TF: Ladies and gentlemen, when the bell rings your official in charge of this match is David Rozenkrantz. The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the Empire Pro Wrestling INTERCONTINENTAL… CHAMPIONSHIP!

[CUE UP: “Brain Stew” by Green Day. The first few riffs blare over the PA system as the lights dim and fireworks shoot down over the entrance to the rampway to create a wall. The crowd spit venom as through the curtain steps "Simply Sensational" Sean Edmunds. He steps through the wall of white and begins to make his way to the ring. Jawing with a few fans, Edmunds finally climbs into the ring, posing on one of the corners. He hops off, goes to the next and does the same before taking off his robe and cracking his knuckles to get ready for the match]

TF: Introducing the challenger, weighing two hundred and twenty-eight pounds, he hails from Boston, Massachusetts. Representing Anthology, he is Simply Sensational… ladies and gentlemen… SEEEAAANN… EEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDMUUUUUUUUNNNNNDDDDDSSSS!!

MN: Go, Sean, Go! Go, Sean, Go!

DT: Mike Neely, one-man cheer-squad. 

MN: And why shouldn’t I cheer for a man who’s Simply Sensational? You’re looking at the next and GREATEST Intercontinental Champion of all! There is no way Shawn Hart is going to survive this, I give him five minutes.

DM: Edmunds has been looking very sharp recently, and by outlasting four other hungry competitors, two from Fallen, his own teammate Copycat and Fusenshoff, I have to say he’s got a great chance to walk away with the gold.

MN: See?

DM: If the champ will let him.

[“Brain Stew” fades as we CUE UP: "Phenomena" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Multi-coloured lights strobe across the stage before, several seconds later, Shawn Hart almost wheelies onto the rampway in his pimped-up HartMobil. The fans pop at the apparent skill of the driver, but when he veers sharply to avoid going over the edge they’re not so sure it was deliberate. Regaining control, Hart heads to the ring, parking his cart askew by the steps. He rolls into the ring as the fans give him a nice pop, and he poses with the Intercontinental Title belt in the centre of the ring]

TF: And the opponent, weighing two hundred fifteen pounds, he comes to us from Orlando, Florida and represents HOPE. He is the reigning and defending Empire Pro Wrestling Intercontinental Champion… The Prime Minister of Gettin’ Sinister… the Corona Man… the PHENOM… SHAWN… HHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRTTTT!!

MN: Did you see that? He’s so scared of facing Edmunds tonight he almost drove into the crowd! When’s he gonna learn to drive?

DM: I think he learnt in Britain, on the wrong side of the road. Or when high. Or something.

MN: It’s the “or something” I’m worried about!

DT: Hart’s… not the most serious Intercontinental Champion we’ve had outside of the ring, but he’s all business when the bell rings. David Rosenkrantz has the belt from Shawn Hart now, he’s showing it to both competitors.

MN: And Edmunds telling Hart who the belt’s leaving with! Gold going back to Anthology!

DT: Hart has other ideas and he’s letting Edmunds know

Crowd: Ooooooh!

DT: Edmunds just slapped the taste out of Hart’s mouth! Rozenkrantz is admonishing Edmunds, Hart’s backed up – and there’s the bell, we’re under way!

[After some brief circling, Hart and Edmunds clash in a collar-and-elbow. With his slight weight advantage, Edmunds gets the better of things, pushing Hart back near the ropes, but the Orlando native shows his quickness with a go-behind into a hammerlock]

DT: And Edmunds straight into the ropes to break the hold.

MN: Why shouldn’t he use the ropes? He’s a cagey wrestler, I bet he knew Hart would go for a hammerlock so he thought, nu-uh, you ain’t catching me.

DM: Mike, that almost sounded intelligent. 

MN: Really?

DM: Until you started talking. 

MN: Grr!

DT: Edmunds and Hart lock up again, this time it’s Edmunds in charge with a headlock centre of the ring. Hart trying to fight out of it with a wrist-lock?

DM: But Edmunds grinding the headlock. It’s not enough to cause the submission but it does hurt and it’ll stop you getting your bearings.

[Hart again tries to escape, but the veteran uses his hips to deliver a picture-perfect headlock takedown. Hart slaps the mat in frustration, but as Edmunds tries to cinch it in again the smaller man fires off a knee to the back!]

DT: Hart taking an innovative way out here, Edmunds’ grip loosens, Hart with another knee DROPKICK! Hart rolled back and connected with that dropkick straight to the jaw!

