[The arena goes pitch black and the announcer's are suddenly cut off from speaking. "The Path" by High on Fire begins playing over the PA and an enormous eruption of cheers fills the arena. A video package of Rocko Daymon begins playing over the EmpireTron however, it's not his normal enterance package this video is showing clips from his very first match, important encounters, title wins, shows a few clips of him and his former wife together. Capping off with a close up of him holding the belt high in the air after he beat Sean Stevens for his first EPW world championship.]
V/O: Rocko Daymon had a brilliant career and was on his way to solidifying his spot among the sports elitest. Until......
[Daymon's picture of him holding the title slowly degrades into a almost black and white picture of a close up of Stalker's face. Violent and brutal images play through now storylining the events that have conspired over the past three years between the two men. Stalker visciously beating Daymon's wife, following the family around outside of the wrestling arena, numerous attacks inside and outside the ring, then a close up of Stalker sending Daymon through the three story window. Another close up of Stalker laughing insanely at the expense of Rocko.]
V/O: Finally at Sin City Showdown this rivalry was finished and the man that sought his revenge finally recieved his ultimate gift... Rocko Daymon's... career.... OVER!
[A barrage of fireworks sets off around the EmpireTron has a barrage of images from their Last Man Standing match appear on the screen. Finally it shows Stalker standing victorious over Daymon. The house lights slowly come up and Jason 'Stalker' Reeves is standing in the middle of the ring. He's beaten up badly, with a neckbrace on and a large bandage covering half of his forehead.]
Stalker: Finally.....
Crowd: BOO!!!!!!!!
Stalker: Finally it has happened. Rocko's career is DONE WITH! JUST like I had been promising since I set foot into this damn company. The feeling.. well the feeling I just can't describe it.
[Jason's face turns into an actual smile, a real life genuine smile, not evil looking... nothing of the sort. He is just plain happy.]
Stalker: I have been thinking it over all day, what I was going to say when I came out here and I realized there really isn't much, except thank you. Thank you Rocko for proving that I was right and that I AM the better man then you.
Crowd: BOO!!!!
Stalker: Oh shut it already! This is a start of a new era for me a new era where EVERYONE AND ANYONE can be a target. So this is a call out, to everyone in the back. Black Dawn, No Rules, accept it tonight, accept it next week whatever. I'll take on the whole f*cking roster. My burden is finally gone and no one...... NO ONE will be able to hold back the EMPIRE OF EXTREME!
["The Path" by High on Fire blares on the PA and Stalker drops the mic to the ground in shock. The crowd jump to their feet and the boos suddenly become massive cheers. Everyone looks to the curtains as.......... no one steps out. After almost twenty seconds the fans boo loudly and start throwing debris into the ring as Jason Reeves grins at everyone. He outstretches his arms and looks straight up into the air as the lights go completely out again and the announcer's mics return to normal.]
[CUE UP: “I Don’t Know Anything” by Mad Season. A decidedly negative reaction resonates through the crowd as “New School” Layne Winters’ HOPE video package plays on the EmpireTron.]
TF: Ladies and gentlemen... the following contest is a GAUNTLET MATCH for the EMPIRE PRO WRESTLING TELEVISION TITLE!! Introducing first... hailing from Seattle, Washington... weighing in at two-hundred and fifty pounds... he is the REIGNING EPW TELEIVISION CHAMPION...
“NEW SCHOOL...”
LLLLAAAAAAYYYYYNNNNEEEE WWWWIIIIIINNNNTTTEEERRRSS!!!
SFX: *PYRO!!*
[As the lyrics kick in, “NEW SCHOOL” LAYNE WINTERS storms out onto the stage, posing briefly with the TV Title to the sea of jeering fans before making his way down to the ring.]
DT: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen... and to those of you just joining, you are just in time to witness Layne Winters OPEN Gauntlet Challenge to any man willing to dethrone him as the Television Champion of Empire Pro!
DM: This is an incredibly gutsy – and in my honest opinion, an incredibly STUPID move to make on the part of the champion. He’s had a pretty dominant run with the belt so far... but I think that’s given him a Superman complex, and tonight, he’s bitten off more than he can chew.
MN: Oh, PLEASE, Dean-O! It’s a measly THREE GUYS he has to go through, which is NOTHING that Layne Winters can’t handle! This man is the ONLY member of HOPE, as far as I’m concerned, that GETS ANYTHING DONE! He’s so badass, only THREE exceptionally stupid people had the balls to accept this challenge!
