewar, when Rebecca Black had sent Melissa to the slaughter against Crimson in a match where anybody interfering would be fired, we saw a conversation between them that would carry all that much more significance when compared to what happened next week.

T. Black: Yeah... I understand, too. I'll trust that you know what you're doing.

M. DelArmeggio: Thanks. You won't be sorry. And that's a promise from me.

T. Black: Okay. I hope you're right. ... Well, I guess your match begins soon.

M. DelArmeggio: Yeah. Yeah, it does. Troy, I guess...

T. Black: Yeah. Well, good luck. Go for the knee if you can, and just be careful.

M. DelArmeggio: I will. But... whatever happens, whether I win or lose, whether walk out on my feet, or end up crippled, or... worse, Troy...

M. DelArmeggio: ... I love you.

Looking back on that emotional encounter with hindsight raises a number of questions, but there's no doubting what actually happened one week later on the night after Wrestlewar III. Troy Black had turned on Gabriel Black and aligned himself with Tony Garcia and Lorenzo Vasquez, and Melissa DelArmeggio came out to confront him, creating what became one of the most infamous events in VCW history.

R. Black: Hey, sexy. I hope that last night was as good for you as it was for--

T. Black: That was my sister you just punched, Melissa.

M. DelArmeggio: Troy, don't tell me about your damn sister. Listen to me... I don't know what you're trying to do... but I don't like it. This isn't you, Troy. Whatever they told you isn't true. Look at yourself, damn it!! You need to come to your senses. You need to apologize to Gabriel for what you did last night. You need to tell these dirtbags--

T. Black: Melissa, let's get one thing straight right now... I don't NEED to do anything. I'm Troy Black, and I'll do whatever the hell I want to do, not what some presumptuous bitch thinks I need to do. But you... you don't attack my sister, you don't call my friends and family "dirtbags", and you don't EVER tell Troy Black what he needs to do. Do you understand me!?

M. DelArmeggio: Troy, why--

T. Black: Save it. I haven't finished talking yet. ... I suppose you think you can just come out here and tell me what to do, and expect me to obey you like some kind of dog. Was I that much of a pushover? Was I that much of a spineless little weasel that I'd let YOU tell me what to do!? What makes you so special!? What, it's not enough that I saved you from everybody in VCW that you're too weak to defend yourself against!? It's not enough that I saved your neck, and saved your job in this company more times than I can remember!? It's not enough that for two whole years, I let you hang around at my side and leech off of me like a worthless little bloated parasite!? Now you have to think you can tell me what to do? Well, you listen to me, right now... NOBODY tells me what to do. Do you understand me!?

M. DelArmeggio: No, Troy... I'm not sure that I do understand you right now.

T. Black: I'm afraid that's too bad. But I've got one more thing to tell you, and I'm gonna put it so simply that there's no way you could misunderstand it. Melissa... there's somebody else in my life now.

M. DelArmeggio: No... ... ... no...

T. Black: If you EVER put your hands on Amy again, I'll break your back just like we did to Gabriel. If I was you, I'd get the hell out of Troy Black's wrestling company before you get hurt.

After forming the Black Plague, Troy Black left a swath of destruction throughout VCW for the following spring and most of the summer. Melissa DelArmeggio wasn't exempt from any of it; though Troy Black seemed reluctant to confront her personally, he made no efforts to stop his new girlfriend Amy Lin from making her life a living hell, and had violent confrontations with many of her friends and allies. Finally, after injuring herself in a Pyrrhic victory over Amy Lin in the Living Hell Match at Blood and Thunder, Melissa DelArmeggio disappeared from VCW.

With the Black Plague disbanded, Troy Black was not only powerless but still rightfully hated by almost everybody in VCW. As he struggled to climb out from under a mountain of his own sins and find some sort of meaning in his life again, he had to deal with few and reluctant allies and determined enemies. The worst of those enemies was Gabriel Black, and his newly-recruited Unholy Alliance. When Gabriel Black spoke of a surprise that would lure Troy Black into fighting him, some assumed it was the appearance of their father, "Superstar" Sean Black. But Gabriel Black had more in mind.

After they had been allies against Gabriel Black for so long in the early days of VCW, nobody expected Melissa DelArmeggio to side with Gabriel against Troy Black now, even after all that had happened. However, on next week's show, Melissa made it clear why she had made the choice that she did. More importantly still, she made it clear what she intended on doing about it now.

M. DelArmeggio: Troy... I could probably find a thousand reasons to hate you. What you did to Gabriel at Wrestlewar was unforgivable. You said as much yourself. And what you did to me, and to everyone else who trusted you and believed in you, honestly pales in comparison to that. At Wrestlewar, you transformed into exactly the sort of petty, disgusting evil that you had stood against your whole career. You showed everyone that you were no better than your sister or Lorenzo Vasquez. Gabriel had seen the error of his ways, and he was trying to make it right, and you stabbed him in the back. Because you let yourself be consumed by your sick thirst for vengeance, the sport nearly lost a great competitor, you nearly lost a brother, and a little girl nearly lost her father.

