Welcome once again, wrestling fans, to another excitement-filled edition of VCW Monday Night Wrestling! Last week's show was a real barn-burner, and this one looks ready to shape up to be one as well! We don't know exactly what matches are signed, but we know that the VCW World Champion, Crimson, will be here tonight. In addition, Melissa DelArmeggio has been cleared to wrestle, Troy Black is in the building, and Gabriel Black and Johnny Smiles are scheduled to face off in a formal debate, of all things! We're going to...

Uh-oh, "Walk" by Pantera just started playing, and it sounds like we're going to hear from Crimson. The crowd boos as the VCW World Champion, Crimson, walks out of the backstage entrance. The last time we saw him, he nearly levelled a roadside diner and nearly destroyed Russel "The Muscle" Taylor and Sophie! Now, he's wearing the VCW World Title around his waist and a surly expression on his face as he walks to the ring. He snatches up a microphone, steps in over the top rope, and glares around at the booing crowd.

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

The crowd boos loudly. We know that Crimson likes to keep a strangehold of fear over VCW, and ever since Russel Taylor stood up to him successfully, perhaps he feels his grip has been slipping a little bit.

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

Crimson pauses to pace around in the ring, and the crowd boos. Crimson might have a point, but Russel Taylor did pin him in the middle of the ring two weeks earlier. Perhaps it was a fluke, but we won't know that until they get in the ring again. Crimson runs a hand through his hair, seeming to think for a second, then raises the microphone again.

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

Whoa! Crimson's calling Russel Taylor out right now! Will Russel Taylor respond to... wait! "Minstrel In The Gallery" by Jethro Tull is playing, and that's not Russel Taylor's music! The crowd boos... that's Jockey Oldcastle! He steps out of the backstage entrance, along with Monty Pompous! He challenged Crimson to a VCW World Title match last week, and that could be why he's here right now! Crimson does NOT look happy, and Jockey Oldcastle has a microphone, and he raises it...

J. Oldcastle: Your words flow like foul sewage, you beef-witted monstrosity. With every breath you commit vile crimes against reason and decency while remaining innocent of the charge of speaking your mother tongue correctly. What trespasses has the English language committed against you, to warrant the unspeakable tortures you inflict upon it here?

Crimson's eyes go wide, and he just stares at Jockey Oldcastle with his mouth open, breathing heavily. It doesn't seem like he quite believes what he's seeing.

J. Oldcastle: I have oft seen that expression on a fresh-caught fish, and found it more becoming there than here.

Crimson: This is JUST the kind of shit I was talking about. Listen up, you fat piece of shit, you picked the WRONG time to go fucking with me. You better waddle your fat ass backstage before I come down there and rip your head off.

Jockey Oldcastle backs up, hand over his chest in mock fright.

J. Oldcastle: You intend to decapitate me? I'd do the same for you, but it would deprive you of nothing of value. I have seen heads in a cabbage patch that possessed more intellect and better features than the one you use at present. Would that your mother had miscarried and spared the world a terrible fright!

Crimson: You got about ten seconds to keep it up, because I'm coming down there to murder your ass.

Crimson steps over the top rope and begins walking down the aisle! They're going to go at it right here! But Jockey Oldcastle puts his hands up and raises his microphone...

J. Oldcastle: Hold! Forgive me, I realized not what I have done. Alas! I have started a battle of wits with an unarmed man, and for that unchivalrous act, I apologize. Instead, I offer a different sort of challenge. Bold villain, I challenge you to Jockey Oldcastle versus Crimson, for the VCW World Title, upon this very night!

Crimson walks right up to Jockey Oldcastle and snatches the microphone out of his hand! He snarls at him and leans in close...

Crimson: I got no problem with that, but there's one little problem on your end. See... you ain't gonna live that long.

Crimson just dropped the microphone and slugged Jockey Oldcastle! Jockey Oldcastle returns fire, and they're trading blows in the middle of the aisle! Neither man is giving... but then Monty Pompous comes from behind and attacks Crimson! The Knights of the Squared Circle are double-teaming Crimson, and as they rain blows down on him he goes down to one knee, but someone comes out of the backstage entrance! It's Dean Sanders, and he's carrying a chair!!

He runs out of the backstage entrance and nails Jockey Oldcastle in the back with the chair, sending him down to the ramp, then hits Monty Pompous as well, knocking him down! Crimson looks up, surprised, and Dean Sanders raises the chair and nails him, too!! Crimson goes down... but the other two members of Hell's Bikers, Jack Norman and Butch Manson, just stepped out of the backstage entrance, and they come from behind and attack Dean Sanders! The Knights of the Squared Circle get up and join in, and all four men start pounding on Dean Sanders... but then they look up and realize what they're doing, and begin attacking each other!

Crimson gets to his feet, and even without a microphone he can be heard yelling "THAT'S IT, EVERYBODY'S DEAD!!" He starts to wade into the fray... but Russel "The Muscle" Taylor runs out of the backstage entrance, to a loud chorus of cheers! He grabs Crimson by the shoulder and spins him around, then opens up on him with repeated right hands! Crimson and Russel Taylor are going at it, the Knights of the Squared Circle are trading blows with Jack Norman and Butch Manson, and now Dean Sanders is up again, and he grabs the chair to get ready for more mayhem!

J. Applebee: Hold it!!

Everyone stops in their tracks as VCW Commissioner James Applebee comes out of the backstage entrance, carrying a microphone.

J. Applebee: It seems like every week I have to come out here to keep half the roster from tearing apart the arena in some messy brawl. Well, hold your horses, everybody. You want to tear each other limb from limb? I'll give you what you want.

Jockey Oldcastle shouts something to James Applebee, and makes the motion of putting a title belt around his waist.

J. Applebee: Yes, Mr. Oldcastle... I'll give you what you want. Crimson... you'll be defending the VCW World Title tonight, against Jockey Oldcastle... AND Troy Black, in a Triple Threat Match!!

The crowd explodes into cheers, and both Crimson and Jockey Oldcastle look stunned!! Troy Black, in a Triple Threat Match? That doesn't seem like what either of them wanted!

J. Applebee: But that's not all. While I'm here... Dean Sanders, you've got about two weeks to find yourself a partner, because at Spontaneous Combustion, I'm going to make the match that the Knights of the Squared Circle asked for... Dean Sanders and a partner of his choice against Jockey Oldcastle and Monty Pompous!

Dean Sanders nods and smiles, and Jockey Oldcastle and Monty Pompous exchange a glance. But James Applebee doesn't seem like he's done quite yet...

J. Applebee: And last but certainly not least... Crimson, Russel, if you guys have something to prove, prove it on pay-per-view. Regardless of where the VCW World Title goes in the next few weeks, I'm setting the match in stone... Crimson versus Russel "The Muscle" Taylor, one-on-one, at Spontaneous Combustion!!

The crowd cheers loudly, and Crimson gives an evil smile as Russel Taylor nods grimly. They're both wanting this... but Butch Manson steps forward and yells something at James Applebee.

J. Applebee: What's that? You want a piece of the action too, Butch? Okay, then... tonight, you ALSO have a match, one-on-one, with Russel Taylor!

Crimson grabs Butch Manson by the shoulder, pulls him close, and says something into his ear, and Butch Manson nods and balls his hands into fists. Crimson wants Butch Manson to work Russel Taylor over before their meeting at Spontaneous Combustion!

J. Applebee: And last I checked, Jack, you weren't booked tonight. So I'll have a case of Three Musketeers candy bars delivered to your hotel, and you can take the night off... or you can hang around the arena and get fined and suspended. What's it gonna be?

He didn't even need to ask... Jack Norman has a big, goofy smile on his face; he can already see the candy bars in his mind now! Crimson grumbles something to himself, but it looks like we finally have some order restored! Crimson will defend the VCW World Title in a Triple Threat Match against Jockey Oldcastle and Troy Black, and Russel "The Muscle" Taylor will face Butch Manson in one-on-one competition! As the ring clears for our opening match, we're going to take a brief look backstage at the New Immortals' dressing room! Let's check that out now.

"Beautiful" Bobby Danson and "Magnificent" Moy Lazzario are hanging out with Nicole and Steve "Mongo" McMichael, sitting at a table backstage.

B. Danson: The paperwork is all set for us to have our next Mystery Challenge at the next pay-per-view, guys. It's gonna be swell. We'll really shock 'em with this one!

Nicole rolls her eyes.

Nicole: How, by winning for once?

B. Danson: Hey!

Nicole: Sorry. I'm in a bad mood. I've just been thinking about that bitch Vivacia and her friends. It STILL really bothers me, the way she cheated me out of the bikini contest prizes and everything. No thanks to HIM, I might add.

Nicole glares at Mongo, who puts his hands up defensively.

S. McMichael: Now wait a minute, baby. I called that bikini contest right down the middle, and it was just a mistake. You know how voting works these days! You try to vote for one guy and you accidentally vote for the other and the Supreme Court won't let you have a recount--

Nicole: Yeah, I don't care. The scary thing is, you're so goofy and delusional you probably think that's what actually happened.

M. Lazzario: Hopefully you guys can get everything worked out soon. That way, we can focus on what's really important: the New Immortals and our stellar career!

B. Danson: Yeah. How about my match with Chris Champlain tonight? That'll be pretty wild, you'd better believe it.

M. Lazzario: Yeah, but not like my match with that Hasan Gilden guy. We're gonna tear the house down. Totally blow away the main event, you know?

B. Danson: Who the heck is Hasan Gilden, anyway?

M. Lazzario: Um... I don't know, really. Isn't he the guy who used to be the Berserker before he left the WWE?

B. Danson: Naah, you're thinking of Tony Halme. Did you know he's on the Senate in Norway now?

M. Lazzario: Norway? No way!

B. Danson: Really! And he weighs like three hundred and fifty pounds. He really let himself go. But he's still as tough as ever... he fought an huge octopus on one of those Japanese shoot-fight deathmatch pay-per-views and won. It was really crazy.

M. Lazzario: Man, it sure sounds like it.

Nicole groans and puts her head down on the table as the New Immortals have their conversation. But as they're talking, the Green Dragon steps up to their table. He's dressed in his usual wrestling attire, with the dragon mask and tights, but he's also wearing a green backpack.

G. Dragon: Hey! Do you guys want to play Dungeons and Dragons?

S. McMichael: Duggan and who? I think I beat Hacksaw Duggan a couple times back in the WCW--

G. Dragon: Dungeons and Dragons. It's a game of adventure, excitement, and dragons. You play the role of heroes, and you search for treasure guarded by dragons, rescue maidens who were kidnapped by dragons, and explore dungeons inhabited by dragons. It's a great game. It has a lot of dragons in it.

B. Danson: Oh, Dungeons and Dragons! I played that back in college a few times. I really had a blast.

M. Lazzario: I thought you just played a lot of Naked Twister and Bobbing For Apples in beer in college.

B. Danson: Yeah, mostly. That and stealing sorority girls' underwear. But what the heck, it'll be fun!

The Green Dragon pumps his fist in the air excitedly.

G. Dragon: YES!! ... All right, just let me get everything set up.

The Green Dragon reaches into his backpack and pulls out some Dungeons and Dragons rulebooks, with a lot of funny-shaped dice and papers. He sits down at the table and begins thumbing through the pages of a book as the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

Well, that was certainly a stupid and utterly pointless backstage segment, but they can't all be winners, you know? Anyway, we're going to get to our first match now! "Calling Dr. Love" by KISS begins playing, and the crowd boos as the Jolly Rogers, "Dastardly" Dave Adams and "The Chief of Governors" Tom Guycot, and the Wrecking Crew, John Uldwall and Blade, come out of the backstage entrance. They're accompanied by Nurse Vivacia, Seaman Staines, and Roger the Cabin Boy, the usual entourage for the Jolly Rogers, and they come to the ring. They'll be taking on Brian Rivera, Marylin Silvera, and the Tough Customers before long, in another chapter in the wars between these various teams. They enter the ring, and fortunately nobody goes for a microphone. Tonight, they'll do their talking in the ring.

And now "War Machine" by KISS begins playing, and the crowd cheers loudly as Brian Rivera, Marylin Silvera, and the Tough Customers, Bass Rogers and "The Star Player" Darren Michaels, come out of the backstage entrance! They have Dean Sanders with them, and they're certainly a very odd, whimsical combination, but we know that all of these men are very capable athletes! Bass Rogers leads the charge to the ring and slides inside, then randomly starts lashing out at his opponents as Bobcat McGavin enters the ring and calls for the bell to begin the match!

Jolly Rogers & Wrecking Crew
w/Nurse Vivacia, Seaman Staines, & Roger the Cabin Boy

Brian Rivera, Marylin Silvera, & Tough Customers
w/Dean Sanders

Bass Rogers takes on all four of his opponents singlehandedly in an opening brawl, and manages to clear the ring by himself, to the delight of the crowd! He roars in triumph and beats his chest, and the Jolly Rogers and the Wrecking Crew regroup on the outside as he tags in Darren Michaels. Finally, Blade from the Wrecking Crew comes in to get the match started, and they face off in a contest of power and athleticism, one that Darren Michaels seems to have a very slight edge in. But Blade is more ruthless and experienced in knock-down, drag-out brawls, and he takes a few well-timed cheap shots to turn the advantage back.

The advantage shifts several times as members of both teams face off in a variety of pairings, but nobody gets the advantage until John Uldwall blocks one of Brian Rivera's jiggy dancing punches, then runs forward and MAULS him with a huge clothesline! The crowd boos, and Brian Rivera's teammates look shocked... despite the fact that he always leaves himself open while he dances like an idiot to throw those punches, this is the first time in a LONG time that anyone has countered one! John Uldwall hits a few more power moves on Brian Rivera, putting him in a world of hurt, then drags him to his corner and makes the tag.

The Jolly Rogers and the Wrecking Crew start to pummel Brian Rivera, keeping him isolated from his partners and taking turns unloading on him. This continues for a few minutes, and then Brian Rivera ducks a clothesline from Blade, hooks his arm on the way, and turns him around and over for the BITCH SLAP!! But he's too weak to capitalize on it, and both men stay down for a while. But then the crowd gets behind Brian Rivera, and they cheer him on as he crawls to his corner and makes the tag to Bass Rogers! Blade makes the tag, and Dave Adams comes in to meet him!

The scene at the beginning of the match nearly recreates itself, as Bass Rogers comes in on a storm of fury and energy and beats the hell out of all four of his opponents. Before the odds can overwhelm him, his partners join the fray, and soon there's a huge brawl in and around the ring! On the outside of the ring, Seaman Staines and Roger the Cabin Boy try to get involved, but Dean Sanders begins assaulting them, easily manhandling them two-on-one! Back in the ring, Bass Rogers mauls Dave Adams with some heavy power offense, until Dave Adams gets in a lucky low blow. He goes for the Doctor's Orders on Bass Rogers, but is unable to lift him, and Bass Rogers counters with a huge belly-to-belly suplex!! Dave Adams wipes out on the canvas, and Bass Rogers backs into the ropes, then comes off with a BIG SPLASH!! He crashes down hard on Dave Adams, and holds the cover as Bobcat McGavin counts to three!