DT: It won’t be an easy task for the TV Champion to walk out of this arena with his title reign in tact... but should he succeed, it will be a MAJOR victory for this young, upcoming star!
[Layne enters the ring and removes his belt, irreverently passing it over to the ref and pacing the ring, ready for the first challenge. “I Don’t Know Anything” fades out as the EmpireTron suddenly lights up... not playing The Fallen’s video package, but instead bearing the stern, no-nonsense face of “THE EGO BUSTER” DAN RYAN seated behind his desk in the office. The crowd POPS as they recognize the face of the longstanding Owner and CEO of Empire Pro.]
MN: It’s DAH BOSS!!
Dan Ryan: Pardon the interruption, ladies and gentlemen...
DT: Now what could this be about...?
[With his brief address to the fanbase out of the way, Ryan clasps his massive hands together and leans forward with his lip slightly curling into a sneer.
Dan Ryan: Listen closely, Layne... because what I have to say affects this Gauntlet Match.
[He briefly holds up a manilla folder. On the tab isn’t exactly a name, but the Greek symbol for “OMEGA.”]
Dan Ryan: Earlier today... one of the competitors in this match failed the“routine psychological exam” that is required by every employee of Empire Pro.
DM: “Routine psychological exam?” That’s the first I ever heard of that!
MN: Was there a change in our contracts, does anybody know?
Dan Ryan: As a result, until OMEGA can be deemed mentally fit to compete in the ring again by a licensed psychiatrist, I have no choice but to suspend him until further notice.
DM: OH WOW!
[Ryan puts the folder away into a drawer and closes it, showing the signs of a sneer once again.]
Dan Ryan: Long story short... OMEGA’s not here tonight. That’s one name you won’t have to worry about in tonight’s Gauntlet Match. One down, two to go... now let’s get started.
[The EmpireTron cuts to black as the crowd bustles in the wake of OMEGA’s suspension and the change in the match. In the ring, Winters shakes his head as if he could care less.]
DT: Oh man... what an ANNOUNCEMENT! OMEGA is SUSPENDED! What a BLOW to THE FALLEN! Not to mention, Layne Winters definitely just caught a lucky break in this Gauntlet Match! You heard Mr. Ryan clearly: “One down, two to go!”
DM: And he didn’t have to lift a FINGER on the first man, thanks to this “routine psychological exam,” or whatever it’s called. Sounds to me like OMEGA’s lifestyle of being married to a steel chair has finally caught up with him.
MN: You know, I suppose that would explain the big guys in white shirts I saw dragging him into the back of a paddy wagon earlier today. It took TEN of those goons to get that maniac in there...
DM: What, you’re saying you saw the orderlies drag him off to the nuthouse... and you didn’t think to TELL us?!
MN: Come on... it’s OMEGA! You ever even PASSED the guy in the back?!
DT: If you catch his eye, he’ll start screaming to you about the end of times... and if you don’t look at him, he starts FOLLOWING YOU AROUND until you do...
MN: I figured that guy just fought off guys in white shirts all the TIME!
[CUE UP: “Rainmaker” by Iron Maiden. The arena POPS HARD!! Green and white bursts of light flare out from the rigging hanging above. On the EmpireTron, Karl “The Dragon” Brown’s regular video package plays, recapping many of his greatest moments in his longstanding Empire Pro career.]
TF: Introducing the FIRST opponent... hailing from NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND... he weighs in at TWO-HUNDRED and ELEVEN pounds... he is the FORMER EMPIRE PRO WRESTLING INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION...
HERE IS... KARL... “THE DRAGON”... BBRRRROOOOOOOOWWWWWNNNNN!!!!!
Crowd: *POP!!*
[As the vocals come in, KARL BROWN steps out onto the stage, pumps both fists into the air... ]
SFX: *BOOM-BOOM-BOOOM!!*
Crowd: *POP!!!*
[…and springs forward with a HARD chop of his arm in the wake of the pyros exploding over him. He slaps hands with the fans on his way down the aisle to the ring, pausing for every handshake and photo op.]
DT: Oh man... WHAT a REACTION for the former Interncontinental Champion!
MN: What a reaction INDEED! Don’t these morons realize that competing for the TV Title is more like a STEP DOWN in his career?
DM: Given how competitive the TV Title division has been lately, Neels? It would mean a lot to Karl Brown’s career if he could END the championship of this rising star here tonight!
DT: This is going to be a classic contest of the “New School” of Layne Winters going head-to-head with the OLD-school technical mastery of Karl “The Dragon” Brown!
