Welcome, once again, to VCW Monday Night Wrestling, live from the Pit in New Mexico! We're a mere six days away from Spontaneous Combustion, and we're looking ahead to a great show on that occasion! But we're also expecting a great show tonight, as VCW's competitors strive to gain the upper hand before the pay-per-view! We could see a lot of big matches tonight, and a lot of big events taking place as well. Tonight, Russel Taylor will team up with Pauline Vietjohn and Sophie to battle Minako, Virginia, and the VCW World Champion, Crimson! Gabriel Black defends the VCW Television Title against Lars Coverdale! And in the main event, "The California Crippler" Ken Collins will get his title shot, one-on-one, against the VCW Intercontinental Champion, Lance Errington! We're looking forward to...

Hold it, "Denial" by Sevendust just started playing, and the crowd boos as the VCW Television Champion, Gabriel Black, steps out of the backstage entrance, flanked by the VCW Intercontinental Champion Lance Errington, Derek Cole, and "Superstar" Sean Black! Gabriel Black and Lance Errington are decked out in their usual suits with the belts worn under their jackets, Derek Cole has his leather jacket, blue jeans, and a T-shirt, and Sean Black is wearing tight leather pants and a leather vest. Fortunately, at least Idol and Solomon and Melissa DelArmeggio aren't with them right now. Maybe this'll only take twenty minutes or so instead of a whole half hour. They climb into the ring, and Derek Cole grabs a microphone.

D. Cole: Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest wrestlers in the world... the VCW Intercontinental Champion, Lance Errington, and the VCW Television Champion, Gabriel Black!! Give them a hand!

The crowd boos loudly. Once again, they're going to run the opening of the show into the ground by talking about how great they are, and the fans don't care to see that.

D. Cole: Before we get started... it's been brought to my attention that this elite group of wrestlers needs a name for themselves. Naturally, having a catchy name will help move the merchandise... we've got T-shirts to sell to the kids who are too cool to cheer for Johnny Smiles and Ken Collins, and the "Gabriel Black DOES NOT LOSE" shirt has been on the market for a long time already. Now, everybody knows that the Hammer of the Gods and the Inquisition weren't money makers... heck, even the Golden Society didn't sell that well. We needed something edgy, something trendy and extreme. So, as the marketing genius behind this whole endeavor, I consulted with the guys, and we decided you can call us "The Unholy Alliance."

The crowd boos loudly. Whatever these guys call themselves, the fans don't care much for them. Derek Cole turns to the camera and spreads his jacket, revealing an Unholy Alliance T-shirt.

D. Cole: Now, Lance Errington and Gabriel Black are a little too classically composed to go with the T-shirt look, and the Superstar's been using the same leather vest and bare chest combo for thirty years now, so you won't get him to change. But I'm not afraid to be a slave to fashion, and YOU shouldn't be either. Buy the shirt! It'll give you something cool to wear while you slash the Johnny Smiles fans' tires after the show!!

The crowd boos loudly. He's already wasted a few minutes hawking their stupid merchandise, and we can guess that this'll just be the beginning. Gabriel Black takes the microphone, and looks around at the booing crowd with a falsely sincere, beaming smile.

G. Black: Please, do buy some shirts during the intermissions, or perhaps during the Jockey Oldcastle match tonight. I'm certain you won't miss anything worthwhile in either event. I'm always pleased when you people lavish me with your lovely money. And my dear wife has her heart set on owning a Mercedes Benz before the year is up. You wouldn't want to disappoint such a sweet, loving woman, would you? So buy a shirt or two, for my sake.

The crowd boos, and a loud chant of "JOHNNY!" begins. Gabriel Black cracks a smile, then looks around at them and shakes his head.

G. Black: It never ceases to amaze me. I humiliated him last week, and you'll still chant his name to me tonight? As I demonstrated during the debate, there is no spark of greatness in Johnny Smiles... only a great deal of mediocrity and adequacy. But me... in every way, I AM the ultimate professional wrestler. I have the mind of a champion, honed through countless hours of studying matches and ring experience. I have the body of a champion, built and rebuilt through an intense training regimen. I have the spirit of a champion, forged by the lessons of my father and the trials I have faced. And thanks to my father, I also have the genes of a champion; I was born DESTINED for greatness.

The crowd boos loudly. Unfortunately, we're probably in for at least ten more minutes of this before he shuts up.

G. Black: So when you compare me to...

Hold it, "Brackish" by Kittie just started playing, and the crowd gives a mixed reaction, but it's definitely mostly cheers! Rebecca Black steps out of the backstage entrance, carrying a microphone, her eyes blazing with demented hatred and anger! Gabriel Black turns to Lance Errington and says something, and they're all watching her carefully... her fragile mental state is clear on her face! She could go berserk at any moment... but somehow, she seems cold and certain as she raises the microphone.

R. Black: The genes of a champion. Is that what makes you so great?

Gabriel Black stares strangely at Rebecca Black, suspecting some sort of trick.

G. Black: Rebecca... I know you don't like Dad, but give him some credit. He's the greatest professional wrestler of his generation. As his son, I carry his genes and his legacy, and I am NOTHING LESS than the greatest professional wrestler who ever LIVED. You must know that already. Why have you come here?

R. Black: Gabriel, I don't know if you're the greatest professional wrestler who ever lived, but I'll give you one thing... you're stronger and more skilled than I am. It's hard for me to admit it, but I know better than to try to pick a fight with you, because I'd lose. I know I would. There's no shame in that... it's just the truth.

The crowd boos a little for that; it's a bit unlike Rebecca Black. But Gabriel Black is just confused.

G. Black: I... suppose you're right. But honestly, Rebecca, is there any use in fighting us at all? Why won't you simply come back to the family that awaits you with open arms?

R. Black: What I was about to say is that I don't need to beat you up. I don't even need to touch you to rip the heart out of your chest. I can destroy your identity, your self-image, and your life as you know it with a few simple words.

Gabriel Black is starting to look uncomfortable.

G. Black: I think not. If anyone is having emotional problems here, it's you, Rebecca. You're obviously a little bit deranged. Would you allow me to find professional help for you?

Rebecca Black laughs.

R. Black: You'd better find some help for yourself. There's a skeleton in your closet that's seconds away from ruining your life. Really, I'm amazed and astonished that nobody's put this one together on their own yet. For all that our family has dividing us, we have a lot in common, you know?

G. Black: What are you saying?

R. Black: Whatever our differences, we have a lot in common. I mean, take Dad for instance. He's a wiry old bastard with black hair and bright green eyes. And Mom... her hair's gray now, but it WAS dark brown, and her eyes are green too. Think about Troy... black hair, bright green eyes, and Bruce... black hair and green eyes there, too. And look at me... and my beautiful black, wavy hair and my haunting green eyes. All the apples fell pretty close to the tree, wouldn't you say?

Gabriel Black reaches down and adjusts the collar of his suit, then looks back at Rebecca Black, focused. She's definitely getting at something with this...

G. Black: Wait. Just what are you trying to say--

R. Black: Now take a look at YOURSELF, Gabriel. Look at your blue eyes and your long blond hair, standing there like a dropout from the fucking Hitler Youth, and tell me... what's wrong with this picture? You ever play that game in pre-school, where one of these things is not like the other? One of these things does not belong? That's kinda how this is, Gabriel. And I've made it real fucking easy for you.

G. Black: Now I KNOW you're not trying to tell me that--

R. Black: Oh yeah, I'm trying, all right... you're just not listening. So let me put it all out on the table for you, Gabriel... you're a fucking BASTARD. Mom fucked some other guy and you're HIS son. There isn't a drop of the Superstar's blood in your whole fucking BODY. You--

Wow!? Could that be true!? The crowd's cheering loudly! But hold it, Gabriel Black seems to have heard enough! Red-faced and angry, he raises the microphone to cut her off!

G. Black: LIES!! Those are ALL lies!! Damn it, Rebecca, HOW could you say that--

Sean Black grabs the microphone away from Gabriel Black, cutting him off! Gabriel Black's confidence quickly fades, and he turns to Lance Errington and buries his face in his shoulder! Lance Errington looks extremely uncomfortable as he tries to console Gabriel Black... but Sean Black is absolutely livid!!

S. Black: All right, Rebecca, now you've PISSED ME OFF!! It's one thing when you go telling bullshit stories about me, how I punched your face in every night and molested you, because I don't give a shit. But now you're LYING about things that involve the honor of MY WIFE--your mother, might I add--and my son. And THAT--

R. Black: Oh, it gets better, Dad. I asked Mom about it. It's the damn truth.

S. Black: Well then your mother's a LYING WHORE!! She's a vindictive little bitch who's completely FULL of SHIT... and come to find out, it looks like THAT runs in the family too. Don't you come out here and try this shit with ME, Rebecca. Not where Gabriel's concerned. I AM his father, I MADE him what he is today, and what he is is the BEST EVER. You take Sammartino, Jumbo, Flair, Hogan, Hart, Chono, Misawa, Austin, the Rock... those guys are NOTHING compared to MY SON, Gabriel Black.

The crowd explodes into boos, and a hail of garbage comes raining in on Sean Black. If he was anybody else, the company would be killing his mic and handing him a pink slip right now! What a disgusting, tasteless human being to say that to his daughter!! But Rebecca Black is staying eerily calm...

R. Black: The feeling's mutual, Dad. I hate you. I wish you were DEAD.

S. Black: Aww... my heart bleeds. So what're you gonna do about it, huh?

R. Black: Whether you want to admit it or not, Dad, you remember what you did to me in the basement. And you know I remember it. But now you're old and pathetic. I could never beat Gabriel... but I know I can kick your brittle old ass. And I'm not gonna hide it and lie about it like you. I'm gonna have your blood on my hands, and I'm gonna wear it as a badge of honor. Drag your sorry ass out of retirement one more time, and I'll do it in front of the whole world on pay-per-view at Spontaneous Combustion. I'm gonna beat you and stretch you until you beg for mercy, just like you did to me. I might even come to the match drunk and coked up, in the spirit of poetic justice and all. I'm gonna make you suffer. I'm gonna make you bleed. And then, after I've broken you, you're gonna confess to all the sick shit you did, live in the arena with the whole world watching.

Sean Black stares down the aisle at Rebecca Black and smiles.

S. Black: I don't think so, sweetheart. Daddy's gonna have to bring you down for your own good, and then I'll see to it that you're safe in a place where you could never hurt anybody again, even yourself. I'll dust off my boots ONE MORE TIME... and then I'll knock you the FUCK out, and if that doesn't fix you I'll have you locked up in a mental hospital for the REST of your FUCKING LIFE!!

The crowd boos... but what a match! "Superstar" Sean Black will come out of retirement one more time... and fight against his only daughter!? This is crazy! "Brackish" by Kittie begins playing again, and it looks like we'll see this match at Spontaneous Combustion... but Gabriel Black looks truly shaken up. Lance Errington gives him a hug and says something to him, and Gabriel Black nods, but he doesn't look at ease.

Before we go to our first match, we're going to take a look backstage, where Jack Norman and Butch Manson of Hell's Bikers are negotiating their bookings with a VCW backstage official! Let's take a look now!

Jack Norman and Butch Manson are standing backstage with Maureen Sunayana, a member of the VCW booking committee. She's carrying a pen and clipboard as she talks to them, and Jack Norman is now wearing a bandanna with the Three Musketeers logo on it in addition to his Three Musketeers vest.

M. Sunayana: Okay, guys. Commissioner Applebee's given the green light for your eight-man with Idol and Solomon against the Ontario Colour Show and two partners of their choice. But he told me to warn you not to get too carried away. He's watching you guys.

B. Manson: Yeah, I bet. So what about the pay-per-view?

M. Sunayana: Honestly, he didn't seem to have much intention of booking you guys. You don't have a heated rivalry with any other teams right now, and you're not exactly a pair of show-stopping athletes who should be booked just for the sake of a great match.

J. Norman: Well, whaddaya mean!? I'm a real great athlete! Gimme a case of Three Musketeers candy bars, and I can do anything! I'll jump off of a cage like Mick Foley! Ain't that great athleticism? That's good enough for pay-per-view, ain't it?

Butch Manson turns to Jack Norman angrily.

B. Manson: Listen, you chocolate-chomping retard. First of all, everyone knows your big ass ain't jumping off no cage, so shut up about that. But what you've gotta worry about is if you don't shut up about your candy bars too, I'm gonna grab a lead pipe and locate your fucking nose to the other side of your head. This shit ain't cool or manly. It makes you look like a fucking chump.

J. Norman: Damn, man, back off! I'm your compadre, remember? Take it easy!

Butch Manson seems only slightly mollified.

B. Manson: Yeah, well... just stop pissing me off already.

Butch Manson turns back to Maureen Sunayana.

B. Manson: And you... you best get us onto that pay-per-view, baby. One way or another, we've got a hankering for some blood and guts at Spontaneous Combustion, and we'd just the same do it in a sanctioned match. I mean... I'd sure hate to spoil your little show by running out in the middle of a big important match like Cole versus Applebee or Gabriel versus Johnny and whipping everyone's ass.

M. Sunayana: As amusing as it might be to see you try to kick Johnny and Gabriel's asses, I see your point. So how about this... I have a couple of great athletes you can face. One's a little down on his luck, and the other's just coming back from a severe injury, but they're both great young up-and-comers. Sound good?

B. Manson: Who are these young punks, anyway?

M. Sunayana: None other than Tommy Hustle and "Skyhawk" Quinn Harper. How's that?

J. Norman: Hey, fresh meat! We can dust those little runts in under five minutes and pick up a pay-per-view payday for it. I like that match.

B. Manson: Yeah, I reckon you're right. It ain't gonna be a challenge or nothing, but it'll be good to just hang loose and beat up some punks who ain't in our league.

M. Sunayana: I wouldn't get too cocky... but all right. I'll put in a suggestion for the match. Any other questions?

J. Norman: Yeah, actually... I got a question. How come you don't have one of them little red dots on your forehead like other Indian women?

Maureen Sunayana seems annoyed as she looks up from the clipboard.

M. Sunayana: My Protestant upbringing in suburban America might have something to do with it. My father's parents left India when they were children.

J. Norman: Oh! Hey, I understand. Sorry. I ain't really ignorant or prejudiced or nothing. I just thought you were one of them raghead camel jockeys.

M. Sunayana: Hey, you bigoted jerk. YOU'RE the one wearing a bandanna on his head.

J. Norman: I know. It's a Three Musketeers bandanna. Ain't it cool?

B. Manson: Look, dumbass. You got it mixed up anyway. She's an Indian broad, and everyone knows Indians ain't the ones who wear turbans and ride camels. Them's Arabs. Indians are the ones who wear buckskin pants and scalp people.

