Karl "The Dragon" Brown (c) vs. Foxx - EPW Intercontinental Title
[Cut back to the broadcast booth]
MN: Yikes!
DM: Looks like Ice Tre is gonna be around a while!!
DT: Thanks to Sean Stevens….but I don’t think this is necessarily good news for Ice Tre. Maybe he should’ve taken off when he had the chance.
MN: I dunno. Ice Tre’s a pretty smart guy. He can figure it out.
DM: I don’t know about that, Neely. I’d say he’s about your intellectual equal.
MN: EXACTLY!
[Dean and Dave just stare at Mike, smiling.]
MN: What?!
DT: Let’s just go to our next match.
TONY FATORA: Th’ following contest is scheduled for one fall, with no time limit, and is for the Empire Pro Wrestling INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!
Introducing first, the challenger…
[CUE UP: “Angel Witch” by Angel Witch, as a spotlight focuses on the entranceway. As the main guitar kicks in, the crowd give a huge cheer as Foxx steps out from behind the curtain, stretching at the top of the ramp for a few seconds before walking down to the ring, lapping in the adulation]
TONY FATORA: Weighing in at one hundred and thirty four pounds, and hailing from San Antonio, Texas… she is the number one contender…
FOXX!!
DT: What an opportunity for Foxx tonight, stepping up from the TV title to face the almost two year Intercontinental Champion!
MN: Who’s she beaten though?
DM: Troy Douglas.
DT: Karla Starr.
DM: Ninja K.
DT: Jared Wells.
MN: …besides them.
TONY FATORA: And the opponent…
[CUT the lights, a few seconds before we CUE UP “Rainmaker” by Iron Maiden. The crowd goes BALLISTIC as the white and green lights cascade throughout the arena, and “The Dragon” jogs down to the ring, high-fiving fans]
TONY FATORA: From Nottingham, England, weighing in at two hundred and eleven pounds… he is the reigning and defending Empire Pro Wrestling Intercontinental Champion…
KARL “THE DRAGON” BROWN!!
DT: And here’s the champ! Almost two years with the belt!
MN: His time to lose it.
DM: You think he’s going to lose?
MN: Yes! Miss Troy-Windham had a two year plus reign and lost, and Brown’s only IC champ!
DT: How much have you lost betting against him before now?
MN: More than I can count.
DM: Eleven bucks?
MN: At least I can walk.
DM: Not if you keep with that attitude.
DT: Guys, we’ve only got two matches left, no killing each other!
MN: …ok… so long as I get to cheer Joey!
DT: A shake of the hands, there’s the bell, and we’re under way!
MN: Sports-person-shipage? No fun!
DT: You expect something else from these two?
MN: I dunno, maybe Hardcore Dragon to come back? Is that too much to ask?
DM: Probably.
DT: They’re circling each other, I don’t think Foxx wants to get into a collar and elbow or a test of strength with Brown.
DM: He does have almost an eighty pound weight advantage, so that’d be a safe bet.
DT: Foxx charging in for a double-leg, Brown over the top, takes her down with a shoulder tackle. Off the ropes, Foxx underneath, leapfrog, Mexican no! Brown lands on his feet, back off the ropes, hiptoss attempt by Foxx, but Brown blocks it! Brown switches into a headlock, but Foxx forces him off the ropes, but Brown with a shoulder block again!
DM: Faster-paced than I expected.
DT: And it’s not over yet, as Brown forces her back to the ropes, reversal on the whip, and FINALLY Foxx takes Brown down with a leg-lariat!
MN: Woman got game!
DT: Foxx going for a cover, but Brown quickly with the kickout.
DM: And the crowd really cheering as they both get to their feet.
DT: I’m not surprised by this crowd reaction! That was a hell of a sequence!
[Brown, on one knee, smiles as Foxx, in a fighting posture, smiles back at him. The crowd keep cheering, as Brown pulls himself up by the ropes, straightening his left kneepad, before Foxx starts circling]
DT: Brown seems a little more cautious than usual.
DM: I’m not sure he’s being cautious, or just waiting. With all the impressive moves we’ve seen him pull out, we tend to forget he’s got one of the quickest minds in wrestling right now, he’s probably just waiting for the right opportunity.
