KICKOUT, as The First SCISSORS those legs across Hart’s face!

DM: Cruise scaling the APRON now... targeting the CHAMP who still hangs lifeless on the barricade... wait, The First springing to his feet, running to the ROPES on Cruise’s side!

DT: Cruise MEETS HIM WITH A KNEE TO THE BACK!!

MN: HA!! He clearly didn’t see that one coming...

DM: What’s going on now... Cruise slapping a three-quarter facelock over the ROPES... HONING IN on Stevens... JUMPS OFF THE APRON and GUILLOTINES THE FIRST OVER THE ROPES as he GOES FOR THE DIVING ELBOW DROP ON STEVENS –

SFX: *CRASH!!*

DT: OH NO!! STEVENS LURCHED TO THE SIDE!! Cruise’s ELBOW HIT THAT BARRICADE STRAIGHT ON!! He went for the HIGH RISK move, but Stevens was playing POSSUM... and now he’s left clutching that arm in PAIN!!

MN: That’s what you call a useful idiot! Takes out The First... AND himself!

DM: While Cruise rubs the feeling back into his arm... The First struggles to breath on the mat, Hart’s back on his feet... passes up The First, his attention on Cruise on the outside! Cruise is a SITTING DUCK!

DT: The Champ, meanwhile, is on the move... slipping into the ring undetected around the other side! Stevens coming in... Hart going OUT – VAULTING OVER THE TOP ROPE and LAYING OUT CAMERON CRUISE WITH A CORKSCREW PLANCHA AS HE WAS GETTING TO HIS FEET!

Crowd: *POP!!*

DM: What a STUNNING MOVE by “THE PHENOM” SHAWN HART, taking out the very man he defeated to become the Intercontinental Champion!! Cruise was distracted by that arm, otherwise I would have expected him to have cleared out of the way!

MN: Alas, Cruise is NO Sean Stevens!!

DT: The fans are hot behind Hart as he mounts the chest of Cameron Cruise and POUNDS AWAY without mercy! Cameron Cruise is POUNDING BACK, showing some FIGHTING SPIRIT!!

DM: All gloves are off now! Hart dragging Cruise back to his feet, as both men just RECKLESSLY pummel each other at ringside! Meanwhile, back in the ring, Stevens sets his sights on The First! The First still struggling to breath... and the World Champion jumps on the opportunity to grab his legs! Stevens WRAPS THEM INTO A FIGURE FOUR!!

DT: Oh man, The First is just SCREAMING in pain now! He needs to break free from this hold, or that leg that Cruise worked on earlier is only going to get even more damaged!

DM: Stevens has that hold cinched in! This is a bad position for The First! He’s gotta reach those ropes, but Stevens has a clear weight advantage over him!

MN: All he can do is sit there and beg for mercy until he TAPS!!

DT: The First has come TOO FAR to tap out so soon! Stevens, meanwhile, works that leg... and back on the outside, HART catches Cruise with a European Uppercut to counter a blocked strike! Cruise reeling now, and Hart takes him by that same arm Cruise accidentally drove into the barricade!

DM: Leading him over to the STEEL RINGPOST now! This doesn’t look good for CRUISE!!

*BANG!!*

DT: OH MAN!! CRUISE just violently THREW that arm into the STEEL RING POST! Cruise lying hurt against the apron... and Hart takes him by the arm AGAIN!!

SFX: *BANG!!*

DT: AND THERE’S ANOTHER shot against the ringpost! Cruise’s arm has got to be feeling much like The First’s LEG right about now!

MN: Why hasn’t that twerp TAPPED yet?!

DM: The First is STILL fighting that Figure Four Leglock! Stevens looking a little IMPATIENT... screaming vulgarities in The First’s face as he continues to CLAMP DOWN on that leg!

DT: The First could be slipping... wait, Jones sees his SHOULDERS ON THE MAT!

ONE!!

TWO!!

And The First SITS RIGHT UP before the three-count can be made! That was TOO close!

MN: I have to admit, I was a little hopeful there...

DM: Back on the outside... Cruise is on the mat, trying to protect that arm from some HEAVY stomps coming from the Intercontinental Champion! No doubt, Hart’s going to try and soften that limb up to prepare for the FUJIWARA ARMBAR!

DT: Hart bringing Cruise to his feet again... gives the WRIST a twist, and holds it up over his SHOULDER, looking for the ARMBREAKER – BUT CRUISE SHOVES HIM OFF!!

DM: Cruise finally got that arm back, but here comes HART – NO!! Walks into a DROP TOE HOLD FROM CRUISE –

SFX: *BANG!!*

DM: – OH GOD, HART WENT FACE-FIRST INTO THAT STEEL POLE!!

MN: Poetic justice, maybe! Live by the steel ringpost... DIE by the steel ringpost.

DT: That knocked the Intercontinental Champion out COLD, but for now, Cruise’s attention goes back to the ring, and he slides under the ropes to join the action! Now he sees The First with his LEG caught up in that Figure Four Leglock!

MN: Don’t be an IDIOT, Cam!

DM: Cruise thinking something over... wait, now he’s going over where The First is! He’s... MY GOD, HE’S SLAPPING ON A SLEEPERHOLD!!

DT: It’s like Cruise and Stevens are trying to RIP HIM IN HALF!! What does he think he’s DOING?!

MN: Trying to make it to the final three, DUH...

DM: Neels is right on that one, Dave! Cruise likely sees this as an opportunity to eliminate The First and get him out of the way of his plan to take the World Title!

DT: The First has gone from VERY BAD to EVEN WORSE... and now he’s slipping even FASTER!! Cruise is trying to force his SHOULDERS down to the mat... and I think he HAS HIM!!

ONE!!

TWO!!

THR – NO!! The First BARELY got the shoulder up there! No doubt, he had to dig DEEP for that one!

DM: He’s got a LEG about to be snapped in two, and at the same time, he’s losing BLOOD to the brain! It’s only a matter of time now before this cooperative submission attempt does its work!

DT: Not unless SHAWN HART can do something about it! HART, back on his feet... and now he’s COMING INTO THE RING!!

MN: Don’t do anything STUPID, Hart! NO ALLIANCES, remember?! It’s every man FOR HIMSELF!!

DM: That’s right, Neels! And clearly, Hart’s thinking of his OWN interests as he sets his sights on the CHAMPION!!

MN: WHAT?! NO!! GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU CLOWN!!

DT: Stevens looking SURPRISED as Hart looms over him! Tries to FIGHT HIM OFF, but Hart catches him with a BOOT right across the face! Hart grabbing the arm – LOCKS IN THE FUJIWARA ARMBAR!! FUJIWARA ARMBAR ON THE CHAMP, while he still has the FIGURE FOUR LOCKED IN ON THE FIRST!!

DM: Man, this is the CRAZIEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!! FOUR MEN LOCKED INTO ONE HUGE CHAIN OF SUBMISSION HOLDS!! The First SLIPPING FAST... but this could be his BREAK, as the CHAMP is now screaming in AGONY, trying to free himself!

DT: He won’t be able to do it until he frees up his legs! That means releasing The First! Cruise, meanwhile, squeezing HARD around The First’s neck! But The First is STILL fighting it!!

MN: Come on, Trip! Just a second longer! I think he’s about to TAP!!

DM: I think he sees his CHANCE OF ESCAPE!! Cruise pulling ONE WAY... Hart pulling the OTHER WAY... and THE FIRST’S LEGS SLIP FREE OF STEVENS’ GRIP!! THE CHAIN IS BROKEN!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: Cruise and Hart finally just pulled the two of them apart... and now we’ve got Hart with the FUJIWARA ARMBAR on the World Champion, while Cruise maintains the sleeper hold on The First!

DM: The First is ANYTHING but asleep right now! He’s struggling back to his feet... SHAKES OFF CRUISE WITH AN INVERTED JAWBREAKER!!

DT: Stevens working onto HIS feet as well... using his LEG to STOP AWAY AT SHAWN HART!! Hart’s trying to TWIST THAT ARM and hyper-extend the shoulder... but OH!! He catches a hard STOMP right into the forehead, and Stevens managed to get his arm out of his grasp!

DM: Stevens rubbing his arm... The First rubbing his leg... Cruise and Hart rubbing their jaws... this match is exacting an OBVIOUS toll on every competitor involved!

DT: And it’s a toll I have no doubt that EVERY ONE OF THEM is willing to pay in order to walk out of that ring as the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION of Empire Pro! No eliminations yet, but this grueling contest is beginning to have its effects on its participants!

MN: Except for Trip, of course! He’s still as fresh as he was when he first came to the ring...

DM: Judging by the expression on our esteemed champion’s face, Neels... I find that hard to believe.

DT: Sean Stevens, looking incensed... he’s losing control of this match, and it’s CLEARLY making him angry! Here he goes to peel Hart back off the mat and – NO WAIT!! HART WITH A SMALL PACKAGE!!

ONE!!

TWO!!

THR – ALMOST STOLE IT!! Wow, he walked right into that one!

MN: Uh... CLEARLY, he saw it coming!