Bass Rogers just picked up the win for his team... but on the outside of the ring, the Wrecking Crew just grabbed steel chairs! They each drop Marylin Silvera and Brian Rivera with huge chairshots, then do the same to Darren Michaels and Dean Sanders when they turn to face them! Bass Rogers turns and sees what's happening, and he bellows a challenge to them and slaps his chest! It's two on one, and they have chairs, and he STILL wants to fight them!!

Blade slides into the ring and raises his chair to strike... and Bass Rogers rears back and HEADBUTTS IT INTO HIS FACE!! The crowd cheers, and Blade goes down, but Bass Rogers also falls to one knee, shaking his head. And John Uldwall just slid into the ring on the other side now! Bass Rogers starts to get up and turn to face him... but John Uldwall rushes him and DRILLS him with a big chairshot to the head! Bass Rogers is down, and he's busted wide open!

The Wrecking Crew begin making their way backstage now, but the damage has been done. Bass Rogers starts to sit up, groggy and dazed, and he can only glare at the Wrecking Crew with blood trickling down his face as they smirk at him during their retreat. Dean Sanders and Darren Michaels enter the ring and try to console him, but he shrugs both of them off, rolls out of the ring, and grabs a microphone...

B. Rogers: ULDWALL!! You and me, next week! You just TRY and do that again, you son of a bitch!!

Wow! Bass Rogers throws the microphone down, and the crowd cheers! Bass Rogers to go one-on-one with John Uldwall, next week!! At the top of the ramp, John Uldwall stops and smacks a fist into his palm, then points out at Bass Rogers and says something the cameras can't pick up. He's eager for this fight too... and next week, we'll see two of the most powerful, devestating men in VCW go one-on-one!!

But right now, we're going to take another look backstage, where VCW Commissioner James Applebee is going to speak to Johnny Smiles and his friends! Let's take a look.

Ken Collins, Stacey Lockman, Lars Coverdale, and The Pink Kitten are standing around backstage, with Sumiko the stuffed cat sitting on a bench nearby. Lizzie Carter approaches them with an energetic smile.

L. Carter: Hey, Lars! You're up next, against Tommy Hustle. C'mon, let's head out and show 'em what you've got!

L. Coverdale: No sweat. I'll talk to you later, guys.

As Lars Coverdale turns to leave, Ken Collins raises an eyebrow at him.

K. Collins: Hey, now that you have her to remind you, you won't space out and be late for your matches.

L. Coverdale: Yeah, I know! Isn't it awesome!? Lizzie helps me with all kinds of stuff. She's totally smart...

Lizzie Carter looks over and sees a pizza lying on the arena floor, and becomes distracted.

L. Carter: Whoa, check it out! A pizza on the floor! This is weird!! ... In a totally sweet kind of way, of course.

Lizzie Carter picks up a slice of pizza off of the floor and begins eating it. Lars Coverdale looks over at her, and he grins widely.

L. Coverdale: Dude! Pizza on the floor! You've gotta let me get in on some of this action.

Lars Coverdale picks up a slice of pizza and starts eating it too. Ken Collins, the Pink Kitten, and Stacey Lockman exchange a stare of disbelief. But before any of them says anything, VCW Commissioner James Applebee walks into the room, carrying a clipboard. He looks at Lars and Lizzie for a second, scarcely believing what he's seeing.

J. Applebee: Are you two eating... pizza? Off of the FLOOR!?

L. Coverdale: Yeah, boss! It's totally excellent! You want a piece?

James Applebee shakes his head and backs away from them, slightly horrified.

J. Applebee: No. ... No!! Just... get out to the ring, and forget about the pizza! Your match is next!!

L. Coverdale: Oh, yeah! We totally forgot. I'll see you later, boss!

Lars Coverdale and Lizzie Carter leave the room, and James Applebee stares after them, shaking his head, then looks back to Ken Collins, Stacey Lockman, and the Pink Kitten.

J. Applebee: Er... at any rate, you can probably guess why I'm here. Ken, I know I owed you a title shot after the way Horror Show ended, and that match last week was a disgrace. I have my own consequences in mind for Linda Peterson, after she cheated you at the end... but I want you to know you still have a rematch with Lance Errington coming, any time you want it.

Ken Collins nods and smiles.

K. Collins: Good. I'm going to teach that jackass a real lesson. Give me a Last Man Standing Match with him, right here, tonight!!

James Applebee sighs.

J. Applebee: Unfortunately, he has a medical release this week. He's saying you damaged his shoulder in that post-match brawl. But since I'm throwing out that nonsense from last week, he has yet to successfully defend the VCW Intercontinental Title since winning it. If he doesn't defend it next week, I'm within my rights to strip him of the title and hold it up in a match at Spontaneous Combustion. So next week... you have your shot.

K. Collins: Okay. I... guess that'll have to do.

Ken Collins shrugs and tries not to look disappointed.

J. Applebee: And... where's Johnny, anyway?

No sooner is his name mentioned than Johnny Smiles walks into the room, wearing a dark grey suit with a white shirt and red tie, along with Christina Ellis. He doesn't seem comfortable, and Christina Ellis is lecturing him.

C. Ellis: Come on, get over it. Gabriel Black wanted a formal debate, so it couldn't hurt to have you dressed for one.

J. Smiles: But how am I supposed to make the whole thing into a circus and a shambles if I'm actually appropriately dressed for the occasion?

C. Ellis: By beating Gabriel Black at his own game, that's how. Just think of how embarrassed he'll be when you make a fool out of him with an eloquent argument, without resorting to name-calling or cheesy gimmicks.

J. Smiles: No name-calling or cheesy gimmicks!? Come on, you're taking away my whole shtick, here!

Ken Collins and Stacey Lockman aren't quite able to hide grins at seeing Johnny Smiles dressed up like this. James Applebee's eyebrows raise as he looks Johnny up and down, too. The Pink Kitten steps forward with an honest smile, and puts a hand on his shoulder.

P. Kitten: It's not so bad, Johnny. You look really dignified and handsome. And... unhappy. You look unhappy too.

The Pink Kitten frowns in sympathy, and Johnny shrugs and offers a weak smile.

J. Applebee: Good. So... you're ready for this debate Gabriel's proposed. If it was up to me, I'd just book you guys in a match, but he wanted it this way and you've accepted, so this is how we'll do it. Now, I'll tell you the same thing I'm going to tell him. I've been trying to keep the fighting to sanctioned matches recently, so if you could keep yourself under control and not take a swing at him during this whole spectacle, it'd reflect well on you.

J. Smiles: So I can't resort to cheap humor OR violence during this debate? Sheesh, for something this boring and stiff, you'd think I'd at least have a shot at getting elected as President.

J. Applebee: Well... this is the most I can do. With regards to your Wrestlewar title shot, I'm working on it. I know you got cheated, and I have to fight the front offices every step of the way... but I might be able to get you another chance. Just keep your nose clean and your record good, and I'll see what I can do.

Johnny Smiles manages a weak grin.

J. Smiles: I'll try. This nose of mine, though... it's harder than you'd think.

J. Applebee: That's all I can ask. Well, ladies and gentlemen, with that out of the way, I'll leave you to--

C. Ellis: Wait. There's one more thing. We're not booked tonight...

J. Applebee: I know. Unfortunately, we don't really have any talent in the building that's worthy of a title shot right now--

C. Ellis: No, that's not it. I want to request a special match for tonight's show. Book me in a match... one-on-one, with Yuri. A Bra and Panties Match.

Ken Collins, Johnny Smiles, and Stacey Lockman all look up, startled at that request. The Pink Kitten flinches in shock, then hesitantly approaches Christina Ellis.

P. Kitten: Christina... um, why--

J. Applebee: But... I thought you were opposed to all of the T & A in American women's wrestling.

Christina Ellis gestures to Johnny Smiles, uncomfortably tugging at the collar of the suit even as he listens eagerly to the news of the Bra and Panties Match.

C. Ellis: Sometimes we all have to do things that make us uncomfortable. I have three reasons... first, it's an inspirational gesture, to show that we can put be successful even when we're not in our usual element. Second, I'm bored, I'm not booked, and there's nobody else in my league in the building right now. And third... there's an arena full of fans out there who can't wait to see Yuri's pink ass after I strip her like a cheap coat of paint.

Christina Ellis gives the Pink Kitten a predatory smile and cracks her knuckles, but the Pink Kitten seems a little bit intimidated and upset.

P. Kitten: But... Christina...

The Pink Kitten sees Ken Collins, Johnny Smiles, and Stacey Lockman all watching her, to see if she'll accept the challenge, and slowly, hesitantly, she steps forward and smiles.

P. Kitten: Well, if that's how it's going to be... I... I'll just have to beat you!

J. Applebee: All right, then. I'll make the match. I guess it'll be a nice change of pace from fighting tooth and nail for the SJW World Tag Team Titles.

K. Collins: Yeah, instead of tooth and nail, it'll be--

Stacey Lockman cuts Ken Collins off with an elbow to the ribs and a sharp glare.

K. Collins: Hey! ... What? I mean, you could be in a Bra and Panties match too, you kn--

Stacey Lockman nudges Ken Collins sharply again.

K. Collins: All right, all right!

As James Applebee leaves the room, the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

We're back, and Tommy Hustle is already in the ring, as "Talk Dirty To Me" by Poison begins playing over the arena sound system, bringing out Lars Coverdale, accompanied by Lizzie Carter! The crowd cheers as he runs to the ring, slapping hands with the fans, and slides inside, then begins headbanging and playing air guitar! Tommy Hustle smiles and improvises a breakdancing routine to Lars Coverdale's music, and he and Lars Coverdale go to exchange a high-five, but smack each other in the face accidentally instead! Brendan Powers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll get this match underway!

Lars Coverdale
w/Lizzie Carter

Lars Coverdale steps forward for a lockup, but instead of locking up, Tommy Hustle motions for him to play air guitar again! Lars Coverdale shrugs, and starts playing air guitar and headbanging again, and Tommy Hustle does his breakdance routine again... and this time, when they go to high-five each other, Tommy Hustle ducks! His hand still smacks Lars Coverdale in the face, but Lars's hand misses him, and Tommy Hustle takes the early advantage! That advantage proves to be short-lived, though, as both men trade the upper hand constantly in a lightning-fast exchange of quick moves in the opening portions of the match.

The action only heats up as Tommy Hustle dumps Lars Coverdale to the outside of the ring, then goes up top and dives out onto him with a FLYING CROSS BODYPRESS TO THE FLOOR!! Lars Coverdale goes down under him, and the match continues as a brawl on the outside of the ring. It spills over the guardrail, and in the crowd Lars Coverdale regains the advantage by sloshing Tommy Hustle with cola, then tossing him back over the guardrail, springing up on the rail, and leaping off at him with a flying clothesline!! The crowd roars in approval, but Lars isn't done yet... he steps up on the apron, goes up to the top turnbuckle, and leaps off at Tommy Hustle with a 450 BODYPRESS PLANCHA when he gets up!! The crowd's cheers grow even louder! In the span of a few minutes, these guys have pulled out some truly breathtaking moves!

Lars Coverdale rolls Tommy Hustle back into the ring, and the action picks up as he goes in for the kill. But Tommy Hustle backdrops out of a Rocker Dropper, then hits Lars Coverdale with a spinning leg lariat when he lands on his feet! Tommy Hustle seizes the advantage and hits a string of nice moves on Lars Coverdale, then lifts him from behind and brings him down with the BACKDROP DRIVER!! He covers, but Lars Coverdale kicks out at two and three-quarters!

Tommy Hustle steps out to the apron, Lars Coverdale gets up groggily, and Tommy Hustle leaps on the top rope and springs off with a SPRINGBOARD THESZ PRESS!! Lars Coverdale goes down under him, and Brendan Powers counts, but again it's only two and three-quarters! Tommy Hustle makes a spinning motion with his hands, then steps out to the apron again, and this time he goes to the top turnbuckle! He leaps off with the FLYING SOMERSAULT HEADBUTT... but Lars Coverdale rolls out of the way!! Tommy Hustle wipes out on the mat, and for a few seconds both men are down... but then Lars Coverdale kips up!!

Tommy Hustle starts to get up, but Lars Coverdale runs forward and brings him down with a ROCKER DROPPER!! Tommy Hustle is down again, and Lars Coverdale waits for him to get up, then draws back and blasts him with a SUPERKICK!! The crowd cheers loudly, and Lars Coverdale goes for the cover... but somehow, Tommy Hustle throws a shoulder up at two and nine-tenths!! But Lars Coverdale's not done... he goes up to the top turnbuckle, turns to Tommy Hustle, and leaps off with the FROG SPLASH!! He covers and hooks a leg, and that gets three! Lars Coverdale just defeated Tommy Hustle in one hell of a fast-paced match!

That wasn't a traditional wrestling match, but that was the damndest trampoline act we've seen in quite some time! Lars Coverdale helps Tommy Hustle up and shakes his hand, and Lizzie Carter comes in to join both of them in a group hug. They're all still friends here, after that fast-paced match, and Lars Coverdale has picked up the victory...

But hold on, "Life In The Fast Lane" by the Eagles just started playing, and the crowd boos as Michelle Hubbard comes out of the backstage entrance! She's wearing her husband's "DWH: NOW YOU'RE MESSING WITH A SON OF A BITCH" T-shirt, and she has a microphone in her hands...

M. Hubbard: Aww... you got yourself another girlfriend, Lars. Isn't that sweet?

Lars Coverdale looks down the aisle at Michelle Hubbard and frowns... but Lizzie Carter looks downright angry, and she grabs a microphone.

L. Carter: Actually, I'm just his biggest fan. But if I was his girlfriend, it WOULD be sweet. In a totally cool kind of way. You didn't realize how lucky you were, old chick. Lars is the greatest guy in the world!

M. Hubbard: Old chick!? Shut your mouth, you frizzy-haired bimbo. Just because he wasn't man enough for a real woman doesn't mean he wants a little girl like you. I mean... just look atcha. Go on... I said look atcha. Your poodle-looking hair, your big, dopey eyes... and my boobs are way bigger than yours.