DT: It might be a while before he finds it. Brown back to his feet, Foxx quickly steps in, waistlock, Brown reverses into a hammerlock
MN: Not more high-speed action!
DT: Doesn’t look like it, Mike. Brown with the hammerlock, blocking Foxx’s attempts to get out of the hold, trips her down to the canvas and switches his position!
DM: I think this is going to be the smart strategy for Brown; he’s got the weight and power advantage, he’s at a speed disadvantage, don’t try to match her for speed, just take her out, keep her grounded.
MN: I’m sure he’s done that before, wink nudge nudge wink.
DT: One, you ruined that phrase, and secondly, men and women can be friends without it going further.
DM: Mike doesn’t know that, he doesn’t even get to the friend stage with women.
[Continuing to apply the pressure, Brown pulls up on the wrist. Foxx slaps her shoulder as best she can to keep the blood flow, trying at the same time to swivel her hips to get a chance to break the hold, but before she can, Brown jumps up slightly, driving his knee into his friend’s shoulder. Unperturbed, Foxx refuses to give up, and Brown, sensing he’s not going to get a submission, switches his position again, letting Foxx get to her feet, the hammerlock still applied]
DT: Foxx in a world of hurt if she can’t break the hold.
DM: Lots of ways for her to break the hold from here though.
MN: Stupid Dragon.
DM: One thing Brown isn’t is stupid.
MN: He’s been stupid since he stopped being Hardcore Downtown Dragon Brown.
DT: Foxx trying to run round the ring… is this wise? Brown’s keeping the hold on…
DM: Up the corner, backflip over and a dropkick to the back! Brown goes sternum first into the corner, and Foxx with a charge and both knees to the back!
DT: And now it’s Foxx with the advantage! Turning Brown around, a chop across the chest, steps back, spin-kick to the ribs, and the Irish whip across the ring.
[Brown goes straight into the turnbuckle chest first again, leaning against the ropes as Foxx charges in again. Hearing her, Brown ducks out and away from her splash attempt, hooking her by the waist as she turns and just THROWS her overhead with a belly to belly suplex! Foxx lands well, but a little shaken, as Brown moves in for the cover, but only manages a two count, and that just barely. Smiling, he steps back, measuring his opponent – but this time, it’s Foxx who was clearly thinking ahead, executing a perfect forward roll to duck under the clothesline attempt. Using her momentum, she rebounds off the ropes, scoring with a cross body block, getting a one count before Brown kicks out, and both wrestlers spring to their feet]
DT: More fast action, they’re not leaving anything behind are they.
MN: Meh. Not enough blood or nudity.
DM: I’m amazed. A woman’s out there and Mike isn’t drooling.
MN: She’s wrestling a Brit, you know their teeth suck.
DM: Teeth can’t suck…
MN: But Foxx
DT: I’m gonna cut you off there. Both competitors standing poised, middle of the ring, Foxx saying something… what’s going on?
DM: Looks like she’s calling for a martial arts contest?
MN: No way!
DT: I think I’ve got to agree with Dean, Brown’s smiling back.
[In the ring, Foxx has taken a fighting stance, as Brown just smirks, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “You sure?” he says, as the referee tells the two to go back to the action, but Foxx ignores the ref, nodding at Brown. Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Brown steps his right foot back, turning it ninety degrees, and adopts a perfect fighting stance of his own… just in time to block a high turning kick to the head! Foxx swings again, this time a straight punch aimed at the chest, but Brown blocks that too, pushing her away with a push kick to give himself room to aim a spinning side kick. Foxx spins around, dodging the blow, and manages to connect with an elbow to the back, but as she goes for a sweep, Brown jumps, turning in mid-air and narrowly missing with a turning kick. The crowd aren’t really sure what to make of the martial arts display, as the two trade blows and counters, neither able to land a decent enough blow to win the contest, until Foxx aims a front snap kick for Brown’s solar plexus – a costly move, as it transpires, as Brown deflects the kick with an inner-midsection block with enough force to knock the vixen off balance. Staggered slightly, Foxx is unable to block the light half-turning kick to her ribs, nor the push-kick to the chest, which knocks her to the canvas. Brown quickly steps in, looking as if he’s going to execute a karate side-stomp, but, seeing Foxx back away slightly, decides against it, backing away himself and letting her get to her feet]
DT: Wow! I never knew those two were so good at martial arts!
