(CUTTO: The parking lot. Behind some cars we see someone walking. The camera cuts closer and we see ‘the Messenger’ Trevor Cane walking towards the arena carrying his bags.)
GHEORGHE (V/O): “This is interesting … Trevor Cane is heading to the arena … but he’s not on tonight’s schedule.”
JIVE (V/O): “Maybe he’s just here to watch the action.”
JULIUS (V/O): “Well he sure as hell ain’t here to participate!”
(Cane sees the camera and stops in his tracks. He turns towards it and briskly walks up and bats it to the ground.)
CAMERAMAN: “Hey man!”
(While the camera is lying on the ground we can see Cane look over at the cameraman.)
CANE: “Stay out of my way. I don’t need you to be interfering with my business tonight.”
(With that Cane turns back towards the arena and walks away. CUTTO: Ringside.)
GHEORGHE: “What was THAT all about?”
JULIUS: “It’s about time someone stopped those pesky camera people from taping them. These guys can’t go anywhere without paparazzi following them.”
GHEORGHE: “But that was uncalled for. The camera man was just doing his job.”
JIVE: “Whatever it was, ‘the Messenger’ made sure that he put a stop to it.”
GHEORGHE: “Well maybe we’ll find out a little bit later why Trevor Cane is here in New Hampshire … but right now we’re about to hop into some action as Cameron Cruise comes off his one show suspension for his antics at International Intrigue.”
JULIUS: “Cruise was pissed at the management here for booking him in the opening match .. but if I were him I would be a little bit more careful in what he does.”
JIVE: “Cameron Cruise had a TV title shot handed to him practically, and what did he do? He pissed it away. He’s got to get back into the good graces of Marcus LaRoque and Juliet Marceau if he wants to get that shot back.”
GHEORGHE: “Well pissed or not, Cameron Cruise will be taking on ‘the Man of the Hour’ Nick Elliot right now! Let’s head down to Carl Jacobs who is standing in the ring.”
(CUTTO: In the ring with Carl Jacobs as the lineup flashes on screen.)
JACOBS: “The following is tonight’s opening match! Scheduled for one fall and with a thirty minute time limit …. Introducing first…”
(CUEUP: ‘State of Love and Trust’ by Pearl Jam. Nick Elliot comes from behind the curtain and makes his way out into the stadium flanked on either side by Carey and Owen. They slap as many hands as possible before making their way into the ring.)
JACOBS: “Hailing from Hazel Crest, Illinois… he stands 5’10 and weighs 217 pounds ….. ‘the Man of the Hour’ NICK ELLIOT!!!”
GHEORGHE: “Elliot put on a damn good show at International Intrigue … and I’m sure he would love to continue that ride here tonight against an established talent in Cameron Cruise.”
JULIUS: “Cruise is going to wipe the mat with this kid.”
JACOBS: “And his opponent…”
(CUEUP: ‘Headstrong’ by Trapt as Cameron Cruise comes from behind the curtain arm in arm with Mercedes Devon.)
JACOBS: “Hailing from Jacksonville, North Carolina …. He stands 6’4 and weighs 248 pounds …… ‘the Crippler’ CAMERON CRUISE!!”
(SFX: Bell rings.)
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise is in the ring and he gives Mercedes a kiss on the cheek before turning around and looking Elliot up and down…”
JULIUS: “If I were Elliot, and I knew Cruise’s history, I’d be afraid already!”
GHEORGHE: “Elliot hopping back and forth trying to get worked up over this match…”
JIVE: “As long as he saves enough energy to hop his way to the back after Cruise sends him packing, I don’t care what he does.”
GHEORGHE: “Cruise and Elliot walk into the center of the ring … and Cruise with a slap across the face sends Elliot’s head snapping back! Nick Elliot responds by picking Cruise up and dropping him with a double leg takedown! Elliot now on top of Cruise and he is sending lefts and rights into his head! Cruise might have been a bit too cocky to start things off here!”
JIVE: “Aw, what do you mean? Cruise is just letting this kid have a little fun before he takes over.”
