time: monday evening

day: june sixteenth

place: bailey's bay, bermuda; engel residence.

(A warm windy evening in Bermuda. I'm out on the patio again, becoming the regular spot for these promos. The beach isn't crowded today. I hit record on the camera.)

Matthew Engel: "Grandslam champion? Good luck with that, Jon. It's nice that you haven't fled the scene after losing to me. It's nice that you have goals and are willing to stick it out and see what's to come for you. Good for you. These days, unfortunately, that's a rare thing.

But, you really need to stop telling me what I can't and can do. That should have ended on Friday night, when I defeated you. You told thousands of people that it wouldn't happen, and I proved you wrong. When you talk about my inability to bring respect and honor to this title, you're only setting yourself up to be proven wrong again. Yes, I live and breathe for the Masters, but I haven't lost my honor.

Was there any interference? No.

Did I use a weapon? No.

I fought you with honor, Jon, and I won.

You're no longer in a position to say what I will or won't do with the Intercontinental Championship."

(A cold stare into the camera. A breeze catches my hair off-guard.)

Matthew Engel: "But apparently, someone else is. Jamie, it has been a long time. Life is always full of surprises. I had heard from the grapevine you weren't completely useless anymore. I never expected you to come back, Jamie, nor did I expect you to visit me in such a collected manner. I guess you've had the time to think everything out, though.

I don't know what to think of you, Jamie. I really don't. I will take my week to decide whether or not I think you're even fitted to wrestle me in a little under a month. I know you're being driven on more than just apathy, but to me it seems like a worthless vengeance that will only end up bad for you. You saw what I did to Trevor. You saw what I just did to Nightmare. You've been watching.

What makes you think you even stand a chance? I watched you become a vegetable before my very eyes, and it was a traumatizing experience. For the last three months, I have felt nothing but regret for what happened to you. Maybe my actions don't agree, joining the same organization that sought to put you out of commission for good. As Riona would say, my intentions are noble.

Things are different. I'm no longer the same man that would snap at an instant on somebody he didn't know, but could trust. I'm no longer the same man that was possessed by hatred and fueled by a rage you couldn't possibly fathom. I've conquered my demons, so to speak, and now it's about the Masters. It's about protecting my family. It's about winning that World Championship.

But, there are scores to be settled. Unfinished business. I can understand.

I'll let you know."

(I take my eyes away from the camera for a moment, looking out into the ocean. As I begin to speak, I look into the camera once more.)

Matthew Engel: "To a more current affair, I've been pitted against the newly crowned World Champion, Mark McNasty. First off, congratulations on that big win. I honestly didn't think you had it in you to go the distance with Corey in that kind of a match and come out victorious. I'm sure a lot of people could figure Corey was the favorite, but why not you, Mark? Why couldn't most people think it was you? After all, you beat five other men to earn that spot. You've already pinned Corey before. You had the momentum, it seemed, and you cashed in.

Congratulations. I just don't understand why I kept hearing people predict Corey.

I had my reasons. I wanted Corey to win so I could take him on at A Farewell to Arms. I mean, next to you since you won that Gauntlet Match, if anybody deserved a shot at Corey Lazarus for the World Title, it was me.

Now it seems I'll have to wait a bit longer until that World Title is inevitably mine. That's fine. I know I'm on the right path. You can go ahead and play games with Phoenix and make his dreams come true when he's issued yet another World Title shot. You can try to end his career, if he actually does put it on the line against you in a World Title match. You can fight a man who has amounted to nothing in this incarnation of the PWA. That's fine and dandy, Mark. I'm sure you'll go over just fine in the main event.

But, once you're finished with him, I hope you're able to take your next contender seriously because it will be the man you're facing this week on Rampage.

I hope you're able to take this week seriously. This could potentially be a preview for a pay-per-view main event, and boy, I'd hate to have to embarrass you because you decided to let things get to your head."

(I pause for a moment, trying to recollect something.)

Matthew Engel: "I heard what you had to say on PWA Radio. I heard the lack of seriousness in your voice. You think you've already got this match in the bag. You think everything will be fine, and that Matthew Engel can't touch you. Why? Because you've got the World Title and I've got the title you held months ago? If that's your logic, Mark, then you better pray to whatever god you pray to that I don't rip you apart.

Just remember: you haven't beaten me. The only time we were in the ring fighting against each other is when, ironically enough, Jamie Flynn was my partner and we both left the match. Sure, you and Wilkie won that match, but you beat the dynamic duo of Pohatu and Jacob Collins. Wow, fantastic. If you want to base the fact that you're going to win this week upon that garbage, then you're more of an idiot than I thought.

I want you to take this week seriously, Mark. I might be a rung down from you on the ladder, but I'm closing in. This week I'll show you just how dominant I can be and if you manage to make it out of A Farewell to Arms with the World Championship, you're going to look back on this match and realize you're in the fight for your life in your next title defense. I assure you this will not be the last time we square off the ring in the main event.

Champion against champion, Mark. I know you can handle the spotlight. I know you can handle the main event. I know you can handle the gold. But, I don't think you can handle me. I don't think you have any idea what you're up against. Get the tapes, Mark. Watch my match with Wehali over and over. Watch my match with Trevor over and over. You're going to need to find the answer to defeating me, because I guarantee you don't know it.

I'm trying to help you. I want this match to be the best Rampage has seen, and if you decide to goof around for one second, I'll make you pay for it. I want you to know that I plan to bring everything that I have and everything that I am to this match and I'm confident I will come out the winner. Not because of what we've done in the past, who I've beat, who you've beat, or who we haven't beat. None of that makes any fucking difference. I am going to do everything within my power to destroy you, Mark.

This is a battle you cannot win."

(I let out a smirk.)

Matthew Engel: "I'll show the world what Corey couldn't do. I'll show the world that I should be the World Champion. It's all in due time, and I've been nothing but patient. I finally received a title shot, and I cashed in. Once I get my chance at the World Title, I'm going to destroy the champion. Whether that's you, Phoenix, Corey, Nightmare, or Project fucking X. I don't care who it is, they're going to be defeated.

Consider this your only warning, Mark."

(I pull back for a moment. I was just about to go into trademark, but I remembered something.)

Matthew Engel: "I haven't forgotten about you, Lex. You'll know my answer this week on Rampage. I hope you'll be around to hear it, it's not something I want to have you watch on television from a crappy hotel room.Be there.

I do not forgive.

I do not forget.

MoA. Supreme."

(fade.)