Monday Night Wrestling 08/27/01 (VCW 135)

Welcome to VCW Monday Night Wrestling!! Once again, we're coming to you from the VCW Arena in California, and we have a big show on hand tonight! We'll see the final two second round matches of the Survival of the Fittest Tournament, as Owen Addison faces Julian Page, and Johnny Smiles faces Lars Coverdale! In addition to that, Troy Black and Rebecca Black will face "The California Crippler" Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman in a tag team match, and Brujah will defend the VCW Television Title against the Grave Digger!! All that, and much more, will be seen on tonight's show!

Hold it... "Walk" by Pantera begins playing, and it looks like Crimson is making an unscheduled appearance at the start of our show, for the second week in a row!! He steps out of the backstage entrance to a huge round of boos, carrying a chair and wearing the VCW World Title around his waist, and he's wasting no time in heading to the ring. He slides the chair in under the bottom rope, then steps up on the apron and steps in over the top. He grabs the chair and sets it up in the middle of the ring, then calls for a microphone. He gets one, and sits down in the chair with it, but then suddenly stands up and kicks the chair over. Evidently he's too restless to sit down...

Crimson: Let me put everybody on notice right now... I'm really fucking PISSED OFF right now, and anyone who looks at me crossways is writing their own death certificate.

The crowd boos loudly, and several fans heckle Crimson.

Crimson: Last week, I was beating the hell out of that football-playing motherfucker Darren Michaels, and Bass Rogers came down and whacked me with a chair to help his little buddy out. He couldn't fight me like a man... no, he had to go get a damn chair. I guess he's real tough if you give him a fucking weapon. But I've got a pretty good swing with a chair too, and I'd just like to see how Bass Rogers measures up when the odds are even. We don't have to wait for the damn pay-per-view. You just get your fat ass in here, and I'll squish you like a big beetle.

The crowd boos again, and Crimson paces in the ring, watching the entrance, but Bass Rogers isn't coming out.

Crimson: Yeah, you're not so tough now, are you!? Get out here, you chickenshit bastard, and I'll knock your goddamn head off!

Hold it... "War Machine" by KISS just started playing!! Bass Rogers is going to accept! Crimson nods and smiles... and Jack Norman and Butch Manson of Hell's Bikers dart out from around the sides of the backstage entrance with baseball bats in their hands! It's an ambush!! But Bass Rogers hasn't showed up yet, and Jack Norman, Butch Manson, and Crimson are all just looking at the backstage entrance in confusion... but suddenly the ViolenTron flickers on! The Tough Customers, the VCW World Tag Team Champions, are on the ViolenTron!

On the ViolenTron...

Bass Rogers and "The Star Player" Darren Michaels are standing in a hallway backstage, wearing the VCW World Tag Team Titles and smiling knowingly.

B. Rogers: What, you think I'm stupid or something!? I may get hit in the head a lot, but I'm not so damn stupid to walk into a set-up like this when you're so damn careless setting it up. All the backstage guys saw you huddled up with your boys in the hallway before the show, and it don't take a damn rocket scientist to figure out that something screwy's going on.

D. Michaels: I think you're just afraid of a fair fight, Crimson. You remember that last week, I had you BEAT. We've got your number, and I may not have taken the title from you last week, but Bass Rogers sure will at Survival of the Fittest. You just BET on that.

Back in the ring, Crimson is incensed, staring up at the ViolenTron... his set-up failed! He raises the microphone, pointing up to the ViolenTron.

Crimson: You think you're so damn smart? I can tell from the video where you're at, motherfuckers. Jack, Butch... they're over at the east wing by the bathrooms. Run down there and fuck their shit up.

Jack Norman and Butch Manson take off into the backstage entrance, wielding their baseball bats! They're headed backstage after Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels, but they seem oblivious to the threat, on the ViolenTron...

On the ViolenTron...

Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels continue looking at Crimson through the ViolenTron, then Bass Rogers steps forward to speak again.

B. Rogers: But y'know something, Crimson... you want to play dirty, we can get as dirty as you can. I'm the meanest, dirtiest, meatiest bastard in this damn company, and I ain't no idiot... but it damn sure looks like you are!

Crimson stares up at the ViolenTron, seething with rage, and raises the microphone...

Crimson: Yeah, let's just see who's the damn idiot when Jack and Butch are beating the shit outta you two.

Crimson continues staring up at the ViolenTron... but two people just hopped the guardrail!! It's the Tough Customers, Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels, and they've got chairs! They slide into the ring, as the crowd goes wild! Crimson turns and stares at them in shock, then stares back at the ViolenTron, where Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels are still standing backstage! That video's not live! He's been had!

Crimson goes to pick up his chair, but Bass Rogers charges forward and nails him with a chairshot to the head that sends him down! Crimson gets up, but Bass Rogers whacks him with the chair again, staggering him back! He nails him with yet another chairshot, causing him to fall back into the ropes, then grabs him with one hand and whips him to the other side! Crimson comes off the ropes, and Bass Rogers thrusts the edge of his chair into Crimson's ribs, doubling him over! On opposite sides, Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels draw back their chairs, and hit Crimson with stereo chairshots to each side of his head! He goes down hard, and rolls out of the ring, clutching his head!! Now Bass Rogers picks up Crimson's discarded microphone...

B. Rogers: You want an unfair fight!? You want to stack the deck!? We can do that too, you big dummy!

Crimson's getting up on the outside, clutching his head in pain, and he goes to the announcers' table... and grabs a clipboard and a pen? What's he doing? He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolds it, and puts it on the clipboard, then calls for a microphone...

Crimson: You think you got the better of me? Think again. I thought you might be too chickenshit to come after me in a fair fight, and it looks like I was right again. I got a contract here to take on both you motherfuckers in a handicap match, TONIGHT. Let's make it nice and official.

Whoa! Crimson wants to face BOTH of the VCW World Tag Team Champions in a handicap match, tonight! While Crimson is a big, bad man, and he is the VCW World Champion, the simple fact here is that it's one man against two. Crimson may have better odds at this kind of match than virtually any other competitor... but can even HE face both of the VCW World Tag Team Champions and win? How hard did he just get hit in the head, anyway!?

Crimson steps onto the apron and into the ring, holding out the clipboard. Bass Rogers nudges Darren Michaels and says something to him, and he shrugs... and Bass Rogers sets down his chair, takes the clipboard, and signs the contract! Darren Michaels does the same, and then Crimson jerks the clipboard back from them and signs it himself. He smiles viciously as he raises his microphone...

Crimson: You got your match, boys... but here's a little something to hold you over until the main event.

Crimson suddenly swings the clipboard and nails Bass Rogers in the head with it, sending him down, then turns and nails the stunned Darren Michaels with it as well! Bass Rogers pops up immediately, roaring in outrage, but Crimson backs up, drops down, and rolls out of the ring, avoiding his wrath! After some back-and-forth scheming from both sides, Crimson has just signed to face Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels, the Tough Customers, the VCW World Tag Team Champions, in a handicap match tonight! What a match!

Bass Rogers is furious in the ring, but Darren Michaels is saying something to him, trying to calm him down. Finally, Bass Rogers seems to be brought to a low simmer as he leaves the ring, accompanied by Darren Michaels. What a main event that'll be... the VCW World Champion facing the VCW World Tag Team Champions, in a handicap match! But now we're going to go backstage... unfortunately, to a segment involving Brian Rivera and Stormy Weathers.

Backstage...

Brian Rivera is walking through the backstage hallways, looking concerned, with Stormy Weathers following behind him.

B. Rivera: Aw, this is just the damndest thing! I STILL can't find me no tag team partner, and I'm on against Monty Pompous in another damn tag team match! Stormy, you SURE you can't pull Virginia outta her match tonight to be my partner?

S. Weathers: Yeah, I'm sure. Look, boy, we still got... over forty seconds, by my watch. I'm sure we can get you a partner in that amount of time!

B. Rivera: Ain't no use for it, Stormy. I'm not picking Mongo again. You're just gonna have to be my partner in this here match.

S. Weathers: I ain't gonna do no such thing. Either you find a partner, or go round up Mongo again, or you're gonna be wrestling a handicap match!

As they walk through the backstage hallways frantically, they happen upon a large glass case, with Tom Guycot standing perfectly still inside it. There is a hammer mounted on the wall beside the case, and a sign has been placed on the glass case, reading "IN CASE OF TAG TEAM MATCH WITHOUT PARTNER, BREAK GLASS". Brian Rivera stares at the whole setup with a big, goofy smile.

B. Rivera: Aw hell yeah, Stormy! Check it out! This is the answer to our problem!

Brian Rivera grabs the hammer and breaks the glass, knocking it all out so there's enough room for Tom Guycot to step through. Tom Guycot steps forward, and Brian Rivera greets him with a goofy smile and an extended hand.

B. Rivera: Word up, Skeletor! How'd you like to be my tag team partner tonight against Monty Pompous and Lance Errington?

T. Guycot: Ugh, no. But to re-enter the glass case would be impossible, due to its state of brokenness, so... yes.

B. Rivera: All right, man! Let's go. Think you can handle it, bubba?

Tom Guycot nods.

T. Guycot: I will show you many tricks. The key to winning this match will be victory, respect, and dominance.

Tom Guycot and Brian Rivera begin heading down the hallway towards the entrance, and Stormy Weathers rolls his eyes and shrugs, then hurries after them as the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

So it seems that Brian Rivera will be teaming up with "The Chief of Governors" Tom Guycot in this coming match. "Perfect Strangers" by Dream Theater is playing, and that brings out Lance Errington and Monty Pompous, accompanied by Lance Errington's agent, Derek Cole. They walk to the ring, and Monty Pompous strips off his fine silk clothes until he's wearing his usual black trunks and boots, then grabs a microphone.

M. Pompous: Greetings, you barbarous ruffians! Once again, it is I, the greatest gentleman adventurer of the modern era, Monty Pompous, at your service!

Monty Pompous takes a low, sweeping bow towards the crowd, which responds with a lot of boos.

M. Pompous: Tonight, once again I will vanquish my barbaric rival, Brian Rivera. But that base scoundrel is not satisfied with being repeatedly humiliated... he had the unmitigated GALL to challenge ME to an Arkansas Hog Pen Match at Survival of the Fittest. Such a match is clearly beneath a stellar athlete and gracious gentleman such as myself, and yet I must accept. I must show the coward that I am not afraid to battle him on his own terms.

Now that I have called the coward's bluff, I will offer him one more chance to avoid my wrath. Sir, I implore you, for the sake of your continued welfare: desist in your absurd attempts to antagonize me, or you will face the consequences of my wrath. My dealings with you, sir, will consist of violence. I shall aquaint you with cudgeling, with steel, with brutality. I will break your bones, I will bruise your organs, I will split your skull so that what little wits you have will run out onto the ground. In the heat of battle, I may well make a widow of any woman who calls herself your wife, and orphans of any children of yours. You will be maimed greviously. I will translate your condition out of wellness into injury. I will contribute violently to a poor quality of health in your body. Therefore, sir, do not bring your poorly-evolved countenance before me unless it is to deliver an apology not only for your crimes against me, but for the horrid mistake made by our Divine Creator in allowing one such as you to exist.

The crowd's boos get louder, but "What'chu Lookin' At?" by Uncle Kracker begins playing, and now here come Brian Rivera and "The Chief of Governors" Tom Guycot, along with Stormy Weathers. They stop at the top of the entrance ramp, and Brian Rivera has a microphone... this can't be good.

B. Rivera: You may use your tongue better than a two-dollar hooker, but if you ask me, you're just a pansy-ass fairy. You just stand there and talk your fancy talk, Captain Hook, but you can't keep up with a good ol' boy like me, and I'm gonna kick your ass tonight, then kick it again in an Arkansas Hog Pen Match at Survival of the Fittest! I got two fists of iron right here with your name on 'em, and I'm fixing to throw down and give your fancy ass a collect call from my special hotline at 1-800-WHOOP-ASS, bubba!

Brian Rivera tosses the microphone and begins charging to the ring, with Tom Guycot following along! He slides in under the bottom rope, and a brawl breaks out in the ring! VCW referee Linda Peterson enters the ring and calls for the bell, and our first match is underway!

Brian Rivera & "The Chief of Governors" Tom Guycot
w/Stormy Weathers

vs.

