["Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang plays over a black screen. Slow fade into footage from the IIWF archives as a Tim Dross' voice over provides narration.] VO: May 7th, 1996... the birth of a new federation... [Scenes from Coronation Clash zip across the screen. Fans hold a lighter beneath a IHIW banner and cheer as it bursts into flames. "Outlaw" J.W. Hardin slams Scott "The Whine" Bloom into the crowd barriers. Deathbringer raises his fist to the maddening crowd. Dan Kauffman gives a "thumbs up" to the camera. Tiger Claw snaps the head of Mr. Blu Tone with a heel kick. The Subway Psycho discusses strategy with Sasha.] A champion emerged from the burning embers left behind by the inferno known as Coronation Clash, but the flames of competition were just being stoked. [Cut to shots of Moondust rubbing his hands over Billy Shakespeare's chest. Casey "Whitebread" James proudly waves an American flag. El Lobo Negro is thrown into the second row during the Intercontinental Championship battle royal. The United Nations stagger to the ring with bloody bandages on their heads. Flare and Brad Kinder pummel the Man of Steel.] Many have set foot on the mountain... [Cut to shots of Altair, "Frost" Scott Morrison, The Returners, The Crippler, The Enforcer, Crimson Storm, and Phantom.] ...but few have reached the top! [Quick cuts of each champion holding the IIWF World Heavyweight belt aloft: Hardin, the Subway Psycho, Deathbringer, Otto Verhoeven, Dan Kauffman... and freeze on Casey James. Slow fade.] It has been said that the past is a window to the future... [Quick cuts of match footage of Billy Shakespeare, Marty Warnett, the High Plains Drifters, the Sandman, Mr. Damage, the Armed Forces, Steve Kowalski, Brody Thunder, Night Patrol, Highwayman, Tony Starks, Pain Inc., Ronnie Paris, Duncan Macbeth, Cold Spell, The White Phoenix, and Takezo Musashi.] ...this week, the past and the future meet. [The images slowly melt away leaving a birthday cake on the screen. As the camera zooms in on the burning candles, it becomes evident that they are not _really_ candles... but explosives.] IIWF Birthday Bash... let's get ready to rumble! [The cake explodes, sending balls of flame and icing toward the screen. Over that image appears:] ================================================= LIVE FROM THE IIWF COLISEUM, THIS IS... ================================================= ##### ###### ### ########## ########## ########## #### ## ########## ########## ########## #### # #### ######## ##### ##### #### ## ##### #### #### #### #### ### #### #### #### #### ############# ######### #### #### ########### ######### #### #### #### #### #### ######### ######### ### #### #### ######### ######### ### ## #### ######## ######## ## # #### =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ## =-=-=-= THE LEADER IN E-WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ================================================= COUNTDOWN TO BIRTHDAY BASH Friday, May 9, 1997 ================================================= [Cut to a shot inside the IIWF Coliseum. The remote camera zooms down over the thousands of fans who have gathered for the live broadcast. A group of young men wave their "Blu Tone Tropical Drinks" supplied by the IIWF concession stand. A woman wears her Deathbringer t-shirt with the strategically placed glowing eyes. And a vendor is hawking clearance Chris Quigley merchandise at 50 percent off. Crepe paper ribbons and colorful balloons decorate the ring ropes as the camera zooms in to show Larry Morton and Becky LaRue seated at a table inside the ring.] LM: A very good evening to you all from our home away from home -- the IIWF Coliseum -- for tonight's preview of what promises to be a spectacular event. BL: No, I am _not_ going to sing. It should be a good show anyway. LM: It's difficult to believe that we've been at this for a year already. Why it seems like just yesterday that I drove my VW bus here and hopped out with my tie-dyed t-shirt and guitar and... BL: Larry, you're having those sixties flashbacks again. LM: Huh? Oh sorry. Well it _does_ seem like just yesterday that we brought you Coronation Clash. Who would have thought that we'd be here a year later talking about the next era of IIWF broadcasting? BL: I sure didn't think _you'd_ last a year. But to celebrate, I've hired a bunch of clowns... LM: Stop it! Stop it right there! No clowns! No clowns! BL: Okay, all you Quigley fans can get the hell out! Heheheee... snort! LM: Even _you_ can't spoil my festive mood tonight, Becky. The celebration began Wednesday night with our first IIWF Hall of Fame Dinner at which Hakiro Matsuoko and "Outlaw" J.W. Hardin were inducted. What a night it was! BL: What a night indeed! The dinner wasn't bad either... hehe. LM: Did some extracurricular celebrating, did you? BL: Nothing _you_ need to know about. LM: Okay. The emotions were riding high. I don't think I've ever seen the "Outlaw" J.W. Hardin so touched. BL: You didn't see the way he got touched after the show. LM: That will be enough of that. The IIWF Hall of Fame itself is a fantastic building here in downtown Portland adjacent to the IIWF Towers. It opened to the public yesterday, with both J.W. Hardin and Hakiro Matsuoko on hand to greet the public. I understand the fans were lined up twenty deep to get in... kind of like Becky's bedroom on a Friday night. OW! OW! OW! BL: [grinding her heel into Larry's foot] And what a bargain at just six bucks. The IIWF's cards are archived and you could spend an entire day just watching old matches. Be sure to check out the exhibits with Tim's first toupee and the vial of authentic Venusian Death Cell spit. LM: They don't have... BL: And the kids'll love having a picnic in the shade of Blackjack Haley's tights! LM: Despite your comments, it's been a tremendous birthday celebration for the IIWF. In fact, the only thing that has tainted the celebration was Steve Roberts' performance Tuesday on "Inside the IIWF". BL: I was watching "Lassie" again. LM: To no one's surprise, his big mouth got him suspended and then... what were you doing watching "Lassie"? BL: Well, I flipped back and forth, but Lassie has more hair than Dross so I left it on that channel. LM: [sarcastically] What loyalty to your employer! As I was saying, Steve was suspended by none other than the President himself. BL: Clinton? LM: Spreadbury. BL: Oh. LM: He had a male blow-up doll... BL: Spreadbury? LM: No, Roberts! BL: Hmmm... blow-up doll. I was wondering where that thing got to. LM: Huh? BL: Nothing. I'm sure the L'il Soundbiters will start a write-in campaign or something. LM: I'm wondering if there is _any_ help for Steve this time. The IIWF's first birthday may be his last. BL: I wouldn't worry too much. Steve is like a cat. LM: You mean he always lands on his feet? BL: I mean he serves no purpose and sheds all over everything, but he's still loveable. LM: Enough about Mr. Roberts. We have a big show tonight and ten big matches to preview as we lead up to "IIWF Birthday Bash" right here tomorrow night. And we'll do that right after this short commercial break. [Larry and Becky pretend to chat as the shot cuts to the IIWF "Rafter Cam" showing the entire crowd from the roof of the facility. Fade. Cut to commercial. Ike Sampson and Mad Dog Watkins are driving an El Dorado through a street in downtown Portland. As they pull over, several lovely ladies recognize them and swarm to the car. Zoom in close on Sampson.] IKE: Ever since me and the Dog discovered "Sparkplug Cologne", we've been doing entirely too well with the ladies. Can't beat 'em off with a stick. [Watkins jumps out of the car and immediately has a female attached to his neck.] MDW: Yeah, but the ladies like a little music to go with their men. [The women suddenly stop and look up at the camera, speaking in unison.] WOMEN: No problem. Bring in da noise... bring out Da Boyz! [Gunshots ring out followed by an introductory rap segment. Suddenly, the Rotundos come walking down the street dressed in baggy shorts, leather jackets, huge gold chains, sunglasses and black hats. One carries a large boombox on his shoulder.] IKE: Yeah, Da Boyz bring a party with 'em wherever they go. MDW: It's the Notorious P.I.G. and Too Phat 4 Sure bringing all their hits to the streets. The ladies will love the sounds while the ladies are loving you. [Cut back to the Rotundos, who have begun a little dance number in the street. A voiceover begins.] VO: That's right. Now you can own the hot sounds of Da Boyz: Notorious P.I.G. and Too Phat 4 Sure. Bust your own ghetto with their number one hits like "Don't Forget to Duck". [Rotundo #1... er, Notorious P.I.G., produces a microphone.] P.I.G.: You out ta make a buck, when your squeeze she want to [BLEEP] So I drivin' in my truck and the [BLEEP] gear gets stuck A shootah go to tuck and I yells don't forget to duck! [Another gunshot rings out and the women all duck.] VO: That's just one of the 32 rap classics you'll receive when you order "Da Boyz Under Da Hood" from IIWF Records. The ladies will swoon when they hear Da Boyz' romantic version of "Pokin' Around". Your feet won't stop moving when you hear their best sellers "LTD Sally" and "She My Ho". And who could forget that classic, "M & M Girl... Melt in My Mouth, Not in My Hand"? [Too Phat 4 Sure grabs the mic] TP4S: She a M & M girl... cannnndy coated She hang with me 'cause I'm big and bloated. P.I.G.: Wikkie wikkie wikkie... [Several women faint] VO: That's right fans, 32 big hits by Da Boyz and you can own them all on two compact discs. It's a plastic party wherever you go. Pick up "Da Boyz Under Da Hood" from IIWF Records, available in all major record stores. [The women surround Notorious P.I.G. and Too Phat 4 Sure as Sampson and Watkins get back in their El Dorado.] IKE: Those guys are stealin' our homegirls. MDW: It's gotta be the music! [Fade. Cut back to the IIWF Coliseum and "Countdown to Birthday Bash". Larry and Becky continue to chat in the ring.] LM: Welcome back, fans. We're just 24 hours away from the hottest ticket in wrestling. If you can't be with us in person, be sure to call your local cable operator and tell him you want IIWF Birthday Bash... only on pay-per-view. BL: Don't you feel like a prostitute when you say that? LM: Certainly not. In fact, after our preview, I just know cable companies will be swamped with calls. Who would want to miss this action? [Graphics swirl around the screen: confetti and balloons mixed with letters which gradually form:] ************************************************************************** ------------------------ BIRTHDAY BASH PREVIEW ------------------------- ************************************************************************** =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= BIRTHDAY BASH MAIN EVENT #1 IIWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Quickstrike" Chris Quigley vs. Casey "Blackheart" James -------------------------------------------------- LM: Chris Quigley's name has been on the lips of nearly every superstar here in the IIWF during the past few months. BL: Usually preceded by words like... LM: DON'T even think about it! Still, for all the attention Quigley has been able to garner, he's yet to strap a IIWF gold belt around his waist. I have to believe he would trade all of the attention for the IIWF World Heavyweight Championship belt. BL: Let's face it, you've got to earn respect and Quigley hasn't done anything to do that. He's notched a few wins, but _real_ respect comes with the IIWF World Heavyweight Championship. LM: Many thought Quigley would be wearing that belt after Ring Wars III, but Casey James beat him to the punch and won the belt from Dan Kauffman before Kauffman lost to Quigley at the last pay-per-view extravaganza. If only... BL: If, if, if. Well 'Lar, if "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas. The bottom line is that Quigley _doesn't_ have the belt, his colleagues hate him, the fans hate him [mixed pop], and most importantly... _I_ hate him. LM: Actually, the bottom line is that the IIWF World Heavyweight Championship is all that's important to Chris Quigley. Love him or hate him, if he wins the belt tomorrow night Chris Quigley will be on top of the wrestling world, so it will certainly be a different Chris Quigley who enters the ring tomorrow night. BL: That's because Casey James has won the mind games. "Blackheart" convinced everyone that Quigley was a loser, so even "Third Strike" himself went out and tried to change his image. LM: But the fact remains that James will have to back up his mind games in the ring tomorrow night. BL: No problem. We know from his past as "Whitebread" that Casey is an outstanding technical wrestler. He's worked on counters for Quigley's best holds. Casey is bigger, stronger, and more importantly... he has friends in low places. LM: _That_ more than anything is the reason Casey still holds the IIWF World Heavyweight Championship belt. He almost _relies_ on the interference of the Syndicate these days, and I have to wonder how long it will be before Tiger Claw and Brody Thunder get tired of being Casey's bodyguards. BL: Those guys are paid to keep the gold in the Syndicate camp. They know their role and they do it well. Sure, Brody Thunder wants a shot at the title, but he also wants to stay on Brian Lau's payroll. LM: I'm not convinced it's a fair tradeoff, but I'm sure Casey is very confident that he can take care of Quigley by himself tomorrow night. BL: We'll hear from Casey shortly when that little twerp Steve Summer interviews the entire Syndicate at Brian Lau's request. Apparently, with all the rumors of fighting in the Syndicate, Lau wants to show that they're one happy family. We'll see if they stay that way by the time Casey meets Quigley tomorrow night. LM: What a match it should be! And quite honestly, I don't see any way even the entire Syndicate can keep Chris Quigley from fulfilling his destiny tomorrow night. I'm picking "Quickstrike" to be the new IIWF World Heavyweight Champion. BL: Dream on. Casey James is the most powerful ring technician in the sport today. There's no way Quigley can beat him. LM: We'll find out tomorrow night! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- BIRTHDAY BASH MAIN EVENT #2 MASTER OF DARKNESS MATCH: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Requiem vs. Deathbringer ------------------------------------------ LM: From the very day that Requiem stepped into the IIWF, it became apparent that he was destined to tread the path of a strange relationship with former IIWF Champion and veteran of the ring wars, Deathbringer. BL: Not unlike Quigley and that guy Troy. LM: It's nothing like... there _is_ no Troy! You just... BL: That one was for you, "Soundbite". LM: Infuriating. You're simply infuriating. As I was saying, both competitors may have summed it up best themselves by noting that they are two sides of the same coin. BL: But you know what they say about money: you can't take it with you. LM: Uh-huh. It's difficult to tell if Requiem and Deathbringer are waging a turf war or battling for each other's respect, but there is no denying the ownership each claims over a certain item: Requiem's guitar and Deathbringer's scythe. Both of those possessions will be on the line tomorrow night. BL: [nudging Larry] The creatures! Get to the creatures! LM: I'm getting there! You'll recall that these two men met in the "Dead Man Rising" match at Ring Wars III, with Deathbringer claiming the victory. They've clashed since them, and it seems like putting them in a cage was the only way to settle their feud for good. BL: Uh-huh... now the creatures! LM: I'm getting to them! Deathbringer and Requiem will be in a steel cage with fifteen-foot walls. At the top of the cage will be four suspended chain-ladder walkways, one from each corner of the cage, meeting in the middle where a platform is suspended, able to swing freely on the four chains. Up on that platform will be placed the athletes' aforementioned most treasured possessions -- Requiem's guitar and Deathbringer's scythe. The object of the match is to retrieve both items and then get down from the platform to the floor outside the ring. BL: Tell them about the freakin' creatures already! LM: Okay, okay. This match has stipulations for what would commonly be called lumberjacks -- wrestlers to keep the two competitors inside the ring or cage. Due to the nature of these two men, I understand certain _creatures_ will serve as the lumberjacks. BL: Creatures are cool. Very mysterious. Now _there_ is a reason to call your local cable operator! LM: It should indeed be a fascinating match, the likes of which we haven't seen since the ladder match and the suspended log match. We have some disturbing exclusive footage to show you in a moment -- footage from backstage after Requiem saw his sister, Gabrielle, attempt to steal Deathbringer's scythe just last Saturday. BL: Gabby, hon, just sleep with the guy and he'll _give_ you the scythe... and probably some ethereal venereal disease. LM: Please! Such actions are an insult to Requiem, one of the few wrestlers in the IIWF who does not resort to underhanded tactics. And he certainly didn't respond well to Gabrielle's actions Saturday night. Ordinarily, we'd show you an interview with Requiem. However, since the Highwayman-Deathbringer match last Saturday, nobody has seen anything of Requiem. He's not returning any calls in that creepy "Cathedral" of his, and it's little wonder, once you see the following exclusive footage. BL: Yeah, one of our IIWF camera crews just happened to be in the right place for a change when the fun started. LM: The result is this shocking footage: [The screen fades to black, then slowly reforms to show the backstage area at the IIWF Coliseum. A subtitle momentarily appears: "Saturday Night, May 3rd 1997". Close-up on a door marked "JJS" as a hand stretches out to knock on it. Nifty Ned Norton answers it. NNN: Oh, hey, are you guys here to do that special piece we've been promised for the past six months? The one about the IIWF's premiere security team? [Camera rocks up and down, as if the camera man is nodding.] [grinning] Cool. I guess all that clamoring from our fan club finally paid off, right? [Camera 'nods' again] Well, come on in and meet the gang. We're on "Red Alert" at the moment 'cos the next match has got Kowalski in and WHAT THE HECK?! [Offscreen]: GABRIELLE! [The camera suddenly jolts, as if somebody had pushed the cameraman. The camera spins for a moment before settling on the view of the corridor, just as a black stocking clad leg can be seen dashing round the corner.] NNN: [out of view] Hey, wasn't that Gabrielle? Man, she is so hot I could really... [Offscreen]: GABRIELLE! [Once more the camera jolts, the camera and cameraman shoved hard into the wall. The screen crackles and shudders, then settles on the same scene as before, this time revealing Requiem vanishing around the same corner in hot pursuit] NNN: Man, what's got him so riled up? LM [VO]: Fans, at this point the camera crew were instructed by the director to follow Requiem, much to Nifty Ned Norton's disgust. Sensitive viewers should be aware that we have been required to edit this footage for bad language. [The camera suddenly begins jogging down the corridor, the boom microphone occasionally coming into shot] NNN: [offscreen] Hey! Where are you going? Dammit, when are we gonna get our fifteen minutes of fame?! Oh, [BLEEP]! [The camera picks up speed as it nears the dressing rooms, the camera man trying to keep the huge form of the running Requiem in focus as the camera jolts and shudders, the scene flying all over the place.] REQUIEM: GABRIELLE! Damn you, woman, why did you do it? CAMERA MAN [VO]: Oh, man, he sounds [BLEEP]ing furious! What? This mic's still on? Oops. [The running Requiem sprints past doors marked 'Syndicate', 'Quigley', 'Psycho' and 'LaRue' as we hear a door up ahead slam, lock and then bolt. A few moments later Requiem slams to a halt in front of a door marked 'Gabrielle'] REQUIEM: GABRIELLE! Gabrielle, do you know what you have done!? Open the door and face me! [The camera zooms in on Requiem's huge fist as he begins pounding on the door, seemingly unaware of the camera crew's presence] I know you are in there! Open the door! [After a few moments more of furious knocking Requiem angrily kicks the door down. Wood splinters fly everywhere as the door seems to explode. The camera wavers and dodges as Requiem strides in] Gabrielle! Gabrielle, why did you... WHAT IS THIS?! [Requiem strides out of the room. His face, now that it can be seen, is like thunder. His eyes, once pale blue, now seem to shine a dangerous red, and the very air seems to crackle with fury. The camera is pushed aside as he sprints towards the garage level. The camera takes off after him, after first looking inside the windowless room to reveal that it is completely empty. After a few long moments the camera reaches the garage, only to see Requiem roar off on his black Harley Davidson!] CAMERA MAN [VO]: You wanna what? Are you serious?! LM [VO]: What you are hearing is the cameraman, Ted Adams, being told by the director to follow Requiem. Fortunately, Ted and his crew were able to "borrow" one of the IIWF's remote broadcast vans, and they sped off in hot pursuit of Requiem. What you are about to see is a "Countdown" exclusive: The first footage of the Cathedral of Souls taken by an IIWF camera crew. None of our camera crews have ever been permitted to tape here, Requiem insisting on using his own staff, whoever they might be. Remember, you're looking at an IIWF first, right here, right now. Let's skip a forward about an hour, as Requiem and our crew arrive at the "Cathedral". [The scene suddenly turns pitch black, the light extinguished as the camera crew enter a long tunnel.] TA [hushed]: This is incredible. I can't even begin to describe the atmosphere in here. It's... I guess the closest I've come is the inside of a church. There's a real sense of peace, a strange kind of serenity as you... MY EYES! [The shot suddenly flares into a painfully intense light, only to slowly resolve into tens of thousands of candles, covering the floors, ceiling and walls of the Cathedral. Some distance away Requiem lies face down, arms wide, in the centre of the floor as the sounds of gentle weeping fill the great cavern.] REQUIEM: Gabrielle... Gabrielle... Do you know what you have done to us? Do you not realize the magnitude of your sin? Little sister, what were you thinking? [Requiem slowly gets up, and retrieves his black guitar from the plinth. As the camera zooms in, it can be seen that tears run down the Angel Of Destruction's cheeks as he clutches his guitar to his chest] Gabrielle, how could you be so foolish? To take Deathbringer's scythe in honourable combat is one thing... but to steal it by guile, deception and trickery? Gabrielle, that is as great a sin as if you were to steal my own guitar from me. Little sister, you have ruined us all. TA: [hushed VO] I don't think he even knows we're here. This is fantastic! We're really getting to see a Requiem we've never seen before. OTHER VOICE: [VO, slightly hushed] Yeah, old man Spreadbury's gonna give us all rises for this footage, Ted buddy. REQUIEM: [looking up] Gabrielle, is that you? TA [hushed]: Stay down! Alex, keep it buttoned! [Requiem begins to play. The tune is new, not "The Music of the Unknowingly Damned" and is so mournful as to sink the very air into depression, reducing even the wind that causes the candles to sputter to a quiet whisper of abject sorrow.] WOMAN'S VOICE [hushed]: This is so sad. The poor man must be heartbroken. REQUIEM: [over the low dirge] Gabrielle, little sister, no member of our family has ever stolen a relic, even a relic of darkness. Even the