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Presenting AOW: Art of War Wrestling - The Greatest Affair

125K views 305 replies 39 participants last post by  gatorzftw 
#1 · (Edited)
Last post of last thread was May 31st

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"Warfare is the greatest affair of the state, the basis of life and death, the Way to survival or extinction."

- Opening Line of Sun Tzu's Art of War​

Backstory

August 2005
The WWE comes to terms with Christopher “Chris Jericho” Irvine with his contract expiring

December 2006
The WWE comes to terms with both Paul Heyman and Paul “The Big Show” Wright

January 2007
John “Bradshaw” Layfield, as well as Mick Foley and Dean Malenko, cut ties with World Wrestling Entertainment

Late January 2007
Paul Heyman, shortly after being foolishly denied by TNA Wrestling, reportedly makes a few phone calls, the main ones of note being Foley and Layfield. Chris Jericho, meanwhile, is not called, but instead, calls Heyman. The groundwork for what appears to be a new wrestling organization appear to be set.

1/21/07
Mick Foley and Jericho reportedly rope in Dean Malenko, as well as extending international interest with AAA representative and the “Mexican Hulk Hogan”, Konnan.

Heyman and Layfield, meanwhile, secure sponsoring in Layfield’s own Layfield Energy. The duo is also busy securing what looks to be a television deal with the Fox branch channel FX

All this is overshadowed, however, by the TNA signing of Kurt Angle, a few mere months after his ‘retirement’ from the WWE. This reportedly does not sit well with a great deal of the TNA locker room
.

1/23/07
Heyman calls for a press conference to occur on the following day.

Foley and Jericho, meanwhile, secure Tony Chimel on his leave of absence from the WWE to come be their full time ring announcer. They are also able to fully convince Dean Malenko to became an agent and potential trainer

This, again, is covered up by bigger TNA news of the unconditional release of Jason “Christian Cage” Reso, as well as even rockier negotiations between TNA and Nuufolau “Samoa Joe” Seanoa, both stemming from the signing of Kurt Angle
.

1/24/07
In the press conference held by Paul Heyman, he announces the official founding of AOW – Art of War Wrestling. He also confirms a 1-hour time slot on FX at the beginning of their fall season in August. He also confirms involvement of Mick Foley, as well as Layfield’s financial backing, among others. With both Heyman and Foley’s backing, Heyman has to assure any interested that this is not some sort of ‘hardcore wrestling' promotion. Chris Jericho, present at the conference, confirms that he is the company’s first talent as part of a roster along with being a ‘founding father’. Jericho also confirms involvement from Dean Malenko as well as Lance Storm, whom is also confirmed to be the second competing talent. The launch of a website, aohdubya.com is established and is said to be the host of all future signings.

A few short hours later, aohdubya.com breaks the news that they have signed Christian Cage and Samoa Joe. With several months between the actual television launch of AOW Wrestling, AOW allows for confirmed and future signees to finish up their current contracts, as well as finish any independent circuit tours they may be attending
.

February 2007
AOW confirms the signings of Dave Finlay, Jack Evans, Elix Skipper, and the recently released from the WWE Chris Masters, Gregory Helms, and Jamie Noble. They also confirm the arrival of Aero Star, a top Mexican lucha libre prospect.

The WWE also acknowledges that Rey Mysterio’s contract has expired, with Mysterio not having resigned on the road to Wrestlemania


March 2007
AOW quickly stops all suspicion of what Mysterio will do by signing him, where he will go under the name Rey Mysterio Jr. During this month, AOW is able to sign Matt Sydal, Paul Burchill, as well as drawing Mark “Muhammad Hassan” Copani out of retirement from professional wrestling. Dirtsheets also report they have planted seeds to take Phil “CM Punk” Brooks and Shelton Benjamin straight off the WWE’s roster.

April 2007
Following the WWE’s annual PPV extravaganza Wrestlemania, their spring cleaning takes place. AOW acts quickly to snap up Carlito Colon, Charlie Haas, Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Psicosis, & Super Crazy, among the many more released. In the process, they are also able to snatch Shelton Benjamin away successfully.

May 2007
In news that seems to tickle ROH fan’s pickle, Bryan Danielson confirms he is leaving the promotion that gave him fame and going mainstream with AOW. This is made publically as a “Mick Foley signing”, but the bigger signing is that of another former ROH legend in CM Punk, who walked out on the WWE. Punk mentioned AOW on live television on his final RAW appearance before cutting ties with the company and confirming having signed with AOW.

Later in the month, another former ROH mainstay is confirmed to have signed, as Brandon “Low Ki/Senshi” Silvestry is no longer affiliated with TNA


June 2007
Following the WWE’s One Night Stand PPV, Rob Van Dam was written out of his feud with Randy Orton and announced his signing with AOW Wrestling a few weeks after, almost undoubtedly a “Heyman signing”. As this goes on, talks begin with Paul “Big Show” Wright over a possible return to wrestling following Show using his break from wrestling by losing weight and taking up boxing. No word yet on his alliance with the company.

Late June 2007
With the WWE cutting ties with Ohio Valley Wrestling and the formation of FCW, AOW is quick to announce that OVW will be used as their development talent home. Many former WWE development talents are signed to OVW or AOW official roster contracts. Brent Albright and Ken Doane are reportedly coming up to the main roster immediately, while Kofi Kingson, Afa Jr., Sonny Siaki, DH Smith, Tyson Kidd, Mike Kruel, Jack Swagger, Eric Escobar, Tyson Tarver, and Sheamus O’Shaunssey are signed to OVW deals.

AOW Wrestling later announces they’ve signed unknown talents Justin Gabriel and Tyler Black to development contracts, this being their first professional contract
.

July 2007
Just over a month before AOW debuts on national television on August 22, AOW suffers its first setback when they are unable to sign Mexican sensation Mistico. They are also turned down by Brock Lesnar, who wished to continue pursuing an MMA career.

Amongst this pair of disappointment, Lance Storm confirms he will only wrestle part-time, becoming the co-trainer of OVW with Malenko.

Heyman is also able to confirm that the first ‘season’ of AOW, the three months they’ve confirmed with FX, will take place in the Hammerstein Ballroom. They are to take place here until the funds are sufficient and FX sees fit to send Heyman and company on the road

In more company news, aohdubya.com confirms the four championships that will be used in AOW Wrestling: a world title, tag titles, a cruiserweight title, as well as a championship called the “Dynasty” Championship. This is most likely the name of the mid-card strap
.

Late July 2007
The double-whammy of failed signings in early June is quickly negated by the official word from Paul Wright, who is now officially signed with the company. Joey Styles also confirms he is leaving the WWE to commentate for AOW Wrestling, where his teammate is confirmed to be none other than co-founder John “Bradshaw” Layfield. The first and potentially only female signing for AOW is confirmed when Torrie Wilson reportedly signs, her purpose being a backstage interviewer. Another is reportedly signed, when former MTV actor Mike “The Miz” Mizanin is confirmed as another interviewer, as well as a sporadic competition clause.

This is quickly upstaged, however, when Bobby Lashley, coming on the heels of his WWE Championship loss at the Great American Bash, lets his WWE contract expire and sign with AOW. Many fans recall the Lashley winning of the ECW title in December was the final straw for Heyman, but this is cited as a “Mick Foley signing”.

…but THIS is quickly upstaged by the confirmed release by the WWE of Shawn Michaels, who reportedly asked for his release from the company while on a leave of absence
.

August 2007
…and it was only a matter of days, literally, days before the debut of AOW’s first ever programming (now given the title Wednesday Night Oblivion) that the company confirmed the signing of the one and only Shawn Michaels. It is later revealed that it took Foley, Jericho, and some help from Dean Malenko to fully bring Michaels in, although Jericho is said to have been the most aggressive about gaining the Heart Break Kid. This was done without the consent, knowledge, or a green light of Paul Heyman.

Premise

For those who care not for a backstory, the basic premise of this thread is exactly what it looks like - a dream fed for me. For those who have read my stuff before, realism isn't my strongest suit, but I wish to not stretch the realms too far in this thread. The roster is compiled of individuals and a time period of not only I feel I can write well, but are comferteble doing so, with a few new wild cards for me thrown in.

Oh, and props to Dubya b/c I'm about to steal his opening post format. Here's to hoping he'll forgive me.


-AOW-
ART OF WAR WRESTLING
Life. War. Wrestling.


“Founding Fathers”: Paul Heyman, Mick Foley, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko


~The Administration~
Executive Producer/On-Screen Owner
– Commander in Chief
Paul Heyman
Acting Commander - Mick Foley
Play-by-Play – Joey Styles
Co-Vice Executive Producer/Color Commentator – John Bradshaw Layfield
Ring Announcer – Tony Chimel
Backstage Interviewer(s)The White Chick Torrie Wilson, Steve The Blank Canvas Romero, and Mike The Miz Mizanin


~Roster~
Aero Star
The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks - Suspended indefinately
Bobby Lashley - Inactive due to injury
Shooter Brent Albright
The American Dragon Bryan Danielson
The Bad Apple Carlito Colon
The Straight-Edge Superstar CM Punk
Charlie Haas
The Worthy Man Chris Jericho
The Masterpiece Chris Masters
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage
The Fighting Irishman Finlay
Primetime Elix Skipper
Gregory Helms
Harry Smith
Jack From the Heavens Evans
Jack Hagar
Pitbull Jamie Noble
Ken Doane
The Man With No Land Kofi Kingston
The Warrior Low Ki
Manu
Matt Sydal
Nick Nemeth
The Ripper Paul Burchill
Psicosis
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio, Jr.
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam
The Samoan Submission Machine Samoa Joe
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels
Shelton Benjamin
Siaki
The Crazy Luchador Super Crazy
TJ Wilson
Tyler Black
William Regal

The Tandems and Alliances
The Mexicools - Super Crazy & Psicosis
Mercenaries, Inc. - William Regal, Paul Burchill & Brent Albright
Sons of the Dungeon - Harry Smith & TJ Wilson
American Made - Nick Nemeth & Jack Hagar
Samoan Fight Club - Siaki & Manu


~The Medals of Honor~
AOW Heavyweight Champion – Christian Cage
AOW Dynasty Champion – Tyler Black
AOW Tag Team Champions – The Mercenaries
AOW Cruiserweight Champion – Bryan Danielson


~Medals of Honor Archive~

AOW World Heavyweight Championship


Name: Christian Cage
Reign: March 16th, 2008 –
Event: The Outer Limits 2008*
Match Type: Triple Threat Match
Other Competitor(s): Chris Jericho; Shawn Michaels
*Note: Became AOW “World” Championship by being defended outside the US

Name: Chris Jericho:
Reign: August 22nd, 2007 – March 16th, 2008
Event: Wednesday Night Oblivion – Pilot Episode
Match Type: Lucky 13 Battle
Other Competitor(s): Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Bobby Lashley, Christian Cage, CM Punk, Chris Masters, Samoa Joe, Finlay, Muhammad Hassan, Rey Mysterio, Lance Storm, Paul Burchill

--------
AOW Dynasty Championship

Name: Tyler Black
Reign: July 23rd, 2008 -
Event: Wednesday Night Oblivion
Match Type: Singles Match
Other Competitor(s): CM Punk

Name: CM Punk
Reign: December 26th, 2007 – July 23rd, 2008
Event: A Very Merry War
Match Type: Singles Match
Other Competitor(s): Muhammad Hassan

Name: Muhammad Hassan
Reign: September 26th, 2007 – December 26th, 2007
Event: September 26th Supershow
Match Type: Tournament Final Singles Match
Other Competitor(s): Rey Mysterio

--------
AOW World Tag Team Championship

Name: The Mercenaries - Paul Burchill & Brent Albright
Reign: June 30th, 2008 -
Event: Wednesday Night Oblivion
Match Type: Tag Team Match
Other Competitor(s): Sons of the Dungeon - TJ Wilson & Harry Smith

Name: Sons of the Dungeon – TJ Wilson & Harry Smith
Reign: March 16th, 2008 – June 30th, 2008
Event: The Outer Limits 2008*
Match Type: Tag Team Match
Other Competitor(s): The World’s Greatest Tag Team - Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas
*Note: Became AOW “World” Tag Championships by being defended outside the US

Name: The World’s Greatest Tag Team - Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas
Reign: September 12th, 2007 – March 16th, 2008
Event: Wednesday Night Oblivion
Match Type: Ladder Match
Other Competitor(s): The Hooliganz – Paul London & Brian Kendrick

--------
AOW Cruiserweight Championship

Name: Bryan Danielson
Reign: September 26th –
Event: September 26th Supershow
Match Type: Tag Team Turning Point
Other Competitor(s): Gregory Helms, Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Super Crazy, Psicosis, Low Ki, Jack Evans, Jamie Noble, Elix Skipper


~Television Schedule~
Wednesday Night Oblivion | 9-10:30 pm EST on FX
Official Theme: “The Fight Song” by Marilyn Manson


~PPV & Supercard* Schedule~
September 26th Supershow

World Ablaze | November 11, 2007 | Boston, Massachusetts – TD Banknorth Garden
A Very Merry War | December 26th Supershow
This is Exile | February 3, 2008 | East Rutherford, New Jersey – Izod Center
The Outer Limitshttp://www.wrestlingforum.com/booke...restling-greatest-affair-24.html#post18213522 | March 16th, 2008 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Belle Centre
Offseason Finale Supershow | May 21st, 2008 | Louisville, Kentucky - Davis Arena
Rise of a Dynasty Supershow
| July 2nd, 2008 | Las Vegas, Nevada - MGM Grand
Origins & Endings
| August 24th, 2008 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Mellon Arena

*Supercard names/dates/lengths subject to change

AOW Originals
Lucky 13 Battle - 13-man battle royal; final 4 becomes a Fatal 4-Way, one fall finish
Inaugural Match - Pilot Episode

Yin v. Yang - A veteran versus a younger competitor; done with no count-outs
Inaugural Match - Oblivion Edition 4 - 9.12.07

Tag Team Turning Point - Tag team gauntlet, winners face one another
War Rules - Hardcore match rules
Inaugural Match(es) - Sept. 26th Supershow

Art of the Knockout (A.O.K.O.) - Last Man Standing rules inside a steel cage
Inaugural Match - Oblivion Edition 8 - 10.17.07

The War Chamber - Eight men, pseudo-combination of War Games and Elimination Chamber rules
Inaugural Match - This is Exile

The Offseason - Two-month television hiatus for entire roster; crossover online shows with OVW
Inaugural Event(s) - Accumulates at
Offseason Finale

The Dynasty Tournament - Thirty-Two man #1 Contender's Tournament; follows Offseason
Inaugural Event - Accumulates at Rise of a Dynasty

------
~Contracted OVW Developmental Talent~
Aron "Idol" Stevens
Alex Riley
Brodus Clay
Chris Hero
Claudio Castagnoli
Drew Galloway
Eric Perez
Jay Bradley
Jay Uso
Jimmy Uso
Johnny Jeter
Justin Gabriel
Mike Kruel
PAC
Tyson Tarver
Steve Lewington
Stu Bennet


------
DEM CREDENTIALS

1x King of the BTB Tournament winner (2012)

----
Most Underrated (2008)
Most Improved Booker (Spring 2011)
Best BTB of the Year (2012)
Best Individual Show - A Very Merry War (2012)
Most Creative (2008, 2012)
Best Used Character - Chris Jericho (2012)
Biggest Shock - The Double Turn (2012)
 
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#206 ·
This is Exile Feedback

Uh yeah, I'm a bit like yourself at the minute, running late on everything. But I got here eventually. Anyway, onto the show...

I figured you would go with Haas and Benjamin as the opener, as of the undercard matches, this one clearly has that extra sense of intrigue given the situation. Made sense to go with the real back and forth technical stuff early on, but I was glad to see the elbow land, allowing us to move onto the good stuff. There were some pretty imaginative spots, especially that flapjack into the Haas of Pain, that was quite the visual picturing that one. Ha, very interesting to see both men go for the sneaky win, the desperation to win clearly shoving all morals aside, until we get the right victor in Haas. I predicted Haas to win purely because I felt a win for him offers far more storyline wise, and I think this match in general did a good job of setting up future matches between the two. I felt that maybe you held back here just a little, which again makes me think there could be one or more rematches between the two. But yeah, for now, at the start of the arc imo, this was a pretty solid match to kick off the show. As I said, I fully expect bigger and better from these two in the future, and I'm convinced that's where you're gonna take it.

Interesting contrast in the cohesion between the two teams, with Team AOW seemingly more of a group of individuals while The Legion seem much more together. Christian will lead his team to glory, but this at least served a purpose of putting a little doubt in the mind given the team element of it all.

Hullo blondie. Wonder who that could be. That's probably the most intriguing thing to take away from this match, that and how much emphasis you placed on the difference in personalities between Nameth and Hager. Defo worth keeping an eye on that. As for the match, loved the crazy tower spot, that sounded pretty insane. And again, I think the right person(s) won this one too, certainly much more to give from American Made going forward. Like I said in my predictions, you seemed to have cooled on London and Kendrick, so may as well have them put over the newer team. Another solid match here.

Wow, what a... strange match. The high flying stuff early one was certainly pretty cool, especially the triple moonsault bit. And the fact that it was 'Lito that was targeted early on, that all made sense. But uh... yeah, first The Mercs walk out on the match. Kinda tend to agree with cp above, it was strange that they would bother to start the match if they already had a bigger offer on the table, especially given the kinda sneaky character 'Lito is. I'd have maybe had Burchill and Albright walk out and say “Keep your money, mate” or something like that. And then the finish, 'Lito still gets the win despite the disadvantage. Certainly makes him look pretty strong, but I felt this was a chance for him to take a defeat without losing face. If Aero gets the win here, all Carlito has to say is that his partners walked out on him and he's saved face and got his heat back. You could have even saved that mask spot for a rematch between the two down the road. Yeah, I dunno, just seemed a really strange match. Almost as if there was too much going on in it.

Trios tournament should be cool, and I'm assuming we'll see more the Aero/Mexicool combination in that. And then a nice little tease between Haas and Benjamin.

Given the way in which you put over the first meeting between the two, this one was never gonna quite reach that level, and rightly so. I fully expect a rubber match between these two, one that should top the first encounter. But as for tonight's offering, it was another enjoyable, high flying match. I get a real sense that it's matches like these that you really enjoy writing, and it shows in the way you present things. Definitely the right choice to have Kingston win, and I'm expecting big things from their third and final match.

Dreamer was an interesting choice to answer the call, although I guess it makes sense given his history with Van Dam and the ECW Rules stipulation. Again though, Finlay just had to win, and I'm glad he did so in such convincing fashion. And knowing what an incredibly sick-minded so and so you can be, I really can't wait to see how far you'll have Finlay push Van Dam before he finally snaps and returns to action. Still plenty more to give here imo, don't rush it. Patience, and then when it finally does happen it'll be another great moment for the thread.

Was always expecting Helms to win, but I liked how much you put Low Ki over even in defeat. Pointing out that he was an unlikely candidate to smash the announce desk, added to the strong showing of offence he was permitted, plus the fact that the tide turned on his injured leg and he refused help after the match. Helms may have gotten the win, one he very much needed, but certainly Ki came out of things looking very strong.

And now main event time. I love the addition of the tables and the barbed wire, gives a real sense of the chaos that we're about the witness. I was very intrigued by the way you had Jericho almost control Doane from his pod, barking orders and telling him to let Lashley and Christian go at it. A bit strange, but very intriguing nonetheless. Holy crap, that knock out punch sequence was brutal, and then it goes up another notch as Punk is launched through the pod. Now we're starting to get somewhere with regards to the brutality this match is sure to deliver. Loved Jericho hiding in the pod, such a chickenshit thing for him to do. Joe and The Great~!, their exit was ridiculous and yet really well done at the same time. Obviously protecting the big guy is a key, and this certainly done that, although it put Joe over big time too despite the elimination. Taking us down to Jericho and Lashley outnumbering Christian made so much sense given what has gone in the past, and while Christian definitely deserved the win, I thought it would have made Christian looked even stronger if he actually managed to eliminate Jericho. Your way of having Lashley spear Jericho through the door, while a crazy sounding spot, was a bit of a cop out, one that I wasn't too happy about since you had already done so with Wright earlier in the match. The ending was beautiful though, an almost symbolic con-chair-to to put Lashley away, one that firmly hands Christian the victory and fully sets him up to be the man to end Jericho's reign of terror imo.

Overall, I can only imagine what this would have been like to read in full. I'm sure it would have been an incredible show. But alas, technology has robbed us of a treat, but it was still a very good effort, an enjoyable show that had seemed to set up so much in terms of storylines. I really wasn't happy with the six man tag, I thought that had too much going on in it. But apart from that, it was yet another good showing from you. Looking forward to seeing this one continue to progress. (Y)
 
#207 ·
Yeah, this is late, but that seems to be the story of my life lately...



2.6.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Out of Exile”


“The Fight Song” by Marilyn Manson vignette

(Whispers)

Fight…

RVD leaps for a Frog Splash…

Fight…

HBK cocks back, Sweet Chin Music ready…

Fight…

Finlay and Joe go at it on the balcony…

Fight…

Chris Jericho’s silhouette is highlighted…

*Opening guitar riff*

You'll never grow up to be a big rock star

The camera goes from the ground up to the face of Paul Wright in his debut Week 3

Celebrated victim of your fame

Aero Star leaps onto Jamie Noble from the entrance stage columns

Just cut our wrists like cheap coupons

Christian searches for his peeps from Week 5

And say that "death was on sale today"

Bryan Danielson raises his hand, singing his theme from Week 4

*Upped tempo, heavier sound*

And when we were good

Jack Evans’ double moonsault from Week 1

You just close your eyes

Aero Star, Psicosis, and Super Crazy perform a Triple Asai Moonsault from Week 14

So when we are bad

Paul Wright chokeslams Michaels through the table from the Supershow

We'll scar your minds

A replayed shot of Shelton Benjamin German suplexing Paul London off the ladder from Week 4

Fight!

SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!

Fight!

WARRIOR’S WAY!!!

Fight!

MUSCLE BUSTER!!!

Fight!

SPEAR THROUGH THE TABLE!!

Fight!

CHOKESLAM!!!

Fight!

WORLD’S GREATEST DOOMSDAY DEVICE!!

Fight!

GTS!!

Fight!

FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH!!!

*Final cymbal crash*

Chris Jericho holds the AOW World title high in the air

***

The main camera gives us a great shot around the arena, as AOW looks to be sold out for the umpteenth time in company history. The signs aren’t as clever tonight as they were Sunday night, but the entire Hammerstein is rockin’ as anything, 3,000+ popping hard all the way from the balcony. Part of that is because they’re just here to see another show, but another reason is because right now standing in the middle of the ring is the Hardcore Legend himself, the Acting Commander Mick Foley.

Mick Foley:
Ladies and gentlemen, I hope none of you are too worn out from Sunday’s festivities.

~Another resounding pop gets the crowd right back into things

Mick Foley:
That’s kind of what I was hopin’ for. So how about we celebrate what happened in that unreal main event, huh? How about we name ourselves a new number one contender right here, in the heart of the Hammerstein in Manhattan?

~The signature Foley cheap pop, complete with the Foley grin and thumbs up in the ring camera

Mick Foley:
So how about it? Ladies and gentlemen, a man who lasted over an hour in an absolute warzone in a display of guts never seen before that I think is more than deserving to be the next man to fight for the AOW Heavyweight Championship at The Outer Limits…CHRISTIAAAAAN CAAAAGE~!!


…and the roof of the Hammerstein comes absolutely BLOWN OFF, as “JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES” hits and the man himself, Christian Cage pushes back the blood-red curtain to make the crowd pop even louder. For the first time since nearly the first show of the entire campaign, Christian actually raises his hand to his brow…looking for his peeps. He still has a look of madness in his eyes, but it’s not as prevalent as it has been in the past as he gingerly walks down the ramp and to the ring, obviously feeling the effects of the Chamber to this day. He doesn’t pander to the crowd anymore after the brief seeking, his eyes locked on Foley before climbing into the ring and being handed a microphone.

Christian Cage:
Six months. Six months I’ve been the outcast. Six months I’ve had to stand in the middle of this ring and on the outside wondering if there was anyone in the world who would even listen to me.

~Christian is back to talking to the canvas and not looking at the camera

Christian Cage:
So Sunday night, I did what I had to do. I took a team of misfits and myself and did what no one has been able to do in those six months. And that’s give the Worthy Legion the beating of a lifetime.

~Christian looks up after that last line, the crowd once again erupting. Cage then turns in Foley’s direction, who hasn’t left the ring

Christian Cage:
But Mick, I want you to know something. I want you to know that I didn’t allow you to bring me back so that I could waltz down to this ring after going through absolute hell and have you stand here like a proud father.

~The crowd quickly quiets back down

Christian Cage:
I did it because someone had to do something. I did it because after we showed the world the Legion’s cracks, I knew there’d only be one man who could possibly take the entire empire down. And that was me.

~A lukewarm reception for that one, some in the crowd cheering, others remain silent


Christian:
So don’t get it twisted. You’re not naming me the number one contender. That’s what I’ve always been. I’ve always been the only man in this entire company who could take down this monster and his army of monsters. But to do so, Foley, I had to resort to becoming a monster myself.

~Christian is really close to Foley’s face here

Christian:
That’s not something I’m proud of. You said it yourself only a few days before I entered that Chamber, Mick. I wouldn’t let anyone in. I wouldn’t listen to anyone because no one ever bothered to listen to me. So you bestowing upon me this honor that I believe I’ve had all along, it’s…liberating. For me.

~Cage actually puts a hand on Foley’s shoulder, his intense gaze going a little bit softer as Foley looks at him, obviously a bit concerned

Christian:
It’s liberating for me. But I have to open my mind and look past that. When I beat Chris Jericho for the AOW Championship, it’ll not just be liberating for me. But be liberating for everyone that he has oppressed. That includes you, Mick. That includes those guys who were in that Chamber with me. And –yes – that includes you people.

~A nice pop for Christian finally giving mention to the fans, but he still doesn’t look at them, merely pointing out before Foley surprises him by grabbing his still extended hand and shaking it, causing another pop. Christian doesn’t fight the handshake, seemingly going along with it

Mick Foley:
Believe me, Christian, there is no one in the entire world I’d rather have in this spot.

Christian:
Let me repeat myself, Mick – that’s because there is no one who could fill this spot. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about what you and what they all did to me. No. I could never forget that, no matter how hard I try. But facing Chris Jericho is bigger than that. And winning that title is bigger than me. So…I accept you naming me the number one contender.


Christian doesn’t let his re-intensified gaze go from the eyes of Foley, the crowd giving one last pop for Cage accepting the terms of Foley’s faith, but the somewhat heartwarming moment is completely ruined by the sound of “KING OF MY WORLD” hitting the system as an ironically UNGOLDY rain of heat pours down for AOW Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho and Paul “The Great” Wright, apparently the only two members of the Worthy Legion coming out for this interruption. Jericho is in a signature suit, but Wright looks beyond pissed, even moreso when we see his right hand is still in a cast. The only person in the entire arena looking more furious than Wright…is Jericho himself, virtually stomping his way down the ramp, his anger coming through his voice as he speaks while walking.

Chris Jericho:
This is an absolute outrage. This man has done nothing but perform blasphemies against me since he set foot in this company and this is how you repay him?

~Jericho finally gets to the base of the ramp and steps into the ring, Wright not coming with him and staying on the floor

Chris Jericho:
HUH? How can you sit there and justify that this miscreant has any business facing me?? Because of him, my Worthy Legion, the light that was to guide this company to majesty, is a WRECK!! Bobby Lashley needs surgery. I haven’t seen Kenneth since Sunday!

~Jericho is teetering on madman tone there

Chris Jericho:
So he spent an entire hour inside the War Chamber. You know who else lasted an hour in there? Bobby Lashley!

~Jericho is seething at this point, getting all in Christian’s face

Chris Jericho:
But Bobby Lashley isn’t here, is he? No! This disingenuous sociopath you call a number one contender, that you’re all clamoring ‘savior’ for injured Bobby Lashley in that Chamber! How dare you take down a man after such a valiant and heroic effort!

~The crowd throws heavy heat at Jericho flipping the tables here, being potentially disingenuous himself

Chris Jericho:
And while we’re at it, I, Chris Jericho, the Master of War, the God of Gods himself also lasted an entire hour in that satanic structure. I have the scars to prove it!

~Jericho points to stitches above his left brow that we haven’t seen due to the normal camera angle. The gash doesn’t look all that bad. The level of heat Jericho is getting is almost making it hard to talk

Chris Jericho:
My worthy blood was shed all over that hellzone more than this unworthy cretin. And yet, no one is giving me the praise I have so undisputedly deserved. I’m your savior, not his false prophet!! PRAISE ME, YOU UNGREATFUL SHEEP~!!

~Whether it’s a response to the heat being so loud or just being fed up with everything, Jericho screams this across the arena towards the crowd to an even LOUDER unleashing of hell from the fans. A quick glimpse at Christian’s eyes show they have transformed back to their madman intensity that we saw before TIE, the gaze never leaving Jericho


Chris Jericho:
…and all of this is no one’s fault but yours…Foley.

~Jericho now gets in the AC face, who isn’t backing down, this not the first time this has happened between the two


Chris Jericho:
You get taken out, Heyman comes back. I take Heyman out, you resurrect. You just couldn’t roll over and let well enough alone, could you? You wouldn’t allow these people to see that I’m trying to save all of them. You’re just like the attention whore zombie you’ve always been – never knowing when. To. Die.

~Jericho gets really close to Foley here, the crowd still buzzing with a parade of heat…but this suddenly whiplashes into a pop when Christian steps between the two, his nose almost touching Jericho’s. The contrast in their eyes is stunning – Christian’s is brutally intense while Jericho’s angry gaze suddenly dissipates to a look of potential fear, causing him to back away


Chris Jericho:
Oh, how trite. It’s almost cute how much of a hero you think you are, Cage. These people might find it admirable. But I find it…suspicious.

~A buzz of interest here


Chris Jericho:
I mean, Mick Foley used every part of his power in his position to get you back in the company. And for what? So he could use you for what he wanted.

~Christian quickly glances aside to Foley, but then just as quickly looks right back at Jericho

Chris Jericho:
So Christian, not only have these people turned their backs on you, the boys in the back abandoning you, but the administration itself is manipulating you.

~Christian’s gaze hasn’t flinched, nothing Jericho is saying even looking like it’s getting through

Chris Jericho:
I’m just looking out for you, Christian. I mean, facing me for the AOW title is a big opportunity. Almost enough to break a man right after he does what someone else wanted them to. And I would just hate it if you and your fragile mind were to break down again.

~Jericho has the fakest look of genuine empathy on his face that isn’t fooling anyone. But he’s suddenly cut off by Mick Foley

Mick Foley:
Jericho, to borrow some words from your own scripture that once made you famous – SHUT. THE HELL. UP.

~A HUGE pop for Foley, who walks from behind Christian and back into the eyes of Jericho


Mick Foley:
This man has earned everything I’m giving him and he deserves it. He deserved to be back in this company. He deserved to caption Team AOW in the Chamber. And he deserves the right to face you for what you hold most dear.

~Foley points to the AOW title draped across Jericho’s shoulder, but just when it seems like Foley is actually going to touch the title, Jericho goes from fear back to insufferable rage

Chris Jericho:
I have done everything imaginable while in possession of this title! This gold means something because I made it mean everything!! And this man deserves none of that! He doesn’t deserve my everything! He deserves nothing!! He is nothing compared to me!!

~Jericho ROARS this while nose-to-nose with Foley before actually shoving him aside into the ropes to get back even with Cage

Chris Jericho:
So tell me, oh Savior, how does it feel to be staring a god in the eye??

~It’s JERICHO that actually looks like he’s starting to go mad here, while Cage’s gaze softens just a tad as he raises his microphone to his lips for the first time in what feels like forever

Christian:
I feel…saved.


CAGE LEAPS ONTO JERICHO!! CAGE IS WAILING AWAY ON CHRIS JERICHO LIKE A WILD ANIMAL!! Foley actually tries to pull Christian off, but he’s kicked off by Paul Wright, who has decided to come in to things, grabbing Christian by the back of the neck and TOSSING HIM off of the Worthy One. But Christian stays like a rabid dog, now LUNGING AT WRIGHT!! Cage actually gets several shots in, the crowd roaring along for him, but this is quickly stopped when Wright knocks all the wind out of him with a heavy club to the midsection with his casted hand, doubling Christian over and forcing him onto all fours. At that moment, Jericho gets back to his feet and throws off his jacket before kicking Cage stiff in the face.

The crowd deflates right back, but they spark up once again when Finlay strikes Wright in the back of the head, only for the big man to not even feel the hit. Instead, Wright takes hold of Foley and chunks him clean over the top rope, Foley tumbling all the way to the floor. This little window leaves Cage able to start mounting a comeback on Jericho, but the Worthy Champion puts a stop on that by hitting Christian with a LOW BLOW, forcing Christian right back down. Jericho then goes and brings Christian to his feet and holds his arms back, snarling angrily into his ear. With Christian being held and defenseless, Wright cocks back and GETS READY FOR A KNOCKOUT PUNCH…


**DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK**



IT’S JOE!! SAMOA JOE!! The man who spent the least amount of time in the War Chamber comes bursting through to aid the man who spent the longest in there!! Joe sprints all the way to the ring, Wright turning to now look at the One Man Army that drove him through a steel girdle last night!! We can now see the marks that left on Joe, and when he starts firing right hands on Wright, “The Great’s” hoodie comes off, showing us his scars from the ordeal as well. It’s Joe and Wright now exchanging heavy hands as Christian fights out of Jericho’s grasp and starts going at it with him!! We’ve got ourselves a brawl on our hands!!

Wright and Joe and tearing each other apart, while Christian is beating on a covering Jericho, who isn’t getting any blows in. Christian forces him into a corner and begins a relentless pummel, but Jericho is able to push Cage back before he gets too into it. With that space, Jericho grabs the jacket he threw off earlier and throws it at Cage, blinding him!! Jericho now jumps on his handicapped foe, leaping onto him and beating him down following his underhanded tactic! Meanwhile, Wright begins pulling away from Joe in their heavy brawl, but Joe counters back when he delivers an elbow so hard, Wright is knocked back to the ropes.

This gives Joe an opportunity to throw Jericho off the defenseless Cage. Jericho recovers to see Cage and Joe seething at him, prompting Jericho to high tail it out of the ring, grab his AOW title that fell to the outside during the brawl, and start heading up the ramp, disgusted. As Joe and Cage turn to take him down, they taken out by a double clothesline from Wright!! Both men go down hard, but Wright cocks his fist back and awaits for one of the men to get back to their feet…only for Jericho to leap onto the apron and grab it, telling him to get the hell out of here. Wright climbs over the rope and goes with Jericho back on up the ramp, as Foley just now climbs back into the ring to see Joe and Christian back to their feet. Christian rushes at the ropes and damn near breaks them as if they were running tape before being somewhat restrained by the battered Joe and Foley.

All Christian can do is stare with his moonman eyes up the ramp at the all too familiar scene of Jericho just escaping by the skin of his teeth. Jericho isn’t taking pride in this escape, however, audibly telling Wright to ‘get the limo, we’re getting out of this madness!’ before going back behind the curtain. We stay focused on the shot of Christian in the ring with Foley and Joe, his gaze never leaving the spot where Jericho disappeared.


Joey Styles:
Well ladies and gentlemen, how about THAT as a welcome to Oblivion!! We’re fifteen minutes into the broadcast and already some earth-shattering developments in the wake of This is Exile.

JBL:
An’ by ‘earth-shattering’ I assume you mean ‘prejudiced’. Mick Foley has it in for Chris Jericho an’ all of you people know it! But yet you all jump on the Christian bandwagon anyway.

Joey Styles:
Oh, and I suppose Chris Jericho has done absolutely nothing to warrant behavior like that, right? And I suppose people aren’t allowed to change their minds about people either, right?

JBL:
It’s people like you who are the reason why this company is gonna go to the gutters. You don’t recognize a hero when you see one, you’re blind to your own ignorance, an’ because of that, you can’t see your worthy savior when he is clearly trying to save you all.

Joey Styles:
Christian certainly is a worthy man in that position, John.

JBL:
I WAS TALKIN’ ABOUT YOUR AOW CHAMPION, YOU GOON!!

Joey Styles:
Pipe down, John. This is the AOW Oblivion announce desk, remember? Not your Fox News show where you have to scream to get your point across. Christian Cage will finally get his shot at Chris Jericho at The Outer Limits from both men’s home country, but that’s the tip of the iceberg here tonight! Just four days after competing in the hellish War Chamber, CM Punk must defend his Dynasty Championship against the man he took it from, Muhammad Hassan.

JBL:
All my money’s on Muhammad, an’ I got a lot of money!

Joey Styles:
I’m not surprised in any way, shape, or form at that, but coming up on the other side of the break, we’ve got opening round action of the AOW Trios Tournament!! You won’t wanna miss that, or anything we’ve got going on tonight! This is Exile fallout galore tonight, here on Wednesday Night Oblivion.


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



We return from the break to a still buzzing arena, only for them to deliver another solid ovation, this time for the tune of “EXECUTERS OF EXCELLENCE”, as the Sons of the Dungeon walk through the curtain with their focused expressions showing signs of excitement, particularly from Smith, who hasn’t competed for five weeks due to his injury. The two then make some space between them only for Lance Storm to come through the curtain and fill it to a very nice ovation, as no one’s seen Storm since World Ablaze. The commentators do make note of the fact that the only guy in that trio that has seen any ring action in the new year is TJ Wilson as all three men approach the ring.

Their song gradually fades out into a familiar, yet unfamiliar theme song hits that is recognized as a remix of “World’s Greatest”, this one with the signature hum being infused with a bit of a hip hop beat, entitled “GREATER THAN GREAT”, as through the blood red curtain struts the AOW Tag Team Champion World’s Greatest Tag Team, still tight as ever despite their contest this past Sunday. Coming alongside them is their trios partner in a man who almost came up with a shot at gold Sunday in Low Ki. Ki doesn’t share in his partner’s pandering instead just keeping his extremely focused demeanor. Both Benjamin and Haas reach at Ki’s bald head to rub it for luck a la Jack Evans, but Ki doesn’t let either one of them do it by simply keeping on walking.

As both teams make way to their respective aprons and get everything set, referee Brian Hebner asking both corners for their ‘captains’ to come forward, with the veteran Lance Storm going for his corner and Charlie Haas coming forward for his corner, the commentators stating that it must have something to do with him winning Sunday night, with Benjamin not looking too thrilled about having to watch Chairie walk up there. But nonetheless, as the captains shake hands and head back to their corners, the commentators remind everyone of the Trios rules that differ from regular styles.

Teams will be composed of three members each, with one person being designated as the team’s “captain”.

The role of “captain” cannot change during the match, but it may change between matches (i.e. the named captain does not have to remain captain all the way through the Tournament)

In order to win a Trios match, a team must either a) eliminate two members of the opposing team or b) eliminate the team captain
OPENING MATCH
~AOW Trios Tournament Opening Round~

AOW Tag Team Champions World’s Greatest Tag Team & Low Ki
v.
Lance Storm & Sons of the Dungeon


The match begins with both captains actually starting things off, but the commentators do note that things don’t have to be that way. The elder of captains don’t stay around for long, however, as in due time Storm rotates around and tries to get his other team members in on things, the first two minutes being dominated by the corner from Canada. After Storm tags Smith, it’s the big guy’s turn to get some of his ring rust off, smashing Haas in his exposed ribs as Storm holds him open. Smith then takes Haas down with a bit rear waistlock takedown, but Haas is able to scurry out of it and perform a sitting switch, getting Smith in his own rear waistlock. The amateur prowess of Haas on display there, both men getting to their feet, Haas still with the waistlock on.

Smith pushes out his hips to try and create some space, but it’s Haas’ turn to plant him in the mat with a rear waistlock takedown before he floats over and grabs the stronger Smith in a front headlock, trying to wear him down a little. Haas gets to his feet a little bit and keeps the headlock on as he backpedals towards his corner, Benjamin slapping him on the back to become the legal man. Benjamin enters and greets Smith the same way Smith greeted Haas and that being a firm boot to the ribs while restrained, but with Smith’s rib injury, Benjamin’s hit becomes more poignant. Benjamin then takes Smith and gives him a hard forearm smash to the side of the face before trying to whip him into a corner, but Smith reverses it. Benjamin goes careening towards a corner, but cleanly leaps up onto the top rope and leaps back towards Smith, taking him down with a leaping spinning forearm!! Benjamin goes for the first cover – 1…2…NO!!

Despite Benjamin cementing his athleticism early, he can’t put Smith away, opting instead to go back to his corner and tag in Low Ki for the first time, Ki not immediately entering and instead opting to give Smith a knee to the ribs before entry and leap over the rope and pull Smith into a sunset flip attempt, but the larger Smith won’t go over, standing over Ki. This gives Smith some leverage as he reaches down to pull Ki back to his feet and gives him a hard right hand that sends Ki bracing against the ropes, only for him to come right back with a hard forearm of his own. Smith backpedals from the blow a bit, retaliating with what looks like a clothesline, but Ki ducks underneath it and hits Smith with a pair of knife edge CHOPS(Wooooo!). Ki tries to whip Smith into the ropes, but again it’s reversed, but Smith nails Ki with a nasty clothesline on the rebound, getting his corner its first cover – 1…2…NO!! Ki has more life!

Smith pulls Ki towards his corner with Lance Storm tagging himself back in this time, the captain and Smith both whipping Ki into the ropes and catching him on the rebound in a double flapjack!! Ki hits the canvas hard as Storm goes for another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Ki wants to fight on! But he’s in a bad position now, at the mercy of the technical veteran Storm, who delivers a hard shot to the side of his neck before wrapping him up in a rest hold. Ki manages to get to his feet after a bit of a struggle and knock Storm off, but when he rebounds off the ropes to get some momentum, he’s cut off by a Lance Storm picture perfect dropkick!! Storm covers Ki again – 1…2…NO!!