DM: Hart is definitely a big, fat hair in Stevens’ bowl of clam chowder right now! Stevens and Hart scrambling back to their feet... HART PUTS THE CHAMP TO THE MAT with an Armdrag! Keeps hold of the wrist and gives it a TWIST... once again, focusing on that arm the way he did with Cameron Cruise earlier in this match!

DT: I think he wants to make the champion TAP OUT in that Fujiwara Armbar!

MN: Too bad he won’t get the chance to do it again!

DM: The Intercontinental Champ has done a remarkable job up until this point, especially given his condition! Hart wrenching the arm... across the ring, The First back up... Cruise up as well... THE FIRST gets in the first shot with a BOOT to the gut... and follows through with a ROLLING DDT!!

DT: The First hooking the leg for the cover!

ONE!!

TWO!!

CRUISE KICKS OUT!!

DM: HEY!! Stevens just GOUGED THE EYES of Shawn Hart! Pat Jones couldn’t see ANYTHING, cause he was busy making the count!

MN: You snooze, you lose, ref...

DT: Hart reeling... KNOCKED HARD TO THE MAT by a RUNNING KNEE LIFT FROM STEVENS!! That cheap shot certainly paid off!

DM: Stevens turning his attention from “The Phenom” to the other two challengers... he wants to get this match back to where he had it... CLONKS The First in the head from his blind side... and there’s the IRISH WHIP to the CORNER!! Stevens FOLLOWS – !!

DT: NO!! THE FIRST REBOUNDS OFF THE SECOND ROPE!! OH MAN, he caught the CHAMP’S HEAD IN A LEG-SCISSOR!!

MN: He’s STILL GOT THE ROPES!! Ref, DO SOMETHING!

DM: NO NEED!! The First THROWS STEVENS THROUGH THE ROPES with a HEAD-SCISSOR TAKEDOWN OUT OF THE CORNER!! The First just threw the World Champion from his OWN RING!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: Stevens scrambling to his feet on the outside, and he looks FURIOUS!! The First... BECKONING him back into the ring!

MN: Look BEHIND YOU, idiot!!

DM: TOO LATE!! Cameron Cruise TRAPS THE FIRST into a FULL NELSON...

DT: OH MAN, FOLLOWS THROUGH RIGHT INTO A BRIDGED DRAGON SUPLEX!!!

ONE!!

TWO!!

THR – NO!! BROKEN UP BY SHAWN HART!!

MN: DAMN! Was hoping that punk would finally get eliminated!

DM: Sean Stevens was probably hoping for the same thing! But instead, Hart prevents the early elimination of his HOPE ally!

MN: I’m telling you, those two are WORKING TOGETHER in this match!

DT: Cruise, First, and Hart all back to their feet at once... and Cruise immediately starts peppering BOTH members of HOPE with some stiff jabs! No doubt, he shares your suspicions, Mike!

DM: BIG Knife-Edge Chop leaves The First reeling against the ropes, and now he sets his attention on Hart, TANGLING UP with the Intercontinental Champion in a collar-and-elbow tie-up... oh, hold on, Stevens climbing up to the APRON now! He’s got his attention on the unsuspecting!

DT: Cruise and Hart struggling for leverage... and Stevens AGAIN cracks The First in the head from his blindspot... OH GOD, FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH A REVERSE SUPLEX OVER THE ROPES TO THE OUTSIDE!!

DM: That just looked DEVASTATING! The First took a SICK looking fall on the barely-padded ringside floor!

MN: Payback can be a *****! And The First is the BIGGEST ***** OF THEM ALL!!

DT: Hart and Cruise are still jockeying for position in the middle of the ring... wait, CRUISE slips around to the back of Hart!

DM: Cameron Cruise has been doing some significant damage from behind thus far in this match... this time LOOKING FOR A BACK SUPLEX – but HART ROLLS THROUGH and LANDS ON HIS FEET!! Hart with a WAISTLOCK OF HIS OWN now!

DT: COUNTERED into a SNAPMARE by Cruise! Hart’s looking to put that arm into something... but Cruise KNOCKS HIM BACK with a quick seated BICYCLE KICK that caught him in the forehead!

DM: Hart is reeling on his feet... and Cruise makes it back to his feet! Catches Hart with a BOOT to the gut... and hooks him for the SUPLEX!!

DT: But Hart is BLOCKING IT!! Cruise is having some trouble getting him off the mat...

MN: FAIL.

DM: “Triple X” Sean Stevens reenters the ring, having left The First knocked out cold on the outside... Hart trying to REVERSE the suplex now – but Cruise BITES BACK with a stiff shot to the ribs!

DT: Cruise DIGGING DEEP... LIFTS HART OFF THE MAT FOR THE VERTICLE SUPLEX –

DM: OH WAIT, Stevens CUTS OUT HIS LEG with a RUNNING KICK!! Cruise COLLAPSES with HART ON TOP!!

DT: Was that even NECESSARY?! Stevens ARROGANTLY pressing his FOOT down over Hart’s back...

MN: AWESOME!!

DT: ...and Cruise is pinned beneath the weight of TWO MEN! Here comes Pat Jones to make the count!

ONE!!

TWO!!

THREE – ALMOST!! Cruise JUST managed to get that shoulder up!!

DM: I wonder who they would have given the elimination to if he hadn’t kicked out...

MN: TRIP, obviously... I mean, he WAS on top!

DT: OH MAN!! Shawn Hart just took a VICIOUS STOMP right to the back of the HEAD as punishment! I think that may have knocked him out COLD!!

DM: Cruise trying to get back up, but now he’s got the lifeless body of Shawn Hart pinning him down!! OOHH!! Stevens delivers a HARD KICK right to his FACE while he’s trapped!

DT: Stevens surveys the scene... the First is still lying hurt on the outside, with Cruise nearly getting his FACE kicked in, and Hart likely UNCONCIOUS given the amount of damage his head’s taken over the course of this match!

MN: Looks like everything’s finally in its right place!

DM: Stevens goes for the only man who’s still moving... CRUISE! Stevens drags him back to his feet by the HAIR, and just arrogantly SCOFFS in Pat Jones face as the referee gives him a warning! Stevens has him by the arm... DRAGS HIM RIGHT INTO A BACK ELBOW STRIKE!

DT: Cruise knocked to the mat... and Stevens STAMPS THE HAND while he’s down! Cruise gripping that hand, but Stevens just BOOTS HIM IN THE SHOULDER right back to the mat!

DM: It’s like watching a lion playing with its food before it goes in for the kill...

MN: And Cruise is only SKIN and BONES!

DT: The World Champion, mounting the chest of the usurped Anthology founder... LAYING INTO HIS FACE with some HARD STRIKES!! Jones warning him over the closed fists, and Stevens is just IGNORING HIM!!

DM: Stevens, PUNCHING with enough authority to blow Cruise’s FACE out the back of his HEAD... and I think the former Intercontinental Champion has been BUSTED OPEN!!

DT: Pat Jones KNOWS he has to stop this! Wait... he just GRABBED THE CHAMP BY THE ARM!! Stevens looking FURIOUSLY into the eyes of the referee, but Jones STERNLY WARNING HIM that he’ll disqualify him!

MN: I bet you anything that this is the LAST match where we see that dried up fossil and his nauseating favoritism in an EPW ring...

DT: Stevens staring intently at the referee... but shrugs it off, and rises off of Cruise’s chest – OH!! BUT NOT BEFORE SLAPPING HIM ONE LAST TIME ACROSS THE FACE!!

Crowd: “BOOOOOOOOO!!!”

DM: What a cheap shot...

MN: Come on, Dean... are you seriously telling me you aren’t a little tickled inside to see Cameron Cruise get *****-SLAPPED?!

DM: Nothing pisses me off more than seeing a fine-talented Empire Pro veteran getting disrespected...

DT: Couldn’t agree with you more on that, Dean-O. Stevens leaving Cruise on the mat to bleed, as Pat Jones checks his wound! Doesn’t look like too much of a gusher...

DM: Stevens taking notice of The First on the outside, just now working back to his feet with the help of the barricade and the ringside fans egging him on! Now he looks to HART, who hasn’t budged an INCH since Stevens delivered that sickening STOMP right to the back of the head!

DT: I’m really concerned about the condition of the Intercontinental Champion right now! He could be suffering from a CONCUSSION!

MN: Better yet, he could be DEAD!!

DM: Neels, you sick, morbid bastard... how in the HELL would that make things BETTER?!

MN: Uhh...

DT: Stevens nudges Hart with his toe, as if checking to make sure he’s out! Hart is completely UNRESPONSIVE! No doubt, he could pin him and eliminate the IC Champ right there!

DM: I think “Triple X” is more interested in giving “The Phenom” a flashier kind of send-off! Stevens going to the turnbuckle now... rising up to the TOP ROPE! Man, he’s got about HALF THE RING to clear there!

MN: Trip could jump that in his SLEEP...

DT: Cruise still on the ground... The First nowhere NEAR Stevens’ corner! He’s got a FREE SHOT right at the unconscious and defenseless Shawn Hart!