J. Norman: Oh. Well shit... wait a minute! Sorry, we got off on the wrong foot, baby. You single? How about we pretend like you're Pocahontas and we're Lewis and Clark?

Maureen Sunayana stares at him, shocked into speechlessness at his sheer stupidity, then walks away, shaking her head and muttering to herself.

M. Sunayana: Maybe I can talk Applebee into firing those two after the match...

The camera fades out on the backstage scene.

We're back, and it looks like Hell's Bikers may make it to pay-per-view yet. There wasn't exactly a massive public outcry to have them on the show, but now both Hell's Bikers and the team of Quinn Harper and Tommy Hustle will be getting some pay-per-view exposure. But right now, we have another match to concern ourselves with! "The Battle Of Evermore" by the Lovemongers begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd gives a dull, mixed reaction as the Green Dragon walks out of the backstage entrance! He climbs into the ring, goes to the second turnbuckle, holds a lighter beneath his lips, and breaths fire to a small round of applause from the crowd.

But then "Tziganne" by Bozzio, Levin, and Stevens begins playing, and the crowd boos as Monty Pompous swaggers out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Jockey Oldcastle! On some level, it's perhaps appropriate that one of the Knights of the Squared Circle will be the first opponent for the Green Dragon, but it's a pretty hard way for the Green Dragon to go. He'll be making his debut against a great natural athlete who's undefeated in VCW, and the large, menacing form of Jockey Oldcastle on the outside can only add to his woes. Monty Pompous enters the ring and strips down to his wrestling trunks, and newly-hired VCW referee Harold Brusco (co-owner and operator of the Brusco Brothers' Hobby Shop in his off hours--it's worth the drive!) calls for the bell to begin the match!

Monty Pompous
w/Jockey Oldcastle

These two large, powerful men waste no time in taking the measure of each other, and it's clear that Monty Pompous is the superior combatant relatively quickly. The Green Dragon gets in some decent power offense, including a vertical suplex and a nice, fluid Samoan Drop, but Monty Pompous's quickness and cunning are more than a match for him. Things only get worse for the Green Dragon when Monty Pompous dumps him to the floor, where Jockey Oldcastle scoops him up and rams him back-first into the ringpost as his friend and partner distracts Harold Brusco. He rolls him back in, and Monty Pompous chokeslams the Green Dragon, covers, then callously pulls him up at two. But then he puts him out of his misery with the Swashbuckler and puts a foot over his chest for the three-count.

The Green Dragon may, in fact, be a little TOO green; he never stood a chance against a raw physical specimen and agile athlete like Monty Pompous. Monty Pompous and Jockey Oldcastle leave the ring, boasting and laughing, and we have to hope that Dean Sanders will wipe the smiles off of their faces, both later tonight and at Spontaneous Combustion with his mystery partner. But now the Green Dragon is up, and he staggers backstage as well, disappointed and beaten.

We're ready to go on with the show, and now... hold it! "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath is playing, and the crowd boos loudly as David Wright Hubbard walks briskly down to the ring, accompanied by Michelle Hubbard! He wastes no time in walking to the ring and calling for a microphone. What's on his mind? We know he's still not done with Lars Coverdale...

D.W. Hubbard: Listen up. Lars, me and my wife are gonna whip you and your girlfriend's scrawny asses at Spontaneous Combustion and settle this damn thing once and for all. But first, I gotta deal with one of your punk-ass buddies. Tommy Hustle... you lousy son of a bitch, get your ass out here to this ring!

David Wright Hubbard's... calling out Tommy Hustle? We know he's a former co-worker of Lars Coverdale in NCXCW, and last week they put on quite a stunt-show in their match... but what's David Wright Hubbard's beef with him? "Stuntman" by 24-7 Spyz begins playing, and the crowd cheers as Tommy Hustle walks out of the backstage entrance, then comes to the ring and climbs inside. He grabs a microphone too.

T. Hustle: Hey, look man. What the hell is this all about?

D.W. Hubbard: Boy, I think you know damn well what this is all about. You like Lars Coverdale? Huh? You his friend or something? You're his buddy? His pal? His boy? You think he's "totally excellent?" You think he's "super awesome?" You think he's "mega radical to the max?" That's your deal, ain't it?

T. Hustle: Don't you worry about Lars. He'll take care of you just right at Spontaneous Combustion.

D.W. Hubbard: Naw, I ain't worried about Lars. That's just it. I don't have to worry about him. He ain't in my league. I ain't worried. But I got something for YOU to worry about, boy. Last week, you called my wife an "old chick". What the hell'd you go and do that for? You saying she's old? You saying there's something wrong with being old? Like your ass ain't gonna be old someday? You got a grandma, boy? How the hell does she feel about you calling my wife old? Huh?

Tommy Hustle rolls his eyes and frowns.

T. Hustle: Look. All I was saying is that there's a pretty big age gap there between her and Lars, you know?

D.W. Hubbard: Oh, I get it. You're saying my wife's a wrinkled old bag with a fat ass. That so? You just try saying that to my face, boy. I'll punch you right in the nose. You ever had your ass whipped over something like this? But I'll tell you what. If you just took a look at my wife on the street, you wouldn't be thinking she's old. You'd be thinking she's pretty hot. Wouldn't ya? Answer me, boy... if you just saw this woman on the street, you'd wanna fuck her silly. And don't you try to lie to me and deny it, or I'll knock your head clean off. Swear to God I will, boy.

Tommy Hustle stares at David Wright Hubbard like he's lost his mind. He takes a glance at Michelle Hubbard, who's smiling at him with her hands on her hips, then back at David Wright Hubbard.

T. Hustle: Hell, it depends on a whole lot of other stuff. Yeah, maybe. But what I'm saying is--

D.W. Hubbard: I know what you're saying, you dumb son of a bitch. You just admitted it. Basically, you're saying you'd sleep with my wife if you got the chance. You got a lot of nerve, I'll give you that. What, you didn't learn your lesson seeing what happened to Lars? Huh? I guess not. I guess I've gotta whip your ass too.

David Wright Hubbard suddenly lashes out and sends Tommy Hustle sprawling to the mat with a big right hand! Jerry Rogers enters the ring and calls for the bell, and evidently we have an impromptu match!

David Wright Hubbard
w/Michelle Hubbard

Tommy Hustle gets up, and David Wright Hubbard roars at him and charges with a lariat, but Tommy Hustle ducks and sends him staggering back into the ropes with a dropkick! A second dropkick sends him out over the top rope to the floor, and then Tommy Hustle climbs to the top turnbuckle and dives out onto him with a FLYING CROSS BODYPRESS TO THE FLOOR!! Tommy Hustle amazingly survives a brief brawl on the outside with David Wright Hubbard, avoiding his devastating offense through sheer quickness, then rolls him back into the ring and goes for his springboard Thesz press, but David Wright Hubbard mauls him right out of the air with a lariat!! And that lariat is the beginning of the end, as David Wright Hubbard follows it with a power bomb, a superplex, a second lariat, and finally the Flying Cross Bodypress for the pin.

The crowd boos, and David Wright Hubbard is victorious, after showing the same kind of devastating big offense that led him to the VCW World Title this time last year! He just cut through him like a buzzsaw! But he's not done... he pulls Tommy Hustle up into a standing headscissors, lifts him, and gives him another power bomb!! The crowd boos, and he just smirks as he looks around at them. No doubt, he's trying to send a message...

But wait!! Lars Coverdale's sprinting out of the backstage entrance! He runs to the ring and slides inside, and David Wright Hubbard charges him with a lariat, but Lars Coverdale ducks! David Wright Hubbard turns around into a big dropkick! That sends him staggering back into the ropes, and Lars Coverdale rushes him... but David Wright Hubbard comes roaring back at him and mauls him with a LARIAT!! Lars Coverdale goes down hard, and the crowd boos loudly.

David Wright Hubbard crouches over Lars Coverdale and starts hammering him with punches... but now Lizzie Carter's coming out of the backstage entrance, and she has a steel chair!! Michelle Hubbard runs forward to intercept her, but takes a chairshot to the head and goes down! Lizzie Carter runs to the ring and climbs to the top turnbuckle, then leaps off and NAILS David Wright Hubbard with a flying chairshot to the head! He goes down... but then he bolts right back up and bellows in murderous rage!

He begins stalking towards Lizzie Carter, shouting threats and pointing at her... and she swings the chair at his head again! This time, he catches it and jerks it out of her grasp! David Wright Hubbard raises the chair to strike, and Lizzie Carter screams and cowers helplessly... but Lars Coverdale is up, and he clobbers Hubbard in the back! David Wright Hubbard shrugs off the blow, and whirls on Lars Coverdale, but before he can strike Lizzie Carter comes from behind and gives him a low blow! He doubles over, holding the chair low, and Lars Coverdale throws a leg over his head for a ROCKER DROPPER ON THE STEEL CHAIR!! The crowd cheers loudly, and David Wright Hubbard rolls out of the ring, holding his face!

David Wright Hubbard and Michelle Hubbard begin backing up, retreating backstage, as Lars Coverdale and Lizzie Carter help Tommy Hustle to his feet in the ring. We'll probably see these four meet in a tag team match at Spontaneous Combustion, in what may be a pivotal moment in the heated, intense rivalry that has grown between David Wright Hubbard and Lars Coverdale! As the chaos dies down in the ring, we're going to take a look backstage, where Christina Ellis is preparing to go one-on-one with Sadako Momotani!

The camera shows Christina Ellis backstage in the process of pulling on her singlet. She's bare from the waist up, but unfortunately her back is to the camera as she pulls the spandex up and puts the straps over her shoulders. She turns around, now dressed to wrestle, and begins to leave, when the Pink Kitten walks into the room.

C. Ellis: Hi, Yuri. ... I was wondering where you were.

The Pink Kitten just shrugs a little bit.

P. Kitten: So the match with Sadako Momotani is next, right?

C. Ellis: Yeah. Look... I'm sorry I got mad at you last week, after that stupid, ridiculous match. I just really didn't expect to lose. ... Wait, I don't mean that the way it sounded. I mean, it just happened so suddenly, and I got carried away, and... well, anyway, just forget about it. Sorry.

The Pink Kitten looks away sadly.

P. Kitten: You don't think I'm a very good wrestler... do you?

C. Ellis: Oh, Yuri... I know you're a good wrestler. You're my partner!

P. Kitten: Then... why didn't you let me be the one to face Sadako Momotani?

C. Ellis: She's dangerous, Yuri... evil. You know that. You've seen her in action. Erica compared her to Gabriel Black... but she's more like Chris Champlain. She likes to hurt people just to hurt them. And I wanted to keep you safe, Yuri-chan. You're like a sister to me.

P. Kitten: But I'm ready to prove myself and take on any challenge!

C. Ellis: I know.

P. Kitten: But you don't believe me! You... don't respect me, do you?

C. Ellis: Yuri... come on, let's talk about this later. I don't want to miss this match.

P. Kitten: Okay.

C. Ellis: You should come too. She IS very dangerous, and I'll need someone to watch my back.

The Pink Kitten brightens a little at that.

P. Kitten: Don't worry! I'll be right there with you!

They leave the room, and the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

We're back, and it looks like Christina Ellis and the Pink Kitten are ready for this challenge! "No Remorse" by Metallica begins playing, and the crowd boos as Lady Erica Whitmore leads Sadako Momotani out of the backstage entrance! She's dressed to wrestle in a black leotard with silver sequins arranged in the shape of a skull, but she's wearing a leather jacket over that. She enters the ring, takes off the jacket, and hands it to Lady Erica Whitmore, then stops and rolls her neck and shoulders in the ring.

And then "Star Cycle" by Jeff Beck begins playing, and the crowd cheers as Christina Ellis makes her way out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by the Pink Kitten! She's one-half of the SJW World Tag Team Champions, and they're both wearing their titles proudly as they slap hands with the fans on the way to the ring. Those titles will be on the line at Spontaneous Combustion against Sadako Momotani and a partner of her choice, but tonight is going to be a feeling-out process, perhaps in preparation for the pay-per-view! Christina Ellis climbs into the ring, and Brendan Powers enters the ring as well and calls for the bell to begin the match!

Sadako Momotani
w/Lady Erica Whitmore

Christina Ellis
w/The Pink Kitten

Christina Ellis starts the match off by charging in at Sadako Momotani and knocking her down with a dropkick, then rushing her again with another dropkick when she gets up! Sadako Momotani takes a total of four dropkicks in this manner before she pulls up short on the fifth! Christina Ellis misses that one, and as she gets up Sadako Momotani hammers her with a few forearm smashes to the back of the neck. Christina Ellis absorbs those blows and retaliates with a few punches to the midsection as she gets to her feet, but Sadako Momotani blatantly grabs a double fistful of her hair and pulls her face-first into a kneelift, then snap mares Christina to a seated position in the mat and just hauls off and KICKS her square in the back of the neck!

The match continues in much the same way, with Christina Ellis getting the advantage with hot streaks of offense, while Sadako Momotani uses questionable tactics and sadistic, targeted attacks. Since this is a match between two women with a Japanese wrestling background, there are quite a few double underhook suplexes and dropkicks used on both sides. But Sadako Momotani's main tactic of choice is an assault on Christina Ellis's neck, even going so far as to pull a pencil out of her leotard and begin stabbing Christina in the back of the neck with it repeatedly while Lady Erica Whitmore distracts Brendan Powers.

Sadako Momotani's aggressive tactics seem to gain the advantage for a time, but Christina Ellis rallies and fights back after fighting her way out of a camel clutch. She wears Sadako Momotani out with a number of quick takedown moves, then turns up the volume on her offense with a series of heavy suplexes. Sadako Momotani tries to fight back, but she's becoming dazed and exhausted by the rapid onslaught of Christina's moves, and can't retake the advantage. But she won't go down easily, either, kicking out of Christina Ellis's Dragon Suplex after two and three-quarters.

The crowd boos that kickout, and Christina Ellis seems a little bit thrown off by it. She gamely goes ahead with a change of tactics, looking for a scorpion deathlock on Sadako Momotani, but Sadako Momotani kicks her back into a corner, then starts to get to her feet! Christina Ellis comes in at her again, but Sadako Momotani catches her with a sudden elbow to the ribs, then from nowhere lifts her and hits the DEATH VALLEY DRIVER!! The crowd boos, but Sadako Momotani is weary and disoriented, and she takes a few seconds before she manages the cover. Brendan Powers counts... and at two and nine-tenths, Christina Ellis BARELY gets a shoulder up to an "ooooh" of relief from the crowd!

