[The door to the locker room swings open. Enter: The Sergeant. He’s primed and ready for the big tag team match coming up soon. Yet, something seems off. It’s nothing he’s actually said. It’s more of a look on his face.
[CUTTO: The entryway. "Phenomenah" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs hits the PA and SHAWN
JESSICA HART, PhD. steps through the curtain to a big reaction.]
DT: Alright, the time has come for that man, Shawn Hart, to defend his newly won
Television title and guys, when it comes to the Phenom... you never know what
you're gonna get on any given night.
MN: Fo sho!
DM: Rrrrrrright, well Hart has had some good matches and even better wins
throughout his career; he's beaten Jean Rabesque, he's beaten Larry Tact, he's
beaten Cross, he's beaten Doc Silver, he's beaten Michael Manson, hell... he's
beaten our reigning and undisputed Empire Pro champion, Lindsay Troy, but on the
flip side, he's come out here since joining EPW and laid some big time goose
eggs too.
DT: It's definitely been a roller coaster ride for SJH in Empire Pro, but right
now it looks like he's focused and ready to do whatever it takes to keep the TV
title around his waist.
[Having made his way to the ring, SJH slips through the ropes, charges
center-ring, and commences a Macarena dance of epic proportions.]
MN: I dunno, I've got my money on Evers in this one.
DM: You think Evers is going to take it then, eh?
MN: No, didn't say that... but I've still got my money on him. C'mon Mikey boy!
[CUEUP: "Pass The Shirley Temple" by Dahv, signifying the arrival of DA BOMB,
MIKE EVERS!!]
DT: Mike Evers, much like Shawn Hart, is a brilliant technical wrestler. Unlike
Hart, however, Evers seems to keep his eye on the prize from bell to bell. I
would say he represented us brilliantly as Television champ, and if he can catch
the win here, he'll do his best to ensure the next title reign is longer than
the first.
DM: Evers really does have the potential to be one of the top players here in
Empire Pro. Either way, the winner of this bout should go on to bigger and
better things here in the new year.
[The fans really seem to be on Evers' side, cheering him vehemently as he makes
his way into the ring. As he baseball slides under the bottom rope, SJH
immediately turns those cheers into boos by charging at and ATTACKING the
grounded Evers.]
DT: Cheap shots by Hart here as the referee is left with no choice but to signal
for the bell!
[DING DING DING!]
DM: What's this? The official is pushing Hart away from Evers and allowing Da
Bomb to find his feet? This is professional wrestling... and he's in there
playing grab-ass with Evers.
DT: Well, it goes to show the level of respect he has for the title and the man
who's trying to get it back. Nothing wrong with a good clean fight if you ask
me.
MN: Especially if it works in the favor of the guy I've dropped a dime-piece on.
DM: What kind of odds are you getting anyway?
MN: 2-1. Not a huge 'dog, but the boys in Vegas are giving it to Hart... and
it's still enough that I'm gonna make a KILLING if my guy pulls through.
DT: Ahem, both men are on their feet and sizing each other up now.
[The two wrestlers circle the ring before locking it up. A small chant of
"Eeeeeeee-VERS! Eeeeeeee-VERS!" begins to echo throughout the arena.]
DM: Looks like you're not the only one pulling for the former champ.
MN: Good to see the people are starting to see things my way.
DT: Evers backs the Phenom into the corner, and the official forces them to
break.. Hah, and Evers gives Hart a little wink as he breaks the hold and backs
away...
DM: That's GAMESMANSHIP, Dave!
DT: For a second time, they lock it up... and SJH quickly catches the Bomb with
an IRISH WHIP! Evers... coming back the other way, and HART scores first with a
double-leg takedown!! Evers is back up quickly, but the TV champ is there with
a hip toss, sending Evers back down to the mat! Evers rolls back up to his feet,
but this time he's keeping his distance from Hart and collecting himself in the
corner. Wow.
DM: Great technical display by SJH. He's obviously looking to push pace on Mike
Evers.
MN: Pssshhh... He's gonna be gassed in 5 minutes.
DM: Don't you usually root for the other guy?
MN: Money talks and you guys walk!
DT: I really have no idea what that means, but at any rate... Evers and Hart
circle the ring one more time, and lock up for a second time. This time Evers
scores with a knee to the gut, setting Hart up for a belly to back SUPLEX!
Great wrestling prowess shown by Mike Evers! And now he's moving in quickly for
a reverse chinlock. Good move by Mike Evers in trying to drain the energy of
Hart.
MN: Told you he'd be gassed in 5 minutes.