MN: CHEAT!

DT: And Hart with the two count off the cover!

DM: It’ll take a whole lot more than that to put someone like Sean Edmunds away, but he’s making a good start, using his agility.

MN: Sean’s more agile!

DM: He’s also been wrestling longer, he’s more banged up. 

DT: Hart has Edmunds by the head, forearm shot to the temple, HARTNO! Hart going for the Hart On but Edmunds sends him into the ropes and takes him down with a belly-to-belly!

DM: Just like that, Hart came close to retaining. Some finishers are all about pain, but the Hart On’s about stunning you for the three.

DT: But it didn’t work there, as Edmunds with a stomp to the back and he plants the elbow. It’s been pretty even so far in this contest, Hart kicking out before the one there. 

DM: Edmunds has Hart up, hooks him and down with a backbreaker!

DT: One

Two and an easy kickout by the champion. 

MN: Edmunds just wants to make sure the fans go home with their money’s worth. That’s all. Anthology are kind like that.

DT: Sure, Mike. Edmunds is in control, though, he’s got Hart up, Irish whip far side, Hart slides through the legs and a nice bulldog as Edmunds was stumbling around!

[Rather than going for the cover, the smaller Hart executes a crisp scoop-slam, dropping Edmunds near a corner. Hart mounts the corner before delivering a second-rope elbow drop, which he follows by placing his shin right across Edmunds’ throat0

MN: Come on, ref!

DM: Hart’s not above taking advantage of the referee’s five count, and you know that Edmunds would do the same if he was in control right now.

DT: Edmunds grabbing the ropes, picking himself up off the mat but Shawn Jessica Hart in quickly with a kick to the midsection. Hard Irish whip to the far side, follows it up with a VICIOUS leg lariat! 

DM: Sweating yet, Mike?

MN: No, I know Sean’ll pick things up. 

DT: Hart letting Edmunds slump to the mat, climbs the corner again, high knee drop to the head!

One!

TWO!

Kickout by the challenger!

[Hoping to keep the pressure on, Hart picks Edmunds up and nails him with a right hand. Pushing the Sensational One back to the ropes, Hart tries an Irish whip only to have it reversed. Edmunds doesn’t get a chance to make good the advantage, though, as Hart takes him down with a shoulder block before coming off the ropes again]

DT: Hart with a leapfrog on Edmunds, comes back NICE counter into the atomic drop, and Edmunds with a short-arm lariat takes the champion down!

MN: See? See? Told you, he is just Simply… SENSATIONAL!

DM: It was a nice move, he had Hart scouted there but it’s going to take more than a couple of moves to wrest the title away. 

DT: Edmunds off the ropes and just DRILLS Hart with the elbow drop, and look at him now toying with the fans!

MN: It’s in the bag! He just wants to give the fans a long, hard look at

DT: ONE!

TWO!!

NO!! Shawn Hart almost stole it there with a schoolboy roll-up as Edmunds turned his attention to the fans!

DM: You cannot afford to take your eyes off someone like Hart, I thought Edmunds would know that by now!

DT: Hart back to his feet first, straight into a side headlock on the Anthology member! Edmunds trying to fight out of it but Hart refusing to let go, Edmunds can’t even fire him off the ropes! 

DM: Edmunds showed how hard it can be to get out of a standing headlock earlier and now he’s going to have to show how to get out of it. 

DT: Edmunds with a forearm to the kidneys, tries to fire Hart off again but no dice! And look how Hart’s sitting down slightly.

DM: It lowers his centre of gravity. You sometimes see a suplex used to break this hold and if you can make it harder to lift you… it saves a headache. 

DT: But grabbing the hair works!

DM: Yes.

DT: Edmunds almost dragging Hart back by the hair, hooks him suplex but Hart lands on his feet! Shawn Hart spins the challenger around, kick to the gut, comes off the ropes POWERSLAM!

TWO!!

No! Kickout off the powerslam, Sean Edmunds showing GREAT physical strength there!

DM: And those power moves can knock you for a loop!

MN: That’s what I’m talking about! Sean can knock Hart out with one move!

DM: He could but all he has to do is knock the wind out of him for about five seconds.

[The Orlando native has other ideas, it seems, as he jabs the point of his elbow into the top of the champion’s head as the two try to get to their feet. Rattled, Hart is easy prey for Edmunds as the larger man hooks him by the head, taking him over in a snap suplex. Hart arches in pain, but Edmunds is quickly on his feet, executing a standing senton splash and laying back into a lax cover]

DT: One!