L. Carter: No way! Your boobs totally suck. And your ass is bigger than mine, too.

M. Hubbard: Yeah, that's because I'm a real WOMAN, not some poofy-haired kid with no body. Don't you have homework to do or something? Look, someone like me... I'm from hearty pioneer stock. I just get better with age. But you... after I run you out of this business and you spend the next ten years waiting tables, you ain't gonna be so sweet and perky. Like I said, the only reason Lars is hanging around you is because he ain't man enough for--

Hold it, Lars Coverdale just grabbed Lizzie Carter and pulled her into a huge kiss! The crowd explodes into cheers, and Tommy Hustle grins at them both from the corner where he's watching this whole spectacle unfold, but Michelle Hubbard looks pissed! Could she be a little bit jealous? The kiss goes on for several seconds, and then Lizzie Carter wilts in Lars Coverdale's grasp, sinking to her knees and gasping for breath when he releases her.

L. Carter: OH... MY... GOD. I... I can't believe... Lars... you really...

Tommy Hustle has a microphone now, too.

T. Hustle: Hey, I ain't involved in this or nothing. But as an outside observer looking in, "old chick"... I think it's safe to say that your ass just got STOLE ON.

The crowd cheers, and Michelle Hubbard glares around at them angrily! Finally, she raises her microphone again...

M. Hubbard: Yeah, but don't expect any more out of him than that. It's only fair to tell you that he's got a few... shall we say, SHORTCOMINGS in the bedroom. You'll find that out... if things get that far before my husband shows up. We ain't done with you yet, Lars!!

Michelle Hubbard stalks backstage, but Lars Coverdale and Lizzie Carter could care less! The celebration resumes as "Talk Dirty To Me" by Poison begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers as Lars Coverdale and Lizzie Carter exchange a sappy, lovey-dovey stare in the middle of the ring! Since this whole romantic scene is sugary enough to make our viewers diabetic, we're going to cut away now to a backstage scene featuring the New Immortals again!

The Green Dragon is sitting down behind a folding cardboard screen with charts printed on it, while Bobby Danson, Moy Lazzario, Nicole, and Steve "Mongo" McMichael are sitting at the other end of the table.

Nicole: Okay, I cast my burning hands spell on the green dragon.

Nicole rolls a die, then looks at the Green Dragon.

Nicole: And I just did five points of damage! There, that's more like it!

The Green Dragon shakes his head and chuckles, then rolls a die behind the cardboard screen.

G. Dragon: Yeah, but the green dragon makes his saving throw. You only inflict half damage, and fractions get rounded down... so your spell does two points of damage.

The Green Dragon giggles to himself.

B. Danson: Well... that's not so good. My turn, right? I cast cure light wounds on Nicole.

Bobby Danson rolls a die, then turns and smiles at Nicole.

B. Danson: Hey, you just got three hit points back, babe!

Nicole rolls her eyes.

Nicole: Great. THAT's really gonna help us. I think we're fucked.

M. Lazzario: Not so fast. I'm a bard, so I can make my allies do better with music, right? I pull out my harp and start playing a kickass power ballad on it! You guys get a +1 bonus to all your attack rolls as long as I keep playing!

G. Dragon: Unfortunately, the dragon doesn't like your music. It makes him so mad that he gets a +2 rage bonus on all of his attack and damage rolls as long as you keep playing.

B. Danson: What the hell!? You've gotta be kidding me!

G. Dragon: It's... uh, a new rule. For Third Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Yeah.

B. Danson: Give me the rulebook. I wanna see that.

G. Dragon: Um... it's a house rule. But everyone uses it. Just look on the Internet, and you'll see!

M. Lazzario: Aw, shit. How should I know he wouldn't like power ballads? I should've just tuned it in drop D and started playing some Slipknot covers.

B. Danson: But speaking of rage... Mongo's still in his barbarian rage, and it's his turn!

Steve "Mongo" McMichael isn't paying any attention to the game. A hot dog has been left unattended on a nearby table, and he's staring at it, licking his lips.

G. Dragon: Mongo, it's your turn!

S. McMichael: Huh!? Grr! Mongo smash!!

B. Danson: Isn't he great at acting like a half-orc barbarian?

M. Lazzario: I think he's just being himself.

Steve McMichael picks up a die and rolls it, and Bobby Danson looks down at it and grins.

B. Danson: He rolled nineteen! And with his strength bonus, his base attack bonus, the bonus from the song, the bonus from the barbarian rage, and the bonus from his weapon focus ability, that adds up to twenty-seven! That'll do the trick! Take it like a bitch, dragon!!

The Green Dragon checks some papers in front of himself, then laughs and shakes his head.

G. Dragon: Sorry. This dragon's armor class is so high that he needs a natural twenty to hit him. So Mongo's attack misses. And now it's the dragon's turn. He breathes his poison gas breath on you...

The Green Dragon rolls a few dice and smiles.

G. Dragon: And does forty-seven points of damage! You can attempt a reflex saving throw, at difficulty thirty-nine, to only suffer half damage.

B. Danson: Um... none of us even have twenty-three hit points, let alone forty-seven. There's no point.

G. Dragon: Oh, you're right. So the dragon kills you all! Nice try, though. Wanna create new characters and play again?

Bobby Danson, Moy Lazzario, Nicole, and Steve "Mongo" McMichael all exchange a glance.

B. Danson: Hey... I'm no expert, but aren't green dragons WAY too tough for first-level characters to be fighting?

G. Dragon: Dragons are the toughest monsters in the game! Nobody can beat them!

B. Danson: So why'd you make us fight one, then?

G. Dragon: Guys, the game's called Dungeons and DRAGONS. There are supposed to be dragons in this game!

Bobby Danson exchanges an annoyed glance with his three friends.

B. Danson: You guys thinking what I'm thinking?

Moy Lazzario and Steve "Mongo" McMichael nod, and they get up and grab the Green Dragon.

G. Dragon: Hey, what're you doing!? Let go!

The Green Dragon struggles, but Bobby Danson grabs him too, and they all carry him over to a large wooden chest in a corner of the room. Nicole opens the lid to the chest, and it's empty inside.

G. Dragon: Hey, why do you have to be such poor sports!? It's only a game!

Bobby Danson, Moy Lazzario, and Mongo ignore his protests and stuff him inside the wooden chest, then close the lid on him and press it down until it clicks, locking him inside.

M. Lazzario: Dumb son of a bitch.

B. Danson: Yeah, but all this Dungeons and Dragons has given me an idea. Nicole, baby... after my match, let's go back to the hotel, and we'll pretend that I'm a handsome prince, and you're an evil sorceress who captured me. You can tie me up in your dungeon and do wicked things to me.

Bobby Danson puts a hand on Nicole's shoulder, but she smiles and shakes her head.

Nicole: Sounds good. I have a little business to take care of at the arena first, though. Say... Moy, you wouldn't mind going this one alone, would you?

M. Lazzario: Go ahead. I'm just facing some rookie, right? I'll just have Bobby be my manager tonight. Besides, I think Mongo's gonna be a minute or two.

Moy Lazzario gestures over to the table, where Steve "Mongo" McMichael has started eating the unattended hot dog he was eyeing earlier.

Nicole: All right. Good luck

Nicole walks away, and the New Immortals walk off in another direction. The camera zooms in on the chest, which starts rocking back and forth as a soft knocking emanates from inside. The Green Dragon calls out from within in a sad, pathetic voice.

G. Dragon: Help? Somebody? Help. ... ... Help. Come on, guys!

At that, the camera view shifts to the hallway. Nicole walks down the backstage hallway and takes a right turn, coming to the women's showers. She looks inside and grins, then begins stalking inside. She turns off the water, then darts forward, encountering Nurse Vivacia. The camera turns to focus inside the shower, where Nurse Vivacia is standing naked, but with mounds of soap suds conveniently placed over her breasts and groin. She has a nightstick in her hand, and Nicole sees that and stops in her tracks.

N. Vivacia: I thought you might want to try again. One more step and I'll knock you out.

Nicole backs up, putting her hands up.

Nicole: Um... I didn't come here to hurt you or anything! I just wanted to apologize. You won that contest, and I'm just being jealous for no reason.

N. Vivacia: Oh. Well... I guess I can forgive you.

Nicole: Yeah. I guess it's just... you know, you're so pretty, and I'm a little jealous. I wish I could've won.

N. Vivacia: Nicole... you're beautiful too. If I'd been one of the judges, I'd've given you a perfect ten. But I'll tell you what... I bet I know why you're really here.

Nurse Vivacia gives Nicole a sultry look, and Nicole looks uneasy.

Nicole: Um... what do you mean?

N. Vivacia: Well... why don't you come over here and help me wash my back? Maybe I'll show you what I mean.

Nurse Vivacia turns around, and another conveniently-placed line of soap suds runs up the middle of her rear, barely covering her like thong underwear. Nicole steps forward and reaches out, hesitantly.

N. Vivacia: Don't be scared. I won't bite. I might lick, and suck, and kiss... but I don't bite.

Nurse Vivacia drops the nightstick, and Nicole touches her back, hesitantly at first, then grabs a sponge and begins spreading soapy suds across her back. Nurse Vivacia sighs contentedly and wiggles her butt.

N. Vivacia: Ooh, that feels so good. Why don't you step out of those clothes and turn the water back on, and I'll--

Without warning, Nicole suddenly punches Nurse Vivacia in the back, then grabs her by the hair and flings her down. Nurse Vivacia lands on her back on the shower floor, and Nicole grabs the nightstick and stands over her.

Nicole: I don't think so, you stupid slut. Let's just see how many blowjobs you can give with your jaw wired shut!

Nicole raises the nightstick to strike, but Nurse Vivacia screams and holds her arms over her head.

N. Vivacia: No!! Not the face!

Nicole lowers the nightstick a little bit.

Nicole: No, you're right. I've got something better for you. Something more in the poetic justice department. You know what they say... live by the sword and die by the sword, right?

Nicole crouches over Nurse Vivacia and grasps the handle coming out of the side of the nightstick, then lines the other end of it up between Nurse Vivacia's spread legs, near her crotch (which is still covered by conveniently-placed soap suds).

N. Vivacia: Nicole! What are you doing!? What the----AAAHHH!!

The camera cuts immediately to a closeup of Nurse Vivacia's upper body (her breasts still covered) as Nicole thrusts the nightstick forward abruptly, showing her arching her back sharply and crying out with wide eyes.

Nicole: How about that, you perverted bitch? You still think you wanna make a fool out of me!

N. Vivacia: Aah... no! Uhh... please... don't... ... uh, stop...

Nicole looks down at Nurse Vivacia, gasping and writhing on the floor, and her face softens as she releases her grip on the nightstick.

Nicole: Yeah... you're right. This is kinda sick and perverted, and I don't need to be sinking to your level. Guess I got carried away. Next time, I'll just settle it in the ring with an old-fashioned beating.

N. Vivacia: Uhh... no, wait. I wasn't saying "Please don't, stop" ... I was saying, "Please, don't stop". As in, keep going. Except... could you do it a little deeper and slower, and touch my boobs with the other hand while you do it?

Nicole: Gaah!! You twisted freak slut! I'll show you!!

Nicole pulls the nightstick away, grabs it by the long end, and swings it at Nurse Vivacia as she starts to get up. The protruding handle connects squarely with her head, and she goes down to a heap in the floor. All the while, the conveniently placed soap suds miraculously hold their position, keeping the camera from picking up any nudity. Nicole stares down at Nurse Vivacia and smiles.

Nicole: Fucking bimbo.

But then Nicole looks at the nightstick in her hands, and her smile suddenly fades as she stares at it and remembers where it's been. She drops it abruptly and wipes her hand on the side of her pants, gagging and retching a few times, and runs out of the shower room. At that, the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

Oh, brother. From one stupid situation to another. Somebody in the production department needs to make a rule to avoid the video feeds with the New Immortals and their cronies in them. But we're back now, and ready for our next match. "Jump" by Van Halen is playing, and the crowd doesn't quite know what to think as "Hot Stuff" Hasan Gilden makes his way out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by La Princesa Lobo! He's a young man with dark nut-brown skin and shoulder length black hair that's slicked back with grease, and he's wearing a hot pink vest, hot pink pants, and an entire pawn shop's worth of cheap, gaudy jewelry, even a pair of sunglasses with thick, golden, bejeweled frames. Completing the look is a pink flamingo tattoo on his left shoulder and upper arm. He swaggers to the ring and slides inside, then grabs a microphone. La Princesa Lobo enters the ring and stands at his side, with one arm around his waist, as he talks with an accent that seems to be half-Jersey, half-Hispanic.

H. Gilden: Yo. Everybody knows VCW's been looking for some hot newcomers. Well, baby... if I was any hotter, I'd be setting the ground on fire everywhere I walked. OH YEAH!

Hasan Gilden punctuates that last statement with an enthusiastic thrust of his pelvis. Oh, brother.

H. Gilden: So I'm out here to make my big entrance, right, and they stick me with this curtain-jerking douchebag Moy Lose-ario. Well, let me tell you something, Lazzario... tonight's not your lucky night, because Hot Stuff's in town and the HEAT IS ON!!

Wow. For perhaps the first time in his life, Moy Lazzario's going to be face-to-face with a man who's even cheesier than he is. "Riders On The Storm" by Creed begins playing, and that brings out "Magnificent" Moy Lazzario, along with "Beautiful" Bobby Danson! Nicole and Mongo are on leave, so it'll just be the New Immortals here in the ring area as Moy Lazzario goes one-on-one with Hasan Gilden. He enters the ring as Hasan Gilden takes off his vest and jewelry and hands them to La Princesa Lobo, and Jerry Rogers enters the ring as well and calls for the bell to begin the match!

"Magnificent" Moy Lazzario
w/"Beautiful" Bobby Danson

"Hot Stuff" Hasan Gilden
w/La Princesa Lobo

Hasan Gilden tries to match wrestling ability with Moy Lazzario in the opening portions of the match, and is quickly shown up by Moy Lazzario's quickness and superior technical skills. Moy Lazzario may be a goofball who's likely to get killed in a brawl with a larger opponent, but nobody ever doubted his technical prowess. After losing several wrestling exchanges, Hasan Gilden rolls out of the ring, where La Princesa Lobo tries to console him. But as they're talking on the outside, Moy Lazzario runs at them and leaps through the second and third ropes to barrel into both of them with an ELBOW SUICIDA!!

They both go down, and Moy Lazzario takes the fight to Hasan Gilden on the outside in a brawl. That shortly proves to be a mistake, as Hasan Gilden takes the advantage there, then punishes Moy Lazzario by taking him head-first into the ringpost. He takes the match back into the ring and controls it with some decent power offense, including a nice discus clothesline. Moy Lazzario tries to come back a few times, but each time Hasan Gilden manages to cut him off. After ducking a spin kick and popping up to floor Moy Lazzario with a wild clothesline, Hasan Gilden jumps up into the air and does the splits, yelling "DAMN, I'M GOOD!" as he comes down with one leg extended forward and one leg extended backward.