M. DelArmeggio: But that's Gabriel's issue, and he wants to settle it with you in his own way. And it's because I'm respecting that wish, not because I'm trying to be selfish, that I'd like to focus on you and me. And to tell you the truth, Troy... you ruined my life. Do you understand that? You RUINED my LIFE. It wasn't enough that you dumped me for Amy. It wasn't enough that you had to reassert yourself with macho power trips every time I ever looked at another guy--although, for the record, Sandis, Falcon, and Desmond ALL got closer than you EVER will. It wasn't even enough that Amy came after me like a starving beast, trying to MURDER me. No... you wouldn't leave it alone. Every time I started to build something good in the shambles of my life, you kicked it down again. And when you couldn't break me, you turned on my friends, just to make me suffer, just to rip out one more piece of my heart.

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M. DelArmeggio: But this time, in order to put this behind me... I have to do it myself. It has to be that way. It has to be Melissa DelArmeggio, one-on-one with Troy Black, at Spontaneous Combustion!!

However, Troy Black proved reluctant to confront Melissa DelArmeggio, or even to see her hurt at all. Next week, she faced Brujah in singles competition, and Troy Black came out to talk Brujah out of hurting her during the match. Melissa DelArmeggio simply resented his interference and confronted him about it. In the midst of a long conversation, Troy Black tried to back out of the impending confrontation, but to no avail.

M. DelArmeggio: Listen to me, Troy. I'll tell you what you did. You nearly drove me to KILL MYSELF. Would that have made you happy? I would've been gone, away from all of the bloodshed and heartache and pain. Isn't that what you wanted!? Then you could have screwed your little blond plaything and ruined everybody's lives in peace, without worrying about what I'd think about it.

T. Black: No... that's--

M. DelArmeggio: You've said enough, Troy. I’ve heard enough of your story to realize how stupid and gullible you think I am, and what a bunch of CRAP it is. But you're NOT going to take this away from me. You WILL meet me at Spontaneous Combustion, and you WILL give me the satisfaction of having my revenge.

T. Black: No. Melissa, I--

M. DelArmeggio: Wait. See, Troy, that’s the one thing I can’t figure out. Why not? I know you’re not afraid of me; you’re lying scum, but you’re not a coward. Tell me the truth... since you say you're sorry for all you've done, and you realize your mistakes, do you still love me? Really?

T. Black: Of course.

M. DelArmeggio: Then let me tell you something. The hell that you put me through taught me one thing... there are many ways to hurt somebody who loves you, to hurt them deeply and badly. And I'm telling you this now, Troy... if you don't face me at Spontaneous Combustion... if you don't give me the satisfaction of taking my revenge out on you as you fight for your life... I will hurt you in every way I can, regardless of what it means to me. Do you understand me?

T. Black: No... I'm not sure I understand you at all right now.

M. DelArmeggio: Then I'll tell you this... if you don't fight me at Spontaneous Combustion, I'll demonstrate in such excruciating detail that there's no way you could misunderstand it. ... So just think about that.

Left with no way out, and nothing to do except fight Melissa DelArmeggio and face her revenge, Troy Black had to find a way to prepare himself for what was to come tonight. But there remained one added twist that he was not at all prepared for, which was revealed to us just six days ago, in a second conversation between Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio.

M. DelArmeggio: The rest of us can't afford to find out what you'll do next, Troy. You can't pardon a criminal just because he says he won't do it again. Maybe you weren't always--then again, maybe you were--but you became a monster, Troy. And we can't afford to leave you alone.

T. Black: I just hope I can change your mind.

M. DelArmeggio: I doubt it, Troy. This is directly from the front offices. It's your match assignment for Spontaneous Combustion. It's for a match between us, and it's a Hardcore Cage Match. If you don't show up, we won't fault you for it... as long as you never show your face in VCW again. But if you do show up, I'll give you some of what Gwen Frye got last year.

T. Black: I'll be there.

M. DelArmeggio: And be ready to fight. Whatever you're thinking in your twisted little mind is the right thing to do, I'll give you a hint... it's NOT taking a dive for me here. If you do that, you'll force me to hurt you worse than you ever imagined. Like you hurt me after Wrestlewar. If you decide to leave VCW, fine. But if you show up and try to ruin my chance to get revenge, for myself and all of my friends you've hurt... I'll ruin your life, Troy, just like you ruined mine. I swear I will. You'll wish you were dead.

T. Black: I'll fight you.

M. DelArmeggio: Good. I'll be waiting, then... but only for a few more days.

T. Black: Damn it.

Tonight, we'll see Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio face off in a Hardcore Cage Match, one-on-one, with so much at stake. Melissa DelArmeggio feels a strong need to avenge Troy Black's cruel betrayal in this confrontation so that she can move on and rebuild her career and her life. Troy Black is caught in a battle he doesn't want, forced to choose between saving his soul and saving his skin, and looking for redemption without hope of finding any. Both Troy Black and Melissa DelArmeggio have been known for taking part in some brutal matches in the past, and after this encounter, it's certain that both of them will be changed forever, both physically and emotionally.

But before we can see that high-stakes match, we're going to take a break for a very low-stakes match! "Jump" by Van Halen begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd gives a mild round of boos as the Green Dragon and "Hot Stuff" Hasan Gilden come out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by La Princesa Lobo! Hasan Gilden's keeping his distance from the Green Dragon, walking arm in arm with La Princesa Lobo, and when they get to the ring he holds the ropes open for her, then lets them go and steps inside, leaving the Green Dragon to enter the ring without help. Inside the ring, the Green Dragon stands up on one of the top turnbuckles, pulls a lighter out of his tights, and flicks it on beneath his lips, then breaths fire into the air to a weak burst of cheers. These two are the newest additions to the VCW roster, and they'll face some unsigned independent workers to open the show here.