GHEORGHE: “Nick Elliot now jumps off Cruise and he brings him up by his head … and Elliot with a European uppercut! Elliot with another! Nick Elliot drives Cruise back into the ropes and irish whips him … Cruise on the return … AND ELLIOT SENDS HIM HIGH INTO THE AIR WITH A BACK BODY DROP!”
JULIUS: “I think Cruise was eligible for some Delta Air Miles with that trip.”
GHEORGHE: “Elliot all fired up now as Cameron Cruise gets back to his feet and backs himself into the corner. Cruise puts him hands up as Elliot comes in after him … but Cruise with a kick to the gut stops Elliot’s forward motion! Cameron Cruise now tosses Elliot into the corner by his hair and starts kicking him repeatedly until Elliot falls to the mat! The referee steps in to make sure Elliot’s okay…”
JIVE: “The referee needs to let Cameron Cruise do his job.”
JULIUS: “Cruise needs a decisive victory here to re-establish himself in management’s eyes and he can’t do that with the referee bringing band-aids over for every scratched knee Elliot has.”
GHEORGHE: “Cruise now nudges the referee out of the way so he can get back to Elliot and he drags him out of the corner by his legs … and now he is trying to lock on a Boston Crab! Cameron Cruise locks on the Crab and Elliot looks to be in an immense amount of pain right now!”
JULIUS: “Break the fucker’s back!”
GHEORGHE: “Cruise has pretty good leverage right now, but it looks like he didn’t drag Nick Elliot far enough away from the ropes as he’s slowly making progress over to them.”
JIVE: “I think he’s cheating! He is! Look at that!”
GHEORGHE: “At what?”
JIVE: “He’s using Cruise’s leverage against him!! That’s cheating!”
GHEORGHE: “No, it isn’t! Elliot is using Cruise’s leverage though to help him get momentum over to the ropes and he’s almost there! Elliot reaches ….. but Cruise let’s go! Cameron Cruise rounds him … and drops the elbow on the back!”
JIVE: “Smart move … not only does he not let Elliot get the mental victory of the rope break, but he also beats on him some more!”
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise picks Elliot up off the mat and locks his head …. And nails a swinging neckbreaker! Cruise with a nonchalant cover … ONE ……. TWO ….. KICKOUT! Cruise shrugs his shoulders and gets back to his feet …. Cruise drops a knee into the sternum of Elliot and now he locks on a front facelock down on the mat.”
JULIUS: “If there was any doubt about it, I think Cameron Cruise truly feels sorry that he gave up the chance to be the #1 Contender to the Television title. Mr. Entertainment got the shot .. and who knows what could have happened if Cruise had the chance.”
JIVE: “I bet Cruise would have been much more prepared to face MWG than Entertainment was…”
GHEORGHE: “The referee over to ask Nick Elliot if he’s had enough, but Elliot keeps shaking his head no …. And now Elliot tries to pry Cameron Cruise off of him … and listen to the fans! They are right behind him.”
JULIUS: “What match are you watching, Gheorghe??”
GHEORGHE: “Elliot has his hands underneath Cruise’s arms … AND HE IS PRYING HIM OFF!”
JIVE: “Cruise has got to get control right now … he doesn’t want to let Nick Elliot get a second wind.”
GHEORGHE: “Nick Elliot almost has Cruise off of him …. AND HE BREAKS THE HOLD!!! Nick Elliot gets to his feet …… AND HE GETS CLOBBERED BY A CLOTHESLINE FROM CAMERON CRUISE!”
JULIUS: “Elliot wasn’t quick enough to avoid the clothesline, and instead, had his head knocked into the next zipcode.”
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise brings Nick Elliot back up …. He brings his head into a bulldog position …. And he DRIVES the face of Elliot into the mat with that running bulldog. Flips him over and covers him again ….. ONE ……….. TWO ……… THR—NO! Kickout by Nick Elliot.”
JIVE: “If there’s one thing that I think Cameron Cruise needs to be doing, it is putting a little more effort in pinning Nick Elliot. He can’t just lay his arm over him like he’s been doing.”
JULIUS: “Cruise is playing with him, Jive. He knows that he can end this thing whenever the hell he wants.”