Lady Erica Whitmore immediately begins to argue with Brendan Powers over the validity of that count, and as she does Sadako Momotani rolls out of the ring and grabs a chair! The Pink Kitten goes over to stop her, but Sadako Momotani kicks her in the midsection, then shoves her aside and slides into the ring with the chair! Christina Ellis slowly gets up, and Sadako Momotani draws back the chair for a big, dramatic swing... BUT CHRISTINA DUCKS!! Sadako Momotani's chairshot goes wildly over her head, and smashes into the back of Brendan Powers's head while he argues with Lady Erica Whitmore! Brendan Powers and Lady Erica Whitmore bump heads, and she topples backwards off of the apron to the floor, as he collapses inside the ring!!

Sadako Momotani whirls around with the chair in hand, but Christina Ellis reacts quickly and DROPKICKS IT INTO HER FACE!! Sadako Momotani goes down, slowly starting to get back up, and the crowd cheers loudly! But as Sadako Momotani gets up, Christina Ellis comes from behind her and grabs her in a double chickenwing hold! She looks outside of the ring to the Pink Kitten and yells "YURI! COME IN AND HIT HER, QUICK!!" The Pink Kitten looks confused, and slowly slides into the ring! She looks at Christina questioningly, points to herself, and then the chair... it's like she's asking if Christina really wants her to do this!

Christina Ellis yells something to the affirmative as Sadako Momotani sees what's coming and begins to frantically kick and struggle, and the Pink Kitten hesitantly picks up the chair, then takes a deep breath, and charges with a massive chairshot!! But Sadako Momotani ducks, and the Pink Kitten WIPES OUT CHRISTINA ELLIS!! What a disaster! The Pink Kitten looks down in horror, and Sadako Momotani grabs her shoulder, whirls her around, kicks her in the midsection, and lifts and PLANTS her with the Death Valley Driver!! The Pink Kitten rolls out of the ring, clutching the back of her neck, and Sadako Momotani lifts Christina Ellis upside-down... TOMBSTONE!! She kicks the chair out of the ring as Brendan Powers looks up, then covers Christina Ellis... and gets three!! Sadako Momotani wins!!

Sadako Momotani sneers down at Christina Ellis, kicks her in the side of the head, and climbs out of the ring, heading up the ramp with Lady Erica Whitmore. The Pink Kitten and Christina Ellis are both laid out, and this doesn't look good for their chances at Spontaneous Combustion... but at the top of the ramp, Lady Erica Whitmore stops and calls for a microphone!

L.E. Whitmore: Considering that Sadako Momotani has left both of you miserable peons beaten and unconscious, perhaps it wouldn't quite be fair to add a tag team partner. Perhaps the fair thing to do would be for her to challenge you in a handicap match at Spontaneous Combustion.

The crowd gives a mixed response. Sadako Momotani's a great competitor, at least the equal and quite possibly superior to Christina Ellis or the Pink Kitten one-on-one, but her odds in a handicap match would certainly be extremely slim. She can't be serious!

L.E. Whitmore: That might be fair... but nobody ever said life was fair. The team I've built is built and designed for the express purpose of taking your titles with ruthless efficiency. Sadako Momotani just proved that she can easily defeat Christina Ellis, and as if that wasn't enough, her partner is an equally perfect counter to the Pink Kitten. Sadako Momotani's partner, the other half of your next SJW World Tag Team Championship team... is THE DARK KITTEN.

Pantera's cover of "Cat Scratch Fever" begins playing, and as the crowd boos, a woman steps out of the backstage entrance dressed in a bizarre mirror of the Pink Kitten's ring attire! Her body is covered by a one-piece black leather leotard, with translucent black sleeves and leggings, and she's wearing a black cat mask that's nearly identical to the Pink Kitten's pink mask! Christina Ellis and the Pink Kitten are still too incoherent and dazed from their beating to get to their feet, much less see or react to this, but the crowd's booing loudly.

This woman, who is apparently called the Dark Kitten, is quite clearly larger than the Pink Kitten; she's about half a foot taller, with blond hair sticking out from the back of the mask and a figure with more pronounced curves. There's never been a Dark Kitten in recorded wrestling history until now, but you have to believe Lady Erica Whitmore would do her homework and get only the best for this team. There can be no doubt that the woman under that mask is either a proven veteran or a very talented newcomer.

L.E. Whitmore: You see, it's no secret that the Pink Kitten's inspiration came from the stuffed pink cat she acquired during the Intergender Super Ladder Fat Cat Scramble. But do you remember the black cat that you left behind? It's not a symbol of inspiration... only hatred and a promise of revenge. Just think of it that way, after you've lost the SJW World Tag Team Titles.

The crowd boos as Lady Erica Whitmore, Sadako Momotani, and the Dark Kitten head backstage, and as that ends the Pink Kitten finally, slowly gets to her feet. She climbs into the ring and helps Christina Ellis up... but Christina Ellis just shoves her away, then yells something at her! It doesn't seem like they were even coherently aware of what Lady Erica Whitmore just said, and now they're arguing over the result of the match! Finally, the Pink Kitten turns and walks away, headed backstage, and Christina Ellis follows her!

We're also going to go backstage. We've heard that the VCW World Tag Team Champions, the Ontario Colour Show, will team with two partners of their choice against Hell's Bikers and Jacob Idol and Rob Solomon, but we don't know who they'll choose yet. Let's take a look backstage and try to find out!

Owen Addison is dressed to wrestle, sitting in a room backstage. Tim Bell is with him, dressed in street clothes. They're watching an old match between the Ontario Colour Show and Jacob Idol and Rob Solomon on a monitor, studying it carefully. As they watch the match, Paul Canyon walks into the room.

P. Canyon: Oh, you're not gonna like this.

Owen Addison looks up with a frown.

O. Addison: Whenever you say that to me, you're always right. Out with it.

P. Canyon: Everyone who'd make a decent tag team partner for the eight man tag tonight either isn't here, is already booked, or doesn't have their gear. I can get us Hasan Gilden, Brian Rivera, Marylin Silvera, Johnny Smiles, or Mongo McMichael. Pick your poison.

Owen Addison grimaces.

O. Addison: Johnny's okay, but I'd sooner do a handicap match than trust any of those other jokers to watch my back. You're right. I DON'T like this.

Tim Bell suddenly stands up.

T. Bell: Go talk to Johnny. I'm heading out to get my gear.

P. Canyon: But... you're still hurt.

T. Bell: What kind of shape do you think you guys'll be in if you end up in a match with Idol and Solomon and the Bikers with anything less than a solid team? It's true that I'm not cleared to wrestle yet. I don't know when they'll clear me to wrestle, or even IF they'll clear me to wrestle. But I've been at this for sixteen years, and right here and now, when you guys need me, I know I have at least one more night left in me. ... I'm heading out to get my gear.

Tim Bell walks over to the door and opens it, but comes face to face with Troy Black and Brujah in the doorway. Owen Addison sees them there and bolts to his feet angrily.

O. Addison: Look, you bastards, we've got enough problems without--

Brujah: Shut up. We're here to help you.

Paul Canyon and Owen Addison both look confused.

Brujah: Yeah, I know. I just tried to kill you at the last pay-per-view. But times change. You remember that night, at Horror Show, when Idol and Solomon got the last laugh over all of us?

O. Addison: Yeah...

Brujah: That ain't gonna happen again. We want to make sure of it.

Troy Black steps forward.

T. Black: We have our own scores to settle with them. Not that we're here to argue about it, but there's a very real possibility that those titles you're wearing would be ours if they hadn't stepped in.

O. Addison: And you want to stick it to your brother.

Troy Black shoots Owen Addison a questioning look.

O. Addison: I see where you're coming from. You don't feel like you have the right to go after him directly after what you did at Wrestlewar, but you have no problem kicking the hell out of his buddies. You want to slap Idol and Solomon around just to spite Gabriel. You have a point... maybe they had a hand in taking these titles off of you at the pay-per-view... although that very well COULD have happened anyway. But let's face it, if they were still running with Julian Page you wouldn't have cared enough to turn up on our doorstep like this.

Troy Black shrugs.

T. Black: Maybe. What's your point?

O. Addison: We have a common goal we need to agree on here. That's winning this damn match. We already have a partner who could step up to the plate for us here, and we know what page he's on. Now, you're a former World Champion, a real big shot... and maybe Brujah's tougher than I gave him credit for. I'll go ahead and say it, Troy, you're one of the best ever. But you're an idiot. Gabriel could play you like a fiddle right now. If he sends your dad out to ringside with an old photo album or starts making out with Melissa on top of the entrance ramp, you'll get distracted. Then it becomes four on three, and we lose the match. If you want to be OUR partner... if you want to stick it to Gabriel by beating his friends and their hired hit squad... then you need to save the soap opera for the twenty-minute bullshit sessions at the top of every show and FOCUS on THIS MATCH, here and now. Understand?

Brujah, standing beside Troy Black, cracks a smile.

Brujah: He's sure got your number...

Troy Black also smiles and shakes his head.

T. Black: I really, REALLY don't like you.

After a small, tense pause, Troy Black holds out his hand, and Owen Addison takes it in a handshake.

T. Black: We'll stay focused. We'll win your match.

Tim Bell comes over and puts a hand on his shoulder.

T. Bell: All right. I'm gonna step aside. I'm gonna have faith in you tonight. Time and time again, you've let down the people who believe in you, whether through accident, intent, or just not giving a damn enough. You said you're gonna help them... and by God, you'd better. If they lose or get hurt because of you... I'm gonna take it personally.

Troy Black nods.

T. Black: I understand. That's why I don't make many promises these days. But this is one I can keep. ... We'll see you in the match.

Troy Black and Brujah turn and leave the room, and the three members of the Technicians watch them go, looking thoughtful as the camera fades out on the scene.

Wow. Troy Black and Brujah have promised to stand by the Ontario Colour Show in the eight-man tag tonight... and at the same time, from what we've just heard it sounds like Tim Bell's days as an active competitor are over. It remains to be seen if Troy Black and Brujah can hold up their end of the bargain, and if Tim Bell will ever recover enough to rejoin the active roster as a wrestler, but at this juncture we don't know yet.

But right now, we're moving right along to our next match. "Minstrel In The Gallery" by Jethro Tull begins playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd boos as Jockey Oldcastle comes to the ring, accompanied by Monty Pompous. Monty Pompous is still undefeated in VCW, but the same can't be said for Jockey Oldcastle any longer, as last week he was pinned when challenging Crimson for the VCW World Title. Still, any man that can give Crimson a good fight is a dangerous one, and we have to keep that in mind as he enters the ring to do battle with Dean Sanders.

But now "War Machine" by KISS begins playing, and the crowd cheers loudly as Dean Sanders comes out of the backstage entrance! He walks to the ring quickly and purposefully, then slides inside! He rushes Monty Pompous and knocks him silly with a huge LARIAT!! Jockey Oldcastle stares in horror, and Dean Sanders turns to him next and begins to pummel him with hard fists to the face! Bobcat McGavin enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll kick this match off!

Jockey Oldcastle
w/Monty Pompous

Dean Sanders starts the match aggressive and angry, beating Jockey Oldcastle senseless with powerful blows and attacks. Instead of soaking up these attacks like a big sandbag, as he usually does, Jockey Oldcastle is actually reeling from the punishment and trying to cover up or get out of the way! Dean Sanders has no hope of picking up a man this large, but he's not trying to lift him or wrestle him... he's just beating the tar out of him! Jockey Oldcastle retaliates with clumsy swings of his own, but Dean Sanders blocks or dodges them and continues his assault! Dean Sanders doubles him over with a swift kick to the midsection, then pulls him into a MEAN kneelift to the face! Jockey Oldcastle crumples to one knee, pawing at his face, and Dean Sanders grabs a double handful of his hair and headbutts him HARD in the face! Jockey Oldcastle deflates to the canvas, and Dean Sanders stumbles back into the ropes with a bloody welt on his forehead! He busted himself open on Jockey Oldcastle's face!!

Monty Pompous steps up on the apron, objecting to Dean Sanders's assault, and Dean Sanders turns and drills him with a big right hand that knocks him back down to the floor! But while he was turned away, Jockey Oldcastle gets up slowly behind Dean Sanders. Dean Sanders turns back before he makes it all the way to his feet, but throws a punch that Jockey Oldcastle actually blocks, then takes a punch from Oldcastle and goes down! Jockey Oldcastle is out of breath and sweaty after the beating he endured, but he manages a bodyslam and a clothesline on Dean Sanders before he blows up completely and resorts to a bearhug.

Jockey Oldcastle holds the bearhug on for several seconds, gasping and sweating against Dean Sanders as he tries to reverse the situation, regaining his strength as he saps Dean Sanders's endurance in this hold. After nearly a minute, Dean Sanders begins fighting back, and it appears less that he has a second wind and more that he's just tired of putting up with this. He breaks the bearhug with a series of brutal punches to the face, opening up Jockey Oldcastle's lips, then runs and SMACKS him in the chest with a brutal lariat!!

Jockey Oldcastle wobbles, pinwheeling his arms at his side and gasping for breath, and Dean Sanders stares at him angrily! The camera catches him muttering "ya shoulda gone down on the first one, lad," just before he runs forward and PULVERIZES Jockey Oldcastle with a lariat to the FACE!! Jockey Oldcastle's nose is bleeding now, and Dean Sanders could've easily broken his neck or torn his head clean off with that lariat! Jockey Oldcastle's down and motionless, and Dean Sanders kicks him spitefully in the side, then steps out to the apron and climbs to the top turnbuckle! He leaps off and connects with the FLYING ELBOWDROP!! He covers and hooks a leg, and Bobcat McGavin counts to three! This match is over!

Whether Jockey Oldcastle was still less than a hundred percent after his championship match last week, or just caught off-guard by Dean Sanders's aggression, he was just taken out here. Dean Sanders slips out of the ring and begins heading backstage, pointing into the ring and threatening Monty Pompous as he stands guard over Jockey Oldcastle's fallen carcass, watching Dean Sanders leave. He just picked up a victory, but at Spontaneous Combustion he must meet both Knights of the Squared Circle with a mystery partner of his choice! Who will he choose, and will they be able to pull it off? We don't know... but we're going to take a look backstage at Christina Ellis and the Pink Kitten!

As Yuri Sonoda emerges from the women's shower in a towel, Christina Ellis is standing outside in the dressing room to intercept her, with a frown on her face.

C. Ellis: Are you ready to tell me why you were too slow to help me out back there?

Y. Sonoda: Go away, Christina. Leave me alone.

C. Ellis: Look, I know what you're thinking. It's not right to win a match by hitting someone with a chair. But that wasn't a cheap shot, it was a survival measure. She's dangerous, and I thought--

Y. Sonoda: So dangerous I'm not even good enough to face her. I know.

Christina Ellis's face softens with concern.