There’s still gusto in the tank, but the Canadian corner looks to further beat it out of him, as Storm goes over to now tag TJ Wilson in for the first time, but Wilson doesn’t hit Ki while he’s down. Instead, he waits until Ki gets to his feet, surprising both his corner and the WGTT. Ki gets back to his feet and sees Wilson standing across from him…and smiles a little. We take a look at Wilson…and he does the same. The commentators harken back to the first time these two men met in the ring at World Ablaze and what their confrontation meant to one another, but the WGTT doesn’t see or know that, barking at Ki to tag one of them back in because he’s taken heavy damage. Ki waves them off and prepares to dance with Wilson, the two circling around one another briefly before engaging in a collar tie-up.

Right out of the lock-up, Ki and Wilson begin to set a cruiserweight pace, both men countering the other’s headlock attempt with quick headscissors and following those up by trading arm drags. They then both rush to their feet, only for Ki to swing at Wilson with a ROUNDHOUSE, but Wilson ducks and awaits Ki to turn around to go for a ROUNDHOUSE of his own, but it’s Ki this time who ducks to catch Wilson from behind and get him in a roll-up – 1…2…NO!! Wilson throws his legs up and out of it, quickly approaching Ki and taking him down with at double leg takedown and going for the jackknife cover – 1…2…NO!! Ki wraps his arms around Wilson’s waist and coils around to catch Wilson in the backside – 1…2…NO!! Wilson rolls out of that predicament, getting to his feet to greet Ki with a dropkick of his own, but Ki slaps him down and has him eat air, Ki now looking to wrap the legs of the downed Wilson up for something, but Wilson counters by pushing him away and rolling back to his feet, both men at what looks like a ridiculous stalemate, but it gets a HUGE ovation from the Hammerstein.

Both men semi-circle one another again, only for Ki to burst forward and nail Wilson in the gut with a knee, lighting him up with a knife edge CHOP(Woooo!!) before tossing him into an empty corner, Wilson’s back hitting hard. Ki then sets up for the Tidal Crush, but Wilson ducks out of the corner at the last minute, causing him to kick nothing but air and stumble off balance back to his feet, only to get hit by a Wilson dropkick that sends him tumbling through the ropes! But Ki hangs onto the middle rope, using it to rise back up on the apron only to be struck by a Wilson ROUNDHOUSE, forcing Ki to fall all the way to the floor!

No sooner does Ki hit the padded outside does Shelton Benjamin burst into the ring, surprising the near-ropes Wilson and clotheslines him over the rope to the floor!! This causes an immediate reaction from Smith, who storms into the ring and nails Benjamin with a hard shoulder block that knocks Benjamin into a corner, but Charlie Haas now storms the ring, only to get a shoulder block of his own. But as Smith turns back to Benjamin, he gets CRACKED IN THE JAW BY A BENJAMIN KICK, sending him tumbling over the top rope!! As Benjamin tries to help Haas recover, they’re both taken aback by Lance Storm rushing at the both of them, nailing a DOUBLE CACTUS CLOTHESLINE, all three men tumbling to the floor!! It’s chaos in the very first match in the Trios Tournament bracket as everyone is on the floor!! What the hell else could come??


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


Upon our return from the break, we’re back in the ring where Wilson and Ki are still the legal men, but our return is rechristened with the image of Ki nailing Wilson with the kippou rolling kick, getting another cover here – 1…2…NO!! Wilson has life in him yet, Ki dragging Wilson to his feet, but Wilson pushes Ki off towards the WGTT corner. When he does so, Charlie Haas blind tags himself back in, much to the displeasure of Ki. He turns around to argue with Haas as he steps into the ring, both Tag Champions saying this is a ‘team effort’, but Ki still isn’t too happy. He doesn’t even exit the ring immediately, leading to Wilson coming up behind Haas and pushing him into Ki, who cracks heads with Benjamin and causes him to fall off the apron, Wilson catching the captain Haas in a surprise victory roll – 1…2…3-NO!! Haas is just able to push Wilson up off of him at the last minute and keep his team in the Tournament! Wilson regains his balance and charges right back at Haas, who lifts the cruiserweight over his head before nailing a flawless German suplex!! He keeps the bridge – 1…2…3-NO!! Smith barges into the ring to break the count, saving his tag team partner.

Haas now works over Wilson, keeping him grounded and away from his corner, trying to wear down the firecracker. Wilson sees a window of opportunity when he finally gets back to his feet and strikes Haas away, but Haas comes right back with a hard back elbow, putting Wilson up against the ropes. Haas takes a moment to step back before charging right back at Wilson, who kicks Haas in the face, and in the process, flips over the top rope and onto the apron. There’s enough space for Wilson to go for something as he leaps up for a springboard neckbreaker…DROPKICK OUT OF MID-AIR!! Haas kicks the rookie right out of the sky en route to another cover attempt – 1…2…3-NO!! Wilson keeps his hopes alive!!

Haas doesn’t stop trying, however, stomping on Wilson before dragging him back towards his corner and tagging Benjamin back in, whom enters and lifts Wilson up in a military press, only to drop him from that height into a Haas European uppercut!! But as Wilson reels, he does so right into a Benjamin belly to belly suplex!! An impressive combination from the Tag Team Champions there, Benjamin going to Wilson for yet another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! It’s Lance Storm who rushes to the youngster’s aid, Benjamin rising off of Wilson’s body to tell him to back off. Storm has to adhere to he and the referee, but as Benjamin turns back to Wilson, he’s met with hard rights and lefts to the gut and a shin kick to the side of the head, Wilson running and rebounding off the ropes right back towards Benjamin…SAMOAN DROP!! Wilson’s momentum is killed yet again as Benjamin covers him – 1…2…3-NO!! Wilson shows some Dungeon graduate resolve!!

Benjamin is slightly annoyed that that one didn’t eliminate Wilson, pulling him up to his feet and setting him up for the big EXPLODER SUPLEX…BUT WILSON FLIPS OUT OF IT ONTO HIS FEET!! The incredibly athletic Wilson flips out of the move, his momentum taking him right to his corner, getting the hot tag to Harry Smith!! Smith bursts into the ring and immediately puts Benjamin down with a clothesline, only for Charlie Haas to bust into the ring to his partner’s aid, only to get a clothesline of his own! Ki, possibly absorbing the ‘team effort’ thing, comes rushing in as well, only to eat a Smith Big Boot. Smith grabs hold of Benjamin and hoists him up in a very impressive delayed vertical suplex that gets a great reception from the crowd, Benjamin coming crashing down as Smith looks to cover – 1…2…NO!!

Benjamin groggily gets back up and tends to his aching spine, being taken by Smith and being hoisted on a shoulder, looking for the RUNNING POWERSLAM…but Charlie Haas intervenes, nailing Smith with a chop block, bucking his leg and causing Benjamin to fall right on top of him – 1…2…NO!! Smith isn’t pinned, but now Benjamin has a bit of an opening, using this to tag in Haas, who has quickly retreated to his corner. Low Ki crawls in underneath the ropes after falling to the outside on the boot on the tag in as well, Haas taking Smith in the rear waistlock, Benjamin and Ki getting the same idea…DOUBLE SUPERKICK/GERMAN SUPLEX DOMINO!! A very impressive triple team there, Haas again keeping the bridge and pinning Smith down – 1…2…3-NO!! It’s Lance Storm that breaks back in for the kids, again forcing the WGTT to keep going.

Haas isn’t too happy with that, almost reacting the same way Benjamin did, but he keeps his head on enough to await for Smith to get back to his feet to nail him with a pair of snap verticals for another cover – 1…2…NO!! Smith throws a shoulder up, even though he’s still very much out of it from the triple team. Haas again waits for Smith to get back to his feet, stalking him from the second rope in an empty corner and leaping for the second rope bulldog…NO!! Smith uses his brute strength to stop Haas’ momentum towards the canvas in it’s tracks, instead grappling Haas around the waist and nailing German suplex of his own!! But he can’t get back up to his feet, both men on their backs and trying to get to their corners for tags. Haas slaps the tag in on Ki, while Smith gets the tag in on captain Storm!!

Low Ki bursts in ready to get going once again, but he’s immediately caught off guard by Lance Storm entering the ring with a springboard clothesline!! Ki clutches his nose as he gets back to his feet following the blow, Storm waiting for him, whips him hard into a corner, only for him to hit it so hard he comes right back out…into a northern lights suplex!! Storm keeps the bridge – 1…2…3-NO!! Ki has life!! Storm is slightly disappointed, but he grabs hold of Ki’s bald head to bring him back to his feet, only for Ki to deliver a sharp headbutt right to the veteran’s jaw. This forces him to drop to a knee, leaving him open for Ki to nail him with the Krush Kombo, finishing the trio of kicks with a roundhouse to the skull!! Ki covers – 1…2…NO!! Storm keeps his team in this!

Storm tries to get back to his feet, but Ki cuts him off at the pass with another hard kick to the side, now taking Storm and trying to whip him into the ropes, only to have Storm turn it around. Ki rebounds off the ropes and ducks underneath a Storm desperate clothesline attempt, only to turn around to see an airborne Ki nail him with the springboard enzeguiri!! Storm goes down once again, the kicking looking pretty damn stiff, Ki covering the Canadian for possibly the win – 1…2…3…NO!! Storm stays alive somehow!! The Sons over in the corner are ecstatic their coach/captain is still in this, but Low Ki and his corner are getting pretty mad at all these kickouts. Ki has to wait for Storm to get back to his feet, rebounding off the ropes and back towards him, ducking underneath a reverse elbow attempt and rebounding again. On that one, Ki leapfrogs clean over a ducking Storm to rebound off the ropes once again, leaping with a great deal of momentum onto Storm’s shoulders for a hurricanrana…SITOUT POWERBOMB!! A COUNTER SITOUT POWERBOMB FROM LANCE STORM!!! WOW!

The crowd comes alive as both legal men are once again floored, giving it their all here in just the opening round! Both men struggle to get back to their corners and tag in someone else, Storm getting there first and tagging back in Smith, Ki getting there just a second later and tagging Haas back in. Smith rushes towards the opposing corner, but immediately gets caught in the Haas one-man flapjack. Haas keeps Smith’s legs wrapped up, reaching up to tag Benjamin back in, who delivers a hard elbow to the back of Smith’s head and rolls him over for a cover – 1…2…NO!!

He throws a shoulder up, which Benjamin grabs to keep him down and tag back in Haas, who leaps over the top rope and delivers a leg drop to the back of Smith’s head, rolling him back over for a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Smith stays in this, but Haas just goes right back and tags back in Benjamin, walking back in and bringing Smith to his feet with Haas. They set him up for what looks like a double suplex…NO!! The mighty son of the British Bulldog throws both men off of him, Haas coming back at him to eat a hard elbow. Benjamin retaliates with the Dragon whip…but Smith ducks…Benjamin still spinning…and nails Haas with the Dragon whip!! Haas tumbles outside, Smith nailing Benjamin with another clothesline with some momentum behind it, that momentum taking him right back into his corner to tag in Wilson. Smith takes Benjamin up in the bearhug while Wilson waits on the apron with the springboard…HART ATTACK!! HART ATTACK TO BENJAMIN!! Smith goes over and knocks Ki off the apron for good measure while Wilson covers – 1…2…3…!!

ELIMINATED: SHELTON BENJAMIN at (18:12)

FINALLY, someone’s gone!! The next fall wins it for the Sons of the Dungeon and Storm, but Charlie Haas doesn’t look like he’s gonna let that happen, leaping right back into the ring to jump on Wilson for eliminating his partner, clubbing him rapidly before whipping him into the ropes and nailing another flapjack on the rebound…BUT ROLLS IT RIGHT INTO THE HAAS OF PAIN!! Just like Sunday night, Haas rolls right into his finishing submission!! The flexibility of Wilson is letting Haas crank back hard here, Smith on the brink of intervening…but Storm stops him? Storm is yelling, trying to encourage Wilson to get out of this himself without his corner’s help. While Storm’s heart might be in the right place, his team could potentially lose a member here…but Wilson reaches out and grabs a rope!!

Miraculously, Wilson makes it there, forced to use the ropes to get back to his feet and back to the fray with a pissed off Haas. Haas charges at Wilson, but TJ surprises the tag champ with a double leg takedown…SHARPSHOOTER!! SHARPSHOOTER!! One submission to another!! Haas starts scrambling in pain, trying to find a way out of the hold, but he can’t quite do it! The crowd is going nuts at the possibility of the Sons eliminating both of the Tag Team Champions, smith and Storm also pumped at the notion and cheering Wilson on. It looks like Haas is gonna tap…SPRINGBOARD ENZEGUIRI FROM LOW KI!! Ki keeps his team and his title hopes alive by cracking one of his signature kicks off of Wilson’s head!! Wilson lets go of the hold and collapses, the Hebner trying to shoo out Ki as Haas tries to go for a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Wilson won’t go down like that!!

Haas is nearly ripping his hair out after that one, now taking Wilson and looking for another EXPLODER SUPLEX attempt…but Wilson starts fighting out of the clutches of Haas, instead catching him in a jawbreaker before springboarding off the second rope and downing Haas with the leaping back kick!! Wilson collects himself and tags back in Smith, Wilson heading to the apron and getting prepped for something. Smith enters and grabs the worn Haas with another bearhug…Wilson springboards…HART ATTACK!! A SECOND HART ATTACK TO THE OTHER TAG TEAM CHAMPION!! It’s Smith who is the legal man this time, however, as he goes to cover Haas one more time. But before he can, Low Ki springs back into the ring, only to be cut off at the pass by a Lance Storm SUPERKICK!! A SUPERKICK FROM STORM!! Ki is beheaded as Smith drapes himself on top of Haas and hooks the leg – 1…2…3…!!!

Winners: Lance Storm & Sons of the Dungeon at (20:04)

They did it!! Whatever training and coaching the Sons have been getting from Lance Storm looks to have paid off, as Storm and co. get a clean sweep and pin BOTH members of the AOW Tag Team Champions AND move on to the next round in the Tournament. Smith and Wilson share an embrace before Storm comes up behind them and pats them on the back, congratulating the rookies on their big win.​


Joey Styles:
WOW!! And that was just the first match in the opening round of our AOW Trios Tournament!

JBL:
Well I’ll be damned.

Joey Styles:
Indeed so, partner! The Sons of the Dungeon and Lance Storm win in the first round without anyone being eliminated, but perhaps even bigger, they pinned both members of the AOW Tag Team Champions!

JBL:
But in the bigger picture, they just eliminated possibly the biggest threat in this entire tournament in the very first round. The World’s Greatest Tag Team has been the undisputed most dominant team in this company from day one an’ Low Ki has shown he’s more than up for a big fight. Then you had these guys, two of’em haven’t been in a competitive wrestling ring for over a month, in Storm’s case almost three months. I think they just pulled off a hellova upset.

Joey Styles:
For once, you and I agree, partner. The Sons and Storm move on, while the World’s Greatest and the Warrior have to go elsewhere in our opening round action, but later on tonight, we’ve got more opening round action as the newly dubbed Mercenaries Inc. will take on the team of Paul London, Brian Kendrick, and Low Ki’s tag team partner, Jack Evans. They’ll be hard pressed to be as hard hitting as this match, though.

JBL:
But that’s still not the best yet to come.

Joey Styles:
Indeed because later on tonight, we still have CM Punk defending his Dynasty Championship against the man who lobbied furiously for a rematch in Muhammad Hassan.



~Backstage, rear parking lot…


We’re brought to the scene of Chris Jericho bursting through the double doors to the back lot, his chauffer and limo waiting. Jericho grows ‘”Took you long enough” under his breath, still seething from earlier. A quick shot of the front of the vehicle shows a dent that was quite possibly caused by Finlay and Samoa Joe several weeks ago that still hasn’t gotten buffed out. Jericho’s face has gone deep red in rage, throwing off his tie and about to get into the back seat. A peek inside the limo reveals that Paul Wright is already there. Just as Jericho puts a leg in to get in, he’s interrupted by Ken Doane.


Doane:
Hey, Jericho!! Look, before we leave, I gotta ask you something –

Chris Jericho:
Doane? Where the hell have you been? More importantly, where the hell were you earlier when I needed you?

Doane:
I’ve been hanging with these guys since Sunday.

~The camera pans back to reveal the duo of American Made – Jack Hagar and Nick Nameth

Chris Jericho:
And what were you thinking when you went MIA to hang with these fools?? Huh? I needed your help and neither one of them are me!!!

Nameth:
Hey! No offense, Jericho, but at least we won our match Sunday night.

Chris Jericho:
Ohhhh…don’t you dare even think about getting into that with me right now, junior! So you got a messily little win over London and Kendrick. LATTIE FREAKIN’ DAAAAA!!

~Jericho seems to be completely losing his composure here, his face a deep tomato red as he gets in Doane’s face, his hands looking like they want to rip Doane’s face off

Chris Jericho:
The world that I have worked so hard for is crumbling around me. All this wealth and power and knowledge of wealth and power I’ve accumulated and no one seems to be by my side anymore!! Before you go off partying with the frat boys again, just let me remind you who has made you in this company. You were swimming in a sea of nothing going nowhere until I brought you into this fold. You remember those days?

~Doane no longer has a slight look of hope on his face, now looking thoroughly defeated

Chris Jericho:
So what can these two goofs offer you that I can’t, huh? What’s so great about America’s sweethearts that would lead you to leave a man as powerful as I am high and dry, HUH?

~Jericho is nearly roaring across the parking lot at this point

Doane:
Well…uh…we’ve been working out a deal.

Chris Jericho:
…what??

Doane:
Please, Chris, hear me out. They know I didn’t do too hot of a job in the War Chamber. And they gave me an offer to help maybe bring a little bit of honor back to the Worthy Legion.

~Jericho seems to settle down just a little bit

Chris Jericho:
…go on.

Nameth:
See, at This is Exile, the hottest chick I’ve ever seen gave me her phone number. But she never gave me a name. And no one’s answering her number. That’s where you guys come in.

Chris Jericho:
Pardon me?

Hagar:
We’ve asked for Kenny here to help use your power and connections to help us find this girl and actually bring her up here to the Hammerstein…

Doane:
…and in exchange, I team up with them in the Trios Tournament, bring home the trophy, and get the Worthy Legion some of its luster back. You understand, boss?

Chris Jericho:
So let me get this straight…you’re offering my resources, my power, and my works in general without any of my knowledge or say…so your buddies can go panty raiding a girl they don’t even know…in exchange for your nothing-without-me services in the Trios Tournament?

~Jericho’s face looks blank with rage, while all hope is drained from the trio standing before him

Doane:
…yes sir.

~Doane even dips his head down, knowing nothing good can be coming next

Chris Jericho:
Y’know what? Go ahead.

~This absolutely shocks AM and Doane, Jericho even fixing the collar on Doane’s shirt

Doane:
You…you really mean that, Mr. Jericho?

Chris Jericho:
Sure. Anything that can be done to glorify my Worthy Legion’s name should be taken full advantage of, especially in this time of need. Plus, when all I’m doing in return is delivering something as trivial as a woman, I think I’m getting the better bargain here.

~Jericho looks directly at American Made, who are taken aback by Jericho’s bluntless there

Chris Jericho:
But be warned, gentlemen. You’re both now in debt to me. And you will pay it back in some form in the future.

~Nameth and Hagar look at one another before nodding their heads at Jericho, Hagar even going so far as to audibly gulp. Jericho then gets in Doane’s face

Chris Jericho:
And as for you…you’d better come back with that trophy. Or so help me god – so help me me, I will see to it that you go right back into that sea of nothing going nowhere. Except this time, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you drown in it.

~With a daunting gaze, Jericho drives that point home with Doane by getting into his limo, the chauffer closing the back door as Doane is struck silent and stunned, as the limo drives off without him


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


~Backstage, the Green Zone interview set…


Steve Romero:
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, I’m Steve Romero here with my guest at this time who impressed many in the War Chamber Sunday night and is set to defend his AOW Dynasty Championship in just mere moments…CM PUNK!!

~The camera pans to our left, Romero’s right, to reveal none other than the Straight-Edge enthusiast and wrestler with a focused look on his face wearing a black hoodie and his title slung over his shoulder. There’s noticeably a shiner over his right eye from the War Chamber itself.

Steve Romero:
Now, Punk, you’re only just a few days removed from competing in the first ever War Chamber. What’re your thoughts on being forced to compete tonight against Muhammad Hassan?

Punk:
Y’know what irks me the most, Steve? I don’t care about the fact that Hassan thinks he’s owed a rematch. I can actually understand that. I don’t care about the fact that he’s getting a match against me when I’m bruised and beat up. That’s actually pretty smart on his part, so I can understand that too.

~Punk rubs at his chin for a moment before speaking again

Punk:
What irks me the most and the one thing I don’t understand about all this is the fact that he’s gone about this in a way that completely goes against what I stand for. I've mentioned several times here in AOW that I’m a professional wrestler here to professionally wrestle. What Hassan did to get his rematch had nothing to do with professional wrestling, but legalities. Backstage politics. Lawyer talk. You’d think he was running for public office, not being a pro wrestler.

~Punk lets out what sounds like a chuckle before touching his shiner and speaking once again

Punk:
Not blaming Mick Foley, mind you, but in the end, I do find it funny that these guys can get away with talking the talk and not be pro wrestlers, but when it gets right down to it, they have to be pro wrestlers to back their talk up. AOW is better than that. The Dynasty title is better than that. I’m better than that. So whether it be to the Muhammad Hassans or the Chris Jerichos of the world, I’m gonna go out there tonight and retain my Dynasty Championship for one thing…freedom. Freedom from strings being pulled. The freedom to actually be a professional wrestler.

~Punk places a hand on Romero’s shoulder before giving him a good look and starts to walk away…but he’s stopped when Lance Storm enters the scene. He and Punk stare into each other for a seemingly tense second…before Storm pulls Punk in for a hug. As both men undo their embrace, Storm pats Punk on the back before barely mouthing the words ‘give’em one for me, kiddo”. Punk nods his head and shakes the hand of the man who made his title reign possible, the crowd heard in the arena letting out a pop for the clearly driven Punk as we fade away…


~Back at ringside…


As we return our focus to the ring, we hear “SKIP OVER” playing over the sound system, as Elix Skipper stands in the center of the ring doing several shadow boxing techniques, whipping himself up into last minute form for a match that could get him on the fast track towards championship gold.

That’s because the next sound to hit the threshold is none other than “FINAL COUNTDOWN”, as Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson comes down the ramp to a very welcome pop, the orbital area above his eye looking much better than it did last night, however, it still doesn’t look like he should be in any form to compete. Nonetheless, the truly fighting champion rolls into the ring and plays to the crowd for a moment before taking off his strap and handing it to referee Justin King.

…but then suddenly, a third tune hits the system, as “IT’S TIME – HACKER’S REMIX” plays now, as Gregory Helms makes his way through the blood-red curtain and on down to the ring. He’s in non-competition attire, but the look on his face doesn’t exactly say ‘innocent’. He walks around the ring and makes his way over to the commentary table, putting on a headset


Joey Styles:
Um…well, ladies and gentlemen, we were expecting Bryan Danielson to come out here for a match that he requested even after the damage he took in the War Chamber. What we weren’t expecting was for anyone to come and join us on commentary tonight –

JBL:
But a special case can be made for the best cruiserweight in the world. How ya doin’, Gregory?

Helms:
I’m doin’ alright, John. Thank you so much for asking.

Joey Styles:
Are you feeling any better tonight after Low Ki nearly kicked the life out of you?

Helms:
That is a stupid question that does not warrant an answer from me.

JBL:
Greg is right, Joey. You have to ask the right questions.

Joey Styles:
Oh, pardon me. Where are my manners. Well then, how about this one – what’re you doing out here completely unannounced and unscheduled?

JBL:
He’s here to scout the Cruiserweight Champion, Joey! That question was just as stupid as the one that came before it. Y’know what? How about you shut up an’ only I ask Gregory the questions, okay? I’m sure he’d much rather appreciate that.

Joey Styles:
I’m sure Bryan Danielson appreciates him being here as well.


MATCH 2
Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson
v.
Elix Skipper


We catch up to the match just over a minute in, Danielson and Skipper in the tail end of their feeling out process. They go for another lock-up, but Skipper catches Danielson in a hammerlock, only for Danielson to work his way around and reverse the hammerlock and catch Skipper in his own. Skipper rushes into the ropes and holds onto them on the recoil, forcing Danielson to release the hold and roll back onto his feet. Skipper rushes back towards Danielson, but the champ immediately greets skipper with a hard kitchen sink that sends Skipper flipping right over the knee!! Skipper has a hard landing, but Danielson doesn’t go for the immediate cover. Instead, he takes that moment to glare over his shoulder outside the ring at Gregory Helms. Helms shrugs off the stare on commentary, telling Danielson that he’d better pay attention to the ring veteran Skipper.

Danielson doesn’t heed this warning, but isn’t any worse for wear, as he takes the recovering Skipper and whips him into the ropes. On the rebound, Skipper shoots over the head of the ducking Danielson to pull him over for a sunset flip – 1…2…NO! Danielson is quickly able to roll back out of the move, only to welcome Skipper back to his feet with another hard knee to the gut. Danielson then looks to lift up Skipper for a suplex, but Skipper stops him and instead floats over Danielson to grapple him around the midsection. Danielson is aware of this, and immediately hits a standing switch, yanking Skipper back and nailing a nice German suplex!! Danielson with his first cover – 1…2…NO!! The veteran still has something left in the tank.

Danielson again glances over to see Helms, but it’s only a quick look this time before he focuses his attention back on Skip. This time, Skipper takes advantage of the split second distraction, knocking Danielson on the side of the face his injured orbital bone resides. This gets a quick spiel of heat, but Skipper doesn’t mind as he gets back up to quickly put Danielson down again with a nice back suplex. Immediately following dropping Danielson, Skipper doubles the pain with a quick leg drop, followed by another. A second cover for Skipper – 1…2…NO!

Danielson still has a lot more in the tank, but it looks like Skipper wants to completely drain it out of him when he catches Danielson in the Primetime Submission!! The modified octopus stretch…but it’s not fully synched in, as Danielson fights his way the whole time the move is being set up, throwing Skipper over his shoulder while holding onto his arm…LEBELL LOCK!! LEBELL LOCK LOCKED IN…BUT DANIELSON LETS GO!! Why? We look on the outside and get our answer, as Danielson slides underneath the bottom rope and stomps over to the commentary table, where the timekeeper has just given the Cruiserweight Championship to Gregory Helms.

Danielson, knowing fully well what happened last time Helms got his hands on it, snatches the gold right out of Helms’ hands. Helms tries to defend himself, proclaiming he was just “getting a closer look at it”. Danielson isn’t buying it, screaming at Helms to “never touch what’s mine again!” Danielson throws the title back towards the timekeeper, who now appears to know better, but as soon as Danielson enters back into the ring, he’s caught off guard by a Skipper spinning crescent kick!! Skimmer smashes his leg into Danielson’s nose and goes for another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Danielson still holds on!

Skipper then takes Danielson and gives him a pair of forearms to the face before trying to deliver a suplex. It’s Danielson this time who stops the move, his turn to now float over Skipper, but the veteran is ready for him and greets him with another knee to the gut, followed another. Skipper then takes Danielson and tries to whip him into the corner…but Danielson scales the corner and backlips right over Skipper!! This turns right into a duet of charging Danielson sitout clotheslines, Skipper rising back to his feet after the second one. Danielson then greets him with a vicious shoot kick to the midsection.

He follows that up with another, and another and another, each one harder than the last because he pauses to look at Helms until Skipper drops to one knee, clutching his midsection in pain. Danielson doesn’t stop there, giving Skipper even more repeat shoot kicks, increasing the tempo as he stares a hole through Helms still. Danielson lets out one final roar before gearing back and KICKING SKIPPER’S HEAD OFF! The impact of Skipper’s skull caving in is heard all over the arena, but Danielson doesn’t go for a cover there. Instead, he grabs the limp Skipper by both of his wrists…AND STARTS STOMPING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF HIM!! The wrist-clutch stomping from Danielson doesn’t even seem to have a target, each stomp causing Skipper’s flexible body to violently whiplash and nail Skipper’s head, throat, and chest areas. And Danielson refuses to stop the onslaught, a look of pure rage overcoming his face as he relentlessly stomps the life out of Skipper so much, that the referee calls for the bell after Skipper is completely knocked out.

Winner: Bryan Danielson at (5:40)

Danielson doesn’t stop stomping until the referee damn near forces him off of Skipper, the Cruiserweight Champion in a fit of rage here tonight, surprising quite a few people. As soon as he stops rabidly stomping, he stares daggers over at Gregory Helms, his patched up orbital bone making the gaze look all the more menacing. Helms doesn’t look all too intimidated, but he does get up from the announce desk innocently and walks back over to the timekeeper’s table and slows down his walk…before walking away and back up the ramp.​


Joey Styles:
Well, Gregory Helms obviously looking to perhaps play a few mind games with Bryan Danielson before he challenges him for the Cruiserweight Championships.

JBL:
You’re damn right he is. An’ he’s doin’em pretty well I do say so myself.

Joey Styles:
Well, it really is hard to blame Helms. I mean he’s been beaten pretty decisively by Danielson twice before, so I imagine he’d try and do something a little different this time.

JBL:
Oh shut yer yap. He was out here doin’ exactly what he needed to do. He knows what Danielson’s capable of, but most importantly, he knows exactly what Danielson’s weaknesses are now.

Joey Styles:
Well speaking of weaknesses, what do you think of that ‘agreement’ that was struck by Ken Doane with American Made?

JBL:
I think it’s brilliant. I think Chris Jericho is a fantastic leader for letting his young gun go out an’ try to expand their worth, I think it’s great that Ken Doane is showing some initiative even after taking that huge blow in the Chamber loss, an’ I think it’s great that American Made is lookin’ to make themselves better an’, well, can ya blame’em for goin’ after a pretty girl?

Joey Styles:
Pretty women have been known to be the downfall of man, John.

JBL:
Yeah. I suppose you can go ask your buddy Christian about that one.

Joey Styles:
Anywho, there’s still more Oblivion to come after the break, because coming up next, coming off the heels of that incredible opening round contest in the Trios Tournament, we have another! Trios action, next!



The entire screen begins to cut in and out of static until we’re brought to what looks like an executive office scene, a chair sitting behind a desk. The entire scene is dimly lit and grungy looking until the chair swivels around to reveal Chris Jericho in a suit and a sinister smirk.

Chris Jericho:
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.


The scene throbs in static for a moment before returning to clarity, except this time, all color is sucked out of it and monochrome

Chris Jericho:
I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume.


The camera begins to slowly move towards Jericho, then it cuts away to the Hammerstein Ballroom losing their minds and cracking decibel levels

Chris Jericho:
If I wish to make it softer, I will tune it to a whisper.


It again flashes to Jericho staring hypnotically, then flashes back to Jericho holding the AOW Championship high to nothing but silence over the bodies of Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, and Bryan Danielson

Chris Jericho:
I can reduce the focus to a soft blur…


The scene gets blurry and out of focus so much, that we can’t make it out anymore…

Chris Jericho:
…or sharpen it to crystal clarity.


When the picture reforms, we’re on a very close up shot in the office of Jericho, his eyes locked on us as though he truly is getting us under his control

Chris Jericho:
I will control the horizontal.


As he says that now, a scene flashes of a horizontal white line that trails behind Bobby Lashley as he spears Rob Van Dam through a table from the World Ablaze main event

Chris Jericho:
I will control the vertical.


Another scene flash, this one of a vertical white line following Ken Doane as he puts Paul Heyman through the announce table with the Sky High Leg Drop

Chris Jericho:
For the first several months of this company, I have dominated all and proven my worth. Now I need more lands to conquer.


We’re back to Jericho now, pulling away from his close up, his puppetmaster fingers interlocking with each other on the front of his desk, the color somewhat returning to the scene, but everything is tinted with a red and white hue

Chris Jericho:
And I won’t just go for more things alone. Oh no. You all are coming with me. I will control what you see and hear.


We continue to pull back from the desk, but Jericho’s eyes haven’t budged

Chris Jericho:
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to...The Outer Limits.


As Jericho says that, the wall behind him becomes draped with a tattered, bloody Canadian flag





~ART OF WAR WRESTING PRESENTS~

THE OUTER LIMITS
!!A THREE-HOUR PAY-PER-VIEW SPECIAL!!
Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


We return from the break focused on the ring, but it isn’t long before we hear what sounds like “LONDON CALING” going across the arena, as The Hooliganz come through the curtain to a good solid pop, only for them to introduce the third member of their team tonight, Jack Evans. Evans does a little jig on the entrance stage with his partners before all three men madly dash down the ramp and into the ring. While London and Kendrick go to the turnbuckles to play to the crowd, Evans stays in the middle and break dances for a moment before stopping. The three lunatics get a good reception, with Evans looking like he’s teaching the ‘ganz how to dance like him while they wait for their opponents…

“WELCOME TO WHITECHAPEL” hits its ominous pipe organ, as the newly named Mercenaries, Inc. steps through the curtain at a slow, methodical pace to display William Regal and the Mercenaries in all their meticulous glory. Burchill and Albright throw off their black jackets, but Regal keeps his black and red one draped over his shoulders as he and the Mercs make their slow walk down the ramp. The team captain steps into the ring first, the perpetual scowl still etched on his face before throwing off his coat and greeting the opposing team captain, who would turns out to be Paul London. The two shake hands as the tournament seems to call for, but there’s nothing respectful about the look in Regal’s eye at all.

MATCH 3
~AOW Trios Tournament Opening Round~
The Hooliganz & Jack Evans
v.
Mercenaries, Inc.


The opening minutes of the contest saw Jack Evans display some athleticism for his team, but it didn’t take long for William Regal to capitalize on his recklessness and put him at the mercy of he and his corner. But even so, Mercs Inc didn’t want much to do with Evans, but keep demanding that London tag himself in. We pick up two minutes into the contest, Evans rolling back into his corner and now tagging in Brian Kendrick, defying the wishes of the Mercs. Seeing this, Regal tags in Albright and gives him instructions before he steps in. The two fresh men approach center ring and lock up, but it doesn’t take long at all for Albright to break the lock up and take Kendrick down with a massive double leg takedown, almost looking like a spinebuster.

Albright takes clear control of Kendrick here, dragging him around and pulling him into submission holds to wear him down and potentially force him to tag back out. Albright catches Kendrick in what looks like a modified camel clutch, but Kendrick fights his way out back to his feet, trying to reach his way into his corner. But just when it seems like he’ll get there, Albright pulls back for what looks like a full nelson suplex, but Kendrick manages to flip out onto his feet and hit Albright in the spine with a dropkick, propelling him towards the high-flyer corner. Albright’s jaw collides with the post, stunning him, while Kendrick does get to tag in London. Evans grabs the still stunned rookie by his arms, while Kendrick grabs his legs, holding him in place draped across the corner so London can leap in…and mushroom stomps him in the back!! London with an impressive triple team cover – 1…2…NO!! Albright still has enough in him to kick out!

The team captain doesn’t waste much time trying to up the pace, but as he tries to whip Albright into the ropes, the whip is reversed. On the rebound, London catches Albright by surprise and leaps at him with a full on crossbody, but Albright isn’t caught off enough as he rolls through the move and covers London himself – 1…2…NO!! London throws his legs up to escape the hold, but as he does, Albright grabs hold of him and plants him with a back suplex and another cover – 1…2…NO!! London still has some gusto in him, Albright trying to wrench that gusto out of him with a rear chinlock. London needs some prompting from the crowd and his corner, but when he gets it, he escapes the neck wrenching move with a sitout jawbreaker!

Albright goes reeling, London nailing him with a series of arm drags and capping it off with a beautiful dropkick, the pace all in the high end now as London goes for another cover – 1…2…NO!! Albright still has some resolve, but he gets nothing to show for it but a London kick to the gut. London rebounds to try and go for another move, but Albright sidesteps him and catches him from behind…HALF NELSON SUPLEX!! The same move that damn near gave Super Crazy a concussion Sunday night strikes again!! Albright with a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! London stays in! Albright doesn’t waste much time following that, however, as he now tagging in Burchill. Burchill doesn’t leap in, instead waiting for Albright to take London’s legs and set up the catapult…MERCY KILL!! MERCY KILL CONNECTING!! The catapult/second rope clothesline combo beheads the completely unsuspecting London!! This could be it if they pin the captain, Burchill covering – 1…2…3…NO!!! Evans and Kendrick both storm the ring to break the count!

But as both of those men storm the ring, so does Regal and Albright, the four non-legal men duking it out here! Kendrick and Evans gain the surprise upper hand, dropkicking Regal and Albright out of the ring!! They then wait for them as they get back to their feet on the outside, both men rushing towards the ropes with double suicide dives…NOBODY HOME!! Regal shoves Albright out of the way of the projectile bodies as they go completely crashing and burning. Regal jumps back onto the apron, as Burchill tries to lift the still dizzied London up for perhaps a turnbuckle powerbomb…but London keeps rolling over for a sunset flip attempt!

Burchill doesn’t go all the way down, however, teetering over London as he tries to pull him. This allows Burchill to tag in Regal, London pulling him over for the sunset pin…but there’s no count. Burchill rolls out of the futile pin attempt to greet a puzzled London, who gets punted in the gut by Burch, doubling him over. Regal takes note of this and rebounds off the ropes nearby…and ROCKS LONDON’S TEMPLE WITH THE KNEE TREMBLER!! London, coming off the half-nelson and the Mercy Kill, is possibly concussed with that one last blow to the head!! London drops lifelessly to the canvas at the feet of the legal Regal, who doesn’t go for the pin, but instead wraps both of his legs up…and contorts London’s body into the REGAL STRETCH!! All the concentrated damage London’s taken in in almost no time flat now takes its toll…and causes him to tap out!!

Winners: Mercenaries, Inc. at (6:42)

Regal just stands up and dusts off as if that were business as usual, the newest member of the AOW roster getting his team the win in very quick fashion. Burchill and Albright soon join him in victory, but none of the men look very emotive bar the devilish smirk they all seem to be sharing​


Joey Styles:
A very convincing win for William Regal and the Mercenaries, but I found it most interesting the way they went about this match – they didn’t care to live up to the opener.

JBL:
Because they didn’t need to, Joey. It’s not always about stealin’ the show an’ making these people walk away happy. These guys are here to hurt people an’ make money hurtin’ people. You saw that with the strategy they used. They didn’t’ dillydally – they found out who the team captain was and went right after him to end this thing as quickly as possible.

Joey Styles:
They are brutal and methodical men who live up to their name indeed. But speaking of brutal and methodical men, this past Sunday at This is Exile, Finlay may have gone too far in his quest to break Rob Van Dam...er...Robert Szatowski. Sunday night, it was Tommy Dreamer, the old ECW mainstay, who answered Finlay's open challenge.

JBL:
I love Tommy D, but there was just simply no way he could have beaten Finlay.

Joey Styles:
Well, Finlay brutalized Dreamer to the point of hospitalization in an attempt to draw a fight out of Szatowski. He did not succeed, but we do have word that Dreamer is doing fine, recovering from his wounds like any ECW Alumni would. From one devout Extremist to another, Tommy, I wish you a speedy recovery.



~Backstage, locker room area


We’re brought to the scene of Mick Foley, Samoa Joe, and Christian Cage standing together. Joe is looking like he’s trying to ease Christian, who is sitting, while Foley reaches in his flannel and pulls out a cell phone. He reads the screen before speaking.


Mick Foley:
Well, I just got word that Jericho has long left the arena. He just up and ran.

Joe:
Figures. Any word on the big guy?

Mick Foley:
He’s gone with’em.

Joe:
Damn. You let me know anything you find out. I got a hit list to finish.


Joe pats Christian on the back before walking out of the scene, leaving Foley and Cage alone. Cage looks just as intense as he did in the opening minutes, staring a hold through the floor…until there’s a knock on the door. Without much else warning, in comes…Paul Heyman?!? In a wheelchair and neckbrace?!? Heyman is wheeled in by a broad shouldered man wearing a three piece black suit and sunglasses (although he looks incredibly similar to OVW talent Alex Riley…)

Paul Heyman:
Hello, Foley.

Mick Foley:
Mr. Heyman. What a pleasant surprise. Come on in!

Paul Heyman:
…uh…

~Heyman takes a look in the door and sees the madman looking Cage

Paul Heyman:
…how about you come out here.

Mick Foley:
Suit yourself.

~Foley exits through the door and into Heyman’s hallway, the camera following them. Foley makes no effort to close the door behind him, allowing us to be able to see Christian as the two men converse in the hall

Mick Foley:
I heard you weren’t supposed to be flushing your own toilet until sometime next month, let alone be up and rolling around here.

Paul Heyman:
After that debacle I saw opening my show tonight?? I broke every traffic law in the book getting here!!

Mick Foley:
Good think you didn’t break your neck, eh?

~Foley ‘playfully’ gives Heyman a whack on the back of the neck, prompting Heyman to become completely paralyzed in pain, his eyes as wide open as his mouth, but no sound is coming out

Mick Foley:
So. What can I do ya for?

Paul Heyman:
You can start by not letting my program fall into utter chaos. That would be preferable.

Mick Foley:
Sorry, boss. No can do. I like the guys in the office to take a ‘hands on approach’ to problem solving, you know?