Monty Pompous & Lance Errington
w/Derek Cole

Brian Rivera and Tom Guycot both seem outclassed here. They're smaller in size than either of their opponents, and despite some considerable wrestling skills they can't seem to match the raw athleticism of Monty Pompous or the crafty technical and brawling ability of Lance Errington. Brian Rivera is enthusiastic in going after Monty Pompous, showing a lot of intensity, but he's brawling with a man who's close to twenty pounds heavier than he is, and that all in muscle. Still, Brian Rivera holds his own in this match, getting in his licks. The same can't be said for Tom Guycot, who ends up taken down after a getting off a flurry of unorthodox offense.

Lance Errington and Monty Pompous isolate Tom Guycot in their corner and begin working him over, tagging in and out and pummelling him. Lance Errington works over his right leg a bit, perhaps trying to set him up for the Scorpion Deathlock, but Monty Pompous doesn't seem too concerned with that. Monty Pompous hits a few nice moves on Tom Guycot, then goes for the Swashbuckler, but Tom Guycot gets a foot up between his legs! Monty Pompous doubles over, and this is Tom Guycot's chance to make a tag! He begins staggering towards his corner, but on the outside, Derek Cole runs up to Stormy Weathers and nails him with a karate kick to the face that sends him down! Brian Rivera sees that, and jumps down off of the apron to chase Derek Cole... and when Tom Guycot gets to his corner, there's nobody for him to tag in! Lance Errington gets the tag from Monty Pompous, then rushes in and clobbers Tom Guycot, dragging him away from the corner and continuing the offense.

On the outside, Brian Rivera corners Derek Cole near the guardrail and advances on him threateningly! Monty Pompous hops down off of the apron behind him, though, and he has a chair! Brian Rivera doesn't see it, as Derek Cole goes into a martial arts stance and tells him to bring it on... and Monty Pompous bashes Brian Rivera in the back with a chair! And Linda Peterson was distracted counting a near fall on a pin attempt on Tom Guycot, so she didn't see that! Lance Errington gets up, and now Monty Pompous has Brian Rivera laid out on the outside, so Lance Errington grabs Tom Guycot's legs and applies the Scorpion Deathlock! Tom Guycot struggles for a few minutes, but then taps out! Lance Errington and Monty Pompous win!

Lance Errington and Monty Pompous defeated Tom Guycot and Brian Rivera when Errington made Guycot submit to the Scorpion Deathlock in 0:07:26.
Rating: *

Lance Errington releases the hold, raising his hands in victory, but on the outside of the ring, Monty Pompous crouches over Brian Rivera, pounding away at him! Lance Errington and Derek Cole are headed backstage, as Monty Pompous continues to pound on Brian Rivera until Linda Peterson urges him to get up and stop. Finally, with one last kick down at Brian Rivera, Monty Pompous begins heading backstage as well. As they leave the ring, we're going to go to some footage sent in from the Whitespire Mountains!

At the Whitespire Mountains, Near the Eternal Stone...

Gavin, the Prince of Cats, is kneeling atop a mountain ledge, scanning the frozen valley below. The camera can see nothing but arctic wilderness, and apparently neither can he, because he stands and turns to leave. But as he does, Sophie approaches him, wearing nothing but a black g-string and two heaps of snow packed over her breasts.

Sophie: Hey, Gavin... wanna taste my snow cones?

Gavin whirls sharply to face Sophie, and a stern glare crosses his face as he does.

Gavin: Sophia, why aren't you at the Eternal Stone!? Return to your post and put some clothes on this instant!

Sophie: Why are you giving me orders? I'm the Princess of Bonarbor! I don't take orders from you!

Sophie sticks her tongue out at Gavin, but his stern frown becomes even more pronounced as urgency creeps into his voice.

Gavin: Sophia, I'm not playing games. If Morgana's minions approach the Eternal Stone while you're away, the entire UNIVERSE could be thrown into chaos, all because YOU decided to come up here and whore yourself out to me. Get back to your post AT ONCE.

Sophie begins to cross her arms over her chest in a pouting gesture, before she realizes that the snow over her breasts is in the way. Instead, she just places her fists on her hips.

Sophie: Oh, come on, Gavin... they're not gonna find it. Who could find ANYTHING out in the middle of nowhere like this?

Gavin: I don't want to argue with you.

Sophie: Yeah? Well, I think you're just a big wet blanket! Take this!

Sophie pulls one of the heaps of snow off of her breasts (unfortunately, with her back to the camera), balls it into a snowball, and tosses it at Gavin, who narrowly avoids it by ducking.

Gavin: Sophia! Stop this now!!

Sophie: No way! I've got another snowball coming, and this one's not missing! Have an ARCTIC FREEZE BALL!!

Sophia pulls the other mound of snow off of her breast, balls it up, and throws it at Gavin, and this time when he ducks, he ducks right into it. The snowball strikes him in the face and knocks him over.

Sophie: RUHUHAHAHAHAHA!! You are helpless before the might of my deadly snow-boobs! Surrender or I will... ...um, Gavin?

Sophie trails off as she notices that Gavin's not moving. She rushes to his side, and it can be seen that he is frozen over with a thin layer of ice.

Sophie: Oh, no!! Gavin! I didn't mean it! I didn't even know that was a special power or anything! Please, stop being frozen!! Pleeeeeease!!

Sophie starts to panic, and beats on the ice with her fists uselessly. She seems ready to cry when the penguin waddles onto the scene hurriedly.

Sophie: Penji!! You have to help me! I froze Gavin with a special power I didn't even know I had, and now I can't make him be not frozen again!

Penji, the penguin, stares at Gavin for a second, then squawks several times.

Sophie: But he might take a really long time to thaw on his own, and I can't carry him back to the fire at our camp to thaw him out! He's too heavy! There HAS to be another way!

Penji seems to think for a minute, then hops up and down, squawking at her.

Sophie: Really? Will that actually work? It sounds like fun, anyway... I'll give it a try.

Sophie straddles Gavin's frozen body, giving the camera a nearly-indecent view of the side of a small, round breast, then lowers her face to his and kisses him on the frozen lips. The ice around him quickly melts into a puddle around him, and as Sophie continues kissing him he finally forces her face away from his.

Gavin: Sophia, I don't know WHAT you just did, but--

Sophie: I found out about another special power I have from my penguin! I can throw snowballs at stuff and freeze them! But I'm really, really, REEEEEEALLY sorry I accidently did it to you. I was just playing around!

Gavin: It's all right. Now let's get back to the Eternal Stone and make sure nothing has found it while you're gone.

Sophie: We can go back in a couple minutes. Right NOW, though... I was thinking maybe I could make it up to you for the whole freezing snowball thing.

Gavin: What do you--

Gavin's speech is cut off as Sophie kisses him again, and he squirms around under her before finally grabbing her face at both sides and pulling her head away from his.

Gavin: Sophia, you must not do this! Even if the fate of the universe as we know it wasn't in the balance, you ARE the Princess of Bonarbor, and it is not my place to... to...

Gavin trails off as he stares into Sophie's smiling face, and he seems to be wavering. But Penji, the penguin, looks up with a terrorized squawk as a shadow passes overhead. Sophie and Gavin stare up as well, and as the camera tilts to watch, a man can be seen riding a white dragon, descending in a valley near where Sophie and Gavin are.

Sophie: Oh no! Some guy on a dragon just landed near the Eternal Stone!

Gavin throws Sophie off of himself and stands up quickly.

Gavin: This is EXACTLY what I had feared! Quickly, we must go to the Eternal Stone! Time is of the essence!

Gavin dashes off towards the place where the the dragon landed, and Sophie quickly gets up and follows, still with her back to the camera.

The scene shifts to one in the neighboring valley, where a white dragon lands, and High Archmage Dantrell of the Imperial War Wizards of Arkanov dismounts. In front of him is a huge black monolith with carvings in an ancient, arcane alphabet on it. It seems to resonate with power as he approaches.

Dantrell: Yes... this is it. The Eternal Stone exists!! Queen Morgana will be pleased, and General Caurillia as well.

Dantrell walks up to the Eternal Stone and touches its smooth surface, running his hands over the carvings there.

Dantrell: I can feel its power... the ripplings through the fabric of the universe as I touch it... but I cannot read these ancient runes. I must fetch General Caurillia so she can place Queen Morgana's beacon here. The Queen will know what to do with the Eternal Stone.

Dantrell turns back to his dragon and begins to mount it, but Sophie and Gavin can be seen in the background, running over a hill. Sophie is carrying Penji in front of her in her arms. They rush onto the scene as Dantrell mounts his dragon, but Dantrell notices them approaching.

Dantrell: What's this? It appears to be a pair of foolish meddlers. Dragon! Kill them with your icy breath!

The white dragon rears back and blasts them with a cone of chilling air, so cold that small ice crystals form in the air as it breaths at them, but Sophie, Gavin, and Penji seem unhurt by it.

Sophie: Ha! We're all immune to cold temperatures, you stupid dragon!

Dantrell: That doesn't matter. You are weeks away from any civilization, and General Caurillia is seven days' march from here. In seven days, she will arrive, leading the Arkanovian army, and crush you like insects.

Sophie: Caurillia!? What a stupid name!

Dantrell: I can assure you that no thought was given to pleasing you when she was named.

Sophie: Well, if she wants the Eternal Stone, she'll have to get through ME first!

Dantrell: I assure you, that will be no problem. Make yourselves absent from this place, or in seven days, you perish.

The dragon's wings begin flapping, and it takes off into the sky as Gavin and Sophie stare after it. At that, the scene fades to black.

This will probably lead to some sort of nonsensical match at the pay-per-view in six days, but we're not entirely sure how. But hold on... "Ballbreaker" by AC/DC begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd boos as Virginia comes out of the backstage entrance, carrying her half of the SJW World Tag Team Titles. She walks to the ring, looking around at the fans with disdain, then climbs inside and calls for a microphone. What's this about?

Virginia: If you've been watching for the past few weeks, you know I've made a habit out of beating the hell out of Yuri Sonoda. She calls herself the Pink Kitten these days... and that's pretty accurate, because she's nothing but a little pussy.

The crowd boos, but Virginia just smiles as she starts pacing in the ring.

Virginia: At Survival of the Fittest, I've signed for a match against her, one-on-one, and she won't be walking away after I'm done with her. It's no secret that since Melissa and Amy left, there hasn't been much of a women's division in VCW, and the way I see it, after I crush the Pink Kitten and head back to Japan, there won't be one, PERIOD. I'm not even going to stoop to acknowledging the no-talent sluts like Nurse Vivacia and Heather Dannon. The VCW women's roster is on its last legs... and I'm gonna put it out of its misery, then head over to Japan and never come back to this shithole again!

The crowd boos loudly; they wouldn't mind seeing Virginia head back to Japan, but they don't like the idea of her crushing the Pink Kitten and dismantling the VCW women's roster.

Virginia: But wait... there is one other. Before I can take credit for putting the final nail in the coffin of women's wrestling here in VCW and head off to face some joshi wrestlers who might actually give me a little competition... there IS the matter of Christina Ellis. She's known among SJW fans as "that blond gaijin jobber who thinks she's Manami Toyota". But as far as I'm concerned, she's the stupid bitch who attacked me with a nightstick last week because she couldn't get the job done without one. So before I put the finishing touches on her little friend, the Pink Kitten, I'm going to see if Christina has the guts to come out here and face someone who actually wins matches in Japan.

Hold it... "Star Cycle" by Jeff Beck just kicked on, and the crowd cheers loudly as Christina Ellis comes out of the backstage entrance! She's carrying a microphone of her own, and she's staring into the ring at Virginia! She takes a moment to bask in the cheers of the crowd, then focuses on Virginia again and raises the microphone.

C. Ellis: Listen, you BITCH... maybe you think you're special because you get pushed in Japan and a bunch of perverts with transvestite fetishes jack off to pictures of you in a porno magazine, but to the rest of us, you're nothing but a slut, a bimbo, and a musclebound HORSE'S ASS!!

The crowd explodes into cheers, and Virginia stares at Christina Ellis with shock and rage for a second before raising her microphone again.

Virginia: Who the hell are YOU to say that about me!? I'm the strongest woman in professional wrestling HISTORY. I'm one-half of the SJW World Tag Team Champions. And I'm--

C. Ellis: You're a glorified, roided-up porn star who got booked high up in Japan by doing a private bukkake session with the SJPW Board of Directors, that's what you are. You rode into VCW on Johnny Smiles's coattails, milked that for all you could get out of it, then rode and milked a few dozen dicks that belonged to the right people once your fifteen minutes of fame were up. You think it means something to me that you're a success in Japan? For all of my love and respect for the finer aspects of Japanese wrestling, I'll be the first to admit that they like freakishly big, talentless foreigners... and you're a prime example of that. You want to know what it means, that you're a big shot in SJW? I'll tell you. It means that you're Giant Singh with a pair of boobs!!