Requiems of the past, those you said did not cling to my honour as tightly as I, always took the artifacts of old in combat. Oh, Gabrielle, what could make you think to do such a wicked deed? Who or what could convince you of the rightness of such a vile transgression? Little sister, you have disgraced our family, stripped away the honour of our mother and father. You have signalled the death blow to my own honour, and you are forever damned. Wait... Could that be it? Is it possible? I saw the way you looked at Deathbringer, even when you thought I could not see. Could it be? Could you be so foolish, Gabrielle? Could you think to love a creature of darkness such as Deathbringer? TA: [surprised, loudly] Huh? REQUIEM: What!? Who is there? Show yourselves! [Requiem looks around, his eyes are now almost back to their normal icy blue, but a flickering flame of anger still lurks within them. His eyes narrow as he stares directly at the hiding place of the crew, looking straight down the camera lens] TA: [hushed] Oh, [BLEEP], he's seen us! Get ready to run. REQUIEM: INTRUDERS!? Will this night never end? First my sister betrays me, and now the IIWF sends spies into my inner sanctum? How DARE you?! TA: [BEEP]! Run for it! [The camera is dropped, landing on its side to reveal three running figures as they make a break for a hole in the cavern wall. They are almost there when a portcullis slides in, blocking their exit. The camera makes out Requiem stalking the three people, slowly advancing upon them] REQUIEM: So! Three spies, sent by Deathbringer to torment me in my darkest hour? TA: [quivering with fear] W-what? You're crazy, man! REQUIEM: Crazy, am I? Gabrielle was always a child to have her own way, a child who did not recognize the importance our family placed upon honour, but even she would not carry out such a vile sin as we have seen tonight! Not without prompting! Not without encouragement! It was Deathbringer, wasn't it? Deathbringer with his mind games and golden-tongued words! Deathbringer put her up to this, didn't he? DIDN'T HE!? TA: I- I don't know what you're talking about, man. They just told me to get down here and roll the camera. I swear that's all I know! I'm just doing my job, man, just doing my job. We're all just doing our jobs... Please, don't hurt us... REQUIEM [slowly becoming confused, and angry]: I will not hurt you, little fools. I still have at least some semblance of honour. It is Deathbringer who must pay for what he has done to my sister. Deathbringer... will... Deathbringer will pay... pay... TA: Requiem? Are - are you okay? You - you don't look too good? REQUIEM: Get... get out, quickly! GO! TA: Huh? REQUIEM: GET OUT! GET OUT IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES! [The portcullis slowly grinds up and the camera crew flee. The camera, still on its side where it was dropped, witnesses Requiem let loose an inarticulate roar of total rage as he heaves his Harley Davidson into the air and throws it against a wall, where it shatters into a thousand pieces. Requiem, whirling to reveal a face consumed and contorted by indescribable rage, stalks towards the camera, lifting it up to point directly at his face, mere inches away, eyes burning with the flames of immense fury.] REQUIEM: DEATHBRINGER! Tomorrow night you will pay for my sister's foolishness! You may have seduced her into giving up our family's honour, but you cannot spare yourself my wrath! DEATHBRINGER! TOMORROW NIGHT PREPARE TO MEET THY DOOM AT THE HANDS OF THE ANGEL OF DESTRUCTION!! THE HERALD OF DAMNATION WILL PLAY, AND IT IS YOUR DAMNATION I WILL HERALD IN! DEATHBRINGER! YOU'RE GOING DOWN! [Fade to black as the camera is thrown against a wall and shatters. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: There you have it, folks. Requiem puts all the blame squarely at the feet of Deathbringer. Is he right? Was this another of Deathbringer's nefarious mind games, designed to confuse Requiem before the biggest match of his life? Or is Deathbringer an innocent party to all this? At this point, no one knows. But then, unless he's has calmed down in the last week, I really don't think Requiem cares. BL: And that could work against him. Requiem is one of these guys of honor and he probably doesn't know how to handle anger. Hell, that footage proved it. If Requiem doesn't harness his tempter, Deathbringer can take advantage of it. LM: Deathbringer has always been one to stand behind his own talents, but I don't think he would hesitate to let an opponent defeat himself. Still, with the steel cage separating he and Requiem from the crowd, they won't... BL: And the creatures! You forgot the creatures! LM: Ah yes, and the security of the creatures. Anyway, it will be interesting to see which man comes out on top. In any event, Deathbringer is ready to turn the page on this rivalry. BL: Or flip the coin... hehe. LM: It will be the "Dark Destroyer" versus the "Angel of Destruction" in a new generation versus old generation match. I don't think you can argue with experience and Deathbringer has more of that, so I'm picking him. BL: The producer tells me I have to disagree with you. Listen to Gabrielle, Reqmeister, she'll charm the pants off Deathbringer and you can kick him in the... LM: MOVING on.... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= IIWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Creed vs. Lord Byron ----------------------------------------- LM: How much does the IIWF Intercontinental Championship mean to Lord Byron? Enough to cheap shot Creed last Saturday and do serious damage to the rookie's knee. BL: Hey, all's fair in love and the IIWF -- and Byron has both areas locked up with DeWinter and the IIWF Intercontinental Championship. LM: There is still much speculation surrounding the future of this match. I understand "CEO" Jack Montgomery has been on the phone day and night with IIWF President Daniel Spreadbury this week, but we don't know what Montgomery is seeking. BL: Maybe a substitute wrestler. Byron did some big-time damage to Creed's knee and my sources tell me that immediate surgery was recommended. Montgomery has too much invested in Creed to let his career end tomorrow night. Maybe Marty Warnett signed with The Corporation. LM: I have trouble believing Creed won't be in the ring if he is able to walk. BL: Anyone. Anywhere. Any... ow, my knee! Creed no go! Creed no go! Heheheeee... snort. LM: That's not funny. BL: Hey, Bill Clinton recently injured _his_ knee too. Maybe Clinton is Creed's daddy. LM: I doubt that. BL: I hear the guy gets around. It could have happened. LM: [ignoring her] Creed has proven his courage in the squared circle, and his incredible brawl with Mad Dog Watkins at Ring Wars III proved that he can take punishment. Since entering the IIWF last December, he has amassed one of the most impressive records in the federation and will bring an incredible fifteen-match unbeaten streak into this match. BL: And to his credit, Creed owns the only clean victory over Byron since his lordship has been in the IIWF. LM: That's why Creed insists Lord Byron is running scared: [SCENE: Black. So black the eye swims in the emptiness - the void - until, just the briefest of milliseconds before the conscious mind is able to discern an outline to the surroundings... that outline being the underground film room in which Creed quietly sits... an explosion of light and sound occurs on the monstrous video screen... it is a shot of Lord Byron, entering the arena last Saturday Night.] CREED: You know I been watching you, don't you Byron? [The shot changes, now it is a younger looking Lord Byron, excitedly holding up the WAR! Lord title following a victory over Crocmaster.] Had a lot of time this week, lot of time just sort of lying around, hanging out. Could have sat around watching soap operas. Could have read the new Norman Mailer book. 'Stead I been watchin' you, Byron. Watchin' all of you. Been looking for something. Searchin'. [The clips now move a little more quickly, Byron winning a Falls Count Anywhere match against Bane... an Iron Man Match versus the monstrous Punisher.] You somethin' else, boy. A real live wrestling machine. You beat big guys... cruisers... pretenders and champions... but I never saw it, Byron... not one time did I see that thing, that thing that I was lookin' for. [Now we see Byron, the crowd roaring as Byron has Booster Dunne in the figure-four leglock for the WAR! International Title... Byron executing a front layout suplex on Chris Deugeau on his way to the WAR! Championship... Byron cockily waggling a finger in the face of J.P. Vachon.] Seen a lot of things with you, Byron. Seen that you'll do whatever you got to do. That you'll take steps. I get that, Byron. I get when a man knows that sometimes to be a man... he do what he gotta do. I get that, Byron. You know what I mean, Byron? I get that. I get that real good. [Quick shots now race across the screen, they are of Byron hitting a number of individuals with his brass topped cane... Troy Walters, Chris Quigley, Subway Psycho... then dropping atop each of them for a pinfall victory.] Not a match of yours I haven't seen, Byron. Went through all of them. You win - you lose - you still Byron. Byron the technician... Byron the machine. But I never saw what I was looking for. Never once. I never saw the thing I saw when I looked in your eyes last Saturday Night.. [Cut to a clip of IIWF Saturday Night... Lord Byron is in the midst of his brutal post-match assault on Creed's right knee. Byron is savagely ramming him with his cane... with a wheelchair... continuing to relentlessly attack Creed even while he is being stretchered away. The shot zooms in on Byron's eyes - there is a look of wildness not normally characteristic of the cool Englishman. A look of...] Fear. [The screen goes dark and a red light shines upon the face of the seated Creed.] I've seen you against guys who were twice your size... guys who had big reps and gold around their waist. I seen you back when you weren't much older than me, Byron - fighting against guys who would have had most men cryin' home to their mothers. Not you, Byron. You ice cold. 'Cept last Saturday. 'Cept with Creed. I think you scared, Byron. I think you scared. You not scared I'm gonna hurt you. Getting hurt's part of the game. You scared 'cause you think I'm better than you. You scared 'cause you think you gonna lose. [Soundlessly now, video screens all around the seated Creed play the slow motion replay of a past IIWF Saturday Night...Creed executing his "Crimson Tide" 180 degree whirling chokeslam on Byron...and then dropping him in the GFA "Goodnight...Farewell...Amen" flying super powerbomb. 