Now "Bad Boys" by Inner Circle begins playing, and that brings out Cop Johnson and "The Mongolian Scotsman" Angus Khan! The crowd's booing them too, really not sure who they're supposed to side with. Cop Johnson is a tall, brawny, hairy fellow who looks somewhat like Bluto from the old Popeye cartoons dressed in a police uniform, and he wears a nightstick on his belt. Angus Khan, in contrast, is a shorter, wiry man of Central Asian heritage, wearing banded steel armor covering his torso, a red kilt, and Scottish cap of some sort. They walk to the ring and climb inside, and Cop Johnson twirls his nightstick as Angus Khan removes his cap and armor to wrestle in his kilt. Bobcat McGavin enters the ring and calls for the bell, and we'll kick things off with this match!

The two big men are starting off, and Cop Johnson locks up with the Green Dragon in the middle of the ring! They begin matching their strength, but Cop Johnson cuts it off early with a knee to the midsection, then shoves the Green Dragon into a corner of the ring and starts hammering him with big rights and lefts! The Green Dragon is taking a beating, and Cop Johnson hauls him out, bodyslams him to the canvas, and drops an elbow... but the Green Dragon rolls out of the way, and the elbowdrop connects only with the mat!

Cop Johnson gets up, and the Green Dragon hammers him with two punches to the face, then whips him into the ropes. Cop Johnson comes off, and the Green Dragon takes him up on his shoulders and flings him back with a big Samoan Drop! The crowd gives a very small pop for that, and the Green Dragon drags Cop Johnson to his corner, then tags in Hasan Gilden! Hasan Gilden comes in and hammers Cop Johnson with a few punches, then whirls around and knocks him off his feet with a discus clothesline! He jumps up, does the splits in mid-air, and yells "DAMN, I'M GOOD!" landing with one leg extended in front of himself and one leg extended in back!

But Cop Johnson's starting to get up! Hasan Gilden kicks him in the midsection and whips him into the ropes, but Cop Johnson reverses it, then grabs Hasan Gilden and gives him a big SPINEBUSTER when he comes off! La Princesa Lobo looks distressed on the outside, and Cop Johnson drags Hasan Gilden to his corner, throws him into the corner, and tags in "The Mongolian Scotsman" Angus Khan! Angus Khan and Cop Johnson gather around Hasan Gilden and start clubbering him wildly with all four fists!

After a few seconds, Bobcat McGavin puts a stop to that, and Angus Khan drags Hasan Gilden out of the corner, then whips him into the ropes! Hasan Gilden comes off the ropes, and Angus Khan kicks him square in the face! Hasan Gilden goes down, and Angus Khan flicks his tongue out of his mouth like a lizard and snarls wildly! He steps out to the apron and begins going to the top turnbuckle as Hasan Gilden gets to his feet, then comes off the top with a FLYING MONGOLIAN CHOP!! Hasan Gilden goes back down, and Angus Khan stares around with a sly, sinister expression on his face! And then he steps out to the apron and goes up again! He leaps off with a DIVING HEADBUTT... but Hasan Gilden rolls out of the way, and Angus Khan's headbutt wipes out on the mat!!

Both men are down, and both of them pull themselves up and go back to their corners. They each make tags, and we're back to the Green Dragon and Cop Johnson again! The Green Dragon comes in and hammers Cop Johnson with three big right hands, then whips him into the ropes and puts his head down for a backdrop, but Cop Johnson stops short and kicks him in the face! The Green Dragon goes down! Hasan Gilden reenters the ring to help his partner, but then Angus Khan steps in as well, flicking his tongue and snarling like a maniac, and Hasan Gilden rolls his eyes in disgust, then drops down and rolls out of the ring! On the outside of the ring, he links arms with La Princesa Lobo and starts walking up the ramp! He's taking a walk on this match!

But back in the ring, the Green Dragon's in a mess of hurt. Cop Johnson and Angus Khan pull him up and whip him into the ropes... but he comes off with a double clothesline to mow them both down! The Green Dragon just took both men down, and he looks for his tag team partner, but Hasan Gilden's nowhere to be found! The Green Dragon turns back to the match, picks Angus Khan up, and presses him high over his head in a Gorilla Press, but Cop Johnson's up as well, and he rushes the Green Dragon and kicks him in the face with a BIG BOOT!!

The Green Dragon goes down under Angus Khan, and Cop Johnson shoves his own partner aside, then pulls the Green Dragon up, hooks him in a front chancery, and lifts! This could be all... and he drives him down with the EXCESSIVE FORCE!! That's his name for the Jackhammer that he uses to finish matches, and he just squashed the Green Dragon with it! Cop Johnson hooks the Green Dragon's leg for the cover, and Angus Khan stands over them, flicking his tongue like a lizard again, as Bobcat McGavin counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! Cop Johnson and "The Mongolian Scotsman" Angus Khan win!