The crowd cheers again, and Virginia is practically choking on her tongue, speechless with anger, before she finally manages a reply, dripping with intensity and hatred.

Virginia: You DARE to talk about me like that!? You DARE to insult the ICON of modern women's professional wrestling like that!? Look at YOU. You're just a bitter little fuck. You're less than nothing. You're an insignificant little twat with a thimbleful of ability, a microscopic speck of talent, less than half a tiny grain of sex appeal, and a cubic fuckton of ego. And when I take you apart one limb at a time, when I mangle you and destroy you with my bare hands until nothing's left of you but a pile of meat that's something less than human, just remember that YOU'RE the one responsible. You came back and jumped in to help Yuri when you could have just stayed back in Japan, where you're beneath my notice. Get in here and prepare to be crushed... I am Virginia, I am an internationally famous World Champion, and I am YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, bitch.

Virginia's final words are spoken in a growl of pure malice. The crowd boos, but Christina Ellis does hesitate and take a deep breath as she stares into the ring at Virginia... she may have been a little bit psyched out. The fact is that she's coming out here to confront a woman who's much, much bigger and stronger than she is, and that if her vaunted skills don't measure up, she could easily be mangled, just as Virginia said. But after a moment's hesitation, she tosses her microphone aside and charges to the ring with a determined stare, then slides inside! Bobcat McGavin enters the ring and calls for the bell, and the match is on!

Christina Ellis

vs.

Virginia

Virginia charges at the opening bell with a clothesline, but runs straight into a dropkick that sends her staggering back! The crowd cheers, and Christina Ellis motions for her to charge again... and she does, into another dropkick! But this time, Virginia folds her arms in front of her chest to block most of it, and only staggers back a step... and when Christina Ellis gets up after the dropkick, Virginia mows her down with a huge clothesline, then goes down and starts choking her! She releases the choke on the four count, but continues clobbering Christina Ellis and tossing her around with power moves. Christina Ellis does her best to fight back against Virginia, and her superior technical ability and speed enable her to come back and take Virginia to the mat, working her over there. But Virginia's too big and strong to keep down, and despite Christina Ellis's best efforts, she tends to absorb her offense, get to her feet, and regain the advantage through sheer size and power.

Things start looking bleak for Christina Ellis when Virginia hits a spinebuster for a near fall. She pulls Christina Ellis up and goes for the Virgin Sacrifice, but Christina Ellis is able to squirm free behind Virginia, and put on a waistlock... but when she goes for a German suplex, she can't get Virginia up high enough, and ends up falling onto her back, with Virginia sitting on her chest! Virginia cradles her legs, but somehow, Christina Ellis is able to get a shoulder up just before three! Virginia lifts her for the Virgin Sacrifice again, but this time Christina Ellis counters in with a crucifix, but that only gets a two count before Virginia kicks out powerfully.

Virginia rushes Christina Ellis with a clothesline, but Christina Ellis ducks and wraps around behind her with another waistlock! She lets out a mighty scream, then lifts... RELEASE GERMAN SUPLEX!! The crowd explodes into cheers! Christina Ellis just suplexed a woman nearly twice her size! And now she's going up to the top turnbuckle, as Virginia gets up. Virginia turns around... INTO A FLYING DROPKICK!! She goes down, and Christina Ellis covers... but Virginia presses her several feet into the air with a HUGE kickout at two! Christina Ellis stares at her for a second, a little bit shaken, but then goes out to the apron and climbs to the top turnbuckle again... but this time, Virginia's up early, and she rushes forward to shake the ropes! Christina falls crotch-first on the turnbuckle, and Virginia climbs up to the top to meet her. She pulls Christina Ellis up in a fireman's carry... TOP-ROPE VIRGIN SACRIFICE!! Christina Ellis pops up in the air from the impact and actually lands on her feet, but her legs crumple under her immediately and she collapses to the mat, a motionless husk. The crowd is a little bit stunned by that amazing move, and Virginia places a hand casually on Christina Ellis's chest for an arrogant cover. Of course, it gets a three count.

Virginia pinned Christina Ellis after a top-rope Virgin Sacrifice in 0:07:53.
Rating: * 1/4

Virginia may have just utterly destroyed Christina Ellis... but she's not done yet! She points down at Christina Ellis and draws her thumb across her throat, then lifts her in another fireman's carry... not again... VIRGIN SACRIFICE!! She's just trying to inflict more punishment now! The crowd boos, and Virginia pulls Christina Ellis up by the throat, then lifts... CHOKESLAM!! This is beyond excessive! But Virginia stomps at Christina Ellis's body repeatedly, not letting up, then puts her in a standing headscissors and pulls her up... CRUCIFIX POWER BOMB!! She's mauling Christina Ellis just as she promised she would!

But the crowd's boos suddenly change to cheers as the Pink Kitten comes running out of the backstage entrance! She runs to the ring, hops up on the apron, and springs to the top turnbuckle, then comes off with a big flying dropkick that knocks Virginia off her feet! Virginia starts to get up, but the Pink Kitten scrambles back up to the top turnbuckle, then leaps off to take her down with a flying somersault neckbreaker! But once again, Virginia's getting up, and she looks mad. The Pink Kitten gives her a kick to the midsection, then puts on a headlock and runs up the turnbuckles for a swinging bulldog, but Virginia just takes a firm grip on her and pitches her out over the top rope to the floor! The Pink Kitten lands hard, and sprawls out in agony on the floor, and Virginia just pulls Christina Ellis up in a fireman's carry again, then gives her another VIRGIN SACRIFICE! The crowd boos, and a weak "MELISSA!" chant begins... but she's not showing up tonight, and Virginia lifts Christina Ellis again... for yet another VIRGIN SACRIFICE!!

The crowd boos loudly, and finally Virginia rolls out of the ring, looking pleased with herself. She stops to stand over the Pink Kitten as she pulls herself up, and the camera catches her saying, "In six days, that's YOU," as she points to Christina inside the ring. Virginia begins walking away, and the Pink Kitten forgets her own suffering as she sees what Virginia has done to Christina Ellis. The Pink Kitten checks on her fallen friend, and now trainers come out of the back to tend to Christina Ellis. Seeing that Christina's in good hands, the Pink Kitten grabs a microphone. Virginia has already disappeared backstage; what is the Pink Kitten planning to say?

P. Kitten: In my career, no one has been as supportive to me as Christina. She's my first friend in professional wrestling. Virginia, maybe you think you scared me by doing this to her, but you just made my fighting spirit stronger. This won't go unpunished. At Survival of the Fittest, I WILL defeat you, and make you wish you'd never done this.

The Pink Kitten tosses aside the microphone and turns to help the trainers with Christina. She's looking to take down Virginia in six days. But now, we're going to go backstage and take a look at VCW Commissioner James Applebee's office! Let's see that now!

Backstage...

VCW Commissioner James Applebee is sitting in his office backstage, watching Virginia's mauling of Christina Ellis with a grim face. He sighs and turns away when it comes to an end. The door to his locker room opens, and in walks a well-built black-haired man in a VCW T-shirt, leading in a blue-haired young woman wearing a transparent pink T-shirt cut off above the navel, with a black bra underneath, and tan cargo pants that sag low enough on her hips to expose the top of a black thong. She's also carrying a travel bag on one shoulder. James Applebee looks up when he sees them enter.

J. Applebee: Ah! Coach Douglas! Just the man I was wanting to see. I don't know if you just saw that footage, but Virginia is destroying our female competitors. Tell me you have someone better than that Dannon girl for me. ALW won't work with us any more after the Helms incident, and we need more women in the ranks if we're going to build a competitive women's division.

Coach: Well, Mr. Applebee, I've been doing my best. I've brought one of my star students with me tonight, actually. Maybe you'd like to meet--

J. Applebee: You mean to tell me THIS is one of your star students? She looks like she belongs in a campus rave party, not a wrestling ring...

Woman: Hey!!

Coach: Appearances can be deceiving, Mr. Applebee. This is Pauline Vietjohn, and I think she shows a lot of promise in the ring.

J. Applebee: Really? Because I'm not terribly impressed with your recent work with Heather.

Coach: I'm sorry for that. It's just that, frankly, I wanted Heather out of my hair, and--

J. Applebee: Yes, well, that makes two of us. Tell me about Pauline, then.

Pauline Vietjohn steps back and leans against the wall, looking bored.

P. Vietjohn: Can I go get a drink or something? I mean, it doesn't sound like you need me here for this...

Coach: You'd better stick around, Pauline.

Pauline sighs and sets her travelling bag down, then shifts her weight against the wall, as the coach turns back to James Applebee.

Coach: Anyway, Pauline is a true death-defying athlete. Get this... she can do not only a senton bomb, but also a flying twisting dropkick from the top rope. It's the damndest thing. She comes off the top with a backflip like for a moonsault, then twists and turns in mid-air and hits a picture-perfect dropkick out of it. I kid you not.

J. Applebee: Yes, but can she wrestle?

Coach: I'm sorry?

J. Applebee: Any young, healthy fool can fling themselves through the air. But does she have a smattering of elementary wrestling ability? Does she have the grappling ability of a freshman on a high school junior varsity wrestling team? Can she tell, on sight, a Northern Lights Bomb from a bodyslam?

Coach: Well, admittedly I haven't been focusing on--

The coach is suddenly interrupted as Heather Dannon bursts in through the door, dressed in her wrestling gear for some reason.

H. Dannon: Okay, look, I know I messed up last week, but--oh! Hi, Coach. Hi, Pauline. Didn't expect to see you here. You're here to tell the Commissioner what a great... I mean good... er, that is, acceptable wrestler I am, right?

Pauline Vietjohn acknowledges Heather with a nod of the head, but the coach just turns to her and frowns, as does James Applebee.

J. Applebee: We're trying to hold a meeting here, Heather. I'm going to have to ask you to leave, or I'll call security.

H. Dannon: But... wait. If you guys aren't here to speak up for me, what ARE you here for?

J. Applebee: If it gets you out of my office without a scene, I'll tell you. I mean to add Pauline to the VCW roster.

H. Dannon: Oh, that's a GREAT idea! We can be tag team partners! We're already so close, we're practically sisters. We'll win those Japanese belts from Virginia and Komachi in no time! Great thinking, boss!

J. Applebee: Heather... the intention was to hire her not as your partner, but as your replacement. You're simply not the quality of athlete that VCW is currently looking for.

Heather Dannon turns to Pauline Vietjohn with an upset, frantic stare.

H. Dannon: Pauline... they're kidding, right? You wouldn't replace me, would you?

Pauline Vietjohn rolls her eyes awkwardly and sighs.

P. Vietjohn: Um... well... y'see, Heather, it's just that... well, things got... kinda weird, and--

H. Dannon: I don't BELIEVE this! Pauline, how could you!? Don't you remember when we went out to Dairy Queen after practice, and I loaned you fifty cents because you didn't have enough for your own ice cream? Or what about the time when you forgot your shampoo, and I let you use mine? Or when we were riding in my car together with the CD player on, and you didn't like my They Might Be Giants CD, so I let you change it to something else? Doesn't that kind of friendship and devotion mean ANYTHING to you?

P. Vietjohn: Heather... all that stuff's so insignificant that I'd already forgotten about it. Besides, you still owe me that twenty-three dollars I loaned you for dinner and gas a week ago. I needed that money to buy my little brother a birthday present, and you said you'd give it back in time--

H. Dannon: Don't worry about that right now. This is IMPORTANT. It's my career we're talking about. You can't just replace me! I mean... okay, look. I know I'm not as athletic as you, or as talented as you... or as pretty as you, or as smart as you, or as hard-working as you... and I guess my manners and personal hygeine aren't as good as yours, either... but that doesn't mean I'm all that BAD. You know that I'm halfway decent, right? You know I'm good enough, under most circumstances... right? Tell them, Pauline! You can't just steal my job like this!