MN: If history has proven anything, Thomas... it’s that it’s always OUT with the “old,” and IN with the “NEW”...
[Brown reaches the ring, springing over the top rope and doing his signature pose on the middle rope as the TV Champion stares him down while pacing impatiently in his corner of the ring. Referee Bryan Weatherby comes by to collect the belt, which Winters hands over. Weatherby presents the belt to all four sides of the audience before handing off to the timekeeper and making a few final checks on both opponents.]
DT: The EPW Television Title is what’s at stake here tonight! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more competitive era for that belt!
DM: And through all the competition... Layne Winters has been backing up his hype, every step of the way. He’s definitely a vital part of HOPE’s battle plan against the Anthology.
MN: You mean HOPE-less? Honestly, Layne could do so much better than anything those other clowns have to offer...
DT: Which of these two men will go on to fight “DOPESMOKER” Erik Black? Will the TV Champ continue his dominance... or is Karl Brown setting him up for an upset here tonight?
[The ref flags down the timekeeper to ring the bell.]
DM: Looks like we’re about to find out...
SFX: *DING! DING!*
DT: Both men come out of their corners... and they immediately tie-up! No hesitations between THESE two!
DM: They exchanged some very heated words in the weeks leading up to this event... Winters, using that size advantage, pressures Brown back into the corner! The ref calls the break, and Winters breaks contact...
SFX: *SMACK!!*
Crowd: “BOOOOOO!!!”
DT: OH, what a CHEAP SHOT by Layne Winters, catching Brown off guard with a KNIFE-EDGE CHOP to the chest just as the ref called the clean break!
MN: Just telling him to get his scrawny ass out of the corner, is all.
DM: Could be a crucial move in the opening moments of this match, as Winters follows through with an IRISH WHIP to the far corner! Brown CONNECTS, and Winters FOLLOWS... OH NO, hits NOTHING but the TURNBUCKLE with the running shoulder block!
DT: “The Dragon” sprang out of the way... and now he waits for the stunned Layne Winters to turn around... and RIGHT INTO AN ARMDRAG!
Crowd: *POP!!*
DM: Winters popping up... RUNS INTO ANOTHER ARM DRAG! Good elevation on that one!
MN: Come on, Layne... what are you doing in there?!
DT: Winters back up – WHOA!! Just BARELY MISSES the STANDING DROPKICK from Karl Brown, and quickly rolls over the ropes to escape to the outside!
MN: That’s a smart move there...
DT: And I’m sure some would call it a COWARDLY move.
DM: Either way, “The Dragon” was clearly on a hot streak there with that fast and relentless catch-as-can offense. Winters moving to to the outside breaks up Brown’s momentum, and gives him a chance to regroup.
Crowd: “DRA-GON!! DRA-GON!! DRA-GON!! DRA-GON!!”
DT: Karl Brown, the lone man in the ring, is getting these fans FIRED UP here tonight!
MN: What a bunch of hypocritical ingrates. Later tonight, I bet you’ll be hearing “HOPE” chants, but you aren’t going to get that sort of treatment for Layne Winters, all because he’s a little rough around the edges!
DM: Weatherby’s at the count of six now as Winters continues jawing with some ringside fans... but perhaps he shouldn’t have turned his attention away from the ring just now!
DT: You may be RIGHT, Dean! Brown running into the far ropes... here is on the return – OVER THE ROPES WITH A VAULTING BODY PRESS – AND HE CONNECTS RIGHT AS WINTERS TURNS AROUND!!
Crowd: *POP!!*
DM: WHAT ELEVATION!! It’s amazing to believe that a veteran of Karl Brown’s age can still GO TO THOSE LIMITS!
MN: Joke’s on him! He’s probably done so much damage to that brittle spine of his with all that jumping around... I’d say he’s walking on a ticking time-bomb. Layne, on the other hand... Layne is YOUNG and FRESH!!
DT: And despite all that, he’s now on the receiving end of the former Intercontinental Champion is showing a DIE-HARD HIGH-FLYING offense here tonight! This is definitely NOT the way Winters had hoped to start this Gauntlet Match...
DM: True, but at the same time, I doubt he expected to get a free ride past OMEGA. Count has been reset now with Brown going to the outside, but I don’t think he intends to stay out there for long. He rolls Winters into the ring under the ropes... bringing this match back to the squared circle.