JIVE: “No one asked you.”
GHEORGHE: “Come on guys, we were so close to going our first match without any arguing…”
JIVE / JULIUS: “Screw you!”
(There is a pause…)
GHEORGHE: “Uh…. well then.. Cameron Cruise has thus far been dominating the match… Nick Elliot broke out quickly in the beginning, but since then Cruise has really settled in and hasn’t given him much of a chance to gain much momentum. Cruise now with Nick Elliot sends him into the corner … he charges in after him …. BUT ELLIOT USES THE ROPES TO PULL HIM OUT OF THE WAY AND CRUISE GOES CHEST FIRST INTO THE TURNBUCKLE!”
JIVE: “If he had pinned him correctly this wouldn’t have happened.”
JULIUS: “Aw, give it a rest. He’s going to win this thing easily.”
GHEORGHE: “Nick Elliot comes from behind … ROLLS HIM UP…. NO!! Cruise with a reversal …. ONE ………… TWO …………. THREEEE!!!!”
JIVE: “Noooooooo!”
GHEORGHE: “Nick Elliot kicked out!! Cruise drops to the ground … AND NOW HE’s CHOKING NICK ELLIOT! The referee is down there trying to get him off ‘the Man of the Hour’ …. But Cruise won’t let him go … finally the ref starts the count … two … three … and Cruise lets up before four…”
JULIUS: “If I were him, I would have stepped on his nuts while I was at it … get him from both ends of the body.”
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise gets to his feet and stretches his arms out wide to the fans in attendance tonight …. And Nick Elliot is on the mat holding his throat.”
JIVE: “Elliot better be holding on to his paycheck after tonight .. he’s done an utterly horrible job here.”
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise has been in control all night … it’s a shame, too since Elliot had such a promising start against Moralis Candoom at the pay per view.”
JULIUS: “Who the fuck cares? If the guy can’t pull his weight, like he hasn’t been doing tonight, than good riddance.”
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise walks over to Nick Elliot … and he stomps on his arm. Cruise now … stomps on the other arm! Cameron Cruise brings him up to his feet … and now he goes behind Elliot … and sends him forward … but Cruise grabs onto the back of Elliot’s tights and reams him in the lower back with a forearm! And he does it again …. And the third times the charm as Cruise follows it up with a Russian legsweep!”
JIVE: “Come on Cruise … just end this thing already… you’ve proven your point.”
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise walks over to the corner …. And … he’s heading up top!”
JULIUS: “Now … why the hell would you do this? You have the kid down and out .. and instead of locking him in Cruise Control, or hitting him with the Reality Check … you go to the top rope?!”
JIVE: “I feel … like something bad is going to happen…”
GHEORGHE: “Cruise looking over Nick Elliot ……… and he flies off ……….. AND HE NAILS NICK ELLIOT WITH A HEADBUTT FROM THE TOP ROPE!!!”
JIVE: “Ok .. maybe it was just the vodka…”
JULIUS: “His head nailed Elliot right in the chest .. man … that had to hurt!”
GHEORGHE: “Cameron Cruise gets to his feet …. And he brings Elliot up ….. AND HE IS CALLING FOR THE REALITY CHECK!!! CAMERON CRUISE HITS IT!!! ONE ………… TWO ….. THREEEEEEEE!!!!!”
(SFX: Bell rings.)
JACOBS: “The winner of this match via pinfall ….. ‘the Crippler’ CAMERON CRUISE!”
GHEORGHE: “What a way to come off a suspension by Cameron Cruise … he didn’t give Nick Elliot one opportunity to get back into this match!”
JIVE: “Nick Elliot was just massacred here in Memorial Stadium … and I think the only people who give a shit are Carey and Owen…”
GHEORGHE: “Come on, Nick … Elliot has a nice fan following here in New ERA …”
JULIUS: “Maybe they’ll follow him out the door!”
GHEORGHE: “Congratulations to Cameron Cruise on his victory tonight … ladies and gentlemen, when we come back … Dallas Carter will take on Jason Payne …. And who knows what kind of mood ‘the Dog of War’ will be in!”