P. Vietjohn: Heather, if I could get them to hire us both, I would. I'd love to be your tag team partner. Really. But try to understand, I want to wrestle too. I just don't want--

H. Dannon: So you're stabbing me in the back, is that how it is!? I can't believe you'd do this to me! I've never been so utterly BETRAYED in all my life!! You... you... I HATE YOU!! You stupid BITCH!! I'm gonna pull that ugly blue wig right off your head!!

Heather Dannon lunges forward and grabs two handfuls of Pauline Vietjohn's blue hair, then begins tugging and pulling on it.

P. Vietjohn: Ow, Heather, let go!! Why are you pulling my hair!? You've SEEN me washing it in the showers! You KNOW it's not a wig!! Let go!!

After a moment of staring in shock, James Applebee and the coach begin trying to seperate the two women. Finally, James Applebee pulls Heather Dannon back, kicking and squirming. She continues kicking and squirming as she yells at Pauline Vietjohn.

H. Dannon: I'll get you for this!! You'll ALL be sorry! Pauline, I was your FRIEND! We could've been a TEAM together!! But NO... you RUINED IT!! When you start winning matches, I hope you think about ME, living on the STREET and eating GARBAGE, whoring myself out for fifty... no, wait, I probably couldn't get that... well, THIRTY dollars an hour just to get by, all because you STABBED me in the BACK! I hope you lay awake at night and can't SLEEP because of it! And I'm not gonna pay you your twenty-three dollars back, either!! I hope you break your back in your first match and... and... GRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!!! I HATE YOU!!!

Heather Dannon struggles wildly in James Applebee's grasp, red-faced with tears running down her cheeks at the climactic, final outburst of her ranting. She kicks and thrashes wildly, and a dark, wet spot appears and quickly grows at the crotch of her tights, as the coach and Pauline Vietjohn stare in shock and horror.

Coach: Er... Mr. Applebee, I think she just wet herself...

James Applebee quickly releases Heather Dannon and jumps aside in revulsion, and Heather Dannon falls into a heap on the floor, sobbing and moaning hysterically.

J. Applebee: Damn it, Heather, you DISGUST me!! Get out of my office, NOW!!

H. Dannon: But I AM a halfway decent wrestler! You can't do this to me!! I want to be a WRESTLER, and it's NOT FAIR!!

James Applebee snatches up a clipboard from his desk, flips to a page, and writes something down on it, then snatches the page away and thrusts it at Heather.

J. Applebee: OKAY!! Here's a contract for a match with Nurse Vivacia at Survival of the Fittest. Win and you're on the roster. Now take it and for the LOVE of GOD, LEAVE!!

Heather Dannon takes the paper and pulls herself up off of the floor, sniffling and sobbing.

H. Dannon: Fine! I'm leaving!!

She opens the door, storms out, and slams it behind her with a loud crash. The coach, Pauline Vietjohn, and James Applebee all stare after her.

Coach: Er... should we reschedule this meeting, you think?

J. Applebee: That'd be best. I--

The door creaks open again, and Heather Dannon timidly steps in again.

H. Dannon: Um... Pauline? Do you think I could borrow a pair of pants, maybe? I... uh... had an accident, and I don't have a spare.

Pauline Vietjohn stares at Heather Dannon incredulously for a few moments.

P. Vietjohn: Um... well, I guess...

Pauline begins rummaging through her travel bag, and starts to pull out a pair of blue jeans.

H. Dannon: No, I can't fit into your jeans. Can I have your Hello Kitty pajama bottoms instead? You know, with the elastic waistband?

Pauline Vietjohn gives Heather Dannon another stare of disbelief, but then pulls out the pajama bottoms and hands them to her.

H. Dannon: Thanks.

P. Vietjohn: Um... yeah, okay.

Heather Dannon takes the pajama bottoms and leaves the room with them, and Pauline exchanges another incredulous stare with James Applebee and the coach as the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

We're back, and we're going to go from that ridiculous situation into a more serious sort of thing, as we prepare to see Owen Addison and Julian Page go one-on-one in the second round of the Survival of the Fittest Tournament! "Until It Sleeps" by Metallica is playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers as Owen Addison comes out of the backstage entrance. But Jennie's following him out, for some reason! Owen turns and notices her halfway to the ring, and begins yelling at her and pointing to the back, demanding that she not come to ringside with him. She begins pleading to stay, but after a few seconds she lowers her head and turns to walk back up the ramp and head backstage, to a round of boos from the crowd. Obviously, sending Jennie away was not a very popular decision, but Owen Addison doesn't seem to care as he steps into the ring and begins stretching and preparing for a match.

And now "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin begins playing, and the crowd gives a huge round of boos as Julian Page comes out of the backstage entrance. As those who follow VCW house show reports know, Julian Page injured Tim Bell in a tag team match last night, taking him out of commission, and that's sure to increase the fire of hatred between these two men. Julian Pagewalks to the ring, looking as cocky as ever, though beneath that it's clear that he's focused on this match. Winning the Survival of the Fittest tournament would catapult the careers of either of these men instantly; many people have been saying that they're main event-caliber competitors, and this would prove it tonight. But there's even more than that at stake here; not only have the Hammer of the Gods and the Technicians have been at odds for at least a year and a half now, and not only will Owen Addison be looking for revenge for Tim Bell, but whoever wins this match, pitting the leader of the Hammer of the Gods against the leader of the Technicians, will have a semi-final spot in the tournament as well as a considerable moral victory. Julian Page climbs into the ring at the opposite corner from Owen, and Jerry Rogers enters the ring and calls for the bell to begin this match!

Survival Of The Fittest
Second Round Match:

Julian Page

vs.

Owen Addison

They start off with a lockup and a test of wrestling abilities, and Owen Addison gets the better of Julian Page on this front, taking him down repeatedly and keeping him on the mat, trying to wear him down early. Julian Page is a competent wrestler in his own right, but it becomes clear that he's outclassed on this field, so he resorts to brawling. His quick jabs, forearms, and chops find a little more success than his wrestling approach, but it's hard for him to slug it out with Owen Addison when he's taken down to the mat, and Owen makes sure that that's the case frequently. But having tried the high road without enough success to make it worthwhile, Julian Page soon takes the low road, taking control with an eye gouge followed by a blatant low blow.

Julian Page ignores Jerry Rogers's admonitions for the illegal tactics and takes control of the match, first with some brawling and basic offense. As he gets more confidence and momentum, Julian Page focuses on Owen Addison's right shoulder, in a rather out-of-character gesture; normally, he works the legs to set up a figure-four leglock. But Owen Addison wrestling ability comes into play again here, and as Julian Page tries to maintain a focus on his right shoulder, Owen Addison keeps fighting back and getting in offense of his own. But Julian Page still manages to keep the advantage from slipping drastically by cutting Owen Addison's attempted comebacks off with cheap shots. Finally, he applies an armbar submission, and Owen appears to be in serious trouble, but after a lengthy struggle, he makes it to the ropes. Undaunted, Julian Page goes for an armwringer, but Owen Addison twists out of it, then hits a low blow of his own on Julian Page!

Jerry Rogers scolds Owen, but the crowd loves it, and Owen Addison just puts on a waistlock, then takes Julian Page down with a German suplex! But instead of holding the bridge, he rolls on the mat, clutching his shoulder; it doesn't seem like that move did his arm any good. He pulls Julian Page up into a waistlock, and goes to do it again, but Julian Page catches him with a back elbow this time, then grabs him by the hair and snap mares him down! Julian Page steps out to the apron and starts climbing to the top turnbuckle... but Owen Addison gets up too, and he catches Julian Page at the top! Julian Page frantically shakes his head "no" and begs for mercy... but Owen Addison braces him with his good arm, then press slams him off the top! Julian Page crashes to the mat, holding his back and moaning, and Owen Addison is in control again!

Working around and through the pain in his shoulder, Owen Addison goes on the offensive, taking Julian Page down with a series of big moves, culminating in a reverse neckbreaker on his good shoulder, a brain buster, and a jumping neck snap. Julian Page is reeling from all this offense, and Owen Addison picks him up for the Tombstone... but his right side is weak, and Julian Page squirms out behind him! Owen Addison turns around... into a kick to the midsection! Julian Page puts on a standing headscissors and hooks his arms for the Swan Song, but Owen Addison backdrops out of it! Julian Page tries to take him over for a sunset flip, but Owen Addison lunges forward and grabs the ropes to steady himself, then drops a knee on Julian Page's face!

Julian Page thrashes on the mat, clutching his nose, and Owen Addison pulls him into a standing headscissors... but here come Jacob Idol and Jasmina Chastity from the back! Owen Addison hooks Julian Page's arms... DOUBLE UNDERHOOK FACESLAM! The crowd goes wild... Julian Page just got planted with his own finisher! He goes for the cover... but Jasmina Chastity is up on the apron, distracting Jerry Rogers! Owen Addison notices the lack of a count, and gets up to complain, but Jacob Idol slides into the ring behind him and pulls him back into an INVERTED DDT!! Jacob Idol rolls out of the ring, and Jerry Rogers turns around... and now he's asking Jacob Idol if he did anything, and Jacob Idol's protesting his innocence! But while Jerry Rogers is watching Jacob Idol, Jasmina Chastity just pulled a pair of brass knuckles out from under her shirt and passed them to Julian Page! Both Owen Addison and Julian Page get up slowly... AND Julian Page nails him with the knuckles! He quickly slips them into his tights, then covers Owen Addison with his feet on the ropes... and Jerry Rogers turns around, and counts to three! Damn it, Julian Page advances in the tournament!

Survival of the Fittest Tournament Match -Round Two:
Julian Page pinned Owen Addison after hitting him with a foreign object in 0:11:27.
Rating: ** 3/4

Julian Page rolls out of the ring and begins heading backstage with Jacob Idol and Jasmina Chastity, raising his hands in victory. He didn't win this match of his own accord; Owen Addison just got screwed! But would it have been any different if he had allowed Jennie to accompany him to the ring? Could she have neutralized at least part of the interference here? We may not know the answer to that for some time. But right now, we're going backstage, where we understand a camera has spotted Gabriel Black talking to Stacey Lockman!

Backstage...

Stacey Lockman is standing backstage in a dressing room, undressing. She takes off her skirt and blouse, tossing them aside, then removes her bra and panties, leaving herself nude (but unfortunately censored by the production team). She picks up a pink one-piece latex leotard, when the door suddenly bursts open and Gabriel Black walks in. She lets out a frightened yelp and holds the leotard somewhat in front of her body, trying with middling success to conceal her nudity from Gabriel.

G. Black: Hello, Stacey.

Stacey Lockman glares at Gabriel Black.

S. Lockman: What are YOU doing here!? Didn't you think of knocking first?

G. Black: I thought of it, and decided to simply barge in uninvited. It's the Melissa approach. Speaking of whom, I do hope the poor girl can recover and return... but I digress. I came here to see you.

S. Lockman: Well, considering that I'm like... butt freaking naked, maybe you could come back later?

G. Black: But I wanted to speak to you now. Come on, Stacey... I have no hostility or lechery in my intentions. So set aside this foolish modesty, and open yourself up to me.

Gabriel Black approaches Stacey Lockman and slowly reaches out, taking the leotard that she was using to shield herself and setting it aside. His gaze travels up and down the length of her nude body, then fixes on her eyes and smiles. She stares back at him, frozen as if hypnotized.

G. Black: I see that Jimmy's not only a great wrestler... he also knows how to raise a voluptuous, shapely... simply STUNNING young daughter. You're beautiful, Stacey.

Stacey Lockman returns his stare like a charmed snake. Her only motion is a slight shiver as he reaches up to run a hand through her blond hair, then lets it rest on her bare shoulder.

S. Lockman: Wh-why have you come here?

G. Black: Tell me, Stacey... it pained me to see Lorenzo Vasquez attack you so many months ago, and it pained me again to see my own sister do it two weeks ago. You look wonderful... but how do you feel? Are you healthy?

S. Lockman: Y-yeah, I'm okay, I guess. I mean, my... my neck is... fine, and since I started t-training I've regained all my mobility and stuff...

G. Black: I'm very glad to hear that, Stacey. It would break my heart all over again to see anything bad befall you. Do you think you will be physically able to wrestle my brother and sister tonight?

S. Lockman: I... I think so. I mean, my doctor said... he cleared me to wrestle, so... yeah, I think so.

G. Black: Be careful. They're both sick and depraved. They seek to destroy beauty and nobility wherever they find it. They nearly crippled me, just as they did you. I can bear my own pain. I am not afraid to suffer. But the pain of others... the pain of my wife and my little daughter, and your pain... it wounds my soul to the core. So please, be very careful.