DM: Foxx did better in that than I expected, Brown’s actually a fourth level black belt in taekwondo.
DT: Really?
DM: Would I say it if it wasn’t true?
MN: Yes.
DT: Regardless, neither seems to be able to get much of an advantage right now.
[The crowd cheers, as Foxx manages to get cautiously to her feet, only to be met with a boot to the gut by Brown. Using the advantage, he hooks her arms, executing a double-arm suplex. Rather than going for the pin, he picks her back up, slamming her down and dropping the elbow across the chest. Picking her off the canvas again, he whips her across the ring, connecting with a drop toe-hold on the rebound, and floats over into a side headlock. Foxx, though, managed to get one hand in the way, meaning Brown is unable to lock his hands, and, after a few seconds struggle, Foxx manages to get to her feet, spinning out of the hold and applying her first real hold of the match, a wrist-lock. Instinctively, Brown reaches out for the ropes, but Foxx switches momentarily to an armdrag, launching him into the middle of the ring, where she steps one leg over to stop him rolling away from the hold, bending back on his wrist and elbow against her thigh]
DT: Very nice moves there from Foxx, getting out of trouble and putting Brown on the back foot!
DM: It’s not what I expected, but she has shown hints of her potential in the past. You don’t get so many big-name scalps without being talented.
DT: And the way she’s positioned herself, Brown can’t do much except take the pain.
MN: I didn’t know he was into that kind of thing.
DT: I’ve never asked him, nor do I intend to. He’s in trouble the longer he stays in the hold though.
DM: But he’s not exactly going to submit to this.
[True. He does, however, try to get out of the hold, trying to force Foxx’s leg away to give himself room to move. Seeing what he’s doing, she gets to her feet, using the wrist-lock to control him, and drives a knee in his gut, followed by an elbow to the arm. Turning his wrist in one hand, she runs over to a corner, up the ropes, and comes off with an armdrag/DDT combination. The crowd cheer the sudden athleticism, as she turns Brown over, holding one arm down and covering him]
DT: One
TWO!
And the kickout by the champ.
MN: She’s surprising me.
DT: But you had her down to win the title!
MN: I’m surprised she’s taken so long to do it!
DT: She’s in control right now though, picking the champ up off the canvas, and a side Russian leg-sweep takes him back down.
DM: She may have the advantage, but having and keeping are two different things.
DT: Yes, but can Brown come back? Foxx going right back to the arm, bending it back at the elbow.
DM: But Brown managing to get to his feet pretty quickly this time, he’s shaking his head, forces her back to the ropes…
DT: Irish whip far side, Brown ducks under, leapfrog… TILT a whirl! Brown with a tilt-a-whirl slam may have just shut down Foxx!
TWO!!
No! Kickout by the challenger this time!
DM: See? Just like that, there is why he’s the Intercontinental Champion.
[Unperturbed by the two count, Brown lifts the smaller combatant to her feet, hooking her head, and delivering a snap suplex. He floats into a cover, but Foxx kicks out before the referee can leap over the two and into position. Shaking his arm out, Brown picks his friend back from the canvas, and rocks her with a right hand. Grabbing her leg, he executes a dragonscrew leg-whip, dropping the elbow into her inner thigh and pulling back, bending the knee in one of the many ways knees aren’t meant to go. The referee asks Foxx if she wants to give up, but she shakes her head, grabbing Brown by the chin and trying to get him to loosen his grip]
DM: Always a smart move to take someone’s legs out.
DT: But Foxx really trying to get out of the hold, pulling hard back on the chin.
MN: I want hardcore.
DM: Bad Mikey.
DT: Brown pulling back on the leg still, and look at the pain on the face of Foxx – in the right hands, each of these moves can be a match ender, and Brown is definitely one of those who can do it.