DM: Sean Stevens... LUNGING OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH A LEAP OF FAITH ELBOW DROP –

DT: AND SHART HART JUST SHOT STRAIGHT UP!! STEVENS’ ELBOW HITS NOTHING BUT CANVAS!!!

Crowd: *POP!!*

DM: I guess he wasn’t out AFTER all! Or maybe he WAS, and just coincidentally WOKE UP the instant Stevens was in the AIR!

DT: You never know with Shawn Hart...

MN: That crazy bastard...

Crowd: “HART!! HART!! HART!! HART!! HART!! HART!!”

DM: Hart’s got the fans rallying behind him, trying to make it to his feet now! Still looks a little DISORIENTED, though... and despite rubbing that ARM, the champ still manages to make it up before him!

DT: Stevens looks like he could KILL SOMEBODY right now... specifically, the Intercontinental Champ, “The Phenom” SHAWN HART, who’s back on his feet, but holds his head as though he’s fighting the urge to PASS OUT again! I think Hart needs some SERIOUS medical attention!

MN: Right... never mind the guy with the busted up face lying on the mat...

DM: Cruise trying to get to his feet with the help of the ropes... on the outside, The First is just now finally coming to! There’s nobody to help Shawn Hart!

DT: Stevens takes him from behind... slaps on the front facelock... LIFTS HIM UP FOR THE X-TERMINATOR – OOOOH, WAIT, HE’S HAVING TROUBLE!!

DM: His ARM is GIVING OUT!! He can only manage to lift Hart over his SHOULDER!! Hart KICKING HIS LEGS now! Stevens drops him into an inverted belly-to-belly position... but Hart CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE!!

MN: Come on, Trip, just DROP HIM right there on his head! This ain’t the time to be flashy!

DT: The champion is losing his balance!! OH WOW!! HART BREAKS FREE – AND FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH THE HART ON!!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

MN: NO WAY!!!

DM: UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE!! HART REVERSED THE X-TERMINATOR INTO A HART ON!!

DT: All he has to do is PIN THE CHAMPION to eliminate him... but it looks like that feat took EVERYTHING out of him! He barely has the strength to CRAWL at this point! Come on, Shawn!

MN: There is NO WAY Stevens is getting eliminated first!

DM: Speaking of “FIRSTS”... the HIGH-FLYING SENSATION sees what’s happening, and quickly slides back into the ring!! The First GOING FOR THE COVER!!

DT: THIS COULD BE IT!!

ONE!!

TWO!!!

THR – NO!!! STEVENS KICKED OUT AT THE LAST SECOND!!

DM: If Hart had the strength to make that cover himself, no doubt the champion would have just been ELIMINATED!

MN: The champ saw to it earlier in this match that NOBODY would have the strength to cover him!

DT: Talk all you want, Neely... Stevens LUCKED OUT right there!

DM: The First is bringing Stevens back to his feet! Meanwhile, CRUISE is finally back to his feet and ready for action! The first thing he notices is a defenseless Shawn Hart struggling to get off the canvas!

DT: The First, looking for an Irish Whip – NO!! It’s REVERSED by Stevens, and the First CONNECTS with the turnbuckle! Stumbling out now...

DM: AND WALKS RIGHT INTO AN X-FACTOR FROM STEVENS!!! That came COMPLETELY OUT OF NOWHERE, and The First could do NOTHING to prepare for it!!

MN: FINALLY!! Trip, do us all a favor and GET THAT PUNK OUT OF THE RING!!

DM: Wait, WAIT, WAIT A SEC NOW... CRUISE PUTTING HART INTO THE CRUISE CONTROL!! MY GOD, HE’S GOT THAT SUBMISSION HOLD CINCHED IN ON A BARELY CONSCIOUS MAN!!!

DT: Stevens going for the COVER on The First, but Pat Jones has his attention on HART AND CRUISE!!

MN: *******it, COME ON, YOU STUPID REF!! ONE!! TWO!! THREE!! He’s OUT!!

DM: Hart is FIGHTING THE URGE TO TAP, and meanwhile, Stevens is FIGHTING THE URGE TO RIP THE REF’S HEAD OFF!

DT: I think Hart is about to PASS OUT!! His EYES ARE ROLLING BACK!! The pain is just TOO MUCH given everything he’s been through tonight!

DM: Hart’s arm, reaching for the ropes... but now it’s starting to FALTER!! I think he’s ON HIS WAY OUT!!

DT: NOO!! Stevens BUSTS CRUISE RIGHT IN THE JAW with a running STOMP!! HE JUST BROKE UP THE HOLD!!

MN: That’s what he GETS for trying to steal the champ’s THUNDER!! The First should be OUT OF THIS MATCH!

DM: More angry stomps on the part of the champ, kicking a MUDHOLE into Cameron Cruise who can only retreat into the corner and TAKE IT!! Stevens is holding NOTHING BACK in those kicks! He is legitimately PISSED OFF right now!

DT: I think Shawn Hart really DID pass out again! He’s not moving on the mat! Stevens leaving Cruise, targeting the weakest link in the ring once again! He’s flipping Hart over and... and he’s going to the TURNBUCKLE!!

DM: This didn’t work out so well for the champ last time he went upstairs! Still, I’d hardly think Hart is going to just SNAP AWAKE like he did last time! No doubt, he’s out of this match for GOOD!

DT: The First, showing some recovery... meanwhile, Stevens stepping through the ropes... slowly scaling up to the top rope... posing for the FANS...

Crowd: “BOOOOOOOOO!!!”

MN: Man, he just a work of ART!!

DT: Blatant showboating on the part of the champion...

DM: WAIT A SEC, HERE’S COMES THE FIRST!! The First just SNAPPED OFF THE MAT and SPRANG ONTO THE TOP ROPE with STEVENS!!

MN: WHAT!? WHERE THE HELL DID HE COME FROM!?

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: THE FIRST IS WAILING AWAY AT THE FACE OF THE CHAMPION!! BOTH MEN LOCKED IN A LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE ON THE TOP ROPE!!

MN: Come on, Trip! HIT HIM!!

DM: Stevens was caught completely off guard!! The First... bouncing off the top rope and GOING HIGH FOR A SUPER HURRICANRANA –

SFX: *SLAMM!!*

Crowd: “OOOoooohh...”

DT: OH GOD NO, STEVENS REVERSED WITH A SUPER POWERBOMB!! THE FIRST JUST GOT BOMBED RIGHT ON TOP OF SHAWN HART FROM MORE THAN TEN FEET!!

DM: Quick and desperate counter on the part of the World Champion, taking out TWO BIRDS with ONE STONE!! The First was making a spirited comeback there, but just like that, the champ puts him to the mat with ANOTHER devastating move!

MN: Trip didn’t come here tonight to **** around... and any time that scrawny twerp tries taking a swing at the CHAMP, he gets BURNED for it!

DT: Stevens readjusting himself... once again targeting the motionless Shawn Hart...

DM: Here he comes OFF THE TOP ROPE –

DT: CRUISE IN MOTION!!

DM: – WITH THE FROGSPL – HOLY HELL, CRUISE!! CRUISE WITH THE REALITY CHECK!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: JESUS CHRIST ON A DASHBOARD, CAMERON CRUISE JUST REALITY CHECKED THE WORLD CHAMPION OUT OF THE AIR!!

DM: I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN MY LIFE!!

MN: Wha... WHAT... the...

DM: Neels is at an absolute loss of words after THAT!! We gotta see the replay...

[A second screen appears as the real-time action moves to a box in the corner. In slow motion, the cameras catch Cruise, from his position on his knees across the ring, looking up and seeing the champion on the top rope. He bursts to his feet as soon as Sean Stevens leaps from the top rope, and then, in one fluid motion, sprints across half the length of the ring, jumps into the air, catches the World Champ, and yanks him down the rest of the way to the mat with a devastating Reality Check. A moment later, we return to real-time.]

DM: That was an UNBELIEVABLE counter on the part of the former Intercontinental Champion... but now he has to seal the deal! Cruise, CRAWLING to the champion now! All he has to do is MAKE THE PIN!!

MN: Oh man... it CAN’T END THIS WAY!!

DT: Cruise reaches Stevens... drapes an ARM across his chest for the cover!

ONE!!

TWO!!!

THREE – OH *******IT, STEVENS GOT HIS FOOT ON THE ROPES!!

MN: PHEW!!

DM: If Cameron had hooked that leg, that would have been a certified elimination! Cruise, undeterred... dragging Stevens away from the ropes! Goes for the cover again, and hooks BOTH legs!!

DT: This could BE IT!!

ONE!!

TWO!!

THR – KICKOUT!! That’s yet another lost opportunity for a challenger to eliminate the World Champion...

MN: Oh, Cammy... I can always rely on YOU to bungle the simplest of things!

Crowd: “CRUISE!! CRUISE!! CRUISE!! CRUISE!! CRUISE!!”

DT: Cruise is so close to finishing off the champion he can practically SMELL IT!! Meanwhile, SHAWN HART is finally awake again... and it looks like he’s trying to get back to his feet, but CAN’T!!

MN: Somebody should just put that clown out of his misery already!