S. Lockman: I will.

G. Black: Good. And as for your dear friend, the California Crippler, Ken Collins... firstly, I want you to tell him that he has my thanks for eliminating that vile abomination Lorenzo Vasquez and protecting you. And secondly... I think you should tell him to hurt Troy and Rebecca. He is the California Crippler, and he knows what they are capable of. Encourage him to hurt them so badly they can create no more trouble, because that is, sadly, the only way we will ever be free from them.

S. Lockman: I... well, I just--

G. Black: For that matter, if you should find yourself in a favorable position against Rebecca... do not hesitate to hurt her. Break her neck for me, Stacey. Remember how she laughed while Lorenzo hurt and tormented you horribly... and break her neck.

S. Lockman: But when I was h-hurt... that feeling... the pain, the fear, you know... I don't want to do that to ANYBODY. Even Troy or Rebecca.

G. Black: Do it, Stacey.

Gabriel Black lets his hand slide down slowly from her shoulder, brushing over one of her breasts and her stomach and beyond, reaching down further. Stacey Lockman shivers again, but her eyes never break from Gabriel's.

G. Black: A full Brazilian wax... I like that. Makes everything so nice and smooth...

S. Lockman: We shouldn't do this, Gabriel.

Gabriel Black withdraws his hand and smiles again.

G. Black: I know. And so we won't. All I would ask of you is that you do not hold back against my brother and sister. Do not allow yourself to be injured. And if there is anything you want of me... anything... ask, and it is yours.

Gabriel Black leans forward and kisses Stacey Lockman gently on the cheek, then reaches up to lightly brush her forehead with a single finger. But at that moment, the door opens, and Ken Collins enters the room, wearing the VCW Intercontinental Title.

K. Collins: Gabriel!? Stacey!? What the hell are you--

G. Black: Be at ease. I merely came to warn her not to be merciful when she meets my brother and sister tonight, and to extend to her an offer that I now extend to you as well: anything you would ask of me that is mine to provide shall be yours.

Ken Collins steps forward, glaring at Gabriel Black.

K. Collins: Is that so? I've got one big thing to ask you for right now... get the hell out of here, don't come back, and don't wrap us up in your family feud. Maybe you have some people fooled with this conquering avenger act, but I don't like you, and I don't trust you. And I don't know what you did to Stacey--she looks white as a ghost--but if I ever catch word of you hurting her, we'll have a reinactment of Wrestlewar III on our hands. Is that clear?

Gabriel Black goes face to face with Ken Collins, now fixing him with his eyes.

G. Black: It's clear. And I want something else to be clear. I like you. I respect you and the things you stand for. And the last thing I would ever want is to see you or Stacey hurt. But when you threaten me--when you make reference to repeating a despicable act that nearly left a baby girl with a father who would never walk again--you're rapidly extinguishing my goodwill. I can be your best friend... or I can be your death incarnate. Your call. Is THAT clear?

Ken Collins nods, still staring into Gabriel Black's eyes.

G. Black: Good. Now there is one other thing I must tell you. I'm not your enemy... but Troy Black is. He did nothing to stop Lorenzo Vasquez... he applauded and encouraged his disgusting crimes. And now, if he finds the chance, he will repeat them himself. I know him better than anybody, and I know that any compassion he shows now is a false lure to bait the unwary. Would a man with a single fiber of decent humanity in his soul have done what Troy Black did at Wrestlewar III? Or have done what he did to Melissa? Or Desmond? Don't show him any mercy, tonight or at Survival of the Fittest. Do not stop short of ending his career. If you do, and he finds opportunity to make you and Stacey regret it... then you can't change your mind. Protect yourself... protect Stacey... and protect the countless future victims Troy Black would no doubt destroy if left unchecked.

Ken Collins nods again.

K. Collins: I will. ... But you need to leave.

G. Black: As you wish.

With his hands raised to show he means no harm, Gabriel Black slowly backs away from Ken Collins, then closes the door. Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman exchange a glance, and she runs forward into his arms. He holds her tightly but from the look on his face, even he was a bit shaken by his encounter with Gabriel Black.

We're back, and it appears that Gabriel Black is looking to encourage the VCW Intercontinental Champion, "The California Crippler" Ken Collins, to eliminate Troy Black. This is a bit of a change from what we've seen recently from Gabriel Black; he's been violent and bloodthirsty, rather than charismatic and manipulative, since his return to VCW. Ken Collins will face Troy twice in the near future, first in a match tonight, and then in another match in the semi-finals of the Survival of the Fittest tournament. Will we see him take out Troy Black? That'll be coming up after this next match.

Our next match is a rematch from Blood and Thunder. "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler begins playing, and Russel "The Muscle" Taylor comes jogging out of the backstage entrance, slapping hands with the fans on his way to the ring, then sliding into the ring, posing, and flexing his muscles. The crowd cheers him on; he's quite a favorite these days, having won the respect of the crowd after years as a perennial loser. As he stops posing, he grabs a microphone...

R. Taylor: Hello, everybody! It sure is great to see you again!

The crowd cheers in appreciation.

R. Taylor: Tonight, you should see something very special. And that's because tonight's the night when I get my hands on that no-good meanie Chris Champlain and show him the meaning of justice! He likes to hurt people, and that makes him nothing more than a bully, but tonight I stand up to him and draw the line! He can't keep pushing people around! All my hard work and training's gonna pay off again, when I teach him a lesson and put a stop to his violent rampage!

The crowd cheers, but this is a tall order for Russel Taylor; he has never beaten an opponent of Chris Champlain's caliber before, and it could be hard for him to start now. And now "Stormbringer" by Deep Purple begins playing, and the crowd boos loudly. Russel Taylor and the fans stare towards the entrance, expecting Chris Champlain any second now... but it seems like he's not coming! No, wait!! He just crept out from under the ring! Chris Champlain slinks out from under the ring and slides inside, carrying an iron rod! Russel Taylor doesn't see him... and Chris Champlain strikes him squarely in the right knee with it from behind! Russel Taylor collapses, clutching his knee and crying out in pain, and Chris Champlain tosses aside the iron rod! Brendan Powers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and it may be an uneven, unfair one after that ambush, but we've got a match!

Chris Champlain

vs.

Russel "The Muscle" Taylor

Russel Taylor is at a disadvantage from the start. Chris Champlain beats on him and assaults his leg mercilessly. Russel Taylor does his best to fight back, but with one leg nearly useless, he can't get a surge of momentum that can turn the tide, and the technical savvy and sheer aggression of Chris Champlain keep him on the defensive. Chris Champlain dominates for a number of minutes, outwrestling Russel Taylor in the ring, then brawling with him on the floor. But despite that, Russel Taylor refuses to give in, and keeps coming back with little bursts of offense here and there, doing anything he can manage to take the fight back to Chris Champlain. Chris Champlain keeps the advantage through it all, but when he sets up a table next to the apron and tries to give Russel Taylor a piledriver through it, Russel Taylor backdrops him through the table! The crowd cheers loudly, and this might be what it takes to turn the match around!

Russel Taylor quickly rolls Chris Champlain into the ring and hammers away at him with forearm shots, then whips him into the ropes and manages a limping run at him to take him down with a clothesline! Fighting off severe pain in his right leg, Russel Taylor mounts a comeback, hitting a few limping clotheslines and hitting some nice power moves on Chris Champlain as he braces himself with his good leg. But when Russel Taylor goes for the Power Bomb, Chris Champlain counters it with a Frankensteiner, then rolls backwards from atop Russel Taylor's chest, coming up on his feet and grabbing Russel Taylor's legs, then turns him over into a Texas Cloverleaf!! The crowd boos, and everyone seems to realize that this is the end of the line for Russel Taylor... but somehow, he keeps from giving up! He struggles valiantly, pulling himself towards the ropes with agony etched on his face! The crowd gets behind him, and Chris Champlain struggles to keep him in the middle, but somehow Russel Taylor makes it to the ropes!!

Chris Champlain stares down at him with shock, but is forced to break the hold. He stands back, taunting Russel Taylor and daring him to get up as he measures him for a move. Russel Taylor gets to his feet, and tries to step forward, but his right leg buckles under him! He goes down, crying out in pain; he can't even walk! He struggles to his feet again, pulling himself up with the ropes, but when he tries to lunge for Chris Champlain, again his right leg collapses under him! Brendan Powers stares down at him, then quickly calls for the bell... he's going to stop this match, and it's the only reasonable thing to do.

Chris Champlain defeated Russel Taylor when the referee stopped the match in 0:10:07.
Rating: ** 1/4

Chris Champlain stares down at Russel Taylor with a scowl of disappointment and disgust, but instead of going after him, he rolls out of the ring. Now he's going for a microphone... what could he have to say?

C. Champlain: You're weak and pathetic, you little dickens, but your will is strong. So strong that it's a challenge for me to break it. And I always like a challenge... so here's a challenge to you. Think it over when you're convulsing and recovering in a hospital bed tonight. I want to test your will... and I challenge you to meet me in a Submission Match at Blood and Thunder. I don't want the match to end because you pass out, or because the referee stops it... I want to make you quit. I want to wad up your idealistic enthusiasm and toss it in the trash. I want you to acknowledge, my brave little hero, that you're POWERLESS to stop Uncle Chris's merry parade of evil and destruction.

And after the parade marches over you, and the marchers all step on you and the float with the football jock and the prom queen on it runs over you, leaving you flattened on the pavement and covered with dirty confetti and used chewing gum, waiting for the street sweepers to scrape you up... I want you to know, in your dying thoughts, that you submitted to me, that you bowed to my will, that evil triumphed over good. I want to break your spirit as well as your bones.

This is one sick individual. Russel Taylor's in no condition to respond as he curls up on the mat, clutching his leg, with trainers coming out to help him, and Chris Champlain's withdrawing to the backstage entrance, turning to glance back at the ring with an evil grin.

Up next, we're going to see Troy Black and Rebecca Black take on "The California Crippler" Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman. "Liquid Mercury" by Jimmy Page begins playing, and that brings out the VCW Intercontinental Champion, Ken Collins, and Stacey Lockman. The crowd cheers loudly as they come to the ring and climb inside. Ken Collins takes off the VCW Intercontinental Title and raises it high in the air, then hands it aside to the timekeeper and takes a microphone.

K. Collins: You know, I think tonight's one of the best nights we've had in a long time in VCW. There have been a few low notes to start things off... but we're about to pick it up tonight. In a few moments, I'm going to finally get another shot at Troy Black, the mastermind behind this past summer of hell that all of the other VCW wrestlers endured. And then, later on tonight, they'd never forgive me if I didn't mention it... so let me just say that we're going to see something very special tonight in the second round of the Survival of the Fittest Tournament... and that's Johnny Smiles against Lars Coverdale, one-on-one, in the most highly-anticipated and enthusiastically-hyped match in VCW history!!

The crowd cheers loudly for the mention of that match, and Ken Collins acknowledges it with a nod and a smile.

K. Collins: But first of all... I'm here to take care of Troy Black. I owe him for everything we suffered at the hands of the Black Plague, when he could have stopped it at any time. I've dealt with Tony Garcia and Lorenzo Vasquez, and now Troy himself is the only one who remains. Tonight, and again at Survival of the Fittest, I deal with him too. It's time for him to experience the consequences of all he did, and all he let happen. And Rebecca, the Bonnie to Lorenzo Vasquez's Clyde... she also has some consequences to face tonight. Whether it's Stacey or me who brings her face-to-face with them depends on how the chips fall tonight.

When you play games with people's lives, whether it's in the ring, in the locker room, or in a parking lot behind the arena, you make a lot of enemies. What happened to Melissa was wrong, what happened to Desmond was wrong, and what happened to me and Stacey, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was WRONG. I'm here looking for a little bit of revenge... but that's not all. When I go up against Troy at Survival of the Fittest, it's also an opportunity, and I don't just mean about going to Wrestlewar IV. It's an opportunity to beat the man who's recognized as the best wrestler in VCW. I've come a long way from being one-half of the Immortals--even though we were two great wrestlers, and one great tag team--but I'd like to go just a little bit further.

The crowd cheers... many of them would love to see Ken Collins defeat Troy Black and move on to be one of the top people on the VCW roster. With the VCW Intercontinental Title, he's already near the top of the heap, and he's beaten people like Tony Garcia, Lorenzo Vasquez, Chris Champlain, and David Wright Hubbard to prove that he deserves that spot... but can he defeat Troy Black for that next step?