DM: Take nothing away from Foxx, though – she’s going to be a world champion if she keeps going and doesn’t get discouraged.
DT: Brown with the leglock still applied, Foxx again trying to force the break, but Brown’s having none of it.
DM: I’d head to the ropes.
DT: But Brown’s leaning back, pulling back on the leg, I’m not sure if she can move.
MN: She’s used to being under him.
DT: Either you’ve been spying on them, or you’re an imbecile.
DM: I’d go with the latter.
[During the habitual insult-throwing amongst the commentary team, Brown’s released the hold, only to stamp on Foxx’s left hamstring three times. The referee asks him to let her back to her feet, but Brown simply yanks on the leg, lifting the smaller combatant clean off the canvas, before she slams back down. Rather than repeat the move, Brown this time does lift her off the canvas, taking her down with a side slam in a rare display of pure-overpowering behaviour from the lightweight. He attempts a cover, but only gets a two count; rather than being perturbed, he quickly rolls Foxx onto her stomach, and, with one foot on the back of her leg, falls over her, lifting her lower body off the canvas, and stretches her leg]
DT: Just listen to Foxx! The pain on her face!
DM: She’s lucky she’s so flexible, but Brown falling down like that added a lot of strain to the hold.
MN: Don’t tell me I’ve lost more money!!
DT: Foxx trying to reach out to the ropes, but she’s in a lot of pain, she can’t straighten her arm out far enough.
DM: She’s only a few inches away.
MN: Come on, woman!
DT: She’s straining, trying to reach… makes it! Brown’s got to release the hold!
[Smiling, the IC champ breaks quickly, rolling away and letting Foxx stretch her leg as she tries to pull herself to her feet. She takes her time, slowly trying to straighten the leg out, but Brown quickly charges in, hooking her in a waistlock from behind, and takes her overhead with a fierce release German suplex! The crowd groan as Foxx lands badly, legs over-head, and she falls to the canvas holding her neck.]
DT: One!!
TWO!!
THNO!! I thought she was done-for when she landed like that, it’s a testament she didn’t break her neck!
DM: She wasn’t expecting Karl to go for the suplex like that I think, so she wasn’t prepared for the landing.
DT: Is there anything you can do to protect yourself?
DM: If you can tell it’s coming you can make sure you land properly. The problem with some wrestlers is they’re so quick at hitting the move you’ve barely got time to register what’s coming.
DT: At a guess Brown’s one of those, as he takes her down again with a stiff short-arm clothesline. He’s being very methodical, we’ve come to expect that from him since he won the IC title, as he goes right back to the leg with the spinning toe-hold! Winding up… and again! Foxx isn’t going to be able to use that leg much longer if this keeps up!
MN: BAH! Next time, I’m betting on him to infuriate me!
DT: Brown holding the leg, dragging Foxx back into the centre of the ring… figure four leg lock! She’s got nowhere to go!
DM: And Brown’s been focusing on different parts of the leg. I don’t think he’s been trying to get a submission until now, he’s just been working over every part of the leg, the knee, the hamstring, the calf and ankle with the spinning toe-hold, and now he’s working on the knee and quads.
DT: Foxx is trying to fight it, but Brown’s just been unrelenting since he took the advantage.
MN: She’s got no hope. My money, down the drain!
DT: Her chance at the Intercontinental Championship down the drain if she can’t figure a way out of this.
DM: She’s reaching for the ropes, but they’re way too far away.
[And, if that wasn’t enough, Brown lifts himself up on his arms, applying even more pressure on the legs of the vixen. She lets out a yell and, in frustration, slaps the canvas, as the crowd try to get behind her. The referee asks if she wants to submit, but the response is less than polite – more out of frustration at being dominated as she has the past several minutes than anything else. Brown again lifts himself on his hands, applying more pressure, and Foxx absentmindedly lets her shoulders hit the canvas – but gets them up at one]
MN: I’m guessing Brown learned something from tagging with Mrs Troy-Windham-Melton-Cruise-Michaels and Joey.
DT: Lindsay was only married to one of them!
DM: Possibly two Meltons.