Sensing the end, Hasan Gilden begins to lift Moy Lazzario up as if for an inverted crucifix power bomb. He's probably going for his finishing move, the Neon Sunset, in which he drops him from that position into an Ace Crusher, but Moy Lazzario's struggling! He slips out behind him on the lift, hooks his head on the way down, and brings him down with an INVERTED DDT!! After a second or two, he puts an arm on Hasan Gilden's chest for the cover, but only gets two and a half!

Both men begin to get up, and Hasan Gilden takes a swing at Moy Lazzario, but Moy Lazzario blocks it, then whips him into the ropes! He comes off the other side, then takes Hasan Gilden down in the middle of the ring with a LOU THESZ PRESS!! Moy Lazzario rains fists down into his head repeatedly, then gets up and waits for Hasan Gilden to get to his feet! Hasan Gilden gets up, takes a wild swing that Moy Lazzario ducks, and Moy Lazzario catches him with a kick to the midsection! Hasan Gilden doubles over, into an ACE CRUSHER!! Moy Lazzario caught him! Hasan Gilden goes down, and Moy Lazzario covers and gets three! This one is over!!

Hasan Gilden rolls out of the ring, cursing in frustration, as Bobby Danson enters the ring to congratulate Moy Lazzario. He just showed us tonight that he can still go, when he stops being silly long enough to get the job done, and Hasan Gilden will have to try for better luck next time. But before our next match, we're going to take another look backstage, this time as Troy Black enters the arena! Let's go to that now...

Troy Black walks into the arena, carrying his bags and looking around cautiously. He starts to walk down a hallway, when his sister Rebecca Black walks up to him. He grimaces in disgust and begins to turn away, but she puts a hand out to stop him.

R. Black: Wait, Troy. I know I disgust you, and you don't give a shit about my broken heart or my feelings or any of that. But that's not what this is about.

Troy Black turns back to Rebecca Black, clearly impatient.

T. Black: Then what is it?

R. Black: It's just all this fucked-up stuff that's been happening. You know... Gabriel, he's pulling strings left and right, he's taking people out, he brought Melissa back... and he brought Dad here, Troy. Do you know what that means? The old bastard's HERE, and it doesn't look like he's going away.

T. Black: Yeah. I know.

R. Black: Look, I don't know if I can deal with this. You've gotta stop him. Hurt him for what he did to me... to us. Make sure he can never hurt us again. Because if you let him, he IS gonna hurt us again, and I don't know if I can take it.

Troy Black just looks at Rebecca Black for a few seconds, then shakes his head.

T. Black: So not only do I have Gabriel trying to provoke me into a match where we try to end each other's careers, but now I have you--my sister--trying to talk me into hurting our father.

R. Black: Come on, Troy, don't give me that shit. He's evil. You know it. You went through the same shit I did. We all did, except Gabriel. You don't think I heard you screaming down in the basement? Now he's here again... but this time, it could be different. You could make him scream. Better yet, you could stop him from hurting us, or anyone else, ever again. All you've gotta do is grow a fucking spine and face him down.

Troy Black just smirks bitterly to himself.

T. Black: I wish I COULD grow a new spine. The one I have has all kinds of cracked and smashed vertebrae in the neck. ... Look, Rebecca. I was never any kind of savior or hero to anybody. Just ask Melissa. Hell, you want a real answer, ask Falcon. And even if I was somebody's patron saint, now's not the time. I can't even solve my own problems, let alone anyone else's.

R. Black: But this IS your problem! Look... if you're not the white knight in shining armor, then who is?

T. Black: I don't know. Maybe Russel Taylor. Maybe Johnny Smiles or Ken Collins. Or maybe there isn't one. Maybe everything around here's just going to hell and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. As cynical and jaded as you are, I thought you'd know that sometimes things are just like that.

R. Black: Jesus Christ, Troy... knock it off with the doom and gloom and bitching and KILL some people already! Get yourself another Black Plague or something, if that's what it takes. Why the FUCK are you just minding your own business and taking whatever they dish at you when you could grab a steel chair and go around SLAUGHTERING people like a man!? Are you that scared of them? Did Dad touch you, too? Did he make you cream your jeans before you were even--

Rebecca Black is cut off when Troy Black grabs her and shoves her up against the wall in the hallway.

T. Black: Shut up. You're making me sick.

R. Black: I... I'm sorry. Just... don't hurt me, okay? I didn't mean--

T. Black: Do you think that just because I'm not going around randomly hurting people, I'm afraid? No. If you want to go bringing up the Black Plague, I'll tell you the ONE thing that I learned from that whole mess. Before you tell yourself violence is the answer, you'd better make sure it is. Because if it isn't, you can't take it back, and you can't put what you've broken back together. Don't think I'm not upset about Dad, and Gabriel, and Melissa, and everything... I'm just not the guy who's going to go postal and make them all pay. That wasn't the answer at Wrestlewar III, and it can't be the answer now. It just can't. Not when there's family involved.

Troy Black lets Rebecca Black go, and she stumbles a few steps away from him, then looks up with a strange smile slowly spreading across her face.

R. Black: You know what this means, don't you? It means it's all up to me. God help us all... I'M the one who has to bring the devil to his knees. It could've been different. We could've been on top of VCW again, with Dad and Gabriel drowning in pools of their own blood at our feet. You would have had power and security and safety... and my love, eternal and undying, just for you. But without that, there's NOTHING here for me. Nothing except to bring a nightmare to life, to bring hell itself crashing down around Dad, and Gabriel, and everyone who fucked with me... to take them all with me when I go down. And the only thing that hurts... is knowing that we almost had it all.

T. Black: For God's sake, Rebecca--

R. Black: No, just for my sake. God's staying out of this one and I don't blame Him.

Troy Black starts to speak again, but Rebecca Black lunges forward and kisses him desperately on the lips. He is too shocked to move as she shoves him up against the wall, kissing him deeply, before she finally pulls away and flashes him a fierce grin.

R. Black: Bye bye, little brother. See you in the obituaries.

Troy Black stares after Rebecca Black with a mix of horror and disgust as she turns and runs away, then puts a hand to his mouth and looks at it with disgust as well. While he's standing there, Brujah walks up to him.

Brujah: Hey.

Troy Black looks at him as the shock fades from his face.

T. Black: How's your neck?

Brujah: Kinda like your life... still a little messed up. I've still gotta wrestle tonight, though.

Brujah grins, and Troy Black forces a weak smile.

T. Black: Who's the victim?

Brujah's grin fades.

Brujah: Melissa.

T. Black: You're kidding.

Brujah: No. They told me this is what she wanted for her big return match.

Troy Black turns away with an angry sigh.

Brujah: But hey... things aren't all bad. You've got a VCW World Title shot tonight. A Triple Threat Match with Crimson and Jockey Oldcastle.

Troy Black turns back to Brujah with his fists clenched and eyes burning with frustration.

T. Black: Then I feel sorry for them. This isn't their lucky night.

Brujah: What's eating you?

Troy Black sighs and runs a hand through his hair as some of his frustration ebbs.

T. Black: If you have a while before your match with Melissa, I can tell you.

The two of them walk into a nearby room, and the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

It looks like all of the pressure on Troy Black may be starting to push him over the edge. With both Troy Black and Crimson angry and ready to lash out, you have to wonder just what will go down tonight in the main event. But right now, we have another match to get to, and Dean Sanders is already in the ring as we await the entrance of Jacob Idol.

And now "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin begins playing, and the crowd boos as Jacob Idol comes out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Rob Solomon, Derek Cole, Jasmina Chastity, and "Superstar" Sean Black. Oh, great... he has a small army backing him! How's Dean Sanders supposed to deal with that!? But as they begin walking down the aisle, VCW Commissioner James Applebee steps out behind them! He comes forward and intercepts them, and begins arguing with Jacob Idol's entourage, pointing towards the backstage entrance! The crowd cheers, and Jacob Idol turns and protests to him as Rob Solomon, Derek Cole, and "Superstar" Sean Black begin to head backstage, grumbling and complaining. It looks like Jacob Idol's left with only Jasmina Chastity, and that's more like it!

Finally, Jacob Idol realizes he's not going to win that argument and walks to the ring, with Jasmina Chastity consoling him and trying to reassure him. He looks to be thrown off his game as he enters the ring, and Dean Sanders is watching him warily; you know he's not going to show any mercy! Bobcat McGavin enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll begin this match!

Jacob Idol
w/Jasmina Chastity

Both of these men are competent technical wrestlers, and as they match up in the beginning, neither man is able to hold the advantage long enough to do serious damage. Jacob Idol seems to be just slightly more apt in this regard, and he frustrates Dean Sanders with several takedowns and moves even if he isn't able to follow up with the devestating offense he needs for a decisive advantage. But when Dean Sanders gets frustrated, he gets mad, and the match degenerates into a brawl, where Dean Sanders quickly gains the upper hand. He beats Jacob Idol up, tosses him out of the ring, and then beats him up even more on the floor at ringside!

The abuse continues until Jasmina Chastity seemingly accidentally gets in Dean Sanders's way and makes him stumble. Dean Sanders turns and advances on her, wagging his finger and calling her a bloody tart, as she screams in terror and bolts, but that gives Jacob Idol the distraction he needs to catch Dean Sanders with a low blow from behind, then take him shoulder-first into the steel ringpost! He rolls Dean Sanders back into the ring, and continues the assault on his right shoulder, working him over on the mat. With this advantage, Jacob Idol takes firm control of the match, and it begins to look like Dean Sanders is in trouble. He escapes several submission holds by making it to the ropes or countering them, but the cumulative damage to his arm and shoulder can't be denied. It even costs him a chance at retaking the advantage when he slips out behind Jacob Idol on a suplex attempt and hits a lariat, only to be too incapacitated by the pain in his arm to capitalize.

Sensing the end is near, Jacob Idol switches gears and hits a few impact moves on Dean Sanders, trying to knock him out, ending with an inverted DDT that gets two and three-quarters. With Dean Sanders in trouble, Jacob Idol starts going to the top turnbuckle, looking for his Moonsault Bodyblock, but Dean Sanders gets up too soon and comes up behind him on the turnbuckles, then brings him down with a BELLY-TO-BACK SUPERPLEX!! The crowd cheers, and after several seconds they both get up at the same time. Jacob Idol takes a swing at Dean Sanders, but Dean Sanders ducks behind him, then takes Jacob Idol down with a LARIAT when he turns around! Dean Sanders roars in pain, but he's gritting his teeth and fighting through it this time!

Dean Sanders fights through the pain in his arm to hit a few more big moves on Jacob Idol, but when he comes off the top turnbuckle with a flying elbowdrop, the pain it causes his arm incapacitates him too much to make the cover! After several seconds, when he does cover, Jacob Idol kicks out at two and a half. Angered, Dean Sanders pulls him into a standing headscissors and lifts for a POWER BOMB... but his grip's weak, and Jacob Idol counters with a FRANKENSTEINER! He cradles Dean Sanders's legs for the pin, and gets two... before Dean Sanders reverses into a sunset flip position, which gets three!! Dean Sanders pulled his one out!!

Dean Sanders just pulled out what might be considered a minor upset against Jacob Idol, and Jacob Idol's pissed! He's yelling "IT'S NOT FAIR!! I'M THE BEST!!" and banging his fists on the mat, and when Jasmina Chastity comes over to console him, he buries his face in her shoulder like a baby! What a sore loser... but Dean Sanders is the winner, and he grimaces through an explosion of pain to raise his injured arm in victory! He won... but Monty Pompous just stepped out of the backstage entrance, holding a microphone!

M. Pompous: That was... mildly impressive. You have, in fact, surprised me by displaying a moment of adequacy. But your success ends soon, when you face the splendid and noble Knights of the Squared Circle in tag team competition at Spontaneous Combustion. But ere long, after Jockey Oldcastle wins the VCW World Title tonight, he would like a gentlemanly duel with you... Dean Sanders versus Jockey Oldcastle, one-on-one, next week, with the VCW World Title as the spoils for the victor!

Dean Sanders snarls at him from inside the ring and yells "YOU'RE ON", and it sounds like we have a match! Of course, it may be somewhat premature to speculate that Jockey Oldcastle will be the VCW World Champion come next week. He may very well be, but he has to defeat Troy Black and Crimson tonight to earn that honor, which is by no means a foregone conclusion.

As everybody involved begins to make their way backstage, we're going to take a look at VCW Commissioner James Applebee's office! Let's watch now...

VCW Commissioner James Applebee is sitting at a desk, looking through some papers, when VCW referee Linda Peterson enters the room timidly.

L. Peterson: Um... sir? You... wanted to see me about something?

James Applebee looks up and frowns.

J. Applebee: I certainly did. You know, I realize how hard a referee's job can be, and I try to give you all a wide berth of room to make mistakes. Sometimes, in fact, I err on the side of leniency... because I know how hard it is. I've been a referee.

L. Peterson: Oh, yeah... it's really hard! But I'm trying really hard too! I--

J. Applebee: Don't give me that shit. You know why you're in here. Or should I remind you?

L. Peterson: Okay. I know I've made a few bad calls--

J. Applebee: You ran in to replace Jerry Rogers at Horror Show's VCW Intercontinental Title match, and despite the fact that you had to have clearly seen Lance Errington use a pipe wrench on Ken Collins on the monitors, and despite the fact that the match was sixty-five seconds over the time limit, you counted a pinfall victory for Lance Errington. Then, after I was knocked out in the Johnny Smiles versus Julian Page match, you ran down to count Johnny's shoulders down, after obvious outside interference.

L. Peterson: So I had a bad night. Now--

J. Applebee: That's not all. The very next night, you disqualified Troy Black on very shaky circumstantial evidence; all you saw was him holding a hockey stick, and Jasmina Chastity claiming that he struck Rob Solomon with it. You were better next week... but then, just last week, when you called a submission on Ken Collins when he clearly hadn't submitted... you gave yourself away.

Linda Peterson just gives James Applebee a clueless smile.

L. Peterson: Gave myself away? What's that supposed to mean? I'm not DOING anything!

J. Applebee: You've made a LOT of bad calls lately, and ALL of them have fit into Gabriel Black's agenda. Too many to be a coincidence. I know the truth... the truth is that you're taking money from Gabriel Black. And if you're taking money from Gabriel Black, I guess you don't really need the money you're taking from me any longer, so YOU'RE FIRED.

Linda Peterson panics, staring at James Applebee and gesturing wildly as she talks.

L. Peterson: Fired!? Wh... HOW can you DO that!? I've been with this company from the beginning, and that's more than you can say for anybody but Jerry Rogers! I'm one of this company's senior referees! You can't fire me just based on some fishy trumped-up evidence?

James Applebee shrugs and takes out a piece of paper.

J. Applebee: Maybe you're right. Let's not be too hasty here. I'll tell you what... I'm putting you on probation. If you sign here, I'll let you work Spontaneous Combustion, and if your performance there is acceptable, I'll reinstate you in full. How's that?