We may find out soon, because "Favorite Things" by Incubus just started playing. The arena lights are replaced by dim silver-blue lights, and that brings out Troy Black and Rebecca Black, to a huge round of boos from the crowd! And Troy Black doesn't look happy; he's carrying a microphone, and glaring down the aisle at Ken Collins! They stare at each other for several seconds, and finally Troy Black raises the microphone...

T. Black: Having heard what you said, I have something to say back to you. I know that many of the things I've done over the past six months has been wrong. I have a lot of regrets stemming from that time, and if I could erase that period of my life, I would. ... But I can't. To you, and to anybody else who was wronged by what I did, I offer the only thing I can... a sincere apology. I'm sorry.

But since you've cast yourself in the role of the righteous, conquering hero who'll topple me from my spot, in the process claiming his rightful legacy and avenging my long list of victims, I also have to give you a warning. You know who I am. I'm the greatest wrestler in VCW, possibly the greatest of all time. And I may be reluctant to hurt my own brother, after all that's happened in the past... but I have no such reservations where you're concerned. If you want this to get ugly, I'll make it ugly in a hurry.

The crowd boos, and Ken Collins raises his microphone to reply.

K. Collins: It's true that right now, in this moment, you ARE recognized as the greatest wrestler in VCW. And even after Survival of the Fittest, you'll have the distinction of being known as the man who was ONCE the greatest wrestler in VCW. But if not tonight, then this Sunday... it's my time. If I drop the ball, if something goes wrong, or if I'm just not good enough to beat you, then you're right; you may be the greatest of all time. But I think I can win. I think I can beat you. And when that happens, your day in the sun is over.

T. Black: I see you've forgotten what happens when you get in the ring with me. Before our tournament match this Sunday, allow me to give you a reminder.

Troy Black's heading to the ring now, and he slides inside, followed by Rebecca Black, as Ken Collins stands ready to meet him! VCW referee Linda Peterson enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll begin this match!

Troy Black & Rebecca Black

vs.

"The California Crippler" Ken Collins & Stacey Lockman

Troy Black and Ken Collins start off the match, matching their considerable wrestling abilities. The advantage shifts often, with neither man staying down for long, but Ken Collins seems to be a slightly superior technical wrestler, and Troy Black seems to spend slightly more time on the defensive than on the offensive. For several minutes both men battle for the upper hand, Ken Collins targetting Troy Black's famously-injured neck, as Troy Black uses a more unfocused approach in the hopes of keeping Ken Collins off-guard. Finally, a struggle for dominance results in a series of reversed pinning attempts, each ending in a two count, after which both Ken Collins and Troy Black kip up in their corners, to applause from the crowd. Rebecca Black asks for a tag, and Troy Black nods to Ken Collins, asking if he wants to tag in Stacey. Ken Collins hesitates, but finally with a stare that lets everyone know this isn't over, he tags in Stacey Lockman, and Troy Black makes the tag to Rebecca Black.

The two women enter the ring and meet in the middle, brawling. Rebecca Black's normally stiff punches are curiously weak and lame tonight, and Stacey's aren't any better. Stacey Lockman manages to dump Rebecca Black to the outside and they have a rather weak brawl out there, though Stacey Lockman uses a nice clothesline from the apron to the floor to take Rebecca Black down. Back in the ring, Stacey Lockman takes a firm advantage, doubling Rebecca Black over, then running into the ropes and taking her down with a high knee to a huge pop from the crowd. The kneelift was a signature move of her father, and many of the fans still remember that. She takes Rebecca Black down with a kneebreaker, and goes for a figure-four leglock, but Rebecca Black kicks her off into a corner! She hits the turnbuckles and staggers out, and Rebecca Black comes up behind her and puts on the Blackout!! The crowd boos loudly, but Stacey Lockman's struggling and thrashing, trying to escape the hold... but just as she seems to be fading, she manages to fling herself backwards into a corner, sending Rebecca back-first into the turnbuckles and forcing her to release the hold!

But this is Troy Black's corner, and he makes the tag to Rebecca, bringing himself in before Stacey can recover. She gets up, gasping for breath, and screams in panic when she sees that she's in the ring with Troy Black, but Troy Black drops her with a throat jab before she can react! And now he pulls her up and grabs her by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! It's not often we see a man under six feet tall and two hundred pounds use a chokeslam, but he just did it to Stacey Lockman! He covers her, but somehow she throws a shoulder up at two and three-quarters! The chokeslam didn't finish her! Troy Black pulls her up by the hair, kicks her in the midsection, and hooks her... DOUBLE ARM DDT!!

The crowd explodes into boos, and Ken Collins yells out in rage and charges into the ring, but Linda Peterson grabs him and turns him around, trying to stop the blatant interference. Ken Collins pulls free... but the delay costs him, and Troy Black is able to slip behind him and give him a low blow! He grabs Ken Collins and chucks him out of the ring! Stacey Lockman's still down, and Troy Black steps out to the apron, then climbs to the top turnbuckle and raises a fist up high... he's going to give her the Black Dagger! Ken Collins gets up on the outside, but he's too far away to even think about stopping it, and just yells out "NO!! DON'T DO IT!!" ... And Troy Black hesitates! He stares at Ken Collins, wide-eyed and desperate on the outside, then down at Stacey Lockman, who's still prone and motionless on the mat... and he hops down from the top turnbuckle! He helps Stacey up and motions for her to go to her corner and make the tag, and after a moment's confusion, she quickly scrambles to tag in Ken Collins!

Ken Collins enters the ring again, and the crowd explodes into cheers as once again he faces off with Troy Black. This time, Troy Black starts out dominantly, taking Ken Collins down, but Ken Collins keeps getting up, going all-out and trying to fight back. Finally, he succeeds in flipping out behind Troy Black and putting on a waistlock, then giving him five consecutive rolling German suplexes! The crowd gets behind Ken Collins as he hits a few more nice head-dropping moves on Troy Black, then plants him with a piledriver, but that only gets two and three-quarters! Ken Collins goes up to the top turnbuckle, but Rebecca Black shakes the ropes and causes him to fall crotch-first on the turnbuckle, then reaches out to Troy as he gets up and tags herself in! She climbs up to the top with Ken Collins and hooks his head... TOP-ROPE DDT!! Rebecca Black just PLANTED Ken Collins right on his head!! She goes for the cover... and gets two and nine-tenths! Rebecca Black almost beat Ken Collins!!

Rebecca Black pulls Ken Collins up to his knees, thrusts her crotch into his face a few times, then hooks him for a double arm DDT, but he backdrops out of it! Rebecca Black gets up... and Ken Collins shakes off the cobwebs just in time to hit her with a savate kick! She's getting up again, but he slips behind her this time, lifts her, and brings her crashing down with a belly-to-back suplex, then rolls through with it, shifts her position slightly, and lifts her... and this time it's a BACKDROP DRIVER!! Rebecca Black just got spiked into the mat, and the crowd LOVES that! It looks like Troy Black has seen about enough of this, though! He climbs to the top turnbuckle... but Ken Collins jumps up onto the top rope near him, then springs off with a springboard dropkick to knock him off! Troy Black takes a SICK bump, falling off of the top turnbuckle to the thinly-padded floor below, and now Ken Collins is the one heading to the top! Rebecca Black pulls herself up, disoriented and groggy, and Ken Collins leaps off... FLYING DROPKICK!! She goes down hard, and Ken Collins goes for the cover... but then changes his mind, tags Stacey Lockman, and Gorilla presses her high over his head, throwing her down on Rebecca Black with an assisted splash! She hooks the leg, and Troy Black climbs up onto the apron, but Ken Collins rushes forward and knocks him off with a big right hand as Linda Peterson counts to three!!

Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman defeated Troy Black and Rebecca Black when Stacey pinned R. Black after an assisted splash in 0:13:47.
Rating: ** 1/4

"The California Crippler" Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman are victorious tonight; Stacey Lockman just pinned Rebecca Black, in her first match since being severely injured! They roll out of the ring, and Ken Collins grabs the VCW Intercontinental Title and raises it high above his head, getting cheers from the crowd, before heading backstage with Stacey, celebrating their victory all the way. Back in the ring, Troy Black is amazingly up and mobile after taking that horrible bump, and he's helping Rebecca to her feet as well. She throws her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder, and he looks noticably uncomfortable as he returns the hug, patting her on the back. But when she jumps up and wraps her legs around his waist, that seems to push him over the edge, and he pulls her off and sets her down on her feet, then turns to walk away. Rebecca Black follows after him with a sad, hurt expression as he walks backstage.

We're moving on to our next match now; "Wait And Bleed" by Slipknot begins playing, and the crowd explodes into cheers as the challenger for the VCW Television Title, the Grave Digger, steps out of the backstage entrance. He's a former VCW World Champion and one of the most dominant wrestlers in VCW history, and you have to believe he poses a huge threat to Brujah's Television Title reign tonight. Add to that the fact that he has defeated Brujah before... but on the flipside, in the early days of SMCW, Brujah also holds a pinfall victory over the Grave Digger. The Grave Digger enters the ring by stepping over the top rope, then paces in the ring, waiting for Brujah.

And now "Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix)" by Alabama Three begins playing, and that brings out Brujah, the VCW Television Champion! The crowd gives a fair-sized round of boos for him, with a few scattered cheers as well. He steps out of the backstage entrance, his eyes focused into the ring with a hate-filled stare. Brujah is always highly competitive, refusing to stay down for anybody, but there's perhaps nobody he'd like to defeat more than the Grave Digger. He wants to prove that his SMCW victory over the Grave Digger wasn't a fluke, and make a name for himself in VCW beyond what he already has. He climbs into the ring, seething with intensity and inner fury, and stares across the ring at the Grave Digger! Bobcat McGavin enters the ring and calls for the bell, and this match is on!

For the VCW Television Title:

Brujah (c)

vs.

Grave Digger

Brujah attacks the Grave Digger viciously, punching, chopping, and kicking stiffly, but the Grave Digger absorbs his blows and mauls Brujah with a few of his own. Brujah's attempts to slug it out with the Grave Digger don't go well at all, and the Grave Digger takes firm command, bumping Brujah around the ring and taking him down with powerful offensive moves. He dumps Brujah to the outside and goes to work on him there, but Brujah manages to low-blow him, then whips him into the guardrail and rocks him with a lariat when he comes out. Brujah attacks in a berserk frenzy, trying to work over the Grave Digger's massive back with stiff blows and strikes, but it seems about as effective as pummelling the hull of a battleship, for all the Grave Digger's size and durability. Finally, the Grave Digger sends him sprawling with a casual swing of a fist, then rolls him back into the ring and climbs in after him.

The Grave Digger grabs Brujah and tries to turn him upside-down for the Burial completely, but Brujah grabs one of the turnbuckles and hangs on, trying to block... and the turnbuckle pad comes off in his hands! The Grave Digger gets Brujah upside-down, but is thrown off-balance by the sudden give of the turnbuckle pad, and Brujah slips out behind him, then gives him another low blow! The Grave Digger doubles over, and Brujah clobbers him with a few forearms to the back, then whips him into the turnbuckle! The Grave Digger hits the steel bolt back-first, then staggers out, grimacing... right into a spinebuster!! Brujah took the Grave Digger down there, and he goes for the cover... but the Grave Digger kicks out at ONE with authority!!

Undaunted, Brujah gives the Grave Digger a swift kick to the midsection as he gets up, then hooks his arms... DOUBLE ARM DDT!! The Grave Digger got planted face-down, and this time, Brujah isn't trying to turn him over or anything! He climbs up to the top turnbuckle, as the Grave Digger remains face-down, then holds his arms up in a "V"... SWANDIVE HEADBUTT!! Right in the back, too!! Brujah just connected on the Grave Digger's back, and now he's still not going for a cover! He pulls the Grave Digger up into a standing headscissors! The crowd is on its feet, some booing, some actually cheering, as he braces himself and lifts... POWER BOMB!! He did it!! He hit his Power Bomb on a nearly four hundred pound opponent! Brujah goes for the cover, and Bobcat McGavin counts... KICKOUT AT TWO!! The Grave Digger kicked out at two!!