Well, that was relatively short and inoffensive, but it can't be what the Green Dragon and Hasan Gilden were hoping for. They're professionals, signed to contracts with VCW, and they just got their clocks cleaned by a pair of amateurs who wrestle in high school gyms for thirty bucks a night! Then again, "Hot Stuff" Hasan Gilden didn't seem too eager to be in this match in the first place. We know he thinks pretty highly of himself, and he clearly wasn't willing to stick his neck out for the Green Dragon.

Gabriel Black is another competitor who thinks pretty highly of himself, although unlike Hasan Gilden he has a long list of reasons to think that way. Still, there is a large portion of the VCW audience who think that his low opinion of Johnny Smiles is unwarranted. Their issue started at Horror Show, when Johnny Smiles was a casualty of the aggressive backstage politics that Gabriel Black played in the process of forming the Unholy Alliance. Johnny Smiles was involved in a match that would decide whether he was allowed to keep the Wrestlewar main event spot that he had won in the controversial finals of the Survival of the Fittest Tournament.

In the interests of fairness, VCW Commissioner James Applebee tried to set things right by forcing Gabriel Black to defend the VCW World Title against Crimson and Johnny Smiles in a Triple Threat Match. Gabriel Black was confident that he could defeat either man to retain his title, but the presence of Johnny Smiles was still a direct factor in Crimson's victory to regain the VCW World Title.

Because Crimson defeated Johnny Smiles, and not Gabriel Black himself, to regain the VCW World Title, Gabriel Black held Johnny Smiles personally responsible. In an uninvited interview next week, he made his feelings on the matter known, whether anybody wanted to hear them or not.

G. Black: But you must forgive me if I'm a bit angry at Johnny. The second era of my dominance in VCW was prematurely aborted and destroyed by corrupt politics... and by Johnny Smiles. I hold HIM personally responsible for the loss of my title. If I had fought Crimson in a singles match, one-on-one, I would have defeated him and retained the VCW World Title. Gabriel Black DOES NOT LOSE... and that means I don't lose to anybody. Even Crimson... I PROVED that at Horror Show. Instead, that sham of a match was made, the deck was stacked against me, and Johnny Smiles cost me the VCW World Title... though not through design or intent, because he's far too incompetent to do that. He cost me the title by doing the same thing he's done for his entire career: simply by being the miserable failure that he is.

G. Black: Crimson could never have defeated me. Johnny Smiles could never have defeated me. Together, in a handicap match, it's doubtful they could have defeated me. But to cheat me of my title, Johnny Smiles did the only thing he could, the only thing he ever does in a main event situation... he LOST that match. Crimson defeated Johnny Smiles... he NEVER defeated me. I never lost my VCW World Title... Johnny lost it for me. I was ROBBED by his incompetence.

Gabriel Black insisted that a match with Johnny Smiles was beneath him and not worth his time, so he made a different sort of challenge: a challenge to a formal debate. The issue was whether Johnny Smiles deserved recognition as a member of VCW's upper-echelon of first-rate wrestlers. Both men were invited to present evidence, and despite promises of professional conduct, the words became heated quickly.

G. Black: I've been in this business THIRTEEN YEARS. Do you know the sacrifices I've made? I spend hours each day in the gym, and hours more watching tapes, honing my craft, and doing all of the little things that make me the BEST. I've given so much to this sport that I watched my wife give birth to our daughter from a wheelchair, because my BACK was BROKEN. But I came BACK from that, as good as I ever was, because wrestling is in my blood. It's my heritage. It's my DESTINY. You think you're better than ME? ... No. You can't honestly think that. Tell me, in your own words, that you think you can beat me. I just want to hear it.

J. Smiles: No, I won't be the one to tell you. THEY can be the ones to tell you.

J. Smiles: So, do you think I can beat this guy, or what?

G. Black: Very good, Johnny. Your trained seals still bark for you on command. But seriously... honestly, now. You think you're better than me? You think you're the first one? Because there's a list a mile long, filled with the names of men--better men than YOU--who thought they had my number. Falcon... Richard Tobian... David Wright Hubbard... Owen Addison... Chris Champlain... Troy Black... Brujah... Crimson... even my close friend Lance Errington... even the LIVING LEGEND, Tony Garcia. They all thought they could take me on, and they all went DOWN.

J. Smiles: You know, that’s not completely true, Gabriel. It seems to me that I did beat you once. Oh, it was a few years ago, and I may not always have the greatest memory, but I remember this. Roll the tape of Gabriel getting his butt kicked.

G. Black: You call that a victory? You think it takes a good wrestler to drop somebody through a flimsy piece of wood? That was only a Table Match... not a real match. But if it’s a real match you want to look upon, I have one for you. There’s one name I left off the list of my defeated opponents, Johnny... yours. Our last match is an easy one to forget. In the wake of the other tragedy that night, quite honestly, even our World Title Match paled to insignificance. But the fact remains that we did face each other, and the outcome cannot be questioned. With all due apologies for reviving old memories of that black Sunday night... here is your match. On the twenty-third of May, in the year 1999... at Disaster Area. Roll the footage.