L. Peterson: That's more like it. Trust me, boss, you won't be disappointed.

James Applebee sets the paper in front of her, and Linda Peterson signs it.

J. Applebee: I'm sure I won't be disappointed. After all, you're not working Spontaneous Combustion as a referee... you're in a match, one-on-one, with STACEY LOCKMAN. So good luck.

L. Peterson: WHAT!? You... you're crazy! You can't make me do that!

J. Applebee: You're right... I can't MAKE you do anything. But this contract says that if you want to keep your job, you'd better deliver a singles victory against Stacey Lockman at Spontaneous Combustion. So hit the gym to get ready, or hit the unemployment lines if you want to keep collecting checks.

L. Peterson: Y-you'll be sorry! I'll kick Stacey Lockman's ass right out of this company!!

Linda Peterson turns and storms out of the office, nearly in tears, and James Applebee just stops and shakes his head, smiling to himself. But then the door to the office bursts open, and Derek Cole walks in. James Applebee immediately stands up, his fists at his sides, but Derek Cole just looks at him sadly and shakes his head.

D. Cole: Is this how you deal with your inadequacy? Calling sweet, cute, innocent girls into your office and badgering them until they break down and cry?

J. Applebee: What the hell do YOU want?

D. Cole: Just wanted to check up on you, boss. Doesn't look like you've had too much time to train, with all your duties taking up your time. And with all that stress you've been under... I mean, I know they say some people deal with their stress by eating, but don't you think you're overdoing it a little?

Derek Cole pokes James Applebee in the stomach and smiles to himself.

J. Applebee: Just wait until Spontaneous Combustion and you'll see what I can do.

D. Cole: Oh? Well, you won't have to wait that long to see what I can do. Jake! Jasmina! Bring my stuff in.

Jacob Idol and Jasmina Chastity come in, carrying a honeydew melon and a two-by-four.

D. Cole: See this two-by-four? That's your leg.

Jacob Idol holds the two-by-four out in front of himself with both hands, and Derek Cole carefully measures it with his eyes, then breaks it in half with a sudden shin kick.

D. Cole: And that melon? ... That's your big, stupid head.

Jasmina Chastity holds the melon out in front of herself, and Derek Cole draws back his right fist, then drives it forward, bursting the melon and sending a spray of pulp and juice over Jasmina Chastity, who screams in outrage and drops the melon.

J. Applebee: Yes, I get your point. Now I have work to do, so--

D. Cole: Wait, there's just ONE more thing, and then I'm done. Your desk there... that's your back.

Derek Cole steps forward and slams his right hand down on the desk with a hard chop, making it crack and tremble. He drives his hand down into it again, and then again, and the desk splits down the middle and collapses to junk on the floor.

J. Applebee: That was my desk, you son of a bitch!

D. Cole: Yeah, well... don't worry about it. We're done now. I'll let you get back to work, boss.

Derek Cole smirks and leaves the room, and Jacob Idol and Jasmina Chastity follow him as the camera fades out on the mess he's made of James Applebee's office.

We're back, and ready for our next match! "Beautiful" Bobby Danson of the New Immortals is already in the ring, along with Nicole and Steve "Mongo" McMichael, and as "Stormbringer" by Deep Purple kicks on, Chris Champlain stalks out of the backstage entrance to a chorus of boos from the crowd! He stalks to the ring, slides inside, and climbs up on the top turnbuckle to do his typical laughing pose... but Bobby Danson clobbers him from behind, then climbs up with him! He grabs Chris Champlain, and brings him down in a BELLY-TO-BACK SUPERPLEX!! Brendan Powers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and this match will begin abruptly!

"Beautiful" Bobby Danson
w/Nicole & Steve "Mongo" McMichael

Bobby Danson makes the most of his early advantage, taking control of Chris Champlain with a few power moves, then working him over on the mat. The crowd doesn't really know who to root for in this one, and so many of the fans lose interest, especially as Bobby Danson unleashes his rather unimpressive mat wrestling arsenal on Chris Champlain. Seeing that he's starting to lose the crowd's interest, Bobby Danson starts hamming it up, posing and goofing off in this match, and that proves to be a deadly mistake, as Chris Champlain catches him off-guard and turns the match around quickly.

Chris Champlain assaults Bobby Danson with his vicious, sadistic offense, working over his legs when he's not raking at his face or biting him just to inflict pain. He throws Bobby Danson out of the ring, and the two men brawl on the outside for a while, but Chris Champlain retains the advantage when he rolls Bobby Danson back in, then smashes his leg into the steel ringpost from the outside. Back in the ring, he assaults him with further punishment, but Bobby Danson manages to counter a DDT attempt with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex! Chris Champlain starts to get to his feet, and Bobby Danson rushes him (with a limp) and knocks him down with a big clothesline!

Bobby Danson goes on the offensive with as much power and athleticism as he can with an injured leg, hitting a few nice moves and putting Chris Champlain in jeopardy. He's smart enough not to try to finish him with the Minnesota Jam, but when he goes for the Running Powerslam his knee gives out under him, and Chris Champlain slips out behind him, lifts, and brings him down with a belly-to-back suplex! Chris Champlain follows up with a reverse neckbreaker, then a dropkick to the knee, then he grabs Bobby Danson's legs and puts on the Texas Cloverleaf! Nicole shouts encouragement... but Bobby Danson's tapping out! Chris Champlain wins!!

Chris Champlain is the winner... but someone's running out of the backstage entrance! It's BRUJAH!! The crowd cheers, and Brujah runs to the ring and slides inside! Chris Champlain hears the crowd noise and turns around, and Brujah rushes him and FLOORS him with a Yakuza kick!! Bobby Danson's getting up, with a limp... and Brujah rushes him and tears him to the mat with a LARIAT!! He had no good reason for doing that, but the crowd doesn't really like Bobby Danson so they cheer anyway! And now Mongo slides into the ring, bellows "WHO'S YOUR DADDY, BRUJAH!?" and rushes him... but Brujah lowers his head and BACKDROPS HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!!

The crowd comes alive with the sight of actually seeing Mongo go careening over the top rope, crashing to the apron, then collapsing to the floor... but Chris Champlain's back up! Brujah rushes him and spears him to the mat, then starts opening up on him with a series of right hands! Chris Champlain was just ambushed after his match, and now he can't fight back as Brujah destroys him! After a few seconds, Brujah pulls Chris Champlain up, grabs him by the throat, and lifts... CHOKESLAM!! Brujah's barely six feet tall and under two hundred and twenty pounds, but he just threw Chris Champlain to the mat with surprising strength!

Chris Champlain starts to get up again, but Brujah pulls him forward, hooks him, and drops him with a double arm DDT!! Chris Champlain's down, and Brujah pulls him up again, into a standing headscissors! He lifts him, and drives him HARD to the mat with a POWER BOMB!! But he keeps a lock around Chris Champlain's waist, muscles him back up, and DOES IT AGAIN!! Chris Champlain collapses to the mat, a twisted, mangled wreck, and Brujah steps out to the apron! The crowd's cheering, and he takes flight with the SWANDIVE HEADBUTT!! Chris Champlain's motionless body shakes with the impact, and Brujah rolls out of the ring, clutching his forehead. He just beat the HELL out of Chris Champlain, and now he grabs a microphone!

Brujah: So Gabriel and Lance hired you to take me out? ... I don't think they got their money's worth. You picked the wrong time, the wrong place, and the wrong man to screw with. I'll deal with Melissa later on tonight... but I didn't feel like waiting where you're concerned, Chris. At Spontaneous Combustion, come on back and try it one more time, and we'll see who takes who out.

Brujah tosses aside the microphone and leaves, heading backstage as the crowd cheers loudly. Brujah has just challenged Chris Champlain to a match at Spontaneous Combustion! We saw two weeks ago how Gabriel Black and Lance Errington paid Chris Champlain to take Brujah out... but after tonight, if this continues, Brujah may be the one who puts Chris Champlain out of commission!

After the trainers have escorted Chris Champlain backstage, "About A Girl" by Nirvana begins playing, and the crowd cheers as the Pink Kitten comes out of the backstage entrance. She'll be facing Christina Ellis in a Bra and Panties Match here shortly, and this is definitely something that's out of the ordinary for both of them. Christina Ellis has explained that she asked for this match to show that they can adapt and do things they wouldn't otherwise do, but is there more to it than that? In the past, we've seen some signs, albeit few and subtle, that there may be some tension between the two of them in terms of their beauty and self-image. The Pink Kitten is wearing pink vinyl bell-bottom pants and a black T-shirt in addition to her mask, but she looks a little bit uneasy as she enters the ring and poses on one of the second turnbuckles.

And now "Star Cycle" by Jeff Beck begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers again as Christina Ellis comes out of the backstage entrance, wearing a pair of knee-length blue denim shorts and a white T-shirt! She smiles and waves to the crowd, seeming a lot more confident and sure of herself than the Pink Kitten. She enters the ring, walks up to the Pink Kitten, and gently puts a hand on her shoulder and says something to her. The Pink Kitten nods, but doesn't seem that reassured. Jerry Rogers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll begin this match!

They lock up to start, and Christina Ellis takes the match to the mat and takes control early on, keeping the Pink Kitten grounded and wearing her down with a few restholds to start. This doesn't do much to entertain a crowd that's expecting energetic action and exposed skin, but fortunately the Pink Kitten has too much fighting spirit to stay down, and soon she fights her way to her feet and takes Christina Ellis down with a few quick takedowns and dropkicks. But when she goes to follow up with a belly-to-back suplex, Christina Ellis slips out behind her, brings her down with a waistlock takedown, then unbuttons her pants and begins to pull! After a few seconds of resistance, Christina Ellis strips off the pink vinyl pants and throws them aside, and the crowd cheers loudly!!

The Pink Kitten shrieks in surprise and rolls out of the ring, holding her hands in front of herself as she yells something at Christina Ellis, not seeming to realize that she's giving the crowd an unobstructed view of her posterior in sheer, silky pink panties. Christina Ellis just smiles and spreads her arms wide, then raises her pants again like a trophy, as if daring her to get back into the ring! The Pink Kitten looks into the ring at Christina Ellis, then turns to look at the crowd, which is cheering and whistling at her... then slides into the ring, rushes Christina Ellis, and knocks her to the canvas with a SPEAR!! Her intensity and inner fury has been awakened!

The Pink Kitten crouches over Christina Ellis and clobbers her with repeated forearms to the head, then grabs a double handful of Christina Ellis's shirt and begins pulling and tugging at it in a frenzy! Christina Ellis pushes and struggles, trying to push the Pink Kitten off, but she can't stop her fierce onslaught, and when the Pink Kitten gets up, she's holding the tattered remnants of Christina Ellis's shirt! Christina Ellis bolts to her feet and looks down at her sky blue bra, then at the shredded shirt in the Pink Kitten's hand, and advances on the Pink Kitten, pointing her finger and shouting something at her... but the Pink Kitten charges her with a scream of inner fury and knocks her down with a dropkick!

The Pink Kitten takes Christina Ellis down a few more times, but finally Christina Ellis sees a dropkick coming and pulls up short on the attempt, and the Pink Kitten wipes out on the mat. Christina Ellis pulls the Pink Kitten into a knee to the midsection as she gets up, then whips her into a corner of the ring! The Pink Kitten hits the turnbuckles, but just screams wordlessly and charges out... but runs right into a kick to the midsection! Christina Ellis pulls her into a standing headscissors, then grabs the Pink Kitten's panties and pulls them up sharply, making the back of them disappear between the crack of her bottom! The crowd cheers wildly, and then Christina Ellis lifts and drives the Pink Kitten down with a POWER BOMB!!

Christina Ellis takes a moment to smile to herself, and a small but vocal portion of the crowd is booing her. She's more experienced and slightly larger than the Pink Kitten, and she's the favorite in a match between the two, so a few members of the audience are siding with the underdog. After a few seconds, she goes to stand over the Pink Kitten, and reaches for her shirt... but the Pink Kitten plants her feet firmly on Christina Ellis's stomach and shoves her back! Christina Ellis staggers back... and loses her balance and falls against the turnbuckles in the corner!

The Pink Kitten gets up and pulls her underwear back into place, and looks at Christina Ellis angrily... and the crowd's chanting "BRONCO BUSTER!" all of the sudden! Christina Ellis, sitting in the corner, shakes her head "no" frantically... but the Pink Kitten rushes in and jumps crotch-first onto her face, and bounces up and down on her a few times in a Bronco Buster in the corner! The crowd cheers loudly, and the Pink Kitten hauls Christina Ellis out of the corner, snap mares her to a sitting position on the canvas, then dropkicks her in the back!

The Pink Kitten grabs Christina Ellis and lifts her for a Tombstone, but Christina Ellis counters that with a spinning headscissors, sending the Pink Kitten sprawling to the canvas! Christina Ellis nearly fell out of her bra on the landing from that move, and she stops briefly to adjust it, then grabs the Pink Kitten as she gets up and whips her to the ropes! Christina Ellis goes for a backdrop when the Pink Kitten comes in, but the Pink Kitten counters it with a sunset flip! But Christina Ellis rolls backwards out of the pinning position, then grabs the Pink Kitten's legs and flips over her into a bridge for a jackknife pinning hold... but in the split second it takes her to remember she can't win this match via pinfall, the Pink Kitten reaches up and unbuttons her shorts, then pulls them down with a sharp pull! The bridge collapses, and as the Pink Kitten gets up she pulls Christina's shorts off for the victory!

The crowd cheers, and the Pink Kitten holds the shorts up excitedly... but Christina Ellis bolts up to her feet, wearing only a blue bra and pair of panties, looking frustrated and angry! She grabs the Pink Kitten by the shoulder, whirls her around, and snatches the shorts away from her sharply! It doesn't look like she was planning on losing this match, but a normally sound technical wrestling counter turned out to cost her the match! She says something to the Pink Kitten, looking angry, then grabs her T-shirt and begins pulling and tearing at it! The crowd cheers, and the Pink Kitten struggles and tries to push Christina Ellis away, but with the strength behind her anger Christina Ellis manages to rip her shirt off, leaving her wearing only a small pink bra from the waist up!!

The Pink Kitten just stares at Christina Ellis in shock for a few moments, then yells something at her in an upset, plaintive voice! It looks like maybe there is some tension here, and Christina Ellis glares back at the Pink Kitten, an angry reply forming on her lips... but "No Remorse" by Metallica just started playing over the arena sound system! Christina Ellis and the Pink Kitten both stop their argument and turn to the backstage entrance, where Lady Erica Whitmore just stepped out! She's wearing a black evening gown and a lot of silver jewelry, and carrying a microphone...