Brujah looks up, and he's looking a little bit worried now. He steps out to the apron, then begins going up to the top turnbuckle... BUT THE GRAVE DIGGER SITS UP!! He gets to his feet as Brujah reaches the top, and Brujah comes off with a flying axhandle, but the Grave Digger catches him!! GRAVE YARD SLAM!! The crowd erupts, and the Grave Digger pulls Brujah up again and puts on a cobra clutch for the Cradle to Grave, but Brujah blocks it with a backward kick that catches him between the legs! The Grave Digger doubles over, and Brujah grabs his hair and gives him a jawbreaker, but he just reels back, not going down! Brujah unloads with an uppercut to the Grave Digger's jaw, but he still just reels back a step or two without going down! Brujah runs into the ropes, coming off with a lariat... but the Grave Digger extends a hand and grabs him by the throat! He lifts... CHOKESLAM!!

The Grave Digger just flattened Brujah with that chokeslam, and the crowd's going wild... and now he draws his thumb across his throat! He's going to give him the Burial, and if he does, it's a good bet that the VCW Television Title will be changing hands! He lifts Brujah... but someone's coming out of the backstage entrance! It's Gabriel Black, and he's carrying an aluminum baseball bat! Brujah's in position... BURIAL!! The Grave Digger just planted him! He folds his arms over his chest for the cover... but as Brendan Powers counts, Gabriel Black enters the ring and whacks the Grave Digger square in the back with the baseball bat, for an instant disqualification!! Damn it, the Grave Digger had the title won!!

The Grave Digger defeated Brujah by disqualification in 0:10:03.
Rating: *
(Brujah retained the VCW Television Title.)

The crowd boos loudly, and Gabriel Black raises the baseball bat again, then clobbers the Grave Digger in the back with it again! The Grave Digger goes down to the canvas, and now Gabriel Black turns to Brujah, and nails him in the ribs with the baseball bat! Brujah writhes in agony on the mat, and now Gabriel Black rolls out of the ring and grabs a microphone. What the hell was this!?

G. Black: Let one thing be understood. I have an agenda that needs to be resolved, and it involves meeting Brujah at Survival of the Fittest. NOTHING will stand in the way of me meeting Brujah for the VCW Television Title at Survival of the Fittest... not even the Grave Digger. By being in the wrong location at the wrong time, he forced me to--

Hold it, the Grave Digger just sat up in the ring!! He gets up, favoring his back, and steps out over the top rope, as Gabriel Black stares in shock! Gabriel Black steps back as the Grave Digger approaches him with intense rage in his eyes. Finally, Gabriel Black raises the baseball bat, and the Grave Digger draws near... and Gabriel Black hits him with the bat!! The Grave Digger reels back, but doesn't go down! Gabriel Black measures him and takes a second swing... but this time, the Grave Digger catches the bat and jerks it out of his hands! He tosses the bat to the ground, and now Gabriel Black panics and turns and runs!!

Gabriel Black runs up the ramp, with the Grave Digger after him, and reaches the backstage entrance, but he trips over an electrical cable in front of it! He gets up, but the Grave Digger catches up to him and grabs him by the hair!! The crowd cheers loudly as Gabriel Black begs for mercy... but someone steps out behind the Grave Digger!! LANCE ERRINGTON!! And he's carrying a pipe wrench! The Grave Digger lifts Gabriel Black by the throat... and Lance Errington clobbers him in the back of the head with the wrench! The Grave Digger slumps forward, and Lance Errington takes a second swing at his head, knocking him flat to the floor!! Gabriel Black smiles gratefully at Lance Errington, and the two men begin stomping away at the Grave Digger, as the crowd boos!

But someone else steps out of the backstage entrance... TROY BLACK!! Troy Black comes from behind Lance Errington to a surprising amount of cheers, whirls him around, and drops him with a throat jab, causing him to fall down and drop the wrench! Gabriel Black backpedals in surprise, and Lance Errington gets up and throws a punch, nailing Troy Black in the face! But Troy Black retaliates, and he and Lance Errington begin going toe-to-toe at the top of the ramp as the crowd cheers!! But Gabriel Black picks up the pipe wrench, and comes up from behind Troy Black... and nails him in the back! He slumps forward, and Lance Errington grabs him in a front facelock... DDT ON THE RAMP!! That just took down Troy Black, and the crowd boos. Gabriel Black says something to Lance Errington, and Lance Errington nods... and now Lance Errington crouches over the Grave Digger and begins pummelling him with a series of right hands, as Gabriel Black sits on Troy's back and applies a camel clutch with the pipe wrench across his throat!!

The crowd boos again... but now Brujah's coming around, and he rolls out of the ring! He begins heading up the ramp, and grabs Gabriel Black's discarded baseball bat! He walks up the ramp with it, as the crowd cheers, and Gabriel Black gets up, seeing him approach! Gabriel Black raises the pipe wrench and takes a swing at Brujah as he draws near, but Brujah dodges back, then swings the baseball bat, knocking the pipe wrench out of Gabriel's hands and sending it clattering on the ramp! Gabriel Black backs up a few steps, putting his hands up and begging for mercy, and then he and Lance Errington both get up and start running, disappearing backstage quickly! Brujah glares after Gabriel Black angrily, but then kneels and helps Troy Black to his feet. The crowd's actually cheering for Brujah and Troy Black here; if nothing else, they seem to be the lesser of two evils tonight!

Troy Black gets up slowly, thanking Brujah... then looks down at the Grave Digger, and extends a hand to help him up! The crowd cheers, but Brujah glares at him, then shoves him back and begins yelling something to him that the camera doesn't pick up. Troy Black seems to be arguing a little bit, but it's clear that Brujah's pretty adamant about not helping the Grave Digger... and as the Grave Digger starts to get up, Brujah turns and whacks him in the head with the baseball bat, sending him back down again!! The crowd starts booing again for that, and Troy Black says something to Brujah, but Brujah doesn't seem to care. His hatred for the Grave Digger's too strong to consider helping him, evidently, and now Troy and Brujah are heading backstage.

Before our next match, we have just received another small piece of footage from the Whitespire Mountains in the Northern Wastes. Let's take a look at that now...

At the Whitespire Mountains, Near the Eternal Stone...

The Arkanovian Imperial Army, somewhat smaller than it was last week, is shown marching through a snow-covered mountain pass. General Caurillia is marching at the head of the black nights and ninjas that make up the army, looking cold and weary, but then a shadow comes overhead. As she looks up, High Archmage Dantrell of the Imperial War Wizards descends nearby, riding on the back of his white dragon. He dismounts and salutes her.

Dantrell: High Archmage Dantrell of the Imperial War Wizards, reporting to General Caurillia.

Caurillia: General Caurillia, commander of the Arkanovian Imperial Armed Forces, awaiting report from High Archmage Dantrell.

Dantrell: I have the information we have sought, General Caurillia. I have found the Eternal Stone.

General Caurillia's frozen, weary face lights up in a smile.

Caurillia: Is this true? Where is it? And how heavily guarded?

Dantrell: It is seven days' march from here, fifty degrees to the northeast. As for its guards... I found nobody there but a nude woman with very short hair, a mysterious man in a bizarre cat costume, and a small penguin.

Caurillia: Those would be Princess Sophia and Prince Gavin.

Dantrell: I suspected as much. And the penguin?

Caurillia: The penguin is not important. Did you slay them?

Dantrell: They were immune to my dragon's icy breath, and I dared not engage them alone.

General Caurillia's eye narrows in disdain.

Caurillia: You ran away from them?

Dantrell: Had I died in battle with them, I would not be here to tell you the location of the Eternal Stone. I judged the risk unworthy.

Caurillia: Risk? What risk?

Dantrell: General Caurillia... have you no idea of the power of Princess Sophia and Prince Gavin?

Caurillia: No. No idea whatsoever. Why, are they powerful?

Dantrell: Gavin is a mighty warrior with supreme reflexes and great strength, and it is said that the power of Sophia's magical essence is the pinnacle of Bonarbor's royal bloodline. Stronger than Paragon, stronger than Grace... by some calculations, stronger than Queen Morgana.

Caurillia waves her hand dismissively.

Caurillia: Nonsense. He's a simpleton in a ridiculous costume, and she is a soft, pampered weakling who lacks the sense given an insect, and the training to use any magical powers she may possess. It surprises me greatly to learn that they are the only guards near the Eternal Stone. You are certain there are no others?

Dantrell: My magic would have defeated any spells of invisibility or illusions, and there were none. I am certain.

Caurillia: Then this is a trap. They have means of setting off an avalanche, or magically transporting in allies, or otherwise arranging a favorable disaster when my army approaches. They will see us coming, force a one-sided battle on their terms, and destroy us. I would have been better pleased with your report to learn that you had killed them immediately.

Dantrell: What will we do, then? I do not wish to return and face them alone.

Caurillia: Coward. Then give me your dragon, and I will destroy them myself.

Dantrell: The dragon becomes ill-tempered when I am away from her for long. If she should become aggressive with you during my journey...

Caurillia puts a hand to her sword.

Caurillia: What if she does?

Dantrell: I would not care to lose my dragon because you were forced to kill her.

Caurillia: I see. It is a useless lizard. There's simply one thing to be done now. I will forge ahead of the army and arrive perhaps a day early. Then I will ambush Gavin and Sophia, murder them singlehandedly, and spoil their plan to protect the Eternal Stone.

Dantrell: That plan is full of risk. What if you are attacked while travelling alone, by a snow worm or a frost giant?

Caurillia: Then I shall kill a snow worm or a frost giant.

Dantrell: And what shall I do?

Caurillia: Lead my army. Have them bring Queen Morgana's beacon towards the Eternal Stone. When you arrive, I will have eliminated the guards, and there we shall erect the beacon, Queen Morgana will teleport to our location, and she will seize control of the Universe itself.

Dantrell: General Caurillia... you are certain you will be safe, travelling alone through these mountains?

Caurillia: Don't be a fool, Dantrell.

Dantrell: Good luck to you, General.

Caurillia: Luck no longer matters. The Eternal Stone has been found; that is all the luck we needed. Victory is now assured. Guide my army to the Eternal Stone, and I will be waiting there.

Dantrell: Then... take care in your journey.

Caurillia snorts dismissively and rolls her eye, then begins striding forward quickly, ahead of the army. Dantrell watches her start forward, then turns back to the army to explain as the scene fades out.

Hmm... if Caurillia arrives at the Eternal Stone in six days, that's just in time for Survival of the Fittest. Will she meet up with Sophie and Gavin then? It seems likely.

We're going to go back to the ring, and see what could perhaps be called a different kind of nonsense. "Degenerated" by the Lone Rangers begins playing, and the crowd explodes into cheers as Johnny Smiles comes out of the backstage entrance, looking pumped-up and excited, and wearing a backpack. He eagerly runs to the ring and slides inside, then calls for a microphone. The crowd is on its feet with excitement; we're going to see Johnny Smiles face Lars Coverdale in a highly-anticipated match in the second round of the Survival of the Fittest Tournament! The winner will go on to face Julian Page in the semi-finals! Johnny Smiles gets a microphone, and raises it to speak...

J. Smiles: HEEEEEEEERRRRRRRE'S JOHNNY!!!

The crowd cheers loudly.

J. Smiles: Tonight is the night that all of you Johnnycoholics and Larsophiles have been waiting for! Tonight, your two heroes will engage in a battle of EPIC proportions! Bigger than Captain Excellent versus Val Halen!! Bigger than Dude Love versus Owen Hart!! Bigger than Jeff Wright versus Mel Zukanovac... it's JOHNNY SMILES... versus LARS COVERDALE... ONE ON ONE!!

The crowd explodes into cheers.

J. Smiles: And with that in mind, I'd like to introduce my special guest ring enforcer. See, since this is such a big match, I thought I might need someone to watch my back. And since Lars Coverdale is a former tag team partner of Marty Jannetty... I figured who could be better than another former tag team partner of Marty Jannetty!? So I called up Al Snow...

Johnny Smiles hesitates as the crowd gives a small pop for the mention of Al Snow.

J. Smiles: ... and unfortunately, never got a response. Left a few messages on his machine, but he never returned my calls.

The crowd groans, disappointed by that news.

J. Smiles: But then... I remembered that Marty Jannetty had ANOTHER former tag team partner, back in the day...

The crowd gives a few hopeful cheers.

J. Smiles: So I had Melissa DelArmeggio put me in touch with him, and we hit it off amazingly. So I brought him here to watch my back tonight against Lars Coverdale... ladies and gentlemen, my special ringside enforcer... "THE HEARTBREAK KID", SHAWN MICHAELS!!