~The smartass jab is not lost on Heyman, who scowls through his neckbrace while Foley beams a grin right back

Paul Heyman:
Oh yeah? Well next week, you’re gonna make sure there’s order!! Because that’s when Christian and Jericho will sign on for their AOW Championship match at The Outer Limits. If either one of them so much as thinks about touching the other before, during, or even in the weeks after that, they’ll be severely punished. Do I make myself clear??

Mick Foley:
Yes sir, you do.

Paul Heyman:
Good. Now wheel me back out to my car.

~The Riley-esque MIB agent wheels Heyman right back out of the scene, leaving Foley with a bit of a hopeless look on his face. He goes back into the locker room, Christian not having moved a muscle

Mick Foley:
So I’m guessing you heard that?

Christian Cage:
Yeah. He said I have a week to figure out how to kill him without touching him.

~Christian says nothing else, getting up and walking out of the door to a somewhat surprised Foley who, after a moment, gets a semi-smile behind his bushy beard as we fade away…


We're brought to what looks like a very dingy street in a run-down neighborhood. There's a sudden flash in the scene, showing a very shadowy figure walking down that street. We can't see anything about them other than a golden crucifix chain around their neck. The figure then reaches out around it's neck and puts the golden cross on doorknob of one of the rundown houses in the neighborhood. In a flash, the figure is gone and all that's left is the chain gleaming in the sun on the door until we see the words --

THE SAINT HAS MARCHED...

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


We come back to Oblivion to see a wide pan shot of the ring area and to hear the ringing of the bell and Tony Chimel telling us that the following contest is for the AOW Dynasty Championship. Not too long after that, the ominous and annoying Arabic chanting hits the sound system, as “MAD MAN” rings out over it to a great deal of heat as Muhammad Hassan pushes his way through the blood-red curtain and opens his arms to the sky to absorb all of that heat. Hassan is in absolutely no hurry whatsoever to get to the ring…and we soon see why, as Hassan doesn’t even walk down the ramp, but instead, proceeds to disappear behind one of the Roman stone columns making up the entrance stage decoration. The heat is unbridled for this, as many know what may come next…

…but this greatly contrasts when “MISERA CANTARE – THE BEGINNING” blares out across the arena, as Dynasty Champion CM Punk breaks on through the curtain with a great deal of desire in his eyes. He drops to one knee, but as he does, he tends to his lower back, which is still understandably wrapped with pain. But Punk gets no time to declare what time it is because here comes Hassan ambushing Punk from behind!!

MAIN EVENT
*AOW DYNASTY CHAMPIONSHIP*
CM Punk(c)
v.
Muhammad Hassan


Everyone saw this coming a moment ago, but Hassan doesn’t seem to care, as he doesn’t wait to lay into Punk here! Brooks barely has time to unhook the title from around his waist when Hassan gets in his face and starts going at him with hard clubs before pulling on Punk’s elastic waistband of his tights and keeps pulling him back in for repeat forearm shots to the lower back, Hassan immediately targeting a spot here! The crowd throws a shitload of heat for this, referee Ray Ramsey now stepping out of the ring and having to go chase down the combatants, begging them to get into the ring.

Hassan yanks Punk by his hair and starts leading him down the ramp, apparently adhering to the referee’s admonishments, but he stops about halfway down, only to take Punk and chunk him spine-first into the guard rail!! Ramsey again admonishes Hassan for that, but Hassan doesn’t seem to give much of a damn, taking Punk by his hair once again and leading him all the way down to ringside where he looks like he’s going to throw Punk in the ring, but instead, he just grabs around his midsection and drives his lower back into the ring lip!! Punk lets out a scream of pain, as Hassan is really picking apart the already battered Punk in what was obviously a premeditated notion, almost mirroring his strategy from their first encounter.

Hassan finally rolls Punk into the ring, but Punk doesn’t let him go for a cover, instead, opting to use some ring presence to roll away from him and stay on his stomach. Hassan notices this and just uses it to get free shots at Punk’s exposed back, laying his boots into it and causing Punk to cry out in pain once again. Hassan then drops a knee right into the worked over area before leaving it there, pulling up on Punk’s hair to further the torque. Ramsey is ordering he let go of the hair, which Hassan does, but only to take Punk’s head in his hands and throw it into the canvas. Punk’s head whiplashes violently before Hassan looks to finally go for a cover –

1…

2…

NO!!

Punk rolls the shoulder, but Hassan stays right on him and gives him a hard club to the side of the head before bringing Punk back to his feet and setting him back down with a high-elevation backdrop. Punk curdles his entire body in pain, Hassan forcing him back down for another cover –

1…

2…

NO!!

There’s still much left in the tank from Punk, who tries as he might to get to his feet but has to stop and grip his ailing vertebrate. Hassan watches the weakened Punk try, only to kick the dog by literally kicking him in the face. He then takes Punk and tosses him into the opposite ropes, but Punk doesn’t come back, wrapping both arms around the rope. Hassan charges at Punk to try and push the issue, but Punk greets him with his first sign of offense so far with a kick to the face of his own. Hassan stumbles away, giving Punk time to rush towards Hassan and roll through him, catching him in a school boy pin attempt –

1…

2…

3-NO!!

Hassan kicks his feet up just in time, just narrowly escaping Punk’s attempt at a fast one. But just as soon as both men roll to their feet, Punk surprises Hassan and everyone by clocking him in the head with the roundhouse!! From literally out of nowhere, Punk reminds us that he’s very much alive!! Hassan is stricken in the back of his head, falling flat and rolling out of the ring, perhaps out of instinct. This gets a good amount of heat from the crowd, as Hassan breaks up Punk’s momentum before he can even really get going. Hassan roams the outside trying to shake the cobwebs out of his noggin, walking over near the entrance ramp to maybe get more room to pace. Worn out spine and all, Punk doesn’t give him that time to do anything, opting instead to go up to the ropes and leap on them…SPRINBOARD CLOTHESLINE TO THE OUTSIDE!! PUNK FLIES INTO BEHEADING HASSAN ON THE OUTSIDE!! The crowd suddenly has a fire lit under their ass, everyone on their feet to see that move and pop hard for it, but both men feel the effects of the move outside, Punk having to again tend to his back. Both he and Hassan lay out as we cut away for our final…


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


When we cut back from the break, both men are still fighting on the outside, the count out having been restarted at some point or another, but it’s Hassan who is now on the offensive, trying to toss Punk into the steel ring steps. But Punk reverses the momentum and the whip, instead sending HASSAN CRASHING INTO THE STEPS!! The ring steps get displaced from the momentum Hassan strikes them. Ramsey has his count out up to six at the moment, but Punk rolls in and rolls out to break the count, still opting to be a fighting champion.

Punk strikes Hassan with a hard backhand that looks a bit stiff as he brings Hassan back to his feet. Even though he was just rocked, Hassan still has his head on straight, surprising Punk by clubbing him in the base of the spine, going for the tender spot again. He then looks to possibly break Punk’s back when he gets him back up for a backdrop ON TOP OF THE DISPLACED STEEL STEPS…but Punk manages to fight out of the move, forcing Hassan to put Punk back on his feet. It’s now Punk’s turn to ram Hassan, this time forcing him spine first into the steel ring post!! Hassan stays up against the post from the impact of the move, Punk taking a few steps back and rushing right back at Hassan, leaping off the steel steps…INTO THE RUNNING HIGH KNEE!! HASSAN’S HEAD POUNDS AGAINST THE STEEL RING POST BEHIND IT!!

A double whammy blow for Hassan there, Punk now taking advantage and rolling the limp body of Hassan in the ring, which isn’t easy now that it’s completely dead weight. Punk quickly climbs in and goes to cover Hassan for his first real definite cover –

1…

2…


3-NO!!

Punk possibly took too much time trying to roll Hassan back in, but whatever the case, Hassan rolls a shoulder!! Punk lets out a little growl of frustration but doesn’t sit on it for too long, opting instead to go back over to the ring ropes and climb through them. Punk lies in wait on the ring apron, keeping his weight back and stalking Hassan as he slowly makes it to his feet…another springboard clothesline…NO!! Hassan sidesteps sending Punk crashing right back down empty handed. Hassan wastes no time going back over to Punk, pulling him up by his hair and catching him in the inverted facelock…FINAL TOUCH!! The high speed elbow sends the back of Punk’s head crashing down, Hassan hooking a leg here –

1…

2…

3-NO!!

Punk still has more life in him!! It’s Hassan who now lets out a roar of frustration now, letting out some of that frustration by laying more boots into Punk’s spine, going back to the weak point. Hassan stops only to acknowledge the heat being thrown on him, spitting in the fan’s general direction. He reaches on down to grab Punk by the hair yet again…GTS!! GTS…NO!! Hassan drops off of Punk’s shoulders, catching him in a front headlock…lifting swinging DDT!! Punk’s head is planted into the canvas, Hassan now in control once again –

1…

2…

3…

NO!!

PUNK ROLLS THE SHOULDER!! The crowd pops in approval, as Hassan pounds the mat in utter anger, even pulling Ramsey close and ordering that he make sure that wasn’t a three count. Ramsey says it wasn’t, infuriating Hassan even more. Hassan takes a moment to knock some sense back into his head, possibly still feeling the effects of that high knee on the outside. Copani then stays on Punk, stalking him until he gets back to his feet, charging at him…SNAP POWERSLAM!! Punk snaps back to life, slamming Hassan over!! Punk scrambles to hook the leg and keep his title –

1…

2…

3-NO!!

Hassan throws a shoulder up, but Punk grabs the shoulder that was thrown into the air and uses it to bring Hassan right back to his feet. He pulls Hassan in for a pair of knee strikes to the ribs before getting some double underhooks on the Mad Man…double underhook backbreaker!! It’s Hassan’s turn to feel some back pain!! Hassan crumples to the canvas, Punk again scurrying to get on top of him –

1…

2…

3-NO!!

AGAIN Punk can’t put Hassan away here! Punk has to push the hair out of his eyes and now he asks Ramsey if he was sure that wasn’t three. Ramsey assures him it was only two, Punk being forced to keep going. Hassan uses the ropes to try and get back to his feet, gripping at his back now. Punk roams over to Hassan, only for him to catch Punk in a drop toehold, dropping Punk’s neck across the top rope!! A lot of heat goes across for that signature heel tactic, Hassan now able to use it to take Punk up and get him in position for the REVERSE STO…NO!! Punk stops the finishing move by striking Hassan repeatedly in the side of the head with elbows, forcing Hassan away. Punk follows up on that with another roundhouse…NO!! Hassan ducks underneath that one, grabbing Punk from behind – BACKDROP BACKBREAKER!! Punk’s ailing spine comes right back into play as it’s dropped right across Hassan’s knee. Hassan going for the title winning cover now –

1…

2…

3…NO!!

PUNK STILL HAS LIFE!! A huge pop from the Hammerstein for their midcard hero, but Hassan immediately silences the cheers by stepping over Punk’s back…AND LOCKING IN THE CAMEL CLUTCH!! CAMEL CLUTCH!! All the work to Punk’s back may come to a head here, as Hassan pulls up and furthers the strain all over that area!!! The crowd is going crazy, everyone in the Hammerstein begging Punk to stay in there, but the pain is written on his face as he desperately tries to crawl to a rope. Hassan has a look of sheer intensity in his eyes, roaring across the arena for Punk to tap out. Punk doesn’t want it to end like this here, but he’s got no way out. With every move Punk makes crawling on his elbow to a corner, Hassan appears to crank back some more. Punk reaches, wanting more than anything to get out of this with his title and his back intact, but everything in him is wrapped with pain…HE GETS THERE!! PUNK WRAPS AN ARM AROUND THE BOTTOM ROPE!!

Even so, Hassan refuses to let go of the hold, forcing the referee to get all the way to a count of four before finally stopping the strain on Punk’s back. Punk can’t even get to his feet the pain is so great. The devout straight-edger has to use the ropes to get to try and get to his feet, but he’s stopped part of the way up when Hassan gives him another good club to the base of the spine before forcing his head up against the middle rope, choking Punk out now. Again, referee Ramsey has to count Hassan down, but he lets go before he’s disqualified. Frustrated all to hell now, Hassan takes Punk and gets him in his arms once again for the REVERSE STO…but Punk is aware of his surroundings, using a drop toehold that mirrors Hassan’s earlier to drop Hassan’s face off the ring corner!!

Hassan is suddenly dizzied, giving Punk enough time to get some breath back in him and get back to his feet, giving Hassan a good right hand for insurance. Punk now looks to climb up to the top rope, oddly not taking Hassan with him until he’s already there. He puts Hassan in the double underhooks once again and brings him up the middle rope…oh we’ve seen Punk end Hassan with this before…PEPSI PLUNDGE…NO!! Hassan stands upright, flipping Punk over in a back body drop from the second rope, all the way to the canvas below!!

Again, Punk’s body is wrapped in pain, falling right on his ailing back. Hassan is now in unfamiliar territory on the higher plane, but he decides to go for something big and climb all the way to the top rope. What could Hassan possibly have in mind? It takes him a moment to get his footing down, but just when it looks like he has it, Punk gets a burst of adrenaline and springs to life, quickly climbing up the top rope with Hassan…FRANKENSTEIR!! FRANKENSTEIR!! HASSAN GOES FLIPPING ALL THE WAY TO THE MAT!! Punk is down! Hassan is down! The crowd is flipping their shit for yet another impressive contest between these two bitter rivals! Neither man can make it to their feet, Ramsey forced to start the KO count –

…1!!



…2!!

...

…3!!



…4!!



…5!!



…6!!


Punk climbs to his feet gripping the ring ropes, waiting on Hassan…

…7!!


Hassan begins to get vertical…

…8!!

Punk signals that it’s naptime for Hassan as both men get completely vertical, the count being broken as immediately puts Hassan on his shoulders for the GTS!! GTS…PUNK’S BACK GIVES WAY!! Just like their first encounter, Hassan’s working of the back comes right back into play when Punk can’t hold Hassan up for too long! Punk is forced to drop to a knee, but Hassan drops to his feet and yanks Punk back for the REVERSE STO!! REVERSE STO CONNECTING…OR NOT?!? ANACONDA VICE!! ANACONDA VICE!! It looked like Hassan got the reverse STO, but it was Punk who forced Hassan down with a urange instead!! Hassan is choking himself out from the precarious position he’s in, trying his damndest to try and get out by driving some knees into Punk’s spine…but Punk SHIFTS HIS HIPS, getting them completely clear of Hassan’s reach while the submission is locked in completely tight!! The crowd is white hot, Punk screaming passionately along with them while Hassan tries to fight more and more, but can’t find a way out and fades by the second…

…………
……

………
……

……
……HE TAPS!! HE TAPS!! HASSAN TAPS OUT!! IT’S OVER!!

Winner and STILL AOW Dynasty Champion: CM Punk
at (14:49)

He did it!! Punk, battered, bruised, and completely beaten, has prevailed by making the man who has been on him forever finally submit in definitive fashion!! Punk is handed his Dynasty Championship and has it and his hand hoisted high for all to see that he has indeed fought for his freedom here tonight.


Joey Styles:
There you see it! Do you need any more proof that this kid is for real?

JBL:
This is hodgepodge!! Throw this match out!

Joey Styles:
Oh, now you wanna cry foul? You weren’t saying the match should be thrown out when Hassan ambushed Punk and damn near won the title by dirty tactics, were you? Besides, you nor anyone else has any reason to say he didn’t fight tooth and nail for that win.

JBL:
I can say whatever the hell I wanna say an’ I say this kid doesn’t deserve that damn Dynasty Championship!

Joey Styles:
OH~!! Who the hell is that…?


Styles and Jibbles are cut off on the commentary booth by Punk suddenly being struck from behind with a burlap sack!! Punk collapses to the canvas where Hassan once was, where we get a good shot at whoever the hell just drilled him. A man dressed in all black, what looks like a turtleneck covering his mouth, sunglasses, and a hood covering up his facial identity. The crowd is letting out a resounding round of heat for whoever the hell this is, but Punk’s lights are out. Whatever was in that sack has completely done away with Punk, but the man in black doesn't drop it. Instead, he reaches down into his hoodie and pulls out…a gold crucifix chain, the very one that we’ve been seeing in video packages for weeks. Is this “The Saint?”

Whoever he is, the next thing he does is pull down his hood, revealing cornrows. It’s a black guy? With the hood down, we do see his forehead, confirming it is indeed a dark skinned man. He then pulls down the collar of his turtleneck, revealing the lower half of his face, showing us some facial hair. Some can already start to recognize him, but it’s not until he pulls off his sunglasses that the whole arena stares back in shock…



MONTEL VONTAVIOUS PORTER?!?! WHAT THE HELL??? IT’S MVP!!



A man, A CHAMPION, who was literally on Monday Night RAW days ago and at the Smackdown tapings the very next night is standing in the middle of an AOW ring!! What’s the meaning of this? The entire Hammerstein is buzzing something fierce, only for MVP to reach down into his burlap sack and pull out…







THE WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP?!?!?!?!





Joey Styles:
That’s…that’s Montel Vontavious Porter and that’s…that’s not an AOW title!

JBL:
That’s the property of a whole other company!! What the hell is goin’ on here??

Joey Styles:
Did someone just jump ship?? What in the hell is all this -- ?


The final image we get of the fallout from This is Exile edition of Oblivion is that of the man we know as Montel Vontavious Porter/Antonio Banks holding the title which he holds currently in another company high over the body of a decimated Dynasty Champion in CM Punk with a plethora of more questions than answers as we

Fade…

To…

Black…

END SHOW



THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Current Card*


*AOW Heavyweight Championship*
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v. The Man on the Moon Christian Cage

~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
TBA vs. TBA


Hope all don't hate me for lateness, or at least hate me less for the ending...:side:
 
#208 ·
I am new to the forums/your thread so that is a short disclaimer to my review.

To start off this is awesome. Christian and Jericho are two of my favorite workers on the mic, so I can really see this opening promo happening in my head (despite the fact that I don’t know what kind of gimmicks they play in this thread). Christian seems to be very persistent and confident, something that he really needs to be taken seriously in a feud with the champion.

Things got really intense here then BOOM Samoa Joe comes out and all out chaos. This is a pretty awesome brawl. Not surprised by the decision to have Jericho come out unscathed. Although Christian gets the brownie points for beating down the champ, Jericho still leaves the ring as the more “powerful” man.

WGTT/Low Ki vs SoD/Storm- I like this idea of a 3 on 3 tournament. Its pretty creative and entertaining (especially if there are entertaining workers like the guys in this match). I liked the little riffs between Low Ki and WGTT, it makes sense that they would have some issues with who gets to be in the ring and when to tag and stuff. The WGTT are an awesome all-time tag team with a lot of talent, and that mid-air dropkick by Haas after the commercial break was cool and shows how talented of a performer he is.
That Superkick/Suplex combo was cool. Shows the progression of the team throughout the match. I didn’t even realize that this was an elimination match, but a bit surprised that Benjamin is the first to go. In the end the handicap just proves to be too much for Ki and Haas. I like that Lance Storm gets the victory being that he is the head of the faction.

Finally Jericho gets his explanation from where Doane has been. Jericho is absolutely on point this segment. Lattie freakin da hahaha that was pretty funny. Jericho is just so entertaining and how you use him has been very entertaining so far. I think that Hager and Nameth will end up joining Jericho’s faction when this is all said and done based on Jericho’s “you guys owe me one” statement. But this 3 man team is gonna be interesting as they are all superstars that I like.

The Punk interview was the perfect small segment to both lead up to the match and helped out Punk’s character and credibility as the champion.

Danielson vs Skipper- This is another match with skilled competitors so I like that right off the bat. I don’t know how the division split goes but Danielson as Cruiserweight champion seems a little off compared to what I’ve read in other BTB’s/real life WWE. But I guess the cruiserweight division has some big names because of Helms coming down to the ring and joining commentary. ANYWAYS, match was pretty good but ending took me by surprise. Danielson just went completely off on Skipper, I guess to make a statement to Helms. Helms making it interesting by just walking backstage rather than getting into an encounter.

Hooliganz/Evans vs Mercenaries- Another one of these interesting 3 on 3 matches. My prediction would be the full faction wins the match (Mercenaries) rather than the makeshift tag team with extra wrestler. It looked like the Hooliganz would be able ti get the victory with the broken 3 count, but Regal looked superior and made sure his team was on top. Nice ending to the match.

I am really liking your usage of Christian. It really is making him seem like a main eventer and not just an upper carder being forced to the main event. Big announcement for the match signing next week, I can see that getting a little crazy. Id also like to see if anything escalates between Foley and Heyman.

Punk vs Hassan- This is definitely a dream match of mine. Hassan was one of my favorites during his time and Punk is one of my favorites now. I am expecting a really great main event, but Punk will come out victorious in the end. Hassan asserts himself as the clearly dirty player with the attack from behind. I like how Punk gets himself back into the match after the attack by using an extreme high-flying move before the break. The match is very even and when Hassan gets the Camel Clutch in I was starting to have some doubts of Punk winning. The ending was absolutely nuts. Lots of failed finisher attempts leading to the end with the Anaconda Vice. I like the usage of submissions as endings rather than always ending with a grappled finisher.

Whattt theee???? Did not see MVP coming especially since he is a WWE signed superstar. I can’t wait to see where this storyline goes next week.

Overall- Awesome show. This is the first show I have ever reviewed for this forum and I couldn’t have been happier with my choice. You show bundles of creativity while also maintaining realistic tendencies.
 
#209 ·
Oblivion Feedback

Shortly after handing you the lease to my castle, I've been spending my time working away in some tiny shack in the far east corner of the kingdom. I come back to give you some feedback and the place is a mess. Royal housekeeper comes twice, Tuesdays and Fridays, don't forget to pay her.

A quick note: despite missing out on some epic prose due to the failings of modern tech, I thought This is Exile was booked sweetly - the War Chamber, especially, was perfect in that Jericho was eliminated without looking weak, while Christian finally ended his saga with Lashley, in emphatic fashion. Worked an absolute treat, seeing as you're still building for the moment when Christian finally pins Jericho. Just wanted to mention that I thought the show was nicely handed and it's a huge shame we didn't get to witness it in full. No matter, on to The Outer Limits.

You surprised me with Christian's words here, but in a good way. Some part of me was expecting smiles and a degree of 'closure' after the War Chamber, but to your credit, you stuck with the fact that the job is not yet done; Jericho is still champion, so Christian isn't magically 'cured', and I think that was a trap you could have fallen into, but it was well avoided. I thought Christian's tone was excellent, too, this kind of serious edge, and the fact that he basically cold-shouldered the fans at first and just talked about himself really drives back to him starting in AOW as a heel, showing that he hasn't done a 180-degree turn, he's just been through a whole lot and he's still the same innate character with the same motivations, only he does things a little differently. I think it's brilliant, though I'd expect nothing less from you seeing as you love toying with that face/heel dynamic. Christian portraying himself as the One True Hero of sorts is, again, bordering on a heelish attitude, but of course it's completely true - he's the man for the job and he always has been. Again, he sticks to his principles, and you kept his slightly-unstable subtleties in there as well with the hand on Foley's shoulder, the look in his eyes. Jericho, meanwhile, is about as egotistical as they come, and it's what you'd expect - he needs to be on the highest of all pedestals so Christian can haul him down, and calling himself 'The God of Gods', as well as being a huge hypocrite by criticising Christian's behaviour, suits that without a doubt. The honest-man vocabulary was down to a tee, too, while his classic rant style would just get the Hammerstein crowd hot to boo him - I also liked the description on the Jericho/Christian dichotomy in the eyes. Really gives an underlying depth to two guys who are worlds apart in the way their minds work. By the way, if you don't have that Foley/Jericho match in some bloodthirsty gimmick match like I asked for A YEAR AGO, I will personally have you assassinated. I can do that, I know Meta Knight. Actually, that gives me an idea... *goes to Change Avatar function*... Jericho trying to turn Christian on Foley was just another layer to his asshole nature, so I'm all for it, but it was never going to work and Foley's rebuttal was short and sweet. The Jericho 'staring a god in the eye' line was a little close to 'boxing with God' but I'm going to forgive you because it may well have been written before Punk got his dirty hands on it. Either that or you ARE CM Punk, could explain a lot. Christian feeling 'saved' is actually quite a nice line, it really emphasises that one big change in his character to get here, that his motivations are that little bit cleaner now. You did write 'Finlay' instead of 'Foley' hitting Wright in the back of the head at one point, which threw me a little until I figured it out, but otherwise the action in the ring was good, with Jericho cheating at every possible venture always notable. My only thought would maybe be to throw some crowd reactions in the fighting prose, just to heighten the emotion somewhat and build an atmosphere, but in general this, as an opening segment, was pretty damn good. Everything you needed to know about these two characters was in here, and the writing was nicely done too. Bon start.

Gotta love JBL's yelling. I need me a heel commentator.

Lance Storm in a match longer than 5 minutes surprised me, because the last time he was around in the thread, he was facing Hassan all the time. Well, twice. Might as well throw it in here that I appreciate the backstory you gave to the Trios forming; Low Ki wanting to win a Tag Title shot, Storm wanting to help the Dungeon, Regal's Yoda-esque lecturing of the Mercs, it goes a long way to building believable stories and in-match narratives for that added flavour. At times in this opening match your writing went a little awry; merely the occasional mix-up of homophones (their, there, they're, etc.) or simply allowing a sentence to run a little too long. Nothing major, however, and in terms of actual in-match content, you hit it out of the park again. With the men involved, it was always going to be a good match, but looking at your roster, who is there really who CAN'T wrestle a good to great match? Ah well. The Sons and Storm going over is fine by me, seeing as the former lads had lost a bit of momentum and WGTT will always be relevant because they have the belts and DAT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT anyway. Ki didn't need to win the tournament because I doubt you're in any rush to give Low Jack another shot at the straps. Stellar opening contest; you had some nice double teams in there as well. Good that you're always noting the chemistry between certain guys. Benjamin and Haas' relationship is particularly interesting, especially given Haas' win at This Is Exile, and considering how long you've been working the angle between them (the slow heel turn too), they're always a focus when they turn up on screen. Reading the commentary - is there some kind of elaborate system in place to let WGTT and the Warrior back into the fray? Not sure, maybe I missed something in my reading of your notes. Avid reader right here. :side:

Dent in Jericho's limo? DAT CONTINUITY. That being said, I tried so hard to imagine Jericho saying LATTIE FREAKIN' DAAAA, I really did, and came up short. Seemed more like a Punk thing or a Ziggler thing, as amusing as it was. I liked the deal that American Made/Doane struck with Jericho, though I just found it a little hard to visualise Jericho here. At times things seemed to get a bit wordy (even for honest man Jericho) and it was a little hot and cold. That said, you've set up a decent storyline moving forward, some good underlying motivations to make sure Doane/AM almost have to win the Trios tourney (though personally I think tournament winners are overrated 8*D) and inevitably the girl in question will end up being someone like an AJ Lee who can become an incredibly cool valet for Ziggler and Swagger Nameth and Hagar.

Am I imagining it, or is CM Punk the only guest ever in the Green Zone? I need to pay more attention. Though Punk's first line of the second paragraph ("What irks the most is...") was again, a little wordy, but otherwise this was a good little promo. Completely embodies what your CM Punk stands for, the heart of professional wrestling and enjoying the experience of being out there, rather than Hassan's connections to things other than that very experience, money, politics etc. Pretty much epitomises the entire feud between them, which I assume will end on tonight's show. The Storm appearance was a real touch of class, props for that.

Helms only increases the quality of Styles/JBL banter. Though I think Helms trying to steal the title belt again was a stroke of genius for the loyal viewers who will get the reference, why would the timekeeper bring him the strap? "You there, timekeeper, be a lad and grab me Danielson's title, will you? Thanks..." Seems a little odd to me, is all. Danielson's aggression, however, was a welcome addition to his recent development, seeing as we've seen some impressive stuff from him in the past month or so, and the return of Helms into his world really should drive him into a more dangerous psyche than ever. Never seen someone knocked out by repeating wrist-clutch stomps, but it sounds fucking awesome, so more power to you. I think the segment was a good way to start up the issues between Helms and Danielson again, though I hope after this both men move on, because it feels like this rivalry has been around for a long time now and both guys have the tools to build great feuds elsewhere. For now, though, I'm happy to see them go for each other's jugulars one more time. JBL's post-match jab at Christian was sharp, by the way; if only real-life Michael Cole could play off JBL like Styles does here.

Love the hype promo for The Outer Limits. You've got the obvious reference in there, tying it in perfectly with Jericho's obsession with control; almost writes itself. Plus the poster with the tattered Canadian flag looks sick. Should be a killer show, when you get round to it. You're so slow with this stuff, it really pisses me off - wait, hang on, that's not you, that's... I'm gonna move on.

A result that was never in any doubt, but the usage of a lethal, unforgiving William Regal is always something I'm on board with. I like how you noted that the Mercs didn't want to steal the show, because that's not their responsibility; they just have a match to win, so they completed their business. Regal getting the fall (and it being the captain in Paul London, one hit kill in a way) was especially good because he's AOW's newest guy and he needed that win under his belt immediately, even more so when you consider his first appearance was catching Brent Albright's moving fist. Short but sweet again here; great set-up with the risk-takers of one side against the ruthless efficiency of the other. Roll on Regal and co.

Riley looking like a classy bastard because that's what he is, three-piece suit for the win. Heyman and Foley's relationship has been a great theme throughout the entire thread, made pretty much by their different attitudes to power and also simply because they're both excellent speakers. Foley's jokes against Heyman's scowling exterior pretty much sums up their chemistry, so this was a good segment for that. "I have a week to figure out how to kill him without touching him" is an early contender for line of the year, as well. Strong segment to throw down the motivations of various characters, as well as getting Heyman back on the show.

This was a good match, but I'm sure you already know that. You had enough about Punk's back and all to make it different from their match at AVMW, but still had the essence of the feud that makes it a winner. Obviously it was shorter too, simply because of time restraints but also because there was only so far you could have Punk keep going on a War Chamber-battered back. My issue with that was that sometimes you didn't make enough of the injury; of course, you have Punk's love of competition, desire to win and all, but there were times it just went out the window. For instance, Punk with an already-injured back, put in the Camel Clutch, various other targeting strategies, then flipped off the top rope with a Back Body Drop... then he got up Cena-style and took Hassan off the top with a Frankensteiner. Just seemed a little too much of a comeback at that point, not quite believable there. I reckon you saved it by having Punk's back give out under the GTS, though, and knowing he had to win by some other means made the submission victory all the more sensible. Plus, with Hassan tapping, that basically puts an exclamation point on the feud and says that these two have thrown everything at each other - I'm guessing we're done now, and a cracking feud it's been. Really top notch in my eyes. From Hassan's one last heel tactic in the pre-match attack, to Punk's win at AVMW with the Pepsi Plunge, that brilliant "BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM" moment in their title match, even the forced-whiskey-down-the-throat promo despite my grievances. The Lance Storm element, the money in the briefcase, the 'street rat' metaphor - all of it. It's been truly great, so well done to you.

Now, to the post-match. If there's one thing you've made sure AOW is known for, it's the big twists and turns. I'll start with what I think is bad here - it feels a little... hm... the adjective is 'TNA'. The gut impression I got was the TNA-style shock tactics, trying to 'out-do' the WWE with the whole Cross The Line gimmick, 'Vince Who?' and all that. That's my problem; sure, it's a huge climax to the show, but I find MVP turning up, title in hand, to be a little too radical if you understand me. The legal issues, for one, would be tenfold, but it seems like the kind of aggressive move that a company would make if they wanted to go head-on with the WWE and try to be a little too controversial. I only say it because until now, you've been huge on the realistic 'new company on the block' dynamic and this doesn't quite match that, though I'm very prepared for your next news post to hype the controversy to the max. Now, to the good side of what I think - it's the fucking US Champion turning up in AOW. That's fucking awesome. Raises all kinds of questions, and hell, no matter what company you generally watch as a wrestling fan, you'll be watching the next Oblivion, guaranteed. It's not the BIG angle I was expecting from you headed into the off-season (I suppose you just gave me my STABLE WAAAAAR at This Is Exile), but I'm pleasantly surprised. I also had no idea who 'The Saint' was, so you definitely swerved me there. Good to see Punk get a new enemy, too, though I imagine the ending to the show will stretch more widely than simply Punk. For now, I'm split, but I look forward to the next Oblivion when I can really start to judge you - I mean, critique you, on where this storyline is headed. Very intriguing stuff indeed.

Overall, it just gets better from you. You had some great matches on the show, coupled with a BIG ending and a very strong opening segment. Heyman back on the show is a bonus, while the Trios tourney is moving on nicely, and the conclusion to Punk/Hassan was handled expertly too. You know exactly where you're going with the thread and it shows in the booking, measured segments and well-written promos to build tension to something bigger. For instance, how you started up Helms/Danielson again with that subtle booking of the title in Helms' hands again - it's the little things that make your show great, the little nods (as I've said before) to previous work that make AOW such a complex beast. My one thought would maybe be to just proof-read every so often; occasionally you have sentences that complicate themselves too much or spelling mistakes, but as I say, it's merely an infrequent occurrence and I'm nitpicking at that. The Christian/Jericho contract signing, as well as some clarification on the MVP issue and (I assume) more Trios action makes next week unmissable stuff. This gets DethronedMelvis' stamp of approval - BAM, there it is, for what it's worth - and I eagerly await the next offering. Bon.
 
#210 ·
...but I find MVP turning up, title in hand, to be a little too radical if you understand me. I only say it because until now, you've been huge on the realistic 'new company on the block' dynamic and this doesn't quite match that...
Oh we of little faith. But I totally understand this view.

It’s been noted that AOW has become somewhat notorious for it’s ‘twists and turns’ or so some call it, but this move wasn’t for sheer shock value, I assure you ('you' as in anyone reading this, not just Melvis). It’s not even a ‘head-to-head’ sort of deal. I’ve thought this to too much of an absurd degree for those surface-value ideas. Those things will be explained in more detail below, but I just want to give my reasoning for doing it first.

AOW started out as being inspired on the design of being a ‘what if’ fed. No, not creating dream matches of the sort, but of wrestling situations. The most notable one being what the actual company has been fueled by – the thought of ‘what if an indy promotion went mainstream’ (hence the focus on tag teams and cruiserweights, the company having to constantly look over its shoulder as far as finances and working their way from the ground up; things like the Trios Tournament and the upcoming Dynasty Tournament and overall being more wrestling based). But it has just become the base of where I do like to explore other ‘what ifs’. ‘What if’ characters were rocked to the core of what their characters were (a la Christian/Van Dam) or if those cores were expanded upon (Finlay, Joe, Jericho). ‘What if’ face, heel, and neutral weren’t the only alignments graspable. The best upcoming example is, of course, ‘what if’ pro wrestling had an offseason.

But this MVP situation presented me with an opportunity to tackle something I’ve wanted to for a long time - ‘what if’, in the modern era, someone DID jump ship a la Monday Night Wars AND doing so while in possession of a title (a la Ric Flair) and what it would mean, in ring and out, for a company that WASN’T as big as WCW or the WWE.

This is the ensuing fallout.




The Informer said:
Of course the biggest news in the entire wrestling world right now is regarding the apparent ‘ship jump’ of Montel Vontavious Porter, showing up on AOW television with the WWE United States Championship in hand. While the move seems huge and is definitely the most aggressive move in AOW history and potentially all of wrestling history, it isn’t going to come without controversy and without troubles, mostly on the legal end.

~It should be noted that MVP was not taken directly off of the WWE roster, but in a way, he was. According to several sources, including the WWE themselves, they’re not suing for breach of contract like many thought they would because MVP was not under contract at the time he showed up in AOW. Reportedly, his WWE contract expired the very night of the Tuesday Smackdown! tapings that won’t air until Friday, where MVP will actually lose his US title to long-time rival Matt Hardy before being unceremoniously dumped by Teddy Long

~It should be noted that the WWE 90-Day No Compete Clause only kicks on for individuals who were cut and/or fired from the company as a way to prevent them from carrying their WWE momentum into another mainstream company. But the clause does NOT kick in when an individual’s contract expires or is granted early release (see Kurt Angle). Regal being granted early release is an example, as well as MVP to an extent, seeing as how his contract expired 24-hours before showing up in AOW.

~It’s no surprise that the WWE is already gathering everything together to get ready for a full-on lawsuit in regards to MVP, but potentially not AOW in particular. Sources say the ‘E plans on suing Porter for numerous things, the most notable being non-fulfillment of contractual obligations and disposition of company property (the latter being the charge of showing up in AOW with the US title). The reason the ‘E is suing for the former charge is because while MVP did drop the title and get written off of the Tuesday tapings, the episode won’t air until it’s regular Friday night spot, MVP showing up on Oblivion before that on Wednesday.

~The lawsuit doesn’t have many, if any, tie-ins to AOW specifically, but should they continue to show Porter on their weekly programming, it very well could wind up including them even further. AOW could be indicted for not allowing MVP to fulfill his contractual obligations before swooping in and taking him up, as well as if they keep using the gimmick ‘MVP’. Either way, if the suit goes through, which it undisputedly will at this point, and if the WWE gets the better part of the deal, it could spell doom for FX’s waning confidence in the company and AOW ‘s finances, and thus, AOW as a whole.

~One of the biggest twists, however, is what sources say are coming out of MVP’s mouth. MVP is actually preparing to counter sue the WWE for breach of contract. Porter states that he, along with several other ‘Superstars’ were not given their owed due when the WWE went on tour overseas last November and early December. The list is confidential and most likely won’t be made public until a potential trial. Also, the status of the WWE naming their employees ‘independent contractors’ as opposed to ‘employees’ has also come up as a terms for filing. If that were the case, some current and/or former WWE employees may offer their testimonies. MVP is not countering the charge brought upon him by showing up with the US title, seemingly taking that bullet.

~In the AOW camp, we aren’t hearing about much other than the actual process of getting Porter and getting him on TV. According to sources, literally no one in the company knew it was going to be Porter showing up other than Heyman. Many wrestlers were told that it was Heyman who was returning that night. While Heyman did make a brief appearance on the program, he was present to keep Porter under wraps before actually going out and showing up on camera. The commentators’ reactions to seeing MVP were reportedly genuine, seeing as how even they had no knowledge of what was going to happen.

~But what we have heard from AOW on the legal end is that AOW would like for a trail to begin to take place during the Offseason, but the WWE is having none of that. The Offseason was purposely planned to take AOW off TV during Wrestlemania season and the last thing the WWE wants hanging over them in their biggest financial year is a trial, whether they’re the ones asking for it or not. But of course, the point where the WWE is the lightest, that being in the summer, is what’s shaping up to be the biggest part of AOW’s year.

~Possibly the news that everyone is wanting to know in regards to fan mindset is ‘is this the first shot in a war between AOW and the WWE?’ The answer from everyone in the AOW camp - Foley, Heyman, Dean Malenko, and others included – is a resounding ‘NO’. AOW saw a chance to sign a big, relevant name and with the possible leavings of three of their top heels – Lashley, Muhammad Hassan, and Paul “Big Show/The Great” Wight - they needed someone to possibly step in on that. This was in no way intended as a way to start something with the WWE. With that being said, don’t be surprised if MVP (or whatever name he’ll go under in AOW) is written as a heel.

...and a small side salad of news that doesn't have to do with MVP


The Informer said:
While everyone is still buzzing around about the news concerning MVP’s ‘ship jump’ on over to Wednesday nights, there’s other things going on in AOW backstage, just like there always are.

~AOW officials are trying to work out how exactly the Dynasty Tournament is going to have to work. Announced to be encompassing the entire month of June and including thirty-two wrestlers, it’s the company’s ‘reset button’ plan following being off of TV for two months in the Offseason. If this were to happen, sources say the first two weeks of shows would almost be Japan-esque shows full of nothing but matches. We’re also being told that the second round, taking place right before the “Rise of a Dynasty” Supershow, could be split up into a two-night affair, as AOW officials seem to be trying to get a Thursday night spot around that time.

~After the Offseason (or perhaps before), AOW seems to be tinkering with the idea of a web-only pre-show, possibly similar to Heat or Velocity back in the WWE. The “Online Oblivions” ,as they’ve been called in theory, will be what AOW uses as their monthly (or possibly twice a month) iCard during the Offseason and could thereafter supply guys with extra time when everything is back to normal.

~Tests for Super Crazy’s ‘botch’ injury came back looking good, sources say. There’s no profound damage, although Crazy should take it easy in the ring for a while, which shouldn’t be that hard given that he’s set up to be in the Trios Tournament. That being said, we’re being told that on screen, the injury will be played up and kept relevant.

~In other injury news, Rey Mysterio’s rehab seems to be going ‘excellent’, according to the international superstar. Mysterio had a knee injury prior to coming to AOW, but put off his rehab until the company got off the ground. He was written off in an attack by Gregory Helms. Don’t be surprised if Rey shows up in some capacity before the Offseason hits.

~And finally, one of the reasons AOW possibly went to the wells and signed MVP was because they evidently reached out to Brock Lesnar yet again, who emphatically told them ‘no’. Lesnar, as well as Mexican sensation Mistico were two big blows before the beginning of AOW that turned the then new company down. Heyman and co. were probably hoping that with AOW’s recent success, it might change either one of their minds. At this point in time, neither seems to have.

Until next time friends, this has been The Informer...

Been incredibly drained in the last week, but show is on the way and possibly polished (and properly proofread :side:) by the week's end. Exclusives and preview should hopefully be up by mid-week. Hope all bear with me and don't hate me for my possible 'overcreativeness' in this :$.
 
#211 ·
Very good read there with the notes and I'm pleased you clarified everything regarding MVP jumping ship. Obviously there would be such legal issues so I'm glad you are actually going down that route rather than just using it as a bit of unrealistic controversy. This certainly makes it feel more legit so kudos on that front.