L.E. Whitmore: REALLY... this is pathetic. As if it wasn't bad enough that the SJW World Tag Team Titles are disgraced by a ditzy gaijin and a pathetic rookie holding them, look at this. The two of you are out here in your underwear like a pair of common tramps. And it was just last week that you were telling me that glorified blow-up dolls like Torrie Wilson and Stacey Keibler couldn't cut it in SJW. Your hypocrisy would be very amusing... if it wasn't so upsetting to see you undermine the value of the most prestigious women's titles in history.

Christina Ellis and the Pink Kitten just stopped arguing in the middle of the ring, and now they're just staring at Lady Erica Whitmore. Christina Ellis shouts something at her, but the cameras don't pick it up.

L.E. Whitmore: Don't worry. I've taken it upon myself to see that a pair of worthy competitors wear the titles once again. I have one of them here with me tonight. It's someone you may recognize... a legendary Japanese performer. To put it in perspective for all of these unenlightened Americans watching... she is SJW's equivalent to Gabriel Black. One of the women who will take the titles from you is none other than Miss Sadako Momotani.

"No Remorse" by Metallica begins playing again, and the crowd boos loudly as Sadako Momotani comes out of the backstage entrance! She's been seen on VCW television once before, at Blood and Thunder earlier this year! She's a short, athletic Japanese woman wearing a black leather jacket over a black leotard with skull designs on it! Her fine, somewhat elfin features could be considered beautiful if the look on her face wasn't so cold-blooded and ruthless. Her large brown eyes are filled with nothing but contempt and malice as she stares down the aisle at Christina Ellis and the Pink Kitten. Lady Erica Whitmore looks at her and smiles, then raises the microphone again.

L.E. Whitmore: In case it hasn't dawned on you yet how completely and utterly SCREWED you are, perhaps you'll allow a demonstration. Next week, if one of you's feeling brave, why don't you meet Sadako Momotani for a little one-on-one, right here on this show? Then, after she beats you, I'll let you see your OTHER opponent.

Hold on, the Pink Kitten just grabbed a microphone!

P. Kitten: We're not afraid of you! Next week, I'll--

Christina Ellis cuts the Pink Kitten off by taking away the microphone.

C. Ellis: Sorry, Yuri... but maybe I'd better handle this. She's VERY dangerous. ... I'll take you on, Sadako Momotani... and I'll show you that I'm fierce enough to defeat the best that SJW can offer.

The crowd cheers, but the Pink Kitten is looking a little bit upset. Lady Erica Whitmore just nods and smiles.

L.E. Whitmore: Fine. We'll embarrass you next week... and then, at Spontaneous Combustion, put those titles on the line and we'll DESTROY you.

Lady Erica Whitmore laughs, and "No Remorse" starts up again as Christina Ellis and the Pink Kitten stare down the aisle at Sadako Momotani before she turns and heads backstage. You have to believe that unless the other partner is a complete loser, this will be the biggest challenge Christina and Yuri have faced since winning the titles from Virginia and Komachi... maybe the biggest they've ever faced!

Eventually, the Pink Kitten and Christina Ellis also leave the ring and head backstage, arguing a little bit as they go. But with the ring cleared, it's time for our next match! "Highway To Hell" by AC/DC is playing, and that brings out Butch Manson, to the boos of the crowd. Crimson has sent him out here to send a message to Russel "The Muscle" Taylor before their now-inevitable meeting at Spontaneous Combustion, and possibly to soften him up a little too. Butch Manson climbs into the ring, raises a fist in the air, and glares at the crowd.

And then "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler begins playing, and the crowd explodes into cheers as Russel "The Muscle" Taylor runs out of the backstage entrance, slapping hands with the fans on his way to the ring! He jogs to the ring and slides inside... and Butch Manson immediately begins stomping and pounding on him! Bobcat McGavin enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that begins this match!

Butch Manson's opening advantage is short-lived, as Russel Taylor gets to his feet in spite of the blows, then starts rocking Butch Manson with repeated right hands! He whips him into the ropes, then runs into the other side and knocks him down with a clothesline! Russel Taylor keeps running, and every time Butch Manson gets up, Russel Taylor knocks him back down with another clothesline! Finally, Butch Manson rolls out of the ring in frustration, and Russel Taylor follows him out! Outside of the ring, the brawl becomes a little more even, with both men getting in some licks, until finally Butch Manson takes the advantage by blocking a punch and taking Russel Taylor head-first into the steel ringpost.

Butch Manson takes control of the match, clobbering Russel Taylor and working him over ruthlessly. His sadistic streak even takes over briefly, as during a camel clutch he chooses to claw at Russel Taylor's face with his grubby fingernails instead of applying a chinlock. Russel Taylor keeps fighting back, and a few times seems to be on the verge of mounting a comeback, but each time he seems ready to go on a roll Butch Manson somehow retakes the advantage with a cheap shot or sneaky trick. The crowd gets behind Russel, but Butch Manson stays in control, and when Russel starts to weaken he hits a piledriver for a near fall. Butch Manson draws his finger across his throat, then goes up to the top turnbuckle and leaps off with a MOONSAULT... but Russel Taylor rolls out of the way, and then they're both down!

Both men take a five count before getting up, but Butch Manson's up slightly first. He takes a swing at Russel Taylor, but it's blocked, and Russel Taylor takes the advantage with a right hand of his own! He unloads on Butch Manson with a flurry of clotheslines and basic power offense, to the delight of the crowd! Butch Manson is starting to fade when Russel Taylor whips him into one of the turnbuckles and charges in with a clothesline, but he still manages to get a foot up and kick him in the head as he comes in! Russel Taylor staggers back, and Butch Manson boosts himself up to the second turnbuckle, then comes off with a flying clothesline from the second turnbuckle, knocking him down!!

Butch Manson pulls Russel Taylor up and gives him a backbreaker, then lifts him again and drops him face-first with a Snake Eyes drop on the turnbuckle! Russel Taylor staggers back, into a lift, and Butch Manson applies a TORTURE RACK!! The crowd boos loudly... but then Russel Taylor slips out behind him! Butch Manson turns around, and Russel Taylor kicks him in the midsection, pulls him into a standing headscissors, and lifts... POWER BOMB!! He hit it! He covers, and Bobcat McGavin counts to three!

Russel Taylor has defeated Butch Manson, and you have to believe that Crimson was watching! Butch Manson rolls out of the ring and staggers backstage, defeated, and with Russel Taylor still victorious and unpunished, Crimson's going to be all that much more motivated and driven to destroy him. But can he? When it comes down to it, Russel Taylor might finally be the man to lift Crimson's iron-fisted reign of terror from VCW for good! He smiles and poses in the ring for a second, then makes his way around slapping the hands of the fans in the front row before he heads backstage to the cheers of the crowd.

Now we're ready to begin our next match... and "Sad But True" by Metallica kicks on over the arena sound system, causing the crowd to explode into deafening boos! Melissa DelArmeggio steps out of the backstage entrance, wearing a Gabriel Black T-shirt and blue jeans, accompanied by Derek Cole! She glares around at the crowd for a second, seeming genuinely surprised and upset by their boos, then begins walking briskly to the ring with a determined look on her face. This will be her first time back in the ring since Blood and Thunder... and she's calling for a microphone! She looks around at the crowd, seeming sad and disgusted, then puts one hand on her hip and raises the microphone in the other.

M. DelArmeggio: I can't understand WHY you people have turned against me. Don't you understand, I'm NOT the bad guy here! Are things like selflessness and honesty and virtue and courage the sorts of traits that you BOO now? How can you treat me this way, and continue to cheer for people like Troy Black and Brujah! What's wrong with you!?

Selflessness and honesty and virtue and courage... she's certainly not shy about telling us all of her virtues, is she? The crowd continues booing her, and she frowns.

M. DelArmeggio: Fine. You can think whatever you want to about me, but I won't let it stop me. I'm out here tonight on an errand of justice... an errand of righteous vengance. With your short attention spans, you may have already forgotten about Desmond... but I haven't. I don't know if I ever could; his story is so sad that it's burned into my soul forever.

Oh, brother. The crowd boos loudly; Desmond certainly had a bad break at the end of his VCW career, but Melissa's not sparing us any melodrama here.

M. DelArmeggio: Desmond had a dark side, just like Troy... but he was kind, sincere, and wonderful. He was selfless, and honest, and brave... and you may not admire those traits, but I loved him. So of course Troy had to destroy him. Not only physically... he had to break his spirit, and crush him in every way imaginable. Troy turned Desmond's best friend, Brujah, against him... he made Brujah beat him within an inch of his life, then cast him out of VCW forever so that he wouldn't have to face Desmond's vengance. And when he did... it killed him, in a way. The sweet, caring man I once knew is DEAD to the world.

Melissa stops and blinks, as if fighting back tears. Derek Cole comes over to console her, but Melissa shrugs him off.

M. DelArmeggio: Derek, I appreciate you being here for me, but... this is personal. Maybe you'd better head back.

Derek Cole looks at Melissa DelArmeggio questioningly, then nods and backs up, stepping through the ropes.

M. DelArmeggio: At Spontaneous Combustion, if Troy accepts my challenge, I already have plans to avenge his role in what happened to Desmond. But Brujah... he had a hand in it too. He stood by Troy the whole way, even when it meant betraying the woman he loved and stabbing his best friend in the back. And since I've already punished that cruel inhuman WHORE Amy Lin, and Troy's time is coming... that leaves Brujah. So tonight, for my first match since Blood and Thunder... I'll bring Brujah down, and I'll do it for Desmond, and my memories of what we almost had.

"Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix)" by Alabama Three begins playing, and the crowd cheers as Brujah steps out of the backstage entrance and begins walking to the ring! He doesn't even bother to hide his contempt for Melissa DelArmeggio as he walks to the ring and climbs inside, then grabs a microphone of his own.

Brujah: Look, Melissa. Honestly, I'm not too impressed with you, and I don't know what Troy really saw in you back then... but you're right. You and Desmond... we screwed you guys over BAD. I never should have done any of the things I did, and Troy shouldn't either, and we see that now. A little apology never put anything back together, but look... I'm sorry. Really.

Melissa DelArmeggio steps forward, face to face with Brujah. She's as tall as he is, and she raises the microphone...

M. DelArmeggio: You can't weasel out of this with a few insincere apologies and veiled threats. My choice is made, Brujah.

Brujah just frowns and nods, and Brendan Powers enters the ring and calls for the bell to begin this match!

Melissa DelArmeggio opens up on Brujah with a flurry of kicks to the chest and head, driving him back, but Brujah soaks them up and charges with a huge lariat!! But Melissa ducks, then turns and knocks him back into the ropes with a huge spin kick to the chest! Brujah's on the ropes, and Melissa DelArmeggio runs at him and knocks him out over the top rope with a jumping spinning thrust kick! Brujah crashes to the floor, and Melissa DelArmeggio goes to the top turnbuckle, as the crowd comes alive with cheers... but then she frowns, and steps off of the turnbuckle to the apron, then down to the floor! The crowd boos loudly; they thought Melissa was about to take flight, and instead she's continuing to brawl with Brujah on the ground.

But that may be a bad strategy; Brujah's used to holding his own in brawls with much larger opponents, and against Melissa his superior strength and ferocity allows him to take the advantage soon! He opens up on her with a flurry of stiff, vicious offense, keeping his promise to show her no quarter as he attacks viciously! Brujah rolls Melissa DelArmeggio back into the ring and continues the assault. But when he goes to pull her up after a hard Yakuza kick, Melissa DelArmeggio throws a fist up between his legs for a low blow!! The crowd had been starting to turn against Brujah due to his remorseless attack on a smaller, female opponent, but that turns them right back! What ever happened to honesty and integrity and virtue!? That was a simple cheap shot!

Melissa attacks Brujah with a renewed intensity, now choking him and gouging his eyes, using any move she can to obtain an advantage, no matter how underhanded! But Brujah keeps fighting back, and in spite of Melissa's new unsportsmanlike approach and a flurry of stiff kicks, one of which bloodies his lips, he starts to gain the advantage again after a time. He hits several power moves on Melissa DelArmeggio, then kicks her in the midsection and drops her with the DOUBLE ARM DDT!! The crowd cheers... they know what's coming next! Brujah goes up to the top turnbuckle, then holds his arms out in a "V" and leaps off with the SWANDIVE HEADBUTT!! It connects, and Brujah covers... but somehow, Melissa throws a shoulder up at two and nine-tenths!

Brujah snarls, then winds up his lariat arm and waits on Melissa DelArmeggio as she gets up. He charges with a LARIAT... but she ducks! Brujah turns around, and a kick to the midsection doubles him over long enough for Melissa to catch him with the BACK BRAIN KICK!! Brujah goes down, but he's as tenacious as ever, and he's getting back up! But he's a little groggy, and he doesn't quite manage a counter as Melissa DelArmeggio grabs him by the throat, puts the other hand to his back, strains with effort, and gives him a CHOKESLAM!! The crowd boos, and Melissa DelArmeggio covers Brujah... but he kicks out at two and a half. She's tall and powerful for a woman, but even so that chokeslam didn't carry the crushing force that one from Crimson or David Wright Hubbard would.

Melissa glares at Brujah, then grabs him and tosses him out of the ring to the floor! He starts to get up again... and Melissa DelArmeggio grabs the top rope and slingshots herself out onto him with a PESCADO BODYPRESS!! She's even using her high-flying arsenal now in her desperation... but it backfired, because Brujah caught her!! And he rams her back-first into the steel ringpost!! She sustained a back injury at Wrestlewar, though a minor one compared to Gabriel Black's... but Brujah may make it a major one, as he takes her back-first into the ringpost again!!

Brujah rolls Melissa DelArmeggio back into the ring and works over her back with a few more power moves, then puts on a Boston crab to try to get a submission. Melissa DelArmeggio struggles and finally makes it to the ropes, but the effort and the effects on her back have clearly cost her. Brujah pulls her into a standing headscissors and lifts... but she counters with a Frankensteiner!! She stays on top of Brujah for the pin, and he kicks out at two and a half! They both get up, and Melissa DelArmeggio kicks Brujah in the face, then pivots and goes for the Back Brain Kick... but Brujah ducks this time, and Melissa misses and falls down! She gets up... and Brujah FLATTENS HER with a lariat!! He covers... but only gets two and nine-tenths again!

Brujah glares down at Melissa DelArmeggio, then pulls her into a standing headscissors again. He lifts... and this time connects with the POWER BOMB!! He just drove Melissa into the canvas! He stands over her, pulls her head up by the hair, and yells "ARE YOU DONE YET!? IS THIS ENOUGH FOR YOU!?" at her... and she tosses her head weakly in his grasp, then spits in his face! Brujah's face hardens in a glare, and he pulls her into another standing headscissors... but someone's coming out of the backstage entrance! It's TROY BLACK!! As Brujah starts to lift her, he slides into the ring and stops him!