DT: Winters still looks a little dazed after that vaulting body press by way of Karl Brown. The TV Champion back to his feet as the first of two challengers to the title slips back into the ring... Brown hooking Winters around the waist... follows it up with a RELEASED GERMAN SUPLEX – OH NO!!
MN: Look at THAT!! Winters landed RIGHT ON HIS FEET!
DM: Great athleticism by the champion, who looks to capitalize – NO! Brown COUNTERS with a drop-toe-hold... transitioning right into a Side Headlock!
DT: Winters, trying to make a move... but Brown ROLLS HIM OVER! Shoulders ON THE MAT!
ONE...
TWO – NO! Winters quickly got off the mat before the two count!
DM: Brown could have had something there if he had an arm free to hook a leg or something.
MN: Don’t flatter yourself, Dean...
DT: Winters repositioning himself to prevent Brown from pulling a move like that again! The challenger WRENCHES the temples of the TV Champion... but Winters is already working himself back onto his feet! I don’t know how much longer he’ll be able to hold him...
DM: Winters looking for the reversal here... LIFTS BROWN UP AND OVER with the BACK SUPLEX...
MN: HA!! There we – oh CRAP!!
DT: ...but Brown DROPS TO HIS FEET and goes RIGHT BACK to that headlock! That must be pretty frustrating for the TV Champion...
MN: Hardly a minor nuisance...
DM: The champion is clearly having trouble getting a handle of Karl Brown in this match. I gotta say... Brown has been pretty hot in that ring ever since he returned! If he continues to shut out Winters like this, I don’t doubt for a minute that he’ll be the one walking out with that TV Title...
DT: Provided of course he makes it through Erik Black in the next round. Winters, right now, has his hands full with his first of two opponents here tonight... looking for an escape strategy now... he backs into the ropes, and SHOVES Brown off!
DM: Here goes Karl into the ropes, but WATCH OUT when he gets that momentum going! Brown on the return... INTO THE AIR with a FLYING FOREARM!!
DT: OH NO!! But KNOCKED OUT OF THE AIR by a RUNNING DROPKICK by Layne Winters!
MN: Winters’ Rock just beat Brown’s Scissors there!
DM: That Dropkick by Layne Winters caught “The Dragon” square in the jaw! The champion with a chance to turn things around now... and he starts it off by STOMPING THE TAR out of Karl Brown as he lies hurt on the mat!
Crowd: “BOOOOO!!!”
DT: Winters just RELENTLESSLY kicking away at the HEAD and BACK of Karl Brown! The ref finally telling him to back off, but Winters just nudges him out of the way and brings “The Dragon” back to his feet!
DM: Could be a big move here in the center of the ring... YES... BELLY-TO-BELLY SUPLEX BY LAYNE WINTERS!!
MN: Boo-YAKA-SHAW!!
DT: Winters HOOKS THE LEG for the cover...
ONE...
TWO...
Brown kicks out! May still be a little too early in this match...
MN: Still... if there was a chance he knocked Brown out cold there a moment ago, he was going to go for it!
DM: It will take more than that to keep “The Dragon” on the ground! But that may be the strategy currently employed by Layne Winters... underhooking the arms from behind Brown and driving that KNEE into his back!
DT: What a PAINFUL looking hold! Brown is GRINDING HIS TEETH as Winters buries that knee deeper into his spine!
MN: Every minute he remains in that hold is another year off that cockroach’s career...
Crowd: “DRA-GON! DRA-GON! DRA-GON! DRA-GON!”
DT: This capacity crowd is getting behind the former Intercontinental Champion! Brown DIGGING DEEP now... trying to work his way out of that hold!
DM: He’s trying to cross around that knee, but the TV Champion is trying to keep him pinned in place! Wait... Brown GETS ARM free... and HE COUNTERS WITH A SNAPMARE!!
Crowd: *POP!*
DT: Brown right on top of Winters... sinking in a DRAGON SLEEPER!! A DRAGON SLEEPER by “THE DRAGON!!”
MN: Oh crap, Layne, GET OUT OF THERE!!
DM: Winters needs to be careful here! If Brown switches right into the DRAGON’S BITE, his reign as TV Champion will be officially OVER!
DT: Brown wrangling Winters to his feet! The TV Champion is still FIGHTING with everything he’s got! Brown LIFTS HIM UP... no wait, WINTERS LANDS ON HIS FEET and REVERSES THE HOLD!!
DM: OH WOW, VICIOUS REVERSE DDT!! Brown got dropped right on the back of his HEAD there!
MN: YEAH!! THAT shut ‘em up...