WHAT!? Can this be true!? Oh my GOD... Shawn Michaels, in VCW? How is that possible!? "Heartbreaker" by Led Zeppelin begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd goes NUTS... but Johnny Smiles takes off his backpack! What's he doing... he unzips it and rummages through... and pulls out a Shawn Michaels "wrestling buddy"!? What the hell!? The crowd reacts with some groans and boos, but mostly laughter... Johnny Smiles is probably the ONLY guy in the world who could swerve an audience like this without them completely turning on him. He holds up the Shawn Michaels wrestling buddy, and raises the microphone...

J. Smiles: So, Shawn... how does it feel to be in VCW?

Johnny Smiles pulls the string on the back of the Shawn Michaels wrestling buddy, and puts the microphone up to its mouth...

W. Buddy: Everybody REEKS with jealousy of the Heartbreak Kid!

J. Smiles: Good to hear. Think you can watch my back against Lars tonight?

He pulls the string again...

W. Buddy: The Heartbreak Kid doesn't lay down for ANYBODY!!

J. Smiles: That's not what Neytron used to say backstage. But anyway... together, I know we can do this! Lars... we've got an arena full of Johnnycoholics waiting for us... GET OUT HERE!!

"Talk Dirty To Me" by Poison begins playing, and the crowd rises in a standing ovation of deafening cheers! We're awaiting the arrival of Lars Coverdale, who will take on Johnny Smiles in this highly awaited contest! We... WAIT!! The ViolenTron just flickered on!!

On the ViolenTron...

Lars Coverdale is shown backstage, face-down in a pool of blood, as David Wright Hubbard stands over him with a blood-spattered steel chair. David Wright Hubbard continues to whack at his fallen body a few times with the chair, then pulls him up off of the floor into a standing headscissors, lifts, and power bombs him down into the blood puddle on the concrete with a sickening "SMACK!". Lars Coverdale is a bloody, beaten mess, and David Wright Hubbard stands over him, laughing triumphantly.

D.W. Hubbard: What goes around comes around, kid. You disrespected me, you didn't stay down when you shoulda, and you had the nerve to go fucking my wife... this is what you get, you dumb son of a bitch! I guess whipping your ass a half dozen times wasn't enough... I had to make it personal. I hate to break it to you, son, but you ain't gonna make it to your little match with Johnny Smiles. So guess what... I just fucked up your big match, and now you ain't gonna be in the tournament on the pay-per-view... so I can get a match and whip your ass again!! There ain't gonna BE no Lars Coverdale versus Johnny Smiles match... so how do ya like me now!?

David Wright Hubbard stomps down at Lars Coverdale's fallen body a few more times, then turns and walks away with a satisfied smirk.

Back in the ring, it looks like there might just be a riot... the crowd is booing loudly and tossing trash at the ViolenTron and into the ring, and a chant of "BULLSHIT!" competes with a chant of "REFUND!". Johnny Smiles stares up into the ViolenTron with a vacant, crushed look on his face for a second, then rolls out of the ring and begins heading backstage, looking very upset. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion has turned horrific, as Lars Coverdale may be seriously hurt. Johnny Smiles and the fans are very upset at this result, but we have no choice but to advance Johnny Smiles to the semi-finals of the tournament, and he'll go on to meet Julian Page.

Survival of the Fittest Tournament Match -Round Two:
Johnny Smiles won via default.

Damn it, this isn't right... the crowd's clearly upset, and some of them appear to be leaving. But the show will go on, as medical people tend to Lars Coverdale backstage, and we still have our main event match on the card. We're going to start the introductions to that now...

"War Machine" by KISS begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd gives a rather deflated pop as the Tough Customers, Bass Rogers and "The Star Player" Darren Michaels, come out of the backstage entrance with the VCW World Tag Team Titles. They are the VCW World Tag Team Champions, and not only does Bass Rogers face Crimson one-on-one at Survival of the Fittest with the VCW World Title on the line, but they will both face Crimson in a handicap match tonight. They enter the ring, and pose for the crowd, which gives them a rather halfhearted pop, then both turn and face the entrance in anticipation of Crimson's arrival.

And now "Walk" by Pantera begins playing, and here comes their opponent!! Crimson comes out of the backstage entrance, wearing the VCW World Title around his waist. While this handicap match seems somewhat lopsided, Crimson is a powerful, dominant force of a man, and he is the reigning VCW World Champion. He didn't get there by luck or by political power plays... he got there by being the baddest man in the industry, and if anyone can somehow defeat both of the VCW World Tag Team Champions, it could very well be him. Crimson approaches the ring cautiously, then grabs a microphone on the outside... what's this? What could he have to say?

Crimson: Looks like I got the last laugh on you dumb motherfuckers. This contract you signed...

Crimson pauses and pulls the match contract out of his pocket, then unfolds it and hands it to referee Jerry Rogers, who is scheduled to officiate this match.

Crimson: This contract's for a handicap match, and that much is the damn truth. But since y'all didn't even READ it, I guess you didn't see that it's a THREE against TWO handicap match. The Tough Customers versus Crimson... and Jack Norman, and Butch Manson. Boys... get out here.

Uh-oh... "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC begins playing now, and the advantage just swung sharply the other way!! Jack Norman and Butch Manson, the other two members of Hell's Bikers, begin coming to the ring, and suddenly the odds for the Tough Customers don't look so great. Bass Rogers is bellowing and stomping in frustration, as Darren Michaels tries to calm him down... will they be able to compensate for this new turn of events? They are the VCW World Tag Team Champions, and two of the baddest men in the sport, but now they're faced not only with the former champions, the men who they won the titles from in a close, close match, but also with the VCW World Champion, the baddest man in the entire company! Can Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels pull this off somehow? Jack Norman and Butch Manson join Crimson in entering the ring, and Jerry Rogers calls for the bell to begin the match!

Handicap Match:

Tough Customers

vs.

Hell's Bikers (Crimson, Butch Manson, & Jack Norman)

The early portions of this match are a back-and-forth brawl between Butch Manson and Jack Norman, and Bass Rogers and Darren Michaels, as the former tag team champions face off against the reigning tag team champions. Crimson seems to be keeping himself out of this match, despite Bass Rogers's demands that he get in the ring. That may be smart on a number of levels; Crimson keeps himself fresh, and Bass Rogers's hot temper is left to simmer, possibly blinding him at a crucial moment. In fact, just that seems to happen, as Bass Rogers goes on a tear against Jack Norman after a few minutes, but instead of looking to put him away with a few big moves, he dumps him to the outside of the ring, then goes to the apron, grabs Crimson, and brings him into the ring with a big vertical suplex!

The crowd gives a small pop as Bass Rogers crouches over Crimson and starts attacking him, but Crimson's not the legal man, and Jerry Rogers begins trying to seperate the two men! Butch Manson goes over and starts brawling with Darren Michaels on the outside... but as he does, Jack Norman grabs a chair, then comes up behind Darren Michaels and clobbers him in the back with it! Darren Michaels goes down, and Jack Norman grabs him and lifts him up, then grabs him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! He just Chokeslammed him on the outside, and now Butch Manson pulls him up into a standing headscissors over the discarded chair... PILEDRIVER ON THE CHAIR!! They both begin stomping and kicking at him on the outside, and Jerry Rogers finally gets Bass Rogers and Crimson seperated in the ring! Butch Manson returns to his corner, and Jack Norman slides into the ring.

Angry at not getting to continue his fight with Crimson, Bass Rogers looks to his corner... and realizes with a shock that nobody's there! Enraged, he begins tearing into Jack Norman, beating him like a man possessed, and hits him with several big moves, including a power bomb. He goes for the cover after that... but Crimson comes in and drops an elbow on him at two to break the pin! He rolls out of the ring, and Bass Rogers gets up, angrily yelling at him, then goes back over to Jack Norman, who's beginning to get up. He pulls him forward for a second headscissors... but Jack Norman catches him with a low blow! Bass Rogers doubles over, and Jack Norman makes the tag to Butch Manson!

Things begin looking truly grim for the Tough Customers now, as all three members of Hell's Bikers take turns working Bass Rogers over and wearing him down. Darren Michaels eventually manages to crawl up on the apron, but doesn't seem to be in any condition to continue in this match. Bass Rogers realizes that, and even when the tide turns, he doesn't tag out, but invariably Hell's Bikers are able to turn it back. The situation darkens further when Jack Norman manages to hit his Chokeslam on Bass Rogers! He goes for the cover, and only gets two and a half, but the crowd doesn't give much of a pop for the kickout... things still look bad. Bass Rogers is tough... but can he stand up to these odds?

Jack Norman tags in Butch Manson, and now Butch Manson's going to the top turnbuckle! He leaps off with a moonsault... and Bass Rogers rolls out of the way!! The crowd gives a slightly louder pop for that, and both men are down, but Bass Rogers gets to his feet first! He opens up on Butch Manson, beating him up with some stiff blows, crushing him in the corner with an avalanche, then bringing him out with a big belly-to-belly suplex! He runs into the ropes and hits a big splash, but that only gets two and a half! Still driven by inner fury, Bass Rogers pulls Butch Manson up and whips him into the ropes, then DESTROYS him with a huge lariat when he comes off!! He goes for the cover... and Butch Manson throws a shoulder up at two and three-quarters!!

Bass Rogers gets up, and he's starting to look pretty winded now, but he's determined to finish this! He puts Butch Manson in a standing headscissors, then lifts... POWER BOMB!! He goes for the cover... but Crimson enters the ring and pulls him off!! Bass Rogers pops up angrily as Crimson heads back to his corner... and he rushes Crimson and starts trading blows with him as he stands on the apron! Bass Rogers is hammering Crimson... but Butch Manson crawls up behind Bass Rogers and nails him with a low blow, then makes the tag to Crimson!!

This isn't good... Bass Rogers is doubled over, and here comes Crimson, ready to unleash some punishment! He clobbers Bass Rogers with some punches, then whips him into a corner and rushes in after him with a big kneelift that doubles him over again! Bass Rogers staggers out... into a big gutwrench suplex!! Darren Michaels, on the apron, enters the ring and valiantly begins throwing right hands at Crimson, but his bell was rung good on the outside of the ring, and Crimson easily takes him down with a few good blows of his own, then grabs him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! Darren Michaels is down... but Bass Rogers is up!

Bass Rogers's massive frame is heaving heavily as he sucks in air, and he charges forward wearily with a lariat on Crimson! Crimson goes down, but that wasn't a full-strength lariat; Bass Rogers doesn't seem to have much left. Crimson gets back up, and Bass Rogers hammers him with a few punches, then whips him into the ropes... but Crimson reverses! Bass Rogers comes off... into a big boot that nearly decapitates him!! He's down, and now Crimson pulls him up in a full nelson, and lifts... FULL NELSON SLAM!! The crowd boos, and Crimson stares down at Bass Rogers with satisfaction, then holds out his hand and slowly turns his thumb down. He looks ready to finish this! He pulls Bass Rogers up and grabs him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! He just slammed him down hard!! Crimson covers Bass Rogers and hooks a leg, and Jerry Rogers makes the count to three!

Handicap Match:
Hell's Bikers (Crimson, Butch Manson, and Jack Norman) defeated The Tough Customers when Crimson pinned B. Rogers with the Chokeslam in 0:15:37.
Rating: -* 1/2

The crowd boos loudly, disappointed again, and Crimson has emerged with the victory tonight. I think it has to be acknowledged, he just outsmarted Bass Rogers, and as a result beat him down first in a three-on-two, then in a three-on-one situation. He won't be able to do that when it's one-on-one at the pay-per-view, but is this an indication of what we can expect to see? Crimson raises his hands in victory, then rolls to the outside of the ring... but he's not leaving, he's reaching under the ring, and he grabs a shovel!! This isn't necessary, damn it!!

Crimson reenters the ring, and now "The Star Player" Darren Michaels is getting up, but Jack Norman and Butch Manson rush him and begin clobbering him, two-on-one. Bass Rogers slowly pulls himself up to his feet, utterly spent, beaten, and immobile... and Crimson draws back and NAILS him in the head with the shovel!! Bass Rogers goes down, busted wide open from the shovel shot, and Crimson stands over him with a satisfied, evil grin as Jack Norman and Butch Manson dump Darren Michaels to the outside! Is this what we can expect at the Survival of the Fittest? Here are the tournament brackets heading into the pay-per-view... make sure that you join us for Survival of the Fittest, live in six days!

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