C. Ellis: No, Yuri... it's not that you're not GOOD enough. I just didn't want her to hurt you. I didn't want to expose you to such danger. You're like family to me. I just couldn't live with myself if you fought her and got hurt. I want more than anything for you to be safe and happy... even if I have to make sacrifices of my own.

Yuri Sonoda frowns and levels angry, accusing eyes at Christina Ellis.

Y. Sonoda: How can you say that, Christina, when you know it's not true!? Every time I do something, you have to show that you can do it better. Every time I want something, you take it for yourself. Sometimes I wonder if the only reason you like to be around me is because you want to look good compared to me!

Christina Ellis flinches back, looking shocked.

C. Ellis: Yuri-chan, no! I... just... no! That's--

Y. Sonoda: If that's why you're my friend, you chose well. I can't compete. Even in bikini contests, with you and your long blond hair and big round blue eyes and your... your... breasts! And you can talk to people, and charm them, and make them love you, while I look for the right word and hope I won't cause offense or sound foolish. And you are a better wrestler than I am, stronger and faster and more experienced.

C. Ellis: But... none of that needs to matter, Yuri. I can't change the way I look, or that I'm a native English speaker, or that I've been wrestling longer than you. But even though we have all those differences, we're still friends, and that's what's really special... our friendship is stronger than our differences! And... you're a wonderful athlete, with infinite potential, and I'm honored to have you as my partner. And I never, ever wanted to make you look bad or take something that you want.

Y. Sonoda: What really hurts is that you think I'm foolish enough to believe that. You say that now, but when you tell people in interviews that I'm still inexperienced, or drag me into Bra and Panties Matches, or stop me from fighting strong opponents and say it's for my own good--because you don't think I can take care of myself--the truth comes out. And what about Johnny? You know that I... I like him, and yet you're always making passes at him, and... wearing his underwear, and--

Christina Ellis laughs.

C. Ellis: Oh, come on, Yuri. You're not mad about THAT, are you? ... Look... you're still young, and you haven't been in this country very long. There are a few things you still need to learn about men, especially American men. They--

Y. Sonoda: And here we are again. I'm a stupid little girl who doesn't understand how things are in America, and you LAUGH at me. I don't even think you're acting this way on purpose. You just do it all the time, because it's in your nature to be a... a... self-centered bitch!!

Christina Ellis recoils in shock, and her eyes begin to grow watery.

C. Ellis: Yuri, I... I just....

Y. Sonoda: Leave me alone and let me get dressed.

C. Ellis: Fine. I'll leave. But when I brought you to VCW and decided to help train you and be your partner, it was because I thought you were so friendly and happy, with all the potential in the world to become a great wrestler. But... now that you're refusing to listen to me and seeing everything in terms of slights to your own ego, maybe there's a side of you I didn't see. Maybe I just didn't see what an immature selfish little brat you were!!

Christina Ellis storms out of the locker room and slams the door, and the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

We're back, and it's time to go ahead with our next match! "War Machine" by KISS begins playing, and the crowd cheers loudly as Bass Rogers comes out of the backstage entrance! He's storming out to the ring with a determined frown on his face, and... hold it, John Uldwall just rushed out of the backstage entrance behind him, and he has a chair!! He rushes Bass Rogers, and CLOBBERS him in the back with a hard chairshot! Bass Rogers goes down to his knees in the aisle, and John Uldwall kicks and stomps at him a few times, then whacks him across the back with the chair again as he starts to get up! The crowd boos, and John Uldwall hauls Bass Rogers up, drags him down the aisle, and rolls him into the ring, then climbs in after him! Harold Brusco enters the ring and calls for the bell, and that'll kick off this match!

Amazingly, Bass Rogers pulls himself to his feet as John Uldwall gets up and absorbs a few punches and forearms from John Uldwall, then begins to return fire! John Uldwall tries to keep his ill-gotten initial advantage, but Bass Rogers is just too damn tough, and it turns into a relatively even brawl pretty quickly, with both men beating the heck out of each other, but neither staying down long enough to give up the advantage. After a few minutes, the match spills outside of the ring, and John Uldwall regains the advantage with a low blow on the outside, then sends Bass Rogers head-first into the steel ringpost and takes him back into the ring.

In the ring, John Uldwall punishes Bass Rogers with a big belly-to-belly suplex, then a spinebuster, both of which only get two counts when he goes for the cover after them. Starting to get angry, he lifts Bass Rogers in an AMAZING feat of strength and presses him over his head for a Gorilla Press slam, then drops him face-first on the canvas! Bass Rogers starts to get up again, but John Uldwall rushes at him and tackles him to the ground, then pops up and bellows to the crowd! He's starting to take him apart! He pulls Bass Rogers up and incredibly hits him with a German suplex, but when he holds the bridge Bass Rogers manages a kickout at two and a half!

John Uldwall kicks and stomps on Bass Rogers a few more times for spite, then draws his thumb across his throat, steps out to the apron, and climbs to the top turnbuckle. It's not often John Uldwall goes airborne, but this could be just what he needs to finish Bass Rogers! Bass Rogers gets up, staggers around, and turns to John Uldwall just as he comes off with the FLYING SHOULDER TACKLE!! But Bass Rogers catches him in midair and seamlessly tosses him aside with a BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX!! Wow!! John Uldwall crashes to the canvas hard! Bass Rogers rushes him as he gets up and flattens him with a clothesline, then keeps running and comes off the ropes to hit him with another one!!

John Uldwall is dazed; a moment ago, he thought he was about to win this match, and now he's getting hit with unrelenting abuse out of nowhere! Bass Rogers hammers him with a few punches to the head, then whips him to a corner of the ring and charges in after him with an avalanche! He crushes John Uldwall in the corner, and Uldwall staggers out... into a kick to the midsection! Bass Rogers pulls him into a standing headscissors, then lifts for a power bomb... but John Uldwall struggles and blocks, and with a furious bellow he counters with a huge BACKDROP!! But Bass Rogers grabs him on the way over and pulls him down with a sunset flip! Harold Brusco counts as John Uldwall squirms and thrashes on the mat... and gets three! Bass Rogers wins!

Bass Rogers gets up, raising his hands in victory... but John Uldwall's up too, and he's not done yet! He roars and tackles Bass Rogers to the mat, punching furiously, but Bass Rogers retaliates, and soon they're rolling around on the mat, hammering away at each other! The brawl spills out of the ring, and soon they're trading punches at ringside, neither man willing to give!

Blade, the other half of the Wrecking Crew, comes running out of the backstage entrance, carrying a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire... but behind him, "The Star Player" Darren Michaels rushes out and clobbers him before he can use the bat! Blade drops the bat in the aisle, and Darren Michaels picks it up and nails him with a shot from the bat! Meanwhile, Bass Rogers and John Uldwall are still going at it, with no signs of stopping! We'll need to get some security out here to separate the Tough Customers and the Wrecking Crew.

"Dastardly" Dave Adams is sitting around backstage, looking frustrated, along with Nurse Vivacia. The door to the room opens, and "The Chief of Governors" Tom Guycot walks in, with the steering wheel to an old-style sailing ship sticking out of the red trunks he wears over his skeleton costume, and Seaman Staines and Roger the Cabin Boy following him. He makes a sharp right turn on the steering wheel and turns to the right, then walks towards Dave Adams, who rolls his eyes in disgust.

D. Adams: Avast! What the hell are you doing with our ship's steering wheel down your tights, you bone-headed buffoon!?

T. Guycot: D'arr, matey! It's driving me nuts!

Dave Adams grimaces, then stands up, wrenches the steering wheel away from Tom Guycot, and throws it in the corner.

T. Guycot: Sorry. It was nothing more than a heartfelt attempt to get into the Jolly Rogers' spirit. Nothing more... and nothing less.

Tom Guycot looks up at the ceiling thoughtfully, and Dave Adams looks impatient.

D. Adams: Well, did you get us booked on tonight's show or not? We need to earn some loot, and fast!

T. Guycot: Captain, I'm well aware of our alarming lack of dollars. But fear not... I have investigated some means to remedy this problem. I've been told by a reliable source that there is a thing called "work" that a person can do to acquire more dollars. To that end, I have procured applications for employment for both of us at local businesses. I myself will be applying at a colorful restaurant identifying itself as "McDonalds", while you will be given an application for a large department store known as "Wal-Mart". Soon, we will--

D. Adams: You idiot! Are you trying to say we should take jobs at McDonalds and Wal-Mart!?

T. Guycot: Yes, we should take them... and then not give them back. Brilliance!

N. Vivacia: So... wait. Where are the job applications, anyway?

Tom Guycot shrugs.

T. Guycot: I lost them.

D. Adams: You micro-brained jackass! Did you even get us booked on tonight's show?

T. Guycot: No. Alas, I was completely unsuccessful in that regard. Many factors were working against me, such as the tight scheduling of the show, the abundance of healthy workers on the active roster, and my complete lack of efforts directed in that endeavor.

D. Adams: So you didn't even TRY to get us booked in a match!? You useless bastard! I oughtta--

T. Guycot: Wait! As I was returning here, however, I was informed by Commissioner Applebee that we are booked in pay-per-view matches. You and I, brave captain, will face Brian Rivera and Marylin Silvera in a match with a bag of gold suspended from a pole... and Nurse Vivacia, Seaman Staines, and Roger the Cabin Boy will face Nicole and Steve "Mongo" McMichael in a handicap match.

Dave Adams stops and smiles.

D. Adams: Two pay-per-view matches, huh? Well, why didn't you say so? That's where the big money is. Especially once we get the bag of gold from the pole... it'll be like getting our money back, and then some!

Nurse Vivacia smiles as well.

N. Vivacia: And I'll put that jealous headcase Nicole in her place too. It's three-on-two, and her partner is MONGO!? Ha! She's totally screwed!

T. Guycot: See? I have been useful, after all! In recognition of my sterling deeds, I hereby present myself with the Annual Lunar Human Society Medal for Greatest Outstanding Achievement in the field of Benevolence!!

Tom Guycot pulls a medal out of his gym bag and hangs it around his neck, then poses proudly for a few seconds before seeming to grow solemn.

T. Guycot: This... is a great honor, my friends.

D. Adams: Yeah, well, we still need to get some cash to cover our expenses on the pay-per-view.

Roger: Don't worry, cap'n! We can raise the money if we all work together! I'll open a lemonade stand in the hallway!

S. Staines: D'arr! I'll run about and check the coin returns in payphones and vending machines for loose change!

T. Guycot: Yes! And I'll go to a pawn shop and sell my Lunar Human Society Medal! I expect the proceeds should reach between two and five dollars!

N. Vivacia: I know a few people who might pay well for a special impromptu check-up...

Dave Adams slaps his forehead and rolls his eyes.

D. Adams: I was just gonna say one of us should run down to the bank and take out a loan or something. But... never mind. Vivacia, you stay here. The rest of you... yeah, those are good ideas. Get busy!

All: Aye aye, Captain!!

Tom Guycot, Seaman Staines, and Roger the Cabin Boy rush out of the room, and Dave Adams turns to Nurse Vivacia.

N. Vivacia: You know we'll be lucky to raise one cent with those stupid ideas.

D. Adams: Yeah, but it gets 'em out of our hair for a few hours, doesn't it? Sheesh...

Nurse Vivacia nods and smiles, putting a hand on Dave Adams's shoulder, as the camera fades out on the backstage entrance.

We're back, and ready to go ahead with our next match! "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin is playing, and the crowd boos as Jacob Idol and Rob Solomon of the newly-christened Unholy Alliance and Jack Norman and Butch Manson of Hell's Bikers make their way out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Jasmina Chastity and Derek Cole. Two weeks ago, Idol and Solomon paid off Hell's Bikers to soften up the Ontario Colour Show, and now they'll be joining forces against the VCW World Tag Team Champions and Troy Black and Brujah! Idol and Solomon will get a shot at the titles at Spontaneous Combustion, but this is one more chance for them to do a little more damage. The four men enter the ring, and there await their opponents.

And then "Achilles Last Stand" by Led Zeppelin begins playing, and the crowd cheers loudly as the VCW World Tag Team Champions, the Ontario Colour Show, come out of the backstage entrance, with Troy Black and Brujah! They make their way to the ring, not hesitating at all, and climb inside! A huge eight-man brawl breaks out, and Jerry Rogers enters the ring and calls for the bell to begin this match!

Unholy Alliance (Jacob Idol & Rob Solomon) & Hell's Bikers (Jack Norman & Butch Manson)
w/Derek Cole & Jasmina Chastity

All eight men brawl for a few minutes before Jerry Rogers finally manages to restore order and establish Jacob Idol and Brujah as the legal men. Jacob Idol outwrestles Brujah to start and begins to direct an attack on his arm, but Brujah gets angry and desperate to avoid being in this situation again and fights back wildly, making the tag to Owen Addison. Owen Addison and Jacob Idol face off in a solo duel for a minute or two, as Jacob Idol continually goes after Addison's right arm and shoulder, and Owen Addison stays one step ahead of him, stopping him from doing any great harm.

Jacob Idol starts to get frustrated, so he backs off and tags in Jack Norman. He has no better luck, and Owen Addison takes him down several times, then tags in Paul Canyon. They nail Jack Norman with a double atomic drop, then run into the ropes on opposite sides of him and squash him between their feet with a double dropkick from opposite sides! Jack Norman staggers around aimlessly a little after that move, and finally Paul Canyon brings him down chest-first on the second rope with a drop toe-hold, then hurries out to the apron and drops a leg across the back of his head! Jack Norman flops back into the ring, struggling, and Paul Canyon tags in Troy Black.

Troy Black comes in and staggers Jack Norman with a spin kick, then doubles him over with a kick to the midsection and goes for a Rocker Dropper, but Jack Norman counters it with a backdrop! Troy Black flips back and lands on his feet, but Jack Norman's waiting on him and he grabs his throat! He lifts him... CHOKESLAM!! The crowd boos loudly, and Jack Norman stands over Troy Black, pointing to himself and bragging... BUT TROY SITS UP!! Jack Norman stares at him, shocked, then gives him a kneelift as he gets up and grabs him by the throat!! He's going for another Chokeslam... but Troy Black breaks it with a kick to the midsection, then hooks him and drops him with a double arm DDT!!

Troy Black goes up to the top turnbuckle, but Jack Norman's not weakened enough, and he gets up in time to catch Troy Black at the top and pitch him off with a press slam! Troy Black lands on his back in a rolling bump and gets back to his feet, but Jack Norman charges wildly at him with a clothesline! Troy Black ducks, then runs into the opposite ropes as Jack Norman hits the ropes, and when they both come off Troy Black takes flight and cuts Jack Norman down with a leaping clothesline! The crowd cheers loudly, and Troy Black tags in Brujah! Brujah comes in and pulls Jack Norman up... but gets cut off with a low blow!!