DT: Perhaps not, as the Phenom is working his way back to his feet!
DM: Maybe so, but Evers still has that hold locked in pretty tight.
DT: Kidney punch by Hart! Good shot by SJH, but Evers doesn't look to be
releasing the hold any time soon. He's REALLY cranking on that neck now with
what looks like a borderline choke, but the official is letting it go.
DM: The difference there is that Hart is keeping his chin down just enough to
keep the air flowing.
DT: Good point there, and it's allowing Hart to try and work his way out of the
hold as he sets in with another jab to the side. And another... the Phenom is
slowly, but surely working on the mid-section of Evers and giving him some
incentive to break the hold.
DM: His arms are loosening up a bit.
DT: Hart with a fourth punch to the kidneys and, just like that, the hold is
broken... but Hart lost a lot of energy during that exchange. The Phenom
instinctively shoves Evers off of him, and it looks like he's trying to catch
his breath now.
MN: Bad move.
DT: Evers recovers very quickly and CHARGES at SJH with a lariat, but Hart ducks
it! Evers catches the ropes, rebounds and propels the other way, and GROUNDS
Hart with a shoulder bump! Da Bomb bounces off the ropes once again for
momentum and drops an elbow, but Hart rolls out of harm's way! Evers catches
nothing but canvas on the attempted elbow drop! Hart pulls himself to his feet
and quickly goes for the leg drop, but EVERS rolls out of the way! Both men now,
finding their feet, but it's Evers who strikes first with a boot to the stomach!
The Phenom is hunched over in pain, leaving Evers to hook a leg, grab the neck,
and DROP Hart with a Russian leg sweep!
DM: This is some OLD SCHOOL wrestling.
MN: If you over-exert yourself early, it could pay you dearly in the end... and
right now, Hart's paying.
DT: It's probably too early to go so far as that, as Evers goes to grab Hart by
the head and the PHENOM catches Evers with a SMALL PACKAGE!!
1..............
2.......................
NO!
DT: The challenger is out with ease, but a nice move by Hart looking to catch
Evers napping. Both men find their feet and Evers continues the offense, laying
into Hart with kicks to the ribs. Hart somehow manages to force through it and
attempt a clothesline of his own, but Evers easily evades, and THERE HE GOES
with a neckbreaker on Hart!
DM: Good move by Mike Evers.
DT: Wasting no time, Evers applies the sleeper hold.
MN: This is what I call strategy! For the second time, he's got Hart down and
is working on his air supply.
DT: SJH already looking wobbly in the legs there. As my colleague has pointed
out, this is some good strategy being employed by Evers. Hart has shown some
stamina in the past, and it looks like the challenger's game-plan is to make
that stamina a non-factor.
DM: Hart's looking a little lazy-eyed there. Evers is really working on that
neck.
DT: Hart had done a good job in keeping that chin down during that rear
chinlock, but this time around it looks like the sleeper is doing its job.
[The Phenom's head drops slightly and his arms appear to go limp. The referee
quickly moves in on the fighters, grasping Hart by the right hand.]
DM: He can't be out already, can he?
DT: The official raises Hart's right hand, and...OHP, the Phenom's having none
of that as he angrily tosses the referee's hand aside.
MN: Looks like Evers has the hold in pretty tight, but not THAT tight.
DT: Da Bomb appears to be none too impressed by this display. He's locking his
right arm around the shoulder now, grabbing Hart by the side, and...
MN: BAM!
DT: Evers kicks it up a notch with a big BACK SUPLEX on Hart! Evers, wasting no
time, drops to the mat and hooks the leg...
1..............
2...............
NO!
DT: This time it's Hart escaping the pinfall, but Evers looks intent on
continuing the assault. He has Hart by the head and in bringing him back to his
feet. Both men standing now and Evers land a hard right hand to the chin of the
Phenom. Kick to the mid-section now by Evers, and Hart's been sent backwards.
Evers... winding it up one more time... BIG UPPERCUT to the head and Hart is
sent back into the ropes. Evers takes Hart by the hand and shoots him off to the
ropes on the far side.
DM: Whip it good.
DT: Evers positions himself for the back body drop, buuuut gets a kick to the
face for his troubles, flinging his torso back into an upright position. Hart,
following up with a clothesline here, but Evers parries and counters again with
a falling neckbreaker!! Nice move by Evers! Sensing blood in the water, he
quickly drops for the cover...
[A strange rumbling begins to emanate throughout the crowd.]
DM: The hell?!
MN: I've got a bad feeling about this...