G. Black: You forced the issue, Johnny... and there you have it. Absolute proof that you're not in my league. You couldn't beat me. You couldn't even last fifteen minutes with me. Oh, you certainly did keep up with me surprisingly well in the ending sprint... but you'll never have the tactical mind that I do. Exactly like the great chess masters who think several moves ahead and turn even the faintest nuances of the contest to their advantage... that's the way that my mind works. And I know how your mind works. You give it everything you have and you live for the moment, but you never think beyond that moment, while I already know how the match will end before it's even begun. And it always ends the same way... with me winning. You'll never be able to do that, Johnny. You'll never be in my league. So just give up and go home.

J. Smiles: Well, the tape doesn't lie. I guess I... kinda got my butt kicked, didn't I?

G. Black: Listen. I'm not saying you don't have a place in this company. You see, not everyone can be Gabriel Black. The thing about being the best is that there's only ONE person who can be the best. In this case, that's me. But you... you still have a place in professional wrestling, and a place in VCW. Keep doing what you've been doing before you got these silly ideas in your head. Keep selling T-shirts to these brainwashed fans of yours. Keep beating those middle of the road guys and doing those silly skits with your incompetent friends and your stuffed cat--just keep it short, because I'm the star of this show. Now that you know that, we'll get along fine.

J. Smiles: Gabriel--

G. Black: I'm not finished yet. Just listen. ... I understand if you're embarrassed now. But this debate... it doesn't really mean anything. All we've done is to lay a few simple truths bare: that I'm better than you, and that you're not main event material. And everybody knew all this, on some level, before we even came here. But that's okay. See, everybody knows you're a loser, Johnny, but they STILL love you! The people who buy your T-shirts, the people who tune in every Monday night to see you, the people who line the stands every show to chant your name... you're their hero, Johnny.

G. Black: This suit's worth more than you are, Johnny, so don't touch it. It's not my fault you can't handle the truth, and the truth is--

J. Smiles: The truth is that you're not getting rid of me this easily. I've always said it, since the beginning of VCW... I don't learn my lesson the first time. One match two and a half years ago isn't enough. My friends aren't losers, the millions of Johnnycoholics who watch my matches aren't losers, and I'M not a loser. So let's do it one more time. Come on, champ. At Spontaneous Combustion... show me who the man is. Come on, sport... let's go back to school. If you're really the greatest of ALLLL time, give me Gabriel Black versus Johnny Smiles, one-on-one, one more time, and show me just how great you are!!

G. Black: I'm not going to go easy on you, Johnny. I'm tired of you being a thorn in my side. You could have had a long, satisfying career on the B-list of the show... but if you want one more match in the marquee, if you want to disgrace one more main event match, if you want your name on the front page in bold type one more time, I'll give it to you. But this will be the last time. If you take this match, I'll outwrestle you... I'll humiliate you... I'll show the WORLD what kind of second-rate chump you are. And then I'll physically destroy you so completely that you will never trouble me again, and you will be FINISHED in this sport for GOOD. If that's what you want... then take my hand, and you've got your match.

G. Black: On second thought, I don't have the time to waste on you. May God have mercy upon your soul.

So the match was made. But the next week, after a match against Johnny Smiles's close friend Lars Coverdale, Gabriel Black attempted to send a message to Johnny Smiles. He wanted to make it known that he was serious about eliminating Johnny Smiles from VCW on a permanent basis.

Now the hour of reckoning is almost upon us. Johnny Smiles is faced with a nigh impossible task that has stunted the hopes and dreams of countless wrestlers before him. In order to raise his career to the next level, he must score a victory over Gabriel Black tonight. Such a victory would not only prove that he is among the best in VCW, it would also see Johnny Smiles crowned as the new VCW Television Champion. But that's not all that's at stake, as Gabriel Black has promised to eliminate Johnny Smiles from VCW entirely by severely injuring him with the Destiny Driver. Since his return, Gabriel Black has already destroyed the Grave Digger and Julian Page with the Destiny Driver, and one wrong move, one moment of hesitation, could make Johnny Smiles into his next victim. Tonight, Johnny Smiles risks his health in an attempt to do the impossible by defeating Gabriel Black to shatter the glass ceiling that has kept him down and take home the VCW Television Title.

Coming on the heels of that intense hype package, here's a low-rent comedy match. "Riders On The Storm" by Creed begins playing, and the crowd boos as the New Immortals, "Magnificent" Moy Lazzario and "Beautiful" Bobby Danson, come out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Nicole and Steve "Mongo" McMichael. Nicole's carrying a gym bag, and both she and Mongo are dressed to wrestle, as they should be; they'll be up in the next match after this one! But for now, they'll be managing the New Immortals in this contest. They enter the ring, and the New Immortals grab microphones.

M. Lazzario: Hi, I'm "Magnificent" Moy Lazzario.

B. Danson: And I'm his tag team partner, "Beautiful" Bobby Danson. Together, we're the New Immortals... two great wrestlers, one absolutely amazing tag team. Tonight, we are fortunate enough to have the lovely and talented Nicole and legendary sports figure Steve "Mongo" McMichael joining us at ringside.

Mongo beats his chest and yells something incoherent about where the action is, and Nicole smiles and waves to the crowd, but they just get booed.

M. Lazzario: Now you know what they say... the third time's the charm. We've been shown up by the American Males and the Natural Disasters, but tonight we have a great tag team with us who'll knock your socks off, and we're going to blow you away with some stellar tag team action.