Brujah and Troy Black stop and begin arguing in the ring, ignoring Brendan Powers as he tries to shoo Troy Black out of the ring... but after a few seconds, Brujah rolls his eyes and says something to Troy Black, then steps out of the ring. It looks like he's taking a walk on this match, and the crowd boos, but Brendan Powers has no choice but to count Brujah out.

The crowd's booing, but Troy Black calls for a microphone, then offers a hand to help Melissa DelArmeggio up. She looks at it like it's diseased, then slowly takes it, and he helps her to her feet. She stares at Troy Black in shock and contempt, then grabs a microphone of her own.

M. DelArmeggio: You HAD to ruin this too, didn't you? It's not enough that you destroyed my life and everything I held dear... you HAD to steal my chance to avenge Desmond too!

Troy Black shrugs and spreads his arms under Melissa’s accusing gaze.

T. Black: I was trying to stop--

M. DelArmeggio: Well... that's okay, Troy. It's okay, because YOU'RE the real evil. You're the one who has to pay for all of the--

T. Black: Melissa... please listen to me. The reason I stopped this is because I couldn't stand to see you hurt anymore. It hurts me to see you in pain. I--

M. DelArmeggio: Shut up! ... I don’t believe you. That's a LIE, Troy. You couldn't bring enough pain down on me this summer to satisfy yourself. You were constantly looking for new ways to hurt me.

Troy Black turns away and runs his fingers through his hair, unable to meet Melissa's accusing gaze.

T. Black: I know... and not a day goes by when I don't hate myself for it. Do you remember the night after Wrestlewar? When I said all those horrible things to you, and brought Amy out?

M. DelArmeggio: I'll never forget it, Troy. Never.

T. Black: Well... don't get me wrong. It was unforgivable. Those two nights... Wrestlewar and the night after... I regret more than anything else I've ever seen or done. I’m not saying I had a good reason for it, because I didn’t. I was just stupid enough to THINK I had a good reason for it.

Melissa DelArmeggio looks disgusted and incredulous as she listens to Troy Black talk, but she’s also paying close attention.

M. DelArmeggio: What’s that, Troy? What was going through your head when you ripped my heart out and threw it away on live TV? Was it the money you were going to make, or was it the sex you were getting from Amy? And how long were you planning that... how long were you SCREWING HER, behind my BACK, before you let it come out that night!?

T. Black: Let me tell you what I was thinking. At the time, I did what I thought I had to do. A year ago, I could defeat anybody in VCW, one-on-one... but I never had that luxury. I was surrounded by vicious, desperate people on all sides. Lorenzo and Tony, Virginia and her lackeys, Crimson and Hell’s Bikers... even Strahd. They all took every chance they could find to come after us, and I... I wasn’t strong enough to handle it. I broke under the pressure. I was paranoid. I didn’t even trust Gabriel... and I convinced myself that I had to take control of all of the forces trying to bring me down. But you were the only one I could still trust. I knew that you had too much virtue and honor to lower yourself to joining a gang of cutthroats and lowlifes... and you still do.

M. DelArmeggio: You don’t know nearly as much as you think you do. You don’t even know who the good guys ARE, Troy. Get to the point.

T. Black: When I formed the Black Plague, I wanted to drive you away. I knew what I thought I had to do, back then, and I knew that you'd hate it. So I tried to make you want to leave. I thought you'd be better off in Japan or in New York... away from all of the bloodshed and heartache and pain. And when you wouldn't leave, I tried to shield you from the worst of it. But as time went on, my leadership weakened. Amy got out of control, and--

Melissa DelArmeggio laughs bitterly, then interrupts Troy Black.

M. DelArmeggio: You were trying to drive me away? Like you'd take a dog out to a country road and kick it to make it leave? You thought you could just throw me away like that? Listen to me, Troy. I'll tell you what you did. You nearly drove me to KILL MYSELF. Would that have made you happy? I would've been gone, away from all of the bloodshed and heartache and pain. Isn't that what you wanted!? Then you could have screwed your little blond plaything and ruined everybody's lives in peace, without worrying about what I'd think about it.

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

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

T. Black: No. Melissa, I--

Melissa DelArmeggio holds up a finger to quiet him, and steps in closer with a serious look on her face.

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

T. Black: Of course.

The crowd boos, and Troy Black steps forward to embrace Melissa, but she pushes him back.

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

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

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

"Sad But True" begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd boos as Melissa DelArmeggio turns to walk away... but Troy Black grabs her shoulder! He's trying to hold her back, to say something more... and she turns and DROPS him with a stiff right hand!! She just knocked Troy Black down with a huge punch, and now she turns and walks out of the ring! She's headed backstage, and Troy Black gets to his feet in the ring, holding his jaw... and his green eyes are practically burning with intensity and emotion. He could be inches away from going over the deep end, and that punch didn't help one bit! Will he take the challenge for Spontaneous Combustion?

Up next, we'll see a debate between Gabriel Black and Johnny Smiles... but first, we're going to take a look at a video package! "Halfway Decent" Heather Dannon is recovering from injuries in a hospital, but we have a hype package that she made earlier that has been sent in now! Let's take a look:

Heather Dannon is shown standing in a basketball court.

H. Dannon: Some people might be wondering what it means to be Heather Dannon...

The camera cuts to Heather Dannon standing in a billiards hall.

H. Dannon: ... what it means to be halfway decent.

Next, Heather Dannon is shown in a bowling alley.

H. Dannon: It may not mean being the best all of the time...

Heather Dannon is shown next on a football field.

H. Dannon: But it's not too bad, all things considered.

The next shot of Heather Dannon is in a bar, with her back to a dartboard.

H. Dannon: It could be a lot worse, that's for sure.

Then Heather Dannon is shown standing on a golf course.

H. Dannon: All in all, it's pretty damn okay. Just watch... and learn.

"Halfway Decent" by Audio Karate begins playing in the background, and in slow motion, Heather Dannon is shown on the basketball court. She stands at the free-throw line and takes a shot, which lands on the rim and spins around there a few times before barely making it in. She takes the ball and makes a second shot, which hits the backboard and just bounces back without even hitting the rim, then turns to the camera and shrugs.

Next, Heather Dannon is in the billiards hall, still in slow motion. She takes careful aim with the pool stick and sends the cue ball into another ball, grazing it and sending it rolling towards a pocket... but it stops just before it goes in. She walks around the table, takes aim again, and then sends the cue ball into the other ball again, and this time the ball goes in. She looks up and gives the camera a thumbs-up.

After that, Heather Dannon is shown in a bowling alley. On her first bowl, she knocks down all but three of the pins, leaving two at one side and one at the other. She takes the ball again and rolls it, knocking down one of the pins left standing, then shrugs and smiles.

The camera cuts to a scene of Heather Dannon on a football field with a bunch of other players. She's in the quarterback position, and she starts running with the ball, getting about three yards past her original location before one of the other team's players brings her down with a tackle.

In the bar with the dartboard, Heather Dannon takes careful aim with a dart, then throws it. She does this a total of three times, and when the camera pans over to the dartboard, there are two darts about halfway to the center of the board, and one dart on the outer limits of it.

Finally, Heather Dannon is shown on the golf course, with a helpful graphic on the screen telling us that this is Hole 1, Par 3. Heather Dannon drives the ball with a heavy wood and gets it down the field near the green, then gets it onto the green with her next put. Her third put sends it past the hole, though, and it takes a fourth to sink it in. Heather Dannon takes the ball out of the hole, then turns to the camera and smiles.

H. Dannon: Now that's HALFWAY DECENT.

Oh, boy... well, we're back, and there's a table already set up in the ring. Derek Cole is standing at the center of it, holding a microphone. He's well-dressed in an expensive looking dark blue suit with a red tie.

D. Cole: All right... what you're about to see is a test of wits and eloquence. This is a debate between Gabriel Black and Johnny Smiles... and I, Derek Cole, will be the host.

Derek Cole's the host? Even in a debate, they have to stack the deck!

D. Cole: The goal here is clear communication, so we need to have some ground rules. There is to be no interrupting, no name-calling or petty insults, and absolutely NO physical violence. We're going to have a mature discussion, like the mature, responsible adults that we are.

Somehow, that doesn't seem too likely. The crowd boos loudly.

D. Cole: So, without further ado, allow me to introduce... the longest-reigning World Champion in the past decade, the current reigning VCW Television Champion, and the greatest wrestler who ever lived... GABRIEL BLACK!!

The crowd boos, and "Denial" by Sevendust plays over the arena sound system as Gabriel Black makes his way out of the backstage entrance. He's also dressed in a suit, a dark gray one with a lavender silk tie. It seems to be tailor-made and looks very expensive. The VCW Television Title belt is slung over his shoulder. He walks to the ring, climbs inside, and shakes hands with Derek Cole, then sets the title aside and takes a seat at the table.

D. Cole: And now, ladies and gentlemen... Johnny Smiles.

"Degenerated" by the Lone Rangers begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers loudly as Johnny Smiles comes out of the backstage entrance, dressed in his suit. He jogs to the ring and slaps hands with the fans on the way there, then slides inside. He approaches Derek Cole and Gabriel Black warily, but then takes a seat at the table across from Gabriel Black. Gabriel Black just shakes his head at him and smirks.

G. Black: Before we begin, Johnny... I'd just like to say that I've never seen the Wal-Mart "off the rack" look work quite so well before. It really suits you.

J. Smiles: Um... thank you.

Johnny just shrugs, not knowing what to make of Gabriel's comment. The crowd boos, and Derek Cole looks at both men.

D. Cole: All right, gentlemen, the issue is whether Johnny Smiles is fit to compete in the main events here in VCW. Remember... keep it civilized and controlled. Johnny Smiles will be allowed to start. ... Johnny, you may begin at any time. Tell us, when you’re ready, why you are in any way the least bit deserving of being at the upper level of the wrestling business.

Johnny Smiles looks around, clears his throat, and stops to mess with the collar of his shirt for a second. When he does begin to speak, he lacks confidence.

J. Smiles: Look... I won the Survival of the Fittest Tournament and the Big Fight this year. I'm sure those count for something, right?

G. Black: Johnny... those are two shining examples of what I mean when I say you're disgracing the competitive level of VCW’s upper echelon. Each of those victories was a sham. In the Big Fight, Crimson only went out because he missed a kick. He practically threw himself out. That was merely luck... but perhaps I'll give it to you. Luck happens to all of us once in a while. No harm done. The Survival of the Fittest Tournament is another matter. Roll the tape on the ViolenTron, if you will.

The crowd is booing loudly as the camera cuts back to the arena.

G. Black: It's clear to me that you were a beaten man, Johnny. The only reason you won that match was due to an oversight that our commissioner made when he neglected to inform the timekeeper that this was, in fact, a no-time-limit match. You didn't win the Survival of the Fittest Tournament. You were GIVEN a victory by James Applebee's incompetence, in a match that was as much a jumbled mess as the Grave Digger-Jerry Savage debacle in Toronto. The idea that THIS outlandish spectacle somehow qualifies you to be in my league is simply ridiculous.

The crowd boos loudly again.

D. Cole: What do you have to say about that, Johnny?

J. Smiles: Well... you might have a point. Commissioner Applebee's not always the sharpest guy in the world, and there have been some pretty outlandish spectacles where he's concerned that have had a major impact on my career. I mean, watch this piece of footage, from my match at Horror Show that determined whether or not I could go to Wrestlewar.

J. Smiles: Now, I know you might be tempted to blame that on Derek Cole, but you have to think about it a little harder. Commissioner Applebee's a tough old cuss, and Derek Cole... well, sure, he has more muscle than your dad, but he's still a scrawny weakling... what we professional wrestlers refer to as a "pencil-necked geek". He couldn't POSSIBLY have struck Comissioner Applebee hard enough to knock him out, so I think it's clear from that footage that our commissioner--the acting referee for that match--suddenly started SLEEPING on the job during my match!! Very unprofessional.

Gabriel Black and Derek Cole exchange an angry glance.

G. Black: Yes, a little bit of professional conduct WOULD be nice right now, wouldn't it? Try to remember that, Johnny, and let's try to keep this forum from becoming as absurd as one of your matches.

Johnny Smiles just shakes his head and grins.

J. Smiles: Okay... forget about that. Now, back to Survival of the Fittest... maybe there were some problems with the time limit or whatever, but just look at the big picture! I went an hour straight with Troy Black, then pinned him in a one-on-one match. YOU never pinned Troy in a one-on-one match. Heck, you've never won the Big Fight or the Survival of the Fittest Tournament either! If you look at the facts, it looks like you're not as good as I am! So... what makes you think YOU'RE fit to be in VCW's main events?

The crowd laughs and cheers, and Gabriel Black angrily bolts up from his seat at the table.

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

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

Johnny Smiles stands up and gestures around to the crowd with a grin.

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

The crowd explodes into cheers, and a deafening "JOHNNY!" chant begins in the crowd. Johnny Smiles grins, and turns back to Gabriel Black. But Gabriel Black just nods, looking bored.

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

The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black just stares Johnny Smiles down, as if daring him to reply. Johnny Smiles nods, looking back at him for a second, then speaks...

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

Johnny Smiles is grinning, but Gabriel Black rolls his eyes and sighs.

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

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

The crowd boos loudly, and Johnny Smiles is left staring up at the screen, speechless. Finally, he shakes his head turns back to Gabriel Black.

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

Johnny forces a weak smile onto his face, then turns to leave, but Gabriel Black puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him, and Johnny Smiles turns around.

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

J. Smiles: Gabriel--

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

Gabriel Black just smirks at Johnny Smiles, but Johnny's looking angry now! He reaches forward and grabs Gabriel Black by the collar! Gabriel Black pries his fingers loose and pushes him back, glaring at him for a second.

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

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

Wow, Johnny’s starting to get intense here! We haven’t seen this side of him much! The crowd cheers loudly, and Gabriel Black and Derek Cole look around at them angrily, yelling for them to shut up! Finally, Gabriel Black turns back to Johnny Smiles, glaring at him.

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

Gabriel Black offers Johnny Smiles a handshake, and Johnny looks around at the crowd, and they're cheering him on! They want to see it... Gabriel Black, one-on-one with Johnny Smiles, for the first time in two and a half years! Johnny Smiles takes Gabriel Black's hand and shakes it, and the crowd's cheers get even louder!

Johnny Smiles nods and turns around to leave the ring... but Gabriel Black grabs the VCW Television Title when he turns his back, then rushes him from behind and hits him in the back of the head with it!! Johnny Smiles goes down, and the crowd begins booing loudly. What a cheap shot! Gabriel Black goes back over to the microphone...

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

Gabriel Black lifts Johnny Smiles up and turns him upside-down, with the crowd booing loudly! He's going to give him the Destiny Driver, and then there won't be any match between these two men! But before he gets a good grip on him, Johnny Smiles struggles and squirms, and slips out behind him, landing on his feet! Gabriel Black turns around... and gets a kick to the midsection, then a fireman's carry lift, and a SMILEDRIVER THROUGH THE DEBATE TABLE!! The crowd explodes into cheers, and Gabriel Black is laid out in the wreckage of the table!