DT: The crowd is DEAD SILENT after that last move... and Winters, quickly hooking a leg and making the cover!
ONE!!
TWO!!
NO!! Brown kicks out!
DM: He should have hooked the other leg there, but he got careless...
MN: Give the guy a BREAK, Dean! He just REVERSED the DRAGON’S BITE!
DT: Winters looking a little frustrated... hooks BOTH legs this time!
ONE!!
TWO!!
Brown kicks out AGAIN! You gotta do more than THAT, Layne!
MN: They can’t hear you in there, Dave. Believe me, I’ve been trying for years...
DT: Winters bringing “The Dragon” back to his feet now, and slapping on a front-face lock... what’s he got going on here?
DM: A SNAP SUPLEX!! Brown just got whipped HARD to the mat! Winters, already popping back to his feet... runs over to the corner, and he boosts himself up to the second rope!
MN: Here it COMES, baby!
DT: Winters DIVING OFF... and he NAILS THE FOREARM RIGHT INTO THE STERNUM of KARL BROWN!!
DM: Knocked the wind COMPLETELY OUT OF “THE DRAGON!”
DT: Winters WITH THE COVER... could this be IT?!
ONE!
TWO!
NO!! Brown KICKS OUT!
MN: Oh just stay DOWN already! He’s already gotta go through ANOTHER guy tonight!
DT: They can’t hear you, Mike... remember? You’ve been trying for years?
MN: That doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying, damnit! LAYNE! GO ALL THE WAY!!
DM: Winters looking ready to FINISH this as he brings Brown back to his feet... maybe he DID hear you, Neels!
MN: REALLY?! Hey, Layne! If you can hear this, then QUIT HOPE as soon as you can! They’re DRAGGING YOU DOWN!
DT: Stop that, Mike...
MN: What? I’m just trying to give some friendly business advice!
DM: Guys... IN THE RING... Layne Winters lifting Karl Brown UP for the GREEN RIVER JUSTICE!! He’s GOING FOR IT!!
DT: The TV Champion, holding the CHALLENGER just SIX FEET from UTTER DEMISE... but wait, Karl Brown BEGINNING TO STRUGGLE! I don’t think Winters can HOLD HIM!
MN: Come on, Layne! FINISH HIM!!
DM: Winters DROPS BROWN for the GREEN RIVER – NO!! “THE DRAGON” REVERSES WITH A HURRICANRANA!!
Crowd: *POP!!*
MN: What the hell is THAT?!
DT: HE HOOKS THE LEGS!! HE’S GOING TO STEAL IT!!
ONE!!!
TWO!!!
THR – OH NO!! JUST BARELY!! Karl Brown was a FRACTION OF A SECOND AWAY from ending Layne Winters’ TV Title reign!
Crowd: “AAAAAAaaaawww...”
MN: My heart skipped a beat there for a minute...
DT: Winters scrambling to his feet, and – OH!! WHAT a HEEL KICK to the FACE of KARL BROWN as he was rising to his knees! You could hear the SMACK from the sole of his BOOT off of “The Dragon’s” face clear up in the rafters!
DM: Winters ain’t about to give up control when he’s this close to finishing things... but now he’s gotta DIG DEEP to finally keep Karl Brown from coming back!
MN: He’s barely begun to kick his heels in the dirt at this point, Dean-O...
DT: Some would say the same of Karl Brown! Winters, bringing Brown back to his feet now... and he’s leading him over to the CORNER! Winters... setting Brown to the TOP ROPE! What business does he have going up there?!
DM: It can’t be good for Karl Brown!
MN: Damn right, it can’t be! You guys wanted to see him DIG DEEP, right?
DT: Will LAYNE WINTERS SLAY “THE DRAGON” HERE TONIGHT... Winters UP to the top rope! He’s hooking Brown... wait... NO... BROWN IS FIGHTING IT!! “The Dragon”... FIGHTING BACK with SHOTS TO THE RIBS!!
DM: Winters releases the hold – OH MAN!! And Karl Brown just ROCKS HIM with an ELBOW SHOT that practically KNOCKS HIM OUT COLD!! Winters TUMBLES FROM THE TOP ROPE... and now Brown READJUSTS HIMSELF!!
MN: Oh, come on...
DT: Here we go, Karl! “The Dragon”... PERCHED ON THE TOP ROPE... Winters back to his feet, and turns around – AND BROWN CATCHES HIM WITH THE FLYING CROSS BODY
DM: Oh, WAIT – WINTERS ROLLS THROUGH IT!!
