[Bell rings as we get ready for the next match]
DT: And here we go folks, the first confrontation between Anthology and HOPE…As Copycat will now go one on one with Anarky…
DM: Copycat, who came so very close to unseating Layne Winters for the TV Title, now put in a match with the freshly re-instated maniac who HOPE seeks to unleash upon Anthology to destroy them.
[MUSIC UP: “My Way” by Butch Walker. Copycat, wearing red trunks with “Copycat” in black on the seat, red knee pads and ring boots. Cat looks at the crowd with a sneer as they boo him loudly. He gets about half way to the ring when suddenly Anarky bursts out from the curtain and runs down the ramp, tackling Copycat and then begins punching away on him.]
DT: Anarky just flying out here like a bat out of hell and he’s all over Copycat…Anarky dragging Copycat to the ring and he throws him into the ring. Copycat staggering as Anarky hits him with a boot to the gut and now comes off the ropes with a RUNNING KNEELIFT to flatten The Smartest Player In The Game.
MN: The bell hasn’t rung yet! This is crap! To hell with this thug Anarky!
DT: The ref now backing Anarky off…Anarky with that manic look in his eyes, just waiting for the ref to call for the bell…He’s talking to Copycat…[Bell rings] and I guess Copycat said he was ready cause we’re under way now…Copycat gets to his feet just in time to take a knee to the ribs and an uppercut…Anarky muscles up Copycat and SLAMS him to the mat!
DM: Copycat is a really big guy, for Anarky to lift him up and throw him to the ground, that’s a lot of strength shown by the maniac from HOPE.
MN: Didn’t this guy cave your head in with a chair? How are you calling a match objectively?
DM: It’s called being professional, you should try it sometime.
DT: Anarky stomping on Copycat, and now he drops an elbow…Off the ropes…Another elbow…And another, and another…Anarky now just lets out a scream and begins choking Copycat! The ref giving Anarky the count and he breaks at 4…Anarky now pulls Copycat to his feet…He lifts him…Inverted atomic drop! Anarky off the ropes…DECKS COPYCAT WITH A CLOTHESLINE! THE COVER!
ONE!!
TWO!!
NO!! [“Two!”]
DT: Copycat kicks out…Anarky grabbing Copycat for a sleeper, and Copycat dives into the ropes…The ref calling for a break…COPYCAT WITH A LOW MULE KICK! He just nailed Anarky while the ref was unable to see a low blow and that spills Anarky to the mat in a world of hurt.
MN: Good, he got what was coming to him from that cheap shot stunt he pulled running out and attacking Copycat before the bell.
DM: Turnabout is fair play and Anarky has never been one to abide by any rules, so I’d say Copycat had to fight fire with fire.
MN: You agreed with me? I might have to start taking this Mayan calendar stuff seriously.
DT: Copycat now stomping away on Anarky. Cat now picks him up and a BACKBREAKER…Cat holds him…ANOTHER ONE…And he lifts him back up…ONE MORE FOR GOOD MEASURE…Copycat now bending Anarky over his knee, trying to submit him.
MN: Good luck with that, this guy shaves with a dull butter knife and then pours salt in all the cuts, he’s only going to thank Copycat for the abuse he’s putting him through.
DM: Anarky is clearly a man obsessed with inflicting and suffering pain, who knows if Copycat can bring him to his breaking point.
MN: He won’t unless he kills him.
DT: Copycat grinding away with that hold, fighting with all he’s got to try to put Anarky away…Anarky thrashing and Copycat just dumps him on the mat…Copycat now locking up Anarky now Copycat flips onto his back…Pulling Anarky up into a surfboard!
DM: And Copycat, ever aware, keeps his shoulders off the mat while having this hold locked in on Anarky.
MN: He’s not the Smartest Player In The Game for nothing, he knows his moves inside and out…
DT: Anarky finally snakes a leg free and he drops down on top of Copycat, who quickly moves and hooks Anarky in a crucifix pinning combination!
ONE!!
TWO!!
NO!! [“Two!”]
DT: Anarky fights out of that hold and both men get to their feet, but Copycat strikes first with a big kick to the face of Anarky, sending Anarky into the ropes…Anarky staggers back towards Copycat, who just LAUNCHES ANARKY INTO THE AIR…Anarky crashes hard chest first onto the mat!
DM: You might forget it sometimes, but Copycat Is a mountain of a man, he’s using all that power, and his intelligence to try to get the upper hand in this match and secure a win.
MN: And it’s not just a win for him, it’s a win for Anthology over these idiots in HOPE…Don’t think for a second that both men aren’t thinking about how important it is to get the first win in this faction war.
DT: Copycat now pulls Anarky up and he hooks him…FISHERMAN’S BUSTER! HE COVERS!!