DM: For the first time in this match, Stevens looks to be in bad shape! Cruise has him back to his feet again... there’s the WHIP TO THE ROPES!! Stevens rebounds, and Cruise waits for him with ANOTHER REALITY CHE – OH NO!!

Crowd: “AAAAaaaawww...”

DT: Stevens COUNTERED WITH A RUNNING ESS-TEE-OH!!

DM: That was a LIFE-SAVING MOVE!! No doubt, if Cam had hit that second Reality Check, we’d be seeing a new champion crowned here tonight!

MN: You guys are ALWAYS too quick to rule out Trip in his most desperate hour. That’s where he does his best WORK!

DT: Stevens back up... STOMPING CRUISE YET AGAIN while he’s down, and he’s focusing on that CUT in the former IC Champ’s forehead, trying to bust him open even MORE!!

DM: Hold the phone... SHAWN HART is finally back on his feet for the first time in what seems like SEVERAL MINUTES!! Stevens turning his attention away from Cruise to take care of the unfinished business he started on Shawn Hart!

DT: Stevens stepping forward with a BIG HAYMAKER – AND IT’S BLOCKED BY HART!! Hart COUNTERS WITH A JUDO SHOULDER THROW!!

DM: He’s still got the WRIST – AND HE SLAPS ON THE FUJIWARA ARMBAR!! HE’S GOT IT LOCKED IN!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

MN: Oh ****... ****!! COME ON, TRIP!! Get to those ROPES!!

DM: This is the second time Stevens is feeling the BURN of the Fujiwara Armbar in this match! He was able to brace the pain earlier, but I really don’t know if he’s got enough left in him to fight it off a SECOND time!

DT: He’s only an ARM LENGTH’S AWAY from the bottom rope, and he is SCREAMING IN PAIN as he desperately thrashes his way across the mat inch by painful inch to get there! He MIGHT MAKE IT!!

DM: Stevens only INCHES now!! Hart, still wringing that arm! That’s the same arm that Stevens landed on earlier after missing the top rope elbow drop meant for the very man on the verge of making him TAP!!

MN: Whatever you do, Sean... DON’T GIVE IN!! You’re SO CLOSE NOW!!

DT: Stevens REACHING OUT...

…

...AND HE’S GOT THE BOTTOM ROPE!!

DM: NO HE DOESN’T!! CAMERON CRUISE JUST KICKS HIS ARM RIGHT OFF THE ROPE!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

MN: CAM, YOU GUTLESS SON OF A *****!!!

DM: Payback from earlier, when Stevens interrupted HIS submission attempt! And now Cruise adds INSULT TO INJURY, STOMPING AWAY at the World Champion as he fights the INTENSE PAIN IN HIS ARM!!

MN: Come on, THIS IS TWO ON ONE!!

DT: And it’s about to be THREE on one!! THE FIRST is back to his feet, and he’s looking for the TURNBUCKLE!! The First is GOING UP TOP!!

MN: That one-dimensional freak! Every time he gets a chance, he’s gotta JUMP off something...

DM: Stevens could be moments away from tapping right now! He’s got that ARM being VIOLENTLY TWISTED by Hart... and CRUISE is laying BOMBS of stomps to his shoulder and face... and The First could very well be looking for the KILL!!

DT: OH WAIT!! Stevens BLOCKS a kick attempt from Cruise with his free arm and SHOVES HIM OFF!! Cruise loses his balance... and STUMBLES TO THE MAT!

MN: HA!! FINALLY!!

DM: He’s got some breathing room to work with, but only for a MOMENT... as The First is PERCHED ON THE TOP ROPE and READY TO FLY!!

DT: Stevens is a SITTING DUCK!!

DM: The First LUNGES OFF THE TOP ROPE – CUT THE THREAD –

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: OH ****, STEVENS JUST LURCHED TO THE SIDE!!

Crowd: “NOOOOOOO!!!”

DT: OH GOD NO, THE FIRST HIT SHAWN HART!!! CUT THE THREAD ON HART!! HE NEARLY DECAPITATED HIS OWN HOPE ALLY!!

MN: YES!! YES YES YES!!!

DM: What the hell HAPPENED there?! Somebody give me a replay...

[Replay shot again. The slow-motion footage reveals Stevens noticing the First about to strike off the top rope. In the last instance, with Hart still latched onto his arm, he PULLS with all of his strength to one side, dragging himself and Hart just far enough for the First’s Cut the Thread to hit the unintended target.]

DT: It almost looked to me as though Stevens PULLED HART into the way of that Cut the Thread! COMPLETE desperation on the part of the champion, who now rolls out of the ring to lick his wounds!

DM: A canny counter to be sure, but it looked like he nearly pulled his ARM right out of the socket just to pull it off! Wisely, he goes to the outside before any more damage can be done... but Cruise slips out to pursue him!

DT: Meanwhile, the First is left in the ring with the unconscious Hart, unsure of how to react to what just transpired!

MN: Hey, he should be feeling PROUD! At least he hit SOMEBODY!!

DM: That closed the book completely on Shawn Hart again! For the THIRD TIME in this match, he’s been knocked UNCONCIOUS!! That head injury is only going to get worse!

DT: The First does the only thing he can think of... and drapes himself across the chest of Hart, hooking the LEGS for the PIN!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

TTTHHHRREEEEE!!! SHAWN HART HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!!

MN: SO LONG, SUCKER!!

DM: Shawn Hart put up one HELL of a fight, given his condition walking into this match! But the punishment done to his head was just too much for a man to handle! The First is now communicating with Pat Jones, telling him to call a medical team!

DT: The well-being of his friend and ally are clearly The First’s major concern right now... but with the Intercontinental Champion removed from this match, we are down to THREE, and he understands that there’s still more work to be done!

DM: Back to ringside... Cameron Cruise is ALL OVER the World Champion, trying to pummel him into OBLIVION!! This is definitely becoming a personal matter for Cruise!

DT: EMTs are charging down the ramp to tend to Shawn Hart, while Cruise and Stevens oblivious pound away at each other! Wait a sec... The First GOING UP TOP!!

MN: Here we go again...

DM: THE FIRST OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH A SHOOTING STAR PRESS!!! HE JUST LAID OUT BOTH CRUISE AND STEVENS AT RINGSIDE!!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: MY GOD, I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING SO STUNNING IN MY LIFE!!

MN: Punk should have broken his neck...

DM: We need to get the replay on that...

MN: Geez, Dean... you think we could give the replay thing a rest?!

DM: I CAN’T HELP IT!! This whole match is a HIGHLIGHT REEL!!

[Another instant replay pops up. The camera catches the fluid actions as The First springs to the top rope in one motion and comes springing off again with a beautiful Shooting Star Press. The unsuspecting Sean Stevens and Cameron Cruise look up at the last second before they’re both swept to the floor under the diving man’s weight.]

DT: Simply amazing... no other way to put it.

DM: The First has the advantage now, with the fans COMPLETELY at his back! He’s getting Stevens to his feet and rolling him back into the ring!

MN: Damnit, why do they always go for HIM first?!

DT: Cause he’s the one with the BELT, Neely! The First slides in after – NO WAIT!! Cruise REACHED UP and GRABBED HIM by the ankle... and just DRAGS HIM BACK TO THE OUTSIDE!!

DM: OOOH!! The First just go PEARL HARBORED by a shot to the back of the head from Cruise! Cruise has him stunned...

SFX: *CRASH!!*

DM: …AND RUNS HIM HEAD-FIRST RIGHT INTO THE BARRICADE!!

DT: The First just can’t catch a BREAK in this match! In any case, Cruise leaves him there on the floor and rolls back into the ring to get to Stevens! And while he goes IN, the medical team help Shawn Hart OUT. Looks like he’s conscious again...

DM: Hart needs his head checked, but the good news is that he’s able to leave the ring on his own feet! The question is... given how HELLACIOUS this match as been... will he be the ONLY ONE?!

MN: Well, I’ll agree with you on one thing... he DOES need his head checked.

DT: Cruise moving in on Stevens, but Stevens is back to his feet! Both men LOCK UP...

DM: Here we GO... CRUISE quickly whips to the BACK of the champ, hooking that arm into a CHICKWING!! Stevens trying to free himself... but CRUISE SLAPS ON A DRAGON SLEEPER!! What an INCREDIBLE MODIFIED SUBMISSION HOLD!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

MN: BAH!! Stupid SUBMISSION HOLDS!!

DT: Cruise PULLING BACK... trying to GET TO THE MAT... now he’s LOCKING IN A GUILLOTINE USING HIS LEGS!!! The World Champion, being PULLED APART in several places!!

DM: The only thing Stevens has free is that ARM... and it took a hell of a FUJIWARA only minutes ago!

MN: Come on, Trip, GET TO THOSE ROPES!!

DT: TOO LATE!! Cruise HAS HIM ON THE MAT! And I don’t think he’s FINISHED YET!!