Apologies for not dishing you some feedback. I intended to but let's face it, what more can be said after the former King issues his thoughts? Looking forward to the next one fella(Y)
 
#212 ·
So, first off, let me say that my notifications haven't been working for this site, so I've missed quite a bit -_- Ecstatic to know that this thread isn't dead, though. I was worried for a while. That said, let's go into my review of this week's Oblivion!

(Wait, I lied. This Trios tournament you're about to embark on... look, we all know that there's two trios who need to make an appearance in this. They may not be AOW guys, but The Colony and F.I.S.T. NEED to make an appearance. I'm beggin' ya!)

First of all, happy to see Christian back at long last! I think you handled the promo quite well. You could tell he was stoaked to return, but he still had that tunnel vision, was still a little out of it, and that was excellent to see! It adds a lot to his character, instead of just being the messiah of the Peeps. Seeing Jericho snap like he did was pretty well done, as well. It's after great loss that the world's great leaders start to make mistakes, and I see Jericho in that spot right now, having lost half of his army. The fact that Christian threw out Jericho's mind games and got a few good shots in made me actually verbally cheer in delight. (Real quickly, you accidentally spelled Finlay instead of Foley in Wright's beat down of em'.) The massive brawl that ensued was actually really exciting to read. It's a testament to your writing how you can draw me back in even after being gone from the story for a few months! Pat yourself on the back, mate.

JBL and Joey's banter is still entertaining as hell. Nuff' said.

While I personally would have brought in Teddy Hart, or used Jack Evans, having the Sons of the Dungeon team up with Lance Storm was a good move. I effing love Lance! WGTT and Low Ki... seems a little random, but I can't think of anyone better to team up with them, so it works. The match itself was pretty solid, and I'm really glad that the Sons won the bout. I feel that they could use the rub a little bit more (Again, coming from the perspective of somebody who hasn't been around for a bit, so take that with a grain of salt)

The AM-Doane-Worthy Legion promo was pretty good. I always had a feeling that AM would fit in with the Worthy Legion, and AM teaming with Doane in the Trios tournament makes a lot of sense to me. The fact that Jericho was still livid, but at the same time, realized that winning the Trios tournament would bring some honor back to the Legion made perfect sense to me, as well.

The Punk promo was intense, but not overly intense. It was a typical Punk promo, but done in a way that worked beautifully. Having Lance come in at the end got a pop out of me. Once more, effing love Lance.

JESUS!!!!! Okay, the Danielson-Skipper segment was fucking BRUTAL!!! It sent a message, though, and having Helms back down like he did proved that the message was sent. Kind of curious if Skipper is going to want revenge, though. Danielson sent a message, but Skipper's not exactly someone to sneeze at.

The ad for Outer Limits was pretty cool. Nuff' said.

Jack Evans & The Hooliganz... okay, that's a match made in heaven. THe same can be said for Regal and the Mercenaries (Freaking awesome that you brought Regal in to AOW. I can see him being the mentor that the Mercenaries have needed for a while). That said, I'm a little disappointed that the Mercenaries and Regal won the bout so quickly, especially considering how long the first Trios match was. For time reasons, I understand why it was done, but I digress.

Alex Riley's in OVW? Man, I gotta go back and read the updates! Seeing Heyman appear was a nice little touch. It's Christian's final words, however, that made the entire segment. I'm going to go ahead and say, once more, that I LOVE what you did with him!

YES! YES! YES!! PUNK WON!!! Sorry, marked out a bit. Anyways... hang on... MVP?!? WITH THE US TITLE?!? Holy shit! You know how to leave on a cliff hanger, good sir! After reading the information you posted, I love how much detail you went into the entire scenario. AOW has a little bit of everything, and we can now throw court-room drama into that list. I am bummed to hear that Hassan, Lashley AND Wright might be on their way out, but that does get me excited to see who you may or may not bring in to replace them.

All in all, another great show. BEYOND happy to see that this thread is still alive, and is as entertaining as ever!
 
#213 ·
aohdubya.com said:
!!AOW.COM EXCLUSIVES!!

This week on Exclusives, the World’s Greatest Tag Team try to stay on the same page, Aero Star and the Mexicools fill up and rebrand, Matt Sydal trains with his Trios team, and Robert Szatowski makes a desperate plea.

We’re brought to a scene of nothing before the camera seemingly gets some kind of clarity and the face that we know as Rob Van Dam…er…Rob Szatowski shows up. But he doesn’t look nearly as easy going as we’re used to…

Szatowski:
This is Robert Szatowski. I’m not Rob Van Dam. Not anymore.
~Szatowski keeps a stern face

Szatowski:
So if there’s any fan out there who wants me back in the ring, I’m sorry, but I’m done. To any of the boys in the locker room who really wanted me to come back and do my thing, I’m sorry. And to you, Dave Finlay…
~Szatowski grimaces and scratches the back of his neck before continuing

Szatowski:
…STOP. NOW. I’ve already said that I’m done and anything you do from here on out is just…just brutality on false ears. Tommy Dreamer didn’t deserve what happened to him. He was bleeding for no reason and you know that. And that’s why I can’t ever come back. Because it’s all senseless. Every drop of Tommy’s blood was just…senseless.
~Is Rob trying to convince himself here…?

Szatowski:
Rob Van Dam wouldn’t let a thing like that slide. But Robert Szatowski wants no part of that. He wants no part of the risks. He wants no part of the rewards. He wants no part of wrestling. He wants…he wants no part of wrestling. Not even watching it.
~This statement genuinely seems to break Szatowski’s heart to say, but he’s not letting that on

Szatowski:
So everybody…please. For Tommy, Sonya’s, and my sake…just stop.
~Szatowski looks bummed to the furthest extent before reaching over and seemingly cutting off the camera


The scene opens to just that of Billy Kidman standing outside on what seems like a bridge of some sort in a sweatsuit, holding what appears to be a stopwatch. He stands motionless and just stares down at the stopwatch before he starts pacing a little bit. His face remains stern. He looks up and down the bridge just in time to see a blur of black, green, and red run right past him.

A second or two later, another blur, this one in white and blue, rush past Kidman. He presses a button on the stopwatch to stop it before turning to where the two blurs stopped off camera, both of them now in the frame. Matt Sydal, in white and blue, is bent over and obviously exhausted. Next to him is Kofi Kingston in the same training clothes from his video packages standing up, his hands on his head and trying to gather his breath. He too appears to be sweating, but not as much as Sydal.

Kidman:
Matt, you were behind Kofi again.

Sydal:
I…I know.
~Sydal is trying to speak though panting furiously

Kingston:
It’s alright, mon. We’ll go again.

Kidman:
No, it’s alright.
~Kidman hands Kofi his stopwatch and begins to take off his sweatshirt, showing a tank top underneath

Sydal:
What’re you…?

Kidman:
What? You kids think I’m gonna let you run wild and not let me in on the action?
~Kofi actually lights up with one of his thousand watt smiles

Kingston:
I knew I wasn’t goin’ regret agreeing to de Trios Tournament with you.

Sydal:
Speaking of which…shouldn’t we be looking for a third guy?

Kidman:
What, does being tired make you blind? All this time I haven’t just been training you. I've been training with you.
~Sydal actually stands up now, just seeming to get what’s going on

Kidman:
Matt, me and you this time. If you’re this tired and still can’t beat a rusty old timer like me, maybe we really should go looking for a third guy.
~Kidman playfully jabs Sydal in the shoulder, Sydal suddenly smiling getting a burst of energy

Sydal:
I figured you’d never be able to stay out of the ring, you old fart. Down the bridge and back. Alright Kofi?
~Kingston is almost smiling out of face at the moment

Kingston:
I know de drill, mon. This goin’ be too good.
~Sydal and Kidman both get set, waiting on Kingston’s –

Kingston:
GO!!

~Both men SHOOT out of the frame and down the bridge, Kofi watching them the whole way and quickly gives us his best Jim Ross impersonation

Kingston:
Get it, Billy!! Get it, Billy!!
~Kingston seems to be enjoying himself, but we never get to see who actually wins as after that line, seeing as how we slowly fade out…


We’re brought to what looks like…a Mexican restaurant? It certainly appears to be, but wherever it is, there’s mariachi music being played over a speaker and the trio of Psicosis, Super Crazy, and Aero Star (from left to right) appear sitting in a table booth. All three men are in street clothes. Even Aero Star, but he’s still in his mask just like a good luchador should. Psicosis and Star seem to be finished eating, but Super Crazy is still filling his face.

Psicosis:
So I was thinkin’, vato. With Aero Star still bein’ a rookie and all and jour concussion still actin’ up, I was thinkin’ that probably I’d be team captain. That alright with ju’, homes?
~Super Crazy puts down his fork, but he doesn’t stop looking at his food

Crazy:
Oh, yeah. Dat’s good.
~Aero Star SNAPS his fingers in front of the hungry Crazy, getting his attention and directing him at Psicosis without saying a word

Crazy:
Oh ju’ mean ju’ as captain? Yeah, yeah, it’s all good, vato.
~Psicosis gives a crafty Mexican smile

Psicosis:
We’re in business then, vato! Haha!
~Psicosis gets a little too happy, ruffing up Super Crazy’s frizzy hair and grabbing at Aero Star’s head

Crazy:
Hold up though, homes. If we wanna look good in dis Trios Tournament, we can’t jus’ be “Aero Star an’ de Mexicools”. No offense, Aero Star.
~Star, again silent, just shakes his head and holds up an open palm, signaling ‘none taken’.

Crazy:
We need to change de name. Something for all of us, ju’ know?
~After a moment of pondering, Psicosis seems to get a light bulb go off

Psicosis:
I got it! How about team Psico…Super…Star.
~Psicosis points from person to person as he says the name

Crazy:
Equipo PsicoSuperStar. Eso es!! Psico…Super…Star. Psico…Super…Star.
~Crazy keeps repeating the team name, again pointing to each man as he says it before getting Psicosis to join in again and getting Star to nod along with the rhythm. Crazy and Psicosis both have big grins on their face while Aero Star just smiles as the scene fades away…


We open up in what looks like the locker room from this past Oblivion, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas in fresh street clothes packing things into their duffle bags. The room is in complete, but utterly tense, silence. No man says a word until Benjamin throws a singlet in his bag and is prepared to walk out, but Haas stops him.

Haas:
Shelton, wait. Look, I know I wasn’t a very good ‘captain’ out there tonight. I’m sorry and it’s my fault we lost.
~Benjamin turns back to Haas and sets his bag down, but he doesn’t look very accepting of the apology

Benjamin:
Oh. So you can sing a different song?

Haas:
What do you mean?

Benjamin:
Oh, nothing. Just I haven’t heard you stop braggin’ about beating me Sunday night until just then.

Haas:
Hey, don’t get on me about that. I might’ve been an ass the last few days, but if you had beaten me, you know damn well you’d have done the same thing.
~The tension in the room actually gets thicker, Haas and Benjamin staring each other in the eyes with intensity until Shelton…laughs?

Benjamin:
…yeah. You right.
~Both men now chuckle a little bit, possibly because it is funny or possibly because they’re laughing to keep from fighting. Either way, Benjamin slaps a hand on Haas’ shoulder

Benjamin:
But you don’t need to worry about apologizing, man. We entered that tournament to find competition. And we did.
~Haas looks a little puzzled

Haas:
…we did?

Benjamin:
Oh yeah. Charlie, lemme ask you a question…how many times have we been pinned since we’ve been in AOW?

Haas:
Um…I think only twice.

Benjamin:
Twice. And right after we lost those, we beat the guys that pinned us in our very next match, didn’t we?

Haas:
That we did.

Benjamin:
Exactly. So I think we’ve found the competition we wanted. Now we just gotta do what we always do – beat’em next time.

Haas:
That sounds like a plan I can get behind.
~The two friends/champions/obsessive competitors pump fists before grabbing their duffle bags and their Tag Team Championships and heading out the door, obviously joint in thought as we fade away…




2.13.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“The Art of Fiction is Dead”



A week ago, CM Punk successfully defended his AOW Dynasty Championship against a nemesis that has hounded him for ages in Muhammad Hassan. But it was what happened after that match that got people talking. A man dressed in all black and beholding a golden crucifix chain clubbed the young champion in the back of the head with a burlap sack before reaching in the bag and pulling out an entire controversy. A man who merely twenty-four hours before had been a mainstay on WWE television was now standing in an AOW ring for reasons we weren’t sure of. But now, after the entire wrestling world has had a week to settle from the aftershock, the man who has been preceded as “The Saint” will make his official decree and answer all the questions rummaging through everyone’s minds – why is he in AOW, what caused him to leave another company, and why he chose CM Punk as a target.

In addition to hearing from the man the world is wondering about, there’s even bigger fish to fry when two men who are due for a date in their home country sign on the dotted line. Last week, Paul Heyman showed back up with his battle scars and told Mick Foley that AOW Heavyweight Champion and his number one contender Christian Cage would be signing off on the official contract for their highly anticipated The Outer Limits title match. But he also said that if either Christian or Jericho set hands on one another, they will be “severely punished”. After Christian tore into the champ last week, that may be easier as a threat than as a practice. Will the Man on the Moon be able to keep his composure when he has to sign papers across from The Worthy Champion that has made his life a hell for nearly his entire AOW career?

But with all that talkin’, you gotta have some rasslin’ and you’ll get exactly that. Why? Because we’ve got two more Trios Tournament opening round matches right on tap! Last week, we found out where Ken Doane’s been since This is Exile when he showed up with American Made and confronted Chris Jericho with a deal. While Jericho accepted it, it’s put both Doane and American Made on close watch to the point where they virtually must win this tournament. To do so, they have to defeat the newly-dubbed but incredibly energetic “PsicoSuperStar”. On the other end, the vicious combination of the Samoan Fight Club and the luchaor’s nemesis, Carlito Colon, will make their debut against another debuting trio and the AOW in-ring debut of Billy Kidman. Kidman will be leading the team of his pupil, the winless but determined Matt Sydal, and the instant impact rookie himself, Kofi Kingston. Which of these four teams will prove to have the guts to stick up with Mercs Inc. and the Sons & Storm?

But that’s not all! Rob Szatowski wants his message on the airwaves, Gregory Helms says he has ‘something’ in store for Bryan Danielson, and where will Mick Foley’s office be this week? All this (and more!) on the next edition of Wednesday Night Oblivion, only at 9/8c on FX!!


.:Confirmed for Oblivion:.


AOW Championship match signing between Chris Jericho and Christian Cage


~Trios Tournament Opening Round Matches~
Ken Doane & American Made vs. Billy Kidman, Kofi Kingston, & Matt Sydal
Carlito Colon & Samoan Fight Club vs. PsicoSuperStar

PLUS…

“The Saint” explains it all


Hope to have this up around the end of the weekend. Hope I get a new castle maid all stay well until then :eek:
 
#214 ·



2.13.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“The Art of Fiction is Dead”


“The Fight Song” by Marilyn Manson vignette

(Whispers)

Fight…

RVD leaps for a Frog Splash…

Fight…

HBK cocks back, Sweet Chin Music ready…

Fight…

Finlay and Joe go at it on the balcony…

Fight…

Chris Jericho’s silhouette is highlighted…

*Opening guitar riff*

You'll never grow up to be a big rock star

The camera goes from the ground up to the face of Paul Wright in his debut Week 3

Celebrated victim of your fame

Aero Star leaps onto Jamie Noble from the entrance stage columns

Just cut our wrists like cheap coupons

Christian searches for his peeps from Week 5

And say that "death was on sale today"

Bryan Danielson raises his hand, singing his theme from Week 4

*Upped tempo, heavier sound*

And when we were good

Jack Evans’ double moonsault from Week 1

You just close your eyes

Aero Star, Psicosis, and Super Crazy perform a Triple Asai Moonsault from Week 14

So when we are bad

Paul Wright chokeslams Michaels through the table from the Supershow

We'll scar your minds

A replayed shot of Shelton Benjamin German suplexing Paul London off the ladder from Week 4

Fight!

SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!

Fight!

WARRIOR’S WAY!!!

Fight!

MUSCLE BUSTER!!!

Fight!

SPEAR THROUGH THE TABLE!!

Fight!

CHOKESLAM!!!

Fight!

WORLD’S GREATEST DOOMSDAY DEVICE!!

Fight!

GTS!!

Fight!

FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH!!!

*Final cymbal crash*

Chris Jericho holds the AOW World title high in the air

***

For one of the only times in AOW history, we get the opening package, but we don’t get a panorama shot of the entire Ballroom. Instead, we get a shot of the very same man that we closed on last week and that being Montel Vontavious Porter, or at least that’s how we know him for now. He’s standing alone in the ring wearing an outfit that wouldn’t look too out of place on a pimp – a red three piece suit with a black undershirt. We can’t exactly read his expression because he’s still got his sunglasses on. Instead of the large gold crucifix chain we saw him have last week, he has a smaller gold chain around his neck with an equally smaller crucifix. The buzz around the arena is positively insane. While no one’s popping out of their seats, there’s an awful lot of talking going on around the Hammerstein. This continues until Porter raises a microphone to his lips.


MVP:
I just feel terrible about all of this. I really do.

~The first words spoken by this man don’t exactly seem genuine

MVP:
I mean, I know I’ve caused a whole lot of ruckus. All of you know who I am. But I don’t have a damn clue who any of you are.

~…and presto, some heat starts to make its way to Porter

MVP:
Or at least you know who I once was. My name is not “Montel Vontavious Porter”. As a matter of fact, I think that’s the stupidest name I’ve ever heard. I think it’s downright disgusting and insulting to me as a person. That’s because that was my slave name.

~More buzz from this, as we’re not quite sure what to think of that one

Banks:
On October 28th, 1973 in the heart of Liberty City, Miami, Florida, my mamma gave birth to a boy named Antonio Banks. That’s my name. That’s who I’m gonna be.

~Banks actually gets a small round of applause for this

Banks:
I find it so funny that I was born in the heart of Liberty City. Because everyone knows that a Black man in America doesn’t have any liberty at all.

~…and we’re back to a round of uncertain heat

Banks:
Don’t boo the truth!

~And of course, this prompts even more heat

Banks:
Of course you’re gonna boo! I look out across this entire arena and all I see is a disgusting blanket of white.

~And in no time flat, Banks has gotten nearly the entire arena to throw heat on him

Banks:
The “White man” runs the land. He always has. Especially when it comes to business. The professional wrestling industry is no different. Why? Because I just said it – pro wrestling is an industry. It’s a business before it’s anything else.

~Banks starts going around the ring a little bit

Banks:
And what’s good for business…evidently ain’t putting a Black man as the poster boy. If ya skin is just a little dark, you might as well get in the back.

~A bit more heat for Banks here

Banks:
I left that other company because things like that have always happened. A lot of you people might remember some little thing called the “Attitude Era” or whatever. Two men made it to the top of that company in those years – a beer guzzling ******* and a proud, electric, Samoan bull.

~”Austin” and “Rocky” chants start sprinkling all around the place

Banks:
I dare you to take a guess which one of those two guys they gave the ball. Which one they pay their ‘independent contractors’ to say was the greatest of all time.

~A buzz around the arena now, but even more heat

Banks:
And it’s goin’ on right now. Two guys right now are the face of pro wrestling whether you like it or not – John Cena and Dave Batista.

~A RAUCUS rain of heat for both of those men from the smarky mutants

Banks:
I double dare you to take a guess which one of those two guys they gave the ball. The one on the front of all the merchandise.

~Another round of heat, but we’re not sure if that’s because of Banks or that they know the answer to that question and they hate that man’s guts

Banks:
Now, I’ve seen the bad side of messin’ with the white man before. I went to prison for nine and a half years, trust me, I know. But inside those stone walls, I learned a lot of things. I learned things that guys like me shouldn’t know.

~Banks lowers the microphone to rub his facial hair and chuckle to himself a little

Banks:
And so I left that company. I left them in all their obvious prejudiced glory, forcing my way out of the slave chains. I had always hoped that one day, a Black man could be the proud face of a company. So I looked to Art of War Wrestling, where men who had never been given a real opportunity had come to thrive.

~A little bit of a pop there for the AOW endorsement of itself

Banks:
But then I pulled back the curtain realized…ain’t a damn thing different about this place!!

~Another rain of heat down on this guy, going into homebound territory now

Banks:
I mean, how many Black men are on this roster?? Three?? THREE?!?

~Banks holds up three fingers and we can hear that from the tone of his voice, his eyes are popping out in anger behind his sunglasses

Banks:
And look at’em! Shelton Benjamin. My brotha. Y’all might not know this, but me and Shelton go waaay back. Oh yeah. That’s why it hurts me to see what you doin’, Shelton.

~Perhaps a buzz of interest here

Banks:
I saw your match at This is Exile. You had that white boy pinned. But you let him beat you. You let him beat you by breaking the rules. And then what happened? You smiled. You. Smiled. Like there wasn’t a damn thing wrong.

~Banks is almost seething at the end of that sentence.

Banks:
Now, if there’s anything I hate more than the white man keeping me down, it’s a Black man who lets the white man keep him down!

~Banks gets another reaction of ire

Banks:
You’re pathetic, Shelton. You’re better than Charlie Haas. I don’t even know why you lettin’ him think the two of you are equals. Those Tag Team Champions you two hold? Shelton, you could hold’em by yo’ damn self.

~Banks supplying info for perhaps a bigger wedge, which garners even more heat

Banks:
And what about another one – Kofi Kingston. Now, Mr. Kingston’s a fresh face. He only showed up about a month ago. Got a smile that could light up a whole stadium. Kofi, I gotta give you props, though. At least you won at This is Exile. But I gotta get onto you about your first match…

~Banks’ fingers lift up the base of his sunglasses as he massages the bridge of his nose

Banks:
How in the hell you gon’ let a Black man get beat by white man…named Black!

~This actually gets a little bit of laughter moreso than heat

Banks:
Not only that, but I come to find out you’re gonna be in the Trios Tournament, playin' ‘buddy buddy’ with the there white man too? Come on, my brothas!! Wake up!

~Banks throws his hands in the air to a little bit of buzz, which he immediately addresses…

Banks:
Ay!! Y’all dumbasses in here better recognize!!

~…and THERE’s the heat

Banks:
But then there’s my favorite one…Bobby Lashley. Now that is a big scary dude, right there. But I think it’s been said time and again that he might not have a whole lot goin’ on upstairs.

~Banks is the only one that chuckles a little at that joke

Banks:
And see now that’s how Chris Jericho was able to so easily manipulate him. And from what I’ve seen, for almost as long as Chris Jericho’s been AOW Champion, he’s been using Bobby Lashley to do all the work. And then in the War Chamber, he worked him all the way to the bone. Almost like he was…

~Banks finally takes off his sunglasses, an angry but puzzled look on his face that says he’s piecing things together…

Banks:
…like a slave.

~There’s considerable buzz for this as Banks looks around suspiciously

Banks:
And if there’s one thing Antonio Banks does not appreciate is the Black man voluntarily turning the clock back and lettin’ people put him right back in chains. People worked too damn hard for too damn long to fight for we call ‘freedom’.

~There’s actually a small applause for this, but Banks shrugs it off

Banks:
…and that’s why I blasted you in the head last week, CM Punk.

~…but the applause abruptly stops as they remember Banks ‘dynamic entry last week, Banks now looking into the camera

Banks:
I heard your little speech about ‘freedom’. Your quest for ‘freedom’ to be a professional wrestler. I gotta admit, I admire that, Punk. I really do. But the fact is, what does someone like you know about fighting for freedom? What do you know about fighting for liberty that you know you can’t have? I’ll tell you what you know – nothin’.

~Another fresh batch of heat as we’re treated to a Banks super close-up

Banks:
You don’t know about anything, CM Punk. But what I know is simply that to teach people somethin’ new, you gotta prove to them that what they think know is truth…is false. That’s why I did what I did. And that’s why I’m gonna take your Dynasty Championship from you.

~A buzz from around the arena for the cementation of intent

Banks:
I will beat you and I will prove that a man doesn’t just have the freedom to be a professional wrestler…but that a man, no, a peoples can have the freedom to do whatever they want to. To be liberated. To be a poster child. CM Punk, I will beat you and I will begin my journey to bring my brothas to the Promised Land!

~Banks raises his hand high as though he were channeling holy powers

Banks:
I’m a man who was brought up in the ghetto and made it out! Now it’s my responsibility to lead my brothas home and outta the slums!! My brothas need…a boondock saint. And no, not like that damn movie! Them boys didn’t know what it took to survive on the real streets!

~A burst of heat at the negative comments at a cult classic

Banks:
I am “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks. And I’m here for my brothas in arms. The rest of you…can go straight to Hell.


At that, Banks drops his microphone to a THUNDEROUS amount of heat for telling the crowd and everyone to go shake hands with Satan. He puts his sunglasses back on in perfect ‘deal with it’ fashion before taking his Gucci shoes and pimp suit back through the middle ropes and on up the ramp. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a loose gold crucifix, holding it up to about eye level and ignoring all the heat he’s getting. It’s hard to, because he doesn’t have any music playing, so the only sound chasing him is the Hammerstein bringing Hell on him.

Joey Styles:
Well ladies and gentlemen, there he is. The man who now has branded himself as “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks has made his presence and reasonings known to all the world and I don’t like them one bit.

JBL:
Of course you don’t. But this man speaks a whole lot of truth.

Joey Styles:
Yeah, well, this was not how I’m sure if this was the message anyone wanted to hear smack dab in the middle of Black History Month.

JBL:
Who cares what people want to hear? What Antonio Banks just said were things that needed to be heard. Granted, I think he went a little bit too far on some things, but you gotta swing one way or the other for people to wake up.

Joey Styles:
Oh, so you’re not just kissing his ass? What were some things you thought he went too far on?

JBL:
I think he went too far on accusing Chris Jericho of being a slave owner.

Joey Styles:
Oh, of course. Poor Jericho. Well be that as it may, that is how we start here on Wednesday Night Oblivion with a brand new face already stirring up some unbelievable controversy before he even spoke, but now, I’m sure he’ll evoke even more.

JBL:
It’s not ‘controversy’, Joey. People’s brains being too small to comprehend brilliant information is not ‘controversy’. It’s just a mass of people overacting because they’re so stupid, that they don’t even have the knowledge to know how to react. Just as Chris Jericho. Just as Tyler Black. An’ now, you can ask “The Boondock Saint” himself. You been readin’ too much of them Internet jockeys, haven’t you?

Joey Styles:
I’m surprised you know what the Internet is, John, but nonetheless, Antonio Banks has done what he came here to do, but now it’s time for Chris Jericho and Christian Cage to do the same. They’ll be in the same ring at the same time and there’s not many who believe the two of them can keep their hands off of one another for too long.

JBL:
You mean Christian can’t control himself for too long.

Joey Styles:
Spin it whatever way makes you sleep at night, John, but both champion and contender will be in the ring for their Outer Limits match contract signing. We’ve got that and more blood-pumping Trios Tournament action coming up!! So strap in for ninety minutes you don’t wanna miss! Don’t go anywhere!

JBL:
An’ if you do, go to a phone so you can apologize to all your Black friends.

Joey Styles:
Should I go ahead and call Ron for you then, Jibbles?

JBL:
Nope. He’s already passed out drunk by now.

Joey Styles:
But I’m sure his DVR is set to Oblivion so he can watch it later. But all of you stick around so you can watch it all live when we return!


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


We come back to Oblivion with a second long lull until “MACH” begins to play to a moderate buzz, as both Billy Kidman and Matt Sydal step through the blood red curtain for the opening contest. There’s a big pop when Kidman is announced, both he and Sydal talking the whole way down the ramp, but then Kidman stops them halfway down to wait for their tag team partner…

“MAN WIT’ NO LAND” hits the speakers for only the fourth time in just over a month, as Kofi Kingston makes his way down the ramp to join his teammates, Kingston getting himself a big ovation. All three men exchange handshakes before continuing to the ring, all three men leaping through the middle ropes and rolling to a knee before going to three turnbuckles to pander to the crowd.

Their pandering is interrupted when “QUEN SOY YO” begins to play now, as Carlito Colon comes through the curtain alongside his new security system in the Samoan Fight Club. The Fight Club have utterly intense looks on their faces, while Carlito is just bouncing an apple in his hand with a cocky shit-eating smirk all the way down the ramp. He walks into the ring and lets his Fight Club in, all of them giving their opposing corner looks.

When all that settles down, referee Justin King asks that the respective team captains – Carlito and Billy Kidman - go to the center of the ring and shake hands just like last week, as it appears to be protocol for this Tournament. The commentators again run down the rules that differ from regular tag team match rules known as Trios rules.

Teams will be composed of three members each, with one person being designated as the team’s “captain”.

The role of “captain” cannot change during the match, but it may change between matches (i.e. the named captain does not have to remain captain all the way through the Tournament)

In order to win a Trios match, a team must either a) eliminate two members of the opposing team or b) eliminate the team captain

OPENING MATCH
~AOW Trios Tournament Opening Round~
Carlito Colon & The Samoan Fight Club
v.
Billy Kidman, Kofi Kingston, & Matt Sydal


We pick up with this match about a good three and a half minutes in, with the Samoan Fight Club seemingly dominating the smaller duo for the most part, captain Carlito actually not being in the ring very much at all. But it seems as though Billy and the Kids are starting to come around, as the winless Matt Sydal tries to build up some sort of momentum against Siaki, bashing his thighs relentlessly with a series of kicks. He then manages to nail Siaki in the chest with a leaping back kick, sending him stumbling into the ropes, but he’s on the ropes adjacent to his corner, causing his ‘captain’ to slap him on the back of the shoulder and step in the match for one of the only times.

Carlito charges at Sydal, only to have Sydal sidestep him and send him rebounding again, careening right towards the rookie. Sydal tries to use the Carlito’s momentum and lift him into a hip toss, but Carlito stands his ground and goes nowhere for the cruiserweight, instead turning and looking like he wants to catch Sydal in a hip toss of his own, but Sydal just spins with him and gets him in a wheelbarrow victory roll – 1…2…3-NO!! Should Carlito be pinned, it spells doom for his team, but he manages to throw his legs up and force Sydal back. But the second he gets to his feet, he’s met with a crisp Sydal STANDING ENZEGUIRI!! Carlito’s lights are out, Sydal crawling towards a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Colon holds on!

Sydal takes this chance to roll into his corner, tagging in his ring rusted mentor, Billy Kidman. Kofi Kingston steps in on the tag as well. It’s Kingston that actually grabs hold of Carlito, tossing him into the ropes and lying flat on the rebound, forcing Carlito to jump over him…RIGHT INTO A KIDMAN/SYDAL DOUBLE DROPKICK!! Sydal and Kingston scurry back onto the apron while Kidman gets a great cover – 1…2…3-NO!! The ‘Latino savior’ hangs on! The SFC in his corner are getting quite restless, Manu going as far as to scream across the ring and stomp on the steel ring steps behind him. Kidman even points for Justin King to ‘calm that behemoth down’. King turns around to at least look like he wants to settle the Samoan monster down, but a snarl stops him from further going. As the ref’s back is turned, Carlito nails Kidman with an all too classic thumb to the eye as he reached down to take Carlito by his fluffy hair. With Kidman momentarily blinded, Carlito torques Kidman’s body around with the snap swinging neckbreaker!! Carlito pulls the opposing captain more towards the center for the cover – 1…2…NO!! Kidman hangs in there!

Carly is just a bit frustrated at that, taking Kidman into his corner and taking him in a rear waistlock, getting Siaki to tag himself back in. Carlito grabs hold of Kidman’s arms and leaves him open, allowing Siaki to land a heavy right hand to Kidman’s gut, only for Carlito to club him in the back before walking back out of the ring. Siaki then takes the still doubled over Kidman and gets him in a backdrop position, only to swing him forward and bust his lip with a wheelbarrow facebuster. Siaki goes for a cover on the captain here – 1…2…3-NO!! Kidman still has some life in him! Siaki tries to beat this out of him with hard clubbing forearms to the side of the face before locking in some bodyscissors and turning it almost into a rear naked choke. The crowd tries to get Kidman back into things, Kingston and Sydal trying to cheer him on as well, Kidman eventually gets back to his feet and forces Siaki to unlock the hold on his body. Even so, the aggressive Siaki doesn’t leg up, kneeing Kidman hard in the gut before taking Kidman up in a powerbomb position…COUNTER FACEBUSTER!! Kidman lands sitting down, rolling backwards into his corner…and getting the hot tag to Kingston!!

As soon as Kingston gets the tag, Siaki looks up only to see Kingston coming down on him with the SKY HIGH SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY!! Another big cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Siaki throws a shoulder up, but Kingston follows it and drops a knee on it to give it a little gimp. As Siaki rolls away to try and shake some life into his arm, he’s stopped by a pair of Kingston sway chops, but Siaki surprises Kingston by nailing him with a nasty headbutt. Kingston has to backpedal a little, but he shakes himself back into things, giving Siaki a little ‘okay, I see how it is’ look, beckoning for Siaki to come at him. Siaki gets in a stance and tentatively approaches Kingston, who also gets in a combative stance, the two kickboxer-esque combatants ready to perhaps do battle here…but just as soon as the two look to go at it, Siaki turns around and tags in Manu, the mammoth Samoan stepping in and getting a pat on the shoulder before Siaki whispers something in his ear and steps out, leaving Kingston to do battle with a man who can bench press two Kofi Kingstons.

Kingston doesn’t back down, going toe to toe with the big man, but all of Kingston’s blows seem like mosquito bites to the big man, who takes Kofi’s head off with a MASSIVE CLOTHESLINE. Kofi’s dreads whiplash violently off the canvas, Manu reaching down and taking Kingston back up to his feet. Manu then rears back and gives Kingston a headbutt to the back of the head, dropping Kingston to his knees and possibly giving him a concussion. As the young cruiserweight’s brain bounces off the back of his skull, he remains still trying to fight back, leaping up and cracking Manu in the face with a standing dropkick…but MANU DOESN’T FALL!! Barely knocking the beast off balance, Kingston rebounds off the ropes behind him and leaps high onto Manu and comes down with the flying clothesline…but Manu STILL doesn’t go down! Manu is stumbling, but doesn’t fall, causing Kingston again rebounding off the ropes and launching himself towards Manu…SCRAPBUSTER SLAM!! WOW!! Manu catches Kingston and uses his momentum to drive him into the canvas! Manu pulls a leg – 1…2…3-NO!! Kingston stays in this!!

Kofi is decimated, trying desperately to get to his corner, but Manu stays on him and chunks him into an empty corner before CRUNCHING Kingston’s body between his and the turnbuckle. Kingston falls, setting him in perfect position for the RUNNING HIP ATTACK…NOBODY HOME!! Kingston moves out of the way at the very last second, sending Manu’s hips into the unforgiving post, Kingston perching himself up on the top rope…TORNADO DDT!! TORNADO DDT!!! Both men are down, but Manu isn’t moving, Kingston trying his damndest to get to his corner and make a tag back out. As he does so, Carlito tries to enter the ring, the referee going over to try and shoo him back out…Kingston tags in Sydal!! Kingston goes to the apron while Sydal leaps in the ring and looks to immediately go to the top rope for perhaps the finishing Shooting Star…but the referee shoos him out too? Why? THE REFEREE NEVER SAW KINGSTON TAG SYDAL!!

Kingston is still the legal man, but he’s not in any position to get back into the ring from the apron. Kidman steps in and tries valiantly to argue with the referee at length about the tag, but once again he’s forcing the referee to turn his back to his corner. There’s considerable buzz in the arena as this goes on, only for…TYLER BLACK TO APPEAR FROM UNDERNEATH THE RING!! Black pops up and grabs Kingston off the apron in a perfect backdrop position…and BACKDROPS HIM SPINE FIRST ACROSS THE IRON BAR OF THE BARRICADE!! KINGSTON MAY HAVE BROKEN VERTABRAE!! The Man With No Land just may have a broken back on that move, Black vanishing just as quickly as he appeared. Meanwhile in the ring, Manu tags in Carlito, allowing Siaki to storm across the ring and knock off both Sydal and Kidman, only for Colon to roll the considerably weakened Kingston in and yank him back up…BACKSTABBER!! Carlito with a cover here – 1…2…3…!!!

ELIMINATED: KOFI KIGNSTON at (11:21)

And just like that, Kingston’s gone! Through extremely underhanded means, he’s been knocked out of this match!! This enrages Sydal so much that he leaps back into the ring onto the top rope, stalking a prematurely celebrating Carlito who may not be aware of the elimination format…FLYING DOUBLE KNEES TO CHEST!! Kidman leaps back on the apron as well, but he seems to be shouting at Sydal, scolding him for getting hotheaded and jumping into the ring. Sydal doesn’t seem to be heeding his mentor’s advice, again opting to go to the top rope and looking for the SHOOTING STAR PRESS…NO!! Siaki jiggles the rope and straddles Sydal on the steel post! The numbers game could be coming into play now, odds all against Sydal and Kidman. But as Sydal tends to his family jewels, he’s quickly awoken in pain – STEP-UP ENZEGURI FROM CARLITO!!

Climbing all the way up the turnbuckle and forcing Sydal to come flipping all the way down is Colon, who almost immediately tags in Siaki, allowing Manu to enter the ring for a moment. Carlito takes the possibly concussed Sydal and whips him into the ropes, darting out of the ring after doing so. Sydal rebounds right into the hands of Siaki, who gorilla presses him into the air…only for him to be caught on Manu’s shoulders and driven into the canvas unmercifully with the DEVASTAING GORILLA PRESS SAMOAN DROP!! Carlito, who had darted out of the ring, makes use of himself and tugs Kidman off the apron, leaving the legal Siaki to roll on top of the other rookie – 1…2…3…!!

Winners: Carlito Colon & The Samoan Fight Club at (12:54)

In pretty damn decisive fashion, the Samoan Fight Club lays waste to the team of cruiserweights. Carlito looks to add insult to injury when he takes his apple and takes several huge bites. Kidman slides into the ring to try and help Sydal to his feet, but he's probably a little bit too close to the Samoan Fight Club for many people to be comfortable...​



Joey Styles:
Carlito and the Samoan Fight Club advance to the second round, but I think it’s safe to say that that match was entirely decided by Tyler Black!

JBL:
Joey, Tyler Black wasn’t even in that match!

Joey Styles:
What the hell are you talking about?? He slipped in from under the ring and damn near broke Kofi Kingston’s back!

JBL:
But he didn’t decide that match! Did Tyler Black get the pin? Did Tyler Black get the deciding fall?

Joey Styles:
He more than had a hand in –

JBL:
That was a yes/no question, jackass!! Did he or did he not get the deciding pin?

Joey Styles:
No, but he obviously –

JBL:
THEN SHUT YOUR MOUTH!! How dare you have the gall to come out here an’ slander the name of a wonderful young competitor who ain’t even been here long an’ who had nothing to do with this match.

Joey Styles:
I have the gall to because I have an unbiased pair of eyes! But I guess it might be a little hard to see with that big stupid hat you have on and everything.

JBL:
The hell did you say about my hat?

Joey Styles:
I said it was great to see Billy Kidman going at it like a young man again in the ring, but the Samoan Fight Club was just too much for Billy and his troops. Even so, it is Carlito and his new cohorts - wait, wait, wait a minute...what's going on here...?


What Styles is referring to is the fact that all three men who were on the winning team circle around Kidman as he tries to revive Sydal. Sydal possibly has internal injuries, but Carlito and his Club don't seem to really care. Kidman looks up to see the shadows of the men around him, only for Colon to SPIT APPLE IN HIS FACE!! Kidman reels and is off balance on his feet, but that puts him right in harm's way for Siaki to lift him into the air for Manu to catch him...A SECOND GORILLA PRESS SAMOAN DROP!!!

The crowd throws a considerable amount of heat on both men, but it looks like they're not done. Siaki drags Sydal near a corner, while Manu drags Kidman near another one. Carlito takes more bites of his apple as he watches the beasts ascend to the top ropes...DOUBLE SAMOAN SPLASHES!! SAMOAN SPLASHES!! KIDMAN AND SYDAL COULD HAVE BROKEN BONES!! This gets even more heat on all three men, but they don't seem to care. Kidman and Sydal are both seen writhing in pain on the canvas, their insides possibly having been completely rearranged. Carlito just looks at the men he's hired to be at his side and tells them that "Dat...das cool" before we fade backstage...


~Backstage, Green Zone interview set…



The Miz:
Mike “The Miz” Mizanin here, your wrestling journalist extraordinaire! I took last week off because I thought Stevie Romo could handle it, but obviously I was wrong. Because of him, CM Punk went on and rambled until he got himself in trouble. But I promise you, that will never happen with me being here because I like to keep my guests…well…a little dumb, to be quite frank.

~Miz says that by leaning up close to the camera, coming back out and reaching into his informal jacket to pull out a card to begin reading off of it

The Miz:
So without further ado, let me introduce you to my guest at this time…um…Samoa Joe.

~Joe enters from the left side of the screen, all of the confidence completely leaving the Miz’s body as he reads off the card…only to look to his right and see the big man himself. The crowd pops because this can only get better

The Miz:
Um…hi Joe.

~Joe doesn’t say a word, just staring at Miz like he’s bored, but angry

The Miz:
Um…I had a question for you but I…I think I forgot it.

Joe:
Good. ‘cause I don’t feel like answering your stupid questions.

The Miz:
Well…um…I kind of don’t know what to do now…

Joe:
How about you give me this. And you can go change your underwear.

~Miz hands Joe his microphone before sheepishly exiting the scene, fear obviously running all the way down his spine and into his bloomers. Joe takes center frame with the stoic look on his face

Joe:
A few months ago in AOW, I made a very simple statement. I said that this company is full of scum that needs to be cleaned up permanently.

~Joe pauses and leans a little closer to the camera

Joe:
I made a list. And since that day, I’ve been crossing names off of it. I destroyed Ken Doane. I choked out Bobby Lashley. And once, I damn near had Chris Jericho beaten. Shawn Michaels and Finlay were on that list too, but one’s been forced out and the other one’s been avoiding me like the plague.