DT: UNBELIEVABLE!! THE TV CHAMPION REVERSES, AND HOOKS THE LEGS!!
ONE!!
TWO!!!
THREE – KICK OUT!!
Crowd: *POP!!*
DM: Wow, I really thought the TV Champion had it there with that quick reversal... but Brown managed to kick out at JUST the last second!
DT: Brown is doing EVERYTHING he can to fight back, but Winters is just one step ahead of him! Both men slowly struggling to their feet now... and Winters is the first man back to his feet! Here’s a big hook – NO! BLOCKED by KARL BROWN!!
DM: “The Dragon” BITES BACK with some BIG KARATE CHOPS to the CHEST of Layne Winters! Winters getting BACKED INTO THE ROPES now! The crowd is ON THEIR FEET in support of Karl Brown!
MN: Come on, Layne... DO SOMETHING!!
DM: The TV Champion can hardly defend himself! Brown bounces Winters off the ropes, and catches him with a NORTHERN LIGHTS – no wait... WINTERS COUNTERS by driving an ELBOW into the SPINE!!
DT: Winters drapes the arm over his neck... LIFTS HIM UP... GOD NO, IT’S THE GREEN RIVER JUSTICE!!! THE TV CHAMPION NAILED IT!!
MN: OH YEAH!! THANK YOU, LAYNE!! THANK YOU for HEARING ME!!
DM: The crowd has just gone DEATHLY SILENT!! Karl Brown looked to have ALL the momentum going right there, when Winters turned it around in one quick and fatal action!
DT: Brown was SO close... but now Winters, hooks a leg and makes the cover...
ONE!!
TWO!!!
THREE – OH WAIT A SEC!! WEATHERBY SEES THE FOOT ON THE ROPE!! BROWN’S GOT THE ROPE!!
Crowd: *POP!!*
DM: Layne Winters can HARDLY BELIEVE IT!!
MN: Hell, I can hardly believe it MYSELF! What idiot makes these RINGS so small?!
DT: Winters on his feet arguing with the referee... Karl Brown looks DAMAGED to all hell, but now he’s trying to get up with the help of the ropes!
DM: Winters needs to get over it and get back to the match!
[CUE UP: “Holy Mountain” by Sleep. Winters turns his attention from the referee over to the entrance, as “DOPESMOKER” ERIK BLACK emerges and starts striding down the rampway with a big, cocky smile on his face. Winters looks utterly confused.]
MN: Uhh... did I miss something?
DM: Wait a second... there wasn’t a PINFALL, was there?
DT: No, it was clearly a break made by contact with the ropes! The bell didn’t ring... the ref didn’t even wave to the timekeeper! I have NO idea what’s going on here, but Erik Black is COMING TO THE RING! Maybe there were some crossed wires in the back, and somebody gave Erik the go-ahead...
DM: Or maybe he’s looking to get a JUMP on whoever walks out of this the winner!
MN: Not a bad idea, actually...
DT: Winters looking PISSED right now... he’s calling Black into the ring! He wants to start the next match RIGHT NOW, before he even finishes up the first one! But the first round is STILL happening... and Karl Brown, almost to his FEET now!
DM: Wait... somebody over the barricade –
[The camera cuts to the outside of the ring as the person hopping the barricades is none other than...]
DM: STALKER!! STALKER IS HERE!! And what’s that in his hand...?
DT: IT’S BARB!! OH MY GOD, STALKER HAS BARB and he’s RAIDING THE RING!! GET HIM OUT OF THERE, WEATHERBY!!
*CRACK!!!*
Crowd: “OOOOOooooohhh...”
DT: STALKER JUST PASTED LAYNE WINTERS IN THE FACE WITH BARB!!
MN: NO!! WRONG GUY!!
DM: DAMNIT, HOW COULD HE DO SUCH A THING?!
DT: Winters on rubber legs... falls into KARL BROWN – AND BROWN NAILS HIM WITH THE DRAGON’S BITE!!!
Crowd: *POP!!!*
DT: Brown GOING FOR THE COVER...
DM: He’s too late! Weatherby’s already waving down the timekeeper!
DT: NO!! COME ON!!
Crowd: “ONE...
“TWO...
“THREEE!!”
SFX: *DING! DING! DING!*
DT: Brown to his feet, throwing his arms into the air, but... I don’t think he realizes what just happened!
MN: Idiot thinks he’s WON!!
DM: Karl Brown amid celebrating, but... now he’s seeing Stalker in the ring!