ONE!!
TWO!!
TH—NO!![“Two!” some buzzing]
DT: Anarky fights out of it yet again. Copycat grabs him and throws him into the corner…Copycat with a series of shoulder blocks to the ribs of Anarky…Now he whips him to the other side…Anarky hits hard…Copycat charges…INTO A BOOT FROM ANARKY! Copycat stumbles backwards…Anarky quickly hops up to the second rope…ANARKY WITH A DROPKICK OFF THE SECOND ROPE! HE COVERS!!
ONE!!
TWO!!
TH—NO!! [“Two!” boos!]
MN: Quick on the count there ref? You got a date or something and want to get out of here early?
DM: I didn’t notice any difference in his counts for Anarky or Copycat
MN: That’s because you are blind and deaf!
DT: While my co-hosts get ready for pistols at dawn, Anarky is back to his feet and hammering away om Copycat with kicks and knees to the head! Anarky just beating the hell out of Copycat with strikes here…Anarky now gets to a mount position on Copycat and just blasting him with short elbows, forearms and punches!
MN: Come on ref, you can’t be allowing this crap to go on!
DM: What? Anarky can’t use effective ground and pound tactics to win a match?
MN: Ground and what? Quit speaking Klingon Matthews.
DT: Copycat manages to push Anarky off him…Cat gets up, but Anarky catches him with an Inverted DDT! Anarky with a cover!
ONE!!
TWO!!
NO!! [“TWO!” boos!]
DT: Copycat kicks out…Anarky kicks him in the head a couple times and now gets him to his feet…Anarky doubles Copycat over with a knee to the gut…DOUBLE ARM DDT BY ANARKY! HE COVERS!
ONE!!
TWO!!
THR-NO! [Groans!]
DT: Copycat not giving up, he’s fighting to stay in this match.
MN: He is the Smartest Player In The Game and he may also be the toughest, Anarky’s a sicko and all that but he’s still going to need to find a lot more to keep Copycat down.
DM: Copycat showed us how tough he was in that brutal ladder match with Layne Winters, so we know this man won’t go down without a fight, the question is does Anarky have what it takes to finish off Copycat?
DT: Anarky now gets Copycat back to his feet…Anarky hooking him for the CHAOS BREAKER…Copycat fighting it…And he breaks free! Copycat with a thrust kick! Anarky sidesteps! Anarky with a forearm to the throat of Copycat! Copycat clutching at his neck…ANARKY WITH A ROLL UP!
ONE!!
TWO!!
THR-NO! NO! [groans, buzzing!]
DT: Copycat kicked out again! Anarky looks disgusted…He’s pacing around the ring now waiting for Copycat to get to his feet…Copycat pulls himself up by the ropes…Now he turns towards Anarky…ANARKY THROWS FIRE AT COPYCAT!! COPYCAT DUCKS! Copycat quickly slides out under the bottom rope! [Bell rings!] what the heck is Anarky doing?!
MN: He’s trying to maim Copycat, that’s what! They need to ban this guy forever…He couldn’t beat Copycat within the rules so he decided to start cheating, what a gutless coward!
DM: Anarky’s never truly been about winning or losing, I don’t exactly know what to blame this on, a lack of focus or getting desperate…All I know is, I’m not going to be the one to try to figure out Anarky’s mind.
TF: Here is your winner by disqualification…COPYCAT!
[boos! MUSIC UP: “My Way” by Butch Walker]
DT: Well however you look at it Copycat weathered the storm, and avoided getting his face burnt off to pick up a win…We’ll be right back with more after this!
[“It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube kicks in as the shot comes back from commercial, and the members of Anthology step out onto the stage led by Jared Wells.]
DT: We are back… and apparently, we’re gonna hear from Anthology beforr the main event.
DM: Well, Jared Wells promised they were gonna make an impact tonight so this has to have something to do with that.
DT: Wells on his way out in the front here and the rest of the crew is right behind him…
[Wells has his tag team title belt around his waist, followed by Larry Tact and Sean Edmunds side by side, with Copycat right behind him and Cameron Cruise bringing up the rear. The make their way to the ring and one by one climb in.
Boos cascade down on the group as the music finally dies down.]
WELLS: Now now, calm down. Calm down.
Earlier tonight I came out here and told you people that Anthology was here to make an impact tonight. Now at Russian Roulette things didn’t exactly go as planned. Layne Winters lucked his way to a win over Copycat and Cameron came up short against Shawn Hart…
[Cruise gives Wells a bit of a sideways glance at this.]
WELLS: So what does the most dominant force in wrestling do when it suffers a setback?? We regroup. And tonight, in front of God and the world, we’re gonna make a statement. TONIGHT…
We add a new member.
DT: WHOA!