DM: Cruise, rolling over... and now Stevens is FACE DOWN on the mat!! Cruise releases the guillotine... now he LOCKS STEVENS’S LEG!! Transitioning out of the Dragon Sleeper –

DT: RIGHT INTO THE CRUISE CONTROL!!! HE’S GOT IT LOCKED IN!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DM: That was a CLASSIC chain of holds, right into Cameron Cruise’s own modified STF finisher! Stevens has GOT to be wanting to tap out!

MN: COME ON, TRIP!! YOU’RE BLOWING THIS!!

DT: The World Champion may not even make it to the FINAL TWO in this match! Cruise, WRENCHING BACK on the head of “Triple X”... and Stevens can only make a futile effort to reach for the ropes!!

DM: I don’t know if he’s going to get there!

DT: Hang on, HANG ON... THE FIRST IS BACK ON THE APRON!!

MN: Oh CRAP, WHAT NOW!?

DM: The First... briefly measures the DISTANCE to the two men... and COMES BACK INTO THE RING WITH A SENTON SPLASH –

DT: CRUISE JUST STOOD STRAIGHT UP!!

DM: THE FIRST CONNECTS!! Oh wait, HE ONLY HIT SEAN STEVENS!! Cruise saw what was coming and QUICKLY broke the hold to get out of the way!

MN: DAMNIT!! YOU HIT THE WRONG GUY, YOU TWERP!!

DT: The First back to his feet... CHARGES CRUISE – BUT RUNS STRAIGHT INTO A DROP TOE HOLD, putting him into position RIGHT NEXT to Stevens!

DM: Cruise quickly locks in The First’s leg... locks in STEVENS LEG AS WELL!! Wait, what is he... OH MY GOD!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: HE’S GOT THE CRUISE CONTROL LOCKED IN BOTH MEN!!!

DM: MAN, WHAT A SIGHT TO BEHOLD!! TWIN STF’S, BOTH MEN DESPERATELY REACHING FOR THE ROPES!!

MN: Ugh...

DT: WILL WE SEE A TAP OUT!? Will we see TWO!? Can Cameron Cruise simultaneously ELMINATE BOTH OF THESE OPPONENTS?!

DM: It would DEFINITELY be a stunning feat!

MN: Don’t count Trip out YET, fellas! He’ll think of a way out of this one...

DT: Wait now... Stevens trying to drag himself forward... and now THE FIRST is working WITH HIM!! BOTH MEN USING THEIR COMBINED STRENGTH TO INCH TOWARD THE ROPES!!

DM: Cruise doesn’t have the WEIGHT or the LEVERAGE to keep them in place in the center of the ring! I think it’s ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, now!

MN: Good thing that freak is such a SHRIMP... or he’d just be extra DEADWEIGHT for the champ to pull along!

DT: Stevens LURCHES forward... only a foot away now... THE FIRST lurches forward... only INCHES!!

DM: THERE!! STEVENS MAKES A FINAL DESPERATE LUNGE, and he grabs THE BOTTOM ROPE!

DT: Pat Jones ORDERING Cruise to break the hold... or BOTH holds, rather... and Cruise COMPLIES!!

MN: Damn RIGHT he does!!

DM: Cruise back on his feet, looking PUMPED and just BECKONING Stevens and The First to get up! Remarkably, the former Intercontinental Champion has taken control of this match!!

DT: The First and Sean Stevens... DESPERATELY trying to claw their way up the ropes!

MN: Come on, Trip! YOU CAN BEAT HIM!!

DM: It’s not a race, Neels... and in this case, the “winner” would be the first person to deal with Cruise!

DT: Stevens almost up... OH MY, AND HE JUST SNAPS WITH RAGE, violently KICKING The First back to the mat and charging like a RABID ANIMAL AFTER CRUISE!!

DM: Cruise BAITING HIM IN – Stevens RUNS RIGHT INTO A REALITY CHECK!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

MN: OH, GOD NO!!

DT: THAT’S TWICE CAMERON CRUISE HAS HIT THE CHAMPION WITH A REALITY CHECK!! I DON’T KNOW IF HE HAS ENOUGH TO KICK OUT OF THIS ONE!!

MN: COME ON, TRIP!!

DT: ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THRE – NO!! SPOILED BY THE FIRST!! The First just dashed all hopes Cruise had of eliminating the CHAMPION!

MN: Oh man, I never thought I’d be saying this, but THANK YOU, FIRST!! THANK YOU FOR PREVENTING THAT ATROCITY!!

DM: A questionable move... but knowing The First, he wants this to come down to HIM and the CHAMPION alone!

MN: He’s just BEGGING for a dramatic execution, isn’t he??

DM: Cruise raging to his feet now... looking PISSED OFF!! The First gets a hard KNEE STRIKE right to the abdomen... Cruise hooks him around the waist – FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH A GUTWRENCH SUPLEX!!

DT: There’s the COVER!

ONE!!

TWO!!

KICKOUT!! Cruise quickly back up, and he doesn’t let go of that waistlock, dragging The First back up as well!!

DM: OOOOH, CRUISE WITH A STIFF-AS-HELL BELLY-TO-BELLY SUPLEX!! He just SLAMMED THE FIRST INTO THE MAT like a angry CHILD throwing a TOY to the floor!

DT: Cruise HOOKS THE LEG FOR A COVER!!

ONE!!

TWO!!

NO!! The First kicks out before the three! Cruise... UNDETERRED, brings The First back to his feet again!

DM: He’s just throwing every SUPLEX IN THE BOOK out there! The First has hardly had the chance to BREATH!!

DT: Cruise is definitely PUNISHING him for interrupting his chance to dethrone the self-proclaimed KING of professional wrestling! Meanwhile, “Triple X” Sean Stevens... just now beginning to stir awake!

MN: Oh, when he wakes up, you better BELIEVE there’s hell to pay!

DM: Cameron Cruise is a BLEEDING MESS of pure RAGE and FIRE right now! Hooking The First around the waist again... BRIDGING NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX!!!

DT: He MAKES THE COVER!!

ONE!!

TWO!!

ANOTHER KICKOUT!! The First will NOT STAY DOWN!!

DM: That’s incredible resiliency on the part of the painted-up freak... but at this point, Cruise is just SOFTENING HIM UP for the killing blow!

DT: Sean Stevens, looking shaky... but slowly making his way back to his feet using the ropes! This match has taken a TOLL on the World Champion... THAT much is clear! He didn’t expect THIS much competition...

MN: Give the man a BREAK, Dave! He’s had to fight off practically ALL THREE GUYS AT ONCE for the majority of this match! Not that THAT matters, because once he WINS this thing, he’s only going to look like that much more of a BADASS!!

DT: Cameron Cruise pumps back to his feet, getting the crowd RILED UP...

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DM: This could be THE END of The First! Cruise peels him off the mat... HOOKS HIM FOR THE REALITY – NO WAIT, THE FIRST SHOVES HIM OFF!!

SFX: *SMACK!!!*

Crowd: “OOOOOHHHH!!!

DT: – AND HE GOT SHOVED RIGHT INTO AN X-FACTOR FROM “TRIPLE X” SEAN STEVENS!!! STEVENS MADE IT TO HIS FEET AT THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND, AND WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME!!

MN: THAT WAS FREAKING AMAZING!! The champ is like a TELEPATH or something! He can SEE BEYOND NORMAL VISION!!

DM: Stevens looking down at the lifeless body of Cruise... but HERE COMES THE FIRST – RUNNING CROSS-BODY BLOCK – oh, BUT STEVENS CATCHES HIM!!

DT: CHRIST, NO!! Stevens nearly BREAKS HIM IN HALF with a DEVASTATING BACK-BREAKER!!

DM: Oh man... that looked CRIPPLING!! The First is in a LOT OF PAIN on the mat now!

MN: You take a swing at the king, you best not miss...

DT: Stevens is BACK IN CONTROL of the match, standing over TWO fallen contenders! Now he goes to the lifeless body of Cameron Cruise... HE MAKES THE COVER FOR THE ELIMINATION!!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THREE – OH NO!! CRUISE KICKED OUT!! CRUISE KICKED OUT!!

MN: DAMNIT, CAMMY!!! You’re NOT GOING TO WIN BACK MY APPROVAL IN DOING THAT!!

DM: The temporary distraction of The First bought Cruise just ONE EXTRA SECOND to muster the strength to kick out of that! But does he have enough left in the tank to KICK OUT AGAIN?!

DT: We’re ABOUT TO FIND OUT!! Stevens... STRIPPING CRUISE OFF THE MAT once again... setting him into POSITION...

MN: Houston, WE HAVE LIFT OFF!!

DM: Stevens lifts Cruise UP... OVER... DROPS HIM RIGHT INTO A PICTURE PERFECT X-TERMINATOR!!!

MN: BOOM, BABY!!

Crowd: “BOOOOOOOO!!!”

MN: Ah, I’ve never heard ANYTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL IN MY LIFE!!!

DT: Cruise is OUT... and “TRIPLE X” SEAN STEVENS SWOONS TO THE CAMERA as he hooks the legs for the COVER...

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

TTTHHHHREEEEEEE!!! CAMERON CRUISE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED!!!

MN: SO LONG, CAMMY!! You’ve been great...