TF: Ladies and gentlemen... due to outside interference... Karl “The Dragon” Brown has been DISQUALIFIED!!
Crowd: “BOOOOOOOO!!!”
DT: “The Dragon” is FURIOUS! He was about to finish Winters off RIGHT THERE!
MN: Oh please, Dave... he wouldn’t have done any such thing if that idiot Stalker hadn’t got involved!
DM: Stalker came into the ring I guess to make the presence of OMEGA felt here tonight by way of BARB! He definitely seems pleased with himself!
DT: There’s no way he’s getting away for sticking his nose into THIS match! Wait a second, now Karl Brown is GETTING IN HIS FACE!! You LET HIM HEAR IT, Karl!
DM: Stalker SHOVES HIM back... and OH MAN, BROWN just NAILED HIM across the face!
MN: He just hit a guy in a NECK BRACE!!
DT: Weatherby jumping in to split these two men up, but he’ll have no luck in doing THAT! Stalker TACKLES Brown, and both men tumble from the ring!
DM: We might need a little help down here with these two...
[The camera briefly cuts to the ramp to show a train of ring officials running down to the ringside area to split up the brawl on the outside.]
DT: Well, it’s a real shame to see that Karl Brown won’t be leaving tonight with the TV Title! I think these fans had their hearts set on it!
MN: Tough luck, suckers...
DM: Wait a second... Weatherby’s out of the ring dealing with the brawl... and ERIK BLACK just slipped inside!
MN: Oh crap, TURN AROUND, LAYNE!!
DT: Black’s got BARB in his hands! Layne Winters turns around... CATCHES BARB – OH MAN, AND THE CHAIR GETS DRIVEN INTO HIS FACE BY A SPINNING HEEL KICK BY “DOPESMOKER!!”
DM: VAN HERBINATOR!! THE FALLEN are seriously getting some shots in here tonight in REVENGE for OMEGA’s exile!
DT: I don’t think Black’s finished! The former tag team champion, going to the TOP ROPE with that BARBED-WIRE CHAIR!! What’s he got PLANNED?!
DM: Black DIVING OFF... OH MY GAWD, HASHEESHIAN FACEBUSTER USING BARB!! HE JUST CRUSHED LAYNE WINTERS HEAD INTO THE CANVAS!!
MN: RING THE BELL, DAMNIT!! Somebody DISQUALIFY that maniac!
DT: HOW?! Bryan Weatherby hasn’t even started the SECOND ROUND! He’s been too busy breaking up Karl Brown and Stalker on the outside!
[The camera cuts to the team of officials, now having broken up Stalker to one side of the ring and corralling Karl Brown off on the rampway. Weatherby suddenly realizes what’s happening in the ring as Erik Black waves to him, signaling that he’s ready to go.]
DT: FINALLY... the ref comes back into the ring! Although at this point, I don’t know if Layne Winters can DO anything! After just BARELY SURVIVING Karl Brown and taking the FULL ASSAULT of Barb and “DOPESMOKER” beforehand... the chances are EXTREMELY BLEAK for the TV Champion...
MN: Stupid trashmen wrestlers...
DM: Weatherby’s trying to figure out what’s going on, but Black ORDERS him to ring the bell...
SFX: *DING! DING!*
DT: Now begins the second round of this Gauntlet Match! Black wasting NO TIME going to Winters for the cover – wait a sec, HE STUMBLES!!
MN: He TRIPPED OVER BARB!! That STONER IDIOT forgot to LOOK WHERE HE’S GOING!!
DM: Black STUMBLING FORWARD – RIGHT INTO A SMALL PACKAGE BY WINTERS!!
DT: OH CRAP, HE’S GOT HIS SHOULDERS DOWN!!
ONE!!!
TWO!!!
THREEE!!! HE GOT HIM!!
MN: WHAAAAT?!
*DING! DING! DING!!*
[CUE UP: “I Don’t Anything” by Mad Season. Black BURSTS from the pinning hold and looks around in UTTER SHOCK! Bryan Weatherby raises the arm of Layne Winters, still holding his head in pain.]
TF: Ladies and gentlemen... the WINNER of the GAUNTLET MATCH...
...and STILL the EMPIRE PRO WRESTLING TELEVISION CHAMPION...
...LLLLAAAAAYYYYYNNNNEEEE WWWWIIIIIINNNNNTTTEEERRRRSSSS!!!!
DT: In all honesty, I don’t know whether to call Layne Winters FORMIDABLE or just plain LUCKY!