DT: Anyways, Brown’s been using the figure four for longer than that, as Foxx is finding out. She’s in a lot of pain, look at her on her side there, trying to find some way out of the hold…
DM: SHE’S TURNED IT!
DT: Foxx just used her weight and spun around, flipping her legs and taking Brown part of the way with her! Brown had no choice but to go over with her or tear his knee, and Foxx has an Indian Deathlock applied in the centre of the ring!
DM: Brown’s trying to break the hold, but Foxx is pushing back and forcing his legs to bend too far for him to break out easily!
MN: BOO-YEAH! Win me the money!!
DT: Brown… FINALLY able to break the hold! What a turn of events, the figure four into an Indian deathlock!
DM: The deathlock hurts a lot more than the figure four, especially on Brown’s left knee, but Foxx’s left leg was worked over so much before and in the hold she might not be in a state to capitalise fully.
DT: She’s struggling, trying to get to her feet, and Brown’s back up on the far side. It looks like his left knee’s bothering him.
MN: She hasn’t touched it!
DM: He injured it as a kid, and all he’s ever done is a bit of rest here and there, he needs to get it cut open sometime, but he’s too proud a competitor and a champion to take the time off for that.
MN: Umph, show-off.
DT: Brown now moving in, but Foxx with a kick to the gut! Foxx using that left leg to kick out, holding the ropes – kick to the gut again! Foxx firing back, chop to the chest! Brown coming back in, Foxx ducks under HURRICANRANO!
ONE!!
TWO!!!
THRNO!! Foxx BARELY kicks out as Brown blocked the hurricanrana attempt with a powerbomb!
DM: We often forget just how strong Brown really is. He’s suplexed a five hundred pound man from the top rope before, and he just demonstrated some of that strength there – you don’t need massive muscles to have strength.
DT: This must be it then, I don’t see how Foxx can come back after that. Brown picking her up off the canvas, almost peeling his friend up, and throws her back into the corner. Right hand to the face, Irish whip across the ring, Foxx sternum first into the buckle!
[Leaning back into the corner, it’s almost as if Brown’s feeling sorry for Foxx. But, with a match to win, he charges in, as the crowd gear-up for the splash…
but it never arrives! At the last moment, Foxx ducks out of the way, sending Brown crashing into the corner. Then, showing how much life she still has left, she springs forward, using Brown as almost a step-ladder, and climbs over him onto the top turnbuckle! She stands on her right leg, perfectly balanced, as she kicks Brown in the face with her heel, sending him reeling as she catches the top of his nose. His eyes watering, Brown can only stagger back, as his opponent checks her balance. The crowd are going mad for the sudden agility shown by the challenger, but before she even thinks of acknowledging it, she spots Brown in position. Leaping back, she executes a perfect backwards somersault, catching Brown with a reverse DDT!]
DT: TWO!!!
NO!! Brown BARELY, BARELY able to kick out!
DM: What a show of agility from Foxx! I’ve never seen anything quite like that, especially as we’re approaching the twenty minute mark since the opening bell.
DT: She’s managed to stay in this match, using her speed and flexibility, and we just saw why she’s one of the most dangerous opponents in the squared circle.
MN: She’s the only opponent for Brown right now, dummy.
DT: You know what I meant, Mike. Foxx picking Brown off the canvas, takes him down with a snapmare, and a somersault elbow drop to the chest!!
ONE!!
TWO!!!
KICKOUT again by the champ!
DM: This is pure adrenaline from Foxx, especially with how Brown was targeting the leg earlier.
DT: Whatever it is, it’s put her in control. Foxx grabbing the arm, pulling Brown to his feet, wrings the arm and PLANTS a right hand in the elbow! Kick to the chest, and another shot to the arm!
MN: Not back to boring wrestling again!!
[No, Neely, it’s not. Still holding the arm, Foxx runs part way past her larger opponent, before jumping up and round at speed, wrapping Brown’s arm around his own neck! Holding that arm, she hooks the other into a hammerlock, before rocking her hips back to gain momentum, taking Brown down in a nasty looking suplex, him landing on his front, almost on his face]
DT: ONE!
TWO!!
THKIckout by the champion again!