B. Danson: Yes, indeed. I'm afraid we've run this gimmick into the ground to the point where our jobs are at stake, but we've gotta do what we've gotta do. And this time, we can deliver. We spared no expense to get you the finest tag team available!

M. Lazzario: Oh, definitely. We were even mighty generous on the collection plate at Ted DiBiase's church to try to lure him out of retirement for a Money, Incorporated reunion, but unfortunately he turned us down.

B. Danson: You act surprised. Come on, do you think that WE have enough money to make a difference in what the Million Dollar Man does?

M. Lazzario: Anyway, it went downhill from there. The Mulkeys didn't return our calls, and I couldn't remember who the other member of Tekno Team 2000 was apart from Erik Watts, so that was a no-go.

B. Danson: It was Chris Kanyon, of course. Everybody knows that!

M. Lazzario: But then we had an epiphany. And so we have for you tonight two of the men who originated the hardcore style of wrestling. They're one of the all-time great hardcore tag teams--

B. Danson: And I know what you're thinking, so let me clear this up right now. They are NOT the Public Enemy!!

The crowd gives a huge burst of cheers for that. Can you blame them?

M. Lazzario: Oh no... it's much better than that. According to my close friend Tony Schiavone, these are two of the most hardcore men in the industry. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you BRIAN KNOBBS and JERRY SAGGS, THE NASTY BOYS!!

Oh, NO!! "Fight For Your Right To Party" by the Beastie Boys begins playing, and the crowd boos loudly as Brian Knobbs and Jerry Saggs, the Nasty Boys, come out of the backstage entrance... and to make matters worse, they're actually accompanied by "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart!! Oh, no... how did the New Immortals get these clowns to show up in VCW!? They come to the ring and climb inside, and immediately attack the New Immortals! Jerry Rogers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll begin this match!

Jerry Saggs quickly dumps Bobby Danson out of the ring, and the Nasty Boys throw Moy Lazzario into their corner and start clubbering him with wild swings immediately! Jerry Rogers orders one of them to get out of the ring, and after a few moments Jerry Saggs steps out to the apron. Brian Knobbs pulls Moy Lazzario up and bodyslams him to the canvas, then kneels down and begins blatantly choking him! Jerry Rogers counts to four, and Brian Knobbs breaks the choke! Jerry Rogers warns him not to do that again, and Brian Knobbs nods, then bends down and starts choking him again! Jerry Rogers counts to four and Brian Knobbs releases again!!

Jerry Rogers angrily begins telling Brian Knobbs not to choke him again, and Brian Knobbs nods sincerely again. He drags Moy Lazzario to his corner and tags in Jerry Saggs, then kneels down and starts choking him AGAIN!! Jerry Rogers begins a fast count, and Brian Knobbs releases at four, then begins complaining about the speed of the count... but while Jerry Rogers is distracted by him, Jerry Saggs begins choking Moy Lazzario behind his back! Jerry Saggs releases Moy Lazzario just as Jerry Rogers turns around, and Rogers doesn't catch him, but he sees Moy Lazzario clutching his throat and coughing! Jerry Rogers gets suspicious and starts questioning Saggs... and as Saggs protests his innocence, Jimmy Hart leans into the ring and starts choking Moy Lazzario!

Nicole has seen enough, and she jumps up on the apron to complain! But Jerry Saggs goes over to her and grabs her by the hair, then hauls her into the ring! He tags in Brian Knobbs, then Knobbs grabs Nicole's hair as Jerry Saggs raises his arm to expose his armpit! They're going to give her the Pit Stop... but Moy Lazzario's up, and he takes Brian Knobbs down with a dropkick! Nicole rolls out of the ring and Jerry Saggs charges, but Moy Lazzario gives him a dropkick as well! And then Moy Lazzario drags Brian Knobbs by the hair over to his corner, and tells Bobby Danson to raise his arm up.

Bobby Danson nods, but then reaches into the gym bag that Nicole brought, pulls out a can of spray-on deodorant, and sprays it under his own arm! Then he raises his arm up, and Moy Lazzario shoves Brian Knobbs into the Pit Stop! It seems like Bobby Danson missed the point... and Brian Knobbs gets fed up with this after a few seconds, then breaks free and clobbers them both with a double clothesline! Bobby Danson falls off of the apron, and Moy Lazzario crumples to the canvas!

Brian Knobbs lays in a few stomps to Moy Lazzario, then goes down and begins choking him again as Jimmy Hart distracts Jerry Rogers from the apron! But this time, they're near the New Immortals' corner, and Bobby Danson comes in with the spray-on deodorant! He pulls Brian Knobbs up by the hair, then sprays the deodorant into his eyes!! Bobby Danson quickly leaves the ring, and Brian Knobbs staggers around, blinded! Moy Lazzario gets back up, kicks him in the midsection, and brings him down with the ACE CRUSHER!! That could do it! Moy Lazzario covers, and Jerry Rogers turns his attention back to the ring and counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... And at two, Jerry Saggs enters the ring and breaks the pin with an elbowdrop.