DM: A strong main event performance by the former Intercontinental Champion... ENDS with his aspirations unfulfilled!

DT: You have to admit though... there were some VERY close calls with Cameron Cruise!

DM: Cruise is being rolled out of the ring by the referee... and now we’re down to TWO COMPETITORS for the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE!! The reigning champion... “TRIPLE X” SEAN STEVENS... and the man that’s been DOGGING HIM for the past TWO YEARS... THE FIRST!!

MN: It’s time to PUT UP or SHUT UP!!

DT: The First hasn’t moved from the mat since that HORRIBLE back-breaker! I certainly hope his back isn’t REALLY broken!

MN: We can only hope, Dave!

DM: “Triple X” is completely cool and casual as he walks over to The First... rolling him over now onto his back! The First is laid out and completely EXPOSED...

SFX: *SMACK!!!*

DM: ...and THE CHAMP just DISGRACEFULLY SLAPS the CHALLENGER!!

Crowd: “BOOOOOO!!”

DT: Stevens with an ARROGANT SMIRK as he looks POMPOUSLY into the crowd...

SFX: *SMACK!! SMACK!! SMACK!! SMACK!!!*

MN: YEAH!! *****-SLAP THAT *****!!!

Crowd: “YOU-SUCK!! YOU-SUCK!! YOU-SUCK!! YOU-SUCK!!”

DT: The World Champion is just ABUSING The First in that ring... HUMILIATING him!!

MN: It’s great, isn’t it? This is what this TWERP wanted! And now that he has his chance to shine... he just LAYS there and TAKES IT!!

DM: All the FIGHT has practically left The First! The pain and the punishment are just TOO MUCH for his lightweight frame!

DT: There can only be MORE to come!! Stevens grabbing him by the HAIR... leading him over to the corner now, and sets him up against the SECOND TURNBUCKLE... this does NOT look good!!

DM: OH, ****!! STEVENS JUST CURB-STOMPED THE FIRST RIGHT THERE ON THE TURNBUCKLE!! Now he’s STOMPING THE TAR out of the BACK OF HIS HEAD!!

MN: It’s like I’ve DIED and GONE TO HEAVEN!!

DM: You keep talking like that, and you WILL die tonight, Neels!

DT: Stevens, PRESSING THAT FOOT DOWN across The First’s HEAD, practically SMOTHERING HIM INTO THE TURNBUCKLE!! Come on, Pat, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!

DM: The senior official practically has to YANK the champion off of The First! Come on, Sean... you’re CROSSING THE LINE in there!

MN: The hell you talking about, Dean? SEAN STEVENS DREW THAT LINE LONG AGO!!

DT: The First is completely LIFELESS in the corner... and Stevens decides to DRAG HIM OUT to the center of the ring! I think he’s setting him up for something BIG here!

DM: Stevens has that COCKY smirk on his face as he points over to the TURNBUCKLE! He’s GOING UP TOP!!

Crowd: “BOOOOOOOO!!!”

DT: Stevens is really MILKING THIS for time!

MN: He’s got all the time he NEEDS! The First is practically DEAD in that ring!

DM: Stevens is perched up high... flashes an “X” sign for the fans!

Crowd: “BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

MN: In their hearts... they really LOVE him. We ALL do.

DT: Ugh... Stevens, GETTING INTO POSITION... DIVES OFF WITH A LEAP OF FAITH ELBOW DROP... IT CONNECTS!!! RIGHT INTO THE BACK OF THE FIRST’S HEAD!!!

DM: That could be IT for THE FIRST!!

DT: Stevens FLIPS HIM OVER for the COVER...

ONE!!

TWO!!

NO!! He just LIFTED HIMSELF OFF BEFORE THE THREE COUNT!!

DM: That SMUG BASTARD!!!

Crowd: “BOOOOOOOO!!!”

MN: Come on, COME ON, now... it can’t end THIS way! Trip’s gotta finish things in STYLE!!

DT: I hope this COCKY SON OF A ***** gets BURNED for this! Stevens... dragging The First back to his feet... The First looks like he’s on the verge of DEATH right now! I think he’s GAGGING!!

MN: You think he’s ready to DIE for that TITLE, Dave?!

DM: Stevens sets him staggering on his feet... clears the HAIR out of his face to get a good SHOT... and he CHARGES UP FOR THE X-FACTOR!!

DT: HERE IT COMES, LIKE A BULLET GOING RIGHT FOR THE HEAD –

DM: FIRST DUCKS IT!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

MN: OH, ****!!!

DT: Stevens turns around... NEARLY DECAPITATED BY A HOOK KICK FROM THE FIRST!! HAH HAH, I CALLED IT!! THE FIRST IS TRYING TO MAKE A COMEBACK!!

DM: IT’S NOT OVER YET!! Both men on the mat... STEVENS KIPS UP TO HIS FEET –

DT: – AND THE FIRST KIPS UP AT THE SAME TIME!!

Crowd: *POP!!*

DM: Stevens looks STUNNED!! The First... GAGGING... no, wait, NOT GAGGING!! GETTING READY TO SPIT GREEN MIST!!!

DT: OH NO!! STEVENS SHOT OUT HIS HAND AND COVERED HIS MOUTH!!

MN: You sneaky BASTARD!!! You think you can BLIND the CHAMPION with those tacky GIMMICKS of yours?!

DM: Stevens is CLAMPING THAT HAND down across The First’s FACE, forcing him to CHOKE ON HIS OWN POISON!!!

MN: HOW DO YOU LIKE IT NOW?!

DT: The First is FLAILING TO FREE HIMSELF... but Stevens TWISTS HIM AROUND into an INVERTED FACELOCK... lifts him UP FOR THE X-TERMINATOR –

DM: NO!! THE FIRST FLIPS OVER – AND COUNTERS WITH THE SOOOOUUUULLL BREAKER!!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DT: GOOD GOD, WHAT A COUNTER!!!

DM: REPLAY, REPLAY, REPLAY!!

MN: Of all the things you want to see in a replay... you pick THAT!!

DM: THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!!

[Replay shows Stevens lifting The First in position for the X-Terminator. However, as soon as The First’s feet leave the mat, his body flexes into action... tucking his legs in as he lingers upside down across Stevens shoulder, slipping his hands over the champion’s shoulders, and pulling him down HARD across both knees. The champion’s expression fluctuates from determination, to surprise, to DOUBT, and finally... to agony.]

DT: The First has a CHANCE TO FINISH THIS... he’s still SPITTING UP GREEN MIST as he crawls to the prone body of Sean Stevens!! Stevens can only FLAIL AN ARM, reaching for the ropes!

DM: He’s just working on INSTINCT now! His mind is to WASHED OVER with PAIN to think of anything clearly! He KNOWS he has nothing left!

MN: COME ON, TRIP! DON’T BLOW IT NOW!!

DT: The First is ALMOST THERE... BARELY has the strength to DRAPE AN ARM over the chest of the CHAMPION... FOR THE WIN...

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

TTTHHRRR –

DM: STEVENS GOT HIS FOOT ON THE ROPES!!

MN: YYYEAAAHHH, THAT’S GETTIN’ IT DONE!!

Crowd: “AWWWWW!!!”

DT: I thought FOR CERTAIN it was over right there... and we’d be looking at a new champion right now! But Sean Stevens JUST BARELY keeps this match going!

DM: The First is back up... BECKONING Stevens to rise!

Crowd: “FIRST!! FIRST!! FIRST!! FIRST!! FIRST!!”

MN: Annoying, bleating SHEEP!!

DT: Stevens is having trouble getting up... looking like he’s been knocked clear into the next WRESTLEVERSE!! The First stands ready... waiting for Stevens to make a move!

DM: Stevens steps forward – X-FACTOR – AND HE HITS NOTHING!! The First just SIDE-STEPS IT like a JEDI MASTER!! Not that he really HAD TO with how SLOPPY that looked!

DT: The World Champion is STAGGERING around the ring like he can hardly keep himself STANDING!! He notices the First standing there again, just EGGING HIM ON... goes for THE X-FACTOR AGAIN – NO!! Once again, TOO SLOW, and The First DODGES it with EASE!!

MN: Come on, Trip... FOCUS!!

DM: The First stands ready and waiting... STEVENS GOES FOR ANOTHER TELEGRAPHED X-FACTOR AGAIN – NO!! THIS TIME, THE FIRST CATCHES HIM BY THE LEG... and WRAPS HIM UP in a SMALL PACKAGE!!

DT: HE’S GOT STEVENS’ SHOULDERS DOWN!!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THR – NO!! Stevens BARELY kicks out!

DM: The First pops to his feet, and he’s IMMEDIATELY in motion as Stevens struggles to rise! The First, into the ropes... Sean Stevens is UP... and the First GOES INTO THE AIR FOR THE HURRICAAAANNNNOO!! Stevens about to TOPPLE BACKWARD under his weight... BACKPEDALS and BOUNCES OFF THE ROPES...

DT: The champ COUNTERS WITH A RUNNING LIGER BOMB!!!

MN: The CAT taught him that one!

DT: Stevens WITH THE PIN!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THRE – KICKOUT!!