1--2--3.] Oh yeah...I get you, Byron. I get you real good. And at Birthday Bash... You gonna get me. You gonna get all of me. You want some, Byron? You gonna get some. [Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: When he defeated Lord Byron, Creed was 100 percent healthy and at the top of his game. Lord Byron is arguably the finest technical wrestler in the world today and you have to believe that he would not hesitate to work on Creed's knee immediately -- if, in fact, Creed makes it to the ring tomorrow night. BL: You can't blame Byron for playing his trump card to keep the title. All's fair in love and... wait, I've used that one already. LM: I don't blame him, but it only lends... pardon the pun... credence to Creed's claims that Byron is running scared. Still, Byron is a man who used his skill to capture of the Intercontinental Championship from Marty Warnett and the entire IIWF knows that he can win a match in the blink of an eye. BL: And with his European Alliance partner Otto "the Butcher" Verhoeven watching his back, there's no way Lord Byron can lose this match. Tim Dross was back patrolling Bourbon Street and chatting with Byron earlier this week: [SCENE: Outside Lord Byron's Louisiana residence. IIWF senior interviewer Tim Dross is being led by the Lady DeWinter around the outside wall. They step onto a small path and start to walk through the garden.] TD: I'm looking forward to hearing Byron's excuse for his actions last Saturday. I hear that the President was considering much sterner action than a simple fine. DeW: I'm sure he'll give you all the answers you need. TD: I'd find that very surprising indeed. [The pair continue to walk along the path, until the come out onto an open grass lawn. Dross instantly freezes as he sees Byron, feeding pieces of raw meat to three very large, menacing Doberman guard dogs. Byron looks up with a smirk.] LB: Ah. Mr. Dross. I was wondering when you'd arrive. Please, don't mind the dogs. They won't do anything... unless I tell them to, of course. [DeWinter walks across to a stone seat and sits down. One of the guard dogs walks across and places its head on her lap. The other two remain sitting in front of Byron, staring at Dross as he edges closer.] TD: Okay, Mr Byron, let's cut right to the chase here. Last Saturday night you subjected Creed to a vicious and unprovoked atta.. [Byron holds up his hand and cuts Dross off] LB: Unprovoked? Unprovoked? Let me tell you something, Mr. Dross. For four months, I have been forced to sit back and listen to that man brag about his fluke victory over me. For four months I have had to watch him replay the event over and over again. For four months, I had to dwell on the fact that one moment of stupidity my part, had sent this.. this rookie streaking to fame and fortune. [Dross glances nervously across at the guard dogs, to find that they are staring straight at him. One of them bares a fang and begins to drool, making Dross shudder.] TD: That... uh, that doesn't excuse your actions. LB: I'm not looking for excuses, Mr. Dross. What I did last Saturday night, and what I am doing right now, is sending out a message to that red-gloved peon who dares try and claim that he is some sort of unstoppable, untouchable force. [Byron sneers] Everyone can be got to, Creed. Everyone has a weakness. And last Saturday night, I gave you one more to worry about. The first time we met, Creed, you saw a man with other things on his mind. With other people on his mind. The second time, you met a man looking to show the world that you're not quite as indestructible as you seem to think. And at Birthday Bash, if you are brave enough.. no, if you are _stupid_ enough to show your face, you will find a man that will be doing everything in his power to not only defend his title, but to crush your myth once and for all. DeW: Like it or not, Creed, your last victory over my man was an accident. An accident that will not be repeated. Since that accident, my man has won every single one of his matches in singles competition. He has proved to the federation that no matter what a certain group of individuals believe, he is the single most talented Intercontinental Champion in the IIWF's history. And come Saturday night, when the dust clears, the Intercontinental Title will still be where it belongs - around the waist of the best technical wrestler in the world. [Byron glances across at DeWinter for a second, and then continues.] LB: Creed. Come to Birthday Bash. [Byron sneers] I'm begging you now. Show your face. History will not repeat itself this time, my friend. I won't allow it to. You can count on that. Ciao. [Byron turns away from Tim Dross, and throws some more meat to the dogs. Dross, with one last glance at the staring dogs, hurriedly turns and starts to walk away. Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] BL: What sweet puppies! LM: [ignoring her] Normally, I'd... BL: The one on the left looked like your wife... hehe. LM: [raising his voice] NORMALLY I'D THINK the "CEO" Jack Montgomery could swing a deal, but the contracts have been signed and it looks like his hands are tied. BL: I could tie his hands if he'd take me to that little beach spot in Cabo. LM: Ahem... yes, well. I'm afraid I will have to pick Lord Byron as the clear favorite in this match. BL: And I agree with you for a change. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= IIWF CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Sychosys" Joe Petrow vs. Steve "The Fury" Kowalski ----------------------------------------------------- LM: There's a saying going around the IIWF locker rooms that whatever Steve Kowalski wants, Steve Kowalski gets. BL: It's hard to argue with that. Everything he's boasted about he's accomplished -- including the IIWF Cruiserweight Championship. But 239 pounds? I don't think so. LM: I understand that is currently under advisement by the IIWF Executive Committee following Kowlaski's victory over The White Phoenix last weekend, a match in which Joe Petrow played no small part, I might add. BL: These are certainly two of the more... ummm, _unpredictable_ men in the IIWF, and the fact that their looney fans will be able to help them in this match could force things to get ugly. LM: Yes, the "Sychopaths" and the "Furies" will be out in force tomorrow night to hand their heroes anything which may help them earn a victory. Both men requested that this match have a stipulation that any objects handed to either wrestler by any fans at ringside are legal. Also, there will be no disqualifications, and no countouts, so the match must end by pinfall or submission in the middle of the ring -- or perhaps the referee will be forced to stop it, if one or both athletes are unable to continue. BL: Maybe someone will throw Steve Summer toward the ring -- WHAM! An intern upside the head! LM: As much as I'd like to see it... no, I won't go there. BL: You're really gutless, Larry... unlike our vice president who has been burning out the ice cream machine in the IIWF Cafeteria. I've got two words for you, Owens: sit ups! LM: "Sychosys" Joe Petrow has earned the reputation of being one of the IIWF's most unpredictable superstars. He triumphed in a special Battle Royal to determine who would get a chance to "run the Gauntlet" and challenge each of the IIWF's champions in turn in non-title action, with the possibility of winning the IIWF World Heavyweight crown. However, his challenge was halted in its first week, when Kowalski attacked Petrow and caused him to lose to then Cruiserweight Champion, the White Phoenix. BL: And it's been downhill between those two ever since. The IIWF Cruiserweight Championship will be on the line, but Petrow seems more intent on simply chopping Steve Kowalski down to size... although he could probably cut off both of Kowalski's legs and "The Fury" would still be a questionable Cruiserweight: [SCENE: "Sychosys" Joe Petrow stands in the midst of a peaceful cherry orchard. From a far shot, the camera gradually zooms in while Petrow speaks, stopping on a head and shoulders shot.] JP: The wise men say, "You can only reap what you sow." Like the man who planted these trees many years ago, I believe you know the meaning of those words well, Steve. From the time you decided you wanted to wear the Cruiserweight title belt, you planted the seeds that...that...AW, HELL KOWALSKI! PHILOSOPHY IS WASTED ON YOU! [Petrow reaches down and picks up an axe that wasn't there before, and starts wailing on the tree. A series of rapid fire camera shots of the meeting of tree and axe, and the wild look in Petrow's eyes. Eventually, the tree sways, then crashes to the ground with a thud. Petrow takes a few deep breaths, walks over to the fallen tree, and resumes his speech] I ain't got time to wait years, Kowalski! _I_ say when you see a chance, you grab it by the balls and don't let go 'til it turns blue in the face! All you did to get that belt, all you did to keep me down, all your glorious plans that came to fruition...are gonna come crashing down in one night. You think you know how to beat Sychosys now? You haven't even met him yet! Nobody has! But maybe tomorrow, I'll introduce you all to him! I gotta warn you, he's a little on the strange side. But he's willing to accept the fact that you weigh 239 pounds, and that you are the Cruiserweight champion. And whether his fans give him an axe or a herring, he's ready to chop you down just like this! [Petrow reaches down and grabs a cherry from a branch off the tree, and puts it into his mouth. A satisfied grin covers his face as he eats] Kowalski. Fear the reaper. [Petrow spits the pit at the camera, and walks away. Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: That's a confident looking Joe Petrow. It's probably the first time Steve Kowalski has been compared to a fruit tree. BL: Especially since it's "The Fury" who has done most of the chopping since coming to the IIWF. Don't forget that he won the IIWF Intercontinental Championship in his first two months here and has now joined the select ranks of two-time IIWF champions. LM: There is no denying Kowalski's talent, just as there is no denying his foul-mouthed, hard-hitting style both inside and outside the ring. And it's very clear that he is preparing to involve his "Furies" in this match: [SCENE: Steve "The Fury" Kowalski is seen rummaging through a junk yard. The gleaming Cruiserweight Championship belt is strapped over his shoulder, as he sifts through the wreckage. Car antennas, bats, motor oil, a tricycle... you name it, Kowalski is tossing it all over his shoulder. When he realizes the camera is there, he turns and comments.] SK: I bet yer wonderin' why I'm here at Manny's Forgotten Gems? To be honest... and I'm always honorable, I'm lookin' fer stuff to clock Crazy Joe with. I found all kinds o' good [BLEEP] to hand out to the "Furies" at the Bash! But none better to look at then this. [Pointing to the Cruiserweight Championship belt.] We're gonna have all kinds of play things to toss into the mess. [The New Jersey Nightmare spit polishes the cruiser weight belt and adjusts it on his shoulder and continues speaking.] The White Penis found out when ya play with Kowalski, ya get burned! What Crazy Joe's gonna find out is... foolish pride gets ya killed! Ya can yap all ya want about revenge an' broken arrangements with Chow an' all that other crap that seems to keep pouring from yer mouth week to week, but ya have to realize one thing. Yer sinkin' in a sea of [BLEEP] an' there's no one to pull ya out! [Kowalski sizes up an old rusty corkscrew, that he finds at his feet, and tosses it onto the dirty pile of 'weapons'.] There's another fer the collection. Like I was sayin'. Ya bring yer pantywaist fans to the arena, ya bring yer weapons of choice an' ya bring some balls too... 'cause, buddy, Hell Hath No FURY Like Me an' Heaven ain't got room fer a bitch like _YOU_! [Kowalski scoops up his belongings and hops on his Harley. He kick starts it and pulls away muttering something aloud, barely audible as he pulls out.] Don't worry, I'll bring the belt. [Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: A regular match between these two men would be brutal enough, but thrown in the partisan nature of the "Sychopaths" and the "Furies" and there is no telling. How do you predict the winner of a match like this? BL: You don't. You just move on to the next match. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- IIWF WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Night Patrol vs. Pain Inc. ---------------------------------------------- LM: Several intense rivalries will come to a head tomorrow night, but perhaps no men have as much unspoken hate for each other as the former members of Team Brutality -- Night Patrol and Pain Inc. BL: Night Patrol seemed to be on top of the world after winning the United States Tag Team Championships at Ring Wars III, but things quickly soured between Brenda Hawkings, Mr. Mic, and their respective teams. But I got a Porsche out of the deal, so who cares? LM: Morningstar and Hellraiser certainly care. Those men have put their faith in many partners during the past year, only to have alliance after alliance fall by the wayside. And it was particularly bad with Night Patrol because Keene and Blazer did the separating. BL: Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do...? LM: Suffice it to say that those cops are going to meet two angry Indonesians at Birthday Bash. BL: They could also meet Pain Inc's new friends from the Syndicate. That's like walking into Houston's worst neighborhood without a service revolver. LM: True, but as we -- well those of us who weren't watching "Lassie" -- heard on Tuesday night, the IIWF Executive Council has ruled that both tag titles can change hands as a result of a pinfall, a submission, _or_ a disqualification! That puts the onus on Pain Inc. to win without the help of the Syndicate. BL: And we'll hear from Pain Inc. and the rest of the Syndicate a little later when we throw Steve Summer into the lion's den. LM: But there is also the question of whether or not Night Patrol will be able to win without Brenda Hawkings' assistance. BL: Is that why she's called _Assistant_ DA? LM: No. It's a great opportunity for Night Patrol to be the first team to have held both the U.S. and the World Tag titles, but I think the experience of Pain Inc. will be the key in this match. I'm picking Mr. Mic's men to retain their titles. BL: Brenda Hawkings is a master strategist. I have a feeling she'll have Keene and Blazer ready to administer a little police brutality tomorrow night. I'll pick Night Patrol to make history. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= GERMAN DEATH MATCH: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Tony Starks vs. Otto "The Butcher" Verhoeven ---------------------------------------------------------- LM: Speaking of feuds, we'd be hard-pressed to put into words the intense dislike these two men have for each other. BL: Yeah, ever since Starks showed up at Ring Wars III running his mouth... LM: I'd just like to remind you that Starks _pinned_ Verhoeven that night. BL: And it really upset the former IIWF World Heavyweight Champion, didn't it? Starks then had the nerve to put his hands on Heidi, which sent Otto off the deep end. Playing mind games is one thing, but making "The Butcher" mad is something entirely different. LM: And German _Death_ match could be taken literally in this match. Starks was out of wrestling for months after his back injury suffered in that plane crash, and I have to question the wisdom of getting into such a physically grueling match with a man as punishing as Verhoeven. BL: You got that right. This is a two out of three falls steel cage match, in which the winner of the first fall is then allowed to decide what type of rules the next fall is fought under. LM: And Starks has already challenged Otto to fight the first fall under "First Blood" rules, which would seem to play to Verhoeven's strength. Starks is an excellent submission wrestler while Verhoeven goes for the power moves. BL: I wrestled in a match like this in a Texas fed and it's a big advantage to get that first fall. Then, all the pressure is on the other wrestler and they push too hard. A lot of matches like this don't even go to a third fall. LM: This match will be a true test of endurance for both men, but endurance has never been a problem for Tony Starks. The bad man from Staten Island has beaten the odds all his life, whether on the streets or battling back from injuries. But even the injuries he suffered at the hands of the European Alliance last week on "Wednesday War Room" will not be enough to slow Tony Starks tomorrow night: [SCENE: Midnight, an urban basketball court in Brooklyn. Starks is looking through the giant chain link fence at the street. He just stares at it with an intense gaze through that ever present towel. The camera pans down and closes in on his face, his eyes are the only thing that can be seen. He speaks in a cold tone.] TS: Do you hear that Otto? Listen... very carefully... do you hear it? That is the sound of your career, your livelihood, your well-being running out on you. Time is up Saturday night and I am going to slam the door on your career, I am going to slam it shut... ...I think that ego-filled dome you got has an identity complex. A few weeks ago you were Superman, before that, you were Juggernaut now you are the damn Hulk. That trick you run with, "don't make him any madder, you wouldn't like him when he is angry." Otto, who the hell are you this week? David Banner or Clark Kent? I don't give a damn. You can bring Lois Lane and Clark Kent with you Saturday, it still won't save you. Not even God can. You aren't as stupid as I thought you were though, you are taking my advice. You are very fond of that wheelchair you take everywhere now, aren't you? You are going to need it. You, that wheelchair and a straw are going to be the best of friends after Saturday. The smartest thing you can do is not show up. Hey David Banner, or Clark Kent or whoever you pretend to be: I got your next identity for you: Handyman. It should be appropriate after I make your motor functions stop, I'll be sure to send you a lifetime supply of applesauce and straws. Butcher, you are going to taste the pain, see it. Prepare yourself. I know why you are so pissed, it takes a whole crew of you guys to beat me up, but I keep coming. I have taken worse beatings than that when I was a kid in "Gaten" Island. Your Reich is over, it is time for me to shine. I look at you and see an ends to a means, that's it. That is all you are. Represent the German people, oh, I bet they're real proud. Otto, no one can save you, no one. Hell is awaiting you in that ring and not even God can save your ass... [Starks just stares at the camera with this intense gaze. Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: Tony Starks continues to push Verhoeven's buttons just 24 hours before the big match. BL: So Otto can punch Starks' lights out tomorrow night. LM: I wouldn't be too sure. You said yourself that a wrestler who is unable to control his temper is at a disadvantage in the ring. Tony Starks seems to have taken Otto Verhoeven out of his game -- even to the point that Verhoeven has recently been questioning his ability to represent the superiority of the German nation in athletic competition. BL: It's nothing a swift kick in the lederhosen from Heidi won't cure. Sure, the signs at ringside and the little stunt with the lawyer have distracted Otto. Does Duncan Macbeth really think he could beat a _focused_ Otto Verhoeven? Does Tony Starks think he can beat a _focused_ Otto Verhoeven? Can anyone beat a _focused_ Otto Verhoeven? LM: That's a good question. We'll let Herr Verhoeven and Nurse Heidi answer it themselves: [SCENE: Otto "the Butcher" Verhoeven and Nurse Heidi are in their luxuriously furnished apartment in the German embassy in New York. They are sitting on a leather couch, but despite the comfortable setting they both have stern and focused looks on their faces.] OV: [with a calm voice] Saturday night, I will face the ghetto boy in a German Death Match. There is much a stake in that confrontation. It has gone beyond the simple payback for forcing me to submit in the middle of the ring. I will fight not only because of your disrespectful comments directed at me, I will defend the honor of my beloved fiancee, who you hit and insulted. NH: Mein lieber will crush you, Starks. You said zat he zinks that he is some kind of Superman? That he zinks zat he is unbesiegbar, invincible? You von't ridicule the German Juggernaut anymore once you entered the cage, once your blood is spilled, once your pazetic little body has endured the torture of the German Death Match. OV: [points at the camera] I am not coming for just another victory, I am coming to destroy you. Maybe your back will endure the night, maybe it won't. May your knees will not be shattered by a kneebreaker, but perhaps they will. You are fragile, Starks,. On Wednesday I talked to a man who has shown you your limits, who humiliated you like a dog. I talked to J.W. Hardin, and with the hints he gave me and the training I got from Lord Byron, I got the perfect weapon to-take-you-OUT! [jumps up, trembling with rage] YOU CANNOT SURVIVE THE ONSLAUGHT THAT IS CALLED THE BUTCHER! WELCOME... [he whispers] to the Slaughterhouse! [Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: I've been a fan of Tony Starks since his first stint in the IIWF. I think his road to a championship belt begins tomorrow night. I'm picking him to beat Otto Verhoeven. BL: Did you see Otto? He's _focused_. And I don't just mean focused, I mean _focused_. Besides, Starks is too cocky and everyone knows that the kraut ends up _on top_ of the hot dog. I'm going with Otto. LM: Oh, please! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= BANGKOK DEATH PIT MATCH: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Subway Psycho vs. Tiger Claw ------------------------------------------------------- LM: When you talk about the great competitors in the IIWF, the "People's Champion" Subway Psycho and three-time former IIWF Intercontinental Champion Tiger Claw must be at the top of the list. It's just a matter of time before they are inducted into the IIWF Hall of Fame along with Hakiro Matsuoko and J.W. Hardin. BL: I'll give you that one, but both of these guys have a lot of fighting left to do before that day. They've been going at each other since the IIWF's inaugural event, Coronation Clash, more than a year ago. You'd think one of them would have killed the other by now. LM: With due respect to the other wrestlers on tomorrow's card, it could happen in this match, which I consider to be the most dangerous on the card. Care to run down the rules, Becky? BL: Most of the people here live in the death pit known as Portland, but I guess they've never been to Bangkok -- I really like that word... hehe -- so I guess I'm stuck with the job. Okay, listen up. This is a cage match, with no disqualifications and no pinfalls. The match goes until one man is knocked out and the referee makes the ten count. Got it? LM: In other words, it's more a brawl than a wrestling match. BL: Yeah, and Tiger Claw is the clear favorite because he used to fight in these matches in Thailand, where they really _are_ death pits. LM: Don't count out the Psycho. His hatred for Tiger Claw and the Syndicate runs deep and is as old as the IIWF itself. In fact, the only time the two men seemed to be at peace was when Tiger Claw seemingly helped the Psycho train for his IIWF World Heavyweight Championship match at Ring Wars III. Of course, we now know that it was all a ruse. BL: The Subway Sucker! LM: That ruse may have saved Casey James and his title belt, but it kindled a fire... BL: Did you say Kinder? LM: No, I said _kindled_. It kindled a fire within the Subway Psycho which Tiger Claw may not be able to extinguish. Tiger Claw is standing by with the rest of the Syndicate and we'll hear from him in a moment. I'm a strong believer that vengeance is a tremendous motivator. Despite Tiger Claw's history with this type of match, I'm picking the Subway Psycho to win. BL: Wrong again. Claw will shred the Stinker. Case closed. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- IIWF UNITED STATES TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cold Spell vs. Prophets of Rage --------------------------------------------------- LM: The U.S. Tag Team belts must not be too popular with any of the tag teams. It seems no one wants to hold onto them for long. BL: I dunno, I think Cold Spell would be happy to have _any_ belts right now. They keep talking about being title _contenders_, which only means that some other teams have the gold. LM: Perhaps, but that could all change tomorrow night. Cold Spell won the right to face the Prophets of Rage when the Harlequins defaulted last week's match. BL: But at what price? Those Violence Unlimited guys beat the snot out of Icehawk and Fitzgerald Saturday night. That can't do much for your confidence as you prepare for an equally tough team like the Prophets of Rage. LM: I like the way Cold Spell work together in the ring, and the new ruling would give them a victory and the belts if the Prophets are disqualified. I'm picking Cold Spell. BL: You sell Derek and Shadoe Rage too short. Give the champs a little respect. I'm going with the Prophets of Rage. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TRIANGLE MATCH: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Derek Mota vs. Duncan Macbeth vs. Ike Sampson ------------------------------------------------- LM: Three newcomers... three men with an equal desire for victory. BL: Yeah, but only _one_ can have his hand raised as the winner tomorrow night. After seeing these guys fighting all over the place for the last month, it will be nice to see two of them with their tails tucked between their legs. LM: There's a mental picture I could have done without. But you're correct that these men have been engaged in a dangerous game of "one- upsmanship" during the past month and it has led to a heated rivalry between all three: Mota attacked Macbeth; Macbeth retaliated by missing Mota with a Claymore sword by mere inches; Sampson came down to the ring after one of Macbeth's matches, and the two began brawling, only for Mota to fell both of them with a spectacular splash. And so it went on, culminating in a wild behind the scenes brawl last weekend on "IIWF Saturday Night". BL: Keep it in the ring, boys. LM: They plan to do just that at Birthday Bash. Derek Mota drew first blood in the rivalry, attacking both Macbeth and Sampson in the ring. He may be diminutive in stature, but Mota carries a heavyweight attitude and he already owns a victory over Tiger Claw. He plans to add two more victims tomorrow night: [SCENE: A city street in downtown Toronto. It is still very early in the morning, and most people are still in bed sleeping. Derek Mota, however, is taking his daily jog through the streets. He is wearing a windbreaker and track pants, and is slowly building up a sweat. Derek's shoulder length black hair is tied up out of his face. He stops near the IIWF camera and begins to speak.] DM: It's time, boys. It's time. I think that people are gettin' ticked off at just how good we are. They're lookin' around for excuses, figurin' that there must be a reason we're gettin' these big wins. Hell, one of us already beat a former WORLD Champ. Another one of us drove a past star right outta the league. All three of us have been pushin' hard, but we're still stuck in the pack. Well tomorrow night it all ends. This is the big time, and it's when we're gonna see just who can perform. Who's gonna fade out under the spotlight, and who's gonna pick it up for the big win? I'm gettin' pretty anxious. I've been waitin' a hell of a long time for this, to get in the ring when it really counts, to put aside the Claymores, the dressing room brawls, and get someone a win. And I'm gonna do my damn best to make sure that someone is me. [Derek wipes the sweat from his forehead and begins to jog again. The camera bounces up and down with the movement as the cameraman tries to keep up with Mota.] Ike Sampson, you're talkin' tough. Your brother is this, your brother is that. How you want ta get outta his shadow. Here's your chance, kid. You step into the ring and give it everything you've got. But this time you can't be jumpin' me in the dressin' rooms, you can't be attackin' me from behind. I'm right there, lookin' at ya. Can you handle it? I guess we'll find out. Now Macbeth, Duncan Macbeth, there's no Claymores left, there's just us three in the ring. You looked pretty impressive against big man Otto, but I'm not him. You can handle the big man, but can you handle the little man? I'm bouncin' around the ring, flyin' off the ropes, right in your face, I'm comin' in, I'm goin' out, I'm not gonna let you get close to me. I can just picture ya chasin' after me, suckin' wind, just wishin' you could get back into the ring with another one of those power guys. I'll tell ya Macbeth, I'm gonna push you hard. Let's see if you can push back. I'm ready to break from the pack. Are you? [Derek begins pulling away as the shot fades. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: Derek Mota will have his hands full, however, with the massive Ike Sampson, younger brother of renowned superstar Jack Sampson. As Mota mentioned, Ike would like to step out of his brother's shadow and make his own name, and nothing would do that like a big pay-per-view victory at Birthday Bash. BL: And that's our cue to cut to Steve Summer, who is standing by outside with Ike Sampson. Take it away, twerp: [Cut to Steve Summer standing outside the back entrance to the IIWF Coliseum. A rented Toyota pulls into the lot, and Ike Sampson hops out of the driver's seat. He is wearing a nice pair of khaki pants, a dark sweater, and his sunglasses, looking more like an attorney than a wrestler. Summer runs over to him, motioning for the camera man to follow him.] SS: Ike, hey, Ike! A little early, huh?! IKE: It's never too early to get ready for the big match. And this triangle match is one of the biggest of my life. SS: I'm really looking forward to this one. The New Generation rock, as far as I'm concerned. IKE: There's no doubt, there's some talented young superstars here -- Mota and MacBeth included among them, I hate to admit. But tomorrow night, I'm gonna prove myself the best of the bunch. When the Future Bowl's over, and I'm standing alone in the ring, celebrating my victory with my fans, then we'll know who the future of wrestling is. [Ike pulls a large duffel bag out of the trunk, and starts heading for the coliseum.] Mota, MacBeth -- you boys started a fire I know you can't put out. And a big happy birthday to the IIWF -- the first year was a great one, but this one belongs to Ike Sampson! [Ike enters the building, and Summer turns to face the camera.] SS: I love that guy! This match is gonna be awesome! I'm going out on a limb right here, the New Generation is gonna steal the show, best match of the night! I can't wait! Hey... isn't that Mad Dog over there? [Summer drops his mic, and runs off the screen, hoping to land another interview. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: Steve! You need to head inside to interview the Syndicate! Did he hear me? BL: Does anyone ever hear you? LM: Very funny. Our final competitor in this triangle match has the experience advantage. Duncan Macbeth is a veteran of the ring and has held championship belts in other organizations. BL: But like J.W. said Wednesday night, other organizations don't mean squat. Until you've accomplished something in the IIWF, you've accomplished nothing. LM: Well each man hopes to accomplish a victory tomorrow night. I think experience could be a factor in this match. The man who is smart enough to let the others do battle will probably come out on top, and I think Duncan Macbeth is that man. BL: Nah. Size is important in a match like this. The most durable of these guys is Ike Sampson, so I'm picking him. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- NO COUNTOUT, NO DISQUALIFICATION GRUDGE MATCH: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- BRODY THUNDER vs. MAD DOG WATKINS ---------------------------------------------------- LM: What a way to open our broadcast tomorrow night. I can think of no better matchup to sum up the great action we've seen during the first year of the IIWF than to see these two men meet once again. BL: Maybe there's something in the Coliseum they haven't yet broken during their earlier brawls. LM: Brody Thunder and Mad Dog Watkins are two ring veterans who know the true meaning of competition, and for almost as long as they have been in the IIWF, these two athletes have been competing with one another. It's not a matter of proving superiority, and nor is it a matter of dislike for one another -- it's merely a matter of pride. BL: It's merely a matter of beating each other's brains in. LM: It was Thunder who scored the pinfall in the first encounter between these two men, and then Watkins in the return match. The third match ended in an inconclusive double countout, and in between all of those occasions, Watkins and Thunder have brawled whenever their paths cross. BL: Dressing rooms, parking lots, the sporting goods department at J.C. Penney... it just doesn't matter. Watkins is clearly obsessed with this match because he turned down even _my_ request for an interview. LM: I'll bet it's the first time you've heard "no" from a man. BL: You got that right. LM: But we did get Brody Thunder's thoughts on the match earlier this week. We'll also hear from him in just a moment with the rest of the Syndicate: [SCENE: The inside of a red/black Jeep Ranch Cherokee looking out the open tailgate. A few seconds go by and then Brody Thunder appears in the shot as he tosses a gym bag into the back of the vehicle. He pauses then looks into the camera.] BT: Can ya feel it? Can ya feel it Watkins? That rush in yer belly like yer gettin' ready fer somethin' big? Time's drawin' near. [Thunder slams the hatch door closed. Cut to a side shot of Thunder as he walks around from the back of the vehicle.] Jus'a mere twenty-four hours from now you an' I are gonna write the definin' chapter on our little story. An' I can guarantee that it won't end with the words "happily ever after". That ain't our style an' we both know it. [He opens the driver's door and rests his left arm on the top. With his right he reaches into his shirt pocket and removes a cigar placing it in his clenched teeth.] An' we both know what's gonna happen in that ring once that bell sounds. Ain't no textbook wrestlin' showcase gonna be happenin'. Naw... it's jus' like it was in the days o' the Old West. Two men at opposite ends an' headin' on a collision course an' only one way ta settle their differences. This Saturday night the IIWF's gonna see somethin' it ain't never seen before. [Thunder strikes a match and light the cigar.] It's gonna see a showdown. [Thunder smiles grimly] That match ain't endin' 'til on o' us is done. Ain't no way around it... that's the way it's gotta be. We had a few scraps an' we've had some good fights... but at the Bash we're gonna have ourselves one hellacious fight the likes o' which the IIWF has never seen. [Thunder enters the vehicle and closes the door. The engine rumbles to life. Through the open window he looks back at the camera.] The time fer talkin's over. With every tick o' the clock yer gettin' closer ta Armageddon, Watkins. An' yer lookin' at yer travel guide. Hope ya enjoy the trip... [Thunder holds the cigar and spits on the ground.] ...'cuz yer next one's gonna be outta the IIWF... [Thunder smiles at the camera, winks, then returns the cigar to his mouth.] ...fer good. [The vehicle speeds off down the dirt road leaving an ever-growing cloud of dust enveloping the camera. As a clap of thunder rumbles the shot fades to black. Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: Let's hope this match will put their differences to an end once and for all. The no disqualification, no countout stipulations are designed to do just that. I don't think we can even pick a winner in this match, but it will truly be a wild way to kick off a wild night of action in the IIWF Coliseum. ************************************************************************** -------------------- LIVE INTERVIEW: THE SYNDICATE --------------------- ************************************************************************** LM: I'm told Steve Summer has made his way back into the building and is ready to bring us comments from members of the Syndicate. Only the Dark Disciples will not be in action from that group tomorrow night, so I imagine they'll have a lot to say. BL: If Summer lets them get a word in. LM: Steve, are you there? [SCENE: Steve Summer walks into a conference room at the Coliseum followed by a camera crew.] SS: Okay, so I've got to interview the Syndicate, which is cool. I mean, the champ is here, so I get to interview him! What a break. The guys at the Towers said that Lau requested me, so it looks like I'm moving up in the world. I wonder... URK! [The muscled arm of Casey James grabs Summer by the collar. The shot widens to show the whole Syndicate, managers and all, standing behind the champion.] CJ: Got you, you snot nosed brat. SS: Ummm... Champ! I! Ow... CJ: Shut your mouth, windbag, I got something to discuss with you. SS: No prob... CJ: Shut up! So you think there's some has-beens in this room, huh? You think a couple of us are over the hill, huh? Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? We are the most feared organization in wrestling history. Number one. Period. And now just because we've been here longer than Mota, Highwayman, and you, you want to diss us, huh? I don't like it, and what I don't like, I destroy. SS: I... No... I... CJ: Didn't I tell you to shut up? See that man? [he points to Tiger Claw] That man has his name engraved permanently on the Intercontinental title. He's won more matches than most guys have even wrestled. And you think he's a has-been? When you see any of us in the ring, backstage, or even on the street, you treat us with respect. You call us "sir." You stand aside and let the better men pass. You _don't_ start going on about how we've been here too long. Tiger Claw and I helped _make_ this fed. You see this? [Casey shoves the IIWF heavyweight title under Summer's nose] This makes me champ, and new or old, I'm the top dog. You just remember that the next time you want to open your mouth, or I'll make it so that jaw gets wired shut. [Casey lets him go with a shove.] SS: Okay... CJ: Okay _what?_ SS: Okay... _sir._ CJ: That's better. Now just stand there and hold the mic out so everyone can hear us. [Summer does.] BL: Thank you Casey. Now, here we are on the eve of the Birthday Bash. I can't believe that it's been a year already. We've seen quite a bit of action in that time. Titles came and went... Or, in Casey's case, stayed. Now the men you see before you participate in the IIWF's first anniversary extravaganza. What better way to celebrate than to crush some long time enemies? Claw, I'm hoping that you'll get rid of the Subway Psycho once and for all. TC: Trust me, nothing would please me more. For an entire year the Subway Psycho has been a thorn in my side, costing me titles, giving me headaches, and vandalizing the places I frequent. Time and time again I have tried to silence him, but to no avail. _This_ time, however, the rules are different. There are none. A Bangkok Death Pit. The type of match I can safely say I specialize in. As a youngster in my home country, I participated in many matches of this style, and came out the victor. My proof? The fact that I still live and breathe as a healthy man. Psycho, you may know the streets of America. You may connect with the underside of North American culture, but that pales in comparison to what I have faced. I've faced death numerous times while spectators watched and placed bets. I've had men obsessed with my death just because I had beaten their friends in the pit. Yet I survived to come to the IIWF, and I have remained in the IIWF for an entire year, something that not many men can boast. Tomorrow will be your end, Psycho. I have restrained myself in order to stay within the rules to keep my contract here, but tomorrow there are no rules. Psycho, you'd be best to make arrangements for your dim future. BL: A year of aggravation comes to an end tomorrow. Thunder, You bring an end to your personal trial tomorrow as well. You meet Watkins for the last time. BT: The LAST time. Ya hear that Watkins? The fun an' games are over. This Saturday night ain't jus' about two wrestlers lookin' ta add a notch in the win column. No... this here's about respect. Jus' like it was the first time we met. Well, this story ain't gonna have no happy endin' fer ya, amigo. I'm closin' the book on yer career once an' fer all. So come loaded fer bear, my friend... ain't no reason ta save it now. One way or the other... this ends Saturday night. Bank on it. CJ: And I'm there if you need me, pal. It's the least I can do after the times you've helped me... BT: Heh, that's the biggest understatement since Noah said "Hmmm... looks like rain." If yer really feelin' generous how bout lettin' me take a crack at that... CJ: Hey big man... Brian's already said the deal's as good as done. When you step into that ring for the title, we both know who'll walk away with it. BT: Oh yeah? CJ: Sure! That IC belt is your destiny just like you've been saying. There's no way that belt stays with the current owner once we... ah, you take care of business, right m'man? BT: Yeah... the IC belt. Right. An' ya know what that IC strap would make me... champ? CJ: Sure. Another gold winner in the Syndicate, home of the champions. BT: It makes me the number one contender. CJ: Heh... right. And I'm sure you'll be very happy with that golden IC title, right? BT: Mebbe... mebbe not. I like collectin' gold. [Thunder steps forward and looks at the IIWF World title belt around Casey's waist and smiles.] BT: An' I ain't partial ta puttin' all o' my eggs in one basket, if ya know what I mean? CJ: Well... being the best always comes with a price, big man... [Casey steps to Thunder and looks him straight in the eye.] CJ: ..one that few men can afford, if you know what _I_ mean? [Casey and Thunder lock eyes in a tense stare.] BT: Yeah... I do. An' yer right. That gold's gonna make me real happy, champ. BL: Alright, alright. I can tell we're all a bit worked up, but let's keep focused on those that we have to face, okay? Now, Don, I know your guys don't actually have a match on Saturday, but you'll still be there to back up the Syndicate, right? Maybe to scout the Night Patrol? DM: We'll definitely be keeping our eyes on Night Patrol, and I'll tell all the idiot fans out there right now; any conflicts in the Syndicate have been resolved and we're all working together to achieve our goals. My boys will be backstage at Birthday Bash with their eyes glued to that video monitor, and as soon as Pain Inc run into the slightest bit of trouble Kane and Wulf will be there to sort things out. Hell, somebody has to get things done around here! [slaps Mr. Mic jovially on the back, who looks a bit miffed at that last comment]. BL: Now I want to know that things are okay, guys... I mean, Mr. Mic and Pain Inc. are our allies, so I'd rather not have any problems. KANE: Trouble? Why I'm surprised at that comment Brian. You've known us for long enough now. The Dark Disciples have never been the type to cause a disturbance. We're just happy to take our orders and get the job done. Hellraiser and Morningstar are both part of the Syndicate now, and that means they are our brothers. [Kane puts his arm around Hellraiser's shoulder comradely, who remains impassive]. Right Wulf? WULF: Why of course Kane. Pain Inc are family, and we'll do everything in our power to make sure those titles remain in their hands. It's not like we're going to out there at Birthday Bash and do something that would cause them any... inconvenience; is it? [Wulf gives a chuckle which soon builds into an insane cackle. Mr. Mic and Pain Inc. eye him suspiciously]. MM: [Suspiciously looking at Wulf] Brian, everything is fine. Don and I realize that with two titles in the IIWF both teams can exist. Am I _right?_ [Don and the Disciples look to each other, and after a moment, all three men nod.] BL: Now, Pain Inc. have a fairly important match tomorrow, guys, and I'd really appreciate it if everyone would help out a bit. DM: We'll be there watching their backs, as we said. CJ: You know I'm there. [Tiger Claw nods.] MM: Absolutely. You can count on the presence of Pain Inc. in return. I hope you're paying attention: Quicksand, Subway Psychold. BL: Okay, this is good. Now we have another special match on Saturday, and that involves our good friend Casey. Casey... two words: "Quigley," and "crush." CJ: Oh, believe it. I hear Quigley is going around yelling about how he beat me. Well, Chris, the last time I looked at the tape, at the end of that match, you were down and out on the mat with me laying the boots to you. Now, if that's what you call winning, then so be it, but personally, I think that you're the one that got beat like a dog. You see, Chris, unlike you, I don't live my life based on marks on a piece of paper. My record might say how many matches I've lost and won, but to be honest, I don't really care about that. See, the paper doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that I've beaten up so many guys I've lost count. Official or unofficial, I've got an impressive record. As for ending careers, well, Chris, you're not the career-ending type. I am. Latta, Kauffman... oh, his career was over after I took this belt. I finished off Brandon Bennett, too. He walked after getting his ass kicked by me at the Madness. Quigley, you may have gotten that mark in the win column, but at no time did you pin me for the count or make me give up, and that's the only way you're going to get this belt right here. Chris, there's two kinds of guys in this world: The guys who play by the rules and the guys that take advantage of them. In your situation, you're forced to be in the first category. By being the champ, I have the luxury of being in the second. You've got to take this belt from me, Quigley, and all I have to do is keep it. Tomorrow night is a lot more than about this belt, though. It's about pride, something you have too much of. It's about respect, something you have none of. It's about one guy locked into one style and another who can use whatever style he wants to kick your little ass. Don't understand, Chris? I'll make it crystal clear when I come to the ring tomorrow night, because I've got a lot more to say. BL: Everything is arranged, Casey. There's nothing to worry about. Tomorrow the Syndicate will shine as usual. We'll come out winners... We'll even come out a bit bigger... SS: Ummm... Wha..? CJ: Hey! Shut up! Oh, and another thing, runt... interview's over... get out! [Shot abruptly cuts out as Summer is seen rushing out. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: Ooh, Casey James laid his hands on one of the IIWF's journalists. That will cost him some big bucks. BL: He didn't lay his hands on a journalist, just Steve Summer. Hehe... snort! ************************************************************************** ------------------- THE BEST OF THE REST SPEAK OUT --------------------- ************************************************************************** LM: Not all of the IIWF's stars will be in action tomorrow night. In fact, we've seen the White Phoenix in the ring for the final time. BL: Jeez, I didn't think Joe Petrow hit him that hard. LM: No, no, he isn't seriously injured. In fact, he's undergone a major change. BL: Oh my God! You mean he had THE SURGERY? LM: No! I mean... just watch this footage. It explains everything: [SCENE: The White Phoenix is seated cross legged on the edge of a cliff, looking into the night sky thoughtfully. His head is heavily bandaged as a result of the gauntlet wound, and he is wearing a long black silk shirt and rather faded blue jeans. He is turns toward the camera.] WP: A half a year ago, Sun Tsi unexpectedly returned to my life. We all know the consequences of that event. However, his return has caused another event as well, one which fills me with both anticipation and sadness. I am leaving the IIWF, not to go to Japan and wrestle as has been reported. I am leaving the world of professional wrestling. I will return to China, to seek my family. If Sun Tsi survived the fire, perhaps my family did as well. Perhaps my father and sister have been watching me all these years, waiting for me to return. Or, perhaps... perhaps the dead can come back. I don't know what I'll find, but I must go, and I must go alone. But before I go I must speak to one man. My friend, my ally, my foe... once my hero...Takezo Musashi. Look down. Do you not see the footprints which I made? You are walking the same road I did, Enigma, the same road which led me to renounce my honor in return for glory. I cannot pull you away, I cannot beg you to reconsider. I can barely feel sorry for you. You picked this road of your own choice, as did I... ...I am torn. Unable to forgive or condemn, I can only wash. And pray. Now, I have one more requirement. I leave for China not as The White Phoenix, but as Shinja Chow, a man who died to live again. I cannot take the protection of the Great Phoenix Spirit with me, nor can I be its scion anymore. I must pass the spirit to a young man... [Chow holds out his arm, and an eagle lands on it. It is Chiquoit. Chow strokes the bird's back and whispers to it.] WP: ...who has lost his way. [Chow stands and walks over to a small clearing with a bonfire raging in the middle of it. Nightwing is seated watching the fire. Chow sits down next to him, and Chiquoit hops to Nightwing's shoulder.] WP: Nightwing, young warrior, you feel you have been abandoned, that you are without purpose, alone. I have known that feeling as well, but found meaning as a follower of the Phoenix. This mantle I pass to you now, if you accept. Know this, though--the Phoenix is a harsh master. Succumb to weakness or fear as I did, and he will punish you. Let pride dominate you, and he may destroy you. If you accept this honor, you will be a man with a mission, a duty to act with righteousness and respect, and wear your honor as a symbol for others to follow. Consider carefully, Nightwing. Will you accept? [Nightwing continues to look into the flames. He speaks as if his very spirit is in another place and another time.] NW: I have fought for my people only to be branded an outcast. But I have never been abandoned by the spirits on my journeys. They are my teachers, my guides... my past and my future. Our peoples are similar, Shinja Chow. I look into the flames and see great Chinese warriors standing beside Cherokee braves. This night they will be proud again. I know well the power of the Great Phoenix Spirit and what it means to follow him. You have served your master well and brought honor upon his name, Shinja Chow. The pride I have is for my people. I know not fear. And while I must fulfill a vow to another within the passing of two moons, do not perceive it as a sign of weakness. The promise I made to another was in the name of the spirits and must be kept. But within these flames is the path I must follow. [The White Phoenix nods] WP: Very well. Chiquoit, come here. [The eagle hops back to Chow, who speaks some words in Chinese to it. Chiquoit flies away, soaring far overhead as the camera follows it. Suddenly, Chiquoit screeches and bursts into flames! The flaming bird flies in another circle before speeding back to Nightwing's shoulder. The fire spreads until Nightwing is encased by flames. At first he is terrified, but soon feels the power coursing through him. He screams out in triumph. The flames soon fade, leaving him unhurt.] WP: It is done. You are hereafter an agent, a servitor, of the Phoenix. May you act with honor. Now, I must depart. [Chow stands, bows deeply to Nightwing, and turns toward the camera. One tear slowly rolls down his left cheek. He bows to the camera, turns, and disappears into the darkness of night. Nightwing turns back to the roaring fire.] NW: May the spirits watch and guide you, my friend... and may you find that which you seek. [An eagle cries in the distance and the camera zooms in on the bonfire's flames. Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: The White Phoenix may be gone, but his spirit lives on in the young warrior Nightwing. BL: Great. He's finally found flame and fortune. Heheee... snort! LM: We'll have to wait and see what this means for Nightwing. The White Phoenix was very successful here. If the Great Phoenix Spirit had anything to do with it... BL: Nightwing can get pounded by the studded gauntlet, too. LM: Nightwing certainly has a past with one Chris Herforth, the wrestler formerly known as Cheshire. But Herforth's attention lately has been on one of Becky's favorite wrestlers, Serge Annis. BL: The only human being uglier than Larry's daughters, Syphilis and Chlamydia. LM: Their names are Sybil and Chloe! And they are not ugly! BL: Woof! Woof! LM: I'm beginning to think President Spreadbury suspended the wrong broadcaster. Anyway, Herforth has vowed revenge on Annis, but that's easier said than done when the Epitome of Evil is involved: [SCENE: Serge Annis stands in the IIWF interview area.] SA: There are a lot of questions to which there are no answers. Is there a God? Is there heaven or Hell? Why did Serge Annis attack Chris Herforth? This is a message right out to Chris. Short and sweet... clear and concise... no hidden meanings, no symbolism: Chris Herforth... I don't like you. I may even hate you... hehe... I attacked your hands during our match because it took away your offense... I attacked your hands Saturday because it brought you pain. It took three of you to stop The Epitome of Evil. Herforth, I know you'll want a match. I'll give it to you. I'll make that brick wall you once drove through look like a pillow of feathers. So 'Cheshire'... keep that goofy grin about your face because it only makes me hate you more. Three of you... he he... you won't be able to do that in a rematch Herforth... because you never beat me. And you never will. [Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] LM: And one of the hot tag team contests we'll be keeping an eye on could come very soon. The High Plains Drifters and the Armed Forces are both trying to be the first IIWF tag team to 20 victories. BL: That's a great ad for Kessler's right there: "Kessler's... the rotgut of champions." LM: Not if the Armed Forces have anything to say about it: [SCENE: A battleship. NavCom and DefCon, the Armed Forces, are walking on the poop deck, looking out into the ocean. IIWF interviewer Steve Summer has somehow been suckered into doing the interview, and is looking a bit queasy.] SS: Well, guys... uhhh... NC: [slapping Steve on the back and laughing] What's the matter, Stevie? SS: I'm... okay... well, first time we've seen DefCon in a while... DC: That's right, baby! Easy, Pale, Josey... HELLO! You guys thought you put the big man away, sprayin' the whiskey in the eyes, but you couldn't get the job done! Now the big army destroyer tank is armed and ready... to take vengeance upon YOU! [Steve leaves the scene, holding his mouth.] NC: Heh. Well, as Summer loses his breakfast, I'll take over. So, DefCon, what are you planning for your meeting with the High Plains Drifters? DC: I'm glad you asked that, Mr. Com. You're an excellent reporter, by the way. [NavCom chuckles.] Well, I dunno... first of all, I plan on us being the first team in the IIWF to reach twenty wins. NC: When you say "we", you refer to your handsome, intelligent partner, NavCom, correct? DC: Well, he's my partner. [As DefCon grins devilishly, NavCom scowls at him.] And I suppose we'll probably embarrass them when we leave them laying in the ring... and you never know, we just may have a surprise or two for the rough riders! NC: Thank you very much, DefCon... that was one half of a great tag team, the Armed Forces, who'll be beating the hell out of the High Plains Drifters soon at an arena near you. For Countdown to Saturday Night, I'm NavCom... so long everybody! [Fade. Cut back to Larry and Becky.] ************************************************************************** -------------------- CURRENT IIWF SINGLES RANKINGS --------------------- ************************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name F/H Fought W L D Win% Ranking (old) new ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Casey James H 39 22 15 2 59% (WC) WC Lord Byron H 22 17 5 0 77% (IC) IC Steve "Fury" Kowalski H 20 15 5 0 75% (3) CW ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deathbringer H 32 23 6 3 77% (2) 1 Creed N 15 11 3 1 77% (1) 2 Requiem F 7 4 1 2 72% (5) 3 Subway Psycho F 34 23 9 2 71% (7) 4 "Enigma" Takezo Musashi F 31 22 9 0 71% (4) 5 Mad Dog Watkins H 14 10 4 0 71% (6) 6 The White Phoenix F 24 16 7 1 69% (CW) 7 Chris Quigley F 28 18 8 2 68% (11) 8 Billy Shakespeare F 38 25 12 1 67% (9) 9 Otto Verhoeven H 32 21 10 1 67% (10) 10 Nightwing F 12 8 4 0 67% (13) 11 "Sychosys" Joe Petrow N 13 8 4 1 65% (12) 12 Highwayman F 11 7 4 0 64% (8) 13 Brody Thunder H 21 13 8 0 62% (14) 14 Mr. Damage H 31 19 12 0 61% (16) 15 Tony Starks F 5 3 2 0 60% (17) 16 Marty Warnett F 39 23 16 0 59% (15) 17 Derek Mota H 6 3 2 1 58% (18) 18 Dirt Dog Unique Allah N 18 9 7 2 56% (20) 19 "Real Deal" Luke Steele F 11 6 5 0 55% (25) 20 Tiger Claw H 46 24 20 2 54% (19) 21 Ronnie Paris F 15 8 7 0 53% (23) 22 Chris Herforth N 16 8 8 0 50% (21) 23 Serge Annis N 13 6 6 1 50% (24) 24 The Hangman H 17 6 7 4 47% (26) 25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Duncan Macbeth N 2 2 0 0 100% (27) 26 Ike Sampson F 3 2 1 0 67% (28) 27 Scott Rogers F 1 1 0 0 100% (29) 28 Danny Dynamite F - - - - - (-) - ----------------------------- on leave --------------------------------- The Sandman F 32 16 16 0 50% (-) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ************************************************************************** ------------------- CURRENT IIWF TAG TEAM RANKINGS --------------------- ************************************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Name of team F/H Fought W L D Win% Ranking (old) new ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pain Inc. H 22 13 8 1 61% (WT) WT Prophets of Rage H 9 8 1 0 89% (US) US ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Night Patrol H 9 7 2 0 78% (1=) 1= Cold Spell F 9 7 2 0 78% (1=) 1= Domination F 11 7 2 2 73% (3) 3 The Armed Forces H 30 19 10 1 65% (4) 4 Rising Sun Revolution F 17 11 6 0 65% (5) 5 High Plains Drifters H 32 19 12 1 61% (6) 6 W & W Express H 10 6 4 0 60% (8) 7 The Hangmen H 20 10 8 2 55% (9) 8 The Harlequins N 11 6 5 0 55% (7) 9 Dark Disciples H 16 8 7 1 53% (10) 10 The Zodiac Connection F 25 12 13 0 48% (11) 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Last Resort F 4 3 1 0 75% (12) 12 Violence Unlimited N - - - - - (-) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ************************************************************************** ------------------- UPCOMING IIWF BROADCAST SCHEDULE ------------------- ************************************************************************** LM: Fans, if you haven't done so yet, call your local cable operator and tell them you want Birthday Bash LIVE on pay-per-view. It's sure to be the event of a lifetime and it will come your way tomorrow night from right here in the IIWF Coliseum! BL: And best of all, I'll be here! LM: So until tomorrow night, this is Larry Morton for Becky LaRue, thanking you for joining us. Buckle up and enjoy the ride, we're a year old and it's time to party! BL: Nighty night! [Confetti and balloons fall from the ceiling of the IIWF Coliseum as Larry and Becky rise to meet the fans. Cut back to the "IIWF Rafter Cam" as the credits roll. Fade.] +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I * I * W * F =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+ | President: Daniel Spreadbury | Vice-President: Steve Owens | | univ0322@sable.ox.ac.uk | sowens@admin.presby.edu | | iiwf@sisko.demon.co.uk | IIWFadmin@aol.com | +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- http://www.sisko.demon.co.uk -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+