[CUTTO: The announce position as a man dressed from head to toe in full Darth
Vader attire slips over the guard rail, into the ringside area, and makes for
the ring.]
DT: Evers had Hart covered, but the referee looks to be distracted by the Sith
lord who appears to be trying to enter the ring! He releases the leg and is
yelling at the ref to make the count..
MN: Wait! Hart's reaching into his pants!
DT: Vader appears to be using his dark Jedi powers on the official with little
to no effect, but in the ring, the Phenom has his hand down his tights...
DM: Good God...
MN: It's a WHIZZINATOR!!!
[The front row Joes in attendance do their best to divert the official's
attention away from the costumed prowler and back to the in-ring action, but as
is usually the case, he is un-fazed.
DT: Evers looks to find his feet, but the PHENOM does in fact have a
Whizzinator! Da Bomb is doing his best to back away, but...
DM: OH MY...
[With a sick look on his face, the Phenom squeezes the device and SQUIRTS EVERS
IN THE FACE!!!]
MN: EVERS HAS BEEN WHIZZINATED!!!
DT: In all my years, I have never.... *gag*..........ladies and gentlemen, SJH
has pointed the plasticine phallus of the Whizzinator at Evers... and SPRAYED
him with some kind of liquid substance!!
DM: And all the while, the official has been distracted by the dark side of the
force.
DT: Hart is revving back with the Whizzinator now, and...
MN: DONG!!!
DT: SJH SMACKS DA BOMB IN THE FACE WITH THE... erm.... DEVICE!
DM: Down goes Evers!
MN: In more ways than one...
DT: Hart tosses the Whizzinator into the crowd, and right on cue... Vader splits
the scene!
MN: This is what I get for taking the underdog.
DT: Evers is downed and Hart is looking to apply some kind of submission
maneuver... He's got the arm and, yes... SJH is applying the ARM BAR to Evers!
DM: And after being soiled and slapped with a dildo already, Da Bomb is a in a
bad way.
DT: The self-proclaimed Softcore Champ definitely made his mark and now he's
showing his ground prowess as he reeeeeeeeeeeally works on that arm! Wow!
DM: I didn't know elbows bent that way....yeeeeesh.
DT: The Phenom has a death grip on the right arm of Evers.
[With a look disgust and intermittent pain on his face, Evers taps his chest
three times.]
DM: It's all over!
[DING DING DING!]
DT: Albeit under dubious circumstances... but in the end, the result here is
that Shawn Hart wins via submission with the arm bar.
[Evers rolls into the corner and gets himself into a seated position. With his
arms folded over his knees, he shakes his head in utter disdain.]
DM: That was shady and Evers knows it. He's obviously disappointed in how
things have played out here tonight.
DT: It's a shame too, because the way the match started, it looked like we had a
good match of technicians and ring tactics in store.
[Hart mounts the turnbuckle and raises his title to the sky, prompting a mixed
chorus of boos and cheers from the fans in attendance.]
DM: Well, if we can take anything away from the match, it's that Evers isn't
just gonna let this thing go. He's a pro, and I think it's safe to say he'll do
what he must to get himself in line for another title shot.
DT: I think we can all agree on that. But for now, Shawn Hart picks up the win,
and we'll be back with more here on WRESTLEVERSE!
James Irish and Erin Flanagan are in the locker room and both can sense it, too.]
James: What’s on your mind, soldier? Your not nervous about the match, are you?
[Sarge pauses before answering, obviously deep in thought.]
Sarge: Nah, James. It isn’t the match. Both of you know that I have some business that I need to take care of elsewhere, and I just don’t think I’m able to give the tag team the attention that we deserve.
James: I can understand where your coming from, Cap’n, but we’ve been on a tear here recently. You sure you can’t balance all of this out?
[Erin doesn’t let Sarge answer. She already knows.]
Erin: Sarge does nay know how t’balance things when tis personal. He’s always charging hard into a cause that he believes in. Tis something that I truly admire about him, but it gets in the way of his professional endeavors.
Sarge: Erin, when you’re right, you’re right. I hope everyone understands that whether we win or lose tonight, I need to take some time off here in Empire Pro.
James: Of course, Sargeanto. Whatever you need.
[Irish’s cell phone goes off and he looks down at it]
James: Hey, I gotta go get this. I’ll meet you at the curtain, alright?
[Sarge nods as Irish gives him a slap on the back and heads out.]
Erin: Don’t worry, lad. He’ll be alright.
[Sarge smiles at Erin as the scene fades.]