~Joe looks a little bit more intensely at the camera

Joe:
But there’s one name on the list that’s jumpin’ out at me right now. And it’s the name of the only Worthy Legion member I haven’t beaten into a pulp: Paul “The Great” Wright.

~Joe again pauses, now smirking a little bit

Joe:
Wright, I drove all four hundred pounds of you through a table and a reinforced steel girdle. But you’re a big fella. It’s gotta take more than that to take a guy like you out for good, right? I hear you’re not here tonight, but if you’re watchin’, I’m just gonna let you know – the next time you set foot in the Hammerstein Ballroom…you’re gonna have a one man army waitin’ on you.

~Joe’s smirk gets just a little bit wider as he puts the Green Zone microphone down on the pillar behind him, walking out of the frame as we fade away…

The entire screen begins to cut in and out of static until we’re brought to what looks like an executive office scene, a chair sitting behind a desk. The entire scene is dimly lit and grungy looking until the chair swivels around to reveal Chris Jericho in a suit and a sinister smirk.

Chris Jericho:
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.


The scene throbs in static for a moment before returning to clarity, except this time, all color is sucked out of it and monochrome

Chris Jericho:
I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume.


The camera begins to slowly move towards Jericho, then it cuts away to the Hammerstein Ballroom losing their minds and cracking decibel levels

Chris Jericho:
If I wish to make it softer, I will tune it to a whisper.


It again flashes to Jericho staring hypnotically, then flashes back to Jericho holding the AOW Championship high to nothing but silence over the bodies of Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, and Bryan Danielson

Chris Jericho:
I can reduce the focus to a soft blur…


The scene gets blurry and out of focus so much, that we can’t make it out anymore…

Chris Jericho:
…or sharpen it to crystal clarity.


When the picture reforms, we’re on a very close up shot in the office of Jericho, his eyes locked on us as though he truly is getting us under his control

Chris Jericho:
I will control the horizontal.


As he says that now, a scene flashes of a horizontal white line that trails behind Bobby Lashley as he spears Rob Van Dam through a table from the World Ablaze main event

Chris Jericho:
I will control the vertical.


Another scene flash, this one of a vertical white line following Ken Doane as he puts Paul Heyman through the announce table with the Sky High Leg Drop

Chris Jericho:
For the first several months of this company, I have dominated all and proven my worth. Now I need more lands to conquer.


We’re back to Jericho now, pulling away from his close up, his puppetmaster fingers interlocking with each other on the front of his desk, the color somewhat returning to the scene, but everything is tinted with a red and white hue

Chris Jericho:
And I won’t just go for more things alone. Oh no. You all are coming with me. I will control what you see and hear.


We continue to pull back from the desk, but Jericho’s eyes haven’t budged

Chris Jericho:
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to...The Outer Limits.


As Jericho says that, the wall behind him becomes draped with a tattered, bloody Canadian flag





~ART OF WAR WRESTING PRESENTS~

THE OUTER LIMITS
!!A THREE-HOUR PAY-PER-VIEW SPECIAL!!
Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


~Backstage halls…and all Hell has broken loose!!


When we come back to Oblivion, we’re greeted to the cameraman having trouble keeping up with whatever he’s following, but there’s backstage equipment flying everywhere! When the cameraman finally gains himself enough to give us a good look at who is going at it here…it’s Tyler Black and Kofi Kingston!! Black and Kingston are throwing one another all over the place, crashing into walls and equipment! No man seems to be getting any kind of advantage here until Kingston takes Black…and WHIPS HIM RIGHT INTO AN OPEN DOOR!!

The door slams shut from its impact with the philosopher, Kingston following up right behind him and delivering blow after blow, trying to beat Black into a puddle here!! But Black somehow finds a way to fight Kingston off, shoving him SPINE FIRST AGAINST THE WALL!! Kingston collapses and grips the base of his spine, the same area where he landed on the guard rail just moments ago. Black drags Kingston through another door, leading us to an area with a staircase, Black throwing Kingston’s head back into the wall for good measure. He again takes Kingston in a backdrop position, looking to DROP KINGSON SPINE FIRST AGAINST THE CONCRETE STAIRS…but Kingston somehow flips out of the move and lands standing on the stairs, only for him to LEAP FROM THE STAIRS RIGHT ONTO BLACK WITH THE CROSSBODY!! Both Black and Kingston’s young bodies hit the concrete floor hard, possibly knocking out Black, but Kingston has enough consciousness in him to pump a fist and yell “BOOM!” before collapsing against a wall.

It’s at this point that several officials finally make it to the scene, some going to check on Black, others going for Kingston. After just a second-long dull moment, the officials help both men stand up…only for Black to break free and come right back at Kingston!! The officials again swarm Black, pulling him back off of Kingston. Kofi tries his damndest to try and break free to fight back, only have a back door seemingly open…and in rolls the wheelchair wielding (but sans neckbrace) Paul Heyman!!

The man rolling in Heyman, the suspicious Alex Riley look-a-like, doesn’t realize what’s going on and rolls right into the heart of the storm!! All we see is both Black and Kingston break free the second Heyman and Riley man come through, the officials once again swarming to try and stop this. We can’t see anything past a sea of security and zebra stripes, but we can hear Heyman in his classic over the top shrieking voice just wailing “OH MY GOD, SOMEBODY SAVE ME!!” The officials finally part, each one of them with a rookie in hand, but the man who pushed Heyman in has been evidently knocked out in the brawling, Heyman being forced to resituate himself in his wheelchair.


Paul Heyman:
ENOUGH!! ENOUGH!! This is exactly the kind of chaos I was hoping to stop Mick Foley from endorsing!! No more!

~Heyman is visibly livid, pausing only to fix his tie

Paul Heyman:
If you two crazy rookies want to fight that bad, then you got it! Next week on Oblivion, it’ll be Tyler Black taking on Kofi Kingston…in a No Disqualifications match!! Ya happy?? Now get the hell outta here!!

~The army of officials pull Kingston and Black in opposite directions from one another, neither man putting up as much of a fight this time. One of the referees, crew chief Ray Ramsey, stays behind to check on Heyman, asking him if he’s alright

Paul Heyman:
Thank you, but I’m fine. It’s just…kids these days. Oh, Mr. Ramsey, if you could be so kind as to wheel me on down to wherever Mr. Foley is, that would be wonderful.

~Ramsey grunts out a ‘yes sir’ before taking the handles of Heyman’s wheelchair. He has to step over the still downed body of the OVW talent that wheeled Heyman in, but we hear Heyman mutter “oh, just leave him” before he and Ramsey roll out of frame…


~Back at ringside…


We’re back to a focus on the ring, where we see what looks like some nobody local jobber named Brady Clark doing a little bit of shadow boxing in the ring. He doesn’t look like much more than a cruiserweight, but he gets somewhat of a round of applause for being from the Big Apple. But that quickly goes away when “IT’S TIME – HACKER’S REMIX” goes over the sound system, with the number one contender for the Cruiserweight Championship making his way down the ramp in Gregory Helms. Helms gets a fair amount of heat before revealing that he’s holding a microphone, speaking while walking down the entrance ramp.


Helms:
Last week, I made sure to get a good look at what some people are callin’ a brand new, more vicious Bryan Danielson. And I can confirm those rumors to be absolutely correct.

~Helms stops at the base of the ramp nod a little bit to the crowd

Helms:
I gotta admit. The Bryan Danielson I saw last week is not the same man that went in the War Chamber. And he’s certainly not the same man I faced at World Ablaze. And by the time The Outer Limits rolls around when I face him for the Cruiserweight Championship, he’ll be an even more different man.

~Helms now jumps up onto the apron and steps into the ring

Helms:
But y’see, Danielson, I know you too well by this point. See, you might not be the same man you were. But you’re still Bryan Danielson. And there’s two things Bryan Danielson takes pride in. One…is bein’ everybody’s knight in shining armor.

~Helms is largely ignoring Brady Clark, who is having to be told to stay back by referee Goose Mahoney

Helms:
And two…it’s the fact that even though you wanna be everybody’s hero, you still wanna be called the best cruiserweight in the world. And since you’re as predictable as the tides, I’m pretty sure I know why you’re so angry nowadays. It’s because I’m back. And when I’m here, you know you’re only second best.

~Helms gets a good bit of heat for that one

Helms:
And so last week, I saw you beat Elix Skipper in about five minutes. To show you and the world just how behind me you are, how about we put five minutes on the clock and see if I can’t beat you at your own game…?

~Helms gets a very sneaky smirk on his face before setting aside his microphone and waiting for a moment before a five minute stopwatch graphic shows up on the big yin-yang screen

MATCH 2
~5-Minute Time Limit~
Gregory Helms
v.

Local Jobber Brady Clark


As soon as the bell rings, Helms jumps on the completely overmatched kid, repeatedly digging boots into his midsection and throwing hard, clubbing right hands at him until he has to retreat into a corner. Helms doesn’t let up on the youngster, taking him and whipping him all the way across the ring into the opposite corner. Clark hits the corner so hard, he comes recoiling right back out, right into Helms’ clutches with a nasty clothesline. Helms takes the kid back to his feet before trapping both of his arms and twisting him around…ARM TRAP NECKBREAKER!! A move we haven’t seen Helms use here in AOW makes it’s debut, but Helms still doesn’t look to put this kid away. He looks up at the timer having possibly killed the jobber with almost four whole minutes to go.

Helms lets show a cocky smile while taking the kid up and holding up across his chest before slinging him around…SWINGING SIDESLAM BACKBREAKER!! OW!! The kid gets folded up like an accordion, which only makes the grin on Helms’ face grow wider. Helms then takes Clark and brings him up by his knees, everyone knowing where this is going. Helms rushes and rebounds off the ropes behind him and CRACKS THE KID IN THE HEAD WITH THE SHINING WIZARD!! But even then, Helms still doesn’t look to cover Clark. Instead, we just see the grin on his face getting even wider, almost a very sick-like degree here. As if he’s enjoying this way too much for a sane man. He takes a moment to look up at the clock, with more than enough time left to possibly further make a statement.

We possibly see what he intends in a second when Helms stands over the dead jobber and grabs both of his wrists…AND STARTS WRIST CLUTCH STOMPING THE LIFE OUT OF HIM, JUST LIKE DANIELSON DID LAST WEEK!! Helms is damn near destroying this guy now, but Mahoney won’t let him continue until he has to stop it, almost pulling Helms from off of the youngster. Even so, when Clark looks to try and recover some, Helms has enough room to run at him again and crack him with a SECOND SHINING WIZARD, putting the kid’s lights out for good for Helms to give him the academic cover – 1…2…3…!!!

Winner: Gregory Helms at (2:20)

Helms climbs off of the decimated young kid with a sick, twisted smile developing on his face that really shouldn’t belong on a guy in his right mind. Helms rolls out of the ring to deafening heat, but when the referee tries to bring the local guy to his feet, Helms rolls right back into the ring and measures him up…and NAILS THE KID WITH A THIRD SHINING WIZARD!! This gets Helms even more heat, but again, the sick grin on his face just looks all the more satisfied, like he’s getting off on this. He rolls out the ring once more before finally going up the entrance ramp and leaving us all alone, a great deal of heat following him and the slasher smile plastered on his face. The whole way up the ramp, he motions around his waist for the championship, muttering ‘Danielson’ to the point where it’s barely audible​


Joey Styles:
That was absolutely uncalled for! Brady Clark was down, out, pinned and everything and Gregory Helms finds some reason to turn back and do that?

JBL:
What’re you talkin’ about, Joey? What’s unnecessary is stompin’ a man until he can’t go anymore. That’s unnecessary. But no, you forget about that last week an’ only focus on Gregory Helms. It was completely necessary! He was sending a message to Danielson.

Joey Styles:
And what kind of message does continuing to slaughter a helpless kid send to someone?

JBL:
Simple – not only can Gregory Helms do things better than Bryan Danielson, but he also showed Danielson that he’s not the only one whose got a vicious side.

Joey Styles:
Well, I honestly can’t argue with that one. As a matter of fact, did you see that sick look on the face of Helms? He’s been doing that since This is Exile and between that and the muttering of Danielson’s name…I almost wanna say that Gregory Helms very well may be a man obsessed.

JBL:
If you’re in the pro wrestling world and you always wanna win, always want the gold, an’ always wanna be number one, that doesn’t make you obsessed. That makes you a pro wrestler.

Joey Styles:
I like CM Punk’s definition better.

JBL:
Yeah, well CM Punk’s a racist.

Joey Styles:
…wait, what??

JBL:
You heard Antonio Banks earlier. CM Punk doesn’t know anything about what he’s talkin’ about.

Joey Styles:
How in the hell do you get that CM Punk is racist out of what he said last week?? All he said was he wanted the freedom to be a pro wrestler and not have to deal with the erroneous extra things that Muhammad Hassan, and by the looks of it Antonio Banks too, wanna impose on things.

JBL:
Whatever makes you sleep at night, Joey.

Joey Styles:
Well I’ll tell you who is a real professional wrestler and that’s Bryan Danielson. Gregory Helms can make all these little attacks and obsessive little things leak through, but at the end of the day, he’s never beaten Bryan Danielson.



~Backstage, in the locker room…


We’re brought to the image of Ken Doane and American Made, Nameth and Hagar doing a little bit of last minute shadow wrestling with one another while Doane is on the phone. He nods his head for whoever is on the other line before thanking them and snapping it shut. He throws it down on top of what looks like a duffle bag in the background, his now finished conversation catching the attention of Nameth and Hagar.


Nameth:
Well…what’d they say?

Doane:
They said they’ve already found her. Now you just need to hold up your end of the bargain and win.

Hagar:
That’s something we can do in our sleep though.

Doane:
Good. Because if we don’t win, I’m toast. And you’d better stay focused or else I’ll have to win the damn thing myself.

Nameth:
Relax, broski. We’re American Made. And there’s nothing America does better than win.

~Nameth gives a full-of-swag smirk, with Hagar getting in on it with a full-tilt grin. Doane also gets a smirk of satisfaction, bumping fists with the two gentlemen before going to walk out of the room

Joey Styles:
More action coming up, and up next, we’ve got AOW Trios Tournament action once again! Doane and American Made take on the team known as ‘PsicoSuperStar’. Stay here!!


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



We return from the break with the cameras focused on the ring, where the trio we now know as PsicoSuperStar are already there with their theme music blaring. Aero Star is playing to the crowd a great deal with his salute and taking off his shoulder pads and cape, while Psicosis and Super Crazy do some sort of little dance before Psicosis slaps Crazy on the jaw a few times, looking into his eyes and asking him a few times if he’s okay to go. Crazy says he is, but Psicosis still stares looking at his eyes, probably watching them to see if he can keep focus, as well as perhaps checking to see if his pupils will tell him if the concussion is still rampant.

“WE AS AMERICANS” soon cuts through their pre-match shenanigans, as the team of American Made & Ken Doane make their way through the curtain, their do-or-die stipulation well documented by this point. While Doane is trying to cockily ward off the heat-throwing crowd, both Nameth and Hagar can be seen actually looking through the crowd, possibly looking to see if that blonde chick actually showed up on her own tonight. When Doane gets to the ring and notices both guys doing this, he shouts at them to ‘FOCUS!’, getting both of their heads in the game. Hagar almost immediately snaps into that mode, but it takes a little while longer for Nameth to stop searching, and even then only at the behest of a Jack Hagar tap on the shoulder. When both teams get on the apron, the referee asks for both team’s captains to come forward and shake hands, which Psicosis and Ken Doane do, although we can see the annoyance of it in Doane’s eyes.

MATCH 3
~AOW Trios Tournament Opening Round~
Ken Doane & American Made
v.
PsicoSuperStar


With one team obviously having more focus than the other, it’s Kenneth and the AM’s corner that pulls away for the first three minutes of the contest, isolating captain Psicosis. Psicosis remains at the American’s mercy when we cut in, as Nick Nameth has him in a world of hurt with a particularly nasty grounded front headlock that seems to be wrenching Psicosis’ head off. The Mexican veteran tries to roll away out of it, only for Nameth the roll over along with him, keeping the hold and extending the torture. Nameth pulls all the way up to his knees on the grip before noticing he’s in his corner and reaches up to tag in Hagar, who climbs in and grabs the nearly limp Psicosis around the waist and yanks him all the way up. It’s there that Nameth lets go of the headlock, only for him to leap up and nail a clean dropkick to the jaw…INTO A HAGAR GERMAN SUPLEX!! A beautiful dropkick/German combination lays out the captain! Hagar crawls over after letting go – 1…2…3-NO!! Super Crazy dives in and saves his partner!

An annoyed Hagar almost goes after Crazy, who is quickly told to get back out by the official. Hagar still has Psicosis at his mercy, stomping him several times before taking him in a rear waistlock and SLAMMING him right back down against the canvas before tagging in Doane, who enters and drives an elbow right into Psicosis’ exposed kidney. Doane rolls him over and hopes for a fall and the win – 1…2…3-NO!! Psicosis stays in the game!

Doane continues to dominate Psicosis with a trio of several hard scoop slams and a running elbow drop, only to still fall up short on the pin attempt. Doane doesn’t give up, however, opting now to try and throw Psicosis into the ropes. But on the rebound, Doane is struck clean in his face with a kick. As Psicosis leans back and rebounds again, Doane catches Psicosis as he attempts a rebound crossbody, looking for perhaps another powerslam here…but Psicosis floats over…AND TURNS IT INTO A NASTY DDT!! An impressive float over DDT, Psicosis getting his team it’s first major pin attempt – 1…2…3-NO!! Doane still has life! But even so, both men now have to crawl to their corners to see if they can hopefully tag someone in. Psicosis has more gusto in his step, getting to his corner first and tagging in the explosive Super Crazy!

Even while possibly injured, Crazy breaks into the ring and leaps onto the crawling Worthy Legion member, cutting him off and preventing him from reaching his corner. Crazy clubs Doane in the spine several times before reaching up and clubbing both Nameth and Hagar off of the apron in his fit of adrenaline! He then takes Doane and attempts to whip him into the ropes, only to be whipped himself. On the rebound, however, Crazy leapfrogs clean over the lowered head of Doane, reabounding once again off the ropes behind him – SPINNING WHEEL KICK!! Doane’s head gets rocked! But Crazy doesn’t immediately go for the cover, instead getting himself situated on the middle rope and leaping back…SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT!! WOW!!

The crowd is all for Crazy and his corner here, but Crazy has to stop after hitting the moonsault. All the spinning and speed might be a little too much for his ailing head right now, as he pauses for a brief moment and tries to shake his head back to health. This gives Doane enough time to get up to one knee, forcing Crazy to again rebound off the ropes and look for something – RKDOANE!! RKDOANE!! A sudden death sentence as the concussed Crazy gets his head driven into the canvas! His corner can’t help him because after American Made got knocked off the apron, they went over and pulled Psicosis and Aero Star off of their aprons! Only now are Psicosis and Star coming to and trying to fight off their American opponents, but Doane’s already got the cover on Crazy – 1…2…3…!!!

ELIMINATED: SUPER CRAZY via RKDOANE at (7:41)

To JBL’s fancy, the corner from America has gotten the first fall, with the man with so much on the line in Doane getting the pin! Crazy is lifted out of the ring, but much like Matt Sydal earlier, it’s Psicosis who leaps back into the ring to avenge his fallen comrade, probably against the better judgment. Even so, Psicosis surprises Doane with a Lou Thez press, giving him a hard barrage of punches that the crowd actually counts along with in Spanish. A look outside sees Aero Star trying to fight away both members of American Made, the ref trying to get both men in their corners. They finally do, but only after they both drill Aero with kicks to the midsection, weakening him.

Psicosis is letting his fury fly in ring, rebounding and dropping a nice leg drop to Doane’s neck, getting another cover – 1…2..NO!! Doane still has fight, but Psicosis again looks to beat it out of him with several maddened clubs. This leads to the veteran bringing the youngster to his feet and again attempting to whip him into the ropes, but Doane reverses it, catching Psicosis in a TILT-A-WHIRL BACKBREAKER counter!! A quick cover here – 1…2…3-NO!! Psicosis will not let his team down! Doane punches the mat in frustration before dragging Psicosis over into his corner and tagging in Hagar, who enters with Psicosis in Doane’s grasp, leading to the nailing of a DOUBLE SUPLEX!! Psicosis can’t have much more to give here, Hagar aggressively covering – 1…2…3-NO!! Aero Star leaps in and stops the count!

Hagar, again annoyed at the interference from the opposing corner, almost goes after Star. He opts instead to again take Psicosis in his clutches and tag in Nameth. Hagar takes Psicosis down with an impressive rear waistlock takedown, holding him in place on the canvas, and Nameth following close behind with a leaping elbow drop to the back of Psicosis’ head and neck! Another cover on the captain – 1…2…3-NO!! Just like at This is Exile, the Mexicools are showing a great deal of resiliency here! The easily angered Nameth almost throws a hissy fit, but calms himself down enough to chunk Psicosis’ noggin into their corner, tagging Doane back in. Doane again gives Psicosis a hard shot to the kidney before pulling Psicosis near the center of the ring and going for perhaps a backdrop. But Psicosis flips out of the move and winds up behind Doane, pulling him from behind into a roll up – 1…2…3-NO!! Doane just manages to wiggle out of the surprise move! Both men get back to their feet, Psicosis dragging a little bit, but he tries to kick Doane in the gut anyway. But he’s slowed down so much, Doane can catch his foot…only to get clocked in the head with a LEG FED ENZEGUIRI!! Doane goes down and Psicosis crawls away…to finally tag in Aero Star!

Star immediately scurries across the ring to try and perhaps pin Doane, but when he enters, so do both members of American Made. Nameth and Hagar charge at the masked cruiserweight, but he ducks underneath a double clothesline attempt only to keep running and leap cleanly and acrobatically onto the top rope of their corner, his back to the ring. Nameth and Hagar switch gears and turn around once they realized they missed, but only to both look up and be taken out by a BEAUTIFUL FLYING CROSSBODY!! Star lands as through he planned it, merely rolling to his feet after impact as AM rolls outside. Doane is back up now, Star now rushing back at him. Doane sees him coming and lifts him over his head as a counter, but Star lands right back in the corner he just leapt from, this time on the second turnbuckle. Doane doesn’t turn around to see Star, only for Aero to hop off the second rope with his back to Doane and cleanly onto his shoulders…HURRICANRANA!! An incredibly impressive display there from Aero Star, who keeps Doane underneath him and hooks a leg, looking to try and steal it away – 1…2…3-NO!! Doane forces Star off of him!

When both men get to their feet, Doane greets the ridiculously high-flyer to a boot to the gut before whipping Aero Star into the ropes, only for Star to spring off of them with a back handspring…HANDSPRING ELBOW!! Doane gets cracked across the jaw with Star’s athleticism, Star spinning to his feet and giving the crowd another salute to a pop. He then pulls Doane over into his corner and tags back in captain Psicosis, who springboards off the top rope while Aero Star leaps off of the second rope on the inside…SPRINGBOARD LEG DROP/IMPLODING SENTON COMBO CONNECTING!! Doane’s head, neck, and gut all get hit here as it’s Psicosis’ turn to cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Doane is able to find his way out!

With Doane throwing his shoulder up so hard he rolls over, Psicosis tags back in Aero Star before looking over Star’s shoulders and seeing both members of American Made now recovering. He makes a small motion to Aero Star, who takes several steps back and then runs right at Psicosis, who helps throw him into the air and over the top rope…AN EAGLE SPREAD NO-HAND PLANCHA ONTO BOTH MEN!! Once again, Star lands like he measured it up, taking some of the pain, but otherwise seems okay. Back in the ring, Psicosis turns back around to see Doane – RKDOANE!! ANOTHER RKDOANE!! Doane takes a moment to get a breath in before interestingly taking both of Psicosis’ legs and pinning him in the prawn hold, as if he just nailed a powerbomb…but the ref doesn’t count! Doane doesn’t realize that he’s not, possibly not seeing the second Psicosis/Aero Star tag, but he also doesn’t notice that Aero Star flies into the frame out of nowhere, catching Doane with the FLYING SUNSET PIN FROM THE TOP!! This completely catches Doane by surprise – 1…2…3…!!!

Winners: PsicoSuperStar at (13:33)

WHAT THE HELL?!? Just like that, Aero Star and the Mexicools cut the snake off at the head, pin the captain, and end the match!! Star rolls off of Doane and out of the ring, pulling Psicosis with him. Doane has a look of utter shock and horror on his face, pulling the ref in by his shirt and shaking him violently, telling him that he had Psicosis pinned and that he should’ve counted. The ref can only tell him that Psicosis wasn’t the legal man. American Made starts to come to, looking up and around completely confused and out of the loop, but the crowd is going crazy for what was perhaps a huge upset tonight.​


Joey Styles:
H-Hey! That was a three count on the captain! It’s over!

JBL:
Oh my God in heaven.

Joey Styles:
Just like that, Ken Doane and American Made are eliminated! Blink and you missed it folks, that came out of nowhere!

JBL:
DAMMIT! Carlito was right! We gotta deport these disgraces right back to where they came from!

Joey Styles:
It was a clean win and clean pin, Bradshaw.

JBL:
LIKE HELL IT WAS!! They pulled some of that crafty Mexican garbage to steal that one!

Joey Styles:
I wouldn’t call it garbage, but I might call it a death sentence for Ken Doane! Remember what Chris Jericho said to him last week. And American Made might not get their chance to meet that young woman!

JBL:
An’ that’s the real tragedy here, Joey! These boys had purpose! But those stupid Mexicans didn’t care!! They’re evil!

Joey Styles:
Sooo…CM Punk is racist, huh?

JBL:
Shut up, turkey.

Joey Styles:
Well ladies and gentlemen, that was something I certainly didn’t see coming. But another thing I didn’t see coming, as did many fans, was the sudden retirement of the man we knew as Rob Van Dam a few months ago. Even after his friend Tommy Dreamer was beaten half to death at the hands of Finlay, Robert Szatowski still would not act. And this week on the AOW Newswire, we found out why. Take a look at this.



Robert Szatowski Lays Down the Law said:
We’re brought to a scene of nothing before the camera seemingly gets some kind of clarity and the face that we know as Rob Van Dam…er…Rob Szatowski shows up. But he doesn’t look nearly as easy going as we’re used to…

Szatowski:
This is Robert Szatowski. I’m not Rob Van Dam. Not anymore.
~Szatowski keeps a stern face

Szatowski:
So if there’s any fan out there who wants me back in the ring, I’m sorry, but I’m done. To any of the boys in the locker room who really wanted me to come back and do my thing, I’m sorry. And to you, Dave Finlay…
~Szatowski grimaces and scratches the back of his neck before continuing

Szatowski:
…STOP. NOW. I’ve already said that I’m done and anything you do from here on out is just…just brutality on false ears. Tommy Dreamer didn’t deserve what happened to him. He was bleeding for no reason and you know that. And that’s why I can’t ever come back. Because it’s all senseless. Every drop of Tommy’s blood was just…senseless.
~Is Rob trying to convince himself here…?

Szatowski:
Rob Van Dam wouldn’t let a thing like that slide. But Robert Szatowski wants no part of that. He wants no part of the risks. He wants no part of the rewards. He wants no part of wrestling. He wants…he wants no part of wrestling. Not even watching it.
~This statement genuinely seems to break Szatowski’s heart to say, but he’s not letting that on

Szatowski:
So everybody…please. For Tommy, Sonya’s, and my sake…just stop.
~Szatowski looks bummed to the furthest extent before reaching over and seemingly cutting off the camera​

~Backstage halls, at the…concession stand?


We indeed cut to the concession stand where Acting Commander Mick Foley is giving out popcorn, hot dogs, and nachos to respective customers, giving us a good bit of mood whiplash in contrast to Szatowski’s video. Each one gets a signature Foley toothless smile and a thumbs up…but that’s before the handicapped Paul Heyman aggressively wheels himself into the frame, rudely bursting through a whole line of hungry customers.


Mick Foley:
What are you doing, Paul? Those are nice, waiting, paying customers.

Paul Heyman:
Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that they’re the ones who sign your paychecks.

~The ever fiercely sarcastic tone of Heyman running wild on that line

Mick Foley:
Well then what’re you doing here? Look, I thought I told you that I could handle the contract signing by myself.

Paul Heyman:
Oh no no no no no no no no. The second I came into the building, I saw the kind of anarchy you promote! Did you know Kofi Kingston and Tyler Black were killing each other backstage??

Mick Foley:
Oh. So that’s what that was.

Paul Heyman:
Oh don’t play dumb with me. If I even legitimately had the smallest, most miniscule shred of faith in you before I got here, it’s all gone now!

Mick Foley:
Oh, don’t be that way, Paul. Did you come all the way down here this week just to show me up?

Paul Heyman:
No. I actually came to get some things out of my office.

Mick Foley:
Your office? It must be nice having an actual office and all.

Paul Heyman:
This is no time for passive-aggressive jokes, Foley! You do know that we have a major lawsuit on our hands from our latest acquisition? Not to mention Sonya Szatowski might press charges if her husband gets harassed any more than he already has. And on top of that, I had to bother my exhausted lawyers one more time to ask them for those match confirming contract papers. Do you have any idea how serious this all is right now?!?

Mick Foley:
I’m sensing a little bit of tension in you, Paul. Here. Have some nachos. They’re on the house.

~Foley just continues to prod at Heyman here, holding out a plate of tortilla chips and cheese dip in front of Paul E. The rage seems to be climbing through Heyman’s entire body until his face just about boils over

Paul Heyman:
SCREW YOUR NACHOS~!!

~...and Heyman SLAPS the nachos out of Foley’s hand, sending them all the way down the hall in the background

Paul Heyman:
I’m going out there with you because there is no way in hell I’m leaving one of, if not the, biggest match in AOW history in your hands alone!!

Mick Foley:
Fine. If you wanna be out there being the only one who wants to stop Christian and Jericho - two guys who want each other dead, might I add - from killing one another…from your wheelchair, at that…be. My. Guest.

~Foley leans in terribly close on Heyman’s face for this, it suddenly dawning on Heyman what he may have got himself into

Paul Heyman:
I think I’d like to just go back to my office now…

Mick Foley:
Oh no, Paul. When you’re right, you’re right. I’m gonna need all the help I can get out there. Let’s go, boss.

~Heyman is petrified as Foley hangs a ‘closed’ sign on the concession booth and walks around to grab Heyman’s wheelchair handles. Foley begins pushing Heyman we assume towards Gorilla position, the camera following them for a little bit and giving us a speechless Heyman and a devilishly smirking Hardcore Legend before we fade away…


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


We return from the break to a ring lined with red velvet and a table with a big black tablecloth draped over it with the little leather case holding the contract. Also on that table appear to be a pair of pens and on the perimeter are two other chairs directly across from one another. At the center of the ring, we see Mick Foley and Paul Heyman, Foley standing behind Heyman as though he just pushed him in the ring.


Paul Heyman:
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to what will be a violence free AOW Championship contract signing.

~Of course, the mutants in the Hammerstein hate their lack of violence and boo viciously

Paul Heyman:
Throw heat on me as you may, that’s the way it will be.

~And they do until Foley puts a microphone to his lips

Mick Foley:
But it sure is great to have this contract signing live, right here, in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, New York!

~Foley totally shifts the response, the cheapest of cheap pops coming from the Hammerstein. Heyman is not impressed.

Paul Heyman:
As I was saying, we are here to have the men who will be in the main event of The Outer Limits come out here and cement their spot to make their title match official.

Mick Foley:
So without further ado, please welcome the number one contender – CHRISTIAAAAN CAAAAAGE!!


Foley reprises in his role from last week by announcing in Christian, as “JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES” hits the speaker system to a HUGE ovation, the reaction almost shocking Heyman right out of his wheelchair. Christian Cage struts through the blood red curtain and on down the ramp, the rage in his eyes still very much there, even if his face has eased a little bit for the moment. He steps into the ring and greets Foley, shaking his hand once again to another lasting ovation, but when he gets to Heyman, the two glare holes through one another. Cage then turns away to walk to the far side of the table before sitting and putting his hands together on said table, his intense gaze now staring daggers right at the entrance stage. The man he hates will be here only in due time.

Paul Heyman:
Very well then. Please give a welcome of the same viscosity to the AOW Heavyweight Champion…CHRIIIS JERICHOOO!!


Heyman actually growls Jericho’s name with angry distain, and the crowd actually heeds his request. The same amount of cheers that Christian got Jericho gets in UNBRIDLED HEAT, as “KING OF MY WORLD” breaks across the Hammerstein and gets even worse when Jericho actually breaks through the curtain in his all too classy suit and tie, the AOW Championship thrown over one shoulder, but his nose flung higher than anybody in his holier than thou strut to the ring. As Jericho steps in, all three men in the ring look at him with displeasure – Foley with anger, Heyman with disgust, and Christian with pure hatred. Jericho just gives his vintage evil smirk and sits down across from Cage, who hasn’t let his eyes leave Jericho for that entire ordeal.

Paul Heyman:
Now, gentlemen, I know there’s a lot of…er…tension going on here, but that’s why I’ve gone to painstaking lengths to make sure things go off without a hitch this evening. You see, if either one of you so even breathes too hard across the table at your opponent in five weeks, Christian…you will be stripped of your title match –

~A round of heat for that, but Heyman doesn’t mind it, instead opting to turn to Jericho now

Paul Heyman:
- and you, Chris Jericho, will be stripped of your AOW title.

~A mixed reaction for that one, but mostly a pop. Heyman then reaches out across the table and grabs the contract, flipping through several pages before setting it back down

Paul Heyman:
In addition, from this moment forward, neither of you are not allowed to touch one another or else those punishments will also apply there. But since I know just how crafty both of you can be, I’ll amended that clause and say that no competitor who was a member of Team AOW or the Worthy Legion at This is Exile is allowed to touch either one of you or the punishments will also apply there.

~There’s a great deal of heat for this one, possibly deflating any plans both men had in this, but neither man seems to be paying much mind. They haven’ stopped staring through each other.

Paul Heyman:
So without further ado, how about you gentlemen just sign the contract and we can aaaalll just get on with our lives.

~Heyman pushes the contract forward, but Jericho nor Christian move a muscle. The first man to do so is Jericho, who moves them to smirk and then pick up the microphone in front of him

Chris Jericho:
Christian Cage…look at you. Y’know, I was falsely accused of being a slave wrangler at the top of the show, but looking at you, you're the one just pathetic. The masters come callin’ and you…you’re just so oblivious, you come runnin’.

~Jericho leans in a little bit closer

Chris Jericho:
I mean, look at you. You were your own man. You knew the truth from the very moment you set foot in this company. Yet everyone blew you off as just some Illuminati-obsessed conspiracy theorist. And even then, you defied authority. Hell, you were defiant until what most of us thought was your very last breath in this company.

~Jericho leans back out, finally breaking his gaze with Cage for a moment

Chris Jericho:
But now look at you. Mick Foley brings you back. He uses you. And now that he’s done with you, he wants to feed you to me. I said this last week, Christian, but I think I need to explain myself a little further. You’re…just…a puppet.

~The crowd gives Jericho some heat on that one

Chris Jericho:
And the most pathetic thing about it is that Christian, you’re not an unintelligent guy. I mean, you’re not a Worthy Man like me, but you’ve got some brains. You knew my plans and failed to stop it. You knew why Mick Foley brought you back. You knew he would hand you a shot at me on a silver platter. And you know that at The Outer Limits, I will break what’s left of you.

~More unbridled heat for Jericho on that one

Chris Jericho:
See Christian, they want you gone. Heyman, Foley, these people – all of them. Why else would they grant you a shot at the embodiment of invincibility for his AOW Heavyweight Championship?

~Even more heat

Chris Jericho:
Just think about it for a moment. Every man who has stepped up to try and take me down, whether it’s in this ring or pulling their own strings, has been completely eradicated. Shawn Michaels. Rob Van Dam. Mick Foley.

~On that, Jericho actually looks over at Foley, who stares daggers right back at him, knowing Jericho has put him through tables and such in the past

Chris Jericho:
…Paul Heyman.

~Jericho then looks over to Heyman, Paul E. knowing exactly who put him in that wheelchair

Chris Jericho:
Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe – the list goes on, Christian. None of those men were the same after they challenged me. And now that you’ve “saved this company” as you say, they have no use for you. They know that once you face me, you’ll be out of their hair for good.

~Jericho is now standing, looming over a Man on the Moon that hasn’t so much as moved an eyelash

Chris Jericho:
So now, you see everything. But even in all your vast knowledge, even after nearly destroying my Worthy Legion, you’re still just a puppet. Now you’re just a puppet that can see the strings. And in Montreal, I’ll show you just how much of an unworthy and unwitting pawn you are. But finally, this time…you’ll get to watch a god do it in person.

~Jericho, surprisingly, takes the pen and the contract and scratches his name on the contract, binding both he and the AOW Championship to the clauses therein. The crowd lets out a buzz of interest, only for all of the attention now to turn towards the other Canadian in the ring.

Paul Heyman:
Um…Mr. Cage…now it’s your turn.

~Heyman slides the contract Christian’s way. But he doesn’t pick up the pen. He picks up his microphone

Christian:
I’m gonna keep this short. But first, I have a question. Jericho…as much of a god as you claim to be, have you ever seen all of the moon?

~Jericho looks at Christian incredibly puzzled, mouthing out a “what the hell would I wanna do that for?”

Christian:
Answer the question you son of a bitch – have you ever seen the entirety of Earth’s moon?

~Holy shit. No one saw that coming, the response stunning Jericho into shaking his head

Christian:
I didn’t think so. No one has. No mortal, no god, no one. Why? Because the moon only shows one side of itself at a time. All anyone sees is the face. The side with light.

~Christian pulls the contract towards himself, but he stares even more intensely at Jericho, his eyes going back into that crazy territory

Christian:
It keeps the darkest part of itself out of plain sight. But it knows when to bring it out. So come The Outer Limits, you and everyone else will see something you’ve never seen before. And trust me…you’re not gonna like it.

~Christian stands up now, his turn to loom over Jericho

Christian:
When I finally get my shot at you for what you covet most, I’ll be sure to hold absolutely nothing back. You’ll learn that you can never eradicate me. You’ll see that I’m more than what claim as some 'puppet'. You’re all gonna see the dark side of the moon.

~Christian looms ever closer to Jericho, the Worthy’s One’s eyes going back to being filled with fear

Christian:
Are you ready for that, oh God of Gods…? Are you ready to see the dark side of The Man on the Moon…?


Christian is getting all too close to Jericho here, the camera focusing on an extreme close up of both men’s faces. It’s so close, we can’t see Heyman or Foley behind the table anymore, only the expressions of the two men who will now be doing nothing but going to a fight to the death in a month’s time…but the crowd is buzzing for some reason. That’s because when we pan back, someone is suddenly in the ring…SWEET CHIN MUSIC TO CHRISTIAN!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC TO CHRISTIAN!! WHAT THE HELL?? THAT’S SHAWN MICHAELS!!! WHAT THE HELL IS SHAWN MICHAELS DOING HERE??

The entire arena and every man in the ring seems to be wondering that same exactly question, as they all look on in both shock and fear. Heyman, seemingly determined to keep order even though he’s seen a ghost, is screaming in disbelief at Michaels that “…I FIRED YOU!! I FIRED YOU!! You can’t be here!!” Michaels’ face is blank, as the fans pour down a mixed reaction of both seeing him and for him downing their ‘savior’. Jericho has leapt to his feet, his eyes wide in horror. Michaels peers down at the downed body of Christian before slowly raising his head and looking right at Jericho.

Jericho has the same reaction that Heyman is, although his is much more subtle. Jericho is shaking his head, as he absolutely cannot believe who he is looking at right now. Jericho is so frozen in fear that he doesn’t move a muscle when Michaels advances towards him – SWEET CHIN MUSIC!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC TO THE AOW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!! The crowd reaction swings back into being largely positive, but Mick Foley isn’t having it. He rushes at Michaels and pushes him back, yelling at him and demanding answers. Michaels remains painfully stoic and silent, only for Foley to push him back again, pointing specifically at Christian and asking Michaels ‘why’. Michaels has just enough space…to KICK FOLEY’S HEAD OFF HIS SHOULDERS!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC TO MICK FOLEY!! WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE??

The only man left standing in the ring is indeed Shawn Michaels. The only other man cannot get to his feet because he’s restrained in a wheelchair. Heyman is seemingly about to join The Miz in the Pants Soiling Club, but before Michaels can even approach him, he stops at the table. He looks down at the contract signed by Chris Jericho, but not by Christian Cage. Michaels takes the pen intended for Cage…AND SIGNS HIS OWN NAME ON THE CONTRACT. The crowd again buzzes mixed reactions for that, but they begin making more noise when he approaches the scared shitless Paul Heyman…but then Heyman’s face suddenly twists into a sick smirk…? We see Heyman mouth something to Shawn, but we can’t make out what it is.



Joey Styles:
What in the hell --? Shawn Michaels is here? He’s back? And what the hell is he doing signing Christian’s contract?

JBL:
I don’t think that’s Christian’s contract anymore, Joey.

Joey Styles:
Wait a minute…are Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels…in cahoots?? What kind of unholy alliance is that? What in the world…?

JBL:
I thought last week left me speechless, but this…this is unbelievable.