Crowd: *POP!!*

DM: The First ROLLS FORWARD... REVERSES THE PIN!!

DT: OH WOW, HE COULD HAVE HIM!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

TH – NO!! Stevens POWERS OUT before the three!!

MN: Jones is getting a little TOO QUICK on those counts! You think he just wants this to be OVER so he can collect his paycheck and LEAVE?!

DM: The First... AGAIN running into the ropes... but Stevens is WAITING FOR HIM this time! The First RUNS RIGHT INTO A BACK-BODY – OH HELL, WAIT, HE LANDS ON HIS FEET!!

DT: What a BEAUTIFUL COUNTER!! The First QUICKLY HOOKS THE ARMS, looking for the BACKSLIDE... but Stevens is FIGHTING IT!!

MN: PULL, TRIP!! PPUUUUULLLLL!!!

DM: Stevens is DIGGING DEEP... The First DIGGING AS WELL... but Stevens has the WEIGHT!! He REVERSES, and puts The First’s shoulders TO THE MAT!!

DT: IS THIS THE END?!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THR – HE KICKED OUT!!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DM: Both men scrambling back to their feet! This is just AMAZING action! Minutes ago, both of these men were beaten BEYOND the brink of exhaustion... and now they’re DISHING OUT EVERYTHING THEY HAVE LEFT!!

DT: The First GOING FOR A DROPKICK – but it’s BLOCKED by Stevens, and The First drops to the mat! Stevens still has him by the LEGS... sets his back to the CORNER... and SLINGSHOTS THE FIRST INTO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE!!

MN: Oh YEAH!! I bet that punk is just getting SICK of tasting turnbuckle tonight!

DT: The First... staggering backward... runs right into a VICTORY ROLL BY THE WORLD CHAMPION!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THRE – ANOTHER KICKOUT!!!

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DM: The First simply will NOT STAY DOWN!!

DT: Stevens no longer looks ANGRY! Now he just looks DESPERATE to FINISH THIS!

MN: There’s NO DOUBT IN HIS MIND that he’s walking out of that ring THE WORLD CHAMPION, Thomas!

DM: Stevens in motion... runs to the ropes – SPRINGBOARD ASAI MOONSAULT –

DT: NOBODY HOME!! THE FIRST ROLLS OUT OF THE WAY AT THE LAST SECOND!! A GRACEFULLY PERFORMED maneuver by the champ, but unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to its intended purpose!

DM: The First is TRYING TO RALLY now as Stevens lies hurt on the mat, clutching his KNEE! The First... PUMPING UP TO THE TOP ROPE – COMES DIVING OFF WITH CUT!! THE!! TTTHHRRREAAAA – OH NO, STEVENS ROLLED OUT OF THE WAY!!

Crowd: “AAAAaaawww...”

DT: SO CLOSE!!

MN: Yet SO FAR!!

DM: Stevens back up... The First, fighting off the PAIN in that leg, desperately working back to his feet as well! Stevens gets to him fist... setting him up for a PILEDRIVER – NO WAIT!! THE FIRST SQUIRMING... and STEVENS FALLS BACK UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE FIRST!!

MN: Come on, Trip! He weighs as much as a FEATHER!!

DT: Stevens SHOULDERS ARE ON THE MAT!!

ONE!!

TWO!!!

WHOA!! Stevens RAISES HIMSELF OFF THE MAT, creating a HUMAN BRIDGE before the THREE!!

MN: YES!!!

DT: IMPRESSIVE move by the World Champion... but The First has something in MIND! The First... KICKS OFF THE MAT with a BACKWARD SOMERSAULT – MY GOD, HE JUST BACK-FLIPPED TO THE TOP ROPE!

DM: Stevens is CAUGHT IN HIS ARMS – AND THE FIRST DRILLS HIM WITH A TORNADO DDT FROM THE TOP ROPE!!! The World Champion is FLAILING IN PAIN on the blood-stained mat now!

MN: I’m sorry, am I at the right event? I thought we were watching BLACK DAWN, not ******* CIRQUE DU FREAK!!

DT: The acrobatic, take-no-prisoners offense of The First has COME ALIVE in the penultimate moments of this match! The question is... can the World Champion “Triple X” Sean Stevens OUTLAST IT!?

DM: Stevens is trying to CRAWL OUT OF THE RING... but The First CATCHES HIM by the ankle!! Stevens CLINGING TO THE BOTTOM ROPE for DEAR LIFE... and The First YANKS HIM AWAY from it!

DT: The First MAKES THE COVER in the CENTER OF THE RING!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THREE – OH NO!! STEVENS JUST BARELY GOT THE SHOULDER UP AGAIN!!!

DM: I DON’T BELIEVE IT!! What’s it going to TAKE to KILL the KING?!

DT: The First back to his feet... PUMPING UP THE CROWD...

Crowd: “FIRST!! FIRST!! FIRST!! FIRST!! FIRST!! FIRST!!”

DM: Sean Stevens is looking DAZED as he gets to his feet on legs that look like they’re made of JELLO...

DT: …and THE FIRST is going BACK TO THE TOP ROPE!! The First, BOUNCES UP THERE in a single motion... COMES DIVING OFF – OH HOLY ****, DIVING HEAD-SCISSOR TAKEDOWN!!! SEAN STEVENS JUST GOT FLUNG ACROSS THE RING LIKE A RAG-DOLL!!!

DM: The First looked like a HUMAN TETHER-BALL using STEVENS as the POLE!!

DT: Stevens CAN’T GO ON MUCH LONGER like this!

MN: You’d be surprised, Dave!

DT: Stevens DAZED on the mat... The First, dragging him to the center of the ring... hooks the legs, and QUICKLY GOES FOR THE JACKNIFE PIN!!

ONE!!

TWO!!!

THR – NO!! STEVENS KICKED OUT AGAIN!!

MN: HAH!! See what I mean?!

DM: Stevens hanging on by a thread... but The First is looking ready to CUT THAT THREAD!! The First back to his feet... getting BEHIND Sean Stevens and STALKING HIM!!

Crowd: “FIRST!!! FIRST!!! FIRST!!! FIRST!!! FIRST!!! FIRST!!!”

DT: This capacity crowd is DEAFENING right now!! The First is LOOKING FOR THE FINISH... Stevens ALMOST UP, completely OBLIVIOUS to his fate right now!

MN: NO FATE BUT WHAT WE MAKE!! COME ON, damnit!! Am I the ONLY one that saw Terminator?!

DM: Stevens is UP... The First GRABS HIM FROM BEHIND... GOING FOR THE SOOOUUULLL BREAKER – BUT STEVENS GOT A GRIP ON THE TOP ROPE!!

DT: OOOOOH MAN, DOES THAT LOOK PAINFUL!! The First has his HANDS on his shoulder and his KNEES being driven sharply into that SPINE... yet Stevens remains on his FEET, hands clutching the TOP ROPE for DEAR LIFE as the weight of his greatest challenge TO DATE PRIES HIM BACKWARD in a VERY awkward and agonizing position!!

MN: Lucky for us ALL, “Triple X” Sean Stevens was the CSWA limbo champion of ‘02!

DM: The First, moving his HANDS under Stevens’ CHIN... pulling back as HARD AS HE CAN!! He’s trying to BREAK THE CHAMPION’S BACK!! Stevens is SCREAMING IN PAIN, but WON’T RELEASE THOSE ROPES!!

MN: Come on, ref, shouldn’t there be a BREAK HERE or SOMETHING?!

DT: Unfortunately, you’re RIGHT, Neely! Pat Jones ORDERING THE FIRST TO RELEASE THE HOLD!!

Crowd: “BOOOO!!”

DM: The First has NO CHOICE!! It’s break it up, or go home with nothing but a DISQUALIFICATION and shattered dreams!

MN: And a complete and utters loss of HOPE as we know it!

DT: The First RELEASES, and Stevens COLLAPSES TO THE MAT!!

DM: It wasn’t QUITE a SOULBREAKER, but... could it have been something EVEN WORSE?!

DT: We’re about to FIND OUT!! The First, drags Stevens AWAY from the ropes... and quickly goes for a PRAWN HOLD PIN!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

THR – ANOTHER KICKOUT!!! Stevens will NOT let himself be PUT AWAY here tonight!!

DM: He’s DEFINITELY reaching his LIMITS, though!

MN: You have no idea, Dean...

DT: Stevens is in too much PAIN to move right now... and I think The First SEES THE OPPORTUNITY TO END THINGS!! He’s going TO THE TURNBUCKLE!!

DM: Going UP TOP once again! Stevens is laid out right in the middle of the – OH HOLY ****, STEVENS JUST KIPPED UP AGAIN!!!

MN: HAHAHAHA, I ****ING KNEW IT!!!!

DT: Stevens CHARGING THE ROPES – AND HE RACKS THE FIRST ON TOP ROPE!! The champion is fighting out of PURE DESPERATION right now! He quickly CLIMBS UP TO THE TOP TURNBUCKLE to join the challenger!!