DM: Well... sometimes, matches can be lost as simple as that! Perhaps Erik Black got a little too careless there in the ring with those early chairshots and thought he had this thing one.
MN: No way, man... Layne wasn’t going to let ANYBODY taken that belt from him here tonight! Erik Black lives up to the Forrest Gump sentiment: Stupid IS, Stupid DOES... and Winters REMINDED HIM here of that tonight!
DT: A big – if not CONTROVERSIAL – defense for the TV Champion... but the celebration is short-lived! Stalker BACK IN THE RING... and THE FALLEN are ganging up on Layne Winters!
DM: Winters can’t even DEFEND himself right now! After the Dragon’s Bite, and all the chair shots... he’s just SPENT!!
MN: Ah, these hack vultures...
DT: Black setting Winters up into the COTTONMOUTH now!! Winters is FLAILING IN PAIN... and Stalker just JAMS HIS BOOTS right into those ribs!!
DM: Those lunatics are going to make a PICASSO PAINTING out of him!
DT: Where are the other members of HOPE?! Why is NOBODY coming to the aid of their stablemate in Layne Winters!?
DM: I guess it doesn’t pay to be the unpopular guy...
DT: Hold on a second... KARL BROWN BREAKS FREE!! BROWN COMING DOWN THE RAMP!!
Crowd: *POP!!!*
MN: What does this idiot want now?!
DT: Karl Brown is NOT letting these guys leave the arena with the last laugh! Brown HITS the ring, and... HE PICKS UP BARB!! Stalker and Black leaving Winters on the mat, and now they realize they’re in TROUBLE!!
DM: Stalker and Black trying to circle around Brown... he can’t cover ALL his bases! Black trying to SLIP UP BEHIND –
SFX: *CRACK!!!*
Crowd: *POP!!!*
DT: AND HE GETS A CHAIR TO THE FACE FOR HIS EFFORTS!!
DM: Black is left stumbling around in a DAZE... and now Stalker coming to his aid... NO!! BARELY dodges another big swing from BARB, and Stalker slips out of the ring! He shouldn’t even BE in that ring with that neck brace!
DT: Karl Brown STANDING TALL in the ring! He sets the belt down and grabs Black from behind...
SFX: *CRACK!!!*
Crowd: *POP!!!*
DT: DRAGON’S BITE ON BARB!! THE DOPESMOKER’S JUST BEEN DESTROYED!!
[The roof is nearly blown off the arena as Brown POPS back to his feet and angrily boots Barb from the ring as Stalker drags what’s left of “DOPESMOKER” from the ring.]
DM: Karl “The Dragon” Brown is standing tall in the ring... but he ain’t exactly alone!
MN: Why doesn’t this idiot HELP the champ?! Can’t he see Layne’s HURT!
DT: Brown, helping Winters to his feet... NO WAIT!! SETS HIM INTO THE DRAGON SLEEPER!!
MN: YOU ENGLISH PIECE OF CRAP!!
DM: DRAGON’S BITE ON THE TV CHAMPION!!
[The crowd POPS LOUDLY AGAIN, and breaks out into another “DRA-GON!!” chant. Brown works them a bit before going to the timekeeper and asking for the TV Title. He holds it up briefly, earning ANOTHER big pop, before dropping it across the chest of the unconscious Layne Winters. Backpedaling up the ramp is Stalker with a visibly dazed and utterly disoriented Erik Black leaning on his shoulder.]
DT: Layne Winters continues to extend his already impressive Television Title reign... but here tonight, Karl “The Dragon” Brown has earned the last laugh! There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to give up his pursuit of the TV Title so easily after being disqualified in that manner!
DM: A no-show, a DQ, and a fluke? This wasn’t the Gauntlet Challenge that Layne Winters wanted to overcome, THAT’S for sure. If anything, this has only given him more problems to worry about. There’s still more fight left in Karl Brown, and he knows it. On the same token, you can’t expect The Fallen to simply up and walk away from this.
MN: Speaking of, I think it’s about time somebody DID something about that maniac STALKER and his annoying of habit of sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong!
DM: And I'd like to know where the hell HOPE was while Layne Winters was getting the crap beat out of him? I thought they were supposed to be a team.
DT: We’ll see how all this develops... but right now, ladies and gentlemen, we have to go to commercial! Don’t go away, though, because we still have more action to come... PLUS, the main event!
[Fade to commercial as Karl Brown continues pepping up the crowd in the ring over the fallen body of Layne Winters with The Fallen sneering on from the rampway.]