Moy Lazzario and Brian Knobbs both get up, and Brian Knobbs takes a swing at Moy Lazzario, but Moy Lazzario ducks low and grabs his legs, then brings him down with a single-leg takedown and turns him over into an ankle lock submission!! Wow! That was actually kind of impressive... but now Jerry Saggs comes into the ring, grabs Moy Lazzario by the leg, and puts him in an ankle lock submission! But Moy Lazzario still won't give up his ankle lock on Brian Knobbs, and Bobby Danson comes into the ring, grabs Jerry Saggs's ankle, and puts him in an ankle lock submission! Jerry Saggs keeps his hold on Moy Lazzario, though, and Jimmy Hart comes in and grabs Bobby Danson's ankle for an ankle lock! Jerry Rogers protests, but then Nicole comes in and grabs Jimmy Hart in an ankle lock! Jerry Rogers yells at both of them, then gets fed up and grabs Nicole in an ankle lock... but then Mongo comes into the ring and grabs Jerry Rogers in an ankle lock!! Jerry Rogers yells loudly and starts tapping out, and Mongo gets up, raising his hands in victory! It's probably a safe bet that that didn't count, though.

By this time, Brian Knobbs has made his way to the ropes, with everyone else behind him in a chain of ankle locks, so Jerry Rogers releases his hold on Nicole and demands that everyone break the ankle lock chain. Everyone clears out of the ring except for the legal men, and Moy Lazzario pulls Brian Knobbs into a standing headscissors, going for a piledriver! But Brian Knobbs backdrops him, then cuts him off when he gets up with a kick to the midsection! He whips Moy Lazzario into the ropes, then runs into the other side... and Nicole reaches into the ring and trips Brian Knobbs at the same time that Jimmy Hart trips Moy Lazzario! Both men fall down!

They both get up, and Brian Knobbs whips Moy Lazzario into the ropes again, and runs into the other side... and again, Nicole reaches in and trips Brian Knobbs as Jimmy Hart trips Moy Lazzario! Both men fall down again, and this time when they get up, Moy Lazzario raises his finger like he has an idea, then says something to Brian Knobbs. Brian Knobbs nods, then whips Moy Lazzario into Nicole's side of the ring and runs into Jimmy Hart's side. This time, nobody trips them, and when they come off the ropes, Brian Knobbs knocks Moy Lazzario off his feet with a shoulderblock! He bends down to pat Moy Lazzario on the shoulder and thank him for his idea, then starts choking him and biting his face!!

Bobby Danson seems to have finally seen enough of this, and he runs into the ring and clobbers Brian Knobbs with a right hand, then grabs him and tosses him to the mat with a bodyslam! Jerry Saggs comes in, but Bobby Danson rushes him and knocks him down with a clothesline! Moy Lazzario gets up, and Bobby Danson pulls Jerry Saggs up across his shoulders in a fireman's carry lift! Moy Lazzario goes to the top turnbuckle as Brian Knobbs gets up, then leaps off the turnbuckle, lands on Jerry Saggs's back while he's draped over Bobby Danson's shoulders, and springs off to catch Brian Knobbs with a FLYING CROSS BODYPRESS!! What a move... but Brian Knobbs just caught Moy Lazzario out of the air, and he drives him to the mat with a powerslam! And Jerry Saggs brings Bobby Danson down with a crucifix! Brian Knobbs pins Moy Lazzario as Jerry Saggs keeps Bobby Danson contained, and Jerry Rogers counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THREE!! The Nasty Boys win!!

The Nasty Boys leave the ring and begin heading backstage, celebrating their victory with "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart! The New Immortals just lost to another random mystery team, and maybe if they'd stop making these mystery challenges and goofing around so much, they'd actually be successful!

One man whose example they could follow is that of Russel "The Muscle" Taylor. He got serious about his career in the past few months and turned himself around, surprising the world by holding his own in a series of matches with Chris Champlain, ultimately emerging from that feud as the victor. He was committed to using his abilities to stop the carnage and injustice that plagues VCW. After dealing with Chris Champlain, he seemed ready to start at the top, with the big evil VCW World Champion, Crimson.

The following week, in a bid to keep order, VCW Commissioner James Applebee sent Crimson away from the arena to prevent him from attacking Russel Taylor, then sent Russel Taylor away so that he wouldn't fall prey to an ambush by Crimson's two henchmen in Hell's Bikers, Jack Norman and Butch Manson. Russel Taylor ended up accompanying Sophie to a truckstop diner near the arena, but Crimson learned where they were going and came to confront him in a spectacularly destructive fashion.

R. Taylor: Oh, my! Everyone, look out! That truck--

R. Taylor: Listen, you careless lunatic, you could have hurt a lot of people like that! I don't know if you're driving under the influence of controlled substances or you're just mean, but there's no reason--

Crimson: Shut the fuck up.

R. Taylor: YOU! What in the world possessed you to--

Crimson: I toldja to shut up. Now listen to me, and listen good, because this might just be the last thing you'll ever hear. You got me pissed off in a way no man has yet and lived to tell the tale, but since you're a nice kid I'll make you an offer. We can do this thing two ways. You can get smacked around like a little bitch tonight, then tell me you're sorry you ever dreamed of crossing me and stay the fuck out of my way, and I'll leave you alone. Or you can try to play hero and take me down, and God had better save your soul because there ain't NOBODY who can save your sorry ASS from ME. So you've got a choice to make... if that's all right with you.

Sophie: Oh my God, Russel! He's gonna hurt us and kill us and I don't even have any of my magic stuff here to--

Crimson: Hey, princess... what I got planned for YOU ain't gonna hurt unless you decide you like it rough. Just tell that dumb son of a bitch not to try anything dumb, and I'll go gentle and easy on you. Scout's honor.