The crowd boos, and Jack Norman tags in Rob Solomon. Solomon retakes the advantage, cutting the ring in half and keeping Brujah trapped in enemy territory as they take turns working him over. Butch Manson attacks with savage brawling, Jack Norman uses his power offense, Jacob Idol wears him down by stretching him on the mat and hitting a few gutbusters and suplexes, and Rob Solomon pelts him with swift kicks, then locks on an abdominal stretch and grabs the ropes for leverage. After being tricked like an idiot for nearly a minute, Jerry Rogers finally catches on and forces him to release the ropes, giving Brujah a chance to break the hold with a hiptoss! But Brujah doesn't have the strength left to make it to his corner before Rob Solomon tags in Jack Norman, who cuts him off with some clubbing blows to the back.

Jack Norman breaks Brujah down with a few power moves, then tags in Butch Manson and plants Brujah with a big sidewalk slam. Butch Manson covers and gets two and a half, then pulls Brujah up, hits him with a piledriver, and covers again, but he only gets two and three-quarters. Grimacing, he goes up to the top turnbuckle, then leaps off with the MOONSAULT!! But Brujah rolls out of the way, and he wipes out on the mat! Both men are down, and Brujah starts crawling to his corner! Butch Manson rolls over and tags in Jacob Idol... and Brujah tags in Owen Addison!

Owen Addison comes in on fire, taking Jacob Idol down with several armdrags with a dropkick for punctuation, then doing the same to Rob Solomon when he comes in. Hell's Bikers come into the ring now, heedless of the rules, but so do Owen's partners, and the match breaks out into a giant free-for-all again. In the midst of the chaos, the Ontario Colour Show, Troy Black, and Brujah manage to take the upper hand, and Paul Canyon dumps Jack Norman to the outside by backdropping him on a charge, then ducks a Butch Manson clothesline and knocks him out beside his partner with a dropkick! Both members of Hell's Bikers get up, just as Paul Canyon springs to the top rope and leaps off at them with a SPRINGBOARD CORKSCREW BODYPRESS!! Both members of Hell's Bikers go down under him, and the crowd goes crazy cheering!!

Meanwhile, Rob Solomon misses a lariat on Troy Black and gets a throat jab in response when he turns around, and Brujah pulls him up and gives him a lariat of his own for good measure! But Jacob Idol and Owen Addison are the legal men, and Jacob Idol just dropped Owen Addison with a low blow... and Derek Cole's distracting Jerry Rogers, so he didn't see it! And now Jasmina Chastity slides a chair into the ring!! Jacob Idol grabs it and rushes Owen Addison as he gets up... but Troy Black sees it, and he runs forward and tackles Owen Addison out of the way, taking the brunt of the chairshot himself! Troy Black goes down, but Brujah gets the chance to come forward and grab the chair, and they begin a tug-of-war over it! Jacob Idol's struggling desperately against Brujah's superior strength... but he begins a different sort of struggle when Owen Addison casually comes up behind him and lifts him with a rear gutwrench! He has him up, and Brujah sets the chair at his feet... TOMBSTONE ON THE CHAIR!! Jacob Idol's out!! Owen Addison kicks the chair away, then goes down to cover him, and Jerry Rogers counts to three!!

The Ontario Colour Show just won, and they owe a portion of that victory to Troy Black and Brujah, who held up their end of the match as they said they would! They roll out of the ring as Rob Solomon climbs into the ring to help Jacob Idol to his feet. If Owen Addison can repeat this victory this Sunday, the Ontario Colour Show will retain the VCW World Tag Team Titles over their biggest rivals in VCW. Troy Black and Brujah, however, will probably have to face even more pain, either mental or physical, in their respective matches with Melissa DelArmeggio and Chris Champlain.

Up next, we'll see Gabriel Black going one-on-one with Lars Coverdale... but beforehand, we're going to take a look backstage as Gabriel Black prepares for the match! Let's see that now!

Gabriel Black is staring into a mirror, studying his own face carefully and frowning. Lance Errington is standing beside him, with a hand on his shoulder, as his other hand traces on Gabriel's face in the mirror. Melissa DelArmeggio is standing off to the other side a bit, looking concerned.

L. Errington: See that curve to your nose? The resemblance couldn't be any stronger. And they're not as pronounced, but you have the same lines in your forehead. ... And look at the shape of your jaw. It's not as long, but--

S. Black: You got the same lines in your forehead too, Lance, and so does Melissa. They're from being busted open and sewn up too damn many times. That's why I got more of them than you. Nobody's spilled more blood in the ring than me.

Lance Errington glances back at Sean Black as he walks onto the scene, looking disinterested.

L. Errington: You're not helping.

S. Black: I shouldn't need to. Look, Gabriel.

Sean Black pauses expectantly, then gets impatient as Gabriel Black continues staring at himself in the mirror.

S. Black: I said get up and LOOK AT ME, damnit.

Gabriel Black obediently gets up and turns to his father.

S. Black: You're still sitting there like a fucking baby, worrying about whether I'm really your old man, aren't you?

Gabriel Black sighs.

G. Black: How can I not worry? This is my entire identity. It's my whole life--

S. Black: Shut up. At this rate, you're gonna turn into a fucking pussy like Troy. You got nothing to worry about. For one thing, Rebecca's full of shit. Your mom's sisters have real light-colored hair, and I think one of them has blue eyes. I had an uncle with light brown hair too, and your great grandpa had fucking RED hair. Rebecca doesn't know shit about genetics. If the rest of my kids can be a bunch of goddamn fuck-ups and pussies even though they came from me--the greatest wrestler in the world--then they can be different from me in other ways too. Makes sense, right?

G. Black: Yes... but how can I ever KNOW?

S. Black: Shut up. You should know, first of all, that your mom never would've lived to have those other three kids if she'd stepped out on me--and Lord knows, THAT wouldn't be such a great loss. But you'll KNOW because I'm gonna make Rebecca take back all her lies and tell the fucking truth for once in her life if I have to rip her fucking tongue out and make her tell us in sign language. ... But I suppose you can't wait that long, can you? You never were very patient, were you?

G. Black: I... well...

S. Black: If you can't answer me like a man, you'd better stay shut up. Now look... you want proof right now, YOU get it. Your match is up now. You got a match with Lars Coverdale, and you'd better go out there and PROVE that you're descended from the greatest wrestler in the world the only way you can... by showing us why YOU'RE the greatest now. One thing I KNOW you got from my side of the family is your killer instinct... so go out there and USE it. Go out there and beat that punk Johnny's best friend within an inch of his life, tell Rebecca to go fuck herself, and come back here and TELL ME whose son you ARE, DAMN IT!!

Sean Black pounds his fist down on a nearby table, and Gabriel Black straightens up suddenly.

G. Black: You're right. I'll show them.

L. Errington: Give him hell, Gabriel.

M. DelArmeggio: We know who you are. You're the BEST.

G. Black: You're absolutely right. I'll show you whose son I am, Dad.

S. Black: Then shut your fucking mouth, get out there, and SHOW ME!!

Without another word, Gabriel Black snatches up the VCW Television Title and storms out the door. Lance Errington watches him go and smiles.

L. Errington: Oh, man... he's gonna KILL Lars now.

Melissa DelArmeggio looks after Gabriel, hesitating.

M. DelArmeggio: But... none of what Rebecca says is TRUE, is it?

S. Black: Hell, no. And look... the only reason I waited this long to deal with it is because I didn't give a damn until now. Now I'm pissed. Now I'm gonna get my hands on her and BREAK her, and MAKE her tell you the fucking truth HERSELF.

Melissa DelArmeggio frowns, but Lance Errington puts a hand on her shoulder and she relaxes a little as the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

We're back! "Talk Dirty To Me" by Poison is playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd cheers as Lars Coverdale comes out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Lizzie Carter! We know now that David Wright Hubbard and Michelle Hubbard intend to face these two at Spontaneous Combustion, but six days away they're looking at a huge opportunity even now! Lars Coverdale will be challenging Gabriel Black for the VCW Television Title, and he's full of energy and enthusiasm as he begins jogging down the aisle, slapping hands with fans on his way to the ring! But... hold it, Gabriel Black just came out of the backstage entrance at a full sprint, with the VCW Television Title in his hands! He rushes Lars Coverdale from behind and blasts him in the back of the head with the title belt, then grabs Lizzie Carter by the hair and punches her square in the face!

Lars Coverdale and Lizzie Carter are both down, and the crowd boos as Gabriel Black scoops Lars Coverdale up off of the floor, then lifts him and drops him throat-first on the guardrail! Lars Coverdale sinks to the floor, writhing in pain, but Gabriel Black pulls him up and drags him to ringside by the hair, then takes him face-first into the apron! Lars Coverdale slumps against the ring, and Gabriel Black goes over to ring announcer David Page, shoves him down, and steals his chair, then folds it up, stalks over to Lars Coverdale, and WHACKS him across the back with it! Lars Coverdale crumples to the mat, and Gabriel Black throws the chair aside, then rolls him into the ring! He climbs in after him, and Brendan Powers calls for the bell to begin this match!

Lars Coverdale
w/Lizzie Carter

Lars Coverdale is already in a bad way as the match starts, and Gabriel Black tears into him ruthlessly, stomping and kicking at him as soon as he gets into the ring. He assaults Lars Coverdale with a vicious onslaught of brawling that seems to be a departure from his usual style, but it proves to be effective in the early goings of the match. Lars Coverdale keeps the hope of victory alive by seizing the advantage a few times and hitting a few nice moves, but Gabriel Black is always quick to regain control and work Lars Coverdale over with unleashed aggression.

The match picks up when Gabriel Black throws Lars Coverdale out of the ring, then dives out onto him with a tope suicida as he feebly tries to stand! The crowd offers a few cheers for that move, but still more are booing Gabriel Black! Gabriel Black continues the beating outside, and Lizzie Carter stays well away from him after catching a vicious glare when she draws near to protest his assault on Lars. But when Gabriel Black goes for a whip into the steel guardrail, Lars Coverdale reverses it! Gabriel Black crashes back-first into the guardrail, but Lars Coverdale collapses in battered exhaustion!

Gabriel Black winces and slumps against the rail for a few seconds, clearly feeling the pain in his back! He starts to advance on Lars Coverdale as Lars gets to his hands and knees, but a heavyset fan behind him yells something at him! Gabriel Black turns around to the fan, pointing angrily and saying "Sit down before I hurt you, fat boy..." loudly... but the fan punches him in the face! Gabriel Black turns and staggers... but Lars is up now and he tags Gabriel Black with a SUPERKICK!! The crowd erupts! Lars Coverdale falls to his knees again, but he just dropped Gabriel Black hard, and for the first time he may be able to take a real advantage!

Lars Coverdale tosses Gabriel Black back into the ring and makes something of a miraculous recovery, taking Gabriel Black down with quick takedown moves and aerial maneuvers, then moving to big offense to try and get the win. A belly-to-back suplex only gets two, as does a Frankensteiner. He doubles Gabriel Black over with a kneelift, then goes for a Rocker Dropper, but Gabriel Black backdrops out of it! Lars Coverdale flips out and lands on his feet, and Gabriel Black takes a wild swing at him, but Lars Coverdale ducks! Gabriel Black spins with the momentum and ends up with his back to Lars, and Lars Coverdale grabs his hair and pulls him down into an inverted sitdown faceslam!! Gabriel Black gets up a second after Lars Coverdale, doubled over... and this time Lars Coverdale hits the Rocker Dropper, and the crowd erupts!!

Gabriel Black is down, and Lars Coverdale steps into the corner and stomps his foot in a slow rhythm, warming up for another superkick!! Gabriel Black gets up and staggers towards Lars Coverdale, and Lars lashes out with the kick... but Gabriel Black catches his foot and spins him around by it! Lars Coverdale whirls back around to face Gabriel Black, off-balance, and Gabriel Black kicks him square in the crotch, pauses for a beat to sneer contemptfully at him, then gives him a NASTY open-handed slap to the face! Lars Coverdale doubles over, then falls to his hands and knees from this treatment, and Gabriel Black shrugs off Brendan Powers's protests and kicks Lars in the ribs to send him down all the way, then looks around at the booing crowd angrily and points to his brain! It's true that Gabriel Black's mind has been a tremendous asset in the late stages of this match, and he clearly has Lars Coverdale's signature moves well-scouted... but this match isn't over yet, and any celebration is premature!

Lars Coverdale starts to get up, and Gabriel Black grabs him by the hair to pull him up, but Lars Coverdale gives him a shot to the stomach, then grabs Gabriel by the hair and pulls him into a jawbreaker! Gabriel Black goes down, and Lars Coverdale steps out to the apron, then begins climbing to the top turnbuckle! He may be looking for the Frog Splash... but he won't find it this time, because Gabriel Black's up too soon and he immediately dives into the ropes, causing the top turnbuckle to shape and Lars Coverdale to fall crotch-first on it! Gabriel Black slumps on the ropes for a second, shakes the fog out of his head, and then goes up to meet Lars Coverdale at the top turnbuckle! He hooks him... and brings him DOWN with a superplex!!

The crowd boos, but Gabriel Black has a look of cruel triumph on his face as he gets back to his feet. He pulls Lars Coverdale up, lifts a knee into his gut, and puts him in a standing headscissors, then lifts... PILEDRIVER!! That's probably all she wrote, and Gabriel Black goes for the cover! Brendan Powers counts... and Gabriel Black pulls Lars Coverdale up at two!! Damn it, what's he doing!? The crowd boos, and Gabriel Black slaps Lars Coverdale in the face a few times, then steps to the corner... and begins the slow foot-stomping rhythm that Lars uses to signal his superkick! He's waiting on Lars to get up, planning to hit him with one of his own moves... but Lizzie Carter reaches in and grabs his foot! She had seen enough!

Gabriel Black stumbles a bit, then drops down and rolls out of the ring to chase her! Lizzie Carter runs for her life, and makes one full lap around the ring before she trips on a microphone cable and Gabriel Black catches up to her! She gets to her knees and puts her hands up, begging for mercy, but Gabriel Black just smiles and kicks her in the face! The crowd boos loudly, but Gabriel Black's not done on the outside yet... he just grabbed a chair! Lizzie Carter starts to get up, clutching her face, and Gabriel Black measures her! No, come on! Don't do it... CHAIRSHOT TO THE HEAD!! Lizzie Carter goes down, and Gabriel Black laughs to himself... but Lars Coverdale is up and he's MAD! Gabriel Black looks back inside the ring, just in time to get two feet in his face when Lars Coverdale hits him with a BASEBALL SLIDE!!