TWO!

Another kickout by the champ. Edmunds is looking vicious in there, stomping away on Hart.

MN: This is getting fun! Anthology are going to have almost all the gold after this one, it’s going to be sweet!

DM: Unless Stevens loses to First. 

MN: Not gonna happen. I could beat First!

DM: I’d like to see that, shall I get him out here?

MN: Erm… no thanks.

DT: Edmunds has Hart hooked again, brings him to the centre of the ring and takes him down with a nice snapmare, off the ropes, and a diving clothesline on the mat! He goes for the cover again but Hart with the wherewithal to kickout before the two.

[Unperturbed, Edmunds drags the champ to the bottom rope and drapes him throat first across the cable. The ref starts to tell him to back off, but Edmunds pleads innocence – all the while resting his full weight on the back of the champion! The fans are livid as Rosenkrantz takes a few seconds to start his count, but Edmunds executes a splash at four, breaking the illegal hold and still managing to choke Shawn Hart against the rope. 

Following on from that, Edmunds jaws with someone at ringside as he drags the champ to his feet. Hooking the head again, he takes the champ down with an impact Russian legsweep, Hart’s head bouncing off the canvas]

MN: You know, Edmunds was asked to be part of the Harlem Globetrotters because he could dribble like that. 

DM: Really?

MN: Yup.

DM: Who tried to sign you up for your dribbling? Someone get Mike a bib!

MN: HEY!

DT: Edmunds looks in total control, but I think his celebrations are a little premature! Hart’s one tough competitor and this showboating could cost the challenger. 

MN: Not if he keeps scoring with those right hands. 

DT: Edmunds being admonished for using the closed fist, he’s got Hart back against the ropes. Irish whip far side and a beautiful standing dropkick there by the challenger!

SE: In the bag, baby! In the bag!

DT: Will you listen to him? The crowd letting them know what they think of him, grabs Hart again

ONE!

TWO!! 

THRNO!! Shawn Hart going for the inside cradle, the small package but he couldn’t hook it tight enough!

MN: Snicker. 

DM: A bib or chemical castration. Neels needs something.

DT: Edmunds incensed that Hart could grab that hold, he’s stomping away on the champ! Has Hart up, whip into the corner and a HUGE spear! Hart’s doubled up!

DM: Edmunds hates being embarrassed, and Hart nearly made a complete fool out of him. 

DT: Edmunds sitting Hart up on the top rope, follows him… HURRICANRANA! Sean Edmunds with a hurricanrana out of the corner!

One!

Two!!

THNO!! NO!! Shawn Hart after these impact moves, after the hurricanrana, manages to squeeze the shoulder up!

MN: Keep it calm, Sean! Remember, gold for Anthology! Gold for Anthology! Sensational!

DT: Edmunds with Hart up again, he’s looking peeved. Picks him up, shoulder breaker… and down with a powerslam! Nice sequence there, and he’s calling for the end!

DM: Off the ropes, over Hart, Asai NO!

MN: NO!!

DT: Shawn Hart rolled into the ropes and Edmunds eats nothing but canvas! 

[Hart leans against the ropes as Edmunds scrambles to the other side holding his face. Smelling the opportunity, Hart launches himself across the ring in a dead sprint, going for a clothesline and taking both men to the outside! The fans in the front row are on their feet as the champ lands on his feet, the challenger sprawled on the floor. Hart punches the air, eliciting a positive response from the fans before he drives Edmunds face first into the ring apron]

DT: Shawn Hart with Edmunds in trouble

Crowd: Woooo!

Wooooo!

WOOOOOOO!!

DT: Edmunds’ chest is beat red! Three stiff chops and Edmunds can’t get away, Hart clubs him with a hard right, grabs the champ by the head, into the ring post and rolls him back inside!

MN: Disqualify him!

DT: Hart up on the apron, Edmunds to his feet, SPRINGBOARD CROSS BODY!

ONE!

TWO!!

THRNO! No! Sean Edmunds somehow, somehow kicks out!

[In control, Hart hooks Edmunds from behind and plants him with a release German suplex, the Anthology member rolling over and falling back down on his face. Hart peels him from the canvas, dropping him into an inverted atomic drop to Mike’s protests – and the champ follows it up with a double leg-trip, dragging Edmunds into the middle of the ring]

MN: Snap out of it, Sean! Come on!