DM: Was that move impressive enough for you, Neels?
MN: Yessir.
DT: Foxx is really showing what she’s worth out there, as she applies a straightjacket on the canvas, working over the arms and trying to get Brown to choke himself out!
MN: Lovers tiff.
DT: It’s two friends going for the same goal, Mike.
MN: Come on, we all know there’s something there.
DM: I was talking to Karl about that earlier, and he said something about only idiots thinking men and women who spend time together must automatically be an item.
DT: Mike is an idiot, though.
MN: … I’ll get Beau Michaels on you, don’t think I won’t!
DT: Foxx with her knee in the back of the champion, he’s trapped it looks like.
DM: But Foxx isn’t going to get more than a chance to rest out of this.
[She knows. A few seconds later, she stands up, before flipping over, snapping Brown over. She rolls a little further, using the ropes to help her get to her feet, as Brown, breathing heavily, gets to his knees. Not wanting to let the advantage go, Foxx springs over, hooking Brown up and turning him into a pinning predicament, but Brown’s legs are too close to the ropes, sticking between first and second ropes, forcing the break. Rolling away again, Foxx looks at Brown for a second, then the opposite ropes – and, as the Englishman gets to his feet, she sprints over, building some momentum]
DT: UP NO!! Foxx lands on her feet! Brown turns around Pelé kick! Foxx with an overhead soccer-kick to the head!
DM: She might just be able to win this!
[Landing in a cat-like pose outside the ring, Foxx takes a few seconds to recompose herself as a few fans try to reach out and touch her shoulder. Meanwhile, Brown, whose neck had bounced off the top rope, struggles to get enough air into his lungs as he holds the back of his neck. With a plan in mind, his opponent slides back into the ring, and, rather than going for the cover, grabs Brown’s left leg – and wrenches away at his knee! Taken by surprise, Brown tries to use his right leg to fend her off, but she leaps up and over, stretching his hamstring out, and seemingly trying to bend his knee in the opposite direction to what nature intended. The audible scream of pain Brown gives out is quickly replaced by another, as Foxx starts to twist the knee inwards. The fans cheer her on, as Brown tries to fight his way out of the painful hold, twisting this way and that, trying to find a way to get a shot in with his right leg that will loosen her grip.
Several excruciating seconds pass, as Brown struggles against his friend. Then, as the referee comes in closer to check if he wants to call it quits, the Intercontinental Champion kicks out again – a push rather than a strike]
DT: Brown sent the referee into Foxx!!
MN: No way!
Crowd: BOO!!!!
DT: The fans letting the champ know how they feel about that one, and I agree with them!
MN: He didn’t mean it, I’m sure he didn’t!
DM: I’ve got to go with Mike here, much as it pains me – I don’t think he intended to push the ref into her.
DT: Are you two watching the same match I am? It looked to me like he deliberately pushed there.
DM: Who’s the ex-wrestler, and who’s the lowly play-by-play?
DT: Regardless, Brown’s caught a lucky break, I think the force of the referee going into her has winded Foxx. Who’d’ve thought these two friends would go at it like this?
DM: I’m guessing Foxx is one of the few people who knows exactly how badly you can hurt Brown’s knee if you twist it the wrong way, so she used it to try and win – you do what you have to if you want to win the title, I’m sure Lindsay’s going to do the same if she gets the chance against Melton.
DT: The referee’s admonishing Brown now he’s got his bearings back.
[Not that the champion is paying much attention, as he gingerly gets back to his feet, careful not to rest more weight than necessary on his left leg. He struggles over on one good leg to Foxx, kicking her in the leg, and catches her with a European uppercut, rocking her back. Instinctively, he reaches down to his knee, before grabbing her by the head, and executing a swift brainbuster – no stalling, just straight up, and down]
DT: ONE!!
TWO!!
TNO!! Foxx manages to kick out of that SICK looking brainbuster!!
DM: And Brown’s looking frustrated. I don’t think even he knew how much fight she had in her, he’s not been holding back since the first couple of minutes, but he still can’t put her away.
DT: Scooping her off the canvas – he’s signalling for the end!
MN: NO!! MY MONEY!!