[The camera catches reaction shots of the group. No one seems too surprised, except Cameron Cruise, who seems legitimately surprised.]
MN: YES! I knew they wouldn’t stay down for long!!
DM: The question is…. who is it?
WELLS: So, without further delay allow me to shock the wrestling world…. ONE…. MORE….. TIME!
[Wells makes a dramatic gesture toward the main stage as the crowd stands in anticipation.
BOOM!!!!
PYRO GOES OFF.
JAWS DROP.
“King Back” by TI blares over the speakers as on the stage stands…
THE EPW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION… “TRIPLE X” SEAN STEVENS.
More pyro goes off and he starts a long walk to the ring.]
DT: Dear God!!! Sean Stevens??? Are you kidding me??
MN: Oh crap, I think I need to change my pants…
DM: This is gonna be bad…
DT: Sean Stevens in Anthology?? How is this possible?
MN: Someone just played the trump card, Thomas!! I love it!!
DT: The World Heavyweight Champion is on his way to the ring and I simply cannot believe my eyes!
[Stevens makes it to the ring, climbing in and slapping hands with the other Anthology members, all except Cameron Cruise whose jaw is among those needing to be physically raised back up. Stevens plants himself dead center in the ring, World Title around his waist and takes the microphone.]
“TRIPLE X” SEAN STEVENS: SO – here I stand. Here I stand the undisputed World Champion, having defeated every Tom, Dick, Rocko and Marcus to solidify my standing as the most dominant man in the sport – and now, to top it all off, I have behind me the most dominant, the most destructive, the most important group of men the business has to offer.
Now, when you are as hated as I am you learn to surround yourself with only the best. You put the right people around you and let them do their jobs. You are looking at the future of domination in this sport. You are looking at the single most powerful faction in wrestling history.
Now some people might think this is an odd match. You may be right. In some cases, it is. And speaking to that point directly, there were certainly some conditions that come along with this deal.
First of all, I back up every one of these men when they need me.
Secondly, they stand by me when the jealous masses come gunning to screw me out of my title or my place atop this business.
And last…. But certainly not least….
I get to do… THIS.
[In one fluid motion, Stevens turns and CLOCKS CAMERON CRUISE WITH THE X-FACTOR, knocking him flat on his ass.]
DT: Dear God!!
DM: Oh no! Cameron Cruise is out cold on the mat!!
MN: Eh, I never really liked him anyway.
[The crowd gasps as the rest of Anthology gathers around the fallen Cruise. Wells alone hangs back, seemingly uncertain. ]
SEAN STEVENS: Cameron Cruise!! You wanted to lead a group of men like these?? You thought you could run anything around here?? You wanted to be the king? YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE ONLY KING IN EPW!! You, from this point forward… are no better than the rest of the trash backstage. You Cameron Cruise…. are GARBAGE.
[Stevens motions toward Cruise and Edmunds, Copycat & Tact start laying into Cruise.]
DT: No! Somebody stop this! Cameron Cruise may be a lot of things, but he doesn’t deserve this!!
MN: Look, Thomas… you live by the sword, you die by the sword!
DT: Cruise is defenseless! Somebody get out here!!
[The group keeps kicking Cruise until finally Wells steps in and pushes them all back to a bit of a cheer from the audience.]
DT: Finally, someone with some sense!! I never thought I’d be saying that about Jared Wells, but for heaven’s sake, that’s his best friend in there.
MN: Oh please, someone get out the tissues for this guy…
[Wells slowly helps Cruise to his feet, chastising the rest of Anthology – then in a quick motion boots Cruise in the gut and hits a hard RAGE BOMB right in the middle of the ring.]
MN: HA!!
DT: I spoke too soon.
[Wells shares a laugh with Stevens and gives him a quick high five, then turns and pulls Cruise back up again.]
DT: THAT’S ENOUGH DAMMIT!!!
[Wells steps back from a wobbling Cruise, then Copycat leaps into him and drills him with his own finisher, The Reality Check. Cruise lies completely prone in the ring, not moving at all.]
WELLS: AND NOW…. FOR THE FIRST TIME, I CAN TRULY SAY ….. THAT … IS A REALITY CHECK THAT YOU… [Wells points a finger down in Cruise’s face] …JUST… WON’T… LIKE.
[“King Back” starts back up as Anthology high five each other and slowly leave the ring, leaving Cruise out cold dead center.]
DT: This is just ridiculous.
DM: And unfortunately, Cameron Cruise has made a lot of enemies so there’s no one out here to protect the guy. I almost feel bad for him.
MN: Gimme a break. Out with the old, in with the new. Good riddance!
DT: You make me sick. Go change your pants for Christ’s sake!!
MN: OOPS…. Uh, be right back….
DT: We’ll be right back too…. Jesus…