Gabriel Black goes down, and Lars Coverdale climbs out of the ring! He stops to check on Lizzie for several seconds, but then sees Gabriel Black starting to stir, and decides he can't take a chance just leaving him alone. Lars Coverdale grabs Gabriel Black and throws him into the ring, kneels and says something to Lizzie's prone body, and then slides into the ring after Gabriel... but Gabriel's up, and as Lars gets to his feet he catches him with a kick to the midsection! Lars doubles over, and Gabriel Black puts on a front chancery, hooks a leg, and snaps back in a FISHERMAN SUPLEX!! Brendan Powers goes down to count, and it gets three!! That'll be all for Lars Coverdale in this match!

The crowd boos and throws trash into the ring as Gabriel Black raises his hands in victory, and you really can't blame them. Damn it... this is the kind of abuse we've seen so many times out of Gabriel Black, and we've just seen it again. He toyed with Lars Coverdale, assaulted his girlfriend, and still managed to win the match handily. He's definitely one of the best in VCW, but he's also a nasty, vile son of a bitch... both traits that, one could suppose, he seems to have inherited from "Superstar" Sean Black. And it doesn't look like he's done... as Lars Coverdale starts to get up, Gabriel Black kicks him, then grabs his head and drops him with a DDT!! Damn it, come on! The match is over, and Gabriel Black felt the need to get in yet another cheap shot!

Lars is down and out, and Gabriel Black looks down at him, then gives a thumbs-down sign and motions for the Destiny Driver! The crowd's boos get even more deafening, and Gabriel Black bends down to pick Lars Coverdale up... but then JOHNNY SMILES comes rushing out of the backstage entrance, carrying a chair! Gabriel Black looks up as Johnny Smiles slides into the ring, and quickly backs off just in time to narrowly avoid a swing of the chair! Johnny Smiles moves to stand over Lars Coverdale, brandishing the chair threateningly, as Gabriel Black rolls out of the ring!

Gabriel Black reclaims the VCW Television Title and begins backing up the ramp, and Johnny Smiles may have saved Lars Coverdale from some extensive further injuries here. But to be sure, Johnny Smiles could need all of his friends watching his back when he faces Gabriel Black at Spontaneous Combustion, because you have to believe that Gabriel Black's henchmen will be watching his.

Up next, we'll see the VCW World Champion, Crimson, in a six-person mixed tag team match. But before we get to more action, we're going to take a look backstage at Troy Black after his match with Hell's Bikers and the Unholy Alliance, then go to an interview with Russel "The Muscle" Taylor! Let's take a look backstage!

Troy Black is sitting at a table backstage, holding an icepack to his head, when Melissa DelArmeggio walks up to the table, carrying a duffel bag, and sits down with him.

M. DelArmeggio: That was a really noble gesture back there in the ring, Troy. Taking the chair hit for Owen Addison like that. So, I'm curious... are you trying to get into HIS pants now, or is there something else you want from him?

T. Black: The only thing I want is a second chance. A chance to NOT have to fight you and Gabriel until somebody gets a serious injury.

M. DelArmeggio: You've had too many chances already, Troy. And if you had another one, you'd just stab someone in the back one more time. You have one way out left. Quit. Retire. Leave. Go manage a Hot Topic store in Phoenix or something. Gabriel and I really DON'T need to hurt you. We just want to stop you. Because you can't be trusted any longer, and if you stay here it'll only create more misery and suffering for everyone in your path.

T. Black: I can't. I have to stay and make this right somehow.

M. DelArmeggio: How? By forcing us to end your career to keep the rest of VCW safe? By dragging Brujah down with you? By manipulating Johnny Smiles and his friends into making trouble for us, by feeding him some line of baloney about how it's his duty now to stand up to Gabriel or something? What can you really accomplish by sticking around?

T. Black: I don't know, but I'll find out.

Melissa DelArmeggio smiles sadly at him.

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

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

Melissa DelArmeggio reaches into the duffel bag and pulls out an envelope, then produces a piece of paper from the envelope and hands it to Troy.

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

Troy Black stares down at the paper for a few seconds, then takes a deep, shaky breath.

T. Black: I'll be there.

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

T. Black: I'll fight you.

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

Melissa DelArmeggio stands up from the table and leaves with the duffel bag, and Troy Black looks down at the paper again for a few seconds, then tears it in half and slams his fist down on the table sharply.

T. Black: Damn it.

Troy Black looks down and shakes his head as the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

What a development! We now know that Troy Black will face Melissa DelArmeggio in a Hardcore Cage Match at Spontaneous Combustion, in only six days! The two of them, separately, have been involved in some of the most violent and grueling matches in VCW history. Now that they’re facing each other in one of the most hardcore match types in VCW history, with plenty of bottled-up emotion on both sides, it could be one hell of a bloodbath! Up next, we’ll see Crimson, Minako, and Virginia take on Russel Taylor, Sophie, and Pauline Vietjohn in a six-man tag. But before we go to our that match, we're going to get some comments from backstage, where Russel "The Muscle" Taylor, Sophie, and Pauline Vietjohn are standing by with Ziggy Adderloaf! Take it away, Ziggy!

Ziggy Adderloaf is standing in a hallway backstage near Russel Taylor, Sophie, and Pauline Vietjohn. All of them are dressed to wrestle, Sophie in black latex pants and a red latex tube top.

Z. Adderloaf: Hello, Russel, Pauline, and Sophie. You're all ready to face Crimson, Virginia, and Minako here in a six-person tag match tonight... but before I get your feelings on that, let me just say that I approve of your choice of ring attire tonight, Sophie.

Sophie: Thanks! It used to belong to Amy Lin, actually, but she was selling it on E-bay so I bought it. I even got her to autograph the back of it, see?

Sophie turns around, and there's a bizarre black squiggle on the back of the top which could be anything.

Z. Adderloaf: But you're too slender to fit into Amy Lin's ring attire like that, Sophie.

Sophie: Um... well... it shrunk in the wash!

Z. Adderloaf: Riiiiight. Anyway, how do you three like your odds in tonight's contest?

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

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

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

Z. Adderloaf: Good luck, Russel. Against a guy like Crimson, you'll need it. Now, Pauline. We know you were brutally attacked by Virginia and Komachi two weeks ago. This week, Komachi's not here. But unfortunately, neither is your partner, Heather Dannon. Could you give us an update on her status?

P. Vietjohn: Heather's still laid up from that attack, Ziggy. She was spiked into the parking lot concrete from about ten feet in the air. By all rights, she should be out for months or years, maybe even for good. But she's been very lucky, and they say she'll be ready to go by Spontaneous Combustion. And me... I'm still in some pain myself, but I'm ready to go tonight. I'm ALWAYS ready to go. So I'll take Virginia tonight... and then, at Spontaneous Combustion, me and Heather will shock the world and take down both of them. I know first-hand just how tough those bitches are, but I also know Heather and I can take them. And since they like tables and chains so much, let's throw those in too and make it a Street Fight.

Z. Adderloaf: WHAT!? Pauline, have you lost your MIND?

Pauline Vietjohn shrugs and smiles.

P. Vietjohn: We'll just see, won't we? Maybe I never had it to begin with.

Pauline Vietjohn turns to walk away, and the others follow as they prepare to head out for their match.

We're back, and we're just about to see the entrances for this upcoming match! "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler begins playing, and the crowd cheers loudly as Russel "The Muscle" Taylor, Pauline Vietjohn, and Sophie come out of the backstage entrance! Russel Taylor jogs to the ring, slapping hands with the fans, and Sophie and Pauline come running forward just behind him! They all enter the ring and pose for the crowd, getting a lot of cheers, and they look pumped up and ready. They'll need to be, though... they'll be facing the VCW World Champion and the largest woman in professional wrestling momentarily.

And now "Walk" by Pantera begins playing, and the crowd boos. Those boos become deafening when the VCW World Champion, Crimson, steps out of the backstage entrance and raises a fist high above his head! He has the VCW World Title strapped on around his waist, and he points into the ring at Russel Taylor and says something to him as he begins walking slowly to the ring! Virginia and Minako step out behind him, and begin heading to the ring with him. Minako's actually dressed to wrestle tonight, in a full-length black spandex singlet with cherry blossoms printed on it. Russel Taylor takes a fighting stance in the ring, and motions for Crimson to come on... he's not backing down! Crimson rushes to the ring and slides inside, and he and Russel Taylor begin trading blows as Bobcat McGavin enters the ring to call for the bell!

Crimson and Russel Taylor are going at it in the ring... and Virginia's charging the ring too, determined not to miss out on the action! But as she gets near, Pauline Vietjohn darts to the top turnbuckle and leaps off at her with a FLYING CROSS BODYPRESS!! Virginia catches her and staggers back, thrown off balance... and then Sophie leaps off at her as well and they all go down in a heap!

Meanwhile, back in the ring, Crimson whips Russel Taylor to the ropes, but Russel Taylor reverses it! Crimson hits the ropes and comes off, and Russel Taylor nails him with a big clothesline! Crimson goes down, but gets right back up, so Russel Taylor rushes him and knocks him down with another clothesline! Again, Crimson gets right back to his feet, and Russel Taylor gives him a third clothesline, then catches him with some big right hands as he gets up again! Russel Taylor whips Crimson into a corner, and Crimson hits the turnbuckles back-first, then staggers out... into a scoop lift, and Russel Taylor bodyslams the VCW World Champion in the middle of the ring! The crowd erupts!!

But Minako slides into the ring behind Russel Taylor, jumps on his back, and begins choking him! The crowd boos, but Russel Taylor just reaches up and pulls her arms off of his neck, then grabs her and takes her off of his back! He yells "ALL RIGHT, YOUNG LADY!! YOU JUST EARNED YOURSELF A TIME OUT!!" then takes her over to the ropes and ties her up in them! The crowd cheers, and now Minako is tied up in the ropes, unable to interfere as Russel Taylor turns back to Crimson... but Crimson cuts off his advance with a sudden punch to the gut, and gets back to one knee! They begin trading punches, and this time even on one knee Crimson gets the better of the exchange, sending Russel Taylor staggering back with a big right hand, and buying himself enough time to get to his feet! Russel Taylor charges ahead dauntlessly... but runs right into a big boot!! Damn it!!

Bobcat McGavin restores order to the match as it slows down, and Crimson begins to unleash some methodical offense on Russel Taylor, working him over and slowing the match down to his own pace. Virginia unties Minako, and then Crimson tags her in. Amazingly, Virginia is giving up only thirty-five pounds or so of muscle mass to Russel Taylor, and she's actually an inch or two taller! Though it's not without some difficulty, she manages to hit him with a few basic power moves, but when she goes for a vertical suplex, Russel Taylor blocks and reverses! Virginia crashes to the mat, and Russel Taylor rushes her with a clothesline, then tags in Sophie!

Sophie comes in and tags Virginia with a rapid series of martial arts kicks and punches. Virginia easily shrugs them off, for the most part, but when she tries to throw a big right hand of her own Sophie ducks, then sends her staggering to a corner of the ring with a jumping thrust kick to the face! Sophie grabs Virginia and whips her to the opposite corner, then follows her in with a handspring elbow! Virginia rocks back in the corner, and Sophie climbs up to the second turnbuckle, punches her a few times, and then brings her out with a monkey flip! Virginia crashes down in the middle of the ring, and the crowd cheers loudly! Who knew Sophie could hold her own with Virginia like this?

Virginia starts getting up, and Sophie hits her with more punches and kicks, but Virginia catches her foot at her side, then reaches out and grabs her by the neck! Still keeping her foot trapped at one side, Virginia lifts Sophie by the neck, pivots, and throws her to the mat in a modified chokeslam-like move! Sophie goes down, and Virginia hauls her up, clobbers her with a forearm to the back, and lifts her for a power bomb... but Sophie vaults over her head and lands on her feet behind her, then rushes to her corner and tags in Pauline Vietjohn!

Pauline Vietjohn enters the ring by leaping up on the top rope and jumping in with a springboard dropkick, sending Virginia staggering back for a few steps before she falls down on her rear! Angered, Virginia gets up and charges, but Pauline ducks a clothesline, then dropkicks her in the back before she can turn around! Virginia falls slumped against the second rope, and Pauline Vietjohn runs into the opposite ropes, then comes off and leaps into the air, landing sitting down on Virginia's shoulders and back! Virginia flops off of the second rope and gets up to her hands and knees, then looks up just in time for Pauline to run forward and dropkick her in the face!!

Virginia flops to the canvas, then begins getting up, and Pauline nails her with a spinning leg lariat! Virginia turns around and staggers a step or two, and Pauline runs forward, vaults up onto her shoulder, and goes for a Victory Roll... but Virginia stays up, takes a good grip on Pauline, and DRIVES her into the mat with an electric chair drop!! Pauline tries to pull herself up, but Virginia clubs her in the back of the head like a baby seal, then lifts her by the hair and the shirt and carelessly flings her halfway across the ring! Pauline starts to get up again, but now she's dazed and hurt... and Virginia runs forward and MOWS HER DOWN with a huge clothesline!

The tide has turned severely now, and Virginia gives Pauline Vietjohn a nasty beating, frequently stopping to toy with her or humiliate her somehow, then tags in Crimson. The crowd boos loudly, and Crimson looks extremely pleased at the prospect of having his way with Pauline Vietjohn here. He grabs her in a full nelson and shakes her violently, then flings her to the mat with a crushing FULL NELSON SLAM!! Pauline Vietjohn is now a motionless heap on the mat, and Crimson looks pleased as he surveys his handiwork! But he's not done... he pulls her up and pushes her into a standing headscissors, pausing to grind her face into his crotch a few times first. He hooks her around the waist, then lifts... POWER BOMB!! That's it! No way in HELL is Pauline Vietjohn getting up from that!

But Crimson's not done, though... he signals for the Chokeslam!! Russel Taylor has seen enough, and he enters the ring... but Bobcat McGavin goes to force him back! Russel Taylor's struggling, trying to get to Crimson and Pauline, but Bobcat McGavin is getting in his way... and Crimson just comes over and clobbers him while he's entangled with McGavin, then gives him a kneelift! Russel Taylor is stunned, and Crimson grabs him by the hair and the back of his trunks and tosses him out of the ring. Then he turns back to Pauline Vietjohn, hauls her to her feet, and grabs her by the throat... but Pauline blocks it with a kick to the groin, drawing huge cheers from the crowd!! Crimson doubles over, and Pauline finds a burst of energy to run up the turnbuckles in the nearest corner, then comes off to nail Crimson with the TWISTING MOONSAULT DROPKICK!! Crimson goes down, and the crowd's cheers become deafening!! Pauline Vietjohn just took down the VCW World Champion!!