DT: Has her in position… DRAGONS NO!! GERMAN SUPLEX!! GERMAN SUPLEX!!
DM: She’s rolling through!!
DT: Foxx picking Brown up in the waistlock… DRAGONSUPLEX!! DRAGONSUPLEX!! ONE MORE AND SHE’S FINISHED CERBERUS!!
MN: YES!! GOLD ON HOT CHICK!!
DT: Picking Brown up again… TIGER SUPLEX!! THAT’S IT! SHE’S HIT ALL THREE SUPLEXES!!
ONE!!
TWO!!!!
THREE!! THREE!!
DM: No it isn’t!!
DT&MN: SH
DM: FAMILY SHOW
DT&MN: IZZLE!!
[The crowd can’t believe it either, as the referee signals to Foxx that Brown just managed to get his right shoulder up half an inch from the canvas. Holding her head, she’s not sure what to do next, a thousand and one things rushing through her head – if she went for the Vixen’s Dive, would he counter it? Does she have the strength left to use the Vixen’s Tail? Is there anything else she can do? All these questions and more, as she kneels next to her friend, before deciding something, anything…
She leans down, intending to pick Brown to his feet, but Brown catches her in an inside cradle! But fortunately for her, she goes into the ropes, forcing Brown to break the hold before even a one count – but he keeps a light hold of her]
DT: Both combatants, trying to get to their feet…
DM: This has been an incredible match, it’s a good thing it’s no time limit.
DT: Brown with Foxx by the hair, forces her back into the corner – DRIVES the shoulder into the gut! Could we be seeing a superplex coming up?
DM: Something big.
DT: The Dragon with Foxx up on the top rope, moving up to join her… hurric
Crowd: *pop*
MN: CRAP!!
DT: Foxx just elevated Brown up and to the outside!! I can’t believe it!!
DM: And Brown’s hurt, he didn’t land well.
DT: Foxx is still on the top rope, but the referee’s not counting yet, I think he’s worried Karl might be really injured.
[That’s precisely what the ref is asking the champ – “Are you OK? Can you continue?” Brown’s still conscious, he can tell, as Foxx slides herself down off the ropes to the inside of the ring. Stepping back, the referee starts his count, as Brown rolls onto his back, holding his left knee. Foxx stares down at her friend, as the count reaches three, and Brown starts to try and get to his feet – rolling to the barricade, and pulling himself up with it. The crowd count along as the ref gets to five, fully expecting Foxx to add another high-profile scalp to her impressive resume]
DT: It looks like Mike’s going to win that bet.
MN: Finally!
Crowd: Six!
DM: Not if it’s a count-out.
MN: CRAP!!
Crowd: SEVEN!!
DT: Brown’s almost to his feet though, will he beat the count?
Crowd: EIGHT!!
*HUGE POP*
DT: OH MY GOD!! FOXX JUST HIT A PLANCHA FROM THE TOP!!
MN: CRAP!!
DM: That was smart and dumb! If the ref goes for a winner he won’t count now, or it could end up being a double count-out.
DT: Brown’s probably lucky Foxx is eighty pounds lighter than him, that would’ve been DEADLY from some guys.
DM: Only someone like Dalkichev, but yes, Foxx’s weight coming down wasn’t all it might have been.
DT: Foxx picking Brown up, leaning him back against the barrier – CHOP across the chest! CHOP FROM KARL!
Dm: Right hand by Foxx, Brown with a knee to the gut
DT: SMASHES her head off the barricade!!
[Some of the crowd boo, but the majority cheer as the two battle outside the ring. Brown twists the arm of his friend, before attempting a hook-kick to the face, but Foxx manages to bend back far enough that Brown narrowly misses – and also has nowhere to put his foot down without losing his grip on her arm! Quickly standing back up, she manages to trip Brown, who lets go of her arm and stumbles back. Using her agility, she darts past him, taking him down with a neckbreaker right in front of the announce table!]
DT: I think the referee’s letting them go at it, the challenger’s in control! All she’s got to do is roll him back into the ring and she could have it!
DM: Not quite.
DT: Huh?