The final image we get of this twenty-third edition of Oblivion just a day before Valentine's Day is Heyman applauding with his signature evil grin plastered on his face. Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels is staring down at his handiwork, three bodies lying limp, HBK’s ponytail giving us the horrific pleasure to see his absolutely blank facial expression as we

Fade…

To…

Black…

END SHOW



THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Current Card*


*AOW Heavyweight Championship*
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v. The Man on the Moon Christian Cage

~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms


~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
TBA vs. TBA



Honestly, I feel terrible about this show, but I'll let you guys help decide that for your own parts. This show felt really off for me possibly because of all the promo work, but alas, it gets things moving. Hope people don't hate me for what I'm trying to do with this and hope all remain well :$
 
#215 ·
Oblivion Review

Jesus, what a promo. On one half, I admire the guts and the risk you've taken in posting something like this. It could very easily offend due to the content, which is certainly something that pushes the boundaries, and to use race as a basis for a characters motivation is something I can't say I've read before. Maybe it's because of that that I didn't like the part about Banks calling himself a slave. That was just too much for me. But then again, the line about a black man being beaten by a white man named Black... loved it. And the address of CM Punk, that was so well written too. The fight for freedom, the strive for liberty, the chase for the title, this part of the promo was spot on. I just felt it was too much at the start. Maybe I agree with JBL, the slave part was too much. But then again, you've written it, so maybe you knew that too. But yeah, certainly an incredibly impactful promo from 'The Boondock Saint' (that's awesome, btw), one which has made his intentions clear and his motivation in life defined. But it was a little close to the bone for me, a sensitive subject that you perhaps approached too strongly for my tastes.

Opening contest, and I have to compliment you on your use of the trios tournament. Such a simple concept, yet capable of providing so many innovative and exciting matchups. I liked the way you mentioned Carlito wasn't doing much of the work, letting The Club do most of the damage, that was a nice touch. Some pretty cool spots, exactly what would be expected given the names involved. And gosh, Manu looked beastly. Black involved, always expected the feud with Kingston to continue, and this was a nice way to get back some of the heat he lost during his defeat to Kofi. And all that remains is for 'Lito and Co to pick up the scraps. Hopefully this trio stick around and we see more signs of Carlito using The Club as his lackeys almost, that would be a pretty smart way to keep 'Lito looking strong. Overall, a really solid opener.

Ha at Miz handing over the mic and running away. Short but sweet from Joe, but the one thing I've taken from this is that if you ever write Joe giving The Great a muscle buster it'll be an incredible spot. And there's our announcement of the rubber match between Black and Kingston. Tyler to win imo.

Kinda in two minds about the Helms promo, simply because the start of it was putting over how much of a threat and how dangerous this 'new' Danielson is. Not very Helms-like really. But the second part was much more like it, with the arrogance over why Helms is the reason for the change. And that line about how with Helms being back means Danielson knows he's back to being second best, that was killer.

As for the match, made sense yes for Helms to show off that he can finish an opponent in five minutes, but I'm never really a fan of using no name jobers. I realise that you wanted this to be brutal and probably didn't want to see anybody on your roster suffer such a beatdown, but yeah, I'm just not a fan of that. A necessary evil in this case. But Helms looked so dominant, and I loved the way you had him replicate Danielson's moves from last week. The three shinning wizards just made Helms look so dominant, add that to the Danielson muttering and Styles emphasising his obsession, and Helms really came out of this looking like such a threat to Danielson and the title. Really strong segment here, did so much to establish just how big a threat Helms can be.

Again, another exciting trios match, although I'm surprised at how little of the match Nameth got. He seemed a bit of a passenger really, as Doane and Hager did most of the work. Doane looked an absolute star in this match, I thought he was gonna single handedly get the win, and you've given him a bit of an out with regards to the Psicosis pinfall spot. But yeah, another good match, the two trios matches have certainly delivered in terms of excitement tonight. But just who is that blonde woman American Made are interested in? :side:

Foley and Heyman is such an interesting dynamic in this thread, the way the two play off each other as authority figures adds such an interesting twist to the way business is done. You wrote Heyman so well here, I could really sense his fears over letting Jericho and Christian get in the ring without him being there to try control matters, while Foley was his usual, jovial self. While I fully got the stipulation of no contact between Jericho and Christian, the part about the War Chamber teams not being allowed to interject either was rather interesting, as I thought for sure we'd have at least one beatdown of Christian at the hands of The Great in the upcoming weeks. Jericho was just awesome here, the man he almost taunted Christian for knowing all along about his plans yet being unable to do anything about it, just so condescending and irritating. Christian wasn't quite at that level, although certainly all the moon chat made sense and tied in with his character. I will take issue with the way you brought Michaels back and had him sign the contract, was far too much like the way Michaels superkicked Chris Benoit and stuck his name on Benoit's contract in real life for my book. Although the way Heyman applauded and exchanged words with Michaels, that's so intriguing, and such a tease that there could be something going on with Heyman and Michaels now that Heyman isn't as associated with Jericho. Can't wait to see how that situation develops.

To sum up, the in ring action was certainly enjoyable, but the promos at times didn't quite live up to those. Antonio Banks is certainly a strong character with a lot of fire behind him, and a very strong reason for his motivation, but at the same time, the whole racism thing is really a bold move, one that I don't know if you'll be able to fully sustain. I certainly wouldn't call if terrible as you put it, far from it, but it perhaps wasn't the best I've read from you. As always with you though, there are tons of positives, from the always exciting trios tournament to the mystique and intrigue in the main event scene, to the development of Gregory Helms tonight, all good stuff. Banks... he needs some work imo, but you've got plenty of time to work on him and build towards something good with CM Punk and Outer Limits. So yeah, opening segment aside, another top show, and another enjoyable read.
(Y)
 
#217 ·
Jesus, what a promo. On one half, I admire the guts and the risk you've taken in posting something like this. It could very easily offend due to the content, which is certainly something that pushes the boundaries, and to use race as a basis for a characters motivation is something I can't say I've read before. Maybe it's because of that that I didn't like the part about Banks calling himself a slave. That was just too much for me. And the address of CM Punk, that was so well written too. The fight for freedom, the strive for liberty, the chase for the title, this part of the promo was spot on. I just felt it was too much at the start. Maybe I agree with JBL, the slave part was too much. But then again, you've written it, so maybe you knew that too. But yeah, certainly an incredibly impactful promo from 'The Boondock Saint' (that's awesome, btw), one which has made his intentions clear and his motivation in life defined. But it was a little close to the bone for me, a sensitive subject that you perhaps approached too strongly for my tastes.
Opening segment was just…wow. I really wasn’t sure having read it just how I felt, I was a little bit like ‘Woah’ but having read it once more I had a little bit more of a think on it. I think you got him character wise, for what you were looking to do, spot on and everything flowed really nicely, the obvious issue is the content of it. Personally I don’t mind you pushing the envelope a little bit, it’s edgy, it’s different and that’s what AOW has been all about. I think maybe the slavery aspect was a little bit too far, that coulda stayed out the way in my opinion but other than that I’m fine with it as long as it doesn’t escalate too much from this. I can totally get why people wouldn’t approve of this however and it could offend some but for me, I’m all for something a little out there. I did very much enjoy once he came onto Punk and his whole reasoning for attacking him was spot on. ‘Boondock Saint’ is a pretty awesome name by the way and I’m certainly looking forward to how Banks progresses in the coming weeks. Again though, just don’t go overboard.
Gentlemen, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this round of feedback. Yes, any kind word on anything is very welcome, but of course the MVP situation is what I’ll take away from it the most. I’m not completely insensitive – I know what Banks said was very much touching the line (or for Mac, over the line). The first half of the promo was meant to blow a lot of heavy things at you while the second half of the promo was meant to pull back and try to focus all those heavy things on one point. Of course the intention wasn’t to offend, but this is, like many things this thread has allowed me to explore, something I’ve wanted to take a look at for a long, long time. And I can now easily see how far I can now take the character without making people too uncomfortable.

I will take issue with the way you brought Michaels back and had him sign the contract, was far too much like the way Michaels superkicked Chris Benoit and stuck his name on Benoit's contract in real life for my book.
It does bear much resemblance to it, but only because I was going for more alluding to it and not just straight ripping it off. And if it came across as a carbon copy-paste, maybe I failed that.

Christian’s ‘Man on the Moon’ schtick’s been excellent in the past and again, it slotted in nicely with everything that’s happened here, it did feel a little flat however compared to your usual standards. Why? I don’t know, I probably just expect too much from you lol.
If it's not up to par, you're more than welcome to call me out on it, CP. And no, it’s not just you. And there’s a reason for this. Part of it is the difficulty to maintain a character as intense as Christian’s for so long (on my low motivation even moreso), but some of the ‘flatness’ has purpose (although not all of it is story…)



With that little piece of booker reaction aside, since this edition of .com exclusives is almost required reading and not just supplemental material, I’m gonna hold off on news this week and just give you these and a preview…



aohdubya.com said:

DEM AOHDUBYA.COM EXCLUSIVES...!!

We’re brought to the more classical exclusives set, with nothing but a white background and someone standing in front of it. This time around, there’s actually two men standing there in Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, the AOW Tag Team Champions. Benjamin has his title around his waist, while Haas has his slung over a shoulder. Neither man looks very pleased to be here in this segment, but Shelton Benjamin in particular looks angrier than the Oklahoman to his left.

Benjamin:
Antonio Banks. I don’t know what angle you’re playin’ at, but let me tell you somethin’, “brotha”.
~Benjamin points a finger towards the camera

Benjamin:
This is a place where men come to wrestle. Where men come to compete. Where everything that we do and say gets defined by what we can do in that ring. And what we can do between those four corners has NOTHING to do with the color of a man’s skin.
~Benjamin is major intense here, Haas even looking a little surprised and backing out of the shot a bit


Benjamin:
Charlie and I are compelled by competition. That’s who we are. That’s who we’ve always been. And if you’ve known me for as long as you say you have, Antonio, you’d know that Shelton Benjamin is always lookin’ that next big challenge.
~Benjamin points to himself before getting back at the camera

Benjamin:
Charlie Haas beat me at This is Exile because he beat me. Not because he was white. And not because I’m not. Any other night, it could’ve gone any other way. Hell, Charlie’s even offered me a rematch at any point to prove that point. That’s what defines me and Charlie – respect. Not race.
~The camera zooms in a little, now getting Haas completely out of the shot and focusing on an intense Benjamin that we’re not too familiar with

Benjamin:
But yet here you are. Moseyin’ on in here like you own the damn place and start flinging your race card around. Talkin’ about how much you hate Black men like me. Well y’know somethin’, Banks? I hate Black men like you!
~Benjamin thrusts his finger back at the camera

Benjamin:
You’re the kind of Black man who sits on his ass and tries to blame everything on everyone else. You don’t get an opportunity? Blame it on ‘the man’ keeping you down. Door closed in your face? It’s someone else’s fault, not yours. It’s people like you that hold everybody back.
~Benjamin pulls his arms in to say ‘hold back’

Benjamin:
It’s guys like you that give guys like me a bad rap. I’m out here, week in, week out, bustin’ my tail and competing with the best of’em only for you to walk in here and in two sentences, try and destroy my body of work. No sir. So you can keep your ‘liberation’ to yourself. You can go look for your ‘brothas in arms’ somewhere else. There’s none of that here in AOW.
~Benjamin has firmly made his point, the camera pulling back now to allow Charlie Haas back in the frame

Haas:
I’m on board with Shelton. We might’ve strayed and let these titles get to our heads every now and then, but at the end of the day, competition ain’t something skin deep.
~It’s Haas’ turn to get a little agitated

Haas:
And when we strayed from that path, there were two guys who helped lead us right back on the path of competition and respect – one of them was Bryan Danielson. The other was the guy you bashed on your way in here – CM Punk.
~Benjamin and Haas nod heads

Haas:
See, while we were busy getting too big for our own heads, Bryan Danielson was out there in match after match giving his all. It wasn’t until Chris Jericho took him down that he had to break down and beg for help. And CM Punk, we’ve already let it be known what you did for us. That little speech of yours reminded us that there’s always someone to challenge because there’s always someone better.
~Benjamin and Haas nod together again

Benjamin:
And see after me and Charlie here both got pinned in the Trios Tournament and with all these extra things over our heads now…I think we kinda need a gut check. We need to get our heads back where they belong.

Haas:
And the best and only cure we know for that is…wrestling. Straight. Competitive. Wrestling.

Benjamin:
So we’ve got a little challenge for you Punk, Danielson. How about this Wednesday night, we forget about everything else – the Antonio Banks’s, the Gregory Helms’s, the Trios Tournament, all this extra nonsense…and we just wrestle? Two on two. Champions vs. Champions.

Haas:
…FOR the AOW Tag Team Championships.
~Benjamin actually turns his head sharply towards Haas

Benjamin:
We didn’t agree on that.

Haas:
It’s been a while since we reminded people why we held’em, Benji. And what better way for the World’s Greatest Tag Team to have a ‘gut check’ than for this gold to tell us whether we’re really ready or not?
~Benjamin hesitantly looks at Haas

Benjamin:
Alright. We’ll do it. Champions vs. Champions…for championship gold.

Haas:
For the sake of wrestling. What do ya say, fellas…?
~Benjamin slings his tag title over his shoulder to mirror Haas, the two looking at the camera with focused but inquisitive faces as we fade away…


We’re once again greeted to the solid white background with two bodies in the foreground – this time, it’s not the WGTT, but the men they openly challenged – AOW Dynasty Champion CM Punk and Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson. Punk has a little bit of a smirk on his face with his title over a shoulder, while Danielson looks stern as ever, his orbital bone looking better but still tattered, while he wraps his title around his waist.

Punk:
Shelton. Charlie. Bryan and I here really appreciate your offer. It’s probably the most sportsmanlike thing I’ve seen anyone do here in AOW.

Danielson:
And we’ve given it a little bit of thought. We didn’t think too much because we really didn’t have to.

Punk:
See, the only thing we had to think about…is exactly what you guys want to avoid. Trust us, we want to do nothing but think about going at it in that ring without all these extra distractions. But ever since Bryan and I stepped in the War Chamber, we realized that we can’t ignore things like that. All those extra variables eventually add up.

Danielson:
Like right now, Punk and I…we’re mad. We’re mad as hell.

Punk:
He’s right. Two weeks ago, I was forced into a title defense that I was gladly triumphant in, only to get ambushed and accused of ‘knowing nothing’ a week later by some “Saint” who thinks he’s some kind of liberator.
~Punk says this in his real-life trademark way of angry ranting

Punk:
Oh and Banks, don’t get too full and proud of yourself – when I feel like giving you the tongue lashing you deserve, I’ll make sure to do it. The world is waiting for me to ‘respond’, but see I wanna do it to your face and I know for a fact that you won’t be here this Wednesday. As if I needed any more reason to want to beat the hell outta you.
~Punk’s ranting state of mind keeps going with that statement

Danielson:
And as for me…I just feel myself becoming angrier by the day. And no, Gregory Helms, don’t flatter yourself. It’s not because you’re back and it’s not because you’re my number one contender. But all the frustrations I’ve had for months now are just…taking over. And I’m just waiting for the moment I can let’em all burst out.

Punk:
Bryan, you and me both. We’re literally just waiting on some ‘trigger’ to piss us off so we can go all out on it. Because by that point, we may not even be in control of our actions. But if we want to be competitive, we need to control ourselves.

Danielson:
And to do that, we might need a little ‘gut check’ for ourselves, too.

Punk:
So if we’re gonna face you, World’s Greatest Tag Team, we propose a set of rules that I hope you’ll adhere to.

Danielson:
They’re pretty simple…just a small ‘code of honor’, if you will.

Punk:
We shake hands. We wrestle. No cheap shots. No rule bendings or breakings. Nothing but pure competition…out of pure respect.
~Danielson and Punk possibly digging into their ROH roots for this proposed set here

Punk:
That way, you guys get your gut check in the best way possible…and Danielson and I here can fight with no issues.

Danielson:
So World’s Greatest Tag Team…we accept your challenge on those terms.

Punk:
It’ll be CM Punk and Bryan Danielson facing Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas for the AOW Tag Team Championships. For gold. For competition. For respect…

Punk & Danielson:
…for wrestling.
~We fade out on a shot of two men, nay, two wrestlers that are as bound and determined as ever to prove that his is a wrestling ground and nothing else…


We get away from the white backdrop packages, this one being much busier. We see the likes of Dave Finlay, but he’s sitting at what looks like a bar or a tavern. There’s plenty of background noise going on – music, laughter, the sounds of pool balls clacking. Finlay actually looks…happy? We haven’t really seen that look before on Dave in AOW, but he says something to the gentlemen sitting next to him, all three of them erupting in hearty Irish laughter. Finlay then finally notices the camera behind him, turning to it

Finlay:
Aye there, Robby! Y’know, I heard how much you wanted me to get off your case last week, and well…I kind of agree with ya, laddie.
~Finlay turns and shows the bartender two fingers before turning back around

Finlay:
But don’t get me wrong, boy. It’s not because you asked so nicely. It’s because, frankly, you’re starting to bore me, mate. It’s no fun beatin’ up on your friends if you’re not gonna come get me. And, well, I suppose I might’ve taken things a little bit too far.
~Finlay shrugs a little bit

Finlay:
So…you want me to stop, I wanna stop…let’s say we just put all this behind us, eh? Why don’t you come on down to the Irish pub and lets drink to a truce, huh?
~As Finlay says that, the bartender comes back with two mugs of filled to the brim with frothy lager. Finlay turns to see them before taking one and drinks several big gulps before stopping and speaking again

Finlay:
So how about it, Robbie? I’ll be here at the Swift Bar, just off of Broadway. You come here Wednesday night, we don’t watch wrestling like you want, and we drink our sorrows away. But don’t be late – I won’t wait on ya!
~Finlay finishes the mug he was holding…before grabbing the second one and starts downing that one too. He gulps about half of it down before taking it away from his lips and looking back towards the camera. We fade away on the image of Finlay giving a hearty, toothless Irish laugh that we’re not sure is happy or planning something sinister…



There’s absolutely no time to get into this scene, as from the second the camera rolls, Ken Doane is bustling through halls, throwing backstage workers out of his way. Coming up behind him are Jack Hagar and Nick Nameth, trying to chase him down. This seems to be a scene from last week’s Oblivion. Doane is absolutely frantic, eventually crashing into the locker room door before actually opening it and bursting in. Several competitors occupy the room, but Doane pretty much loses it on them.

Doane:
OUT!! ALL OF YOU!! GET OUT!!
~The stunned men in the locker room adhere to this terrified man, all going out the door. When they all leave, American Made steps in and approaches Doane, who is nearly ripping his hair out of his head

Doane:
What am I gonna do?? Jericho’s gonna kill me…no…killing me would be too easy for him…oh god…

Nameth:
Dude, Ken, relax –

Doane:
THERE IS NO RELAXING!! Did you not see what just happened out there?? I had everything in my hands – I was on the verge of bringing glory right back to the Worthy Legion…and then what? AND THEN WHAT?? I LOST!! I’ve disgraced the Worthy Legion even more!
~Doane seems to have lost any and all composure

Hagar:
I’m sure he’ll understand –

Doane:
NO!! Do either of you know what Chris Jericho is like?? He’s not just gonna let this slide or let this one go…oh no…he’s going to punish me. In the state he is now…who the hell knows what kind of punishment that could be. And Jericho was right. I was nothing until he got to me. When he finds me, he’s gonna destroy me, my career, and any hope I ever have of even making it back to that ring in one piece. I just know it…
~Doane is sweating, trembling in a fear that almost makes one feel sorry for him

Nameth:
You mean ‘if’ he finds you.

Doane:
…what?
~Jack Hagar reaches into a duffle back and pulls out a set of keys

Nameth:
Take our car and get out of here. Just get your bags and go. Don’t worry about anything else except getting the hell away from here. Alright, bro?
~Doane finally looks calmed

Doane:
Thank you. Thank you.
~Doane grabs the keys and slings a duffle bag over his shoulder, rushing out of the room the same way he barged in. Nameth and Hagar remain, Hagar walking over to where Doane’s bag once was

Hagar:
Sooo…how exactly are we gonna get home?

Nameth:
It’s a nice night. A walk’ll do us good. America may be obese, but we don’t want to be.
~Nameth reaches down at the spot where Doane’s bag was and finds…Doane’s cell phone? We recognize it from earlier in the night when Doane was talking on it…

Hagar:
Is that…his phone? Should we go get it to him?

Nameth:
No, braniac. Watch and learn.
~Nameth presses a few buttons before putting it to his ear

Nameth:
Hello? Hi sir, I’m Nick Nameth, Ken Doane’s friend. Yes, I need the information on the young lady you’ve been looking for. I was promised after our match, I’d get it and he said to just call you.
~Nameth motions to Hagar to get a pencil and paper. Hagar looks around for a moment before going into someone else’s locker and finding a random piece of paper and a pen. Nameth puts the phone to Hagar’s ear, Hagar bracing the paper on his knee and quickly writing down the information the man on the other line tells him. Hagar throws Nameth a thumbs up, with Nameth putting the phone back to his own ear.

Nameth:
Thank you so, so much sir. Have a good day.
~*click*

Nameth:
If there’s anything I’ve learned from watching Jericho’s troops work, it’s always have a back-up plan.

???:
Thank you for the flattery.
~Nameth and Hagar both turn offscreen, only for the camera to pan back and reveal none other than Chris Jericho himself in the apparel he would later attend the contract signing in

Jericho:
I don’t know where Doane’s run off to, but what I do know is that you two gentlemen owe me. If you plan on keeping all that information you’ve stolen from me, you’re gonna have to pay me back.

Hagar:
H-How?

Jericho:
Keep Doane’s phone. From this point forward…you two are at my every beck and call.
~Jericho turns out and exits the locker room as quickly as he seemed to appear. Nameth and Hagar look at one another very nervously as we fade away…





2.20.08


The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York

“Under Oath”


For two straight weeks, AOW has shocked the world, but it was last week that brought not a new name, but an awfully familiar one. A man we saw Paul Heyman fire on live television just over a month ago was back, alive, and ‘kicking’. “The Heart Break Kid” Shawn Michaels returned to deliver Sweet Chin Music to literally everyone is sight at the AOW title contract signing…except for one Paul Heyman. As Heyman watched on, Michaels etched his name where Christian Cage’s should have been on the contract. But what does that even mean?? This Wednesday, Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels will address the situation…together. Evidently what is to be announced is so huge and detrimental, that Heyman has ordered both number one contender Christian Cage and the AOW Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho to both be banned from the building. What could the Curator of Extreme and the Heart Break Kid have on their minds…?

With so much talk on the horizon, there’s gotta be wrestling to balance it all out…and boy oh boy will there be. Not only are the Trios Tournament in the second rounds, we’re gonna get what should be one of the most physical tag team matches to date – Mercenaries, Inc. will go three-on-three with the men who managed to do what they’ve never done and that’s pin both members of the World’s Greatest Tag Team – the Sons of the Dungeon and their coach and captain, Lance Storm! Which one of these teams will win, set the bar even higher, and punch their ticket to Montreal for a trip to the finals?

…but wait!! You want to talk about explosive tag team action, what about the match set forth and accepted by all parties on the .com exclusives? Four men who have so much shrouding them at the moment will try to put it all away just for one night and focus on the one thing that has brought them all to the dance – wrestling. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas have their own personal issues to sort out, not helped by some of the comments from Antonio Banks, as well as their loss in the opening round of the Trios Tournament. And speaking of comments from Antonio Banks, Dynasty Champion CM Punk just wants to shut up and wrestle while Banks is supposedly away, offering to deliver a ‘tounge lashing’ only to Banks’ face. In the meantime, he’ll put his extracurricular variables aside and team up with Bryan Danielson, who has an emerging viciousness with him to go with his Cruiserweight gold. Four of AOW’s top young talents and champions will go at it in a ‘gut check’ match that will be for the AOW Tag Team Championships.

For several months now, Dave Finlay has devoted every second of his life to doing what he can to break Rob Van Dam. He somewhat succeeded some time ago, as the man we knew as RVD rebuked his name and became Robert Szatowski, a man who once had a love for wrestling and putting on a show. Not being that man anymore, Szatowski has become a shell of his former self, never more evident than when Finlay destroyed his friend Tommy Dreamer…and he did nothing to stop it. But after apparent charges prepared to be filed and Szatowski having enough of Finlay and wrestling altogether, Finlay used his time on aohdubya.com to…ask Szatowski to drink with him? Evidently, Robert Szatowski has accepted, but what does all of that mean…?

But that still isn’t all!! Every waking moment since their twenty-five minute explosive debut, Kofi Kingston and Tyler Black have been at one another’s throats. Their first bout was to prove exactly who they were, and when they met at This is Exile, it was about proving that nothing these two men can do is a fluke. But this coming Wednesday, there may be nothing but hatred in the air, as the two rookies will channel all their anger into one final contest. But thanks to their brawl spilling over right into Paul Heyman’s lap last week, this match is…a No Disqualifications match!! With no limit on these men’s abilities and now no limit on what they can do, will Kingston/Black III be able to call itself the greatest rookie rivalry ever??

An absolutely stacked card is just on the horizon, so you don’t wanna miss any second of the next edition of Wednesday Night Oblivion, 9/8c on FX!!



.:Confirmed For Oblivion:.

~AOW Tag Team Chamionships~
*Champions vs. Champions*

AOW Tag Team Champions World’s Greatest Tag Team v.
Dynasty Champion CM Punk & Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson

~No Disqualifications~
Kofi Kingston v. Tyler Black III

PLUS…

~AOW Trios Tournament – Rd. II~
Lance Storm & Sons of the Dungeon v. Mercenaries, Inc.

AND…

Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels explain themselves
{w/Chris Jericho and Christian Cage banned from the arnea}



Hope to have this up by the end of the weeekend. I plan on perhaps spreading some love around in some form or fashion this weekend as well. But don’t hold me to any of that :$
 
#216 ·
Oblivion Feedback​

Opening segment was just…wow. I really wasn’t sure having read it just how I felt, I was a little bit like ‘Woah’ but having read it once more I had a little bit more of a think on it. I think you got him character wise, for what you were looking to do, spot on and everything flowed really nicely, the obvious issue is the content of it. Personally I don’t mind you pushing the envelope a little bit, it’s edgy, it’s different and that’s what AOW has been all about. I think maybe the slavery aspect was a little bit too far, that coulda stayed out the way in my opinion but other than that I’m fine with it as long as it doesn’t escalate too much from this. I can totally get why people wouldn’t approve of this however and it could offend some but for me, I’m all for something a little out there. I did very much enjoy once he came onto Punk and his whole reasoning for attacking him was spot on. ‘Boondock Saint’ is a pretty awesome name by the way and I’m certainly looking forward to how Banks progresses in the coming weeks. Again though, just don’t go overboard. P.S- That line about a black man being beaten by a white man named Black was incredible:lmao.

Solid action in the opening contest, no change there from you. Pleased to see this Kingston/Black thing continuing and I hope we get the blow off sometime soon, should be epic. Right team victorious here also, SFC need to start looking a bit more dangerous and Lito needed to keep up the momentum he’s currently building. Aftermath was vicious and just what the doctor ordered for SFC, nicely done.

Enjoyed this with Joe. Really doing a fine job in making him this ‘one man army’ and he does come across as a legit badass. Him and Wright going at it would be mammoth.

Ah there it is, Black and Kingston next week on Oblivion, beautiful. With the No DQ stip I fully expect them to top their previous two battles, prove me right!

Promo from Helms wasn’t what I anticipated, didn’t expect to see him give any kinda credit to Danielson at all but the match more than made up for it and certainly did show that anything Danielson can do, Helms can too with that vicious attitude to boot. Both men being more aggressive is only gonna up the ante for when they do meet and I can’t wait to see it.

Heck of a match here, thoroughly enjoyable stuff and a shocker to go with it, really didn’t see it coming. I thought Doane and the American Made boys were primed to go through, Doane looked a major threat throughout but this defeat, Doane being the one pinned especially, shocked me. Really wondering just what route you go now with Doane and Jericho, will they kick him out? Will he have to prove himself once again? A lot of intrigue for me here.

Really enjoyed this segment with Foley and Heyman. You got Foley completely spot on with his humour and wits up against Heyman’s clear frustration and tension, paired together it was excellent. Contract signing should be interesting to say the least, especially now Mr.Heyman’s gonna be showing his face.

Jericho, shock horror, was immense here, just an awesome character and the words he said here were right on the money. The way he taunted him about knowing what was going on the whole time yet still not being able to do a damn thing about it. Christian’s ‘Man on the Moon’ schtick’s been excellent in the past and again, it slotted in nicely with everything that’s happened here, it did feel a little flat however compared to your usual standards. Why? I don’t know, I probably just expect too much from you lol. The end of this all though completely caught me off guard. Michaels is back, awesome BUT I’m hoping there’s no Heyman/Michaels alliance. I’m guessing Heyman’s brought him back after what Jericho had done to him but I still don’t see why the two would join forces, after all Heyman did everything he could to force him out the door. Very, VERY interested to see what you do now. I was all set for Jericho/Cage at long last but Michaels seems to have thrown a spanner in the works, triple threat incoming? We shall see.

On the whole another solid show here. Matches were highly exciting and at times surprising which can be a good thing and probably was here. Main talking points are of course Banks and the drama at the end. I think I’ll reserve total judgment on both until next week but for now, a bit of hit and miss on both, some stuff I liked, some not quite but the follow up to both is something I’m very much excited for. Good job and I look forward to the next one.
 
#218 ·
*Taped prior to tonight’s events…

We’re brought to what looks like the Swift Bar from Finlay’s online promo. Finlay’s sitting at the bar, looking up at a clock that says it’s roughly 8:30. The party hasn’t even started in the pubby, but there’s Finlay as was promised. Not too long after the awkward opening shot of a lonely Finlay…Robert Szatowski actually walks into the bar. Finlay’s face lights up as Szatowski stares at him hard.

Finlay:
Hey!! Robbie!! You came! For once, you didn’t disappoint.

Szatowski:
Right. What’s this really about, Finlay?

Finlay:
Whaddya mean what’s this about? This is about you an’ me callin’ a truce. It’s the truth, boy.

Szatowski:
…right…
~Szatowski looks at Finlay incredibly skeptically

Szatowski:
You want me to believe that you’ve threatened my career, my very wellbeing, and beat one of my best friends to near death, invite me to an empty bar…and you just wanna drink?

Finlay:
That’s right. You said you wanted me to stop. So I’m stoppin’. If you get me drunk enough, I might even apologize.
~The bartender comes around and once again plops two huge mugs filled to the brim with frothy ale right by Finlay

Finlay:
First round’s on me, boy.
~Finlay gestures Rob over, Szatowski very cautiously and hesitantly sits down and takes one of the mugs

Szatowski:
Dude, you can’t expect me to –

Finlay:
Look at it this way, Robbie - I’m a proud Irishman. Whether you’re my friend or my enemy, I’m gonna drink with ya.
~Szatowski looks at Finlay’s hardened eyes before looking back at his frothy mug of ‘water’, obviously thinking this over…

Szatowski:
Y’know what? Cheers.

Finlay:
That’s the spirit, boy! Cheers!

The two bitter enemies clack the two glasses together, the sound echoing through the still very empty bar. It’s only when Szatowski and Finlay start gulping do a few more people walk in the door, the bar scene looking to start picking up as the clock nearly strikes nine…​

***


2.20.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Under Oath”


“The Fight Song” by Marilyn Manson vignette

(Whispers)

Fight…

RVD leaps for a Frog Splash…

Fight…

HBK cocks back, Sweet Chin Music ready…

Fight…

Finlay and Joe go at it on the balcony…

Fight…

Chris Jericho’s silhouette is highlighted…

*Opening guitar riff*

You'll never grow up to be a big rock star

The camera goes from the ground up to the face of Paul Wright in his debut Week 3

Celebrated victim of your fame

Aero Star leaps onto Jamie Noble from the entrance stage columns

Just cut our wrists like cheap coupons

Christian searches for his peeps from Week 5

And say that "death was on sale today"

Bryan Danielson raises his hand, singing his theme from Week 4

*Upped tempo, heavier sound*

And when we were good

Jack Evans’ double moonsault from Week 1

You just close your eyes

Aero Star, Psicosis, and Super Crazy perform a Triple Asai Moonsault from Week 14

So when we are bad

Paul Wright chokeslams Michaels through the table from the Supershow

We'll scar your minds

A replayed shot of Shelton Benjamin German suplexing Paul London off the ladder from Week 4

Fight!

SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!

Fight!

WARRIOR’S WAY!!!

Fight!

MUSCLE BUSTER!!!

Fight!

SPEAR THROUGH THE TABLE!!

Fight!

CHOKESLAM!!!

Fight!

WORLD’S GREATEST DOOMSDAY DEVICE!!

Fight!

GTS!!

Fight!

FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH!!!

*Final cymbal crash*

Chris Jericho holds the AOW World title high in the air

***

We’re welcomed to the Hammerstein once again to the embrace of 3,000+ rabid fans for what seems like the twenty-fourth sellout in a row for Wednesday Night Oblivion. The panning around shots show the crowd is just as pumped as ever, no matter what may be on tap, but it may be because they were promised a huge night. And that night almost immediately gets underway because once the panning is done, Tony Chimel stands center ring and tells that the following No Disqualifications contest is scheduled for one fall!!

“MAN WIT’ NO LAND” bellows out over the loudspeakers and gives way to the crowd giving a very nice pop for Kofi Kingston. But for the first night of his short career, Kingston isn’t smiling. He’s walking down to the ring with nothing but burning purpose in his eyes, the black hoodie he’s wearing making him look all the more daunting. He tend to his back just a bit as he walks down, the assault on his back last week still acting up. Kingston is wearing his usual Jamaican/Ghana mash-up workout attire, pretty much ignoring the fans this time around as he’s got more on his mind than pandering tonight. He jumps into the ring with a single bound through the middle ropes before snatching off his pants and taking off his hooded sweatshirt.


Joey Styles:
Welcome to the twenty-fourth edition of Wednesday Night Oblivion ladies and gentlemen, where we probably have one of our biggest nights in AOW history!

JBL:
You aren’t lyin’ about that, partner.

Joey Styles:
I’m Joey Styles alongside John “Bradshaw” Layfield, and as you heard Tony Chimel and see Kofi Kingston there as serious as ever, this match will be No Disqualifications.

JBL:
An’ this is just our curtain jerker, Joey! We’ve got the best rookie rivalry in history kickin’ off our show! That tells you just now damn good the rest of the night’s gonna be.

Joey Styles:
Indeed partner, this is the first of several huge points tonight, but from the look on Kofi Kingston’s face, this is the only one he’s thinking about.


“BLACK AND WHITE” now chimes out to an actual mixed reaction, but it’s definitely more negative that only gets louder when Tyler Black and his long black trenchcoat break through the blood-red curtain. Black, conversely to Kingston, actually does have a smirk on his face, but it takes a moment to see it through his messy looking long dark hair covering up his entire face. Nonetheless, Black walks a little quicker down the ramp than usual, but he freezes when he gets to the base of the ramp and sees Kingston damn near ready to leap at him through the ropes and only being restrained by referee Goose Mahoney. Black steps in with his smirk having disappeared and takes off his trenchcoat, ready to get it on one more time with his rookie rival.

~OPENING CONTEST~
*No Disqualifications*
Kofi Kingston
v.
Tyler Black


No sooner does Mahoney leave the center of the ring do these two leap from their corners and immediately start BRAWLING WITH EACH OTHER LIKE RABID DOGS!!! Kingston and Black not opening a match with an attempted handshake this time, just looking to beat the hell out of each other here!! There’s hair and dreads and lefts and rights flying back and forth that immediately gets the crowd hotter and hotter with each blow! Eventually it looks like Black pulls away, whipping Kingston hard into a corner and rushing at him with a hard corner forearm smash!! Kingston eats the impact hard and drifts out of the corner, leading Black to whip him towards the opposite corner, only for it to be reversed and Kingston whip him there instead. Kingston rushes after Black now and leaps up…leaping corner forearm smash!!

The two share different variations of the same move, Kingston now looking to whip Black back into the opposite corner, but again, it’s reversed and Black whips Kofi. Black now rushes at Kingston once more…leaping corner reverse elbow!! Once again, Kingston’s body is sandwiched between Black’s arm and the corner, Black now looking to whip Kofi right back into the opposite corner, but AGAIN, Kingston manages to reverse it and whip Black there instead. Kofi rushes after him and leaps onto his adversary, suspending himself on his midsection…MONKEY FLIP!! The back and forth high pace finally ends when Black’s back splats against the canvas, Kingston now going over for the pin attempt – 1…2…NO!! Black has more fight than that, but as soon as he kicks out, he slides underneath a bottom rope and to the floor, hoping to catch himself and slow the pace back down.

As the crowd throws heat on Black for disrupting what was a hot open to get some strategy going, Kingston rushes towards the ropes and Black and looks for a SUICIDE DIVE…NO!! IT WAS A DUPE! Kingston bounces his shoulders off the top rope and doesn’t go anywhere, leaving Black cowering and covering his head for nothing. This allows Kingston to peek his feet through the ropes and his Black with a rope aided dropkick! This sends Black back a few steps, giving Kingston time to prepare himself…CORKSCREW PLANCHA FROM KINGSTON!! A terrifically acrobatic move from Kingston, who jumps right back to his feet and pumps his fist in euphoria. It may be No DQ, but the falls don’t count anywhere, leading Kingston to take Black up and try and roll him back under the ropes and into the ring, but Black surprises Kofi and everyone in attendance by picking Kofi up…AND BACKDROPPING HIS LOWER BACK AGAINST THE RING LIP!! A move that Black has used in both previous contests with Kingston rears its ugly head one more time, crushing Kingston’s spine.

Black is forced to sit up against the ring base after he hits the move, still recuperating a bit while Kofi tends to his possibly broken vertebrae. Black then gets back to his feet and pulls up the ring skirt to pull out…a steel chair. The first weapon is introduced in this one, Black hoisting the chair over his head…and brings it CRASHING IT DOWN ON KINGSTON’S SPINE!! GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY~!! Kingston rolls over and screams in absolute pain, Black almost looking numb to the fact and takes Kingston to roll him back into the ring. It takes him a moment, but he goes for his very first cover of the contest by hooking both legs – 1…2…3-NO!! Kingston somehow kicks out, but the strain on his back from having to kickout is noted by the commentary team.

Black knows he might have to go even further than that, rolling back to the outside to grab the steel chair. He places it close to the ring lip, but then goes back under the ring to find something else and pulls out…A TABLE!?!? The ever menacing wooden slab gets a pop from the audience as Black sets it up on the outside. Black then reaches back into the ring to pull Kofi back out, giving him a hard forearm shot to the back for good measure before laying him on the table. The crowd is buzzing in anticipation as Black begins to ascend to a top rope. The whole crowd stands up to see…what could he be doing here…? His back is turned to Kingston whatever it is, but Kofi springs up…and SHOVES BLACK OFF THE TOP…JAW FIRST INTO THE STEEL FENCE BARRICADE!! Black is thwarted and gets his jaw jacked all at once, giving Kofi time to now scale to the top rope and aim for the outside…SKY HIGH CROSSBODY THAT SENDS BOTH MEN SPILLING INTO THE CROWD!! The front row fans are scattering and cheering, as the rookies are going all out now! We get an image of Black and Kingston lying in a heap together in the crowd, both in pain, as we cut away.


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


When we return back to the outside action, we’re brought back in a big way, as Kofi Kingston THROWS BLACK HEAD FIRST INTO THE STEEL POST!! Black stumbles across the outside, completely thrown off his game there, as Kingston taking the wobbly Black and throwing a STRAIGHT PUNCH TO THE JAW!! The precision strike from the kickboxer-esque Kingston is enough to make Black wobble even more, now giving Kingston the opportunity to roll Black back in the ring and go for a cover of his own – 1…2…3-NO!! Black rolls a shoulder!! As Black kicks out, we can see Kofi gripping at his still ailing spinal region, possibly that robbing him of what he needed to get the win. Kofi doesn’t cry too much over spilt milk, however, rolling back to the outside and rummaging under the ring…to find the garbage can and lid!! Kofi throws them over the top rope and into the ring before going back under and looking for something else…ANOTHER TABLE!?! What the hell does Kofi have in mind here?? We don’t know, but we see him drag the table into the ring with him and sets it up center ring before turning back to Black…WHO CLOCKS HIM IN THE HEAD WITH THE TRASH CAN LID!! Black pulling a fast one there as Kofi drops like a rock for another Black cover – 1…2…3-NO!! It’s STILL not enough to break Kingston!

But Black doesn’t waste much time after the failed pin attempt, instead wrapping Kingston up and setting him up…BOW AND ARROW LOCK!! Black is really intent on breaking Kingston’s spine here, robbing him completely of the athletics of his moveset or perhaps a submission victory! Kingston’s cries of pain can be heard all the way in Jamaica, his flexibility now working against him. Kingston flails and struggles out of the hold, but he grabs hold of the nearby trash can lid…AND POUNDS BLACK IN THE FACE WITH IT!! The blow releases the grip and puts Black in pain now, but Kofi doesn’t recover immediately.

Kingston is forced to roll onto the apron for some recovery time, but Black won’t let him recover for very long. After repositioning the table in the ring closer to the ropes, Black takes Kingston and pulls him to his feet, the two now doing battle against the ropes, Kingston on the apron and Black in the ring. After another short skirmish, Black tries to SUPLEX KOFI INTO THE RING THROUGH THE TABLE…but Kingston prevents it and fights back, bringing Black up to SUPLEX HIM FROM THE APRON TO THE TABLE OUTSIDE…but Black stops that too. The two keep this tug-of-war going, knowing good and well it’ll be over if it tips too far over one way. It’s Kingston that succeeds in lifting Black, looking like a tumble…but Kingston’s back gives way a bit, forcing him to not be able to lift Black all the way. Black then floats over Kofi…and LOOKS TO GERMAN SUPLEX HIM OFF THE APRON THROUGH THE TABLE…but Kofi still has enough in him to stop this and poke his legs through the middle rope…pendulum kick!! Black falls from the apron to the floor BOUNCING HIS FACE OFF THE TABLE on the way down!

