(The lights cut out of the auditorium, as the sound of a thunderstorm begins, some flashes of light coming from a lighting rig above the ring as it lowers down. Some of the crowd start to cheer, others boo, and all are confused by what’s going on) DT: Looks like we’re experiencing some technical problems here Dean.
MN: Who forgot to pay the lighting bill?
DM: Don’t look at me.
MN: I can’t, I can’t see anything!!
(As the storm grows louder, the rig stops a few feet above the top rope, the lights still flashing.
CUE UP: Rainmaker, by Iron Maiden, as an explosion from the lighting rig triggers a cascade of green and white flashes across the auditorium. The rig starts to ascend as the camera switches to the entrance way with the beginning of the lyrics, showing a very familiar figure, dressed in stone-wash jeans and a white t-shirt. The fans cheer loudly as Karl “The Dragon” Brown steps forward, looking around at the crowd. As the pre-chorus kicks in, he walks to the ring, hi-fiving the fans, pausing for an autograph or two. As the chorus proper kicks in, he jumps up onto the ring apron, posing for the crowd during the second pre-chorus. Finally, as the second chorus kicks in one hundred seconds after the start of the song, Brown vaults into the ring, straight onto the second rope. As the guitar solo plays out, Brown calls for a mic, and the song fades to a rising chant of “DRA-GON! DRA-GON! DRA-GON!”)
DT v/o: The Dragon certainly has a strong following here. He missed the last Aggression after Ryan Ryan told him to rest an old knee injury, but Brown’s back in the ring with something to say.
(Brown stands in the middle of the ring, playing to the crowd for a few seconds before raising the mic to his lips and motioning the crowd to a hushed silence)
Karl: I guess I should thank Ryan for making me take the time off, huh? It meant I was well rested for the Natural Selection tournament a couple weeks back.
(Some of the crowd start up a “He’s hardcore!” chant. Obviously they followed the tournament)
DM v/o: Brown put in another good showing there, pulling off some incredible moves before getting pinned by Lindsay Troy.
MN v/o: You mean he was a loser again?
DT v/o: You know, you could go say that to his face.
MN v/o: I would… but
DM v/o: He’d rearrange yours.
Karl: Now, I know a lot of you were looking forward that night to seeing me go one on one with Lindsay, but, it didn’t quite pan out. You know what happened, and that’s why those moves are called high risk. But don’t worry; sooner or later, Lindsay and I will meet one on one in this ring, and you’ll get the technical masterpiece you deserve.
But I’m not out here to call out Lindsay.
(Karl takes a few steps around the ring, leaning on the ropes as he lets the message sink in. After a few seconds, he starts again)
Karl: You may remember, before Russian Roulette, there was a match to determine the number one contender for Sebastian Dodd’s Intercontinental Title, between myself and Adam Benjamin. You may also remember I won that match, and then got attacked by Eric, the artist formerly known as The Dragon, Davis. Ryan Ryan, in order to make sure he could give you guys a match to remember for the IC title, told me to take care of Davis first, and then face off with Dodd. Meanwhile, he gave Jonathan Marx a chance to reclaim the Intercontinental title.
That didn’t pan out, did it?
Ryan then gave Seb, Blitz and Troy the night off at Aggression to rest up, so they could be at one hundred per cent to entertain you guys in their title defences. Meanwhile, I was given John “what’s my name again?” Byrnes.
MN v/o: Where’s he going with this?
DT v/o: I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough, Mike.
Karl: After that match, which I won, Ryan called me to his office and told me to take some time off to keep this old rugby injury from being aggravated. I was cool with that, until last Aggression.
You see, I’d made a promise to Issac Doe. I’d promised that his spot as opening attraction was going to be filled by Sebastian Dodd, when I took his title from him. I keep my promises. But this one… sorry, Issac. I couldn’t keep it. Cameron Cruise beat me to the punch.
(Some of the fans cheer the mention of the master of the Shipwreck, Joey Melton’s sometime partner, and current IC champion, Cameron Cruise)
Karl: Now, I don’t blame Cameron. A free shot at the title was up for grabs, he took it, and went on to dethrone the Messiah, a man that beat me one two three when we last met. He did what he had to do to win the title.
Now, I looked at the card for this week, and I see Cruise is teaming with Kin Hiroshi in some kind of challenge, so the IC title has the night off in effect.
Which is why, next week at Aggression, I’m exercising my right as number one contender to a championship match. Cameron Cruise, Karl Brown, one on one.
(Cue up: Personal Jesus by Gravity Kills)
The lights dim a bit as Your Hero, The Messiah of EPW, Sebastian Dodd steps through the curtain to confront Karl Brown. Dodd stands at the entranceway soaking in the mixture of boos and VERY few cheers before raising the mic in his hand to speak.)