DM: OH MAN, STEVENS JUST LIFTED HIM RIGHT OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH A MILITARY PRESS!! Look at that POWER and STRENGTH!!

DT: Stevens has The First suspended a few METERS above the mat, holding him HIGH for everybody to see... and sends him CRASHING DOWN VIOLENTLY!! MY GOD, I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY HIT THE MAT FROM THAT HEIGHT, EXCEPT FROM WITHIN A CAGE!!

MN: If this had been in a CAGE, then Trip would have finished things LONG ago!

DM: Stevens hasn’t left the top rope... REPOSITIONING himself now... AND DIVES OFF WITH A LOOOONG-DISTAAAANCE – FRROGGSPLLAASSHH!!!

DT: The First was just CRUSHED UNDER THE DEVASTATING DESCENT OF THE WORLD CHAMPION!!

DM: That could be IT FOR THE FIRST RIGHT THERE!!! Stevens HOOKS THE LEGS FOR THE COVER!!

DT: Hang on, HANG ON!! STEVENS HAS HIS LEGS PROPPED ON THE SECOND ROPE!!!

MN: Huh, WHERE?!

DM: RIGHT THERE!!

DT: JONES DOESN’T SEE IT!!

ONE!!!

WAIT – WAIT!!

TWO!!

DM: CHECK THE ROPES!! COME ON, *******IT!!

TTTTHHHHRREEE –

Crowd: *POP!!!*

DM: THE FIRST KICKS OUT!! HE KICKED OUT, EVEN WITH STEVENS’ ADDED LEVERAGE!!

DT: MY GOD, THAT IS INCREDIBLE!!!

MN: That is BULL****!! That count was slower than my obese nephew when he RUNS!

DM: The only mistake made by the senior official there was that he didn’t check Stevens’ LEGS before he went to make the count!

DT: Stevens looks absolutely STUNNED right now! Even when he CHEATS, he can’t put The First away!

DM: Anger has given away to DESPERATION... and now that desperation is giving way to MADNESS!! Stevens looks SIMPLY INSANE as he YANKS The First back off the mat!

MN: All that time spent with that nut-job STALKER is finally about to pay off...

DT: There’s the IRISH WHIP to the corner – NO!! THE FIRST SPRINGS RIGHT TO THE TOP ROPE!! The First ABOUT TO COME OFF – BUT STEVENS CLIPS HIS LEGS FROM BEHIND before he can make a move!!

DM: The First seated on the top rope... STEVENS DECIDES TO JOIN HIM!! HIGH-RISK maneuver coming up! Stevens standing on the TOP ROPE now, tucking The First’s head under his arm... he’s looking for THE X-TERMINATOR FROM THE TOP ROPE!!

DT: My God, at that height, he could BREAK HIS NECK AND KILL HIM!!

MN: That’s kinda the idea, Dave...

DM: Stevens PROMISED he would kill ANY MAN that pissed him off enough! Stevens hooks him TIGHT... getting ready to LIFT HIM... but The First FIGHTS IT!! THE FIRST HAS HIS LEGS HOOKED IN THE ROPES!!

MN: Come on, COME ON!! KILL THAT MONKEY!!

DT: Stevens is HAVING TROUBLE!! The First GETS FREE of the facelock!! Stevens trying to GRAB HIM... trying to do ANYTHING but BLOW THIS CHANCE to finish things!! THE FIRST BITES BACK BY RAMMING HIS HEAD STRAIGHT BACK INTO HIS FACE!!

DM: OH CRAP, THAT BUSTED STEVENS’ FOREHEAD WIDE OPEN!!!

MN: Uh-oh... NOW you’ve done it!

DT: Stevens TEETERING... and HE DROPS OFF THE TOP ROPE!! The First is GETTING BACK INTO POSITION!!

DM: Stevens BACK UP TO HIS FEET and ROARING LIKE A BEHEMOTH!!

Stevens: “GGGRRRRRAAAAAAAAAWWWGGGHHH!!!!”

DT: THE FIRST DIVES OFF THE TOP ROPE WITH A MOONSAULT –

DM: – and Stevens STEPS FORWARD!!

DT: THE FIRST... FALLS RIGHT INTO AN ECKS-TERMINATOR!!!!

Crowd: “NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

DM: JESUS CHRIST, WHAT CRACKER-JACK TIMING!! At the LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT, Stevens STEPPED RIGHT INTO POSITION, and The First’s MOONSAULT put his HEAD right over the champion’s SHOULDER!!

DT: The First just took an X-TERMINATOR FROM THE TOP ROPE by his OWN DESIGN!! Stevens... HOOKING BOTH LEGS FOR A COVER!!!!

ONE!!!

TWO!!!

TTTHHHRRREEEEEEEEE!!!!

SFX: *DING-DING-DING!!*

[The crowd falls almost DEATHLY SILENT as the ring bell tolls three times like a high-pitched death knell. “King Back” begins playing over the PA system and confetti falls from the rafters, mockingly celebrating the efforts of both lifeless and motionless forms lying in the ring.]

TF: Ladies and gentlemen... HERE IS YOUR WINNER...

...and STILL WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF EMPIRE PRO!

“TRIPLE ECKS!!!”

SSSSSSEEEEEEAAAAAANNNNNN SSSSSSTTTTTEEEEEVVVVEEEEENNNNNSSSS!!!!

DM: UN... BELIEVABLE... that’s ALL I can say right now!

DT: What an INCREDIBLE MATCH!! Overcoming THREE CHALLENGERS, “Triple X” Sean Stevens RETAINS!! Damnit... The First came SO CLOSE to bringing home the upset and leaving with the WORLD TITLE!!

MN: NOT TONIGHT, baby! The KING is STAYING ON THE THRONE!!

[Pat Jones helps the profusely-bleeding Stevens to a seated position and hands him to the World Heavyweight Title. Stevens looks at the face of the belt, as he’s done so many times before... but looks at the belt with a new meaning, in a way he’s never looked before. The First crawls into a corner and sits there. Both men catch eyes and stare at each other for several long moments. The champion is without a smug smirk or indifference this time around. The only thing on his face besides his own blood is UNDERSTANDING.]

DT: There will MANY moments in this match where it seemed as though Stevens would leave WITHOUT the World Title... but unfortunately for the fans, Stevens managed to SURVIVE every set-back!

DM: Taken to his absolute limit... surviving THREE very talented opponents and overcoming ONE HELL of a final battle with The First! Could this be called his greatest achievement EVER?!

DT: I don’t know... but what’s it going to TAKE to finally beat “TRIPLE X” SEAN STEVENS!?

MN: Well, it’s not going to take some MARKETING HYPE-MACHINE like that painted-up FREAK!

DM: Don’t knock The First, Neels! He just put in a TREMENDOUS main event performance!

DT: This has to be a tough loss for The First! He WAITED for this opportunity for over a YEAR... and in the end, CAME UP SHORT!

DM: If anything though, he’ll walk out of the ring tonight knowing at the very least, he left the champ – the man who barely gave him a MOMENT’S NOTICE – some mental scars along with physical ones! Sean Stevens won’t ever forget what he had to overcome here tonight to retain his status as champion! 

SFX: *BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOOOM!!!*

["King Back" by T.I. blares as fireworks explode in the rafters overhead. “Triple X” Sean Stevens celebrates by directing the ringside crew to get The First out of the ring, which they slowly do. As Stevens' chest heaves in almost near exhaustion, he waits for The First to clear the area, then calls for a microphone. He makes a throat cutting gesture and his music stops cold. A huge showing of respectful applause ripples through the arena as the crowd slowly comes to its feet in appreciation. Stevens takes it in, then raises the mic to his lips.]

STEVENS: So... right about now, I'm feelin' that I should give a shout out to Cameron Cruise, Shawn Hart and The First for taking me to my absolute limit tonight.

[The crowd cheers again.]

STEVENS: WELL **** THAT NOISE! **** SHAWN HART, **** CAMERON CRUISE AND **** THE FIRST.... AND GET ON YOUR MOTHA****IN' KNEES AND BOW DOWN TO....THE..... KING!!!

[Stevens turns his nose up at the crowd as the cheers go from universal praise to almost complete disgust.]

STEVENS: Yeah.... Yeah. What'd I say I would do? I said I would come into this ring as the undisputed king of this industry and I said I would walk out, head held high, arms raised and this belt FIRMLY around my waist and what happened?

[Boos.]

STEVENS: WHAT HAPPENED?

[Louder.]

STEVENS: Here I am. And now, I am officially announcing that I am the greatest.... THE.... GREATEST... EPW WORLD CHAMPION... OF...ALL....TIME.

[The boos come hard now. A couple people throw trash in the ring, a bottle landing at the feet of the champ.]

STEVENS: Yeah, throw garbage, show your disrespect. But who's standing here on top? Huh? Who came out here, with no help and took down every so called worthwhile challenger in this company at ONE TIME?? Who runs the show? We took out the owner last week and you people think there's ANYBODY who can step up and do anything about THIS? You think there's ANYONE IN THIS INDUSTRY that would dare say I'm not the greatest EPW World Champion of all time??? I'd like to see someone try...

[Right on cue.