Kofi takes this opportunity now to get that rest time before going down and taking Black, nailing him with several elbows for good measure. Kofi then takes Black and starts to lay him flat across the table, but Black starts to fight back and forces Kingston away, only for Kingston to get his hands on the chair Black left on the ring lip and CRACK BLACK IN THE SKULL WITH THE CHAIR!! Black falls lights out across the table, Kingston now with another opportunity to climb to the top rope and loom over the table-bound Black. Kingston takes a second to shimmy his shoulder and let out an audible “BOOM! BOOM!” before he leaps from the top to the outside…BOOM DROP THROUGH THE TABLE!! BOOM DROP THROUGH THE TABLE!! OH MY GAAAAAD~!!!

“HOLY SHIT!!” chants are rippling all through the arena, as neither Kingston nor Black is moving. The fall probably jacked the ailing spine of Kingston, while the damage is obvious to Tyler. It takes a good solid minute before Kingston is even able to get back to his feet without stooping over and holding his back, but he has to go back over and get Black to come with him. Kingston then has to roll the dead weight into the ring and climb in himself, the whole thing looking like it’s happening in slow motion before Kingston slings himself onto Black for a cover – 1…2…3…NO!!! He took too long!! Black somehow stays alive!!

Black flops all the way over onto his stomach he had to roll the shoulder so hard, Kingston a little agitated. But he takes it in stride and sees the table he set up earlier and moves it, now setting it up in a corner. Kingston then goes over to the struggling Black and pulls him to his feet before looking to CHUNK HIM THROUGH THE TABLE…NO!! Black somehow stops Kingston from flinging him, fighting back and then looking to CHUNK KINGSTON THROUGH THE TABLE…NO!! Kofi leaps up onto the second ropes before hitting the table, leaping over it and bouncing off the top rope behind it…DOUBLE JUMP CROSSBODY…NOBODY HOME!! Black sees it coming this time and ducks underneath, giving Black more time to recover and stop Kingston’s momentum. Kofi recovers gripping his midsection and charges at Black again, but Black sidesteps and gets the Ghanaian/Jamaican hybrid in a drop toehold…RIGHT INTO THE CORNER BOUND SLAB!!

He doesn’t break through it, but his whole body pancakes off of it. Black takes note of his surroundings for a second before taking the now prone Kingston and nails the BLACK TO WHITE…CRUNCHING ON THE GARBAGE CAN!! KINGSTON’S ENTIRE BODY FLATTENS THE GARBAGE CAN!! The backdrop-to-reverse STO caving in the can has the entire crowd with their “ooohs”, but neither Kingston nor Tyler can move. Black is perhaps still feeling the effects of that Boom Drop, preventing him from making an immediate cover. He then takes a moment to roll Kingston’s body off the flattened trash can, throw the pancaked apparatus out of his way, then slings an arm over Kingston’s chest – 1…2…3…NO!!! KINGSTON STAYS ALIVE!! HE ROLLS THE SHOULDER!! Kofi rolls the shoulder so that he rolls into Black, both men now on the canvas with their heads buried in each other’s hair, exhaustion running rampant. But the crowd gives both men a rousing cheer for the efforts they’ve given. Black is the first man to stir, but Kingston isn’t far behind, both men getting on their knees before realizing the other is there. They scrap for a bit before battling rights and lefts with the hot crowd getting behind them. Black is the first man to strike -

BOO!!

YAY!!

BOO!!

YAY!!

BOO!!

YAY!!

YAY!!
YAY!!

BOO!!
BOO!!
BOO!!

OoooooooooooOOOOOOHHHH…​

YAKUZA KICK!! Black rebounds off the ropes and blasts Kingston with the running boot!! The crowd gives one last “boo”, but Black actually waves them off, prompting a little bit more heat, only to run over Kingston and rebound off the ropes again…RUNNING SHOOTING STAR PRESS!! WOH!! No one saw him pulling that trick out of the bag, but that may have been all Black had in the tank as he sells the impact before grabbing one of Kingston’s legs and forcing a shoulder down – 1…2…3…NO!! ANOTHER NEAR FALL!! Black immediately stops holding an arm down and hooks both of Kingston’s legs, hoping to get it this time – 1…2…3-NO!! ANOTHER KICK OUT!! Again, the strain on Kingston’s spine is noted, but he just won’t give up! Black is almost beside himself, his wet with sweat locks parting a bit to show us some clenched teeth.

A snarl escapes those teeth as his feet wobble and try and pull Kingston by his hair with one hand and with the other make a motion that “it’s over!!” Black then pulls Kingston in for what looks like a FISHERMAN’S BUSTER…but Kingston twists out of the grip, and counters with his own TROUBLE IN PARADISE…NO!! Black ducks underneath the move that did him in a few Sundays ago, Kingston landing on his feet, his back turned to Black…PAROXYSM…NO!! Kingston is aware of the move that defeated him in their first meeting, spinning out of it and catching Black around the back of his waist…SOS!! The Rhanhei connects, folding Black over and getting Kingston a fall attempt here – 1…2…3-NO!! It’s Black’s turn to show some guts again!!

And on that note, it’s Kingston’s turn to show a bit of frustration. Black rolls away to try and recover a little bit, leading him to a ring corner to lean up against. Kingston, meanwhile, takes a moment to try and slap some feeling back into his lower back because looks to need it when he charges at Black in the corner and leaps up in a single bound…and starts cracking punches off with the TEN PUNCH!! The crowd is counting each kickboxer-esque precision blow that Kofi launches, but he only gets to about five before Black starts to reach around him and club him in the weak back. The early spinal work comes back to haunt Kingston, who tries to keep going up to seven punches, but Black hits him solid one final time, finally stumping him. Black reaches underneath Kingston’s legs and traps them over his shoulders, the crowd not liking where this is going as Black runs out of the corner…RUNNING POWERBOMB…THROUGH THE TABLE!! RUNNING CORNER POWERBOMB THROUGH THE CORNER CLAD TABLE!! OOOHH MYY GAAAD~!!!

More “HOLY SHIT!!” chants run rampant, as Black falls to a sitting position from the off-balance nature of the move. He looks around and perhaps actually takes the chant in, the camera panning over to see Kingston’s motionless body wrapped and contorted around the ring corner, ropes, and shards of table. Black makes sure not to waste too much time, getting a burst of adrenaline and dragging Kingston’s carcass out of the corner and towards the center ring…but he doesn’t cover him. Instead, he heads over to a corner and climbs the top rope, almost exhausted by this point, but managing to do so. The entire crowd is on their feet now seeing what this could possibly be…PHOENIX SPLASH!! PHOENIX SPLASH!! Black debuts the Phoenix Splash in a phenomenal way!! The entire Hammerstein is actually popping their heads off for the move, Black not being a very good heel there, but nonetheless the arena is rockin’ as Black definitively covers his rookie rival – 1…2…3…!!!

Winner: Tyler Black at (17:47)

He did it! Tyler Black peels himself from off of Kofi’s body, momentarily lying eagle-spread on the canvas. Goose Mahoney helps him up a little bit, but Black only gets to his knees and raises his hands at his big victory, the crowd giving am mixed reaction, but unlike earlier the cheering for him is more noticeable. Black obviously didn’t expect this, but takes it in nonetheless as Mahoney raises his arms for a well-earned, hard fought victory.​


Joey Styles:
An absolutely stunning victory for Tyler Black, and it’s wins like this that can propel young guys to go as far as they want to.

JBL:
I can’t disagree with you there, Joey. Bravo, Tyler! Kofi, get on your banana boat back to wherever the hell you came from!

Joey Styles:
Oh, come on, John! Kofi Kingston put as much effort, if not more, in that match than did Tyler Black.

JBL:
But Joey –

Joey Styles:
Yeah, I know – “this is AOW, where wins and losses count” blah blah blah. You’ve deafened me with your commentary long enough for me to know exactly what you’re gonna say.

JBL:
Cut me off again an’ see if you’re sittin’ next to me ever again.

Joey Styles:
Then I’ll gladly stand. But what’s this here…?


Styles is cut off by the scene in the ring, where Tyler Black was about to exit the ring, but stops when he sees Kofi trying to get to his feet with the ref’s help. Black stares at Kingston hard before stomping over and actually shoving the referee aside, prompting a good bit of buzz…but only for it stop once Tyler Black extends his hand. He wants a handshake. Kingston, on one knee and tending to his ailing back, doesn’t know what to think. Kingston cautiously extends his hand…and Tyler Black and Kofi Kingston share a handshake to a grand applause. The very handshake that Kingston wanted in their debut and that Black mocked in their second meeting is finally shared by both men after once again taking each other to the limit. Black actually keeps the hands clasps and helps Kingston to his feet, helping him lean against some ropes before finally leaving the ring.

Joey Styles:
Well would you look at that.

JBL:
Well I’ll be.

Joey Styles:
Well I don’t know about you, partner, but Tyler Black just got loads of respect in my book.

JBL:
Don’t let it fool ya. Tyler Black’s a dynamic thinker an’ I wouldn’t put it past him to be using this for something.

Joey Styles:
Well that may be true, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now and say that he and Kofi Kingston successfully tore the house down yet again. But that’s probably not the only match that’ll to that tonight – far from it!

JBL:
This night’s gonna be so good, I’m actually happy to be sittin’ next to you to see it, Joey.

Joey Styles:
Aww. Thank you, John.

JBL:
It’s only because this is the best seat in the house, you GOON. Stop yer sentimental garbage an’ promote the card.

Joey Styles:
Fine then. Coming up later on tonight, we’ve got big Trios Tournament action, but we’ve also got a HUGE AOW Tag Team Championship match – four men who vow to do this for honor, respect, and wrestling will compete as four champions. The World’s Greatest Tag Team, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson lock horns.

JBL:
An’ tonight, we might get some answers from Paul Heyman an’ Shawn Michaels.

Joey Styles:
Indeed, partner. Tonight, Paul Heyman has said his announcement with Shawn Michaels is so important, that BOTH Christian Cage AND AOW Champion Chris Jericho have been banned from the arena! A huge night is unfolding, so stay with us!



~Back at the Irish pubby…


The bar is fuller than it was before the star of the broadcast as it starts hitting prime time, some buzz and noise going through the air now. Szatowski and Finlay are sitting in their same spots, several big empty mugs sitting in front of them. We’re not sure who has drunken how many, but Szatowski looks seriously more sauced than Finlay. So much so that he’s smiling like a dumbass in the presence of a guy who has done what he has to him.

Finlay:
I think you need to slow down, Robbie. You’re outdrinking an Irishman.

Szatowski:
So? Then keep up. The Man Who Loves To Fight ain’t the Man Who Loves To Drink I see.

Finlay:
Yeah, well, I take a sip or two when I can.
~Finlay finishes off the mug that he’s holding, looking around and asking for perhaps another round

Finlay:
So how’s the wife, Robby?

Szatowski:
Oooooh…she’s pissed that I came here.

Finlay:
Really now?

Szatowski (In his best Randy Savage impersonation):
OOOOOOHHHHHHH YEEEEAAAAAHHH~!!!

Finlay:
Why’s that then?

Szatowski:
She wants me back in the ring. She’s seen what this has done to me. Y’know not wrestling depresses the hell outta me? Oh, and she’s kind of mad at me for not kicking your ass after what happened to Tommy.

Finlay:
How is Dreamy, by the way?

Szatowski:
You make guys bleed a lot, you know that?

Finlay:
So not to sound like your Mrs. here, Robby…but why won’t you fight me?

Szatowski:
Shit, dude…I don’t know…hey, you wanna know somethin' funny? I don’t even like Tommy Dreamer that much.
~Oh dear. Drunk RVD is starting to say things he shouldn’t.

Finlay:
Do ya now?

Szatowski:
Nope. I mean, who is he? Just some dude who loses a bunch and always smells like gym socks.

Finlay:
Yeah. But you still sat there and watched a man you’ve known for years almost bleed to death. And you didn’t do anything about it.
~Obviously, Finlay isn’t buzzed or inebriated in the least. He says this far too chillingly and too menacingly to be under any influence…

Szatowski:
I didn’t.

Finlay:
And his wife and family had to deal with it. And Sonya’s gotta deal with it. And you. How do you deal with it, Robbie?
~Szatowski, even with his eyes glazed over in drunk disgrace, stares into his empty mug with a look of incredible sadness. The bartender sets down two more drinks, these in bottles this time, but before Finlay can grab one, Szatowski snatches both of them and instantly downs one before setting it down

Szatowski:
How? Because, dude…I’m Rob…Van…Dam….!!
~For the first time in almost three months, Szatowski admits that, thumbs and all…but it can’t be genuine. Even so, Finlay lets out an evil smirk…

Finlay:
That you are.
~Finlay then lets out what we now know as a loud and sinister laugh, but Szatowski doesn’t pick up on that and just starts laughing along with him. We get a shot of what looks like just two regular guys sitting in an Irish pub laughing away after downing a few as we fade away…



**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


~Backstage halls…


We return to what looks like Lance Storm giving the youth behind him, the Sons of the Dungeon, some last minute tips as their match is just seconds away. Both Wilson and Smith nod in agreement on whatever it is was said and takes a step towards where the entrance way, but he’s stopped when both members of the World’s Greatest Tag Team step in front of them.


Haas:
TJ. Harry. Lance.

Benjamin:
We just wanted to personally wish you guys luck out there. If you can beat us…you should be able to beat them.

~The Sons smirk, while Storm stays stonefaced

Storm:
Appreciate that gentlemen.
~Storm shakes hands with both men before starting to take off again, telling the Sons to come with…but then heads off alone as they stand eye to eye with the WGTT

Smith:
I heard you guys were picking on TJ while I was gone.

Benjamin:
We wanted to give him opportunity. That’s hardly picking at him.

Smith:
Whatever you did then, it doesn’t much matter because two weeks ago…we pinned both of you.

Wilson:
We’re one of the very few teams to actually pin you guys, aren’t we?

Haas:
You are. But we’ve got a Tag Team Championship match to get to tonight. Maybe if we survive that…we’ll resume this conversation.

~Benjamin shoots a subtle, but sharp glare over to Haas…

Wilson:
Fair enough. So, for the sake of competition…good luck.

~Wilson and Smith, both knowing what the upcoming defense means for the WGTT, actually do extend their hands. Haas and Benjamin shake their hands, although Benjamin seems much less enthused than Haas. The Sons walk away in the direction Lance Storm did as we fade out from that scene…


~Back at ringside…


“WELCOME TO WHITECHAPEL” bursts out over the sound system now to give us the look of three men, all with coats – Mercenaries, Inc. set their sights on the ring in front of them, their gazes never waning from it. While Albright and Burchill wear tattered suit coats, Regal has his in pristine condition- fully pressed and all. All three men leaps onto the apron simultaneously before Burchill and Albright step into the ring and throw off their coats. They look back at Regal, who just stares at them like they’ve just run over a dog. Regal wipes his feet on the apron before stepping into the ring and takes his coat off WITH CLASS~!! He shakes his head at his partners and audibly mutters “Manners, gentlemen. Please.”

“EXECUTORS OF EXCELLENCE” rings out now, as the men we saw moments ago in Lance Storm & the Sons of the Dungeon now make their way through the curtain and down the ramp, the same focus the Mercs displayed written in their faces as well. Perhaps their meeting has the Sons a little bit off, but their focus is where it should be at the moment as they climb into the fray.

As like the previous Trios Tournament bouts, referee Justin King asks for both team ‘captains’ to come out front and center to shake hands, which Lance Storm and William Regal both do. The commentators then, of course, run down the Trios Tournament rules that differ from traditional tag matches.

Teams will be composed of three members each, with one person being designated as the team’s “captain”.

The role of “captain” cannot change during the match, but it may change between matches (i.e. the named captain does not have to remain captain all the way through the Tournament)

In order to win a Trios match, a team must either a) eliminate two members of the opposing team or b) eliminate the team captain​

MATCH 2
~AOW Trios Tournament – Round 2~
Lance Storm & Sons of the Dungeon
v.
Mercenaries, Inc.


The contest provides some early hard hitting action as expected with the clash of technical vs. brawler styles all of these men display. We jump in this one after roughly six minutes of action, but almost as soon as we cut in, Harry Smith gets clocked by a Burchill/Albright double backdrop!! Burchill, who was just tagged in as the legal man, drops and covers Smith – 1…2…NO!! TJ Wilson jumps in and stomps on Burchill to prevent the loss, but the irate Burchill leaps off of Smith and grabs the smaller Wilson by the neck and chunks him out of the ring aggressively. This garners heavy heat from the crowd, as well as driving Lance Storm to try to step in. But of course, all this does is distract the referee while William Regal drops out of his corner to rake the eyes of Smith against the ring ropes.

Now blinded, Smith is back at Burchill’s mercy, who takes the big guy and flips him over for a hard snap suplex, now tagging in Regal. Albright and Regal jump in, as Burchill leaps and nails Smith with a jumping knee drop across the neck on his way out. Immediately following that, Albright nails a jumping knee drop of his own before rolling away, and right after that, Regal finishes the triple combo with a final jumping knee drop!! Regal now covers the rookie – 1…2…3-NO!! Smith still has some fight in him to roll a shoulder and start getting to his feet. Regal grabs his head and drives a knee right into the side of it, knocking Smith back into some nearby ropes. Regal goes over to Smith and tries to whip him into the ropes, but he’s countered and gets whipped instead. On the rebound, the AOW’s resident Englishman is nailed by a CRUSHING CLOTHESLINE!!

Regal’s veteran prowess can’t stop his head from whiplashing violently off of the canvas, nor can it stop the sheer strength of Smith when he takes Regal and whips him into a corner, rebounding into a sidewalk slam. It takes Smith a moment to shake the cobwebs from all the knees out of his head, but he does manage to do so and tag in TJ Wilson. Wilson doesn’t immediately enter, however, as Smith takes Regal and nails him with a pendulum backbreaker and holds him across his knee, awaiting Wilson’s entry…SPRINGBOARD ELBOW!! Regal’s body guillotines itself into the canvas as Wilson now gets the cover – 1…2…3-NO!! It’s Brent Albright that storms the ring this time, breaking the count and keeping his team captain out of the losing fall. Wilson almost goes after him, but instead nails Regal with several shoot kicks before trying to get him up for something, only for Regal to keep his head lowered and ram Wilson into an empty corner.

Regal beats up on the young Canadian, he too eating several knees before being taken by an arm drilled with the Regal Cutter!! Regal now completely turns the tide on Wilson, going for a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Wilson shows some bit of determinacy, but Regal doesn’t let him sit on it for too long. He drags the still limp Wilson into his corner and tags in Brent Albright. Regal takes Wilson and clubs him in the back of the head several times before shoving him and making him backpedal right into Albright’s clutches…RELEASE REGALPLEX!! The smaller and aerodynamic TJ is thrown through the air onto his neck, folding Wilson like a damn accordion – 1…2…3-NO!!

Harry Smith enters now to break the count, only for Albright to be just like his mentor and gets aggressive with Smith, shoving him away. Smith takes great offense to this and looks to step right back and fight with Albright, again, only distracting the ref. While that goes on, it’s Burchill who storms the ring and cracks Wilson in the jaw with a running forearm smash, softening him up for Albright to grapple. But Harry Smith won’t calm down, forcing Lance Storm to get into things and assure the ref that the hot-headed rookie will chill out. The ref still distracted, Burchill and Albright perhaps seek to nail a finishing double team maneuver, only for Wilson to fight both men off with alternating kicks before surprising both of them…AND NAILING THEM WITH A DDT/REVERSE STO COUNTER!! WOW!! Both Mercenaries and TJ Wilson are flat on the mat as the crowd pops their heads off for Wilson’s defiance as he tries to roll on over…and tags in Lance Storm!!

Storm jumps into the ring, but can’t immediately go for the cover on Albright because William Regal rushes at him, only to eat a hard reverse elbow. The still DDT-ed Paul Burchill is just starting to stir back a little bit, but Storm takes him the way of Regal and gives him a hard elbow before chunking him out of the ring to join his ‘hands on manager’. Storm now gets a bit more pumped as he turns around to see Albright recovering, but blindly rushing at him…Storm rolls back and counters…CANADIAN MAPLE LEAF!! THE EXPERTLY APPLIED HALF CRAB IS SINCHED IN!! Albright struggles through the pain and crawls to within an inch of the ropes, the crowd going big for what could be an elimination…Albright raising an arm…but before he can bring it down, Paul Burchill and William Regal grab him by his arms and pulls him out of the ring from underneath the second rope, saving him and getting a ton of heat in the process.

As all three members of Mercs Inc gather outside, they’re not given room to breathe because all three of their opponents come out after them…and we’ve got ourselves a six man brawl on the outside!! The crowd lights up at the mosh pit of violence erupting before them, every man wailing on an opponent, but in the fighting, Wilson pulls away from Paul Burchill and looks to rush at him for more offense…NO!! WILSON GETS TOSSED OVER THE BARRICADE AND INTO THE VERY CROWD!! Burchill then joins Regal on Harry Smith, the two ganging up on him before WHIPPING THE BIG MAN INTO THE STEEL RING STEPS!! Davey Boy’s son hits the unforgiven steel with disgusting force!

The only man left is Storm duking it out with Albright, who manages to shove Storm away before sliding back into the ring. Storm gives chase and slides in after him, only for Albright to slide back out another way. When Storm turns to follow him this time, he’s led right into the way of an in-ring William Regal…KNEE TREMBLER!! An obviously premeditated attack pattern leads to Storm eating a knee to the temple!! Albright climbs back into the ring now, taking the limp body of Storm and taking it in his own arms, looking for one last good measure move…HALF NELSON SUPLEX!! The very move that nearly broke Super Crazy’s neck returns to fold Storm over here, the veteran now possibly with a concussion – 1…2…3…!!

Winners: Mercenaries, Inc. at (12:34)

Brent Albright swings his body from off of Storm’s to raise his hands, Paul Burchill climbing in to hug him around the neck from behind, exalting in victory. Regal then makes it back to the ring (via ring steps to stay classy, of course) and pats Albright on the chest for a job well done. Regal brushes aside Justin King and steps between his partners and raises their hands himself.​


Joey Styles:
A sneaky but sure win for Mercenaries, Inc. and that makes them the first team to guarantee a spot in the finals at The Outer Limits.

JBL:
Sneaky? It sure as hell wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t sneaky. It was perfectly fine, perfectly legal.

Joey Styles:
Oh, of course it was. William Regal just so happened to be in the ring, strike Lance Storm in the head and –

JBL:
If you got a problem with how they win, maybe you should take it up with them, Perfect Patty. Right now, you just sound like a damn crybaby. An’ hats off to Regal and his boys! Getting the job done.

Joey Styles:
Well, indeed, as they did in their first round victory, they went straight for the team captain and made sure to eliminate him and not place too much worry on the rest of the team.

JBL:
Like you’re DAMN WELL SUPPOSED TO~!!

Joey Styles:
Calm down, cowboy. Speaking of which, what’s gotten into Robert Szatowski? He accepted that invite from Finlay and now he’s rambling like a lunatic.

JBL:
I’ll tell ya what got into him – my favorite beverage in the world. HA-HA!

Joey Styles:
That’s not funny, John. Szatowski looks like he’s in really bad shape.

JBL:
Christ, are you his mother? Is he out drinkin’ past his curfew? He is a grown man, Joey. I know he’s your friend, but he’s responsible for whatever happens in the bar.

Joey Styles:
I hate sitting back and being forced to see, but coming up later on tonight, Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels explain their reasonings for crashing the contract signing last week, what Michaels being here means, and what exactly are they doing together. But up next on the other side of the break, sportsmanship at it’s apex – Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas put their titles on the line against the straight-edge Dynasty champ CM Punk and the American Dragon Cruiserweight champ, Bryan Danielson. Don’t go anywhere!




The entire screen begins to cut in and out of static until we’re brought to what looks like an executive office scene, a chair sitting behind a desk. The entire scene is dimly lit and grungy looking until the chair swivels around to reveal Chris Jericho in a suit and a sinister smirk.

Chris Jericho:
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.


The scene throbs in static for a moment before returning to clarity, except this time, all color is sucked out of it and monochrome

Chris Jericho:
I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume.


The camera begins to slowly move towards Jericho, then it cuts away to the Hammerstein Ballroom losing their minds and cracking decibel levels

Chris Jericho:
If I wish to make it softer, I will tune it to a whisper.


It again flashes to Jericho staring hypnotically, then flashes back to Jericho holding the AOW Championship high to nothing but silence over the bodies of Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, and Bryan Danielson

Chris Jericho:
I can reduce the focus to a soft blur…


The scene gets blurry and out of focus so much, that we can’t make it out anymore…

Chris Jericho:
…or sharpen it to crystal clarity.


When the picture reforms, we’re on a very close up shot in the office of Jericho, his eyes locked on us as though he truly is getting us under his control

Chris Jericho:
I will control the horizontal.


As he says that now, a scene flashes of a horizontal white line that trails behind Bobby Lashley as he spears Rob Van Dam through a table from the World Ablaze main event

Chris Jericho:
I will control the vertical.


Another scene flash, this one of a vertical white line following Ken Doane as he puts Paul Heyman through the announce table with the Sky High Leg Drop

Chris Jericho:
For the first several months of this company, I have dominated all and proven my worth. Now I need more lands to conquer.


We’re back to Jericho now, pulling away from his close up, his puppetmaster fingers interlocking with each other on the front of his desk, the color somewhat returning to the scene, but everything is tinted with a red and white hue

Chris Jericho:
And I won’t just go for more things alone. Oh no. You all are coming with me. I will control what you see and hear.


We continue to pull back from the desk, but Jericho’s eyes haven’t budged

Chris Jericho:
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to...The Outer Limits.


As Jericho says that, the wall behind him becomes draped with a tattered, bloody Canadian flag





~ART OF WAR WRESTING PRESENTS~

THE OUTER LIMITS
!!A THREE-HOUR PAY-PER-VIEW SPECIAL!!
Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


~Back at the Irish pubby…

Szatowski and Finlay seem to still be right where we left them, although the drinking has seemed to slow down a bit. The bar is filled with many more people, all the usual pub scene sounds blaring up. Even a prostitute-esque woman walks by and no one bats an eye. Seems like everyone’s having a gay ol’ time…except Szatowski, who has gone from smiling like a dumbass to drunk and depressed. Finlay, on the other hand, is smiling just a bit more…

Finlay:
You’ve gone quiet on me, Robbie. It’s a party in here. Why’re you so sad?

Szatowski:
Why shouldn’t I be…? Here I am out in the open with the guy who has ruined my life…and I’m sippin’ ale with him.

Finlay:
Aye. That is somethin’ to drink to.
~Finlay lets out another laugh

Szatowski:
Well then why’re you so happy?

Finlay:
Because I’m glad we did this, Robbie. You’re funny.

Szatowski:
This shit ain’t funny, Finlay.
~Szatowski tries to stand up in offense from his stool, but his ‘educated feet’ wobble all over the hardwood, forcing him to hold himself up on the bar

Szatowski:
I mean, the only reason I came was so that I could put all this crap you’ve put me through behind me. I mean, dude, you tried to break me. And what have I done about it…?

Finlay:
You let me sit here and watch you break yourself.
~Finlay darts close to Szatowski’s inebriated eyes as he says this, the cruel Irishman then slowly erupting into his damnable laughter. All Szatowski can do is stare a hole through Finlay, realizing exactly what he’s done, even in his dear alcoholic coma state. Szatowski then does something he probably shouldn’t…and starts laughing himself

Szatowski:
Y’know what else should be broken?

SZATOWSKI CRACKS AN EMPTY BEER BOTTLE OFF OF FINLAY’S SKULL!! Shattered glass goes everywhere as Finlay is thrown off of his stool, the entire noisy pub now with their attention turned to the blow. Finlay is all off balance, which even the drunk Szatowski can take advantage of when he takes one of the huge empty mugs still sitting on the bar…AND BREAKS THAT UPSIDE FINLAY’S HEAD AS WELL!! The pub is going nuts, as the disoriented Finlay and the discombobulated Szatowski now look to BREAK OUT IN A BRAWL!! Neither man actually gets to land too many blows before the bar mates (a few of them looking suspiciously similar to OVW talents Drew McIntyre, Tyson Tarver, and Steve Lewington…) break them apart, both men trying to break the ranks and get back at each other before Szatowski drunkenly howls out.

Szatowski:
FINLAY!! A BAR ROOM BRAWL!! I WANT A BAR ROOM BRAWL!!

Finlay:
Ya finally did it, aye Robbie? ALRIGHT THEN! Next week, right back here – I break the Szatowski out of ya for good!

The two hordes of men holding both men apart start moving Szatowski out of the frame, as the pub manager looks to throw out the man who started the brawl. Szatowski doesn’t fight, knowing he’ll get his shot in due time. We take a look back at Finlay, however, and see that there’s nothing but a devilish smirk all over his Irish mug as we fade away…



~Back at ringside…


Joey Styles:
Oh…oh my god…we’re gonna have a Bar Room Brawl next week??

JBL:
HA-HA!! I love it!!

Joey Styles:
This can’t be right! Robert Szatowski retired and he’s not supposed to be bothered! He wasn’t in his right mind when he said that!

JBL:
You sound like a damn lawyer, Joey. The bar ain’t no place for that kind of talk! It’s a place where you beat the hell outta whoever looks at you wrong! Plus, its high damn time Robbie put on his big boy diapers, stopped bein’ a coward, an’ put up a fight.

Joey Styles:
This is bad. Szatowski’s not in any shape to compete next week! This is bad…


While Styles frets for his friend’s life and career, “MISERE CANTARE – THE BEGINNING” hits the speakers to give way to AOW Dynasty Champion CM Punk, who throws the red curtain behind him as he walks down the ramp with immense purpose. He’s got fire in his eyes as he takes the belt from around his waist and holds it high on the turnbuckle to a huge pop, proudly showing what he’s kept despite taking a beating two weeks ago.

“THE FINAL COUNTDOWN” then blasts out over the sound system, as the entire crowd starts singing along with it. It doesn’t take long for Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson to come through the curtain with the same purpose and resolve in his eyes as Punk did, although he has a much angrier flair about him. He holds is finger high as he makes it down the ramp and into the ring, both he and Punk singing the chorus of his ridiculously catchy tune along with the Hammerstein crowd.

Not too long afterwards, “GREATER THAN GREAT”, the newer more upbeat theme for the World’s Greatest Tag Team, chimes out over the system as both Benjamin and Haas make their way through the blood red curtain, no pandering or anything in their eyes except keeping hold of their titles and doing this for the sake of competition. Both men slide into the ring and hold their titles high before asking Punk and Danielson to the center of the ring…and all four men exchange handshakes. A theme of the night it might seem, but nonetheless, an incredibly sportsmanlike gesture from all four men before senior referee Ray Ramsey takes the AOW tag titles from the shoulders of the champs and holds them high, signifying this is indeed for all that leather and precious metal


~MAIN EVENT~
*AOW Tag Team Championships*

AOW Tag Team Champions The World’s Greatest Tag Team
v.

AOW Dynasty Champion CM Punk & AOW Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson

Both teams, after their incredibly respectful opening, each retreat to opposite corners. Punk and Danielson are seen talking strategy a little bit, while there’s no communication in the Tag Champs’ corner. As if they know one another’s thoughts already, it’s Charlie Haas that kicks things off for his corner, Benjamin not putting up a fight for it and simply staying on the apron. Meanwhile, in the opposite corner, Bryan Danielson has stepped towards the center of the ring to oppose Haas, Punk the one heading out first.

The Hammerstein buzzes all around the four champions before Haas and Danielson finally get things rolling with the collar tie. The taller and stronger Haas soon backs Danielson up against the ropes, both men still grappling for position even in this position. Ramsey has to ask the men to back off the ropes, even starting a DQ count for Haas, but he soon whips Danielson across the ring and off the opposite ropes, but Danielson strikes Haas hard with a shoulder block. Haas splats to the canvas, Danielson rebounding again off some ropes only to leap over Haas and rebound once more, but on that rebound, he gets struck with a hard Haas elbow!! Danielson may have lost a tooth on that one, Haas jumping for the first cover –

1…

2-NO!!

Danielson actually throws a shoulder up before the two, the move barely getting a one count, but Haas keeps the pressure on the Cruiserweight Champion by taking his arm and jabbing an elbow into his shoulder. Danielson stumbles a bit in pain, but responds by pulling Haas in a little and knocking him in the forehead with a forearm smash. Haas doesn’t let go, causing Danielson to pull him in and hit him with another forearm, finally resulting in Haas letting go. Danielson looks to gather some momentum by bouncing off the ropes behind him, but Haas instantly catches him in a sleeper hold, only for Danielson to quickly get to a knee and throw Haas over his shoulder. Haas rolls to his feet, only to rush back at Danielson and go for a picture perfect DROPKICK, but Danielson dodges the move. Haas lands on his stomach and gets up on a knee, leading Danielson to measure him up and go for the ROUNDHOUSE TO THE HEAD…NO!! Haas rolls back into an empty corner on that one, Danielson regaining his footing and going into the opposite empty corner, the Hammerstein faithful giving both men a round of applause for their early stalemate.

The two approach each other once again after acknowledging the crowd reaction, locking horns for a second time. Once again, Haas pulls out with the advantage by shooting behind Danielson and downing him with a rear single leg takedown. The amateur wrestling move puts Danielson back on the defensive while Haas spins over to Danielson’s head and pulls him into his corner, tagging in Benjamin for the first time. Benjamin steps in and assists Haas in lifting up Danielson…DOUBLE GUTBUSTER!! Each man drives a knee into Danielson’s midsection, but the Cruiserweight champ doesn’t go down in a heap – he’s clutching himself, but still standing. Benjamin and Haas quickly rectify that by pulling hands together and flattening Danielson with a DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE, Haas rushing out so Benjamin can get the cover –

1…

2…

NO!!

Danielson’s taken more than that before, easily getting out of it. But now he has to deal with the fresh Benjamin, who quickly gets right back in Haas’ place and grapples Danielson’s neck with a front headlock. Danielson fights back to his feet and even wrenches Benjamin’s hands off of his neck, clasping both of Benjamin’s wrists as the two try to wrestle for position. Danielson holds onto the wrists and pulls Benjamin in before throwing him over a shoulder with the double wrist-clutch suplex, keeping an impressive bridge and pressing Benjamin’s shoulders against the mat –

1…

2…

NO!!

Benjamin lifts a shoulder, his hands now clasped with Danielson’s. As soon as he lifts the shoulder up, Danielson forces it back down even from his bridged position, again prompting a count –

1…

NO!!

Benjamin lifts the other shoulder this time before flashing a great deal of athleticism by nailing kip-up to get out of his predicament, Danielson being forced to bridge up as this happens, as both men’s fingers are still interlocked. Benjamin and the American Dragon fight with their fingers for a second before Benjamin forces Danielson all the way around and lifts him for a back suplex, only for Danielson to backflip out of the move and onto his feet. He lands off balance, however, backpedalling into his corner. Benjamin charges at Danielson, only to get a boot to the face for his actions. Danielson then tags in CM Punk for the first time, the Dynasty Champion quickly entering the ring and downing the dazed Benjamin with a running clothesline. Punk with the lateral press –

1…

2…

NO!!

Too early for too much of a fall there, Benjamin rolling a shoulder early and rolling back to his feet into an empty corner. Punk immediately starts sizing him up and perhaps is looking for the CORNER KNEE STRIKE…NO!! Benjamin thwarts the move by lifting Punk over his head and onto the apron. Punk tries to retaliate with a strike to Benjamin’s face, but the Orangeburg native blocks it an nails a right hand of his own before BASHING PUNK’S HEAD AGAINST THE TURNBUCKLE!! A bit of heat for that somewhat heelish move, but it gets Shelton back into things as he grabs hold of Punks hair and literally drags him along the apron back into the WGTT’s corner, Benjamin tagging in Haas. Haas steps in as he and Benjamin set Punk up and bring him right back into the ring with a DOUBLE HIP TOSS…RIGHT INTO A DOUBLE BACKBREAKER!! Punk flips over and hits Tag Champ caliber knees!! Punk screams in pain before Charlie Haas lays him flat for a cover –

1…

2…
3-NO!!

The first legitimate near fall of the contest there, but Punk still has more fight in him. The commentators note that Punk’s lower back was targeted by Muhammad Hassan a few weeks ago, perhaps that now being an area of focus for the WGTT. It certainly seems to be, as the keen Haas now begins to drive several knee strikes right into the base of Punk’s spine, almost mirroring Tyler Black earlier in the night. Punk scratches and claws as he’s being lain into, finally catching Haas with a backhand that backs him away. Punk grabs hold onto the ropes while gripping at his spine to get back vertical. Haas shakes the cobwebs out and charges at the rope-bound Punk, only to get a back kick to the gut for his rushing. Punk then follows that up by grabbing the bent over Haas’ arm and stepping over it…step over back kick to the face!! Haas falls at Punk’s strike, Punk going for the cover here –

1…

2…

NO!! Haas still has life left in him, but Punk has to take a breather. He reaches up and tags Danielson back in, the smallest man in the match stepping in as Punk holds Danielson open, giving him a clean shot at his midsection. The pair then both wrench Haas’ arms before pulling him in for a SHORT ARM DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!! These two seem to be getting moreso on the same page now, as Danielson goes for the cover on Haas –

1…

2…

3-NO!!

Haas still has some life left in him, but he has to find it quickly as Danielson almost immediately out of the shoulder roll grabs Haas’ arm and looks to trap it – LEBELL LOCK…NO!! A submission artist himself, Haas rolls out of the move before it’s locked in. He rolls to a knee, but the new more aggressive Danielson is in hot pursuit, for as soon as he gets to a knee, Danielson is right there to nail him with the REPEAT SHOOT KICKS!! Haas takes about three kicks before Danielson rears back for the ROUNDHOUSE TO THE SKULL – NO!! For the second time, Haas dodges disaster and ducks underneath, catching Danielson from behind now – FLAWLESS GERMAN SUPLEX!! Haas keeps the bridge and starts another count –

1…

2…

3-NO!!

Danielson twists his body around, writhing out of the pin attempt! He got out of that, but he’s obviously hurt, as Haas notices, leading him to give Danielson a CHOP(Wooooo!) for good measure before pulling him into the WGTT corner, Benjamin being tagged right back in. Haas and Benjamin both take Danielson in their grips and bounce him off the top rope…DOUBLE SPRINGBOARD SUPLEX!! Danielson comes crashing down with even more force, as Benjamin now rolls on top of the Cruiserweight champ –

1…

2…

NO!!

The count is broken not by Danielson, but by CM Punk bursting into break the count. Referee Ramsey orders Punk back out, which he obliges to, but it still leaves a very annoyed Benjamin. Shelton takes Danielson back to his feet and looks to set him up for something, but Danielson throws Benjamin’s hand from off of him and DECKS Benjamin with a right hand. Benjamin responds with a right hand of his own, the two now exchanging right hands at an increasing pace and getting the crowd hotter with each hit…until Benjamin clocks Danielson right in his recovering orbital bone!!

Benjamin almost immediately realizes what he’s done, obviously not intending to hit Danielson’s weak spot. He stops throwing blows as Danielson is on a knee, tending to the still very tender area. The ref asks him if he’s alright, Danielson nodding to, but we still can’t see his face. When we do get a chance to, he lifts his head with an absolute rage in his eyes, the very same anger we’ve been seeing come out now being awaken it seems, as he charges at Benjamin and hits him with kick after kick after kick after kick!! This chases Benjamin all the way into an empty corner, Danielson now nailing the REPEAT SHOOT KICKS IN THE CORNER!! Danielson’s damn near lost it here!!

Charlie Haas breaks into the ring to stop Danielson, coming up behind him and knocking him in the back of the head. But this gets noticed by CM Punk, who rushes across the ring to nail Haas with a running calf kick!! When Punk gets back to his feet, he grabs hold of Haas and tosses him towards the same corner as Benjamin, SANDWICHING THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!! Their bodies are pressed against one another, with Danielson standing in front of them to keep them together as Punk backs away into the opposite corner. Punk rushes…Danielson moves…CORNER RUNNING KNEE TO HAAS AND BENJAMIN!! Punk gets Haas good, his head whiplashing and nailing Benjamin as well!! Punk doesn’t get to go for the finishing bulldog combo because referee Ramsey is ordering Punk out of the ring. Behind him, both tag team champions flop to the canvas and roll out of the ring to both recuperate and regroup. Punk and Danielson have rage in their eyes, that small ‘trigger’ that they mentioned possibly going off and all over the place here as we cut to a


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


As we return from the break, things have settled down back in the ring, but not favoring the challengers at all. Bryan Danielson is whipped violently into the Tag Champs’ corner by Haas, causing him to fall face first into the mat. Apparently, with Punk and Danielson getting more physical, the WGTT has kicked it up a notch as well. Haas forces Danielson back into the corner and rams his shoulder into the Dragon’s gut repeatedly before Benjamin tags himself in. Haas rams Danielson in the gut once more, only to stay there and keep him in place for Benjamin to take a few steps back…and nail the STINGER SPLASH!! Benjamin springs off of Danielson’s body on the collision, AmDrag groggily stepping out of the corner right back into the clutches of both Haas and Benjamin. They whip him right back into their corner violently, causing him to recoil right into Benjamin’s arms…OVERHEAD BELLY TO BELLY TOSS!! A wicked sequence of moves there from the World’s Greatest, Benjamin now with an aggressive cover –

1…

2…

3…NO!!