Dodd: Uh, excuse me...pardon me...HELLOOOOOOOO! Is this thing on? I figured that maybe people had forgotten Seb Dodd.
I figured that maybe people were forgetting the true Intercontinental Champion.
But maybe it's only you doing that Karl. Every man is entitled to an off night; it just so happens that Cam Cruise caught me on mine. Make no mistake about it, that's all it was, ONE off night that cost me the Intercontinental Championship belt that I worked so hard to obtain.
I don't want to hear any of your sob stories Brown about waiting for your shot. I waited MONTHS for mine...when I won that shot fair and square in a battle royal, and even then, I had to get it in a three way Ryance. So you're crying to the wrong man there my friend. Believe me, I wish you got your shot too, because even on my worst off night, there's no way that you're putting me down.
(The crowd boos at Dodd for insulting Brown.)
Dodd: Accept it people. It's true. The fact of the matter Brown is that as the former Champion, I'm entitled to a rematch...it's a clause in my contract. I'm going to get that rematch. And I'm going to do it at Aggression. So get used to playing the waiting game Brown...you're going to have to wait until I get that strap back from Cruise before you get the shot...then if they want to throw you to the wolves, and put you in the ring with me...that's great, I could use the night off anyway.
(Crowd Boos again...)
Dodd: Easy there people...don't hate your Messiah for speaking the tru...
(Brown cuts off Dodd.)
Karl: Excuse me, Mr Dodd, but let me remind you of how long you had to wait. You won the right in Minneapolis, and got your shot fair and two and a half months later at Wrestleverse. You finally WON the title when? December. Boxing Day, to be precise.
Let me give you a little more history, Sebastian. Yes, you won the royal rumble match to become number one contender. But... there was one person you didn't eliminate, who no-one eliminated. That, my friend, was me.
(The crowd murmurs a little, trying to remember that night in Minneapolis)
Karl: Now, let's look at what took you so long to get your shot. In Anaheim, you teamed with Troy Douglas, against the two top title holders of the day, Beast and Jon Marx. In Las Vegas, you cost Marx the title, and had a match against Kin Hiroshi. The very next card, you got your title shot. It would have been one on one, too, if you hadn't decided to try and take JA out of the picture. You waited from July to October for your shot. I've been waiting since January. And, as number one contender, I supersede you. I'll be more than happy to give you a shot once I've taken the title from Cameron, so long as you promise to show up, but for right now, why don't you take yourself to the back, stand in front of the mirror praising yourself as I've seen you do so many times in the past, and give the real number one contender the chance to do something he would have done at Russian Roulette had Eric Davis had some sense, and win the Intercontinental Championship?
(Dodd smiles at Brown...then raises the mic again to speak.)
Dodd: First of all Mr. Brown...I don't always praise myself in front of a mirror, hell, I'm praising myself right now, sans mirror in front of this crowd, which knows above all else that I am, without question, the single greatest...
Crowd: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Dodd (Raising his voice): WRESTLER IN EPW TODAY! That said Karl, maybe it's time for YOU to step aside, and give the people what they need. Not what they want...because they don't know what's good for them, but what they need, which is Sebastian Dodd as Intercontinental Champion...and that, my friend, comes from a rematch with Cam Cruise. After that, you're welcome to lose to me again...
(The crowd boos vociferously at the former Champ.)
Dodd: And by the way...I tried to take out JA because he was an undeserving throw in by the staff up front in an effort to delay the big money match. Cam Cruise was much the same thing, and if you had done the smart thing and taken him out we wouldn't have this problem.
So the way I look at it Brown.
YOU SCREWED ME!
(The crowd boo again, as Dodd lowers the mic, his eyes on the ring. Karl nods, a smile on his lips, as he walks over to the ropes immediately facing Dodd)
Karl: I... screwed... you? Well, I guess you're right. I didn't take Cameron out, did I? Being the Messiah, though, I'd've thought you could take anyone at any time, night off or not.
Now, look. We're not going to settle anything this way, are we? So, Sebastian, you have two choices. The first, is to walk back through that curtain, get in line, and wait like a good little boy with an overblown Messiah complex.
(The crowd cheers, as Brown backs into the centre of the ring)
Karl: OR… you can come down here, get your ass kicked, and be laid out on a hospital bed like a good little boy with a Messiah complex whilst I take the title from Cameron Cruise.
DT: DODD’S RUNNING TO THE RING!!
MN: Dodd’s gonna make him EAT those words!
DT: Sebastian Dodd and Karl Brown trading right hands in the ring, as security are pouring into the ring!!! They’re trying to pull these two apart!!
DM: If they get to each other, it wouldn’t surprise me if NEITHER got the next shot at Cruise.
DT: I know, but don't go away, the main event's next~!