R. Taylor: NO! I can't let your evil continue unchecked! I have to stop you!!

Sophie: Get your hands off of him, you big jerk!

Crimson: Guess Russel's not the only one with a deathwish around here, huh?

Sophie: Stay back! I'm warning you, I've beaten monsters and ninjas and evil bosses and bad queens who were all way tougher than you, mister! Don't make me hurt you!

Crimson: You done had your warning, you pretty little thing. This your first time coming up against a motherfucker as mean and nasty as me? You can have your bullshit dragons and dark magicians, but see... right now, you're face to face with pure, unstoppable evil, the kind that chills the heart of the Devil himself, and this is what it is.

R. Taylor: You horrid, vile, disgusting man! I CAN stop your evil, and I WILL!!

R. Taylor: Desist now, before I am forced to vanquish you!

Crimson: Go fuck yourself in hell, you dumb son of a bitch!!

Crimson: Maybe you bought yourself some time. But make no mistake... you still got a death sentence hanging over your head, motherfucker.

Crimson: And you... I'm still gonna show you how I deal with a bratty little pussy bitch like you, you fucking Jap jizzbag.

Though he failed to destroy Russel "The Muscle" Taylor that night, Crimson made it clear in an interview next week that he wasn't going to stop trying. Russel Taylor had incurred the full brunt of Crimson's wrath, and now he would have to reckon with his terrible strength.

Crimson: I think maybe everyone's starting to forget who I am. Every place I look, I see dumb sons of bitches like you folks... people stepping out of line, opening their big mouths, disrespecting me and thinking they can get away with it. And I just don't get it. Is everyone that fucking DUMB now, that they think they can talk shit to me!? Just who in the hell do you think I am!?

Crimson: Let me set the record straight. If you see that punk Russel Taylor coming to get some of me, and you think you can be a big shot too... maybe you better just wait. Wait until you see what happens to Russel. You saw what happened last week... he thought he could go and hide out in some greasy spoon on the outskirts of town, and I hunted him down and literally tore the whole damn place down around his head. And you know what else? I ain't done with him.

Crimson: But let me tell you something, Russel. You thump your Bible, you make a big deal about how Jesus died on the cross for our sins... but what about you? Are you ready to die for what you believe in? You seem real determined to stop me from taking my rightful spot as king of the jungle around here... is it worth your life? Are you ready to become a martyr? If you stand on the tracks and stare down a freight train, and die some grand, heroic death... what the fuck does that mean, really?

In the face of threats like those, many challengers would have shrunk from the task at hand. But in the following week, Russel Taylor made his determination and focus on defeating Crimson clear when he spoke in an interview prior to a six-person tag team match in which he and Crimson would be on opposing ends.

R. Taylor: I've beaten Crimson once, and I intend to do so as many times as it takes to end his reign of terror. But you know that by now. I also have some issues with Virginia... because, to me, it's never, EVER okay to power bomb somebody off the top of an ambulance on to concrete. Not under ANY circumstances! And after this match, I'm gonna give her a stern talking to. You can count on it. I've even got half a mind to face her in a Loser Takes Anger Management Classes Match... because there's NO place for that kind of behavior.

Z. Adderloaf: But... do you think you're making a mistake by taking your focus off of Crimson in that regard, Russel?

R. Taylor: That's just it. I'm not taking my focus off of Crimson. My focus is, and has always been, on fighting evil and injustice. And I know what I need to do to beat Crimson tonight, and to beat him again at Spontaneous Combustion. I need to work hard and do my best. But once I'm VCW World Champion, that's only the beginning. Every no-good rascal and scheming villain in the wrestling business will line up wanting a shot at that title, and I'll face them all, one-on-one, and show them that good WILL triumph over evil every time! I'm going to clean up VCW no matter how hard I have to try, and give the fans exciting matches filled with athleticism and great competition instead of throwing your opponent in the sewer or calling in all your henchmen for the DQ. And it starts with Crimson, and the VCW World Title.

Z. Adderloaf: Good luck, Russel. Against a guy like Crimson, you'll need it.

Good luck wasn't enough for Russel Taylor and his teammates on that night. He was laid to waste by the dominant VCW World Champion, which must be an unsettling reminder of what could happen tonight. We've seen how hard it is to put Crimson down, and how quickly his vicious offense can devastate any opponent he faces. But we've also seen that Russel Taylor does have the means to defeat Crimson. Though he couldn't put Crimson away with his Power Bomb, his leaping forearm smash has proved on one occasion to be enough to defeat Crimson. Russel Taylor must count on successfully using that move, and avoiding Crimson's bone-crushing power offense, to realize his dreams of dethroning the most powerful evil in VCW.

These great matches and more are just one click away. The hour is upon us, and the great athletes of VCW are ready to explode into action! You won't want to miss this night of high-stakes matches, hardcore violence, and non-stop action! Order Spontaneous Combustion, live on pay-per-view, and prepare to be blown away by the best VCW has to offer! But a word of warning: when you join us, you may want to take cover, because this event is the BOMB, and it's about to go off!! That's all for the Waste-of-Time! Join us now and don't miss a second of great pay-per-view action!

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