DT: Hart with Edmunds… SLINGSHOT to the buckle! Listen to these fans they can sense this one’s almost over!

MN: NO! NO!

DM: Very likely. Hart with Edmunds, goes for the Irish whip, Edmunds reverses OH!

MN: REF-BUMP!!

DT: Sean Edmunds just reversed the champ back into the corner straight into the referee! 

MN: What was Rozenkrantz doing?

DT: Trying to get into position, but he didn’t expect Edmunds to launch Hart back into the corner. We’ve got no ref, Hart’s back to his feet, Edmunds SUPERKICK! SUPERKICK!!

The cover! No ref!

MN: ONE!

TWO!

THREE! NEW CHAMPION!

DM: No ref, Mike!

MN: DARNIT!

DT: And Edmunds now realising it, he’s not happy!

DM: But what can he do about it? He caused the ref to get knocked out, even if it was an accident!

DT: Edmunds drags Hart to the middle of the ring, hooks him… double underhook suplex! Goes for the cover again but the ref’s still out. 

MN: STUPID REF! Anthology would be more golden than normal right now!

DT: I’ve got to agree. Edmunds has this won but for the ref. He’s trying to revive the ref, I don’t think David’s moving HART ON!! HART ON!! SHAWN HART HITS IT!

MN: NO!!

DT: But Hart can’t capitalise! All three men are down, Edmunds is down, Hart is down, the referee’s down, can this even continue?

[Slowly, ever so slowly, Hart starts to move, dragging himself over towards the fallen Edmunds. The referee too starts to move, holding his head, the fans imploring him to move faster. Hart almost manages to drape an arm over the challenger, but Edmunds finally starts to stir, trying to roll himself to the ropes]

DT: Finally there’s some life back in the ring! Hart nearly managed a cover, he’s up to his knees, the referee’s leaning in the corner. Edmunds using the ropes, Hart comes in, kick to the gut by Edmunds! Hart coming in again, another boot by Edmunds, LARIAT! 

ONE!!

TWO!!


THRENO!!! NO!! NO!! SHAWN HART WITH THE KICKOUT, I THOUGHT HIS HEAD WOULD BE TAKEN OFF WITH THAT!

MN: JUST GET PINNED!

DT: Edmunds is arguing with the ref, goes back to Hart

ONE!!

TWO!!

THNO! Hart almost with the small package!

DM: These two have been hitting hard for what, ten, twelve minutes?

DT: I don’t know, but Hart with Edmunds, whips him into the corner and a BIG Splash! Lifts him up, Edmunds on the top rope, Hart follows him but he’s met with a big right! Hart with a right, Edmunds, both men on the ropes, Hart with a thumb to the eye! He hooks him… BIG SUPLEX! Edmunds screaming in pain as his back hits

One!

TWO!

THREE!

MN: NO! SHOULDER UP!!

DM: Sean Edmunds will not give up tonight!

DT: Hart slowly back to the corner, waiting on Edmunds… SUPERNO! Edmunds ducked it, Hart turns, cross body!

ONE!

MN: TWO!!!

THREEEEEEDAMMIT!!!!

DT: Shawn Hart with another kickout and Edmunds cannot believe it!

DM: I can’t believe it! I thought after the beating he’s taken Hart would be out of it by now.

DT: Edmunds picking Hart up, Inverted Atomic Drop!

MN: Boo-ya!

DT: Hooks Hart for the Northern Lights INSIDE CRADLE!

ONE!!

TWO!!


THREE!! THREE!! SHAWN HART DOES IT!!

[SFX: ding ding ding ding]

TF: The winner of the match… and STILL Intercontinental Champion… SHAWN… HAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRTTTTTT!!!

[CUE UP: "Phenomena" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The referee gives Hart the belt, as Edmunds lashes out against the ropes]

DT: Sean Edmunds thought he had it but Hart retains with a surprise inside cradle! What a match HEY!

Crowd: BOO!!

DT: Edmunds attacking Hart from behind! He’s got him hooked… TOMBSTONE!! This is sick, Hart won the match!

MN: Not the war.

DT: Sean Edmunds not letting up, off the ropes… ASAI MOONSAULT! Rozenkrantz can’t get him under control!

DM: You never want to annoy an Anthology member. Or beat them, obviously.

DT: Edmunds punishing Hart with right hands, Rozenkrantz FINALLY has him off! Oh look at that, posing with the belt!

MN: THAT’S how things should be!

DT: But it’s not how they are! I don’t think Hart’s going to forget this!