But that may have taken the last of her strength. She's down, and Crimson's getting up pretty quickly. He stumbles back into his corner, and seemingly without thinking tags in Minako. Virginia shoots him a questioning look, but Minako comes in anyway and begins putting the boots to Pauline. She tries to pull her up... but Pauline Vietjohn cuts that off with an elbow to the midsection, then takes her down with a fireman's carry! Pauline Vietjohn crawls to her corner, and Sophie tags herself in and charges into the ring!

Minako gets up, sees Sophie standing across the ring from her, and glares venomously. These two women remember each other well, from earlier this year when they were both with Rex Richards, and they both go into a martial arts stance! Minako comes forward with two punches and a kick, but Sophie blocks them all, pivots, and knocks Minako down with a hook kick! Minako gets back up, and Sophie gives her a few punches to the face, then turns and goes for a back heel kick, but Minako ducks this time and sweeps Sophie's legs from under her! Sophie gets up, and Minako gives her two quick kicks to the stomach, then whips her into the ropes... no, Sophie reverses!

Minako goes into the ropes and Crimson slaps her back, and she comes off right into a Frankensteiner by Sophie! Sophie cradles her legs for the pin... but Crimson tagged himself in when he slapped Minako's back, and Sophie doesn't realize that! She looks up just as Crimson steps over the top rope, and she tries to get to her feet... but she's too late, and Crimson runs forward and mows her over with a BIG BOOT!! The crowd boos loudly, and now Crimson's the legal man in the ring against Sophie!

Minako rolls out of the ring, and Russel Taylor is shouting at Crimson from the apron, daring him to let Sophie make the tag to him. Crimson snarls at him, talking trash, and then rushes forward and hits him with a big right hand, knocking him off the apron to the floor! The crowd boos, and Pauline Vietjohn drops off of the apron just in time to avoid another swing by Crimson as he lashes out at her too... but Virginia drops off of the apron and rushes at her, and now they're fighting on the outside of the ring!

Sophie starts to get up, but Crimson hammers her with a forearm to the back, then lifts her up and flings her across the ring with a gutwrench suplex! She wipes out on the mat, and Crimson hauls her up by the hair, then grabs her throat... but Russel Taylor reaches in from outside the ring and trips him as he goes for the Chokeslam! Crimson stumbles forward, and Russel Taylor slides into the ring, then gets up and charges at him with a big right hand of his own! Crimson and Russel Taylor begin trading blows, and Russel Taylor seems to be getting the upper hand... but Minako creeps up behind him and gives him a LOW BLOW!! Damn it!! Russel Taylor doubles over, and Crimson smiles, then grabs him by the throat... CHOKESLAM!! That was just what Russel Taylor DIDN'T need at that moment! And now Crimson hauls Sophie up and lifts her... CHOKESLAM!! He just destroyed both of them!!

Virginia is choking Pauline Vietjohn with camera cables on the outside of the ring, but Bobcat McGavin doesn't notice as Crimson puts one foot on Sophie's chest for the cover. Bobcat counts... SHOULDER UP AT TWO AND NINE-TENTHS!! The crowd can't believe it, and neither can Crimson!! Sure, that was the world's most careless cover... but how in the HELL is Sophie not a total vegetable after the Chokeslam!? But after a second, Crimson's shock turns to a cruel smile. He lifts her up and puts her up on the top turnbuckle, then smiles and climbs up with her! No... not this! He lifts... TOP-ROPE CHOKESLAM TO THE FLOOR!! Sophie lands hard on the thinly padded mats on the outside of the ring!! Russel Taylor's down, Sophie's down, and Pauline Vietjohn has been laid to waste on the outside by Virginia... and Crimson just says, "Count her" to Bobcat McGavin and leans in a corner. With all three opponents laid out, Bobcat McGavin counts to ten and awards the match to Crimson.

Damn. This doesn't look good for Russel Taylor's chances of upsetting Crimson for the VCW World Title or Pauline Vietjohn and Heather Dannon's chances of defeating Virginia and Komachi. Crimson raises a fist over his head in victory, but he doesn't even smile or hesitate to bask in his glory long; he just grabs the VCW World Title and begins leaving with it. It's like he feels such contempt for his opponents that he doesn't even feel it's worth his time to celebrate this victory! Virginia kicks Pauline Vietjohn while she's down a few times, then begins heading backstage with Minako. The trainers are coming out to tend to the casualties, and they'll be needed. Russel, Pauline, and Sophie have been laid to waste.

Our main event is up next... but hold on, we've received word that there's a scene backstage! Let's get our cameras on that right away!

In a hallway backstage, Ken Collins is down and clutching his right knee, grimacing in pain. A few trainers have gathered on the scene, and Stacey Lockman rushes up, looking concerned, and kneels at his side.

S. Lockman: Oh my God... what happened!?

K. Collins: Help me up. I'm on next.

S. Lockman: What!? No... just stay still! If you can't even stand up, there's no way in hell I'm letting you fight Lance Errington. Just let them take care of you, okay?

K. Collins: But... this is my shot!

Johnny Smiles comes up on the scene next.

J. Smiles: Hey, I heard you were hurt! What happened?

K. Collins: I... don't know. I think I got thrown into the wall head-first from behind, then hit in the leg a few times with something big and heavy. Can you help me make it to the ring?

J. Smiles: Are... you sure you want me to?

Stacey Lockman moves to stand between them.

S. Lockman: No. Johnny... he doesn't stand a chance against Lance Errington like this. Not even one in a million. If he can't even STAND, how can he fight?

K. Collins: I... I think I'm getting better.

S. Lockman: Shut up. You're hurt, and if you go out to the ring like this, he'll hurt you worse. You remember how after Lorenzo attacked me, I couldn't even walk? I'm not letting something like that happen to you, so... p-please, for my sake, don't try to fight him.

Stacey Lockman hugs Ken Collins, and he sighs, defeated.

K. Collins: All right, help me get up and go get my knee looked at. It probably needs a brace and an icepack, at least.

Johnny Smiles, Stacey Lockman, and the trainers all go to help Ken Collins as the camera fades out on the backstage scene.

Back in the arena, the crowd is booing loudly and chanting "REFUND!"... it looks like Ken Collins was jumped backstage, and he won't get the chance to challenge Lance Errington for the VCW Intercontinental Title! And now "Perfect Strangers" by Dream Theater is playing over the arena sound system, and the crowd boos loudly as Lance Errington comes out of the backstage entrance, accompanied by Derek Cole. He's dressed to wrestle, wearing the VCW Intercontinental Title underneath his black and silver robe, but he's also grinning widely. We just know the bastard had a hand in this whole thing... he's been ducking a rematch with Ken Collins ever since he robbed him of the title at Horror Show! He climbs into the ring and grabs a microphone...

L. Errington: Unfortunately, it looks like your main event for the evening has been cancelled. Ken Collins seems to have had an accident backstage that left him unable to compete, and therefore I can't defend the VCW Intercontinental Title against him tonight.

The crowd boos loudly, and Lance Errington nods.

L. Errington: I know you're upset. Hey, I'm upset too! Here I was thinking I'd get some intense, spirited competition, and instead this happens. You know me... I'm a fighting champion. I've been one of the pillars of this company since the very beginning. And to be denied my chance to give you a great main event is really very upsetting to me. I mean, here we are in Arizona, Gabriel Black's home state, and...

The crowd boos loudly, and Lance Errington looks around at all of them, looking confused before he finally seems to realize.

L. Errington: Oh, wait. This is New Mexico, isn't it? Heck... never mind, then. I didn't wanna waste my time wrestling in this hellhole anyway!

The crowd boos again, and Lance Errington turns to leave... but VCW Commissioner James Applebee steps out of the backstage entrance with a microphone before he can! Lance Errington stops in his tracks, and James Applebee begins walking down the aisle!

J. Applebee: Hold on a second, Lance. Do you HONESTLY think you can jump Ken Collins backstage and get out of your title defense like that!?

Lance Errington steps back, looking shocked and offended.

L. Errington: ME!? What gave you the idea that I'd ever do something like that? Maybe he just fell down! Or maybe it was someone else. Lots of people don't like Ken Collins. It was probably his old tag team partner, "Beautiful" Bobby Danson, getting jealous and jumping him from behind! Or maybe Lorenzo Vasquez, back from his injury and looking for revenge. Or, actually, I'll bet it was Neytron DelArmeggio! He said--

J. Applebee: Shut up!

Lance Errington stops talking in a hurry, and James Applebee climbs into the ring.

J. Applebee: One thing's correct... Ken Collins isn't fit to compete tonight. But you'll still be defending the VCW Intercontinental Title. And without a successful defense, right here, TONIGHT... you'll have exceeded the thirty days in which a champion must defend his title, and I'll STRIP you of it effective immediately!! So you've got a match tonight, and a cheap ending isn't good enough; you'd better WIN it, or that title's coming off, Jack!

The crowd cheers, and Lance Errington looks furious! He says something away from the microphone to Derek Cole, who says something back. Then Lance Errington raises the mic again...

L. Errington: And just who do you think is worthy of getting a shot at this title, anyway?

J. Applebee: I'll tell you who. The same man who has a VCW Television Title shot at Spontaneous Combustion, the man who SHOULD have a VCW World Title shot at Wrestlewar... JOHNNY SMILES!!

The crowd cheers loudly! After what just happened to his friend Ken Collins, Johnny Smiles must be ready to kill Lance Errington! Could the InterJohnnynental Title come home tonight!? Lance Errington is speechless, beside himself with frustration, but Derek Cole grabs the microphone.

D. Cole: Hold on!! You ABSOLUTELY cannot do that! He lost the debate to Gabriel Black--

J. Applebee: I can, I have, and I DID. And I tell you what else I'll do... I'll see to it personally that there's no outside interference in this match.

Derek Cole crosses his arms and smiles.

D. Cole: Oh? Just how do you think you're gonna do that? You got a striped shirt on under there? You ready to do another one of your top-notch refereeing jobs?

J. Applebee: No... I'm gonna knock your punk ass out six days early and throw you in a closet backstage!

Hold on, James Applebee just punched Derek Cole in the face, and he goes down hard! Lance Errington stares in disbelief, then stomps up and down on the mat in frustration, before turning and taking a swing at James Applebee himself... but Applebee blocks, then hits Lance Errington with a big right hand that knocks him down! James Applebee hops out of the ring, grabs Derek Cole, and hauls him out! He begins carrying his squirming carcass backstage on his shoulders in a fireman's carry!

Lance Errington is up, yelling angrily and threatening James Applebee from inside the ring... but then "Degenerated" by the Lone Rangers hits the arena sound system, and the crowd goes WILD as Johnny Smiles comes out of the backstage entrance! He sprints to the ring, slapping a few hands on his way, then slides inside and bolts to his feet! Lance Errington pulls off the VCW Intercontinental Title and swings it at Johnny's head... but Johnny ducks, then turns and knocks Lance Errington off his feet with a big dropkick! New referee Harold Brusco enters the ring, and that'll kick this main event match off!

Lance Errington gets right back up, but Johnny Smiles knocks him right back down with another dropkick! He gets up again, and goes down hard to another dropkick! He gets up again, but this time scrambles backwards in time to avoid the dropkick, and Johnny Smiles misses! He gets up, but Lance Errington clobbers him with several right hands, backing him into the ropes. A huge roundhouse punch knocks Johnny Smiles onto the ropes, and Lance Errington backs up a few steps and rushes him with an elbowsmash... but Johnny Smiles ducks down and backdrops him OUT OVER THE TOP TO THE FLOOR! Lance Errington tumbles to the thinly-padded concrete floor in a heap, and the crowd goes wild!

Lance Errington takes a few seconds before he starts to get up, clearly shaken by the fall he endured. But as he gets to his feet, Johnny Smiles takes a running start, then rushes him and knocks him into the guardrail with a baseball slide! Lance Errington falls to his hands and knees, and Johnny Smiles slides out of the ring, then starts hammering Lance Errington with a series of punches while he's out there! But Lance Errington returns fire with a low blow, and that cuts off Johnny's storm of offense in a hurry, doubling him over.

Lance Errington gets back to his feet, knees Johnny Smiles in the midsection, then scoops him up and drops him chest-first on the guardrail. A few fans reach out to touch Johnny Smiles, offering encouragement, but Lance Errington grabs him by the hair, hauls him away, and takes him head-first into one of the steel ringposts! Johnny Smiles goes limp in his grasp, and Lance Errington rolls him back into the ring, then climbs in after him. Johnny Smiles is just barely starting to get to his hands and knees, and Lance Errington stomps and kicks at him until he collapses back down to the mat, then looks around at the crowd scornfully to a huge drone of boos!

After a few seconds, Lance Errington pulls Johnny Smiles up into a standing headscissors, then tries to lift him, but Johnny Smiles blocks it, then backdrops out of the hold! Lance Errington lands on his back and gets up, but Johnny's starting to recover! Lance Errington throws a punch, but Johnny Smiles blocks and hits a punch of his own! Another Lance Errington punch is blocked, and again Johnny Smiles connects... and this time, he follows up with two more punches! Lance Errington is backed into the ropes, and Johnny Smiles whips him to the other side and hiptosses him down to the canvas when he comes off! Lance Errington gets up, doubled over, and Johnny Smiles runs at him and takes him down with a swinging neckbreaker!

The crowd goes wild, and Johnny Smiles pulls Lance Errington up, then hooks him and brings him down with a big vertical suplex! Lance Errington is flat on his back, and Johnny Smiles pops up, runs into the ropes, and comes off with a big elbowdrop! He covers and hooks a leg, but only gets two. It's unlikely you'll beat Lance Errington with an elbowdrop at this stage of the match, even if you run before you do it. Lance Errington begins to pull himself up, and Johnny Smiles grabs him, lifts, and gives him a gutbuster! Lance Errington flops to the mat on his back, and Johnny Smiles grabs his legs and steps through... he's going for the scorpion deathlock on Lance Errington!! But Lance Errington realizes that he's about to be put in his own move, and he reaches down and pulls Johnny Smiles into a small package, but Harold Brusco's count only reaches two before the kickout!

They get up, and Johnny Smiles starts to pull Lance Errington up, but Lance Errington catches him with a shot to the midsection. Johnny Smiles flinches and lets Lance Errington go, but then returns fire with a forearm to the neck! Lance Errington struggles to one knee and gives him another punch to the midsection, and Johnny Smiles retaliates with a punch to the face, then another one, and then a standing dropkick to the face that knocks him back down! Lance Errington grabs the ropes and pulls himself up with them... but Johnny Smiles runs at him and hits him with a high cross body!! Lance Errington catches him and falls back on the ropes... and teeters precariously for a moment before tumbling out over the top rope, holding Johnny Smiles! Both men crash to the apron and fall to the floor!