Derek Cole comes from behind Johnny Smiles, with his fist drawn back, but Johnny Smiles turns and sees him, and Derek Cole begins frantically backpedalling! But Johnny Smiles rushes forward, kicks him in the midsection, then grabs him by the hair and the back of his trousers and tosses him out of the ring, through the ropes! Gabriel Black's laid out, Derek Cole just got dumped, and Johnny Smiles is standing in the ring, with the crowd cheering him on! "Degenerated" by the Lone Rangers is playing, and what a match this'll be! Can Johnny Smiles stand on his own merits and finally beat Gabriel Black, one-on-one? We may find out at Spontaneous Combustion!

Our main event is up next... but first, we're going to take a look at the backstage reaction to this debate! Let's go back now!

Lance Errington, Jacob Idol, Rob Solomon, Sean Black, and Jasmina Chastity are sitting backstage, watching a monitor angrily.

S. Black: I can't believe this shit! Come on, Gabriel, get up! You mean you're gonna stay down for THAT punk's move? Quit laying there and kip up and KILL that son of a bitch already!!

L. Errington: Man, if my shoulder wasn't so screwed up I'd run down there and tear him to shreds. I swear I would.

R. Solomon: Hey, want me to fill in for you? I could run down there and clean his clock real quick.

S. Black: Don't. Let Gabriel handle it on his own, so there won't be no excuses.

The door to the room opens, and Melissa DelArmeggio walks in, wearing a large towel wrapped around her body and carrying a bundle of clothes. Her hair is still wet.

M. DelArmeggio: Hey, guys. ... You all look upset. What's wrong?

S. Black: Johnny took a cheap shot and put Gabriel through a damn table.

Melissa DelArmeggio frowns.

M. DelArmeggio: I guess it's about what we should expect. Of course Johnny wouldn't play by the rules in a formal debate. I hate the way he always used to pick on me and think it was funny. If they have a match soon, I hope Gabriel kicks his butt in like five minutes or so.

Melissa DelArmeggio steps behind a folding screen at one side of the room and lets the towel drop so that she can get dressed. Rob Solomon, Sean Black, Lance Errington, and Jacob Idol all turn and watch her nude silhouette through the screen with keen interest, but Jasmina Chastity grimaces and swats Jacob Idol in the head.

S. Black: Say, Melissa... if you need any help with Troy, I could give you a little training. I'm his old man, you know. I know all his tricks. Hell, he stole 'em all from me. I can teach you how to beat him good.

R. Solomon: Yeah, if you need to brush up on your skills or anything, I'll roll around on a mat and get sweaty with you. I'm about the same size as Troy, so it'd be good practice. Meet me at the Power Plant sometime. I'll kick all the rookies out so we get the run of the place.

Rob Solomon starts to crane his neck to try to peek around the edge of the folding screen, but Lance Errington grabs his head and pulls him back.

M. DelArmeggio: Thanks, guys. But... what about you, Jacob? I mean, everyone says you're the best technical wrestler in VCW, so maybe you could help me--

J. Idol: Yeah! I'd love to show you some of my moves...

Jasmina Chastity gives Jacob Idol a low growl, and her hands slide down to Jacob Idol's shoulders, where her fingernails press into him lightly, and his face falls in disappointment..

J. Idol: ... but I'm kinda busy these days. Besides, I'm sure the others know more about how to beat Troy Black than I do. Your kind of match isn't really my style.

The camera fades out on the backstage scene.

We're back, and ready to go ahead with our main event! "Minstrel In The Gallery" by Jethro Tull is playing, and here comes one of our challengers for the VCW World Title, Jockey Oldcastle! Monty Pompous is accompanying him to the ring, and he holds the ropes open for him so that he can lumber inside. The crowd boos loudly, but you have to think he could have a shot at winning it all here tonight; he's the largest man in this match, he's still undefeated, and last week he came within an eyelash of beating Gabriel Black via pinfall for the VCW Television Title. Make no mistake... he could very well be going into Spontaneous Combustion as the VCW World Champion.

But then "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers loudly as Troy Black comes out of the backstage entrance! He begins walking to the ring, then goes into a full sprint and rushes down to ringside! He stops there and kicks Monty Pompous in the midsection, then takes him head-first into one of the steel ringposts! He rolls him into the ring and climbs in after him, then turns and drops Jockey Oldcastle with a THROAT JAB when he comes forward to stop him! Monty Pompous gets up... and Troy Black gives him a kick to the midsection, then a DOUBLE ARM DDT!! Monty Pompous flops over onto his back, and Troy Black goes to the top turnbuckle and gives him the BLACK DAGGER!!

Monty Pompous is laid out, and Troy Black gets up, crouches over Jockey Oldcastle, and begins hammering him with furious punches... but now "Walk" by Pantera kicks on, and the crowd boos as the VCW World Champion, Crimson, comes out of the backstage entrance! He has the VCW World Title around his waist, and he walks quickly to the ring, steps up on the apron, and steps in over the top rope! He takes off the VCW World Title belt and thrusts it in the timekeeper's face, and the camera catches him saying "watch my belt, motherfucker". Meanwhile, Jockey Oldcastle just threw Troy Black off, and they both start to get up... but Crimson rushes them, and mows them both down with a double clothesline! Jerry Rogers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and this'll kick off our main event!

Jockey Oldcastle
w/Monty Pompous

Jockey Oldcastle goes down and rolls out of the ring, but Troy Black gets right back up, and he starts laying into Crimson with repeated vicious right hands! He's giving up more than a hundred pounds and nearly a foot of height to Crimson, but he just doesn't care; he's unloading on him with furious punches! Crimson is rocked by the sheer ferocity of Troy Black's onslaught, but he retaliates with a huge right hand of his own that sends Troy Black spinning to the canvas! Crimson shakes out his hand and smiles at Troy Black in satisfaction... but Troy Black just bolts right to his feet and shouts defiantly at Crimson at the top of his lungs!

Crimson charges at Troy Black, but Troy jumps up and hits him with a dropkick to the chest! The dropkick sends Crimson staggering back into the ropes, but Jockey Oldcastle is up on the outside, and he pulls down the top rope, causing Crimson to go spilling out to the floor! Crimson starts to get up, and Jockey Oldcastle clobbers him a few times, but Crimson begins fighting back, and soon they're going toe-to-toe at ringside! They're trading punches, and neither man's giving... but Troy Black just climbed up on a nearby ringpost, and he leaps out onto both of them with a RINGPOST MOONSAULT!! The crowd explodes into cheers, and all three men go down in a heap!

After a few seconds, Troy Black gets up, grabs Crimson by the hair, and rams him head-first into the apron, then rolls him back into the ring. He climbs in after him, and Crimson starts to get up, but Troy Black kicks him in the midsection! He hooks him for a double arm DDT, and this one could be over EARLY... but Crimson backdrops out of it! Troy Black crashes back-first to the mat, and gets up holding his neck and grimacing in pain, and Crimson smirks down at him! He seems to be expecting Troy Black to get up and charge him again, but Troy Black scoots back into a corner of the ring, wincing and clutching his neck. Crimson just sneers and shakes his head, then steps out of the ring to attend to Jockey Oldcastle!

Jockey Oldcastle's starting to get up, and Crimson starts hammering him with punches, which Jockey Oldcastle absorbs like a solid sack of dung. Finally, Crimson doubles him over with a kneelift, then clobbers him down with an elbow to the back of the head. Monty Pompous is finally up again, and he comes from behind and jumps on Crimson's back, choking him... but Crimson just backs up into a steel ringpost, and Monty Pompous drops off of him, writhing in pain! Jockey Oldcastle's slowly starting to get up again, so Crimson grabs him and shoves him into the ring under the bottom rope, then comes in after him.

Jockey Oldcastle's starting to get up, but Crimson comes from behind and starts kicking him in the back of the right leg repeatedly! Jockey Oldcastle staggers around oafishly a few times, and then finally the knee buckles under him and he topples to the mat! Crimson steps around his leg and starts to go for a figure-four leglock, but then sees Troy Black getting up in the corner and abandons the attack in order to go after him. He absorbs a punch from Troy Black coming in, then cuts him off with a kneelift. Crimson drives his knee into Troy Black's midsection two more times, then whips him into the opposite corner of the ring. Troy Black hits the turnbuckles, and Crimson roars and charges with a huge clothesline... but Troy Black dodges, and Crimson hits the turnbuckles chest-first! He staggers back, and Troy Black grabs his head and brings him down with a neckbreaker!

Crimson starts to get up, and Troy Black puts a leg over his head for a Rocker Dropper, but Crimson backdrops out of it! Troy Black flips in the air and lands on his feet, but Crimson grabs him by the throat when he lands and lifts him for the CHOKESLAM!! Troy Black counters with a last-minute kick to the midsection, causing Crimson to drop him, then knocks Crimson back into the corner with a spin kick! He begins hammering Crimson in the corner, but Jockey Oldcastle is up now, and he clobbers Troy Black from behind! He whips him into the ropes, then swings at him with a big clothesline when he comes off... but Troy Black ducks under it, runs into the other side, and comes off to hit Jockey Oldcastle with a LEAPING CLOTHESLINE!! Jockey Oldcastle teeters back, then topples to the mat with a huge crash!

Troy Black turns to advance on Crimson again, but Crimson steps out of the corner and charges at him! Troy Black drops down and takes him down with a drop-toe hold, and Crimson goes head-first into Jockey Oldcastle's crotch! Jockey Oldcastle roars in pain and curls up into a ball, and Troy Black pulls Crimson up by the hair, puts on a headlock, and takes a running start to bring him down with a bulldog! The crowd cheers, but even that doesn't keep Crimson down for long; he's starting to get up again! Troy Black backs into the ropes and rushes at him, but Crimson gets a foot up and knocks him flat with a big boot!!

Crimson looks at his two downed opponents with a sneer of disdain, then pulls Troy Black up, knees him in the midsection, and takes him down with a gutwrench suplex! Jockey Oldcastle is starting to get up, and Crimson hammers him with a few heavy blows, then shoves him crudely back down to the mat. Troy Black gets to his feet again, but Crimson cuts him off with a kneelift, then whirls him around, hooks him in a full nelson and lifts, then DRIVES him down with a FULL NELSON SLAM!! This is what we've come to expect from Crimson; he's dominating both of his opponents with this crushing, dehabilitating offense, just as he's done so many times before!

Jockey Oldcastle's starting to get up again, and by now he's sweating and breathing heavily. With three men in the match, he was able to conserve his meager stamina for a while, but he's all worn out again now. Crimson clobbers him down, doubles him over with a kneelift, and then pulls him into a standing headscissors! The crowd actually cheers a little bit... is he serious!? Is Crimson going to execute a power bomb on a man who's four hundred pounds!? He bends down and lifts, and Jockey Oldcastle's feet leave the mat... but he drops him back down again, and Jockey Oldcastle counters it with a backdrop!

Crimson starts to get up, so Jockey Oldcastle grabs him, scoops him up with great effort, and drops him awkwardly with what was allegedly supposed to be a bodyslam! Crimson is down, and Jockey Oldcastle backs into the ropes, then comes off and comes DOWN on him with the BIG SPLASH!! Troy Black comes in and clobbers Jockey Oldcastle in the back before he can hook Crimson for the pin, but Jockey Oldcastle gets up to his knees, cuts Troy Black off with an elbow to the midsection, then lifts him on his shoulders and gives him a huge Samoan Drop!! Crimson rolls out of the ring, clutching his ribs, and it looks like Jockey Oldcastle is in control now!

Troy Black is down, and Jockey Oldcastle backs into the ropes, then comes off with a BIG SPLASH!! That could do it! But instead of going for the pin, Jockey Oldcastle gets up, backs into the ropes again, and waddles forward awkwardly for another BIG SPLASH!! He just squashed him twice now! But he gets up again, backs into the ropes again, and comes off with a THIRD BIG SPLASH!! Jockey Oldcastle gets up, smiling to himself and breathing heavily... but TROY BLACK SITS UP!!

Jockey Oldcastle's eyes go wide, and his hands go to his chest... Troy Black may have given the big bastard a heart attack! Jockey Oldcastle can't believe that Troy Black is up after THREE Big Splashes! He backs up, putting his hands up and shaking his head to beg off... but then he changes his tactics suddenly and rushes Troy Black with a clumsy clothesline! Troy Black ducks... but Jerry Rogers behind him doesn't, and Jockey Oldcastle's arm hits him with a glancing blow, sending him sprawling to the mat! Jockey Oldcastle turns around... and Troy Black kicks him in the midsection, then DROPS him with a DOUBLE ARM DDT!! The crowd is on its feet cheering!!

Troy Black goes up to the top turnbuckle and raises his fist high as the crowd cheers! Jockey Oldcastle is down and out like a big heap of trash, and Troy Black leaps off at him with the BLACK DAGGER!! Jockey Oldcastle convulses with the impact, and Troy Black covers... but Jerry Rogers is just starting to stir, and Crimson's reaching under the ring! And Crimson has a SHOVEL!! Crimson slides into the ring, and Troy Black gets up and turns to face him... but Crimson CLOBBERS HIM right over the head with the shovel! He tosses it out of the ring quickly, but the damage has been done before Jerry Rogers could see it; Troy Black just got laid out!

Crimson pulls Troy Black up and lifts him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! Troy Black's laid out, and so's Jockey Oldcastle, and Crimson covers Troy Black! Jerry Rogers comes to his senses and goes down to count... but only gets two, before Crimson PULLS HIM UP!! What the hell is he doing!? You DO NOT pull Troy Black up if you have him beaten, under any circumstances!! Crimson hauls Troy Black up and tosses him out of the ring... and then he points to Jockey Oldcastle and signals for the Chokeslam! He can't be serious! He pulls Jockey Oldcastle up by the hair, grabs his throat, braces his other arm on his back, and bends his knees slightly, then lifts... CHOKESLAM!! HE DID IT!! Crimson just Chokeslammed the FOUR HUNDRED POUNDER!! The ring shakes with the impact, Crimson puts one foot on Jockey Oldcastle's chest, and Jerry Rogers counts... and Troy Black comes crawling feebly back into the ring, but he's far too late to stop the three! Crimson retains!!

So much for Jockey Oldcastle's perfect record... Crimson is still the VCW World Champion! He steps out of the ring, takes the VCW World Title from the timekeeper, straps it on, and raises his fist high in victory! What a force... what a monster Crimson is! Can Russel Taylor repeat his victory over Crimson and win the title, or was that just a fluke? After seeing Crimson dominate this match to retain his title, it's hard to believe that ANYTHING can stop him! We're out of time tonight... come see us next week, for all the great action!!

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