[Dean’s right. As Foxx tries to lift Brown onto the apron, he catches her with a fireman’s lift, holding her across his shoulders for a few seconds, before dropping her down with a Death Valley Driver onto the concrete!! Foxx’s neck seems to take the brunt of the damage, but Brown doesn’t stop there. Picking her off the floor, he drives her back into the apron, spine first, before lifting her up again]
DT: NO!! NOT THE SHIPWRECK!! NOT OUT HERE!!
MN: CRAP!!
[Foxx, however, struggles, not wanting to be put in Cameron Cruise’s signature move. She manages to stop Brown from hooking it right, landing behind him. She’s breathing heavily, but, with no time to waste, spins round and catches a turning Dragon in the gut with an elbow. Doubled over, Brown is almost helpless as Foxx executes a somersault legdrop across the back of his neck. The crowd are loving the action, really giving it up for the feisty challenger, who soaks in the applause for a few seconds. She looks around, into the ring where the referee is trying to get them to take it back inside, and out at the crowd. She notices the announce table, out of the corner of her eye, and a plan formulates – the way to beat her friend, by doing something he was known for. She points at the table, as the crowd, sensing what’s coming, go wild]
DT: What’s she planning??
DM: Something that makes me think we should move.
MN: What?!
DT: Foxx rolling Brown onto our announce table… HEY!!
[The announce team ditch their headsets, as Foxx climbs up after The Dragon. Slowly, not wanting to move her neck too much, she picks him up by the head, and hooks him for a vertical suplex. The crowd are on their feet, the sound deafening, as Foxx steadies herself, bracing for the weight, and lifts…
But Brown slips out and behind!! Without thinking, seemingly without even knowing where he is, the Intercontinental Champion grabs both of Foxx’s arms, hooking a Full Nelson in place]
Referee: Don’t do it!!
[A loud cheer erupts, but very quickly dies down into a concerned silence, as what just happened sinks in, as Foxx slumps down, laying motionless on the concrete floor. The referee springs out of the ring, straight to the two combatants, as Dave Thomas gets his headset back on]
DT: Oh my God… we didn’t just see that did we? Can we get another look…
[We see Foxx attempt the suplex. Brown again ducks down behind, hooking her in position, and executes an almost-perfect Dragon Suplex…almost perfect, except Foxx misses the edge of the table, spilling over the edge, and landing squarely on the back of her head and neck on the concrete floor. The shot continues, as we see her legs snapping over, all her weight focused on a small portion of her neck. As we leave the replay, we can see some EMT’s sprinting down the rampway, as Brown, who’s weight had broken the announce table, lays on one side, a look of concern on his face]
DT: Ladies and gentleman… I don’t know how to describe this… Dean… what just happened?
DM: All I heard was a snap and a crack, I’m hoping I’m wrong.
DT: Can we cut to a video package already?
[CUTTO: a repeat of the earlier Beaslet spot – showing off the three t-shirts. Halfway through, the scene cuts out and goes backstage.
An ambulance is parked, it’s doors open, as security keeps a few curious onlookers back. The camera pans round to show the stretcher and medical personnel sprinting down the corridor, but the crowd around it means we can’t see Foxx too clearly. It’s all over in a matter of seconds, as a reporter just manages to break around security as Foxx is loaded into the ambulance, the doors slammed shut]
Reporter: Hey! What’s going on?
EMT: Out of the way!
[The ambulance starts to pull away, the general noise of the crowd splitting to both sides of the screen as the ambulance passes. It waits until it’s outside before turning on its siren, and we can hear it fade into the distance. The camera pans round again to show the reporter running after a figure in green and white tights]
Reporter: HEY! Karl! KARL!!
[“The Dragon”, eventually, stops, turning slowly back to the reporter]
Reporter: Any word on Foxx? What can you tell us?
Karl?
Any comment?
[Ignoring the questions, the look in Brown’s eyes is enough to scare almost anyone. This reporter is no exception, as his former cock-sure attitude is replaced with an almost kittenish exterior, shirking at the sight of the Intercontinental Champion. A few seconds pass in silence, before Brown turns, and walks back down the corridor to the dressing room]