They both stay down for several seconds, but Johnny Smiles is up first, and he pulls Lance Errington to his feet. He whips Lance Errington to the guardrail, but Lance Errington reverses it, and Johnny Smiles is the one who hits the rail back-first! He staggers forward, and Lance Errington scoops him up, then rams him back-first into the steel ringpost and rolls him inside! But instead of climbing in after him, Lance Errington grabs his legs and pulls him crotch-first into one of the steel ringposts! Johnny Smiles curls up in agony, the fans boo loudly, and Harold Brusco admonishes Lance Errington, but Lance Errington doesn't seem to take any notice as he grabs Johnny Smiles's right leg and takes it hard into the steel ringpost!

Harold Brusco begins shouting at Lance Errington angrily, and Lance Errington holds his hands up apologetically and nods, then rolls back into the ring. Johnny Smiles is starting to pull himself up, but he's so incapacitated by pain that he can barely move, and Lance Errington sends him down to one knee with a well-placed kick to the back of the right leg! Johnny Smiles starts to get up, but Lance Errington hammers him with a few right hands to the face, then grabs his leg, lifts, and brings him down with a kneebreaker! Johnny Smiles's right knee has been a favorite target during his months-long feud with Julian Page, and if there's any residual damage to it, Lance Errington will be sure to exploit it!

Johnny Smiles grabs Lance Errington's ankle from the mat and begins trying to pull himself up on Lance Errington's body, but Lance Errington cuts that off by punching him in the face, sending him sprawling face-first to the mat. Lance Errington smiles and grabs his right leg, raises it high in the air, and then spikes it down hard on the mat! The crowd boos, and Johnny Smiles writhes in agony, but Lance Errington just does it again!

Lance Errington stomps and kicks at Johnny Smiles's leg a few times, then goes over to a corner and begins taking off the padding for the top turnbuckle. Harold Brusco catches him, and immediately threatens a disqualification to get him to back off! Johnny Smiles starts to get up as Harold Brusco goes over to the turnbuckle to refasten the pad... but while the referee's back is turned, Lance Errington pokes Johnny Smiles in the eyes, then kicks him square in the crotch! Johnny Smiles crumples back down to the mat, and Lance Errington points to his brain and smiles! Then he crouches over Johnny Smiles and begins hammering him with repeated right hands!

Harold Brusco turns around and orders Lance Errington to stop the closed fists, then starts a rapid five count when Lance Errington refuses to stop. Lance Errington gets up and complains about the fast count, but Harold Brusco's not backing down, so Lance Errington goes down for the cover! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two by Johnny Smiles! And now Lance Errington's protesting that count, asking why Harold Brusco didn't count the pin as fast as he made the five count! He's really pushing his luck here... if he gets disqualified in this match, that's it for his title reign!

Getting nowhere in his argument with Harold Brusco, Lance Errington turns back to Johnny Smiles and starts to pull him up, but Johnny Smiles drives an elbow into his midsection! Lance Errington doubles over and stumbles back, and Johnny Smiles gets to his feet! Lance Errington recovers and throws a punch, but Johnny Smiles blocks, then hammers Lance Errington with several punches of his own! He backs Lance Errington into a corner of the ring, then whips him to the opposite turnbuckle! Lance Errington hits back-first, and Johnny Smiles makes a limping run at him and hits him with a dropkick! Lance Errington slumps down in the corner, and Johnny Smiles gets up, cringing... but still hits him with the second dropkick while he's seated in the corner! Clearly in pain, Johnny Smiles grabs Lance Errington's legs, hauls him out of the corner, and flips over into the jackknife pinning hold... but his leg gives out!

Johnny Smiles falls to the mat, clutching his leg. Sticking to his usual routine may have cost him here. After a few seconds, both men start getting up, and Lance Errington cuts Johnny off with a knee to the midsection, then scoops him up and bodyslams him to the mat! Lance Errington grabs Johnny Smiles's leg, holds it out straight, then drops an elbow on it! Johnny Smiles yells out in pain, and Lance Errington grinds his elbow into the leg further as he grabs Johnny Smiles's foot and gives it a sharp twist! Johnny Smiles pulls his hair in desperation to get him off, but Lance Errington gets back to his feet, then kicks Johnny in the face as he pulls himself up to his hands and knees!

Johnny Smiles is down, and Lance Errington steps out to the apron, then climbs to the top turnbuckle. Johnny Smiles gets to his feet as Lance Errington makes his ascent, and Lance Errington comes off with a flying axhandle... but Johnny Smiles turns and nails him with a SUPERKICK!! The crowd explodes into cheers, Lance Errington collapses to the canvas, and Johnny Smiles goes down as well, again incapacitated by taxing the strength in his injured leg! At any other point, the superkick could be the prelude to a Johnny Smiles victory, but after Lance Errington's ruthless assault, it doesn't look like Johnny can capitalize!

Johnny Smiles gets up first, and Lance Errington is up to his hands and knees behind him. Lance Errington gets to his feet, but Johnny Smiles clubs him in the back with a double axhandle smash, then pulls him into a standing headscissors. He lifts him for a power bomb... but Lance Errington's squirming and pulling his hair! Johnny Smiles's right knee buckles under his weight, and he falls backwards... and accidentally drops Lance Errington face-first into the top turnbuckle in one of the corners as a result! That wasn't what he intended, but it may have worked out for the best! Lance Errington pops up to his feet and turns and staggers away with a glazed-over look in his eyes... then keels over backwards and falls flat on his back!

Johnny Smiles slowly gets up, favoring his knee, then pulls Lance Errington up by the hair and takes him head-first into the turnbuckle! Lance Errington falls into the corner, slumped against the turnbuckles, and Johnny Smiles climbs up on him and delivers nine punches to his face, as the crowd eagerly counts along... then rears back and dramatically drives home punch number TEN! Johnny Smiles dismounts, and Lance Errington staggers out... and Johnny whips him to the opposite corner! Lance Errington his the turnbuckles back-first, then staggers out again, and Johnny Smiles lowers his head and flings him into the center of the ring with a big backdrop!!

Johnny Smiles goes down to one knee, cringing, after the effort of that backdrop, but the crowd's cheering wildly, and he seems to draw strength from that! Lance Errington gets back up, and Johnny Smiles steps in from behind and brings him down with a Russian legsweep! He floats over for the cover, and Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Shoulder up at two and a half by Lance Errington! Johnny Smiles cinches down on the cover and tries again, and the count comes again... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Shoulder up at two and a half again! Johnny Smiles grabs Lance Errington tightly and covers again, and Harold Brusco counts again... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... And at two, this time Lance Errington reaches up and gouges Johnny Smiles's eyes! Johnny rolls off, clutching his face, the crowd boos loudly, and Harold Brusco lectures Lance Errington, but he may have just bought himself some time!

Lance Errington gets to his feet and takes a swing at Johnny Smiles, but Johnny ducks and brings Lance Errington down with a double-leg takedown! He grabs Lance Errington's legs and turns him over, into a Boston crab! The crowd cheers again, and Lance Errington grits his teeth and begins fighting for the ropes. Johnny Smiles is making Lance Errington expend his energy, wearing him down while preserving his own body, and that's exactly what he needs to do! Lance Errington struggles, pulling himself along at a strenuous but steady pace, and eventually he makes the ropes! Harold Brusco counts, and Johnny Smiles breaks the hold at three.

Johnny Smiles steps back into a corner, then stops to flex his leg and rub it a little bit. He's trying to get a little strength back in it for one more shot. Lance Errington's getting to his feet, and Johnny Smiles measures him, then steps forward and attacks with a SUPERKICK!! But Lance Errington catches his foot, brings him down with a dragon screw leg whip, then grabs his other leg and steps through into the SCORPION DEATHLOCK!! He just put it on, practically out of nowhere, and the crowd explodes into boos as Lance Errington leans back with a triumphant half-snarl, half-smile on his face!

Harold Brusco goes down to ask Johnny Smiles if he wants to tap out, and Johnny shakes his head "no" frantically, but he's caught in the hold with nowhere to go! He begins inching his way towards the ropes, but it's slow going in his fatigued state, and he has a long way to go! In his attempts to crawl to the ropes, Johnny Smiles falls, collapsing flat on his face and screaming in pain, and he looks nearly ready to tap out! But the crowd starts chanting "JOHNNY!" loudly and cheering him on, and he seems to get a little added determination!

Johnny Smiles grits his teeth, puts his hands to the mat, and begins crawling towards the ropes again! He's struggling for it, inch by inch, dragging himself closer! Finally, he draws near, and his fingers brush the bottom rope, but Lance Errington leans back sharply, causing him to cry out in pain and collapse again! Lance Errington cranks back on the hold viciously, but Johnny Smiles summons one more burst of strength and GRABS THE BOTTOM ROPE!! The crowd explodes into cheers, but Lance Errington keeps the hold applied viciously as Harold Brusco begins his count! Only at four does Lance Errington break the hold, and Harold Brusco immediately gets in his face, lecturing him about not breaking sooner!

Lance Errington blows Harold Brusco off and begins stomping and kicking at Johnny Smiles as he lies on the mat, clutching the bottom rope like a lifeline, but Harold Brusco grabs Errington by the shoulder and spins him around! He gets in his face, yelling at him and poking him in the chest, reminding him that if he gets disqualified he loses his title! Lance Errington backs into the corner and raises his hands in the air, apparently intimidated by these threats! Finally, he apologizes to Harold Brusco and goes over to Johnny Smiles, pulling him up off of the mat. But Johnny Smiles catches Lance Errington with a forearm to the midsection as he comes up, then pulls him into a small package! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... THR... Kickout at two and three quarters!

Lance Errington pops up, yells angrily, and takes a swing at Johnny Smiles as he gets up, but Johnny blocks it, then nails Lance Errington with a punch to the face! Lance Errington staggers back, then grimaces and charges with a clothesline, but Johnny Smiles ducks, then wraps around behind him, grabs his waist, and lifts! His leg nearly gives out, but he still manages to take Lance Errington down with a belly-to-back suplex! Lance Errington crashes to the mat, and Johnny Smiles pulls himself to his feet, then rubs his injured leg and flexes it! Lance Errington gets up, staggering around groggily, and Johnny Smiles measures him... then comes forward and BLASTS him on the chin with a SUPERKICK!! He hit it that time, and Lance Errington goes down! Johnny Smiles goes down too, crying out in pain and putting his hands to his knee, but he made that one count! After a few seconds, he rolls over and covers Lance Errington! Harold Brusco counts... ONE!! ... TWO!! ... Kickout at two and a half! Lance Errington had a few seconds to recover, and that may have made all the difference!

Lance Errington rolls out of the ring, and the crowd boos loudly... but Johnny Smiles grimaces and rolls out after him! Lance Errington turns and takes a swing at Johnny Smiles as he comes for him, but Johnny blocks it, then doubles him over with a fist to the midsection, then takes him head-first into the apron! Lance Errington staggers back and collapses against the announcers' table, and Johnny Smiles grabs him and tosses him up onto it! The crowd cheers wildly and comes to its feet, and Johnny Smiles slowly climbs on top of the table with him!

Inside the ring, Harold Brusco is urging him not to do it... but Johnny Smiles ignores him and pulls Lance Errington up in a fireman's carry lift! He's going for a Smiledriver through the table... but he falters, then collapses face-first on the table under Lance Errington's weight!! The table doesn't break, but both men are down! Johnny Smiles crawls out from under Lance Errington, grimacing, then gets to his feet! He flexes his knee and signals that he's going to try it again, and the crowd cheers!! He starts to pull Lance Errington up... but Lance Errington hits him with a low blow!! The crowd boos, and Johnny Smiles doubles over, but Lance Errington's up and he pulls Johnny Smiles into a standing headscissors! He hooks his arms... SWAN SONG THROUGH THE ANNOUNCERS' TABLE!!

The crowd gives a deafening rain of boos and a faint "HOLY SHIT!" chant for that move. Lance Errington just drove Johnny Smiles head-first through the announcers' table! Harold Brusco's count begins to grow high, and it looks like this could be a double countout... but Lance Errington's slowly getting up! He stumbles to the apron and rolls inside, just as Harold Brusco finishes the final count, and damn it, it looks like Lance Errington will win this one by count-out!!

The crowd boos loudly, but Lance Errington has somehow pulled this one out and successfully defended the VCW Intercontinental Title! The support of the fans kept Johnny Smiles in this match for a long time... but was it his undoing at the end, when he tried to please the crowd with the Smiledriver through the table? Lance Errington is laid out in the ring, gasping for breath, but Harold Brusco helps him to one knee, then raises his hand and hands him the VCW Intercontinental Title!

The crowd boos loudly as Lance Errington slowly stands, smiling wearily, and climbs to the top turnbuckle to raise the title over his head. But then they start cheering, because Ken Collins just stepped out of the backstage entrance!! He's wearing only boxer shorts and a thick, heavy wrapping on his right knee, but he's carrying a ladder slung over his shoulder, and managing to hobble briskly to the ring! He slides the ladder inside and follows it in just as Lance Errington starts to step down. Lance Errington turns around as Ken Collins lifts the ladder... and Ken Collins rams it like a battering ram into his face! Lance Errington goes down, and Ken Collins drops the ladder, scoops Lance Errington up, and bodyslams him down across it!! The crowd goes crazy with cheers, and Lance Errington flails around in pain and rolls out of the ring, without the VCW Intercontinental Title!

Johnny Smiles joins Ken Collins in the ring, and the two hug briefly, then set up the ladder! Lance Errington is standing in the aisle, still staring into the ring angrily at them... and Johnny Smiles hands Ken Collins the VCW Intercontinental Title! Ken Collins puts it on, then grabs a microphone and climbs to the top of the ladder, finally taking a perch on top of it...

K. Collins: Lance... you still owe me a title shot, and I'm here to collect. Lance Errington, and Ken Collins... in a LADDER MATCH for the VCW Intercontinental Title at Spontaneous Combustion. Be there.

Ken Collins throws down the microphone, and the crowd cheers loudly as "Liquid Mercury" by Jimmy Page begins playing over the arena sound system! Lance Errington stares into the ring, with dread and anger mixed on his face! This isn't what he wanted! Not after Johnny Smiles just took him to the limit tonight! But Ken Collins was given the right to name the time and place of his title shot, and now it will happen... Ken Collins, one-on-one against Lance Errington in a match for the VCW Intercontinental Title! What a match that'll be! What an event Spontaneous Combustion will be, and it's only six days away! Until then, thank you for joining us for VCW Monday Night Wrestling! We're out of time! Good night!!

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