Once again, CM Punk enters the ring just in time to perhaps save his partner, the ‘code of honor’ possibly getting harder and harder to maintain with each second that this match passes. Benjamin fusses at Punk for breaking the count, but the never silent Punk snarks back before being forced back out of the ring. Benjamin and Haas continue their singling out of Danielson when he’s thrown back into their corner, this time into Haas’ raised boot. This prompts another tag from Benjamin to Haas, with Benjamin prepping himself by Danielson’s feet before pulling up on him…CATAPAULT…INTO A HAAS SECOND ROPE DROPKICK!! Very much akin to the Mercy Kill, the World’s Greatest pull off another impressive tag team move that gets their corner another chance to retain their gold –

1…

2…

3-NO!!

Danielson finds some way to throw a shoulder up!! Punk almost bursts into the ring to try and break it, but has to head back outside once he sees Danielson do it himself. This frustrates Haas quite a bit, bringing Danielson closer to his corner before tagging back in Benjamin. Haas ventures right back to the second rope before going all the way to the top, Benjamin sitting Danielson on his shoulders…perhaps the WORLD’S GREATEST DOOMSDAY DEVICE…NO!! Danielson ducks underneath the Haas clothesline and rolls Benjamin up for a surprise pin –

1…

2…

3…NO!!

Benjamin just unrolls the legs before Ramsey’s hand crashes to the mat for a third time. Both men manage to roll to their feet from the move, but it’s Benjamin who strikes first by punting Danielson in the gut. He follows this with a pair of hits to the head before looking like sizing up Danielson for the EXPLODER SUPLEX…NO!! Danielson flips out of the move and tries to reach into his corner to tag in Punk…but just when it looks like he’ll get there, Benjamin catches Danielson in a rear waistlock. Benjamin looks to be trying for a German suplex…but Danielson stops him by spinning out of the hold and dropping Benjamin’s face onto the turnbuckle with a drop toehold! Danielson finally springs up and gets the hot tag in to Punk. Punk steps in to see Benjamin on his knees, prompting both Punk and Danielson to get fired back up…AND BOTH DELIVER RAPID FIRE SHOOT KICKS!! BENJAMIN’S BODY IS LIKE A GODDAMN PINBALL!! The two kick the shit out of Benjamin until Punk CRACKS the final kick to Benjamin’s head and going for a hot cover –

1…

2…

3…

NO!!

Charlie Haas saves his tag team championships! He stomps on Punk’s head hard to get him off his partner, the blow stupefying Punk for a second. Haas uses that second to fling Punk out of the ring. Danielson takes note of this and jumps back into the ring, rushing madly at Haas who catches him in a one-man flapjack…RIGHT INTO THE HAAS OF PAIN!! HAAS OF PAIN!! Neither man is legal, but the crowd is on their feet nonetheless, as Danielson is being put through relentless pain here! He could tap and it wouldn’t matter, but he won’t! Referee Ramsey is begging Haas to let go of the hold, but Charlie won’t. He looks to pull it back and crank some more, but Danielson actually walks on his hands to flip himself over into a seated position…and transition seamlessly INTO THE LEBELL LOCK!! HAAS OF PAIN INTO THE LEBELL!!

It’s Haas now who is not the legal man but is in a world of hurt!! Haas squirms around while the crowd pops for the incredible counter, again Ramsey pleading for Danielson to break the hold and restore order. The story on Danielson’s face tells it all, as his viciousness is mixed with all his anger and passion in nearly cranking Haas’ neck back so much it snaps…until Shelton Benjamin comes up behind him and forces him to break the hold by dragging him by his arms off of and away from Haas…INTO THE SCISSORED ARMBAR!! From one finishing submission to another to another!

The submission hold that Benjamin debuted against Charlie Haas looks to add onto the pain Danielson’s suffered here! AmDrag is struggling to find a way out of the hold, but Benjamin keeps sinking it deeper and deeper…until suddenly, he’s cut off by a low diving clothesline from CM Punk!! The clothesline knocks Benjamin off, but Punk keeps his arm draped over Benjamin’s head and shoulder area to go right into…THE ANACONDA VICE!!! ANACONDA VICE!! Submission move to submission move to submission move to submission move!! But this time it’s the two legal men going at it! Benjamin is in a bad spot here!! The crowd is going wild, as the Anaconda Vice could claim Punk his second title win in three weeks, cranking back even more to have Benjamin scream in more pain!! Danielson has baited Haas outside of the ring, both of them going at it until Danielson tosses Haas into the steel ring steps! There’s no one to save Shelton’s titles but himself…!!















…HE GETS A ROPE!!! MY GOODNESS, HE JUST GETS TO THE ROPES!! Benjamin and Haas’ titles are saved just by a little thread, Punk barely believing that the titles slipped away just like that. Punk pulls away and seemingly begins stalking Benjamin as he rises, but even an ailing Benjamin has enough wits about him to smack Punk in the gut with a back kick. Benjamin then goes for what looks like a SUPERKICK…NO!! Punk catches it and throws it, only for Benjamin to come back around for the DRAGON WHIP…HE SPINS RIGHT ONTO PUNK’S SHOULDERS…GTS!! GTS CONNECTING!! GTS CONNECTING!! Benjamin drops like a log as the crowd goes ape, as it looks like we’ve finally got new Tag Team Champions –

1…

2…

3…!!!

…???

NO!!! THE REFEREE IS PULLED OUT OF THE RING BEFORE THE THREE COUNT!!

Who the hell…GREGORY HELMS?? Gregory Helms evidently came through the crowd and tugged the ref out of the ring and splats him on the padded outside!! Danielson immediately gets a look at him and absolutely LOSES IT, the rage reawaking in his gaze as he leaps from off the apron to BEIGN AN ALL OUT BRAWL WITH HELMS!! They start fighting so much, they travel around the announcers’ desk, where Danielson BOUNCES HELMS’ HEAD OFF THE TABLE!! Helms drunkenly puts his head down around the timekeeper’s area, an enraged Danielson looking to do more damage to his gold obsessed rival…but Danielson is CLOCKED IN THE FACE WITH HIS OWN CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!!

Danielson goes down hard, Helms getting his sick grin as he looks at the championship gold in his hands. It’s at that point that CM Punk climbs through the ropes to the outside and sees what happened, Punk now taking it to Helms!! Helms is surprised at Punk throwing blows at him, forcing him back on up by the ramp. But just when Helms figures he’s in the clear, he gets assaulted by Charlie Haas!! Haas indeed wants to keep this ‘honor code’ very much intact, the crowd cheering him on!! It’s Haas who chases Helms all the way up the ramp, as CM Punk looks on! Helms goes running through the curtains, allowing both Haas and Punk to turn their attention back towards the ring…PUNK GETS CLOCKED WITH THE TAG TEAM TITLE BELT!! PUNK GETS CLOCKED BY SHELTON BENJAMIN!! A blatant violation of everything set before this match, as Benjamin somehow got his hands on a belt during the ruckus! Benjamin throws the title back out of the ring as the referee gets back in and comes to, Haas actually running back down the ramp and ordering for the count to not take place –

1…
{NO!! SHELTON!!}

2…
{NOT LIKE THIS, SHELTON!!}

3…!!!

Winners and STILL AOW Tag Team Champions: World’s Greatest Tag Team at (20:22)

They did it, but not by the means they wanted to at the very start. Shelton Benjamin takes his tag team title as it’s handed to him by Ramsey and rolls out of the ring and past Haas, completely ignoring him as he slides in. Haas just looks back at Benjamin and shakes his head before taking his half of the gold from Ramsey. Haas rolls back out to catch Benjamin, whom he understandably is vexed with.

“What the hell was that, Shelton?”

“Well, we won, didn’t we?”

“Not like that we shouldn’t have!”

“Too bad. It’s done.”

The two continue their argument all the way through the curtain, but when they’re gone, we can see Danielson and Punk in the ring with their respective titles helping each other get to their feet. They receive their own ovation from the crowd as they now make their way out and up the ramp.


Joey Styles:
I have no idea what’s gotten into Shelton Benjamin, but I’m on board with Charlie Haas – there was absolutely no reason to have to get the win like that.

JBL:
A win is a win, Joey. Charlie Haas knows that, CM Punk knows that, but I’m pretty sure you an’ them are just gonna harp on this, aren’t you?

Joey Styles:
A win may be a win, Bradshaw, but from what I understand all four men in that ring wanted to do was win with integrity! There’s no integrity or honor in doing what Shelton Benjamin just did! I mean, how can he just let himself do that?

JBL:
It ain’t about how much sleep you lose in this business, Joey, it’s about waking up every morning with the championship belt.

Joey Styles:
Oh, come on! They explicably stated that this match was a gut check –

JBL:
Well then there’s your answer. Maybe deep down in their guts, Charlie Haas an’ Shelton Benjamin think an’ do different things.

Joey Styles:
Maybe what Antonio Banks said to them last week is still ringing true for them, but you cannot deny what a terrific performance CM Punk and Bryan Danielson just put on to try and win those titles.

JBL:
I actually can deny that, but since I’d never hear the end of it from you, I’m just gonna do it my head.

Joey Styles:
Can you do that every week?

JBL:
Can you shut up every week?

Joey Styles:
I can’t, John, I’m paid to help promote the show, remember? Speaking of which, the action still isn’t over. The tag team titles stay where they are despite an incredible fight from the challengers, but coming up next, Paul Heyman and Shawn Michaels – two men who seem to have formed some sort of unholy alliance will be in the center of that ring together to explain what happened last week. Jericho nor Christian are here to stop them, so what is it that they have to say?


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



We return to a scene of the Hammerstein Ballroom in all of its (somewhat compact) glory, but they aren’t being quiet. No, they’re throwing a great deal of heat to something going on the ring that we take moment before focusing to…and seeing the wheelchair bound Paul Heyman, who is accompanied by a man who has seemingly risen from the dead in Shawn Michaels. Heyman has an all too familiar smirk sliced onto his face, but HBK stands silent. No pandering. No expression. No nothing. The ghostly blank Michaels has Heyman by his wheelchair handlebars, but soon pulls out a microphone and hands it to Paul.

Paul Heyman:
Last week, I figure many of you were a bit…let’s say “flabbergasted” when this man standing behind me suddenly appeared before your very eyes.

~Michaels remains stoic as Heyman points behind him for the crowd to throw a little more heat

Paul Heyman:
What surprised all of you even more than that was the fact that Shawn Michaels kicked the head off of everyone in sight before signing onto Christian’s championship match contract.

~Even more heat for that one, as Heyman’s smirk grows a bit more

Paul Heyman:
And what I’m sure blew your minds was the notion that I was actually welcoming Shawn Michaels back with wide, open arms.

~Heyman brinks on his hammy nature with that one

Paul Heyman:
But seeing as how we can’t all be “Christian Cages” and see things coming from miles away, I’m here to explain some things to each of you. And I will go very slowly so as to not frustrate you people’s lack of intellect and make your head explode again.

~Some wordy crowd bashing that garners the expected reaction

Paul Heyman:
See, the man standing behind me signed a contract to this company without my approval. Mick Foley should, and rightfully has, taken full blame for that. To be honest, that doesn’t bother me so much as the fact that I absolutely hate Shawn Michaels.

~Some heat on that, Michaels with a very subtle flinch but otherwise doesn’t move

Paul Heyman:
Y’hear that, Shawn? I hate you!

~Heyman looks up and back to say this to Michaels, who only moves to look down. His face contorts into one of approaching rage. It twists even more when Heyman shouts up to him sans microphone that he hates Shawn “As much as I hate that big-nosed friend of yours.”

Paul Heyman:
I hate everything about Shawn Michaels, right down to the brim of his cowboy hats. But most importantly, I hate the Heart Break Kid because of what he was planning to do back there in my locker room and that was pull every political string he could to get back to the top.

~Heyman again just destroying Michaels here who, for some reason, won’t deck the walrus looking motherfucker

Paul Heyman:
And so, after Shawn Michaels lost his AOW title match against Chris Jericho at A Very Merry War, I promptly fired him. I fired you!

~Again, Heyman turns to look up and pour lemon on whatever wound he has that’s controlling Michaels with

Paul Heyman:
But as my encounters with Chris Jericho have taught me, I must always have a little bit of an exit strategy. So while I was out recovering and getting my neck repositioned on my shattered spine – which, like a true leader and commander, I endured with absolute courage –

~Oh, Paul. You lying, hyperbolic and self-serving dog you

Paul Heyman:
I resigned this man. Y’see, as much as I cannot stand Shawn Michaels, I cannot deny how much of an asset he is. How good of an investment he is. But I needed to ink him on my own terms. And that’s what I did. But not to an AOW contract. Oh no. He’s never going to touch my locker room again. I signed him to a contract exclusive to me.

~Heat on that one as Heyman again gets his ridiculously smug expression

Paul Heyman:
Now why would I do that? Why would I resign a man I so desperately despise with every fiber my being? A man I went out of every which way to rid my company of in the first place? Oh, you sharp and inquisitive children, I’ll tell you why!

~No one’s sure whether to laugh or throw heat at Heyman for that one, but people do both

Paul Heyman:
I did it because there’s only two men on the entire planet that I hate more than Shawn Michaels – Chris Jericho and Mick Foley. I hate them so much that when I knew everything was going to be in their hands, I just had to do what Christian Cage would want me to do and that was save this company

~Nobody is buying a noble Heyman here, still more heat pouring

Paul Heyman:
Oh, but don’t get me wrong, Christian. I can’t stand you either. I still remember that death threat you sent me, you psychotic whackjob!

~And even more heat

Paul Heyman:
But you are the least of the evils. So I want to make sure there is absolutely no chance that Chris Jericho walks out of The Outer Limits with that AOW Championship. Mick Foley has his horse…and I just hate sitting back, watching, and not having my own horse in the race.

~Some mixed reaction here, with some popping for the screwing over of Jericho, but others not liking where this is going

Paul Heyman:
So I thought to myself who in the world might be best for the job of helping a company owner screw over an egotistical champion in the Belle Center in Montreal…?

~Michaels’ face again contorts into one of anger and shame, Michaels having long decreed that he wanted all those demons behind him

Paul Heyman:
Thus, I offered Mr. Michaels an offer the Showstopper in him just could not refuse. I promised him one last shot at Jericho and the gold, one more chance on the big stage, one final taste of glory…in exchange for being my personal bitch.

~Heyman resonates on that line, a pseudo sneering smile coming across his face

Paul Heyman:
I will be the man to save this company by any means necessary…even if it’s reintroducing the very cancer that might kill it.

~Heyman looks like he’s going off his rocker here, Michaels not looking much better at being called a ‘cancer’

Paul Heyman:
I can have all of the positives of having Shawn Michaels in my company…without anyone corrupting him but me!

~Heyman lets out a cackle

Paul Heyman:
And so at The Outer Limits, it will be Chris Jericho defending his AOW Championship against Christian Cage…and Shawn Michaels.

~Another big mixed reaction, everyone in the arena having mixed feelings on this

Paul Heyman:
And Shawn, honestly, if you win, more power to you…but that won’t absolve your contract with me! I’ll finally have an AOW Champion at my beck and call!!


Heyman cackles like a mad scientist on that one, Michaels looking very much unamused. The crowd is throwing ridiculous heat for that, Michaels literally a prisoner here. But before we fade away on the sign off, “WRECK” crashes the speakers, as Acting Commander Mick Foley gets the crowd to pop for the first time in this segment as he storms down the ring in his signature flannel. Unlike his last several appearances, Foley doesn’t look jovial in the least, pissed to the absolute brim. He steps into the ring, a microphone of his own in hand.

Mick Foley:
Oh no. No no no. You don’t get to do this, HEYMAN!! This isn’t about you, this isn’t about me, but it’s about Christian FINALLY getting what he deserves. And what he deserves is a one-on-one chance to take down the man who has made everyone’s life A LIVING HELL FOR MONTHS~!!!

~Another huge pop from the crowd, as Foley’s delivery is rivaling that of his Cactus Jack days…

Mick Foley:
Heyman…I know what Chris Jericho has done to people since the beginning. But you just can’t let him get to you to do something like this.

~Foley seems very genuinely concerned

Mick Foley:
I mean look at you, Paul. No, this isn’t me poking fun at you at your expense, but just look at you. You’ve gone mad, Heyman! This is a depth I thought I’d never see you go to! Saving the company by trying to kill it yourself?

~Foley, still genuinely concerned, gets a little more irate

Mick Foley:
This isn’t fair to Christian, this isn’t fair to those guys in the back, and it damn sure isn’t fair to anyone here!!


Another big pop, with Foley nearly roaring in Heyman’s face. But to as soon as he looks to relax a bit and perhaps go again…he eats SWEET CHIN MUSIC FOR THE SECOND WEEK IN A ROW!!! WHAT ON EARTH?? Michaels never changed expression before or after the superkick, as all he does now is stand over Foley with those unflinching, completely numb eyes. That gaze completely contrasts that one of Paul Heyman, who is leaning over and is beyond giddy to see one of the men he hates so much lying at his feet

Paul Heyman:
I am Paul E. Heyman. Don’t you dare tell me what I can and cannot do. Don’t you dare lecture me on what’s fair and what’s not!

~Heyman dissolves into a look of pure anger on the last few words before melting back to his smiling

Paul Heyman:
Oh, and one more thing, Mick Foley…YOU’RE FIR –

GO!!

**JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES**

CHRISTIAN!! IT’S CHRISTIAN!!
The roof blows off of the Hammerstein, as indeed one of the men who was banned from ringside tonight in Christian Cage comes barreling through the curtain to stop Heyman right in the middle of his employee termination. As Cage comes storming down, Michaels pushes Heyman out of the way and intercepts the angry Christian…GIVING US YET ANOTHER BRAWL IN THE HAMMERSTEIN TONIGHT!! Christian is just laying into HBK here, all of his pent up anger and frustration just exploding through his fists on the Heart Break Kid.

Joey Styles:
We’ve got another brawl here!!

JBL:
This can’t be legal!! Christian could lose his title shot for this!

Joey Styles:
Christian was told he couldn’t touch Chris Jericho, not Shawn Michaels, John! Christian’s letting out every piece of his anger right here on HBK!!


JBL:
No, dumbass, I mean he's not even supposed to be here!!


As Christian beats the living hell out of Michaels, he looks up and sees Heyman, who was thrown out of his wheelchair in Michaels’ attempt to get him out of the way. Heyman’s face devolves into one of sheer terror, as he knows he’s absolutely defenseless against an enraged Cage. Christian leaps up from off of Michaels and goes to possibly beat the head in of the Chairman…but Michaels grabs a foot and prevents Cage from getting any further before leaping on Cage and RETALIATING WITH A FLURRY OF BLOWS OF HIS OWN!!

This forces Christian to take cover and eat the blows, but as soon as Michaels is done, Christian flips him over and gets him off the top of him before forcing him into a corner. Cage then turns around and sees Heyman still lying there, unable to really move, and again looking on in horror as Christian approaches him…but Michaels grabs Christian from behind and turns him around…SWEET CHIN MUSIC!! And AGAIN Michaels lays out the number one contender with the signature superkick!


Joey Styles:
This is absolute madness!! Shawn Michaels and Christian just letting everything out on one another!

JBL:
They’re both idiots! They’re both so mad at Chris Jericho an’ he’s not even here, so they beat the hell outta each other?

Joey Styles:
This could very well be playing right into whatever ploy Chris Jericho has planned, but nonetheless, Shawn Michaels seems to have lost any and all morale here by aligning himself with Paul Heyman!

JBL:
It’s not a loss of morals, Joey, it all boils down to one thing – just. Good. Business.

Joey Styles:
At what cost?? The cost of madness? The cost of morals?? The cost of this company…??


And that’s the final line we hear of the night over the final image of Shawn Michaels staring over the bodies of two men he’s beheaded for two weeks in a row. Two men who are fighting for the very thing he is, but not fighting the same battle he is thanks in part to the man lying in a heap behind him. Michaels stares with a blank, but deeply haunted face as he did last week, as well as the one he’s maintained for all of tonight as we…

Fade…

To…

Black…

END SHOW




THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Current Card*


*AOW Heavyweight Championship*
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v. The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.The Heart break Kid Shawn Michaels

~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms


~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.vs. TBA



And there ya go. Part of the reasons for the match efforts is as an apology to both myself and you guys for not being able to get This is Exile up in full, but hopefully they served story purposes too. Also, when you're done reading this, head on over to Wolfy's Cyber Sunday. Hope all remain well :eek:
 
#219 ·
Alas, the no-feedback bug strikes again. I suppose I deserve it, though. I've been bogged down the last week and a half an hadn't spread any love of my own, really. But that's what I get for not being prepared. Anywho, my workload shouldn't be so bad this coming week, so here's some goodies...


The Informer said:
~In regards to the MVP/Antonio Banks legal battle, it seems as though the WWE still hasn’t responded as far as setting a court date. As we’ve noted before, the WWE doesn’t want to take any immediate legal action due to Wrestlemania being just around the corner for them. There probably won’t be any word on an actual court date for Banks and Co., but Banks won’t be kept off TV in the AOW camp. Whether this hurts AOW in the long run is still up in the air.

~After hearing for a few weeks at Rey Mysterio is ahead of schedule, the news that Gregory Helms will face an opponent of Bryan Danielson’s choosing looks almost too perfect for a Mysterio return. However, a program with either man is unlikely, although there has been rumblings that since Mysterio did the kindness of putting off his knee rehab to help give the company a jump start, he’s being given the chance to work with anybody he so chooses. Whether it will be going into The Outer Limits or Origins and Endings is what the question may be.

~Speaking of Origins and Endings, the anniversary show still hasn’t found a confirmed home, which is hurting the company’s professional image. While the promotion wants it in a place like Madison Square Garden, the company wouldn’t touch “WWE territory”, especially with a lawsuit already pending. With them already heading to Canada, Jersey, and Boston for PPVs, one idea being proposed is heading on over to the other coast – as in Los Angeles.

~As far as contracts are concerned, the same three names keep popping up in terms of commitments – Lashley, Wight, and Hassan. It’s almost confirmed by this point that Hassan won’t be back on television for a while nursing a minor injury, but also because of his questioning motivation. The same can be said for Lashley, who is healing up from shoulder surgery and waning interest in wrestling.

~AOW Offseason ads have begun popping up on the company website, so they should be popping up on television within the next week or so to give awareness of Online Oblivion iCards the company plans to have.

Until next time, this has been The Informer…




aohdubya.com said:
!!AOHDDUBYA.COM EXLUSIVES!!

We’re brought back to Oblivion last week, immediately following the main event. Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin are coming through the blood red curtain back into the backstage area, Haas all over Benjamin for what happened in the finish.

Haas:
Hey, answer me! What you did you literally throw away what that whole match was about!

Benjamin:
No I didn’t. That match was about keeping the AOW Tag Team Championships. And so that’s what I did.

Haas:
But for what? For the cost of what this team is about?
~Benjamin stops walking and turns to Haas

Benjamin:
What this team is about is being the World’s Greatest Tag Team. By any means necessary. Our job isn’t to sit here and play buddy with guys that want our gold. Our job is to win. Our purpose is to be champions. Not hand out title matches to whoever.
~Benjamin again storms off, but Haas is again quick to chase him down

Haas:
Alright, so maybe I’ve been getting a little out of hand with accepting challenges. So what? We keep proving we’re better than everyone else, but we do so with honor.

Benjamin:
But honor shouldn’t cost gold.
~This actually strikes Haas, who stops Benjamin in his tracks

Haas:
Y’know Shelton, if you got such a big problem with it, I’ve offered you a rematch with me. We can have that any time you want. And we can settle it in the ring.
~The two tag team partners are glaring at one another, their noses almost touching before Benjamin shakes his head

Benjamin:
Naw. You don’t get to decide if that match happens. I do. And I’ll use it whenever I like.

Haas:
Then for now, I suggest we chill out, get on the same page and keeping being the World’s Greatest Tag Team – in the ring and out.
~Haas slings his belt over his shoulder, Benjamin soon following suit doing the same thing

Benjamin:
Works for me.
~The two champions don’t break gazes once again, their titles gleaming as bright as the tension between them as we fade away…


We enter a scene that is apparently from last week, as we seem to be interrupting a backstage brawl!! We see who looks like Samoa Joe, but we can’t see who is assaulting him until they come out to the sides of his wide body. They reveal themselves to be American Made, and they continue to beat the living hell out of Joe, double whipping him into a CASE FULL OF STAGE EQUIPMENT!! Joe stumbles once he makes impact, but as Nameth and Hagar try to follow him to deal more damage, the One Man Army turns back around to start decking both men with fierce blows, alternating between both men.

He then manages to down the larger and stronger Hagar, Nameth coming after him by leaping on his back and catching him in a sleeper hold. The rabid Samoan is then quietly being subdued as he drops to a knee and seems to be losing conscious…before again erupting with life and tossing Nameth over his shoulder and ONTO THE COLD CONCRETE FLOOR!! Ziggler Nameth sells it like we know he can, but Joe has no breathing room as he himself meets the cold concrete when Hagar leaps back to his feet and DECKS JOE WITH A CLOTHESLINE!!

Hagar then throws some more strikes at Joe before pulling him up and trying to hit his head on an EXPOSED PIPE, but Joe stays like a tank and stops him, nailing Hagar with a blow to the midsection instead. The two wrestling machines trade back and forth blows, with Joe’s heavier hands winning the fight…until Nameth comes to and gets Joe from behind with a chop block/rear single leg takedown looking maneuver. The numbers game then gets to Joe, both men again pummeling on the Submission Machine. Joe still tries to retaliate, but finds himself once again being WHIPPED INTO STAGE EQUIPMENT! Right after this, Nameth and Hagar both jointly lift Joe up before sending him crashing back down…with the PATRIOT ACT!! THE DOUBLE TEAM NECKBREAKER/POWERBMOMB COMBO ON THE EXPOSED CONCRETE!! Joe finally lies motionless, as Nameth gets back to his knees gripping his neck before Hagar helps him to his feet

Nameth:
That was from Chris Jericho. He says if you want “The Great’…

Hagar:
…then you gotta go through us.

Both men are huffing and puffing from the battle they just went through and walk away holding up one another, a pyrrhic victory on their part. We get a shot of Joe just barely starting to stir as we fade away…


We’re brought to a scene that we’ve seen before, this one being ye olde Mexican restaurant. The same three men we saw occupying it last time are seen in the same exact order in the same exact booth – Psicosis, Super Crazy and Aero Star. Just like last time, Psicosis and Star appear to be finished with their cuisine, but Super Crazy is the one who keeps on eating. Crazy stuffs a tortilla in his mouth before swallowing it and starts speaking.

Crazy:
Ey Aero Star – good going on getting that win for us, homes.

Psicosis:
Yeah, esse! Dat was some quick thinkin’.
~The silent luchador just waves both men off with a ‘de nada’ expression

Crazy:
But vatos, I was thinkin’…I feel a whole lot better now.

Psicosis:
You sure, homes?

Crazy:
Yeah. So I was kinda hopin’ we could shift the captain’s position around to me this time.

Psicosis:
I don’t know about that, homes. I mean, no offense, but ju were the one who got pinned last time.

Crazy:
Yeah, but it’s all good now. So what do ju guys say? Captain Super Crazy?
~The Mexicools look over to Aero Star, who shrugs his shoulders before Psicosis does the same thing

Psicosis:
Sure, why not. But be careful, alright homes?

Crazy:
Esso!!
~Crazy grabs both Psicosis and Aero Star in headlock hugs, his curly hair getting in both of their faces. They squirm away after he lets go

Crazy:
One more thing, amigos…I think we should tweak de name jus’ a little

Psicosis:
To what?

Crazy:
Instead of ‘PsicoSuperStar’…how about…‘SuperPsicoStar’…?
~Again, Psicosis looks over at Aero, who shrugs, which causes Psicosis to shrug

Crazy:
SuperPsicoStar it is!!
~Crazy gets so excited, he nearly flings the burrito in his hand skyward. The three amigos share high fives, Crazy doing his with the burrito hand, as we fade away…


The screen lights up to what looks like last week during the main event match, Gregory Helms coming through the curtain and now roaming backstage with a big, satisfied grin on his face for costing Danielson the win. His smile soon disappears when someone interrupts his victory walk in the form of Acting Commander Mick Foley.

Foley:
Hey, Helms, what the hell were you doin’ out there?

Helms:
Just doing everyone a favor, that’s all.

Foley:
A favor? Okay, well then how about this for a ‘favor’ – next week, you’ll be in action.

Helms:
So. Big deal.

Foley:
Your opponent…will be someone of Bryan Danielson’s choosing.
~The smug look and air to Helms just completely disappears, the ‘best cruiserweight in the world’ dropping into a scared state

Helms:
Oh come on! You can’t be serious!! This complete favoritism!

Foley:
No. It’s called ‘punishment’. Now get outta here before I do the alternative for interrupting a terrific match and that’d be suspension.
~Helms stares a hole through Foley before Mick sarcastically waves at him. Helms’ face fills with distain as he walks away, still mumbling in anger to himself when we fade away…


Our screen pops up to the white backdrop of regular webcast promos, complete with not one, not two, but three men standing before us. Carlito stands in the middle of Siaki and Manu, the latter of which has Aero Star’s mask from This is Exile in his mouth. Carlito tosses his apple up and down before looking smugly in the camera and starting to talk again.

Carlito:
So dis Wednesday, Carlito an’ his crew has to face a team Carlito’s already beaten. How sad.
~Carlito turns to Siaki, no nods his head

Carlito:
The sad part is, Carlito beat team “SuperPsicoStar” all by himself. Ju’ three are as much a disgrace to dis Trios Tournament as ju’ are to the Hispanic culture.
~Carlito points a finger right through the camera

Carlito:
Do ju’ remember last time, mijos? Carlito overcame the odds, unmasked Aero Star, an’ walked away with a win…an’ a nice trophy.
~Carlito points to the mask in the jaws of Manu

Carlito:
An’ that was when Carlito jus’ had himself left. Now, he’s got Siaki an’ Manu – the Samoan Fight Club. Two guys who jus’ don’t care an’ jus’ want to kick ass. Not just one ass – ALL of j’our assess!
~Carlito gets a little hammy on that line as Siaki nods his head again

Carlito:
So if ju’ think dat last time was bad, amigos…jus’ ju wait.

Siaki:
That’s right. Aero Star, Psicosis, and Super Crazy, you’ve got a wave of despair comin’ your way. So you’d better wipe those stupid Mexican grins off of your faces. When it comes to wreckin’ unworthy teams, there’s none better than the Samoan Fight Club and Carlito Colon. Because what we do best is –

Manu:
WE DESTROY!!
~…but you also drop the mask when you open the mouth to shout…

Carlito:
An’ dat…das cool.
~Carlito takes a bit of the apple before reaching down and getting the mask and holding it up to the camera and throwing it at the lens, showing an utter sign of disrespect as we fade away…




2.27.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Unprettying”



Last week on Oblivion, we followed the tale of Robert Szatowski trying to drink his regrets and sorrows away. Throughout the entire broadcast, the guise that Finlay put on as a happy, peace-seeking Irishman faded as quickly as he put it on, showing his true motives. After Finlay was more than satisfied in watching Szatowski break himself with round after round after round, Szatowski’s troubles came full circle to hit him…and then he hit Finlay with a bottle!! Finally, the rage that has been locked inside Robert Szatowski for months seems to be awaking and perhaps he may even find himself. But for now, he will take on the man who destroyed his life in AOW’s first ever Bar Room Brawl.

Also last week, we finally got a little bit of an explanation from Paul Heyman regarding he and Shawn Michaels’ alliance…but we never heard from Shawn Michaels himself. Heyman has promised to give Michaels airtime this week to do so, but to go with that, one of the men Michaels keeps kicking in the face is Christian Cage. Christian is hot on Michaels’ tail for what he’s doing, but this week, he’ll have to sit back and settle his own problems as he helps his friend Samoa Joe take out the trash that trashed him when the two take on the Jericho-controlled team of American Made.

The man the entire wrestling world has been buzzing about for weeks is none other than AOW’s newest roster member, “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks. The racially fueled “Saint” has only appeared once after his surprise defection, but word through the grapevine has been saying that Banks will be in New York in person. There’s only one man who actually wants to see him, though, and that man is Dynasty Champion CM Punk. With Punk vowing to not actually address Banks until he could look him in the eye, it’s now Punk’s turn to do what he does best and that’s verbally run a man down. Punk confronts The Boondock Saint, possibly to his face.

The AOW Trios Tournament is in its final legs, and it’s produced some matches of beauty thus far – from the twenty minute contest to open the Tourney to the shocking defeat of Ken Doane by Aero Star to the brutal beatdown from the Samoan Fight Club, teams are pulling out all the stops to get the crown and be able to call themselves the best three headed dragon in AOW. Despite not doing anything to truly ‘steal the spotlight’ in the Tournament, the meticulous and genius Mercenaries, Inc. has already punched their ticket to the finals. Who will join them? It’s some teams with unfinished business – the new three Amigos in SuperPsicoStar take their new and healed captain up against a nemesis who is hell bent on embarrassing them once again in Carlito Colon.

But that’s not all!! Gregory Helms has to atone for interrupting the main event last week from Bryan Danielson himself, AOW Champion Chris Jericho is back in attendance, and the schism of the World’s Greatest Tag Team continues. All this (and more!!) on the next Wednesday Night Oblivion, 9/8c only on FX!!

---


.:Confirmed For Oblivion:.

!!IRISH BAR ROOM BRAWL!!
Robert Szatowski v. Finlay

American Made v. Samoa Joe & Christian Cage

Gregory Helms v. ???
{Bryan Danielson picks the opponent}

---

AOW Trios Tournament – Rd. 2
SuperPsicoStar v. Carlito Colon & The Samoan Fight Club

PLUS…

CM Punk addresses Antonio Banks (in person?)

AND…

Shawn Michaels gets to tell his side


If all goes well, should be able to get this show up by mid/end of the weekend. Hope all are well until then :eek:
 
#220 ·

2.27.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Unprettying”



We’re immediately brought to the Hammerstein with no opening video package. There’s an immense round of heat going on through the arena and we see why as soon as the screen lights up, with Paul Heyman in his wheelchair and Shawn Michaels standing center ring, virtually in the same positions they were when last we went off the air last week. Heyman is actually positioned behind Michaels this time, as HBK is the one in the center of the ring. Michaels’ hair, shining as if it’s been gelled, is pulled back into a ponytail;his frozen in numbness face covered in unsettling stubble. He’s also wearing a black dress shirt and a pair of black pants, capped off with a gray tie. Nothing about this Shawn Michaels looks ‘real’ at all except for his harrowing facial expression. Paul Heyman slowly brings a microphone to his lips amidst the roaring heat from the crowd.

Paul Heyman:
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m so glad you could all join us tonight because right now, I will officially give my investment, Shawn Michaels, this microphone so that he may speak his piece.

~Heyman hands the microphone out. When Michaels turns to grab it, Heyman pulls it right back to his lips

Paul Heyman:
And may I quickly remind Mr. Michaels that his spoken piece had better sit well with his employer. Or he will be appropriately punished.

~The dictator that is Heyman glares at his puppet, who stares back with nothing but contempt in his eyes as he snatches the microphone away, but stays in Heyman’s face

Shawn Michaels:
Paul, you just gave Shawn Michaels a live, open microphone. When I’m done with this, trust me, the only thing that’ll be sitting well with you is that wheelchair.

~A nice pop from the crowd for that line, as Heyman’s face contorts into one of fear while Michaels’ twists into one of…classical HBK smug…?

Shawn Michaels:
To you, Paul Heyman, all I am is a good investment. But to me…all you are is a first class sucker.

~Heyman is on the verge of sweating bullets here

Shawn Michaels:
Did you really think I had stooped that low? That I would sell my soul to the devil and voluntarily be his puppet?

~Heyman’s lips start to quiver as he tries to come up with a response

Shawn Michaels:
I’m the Headliner. The Showstopper. The Heart – Break – Kid. A guy like me will never bow down to the likes of you.

~A grand pop from the crowd there, as Heyman just keeps staring back in awe and anger

Shawn Michaels:
You may own a piece of Shawn Michaels. But you will never own Shawn Michaels.

~Another huge pop here, as Michaels stares defiantly right into Heyman’s eyes…before tearing away and going back to the center of the ring to possibly address the crowd, his face getting a bit more serious

Shawn Michaels:
For the past few weeks, I’ve done a couple of things I’ve been doin’ my entire career. One of those things has been, well, kicking everyone and their mother’s teeth down their throats.

~A bit of unrest on that one, as some of the men Michaels has downed have been fan favorites

Shawn Michaels:
And another has been, well…stealing the spotlight.

~The buzz continues as Michaels adjusts his tie

Shawn Michaels:
And see normally, I’d take pride in both of those things. But I can’t do that. I’m not proud of kicking Mick Foley. I’m not proud of kicking Christian Cage. I’m not proud…oh, wait, I actually am proud of kicking Chris Jericho.

~A completely expected pop roars for the damage done to that last name

Shawn Michaels:
But that’s because I don’t have a beef with Mick Foley. If it weren’t for Mick, I wouldn’t have signed in AOW in the first place.

~Michaels again adjusts his tie

Shawn Michaels:
I don’t have a beef with Christian, either. As downright disrobed as I think he is, he actually tried to save me from the very fate I’m suffering from right now. He tried to warn me. And just like everyone else, I didn’t listen.

~Michaels looks haunted by that memory

Shawn Michaels:
No, my only issues are with Chris Jericho…and with you, Paul Heyman.

~Heyman’s expression hasn’t changed since Michaels got out of his face

Shawn Michaels:
You did everything in your power to get me off your roster, out of this company, and out of your life. And I sat there and heard everything you said last week. What was it you called me…? A “cancer”…?

~Michaels again starts to slowly approach his wheelchair bound boss

Shawn Michaels:
I listened to everything. I felt everything. But all I could actually hear were the words of a desperate, desperate man.

~Michaels now looms over Heyman

Shawn Michaels:
You’re playing up this notion that I’ve sold out. That I need you and your contract negotiations to get back in this ring and get what I want, but in reality, Paul Heyman, you’re the one who has sold out. You’re the one who has sold his soul.

~Heyman is shaking his head, but Michaels isn’t buying

Shawn Michaels:
Resigning me and keeping me on a short leash isn’t “good business”. It’s the sign of a man who is in so much trouble, he doesn’t even know how to get out.

~Michaels again gets in Heyman’s face

Shawn Michaels:
The troubling thing about that, Paul, is that you’re a pretty bright guy. I’ll give the devil his due.

~Michaels says this genuinely

Shawn Michaels:
But when a man in a position like you is this desperate…I can’t help but think there’s something more going on here.

~Michaels gets dangerously close to Heyman here, but Heyman freaks out and grabs the microphone right out of Michaels’ hands

Paul Heyman:
There is nothing more going on! I brought you back because I wanted to get back at Mick Foley, because I wanted to get back at Chris Jericho, and because I literally just wanted to see you squirm!

~Heyman looks defiantly at Michaels now

Paul Heyman:
Your actions tonight have not been authorized by me! And to have you even suggest that I, Paul E. Heyman, am a desperate man is absolutely ludicrous. And I absolutely will not stand for it! This is enough! I knew I should have never let you say anything.

~The crowd throws tremendous heat on the ‘desperate’ Heyman

Paul Heyman:
Now wheel me out of this ring and go to the back now before I strip you of your title shot and suspend you…or worse!!


Michaels is back to his resentful gaze peering right into Heyman’s soul with pure hatred…but then suddenly, “JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES” hits the fray, as Christian Cage comes out through the curtain to an amazing ovation, both Heyman and Michaels looking up to see the Man on the Moon making his way down the ramp and slide into the ring, microphone in hand. The madness in his eyes is still ever present.

Christian:
Excuse me, boss, but I kind of have this little thing about you silencing men who accuse you of things and then pushing them out of your company.

~An easy to scout reference, the crowd popping a bit for it

Christian:
So one part of me is saying let this man say his piece. Because whether you like it or not, he still seems like the same old Shawn Michaels to me…

~A nice pop there as Michaels lets out the smallest, but noticeable, smirk

Christian:
…but the other part of me is saying I also have this other little thing about guys kicking my head off and stepping in on my title matches.

~On that note, Christian goes from Heyman to getting right into HBK’s face. Michaels’ small smirk disappears almost instantly

Christian:
So as interested as I am in what you think this man is up to…

~Christian points one of his long arms at Heyman

Christian:
…I think you’d better answer me and everyone else’s question and that’s what exactly are you up to?

~Cage lowers his microphone and gets nose to nose with Michaels, who promptly reaches over and snatches the microphone out of the grip of Heyman

Shawn Michaels:
Christian. I just wanna say to your face that man to man, I have no problem with you. My business has nothing to do with you.

~Michaels shows some hand gestures here, saying he really wants no part of Christian

Shawn Michaels:
But that brings me around to the other thing I’ve been doing these last couple of weeks and that’s that I can’t take pride in stealing the spotlight like I’m used to. To be honest, I kind of feel bad for taking it off of you.

~Christian is intrigued, not exactly sure how to take that notion

Shawn Michaels:
See, I don’t know if you’ve followed my career or not, Moonman, but…I kind of have this thing where I make things all about me.

~A small pop is heard, while Christian has to nod in agreement. The guy certainly has a point

Shawn Michaels:
I don’t do it intentionally, it just…happens. But I actually agree with Mick Foley, and I’m sure you share the same thought – this whole thing should be about you finally getting your shot at Chris Jericho.

~The crowd has a small applause to go along with this idea, as I’m sure many of you reading might be joining in on as well :side:

Shawn Michaels:
But it’s actually insulting to me that people think that way.

~The short applause turns to a bit of buzz and heat, as Christian now gets tense once more

Christian:
You don’t have the right to say that. You don’t have a right to say that at all.

~Cage gets in Michaels’ face once more

Christian:
This was my match. I have worked my way from being alienated by everyone around me to being the only beacon of light in this entire company to being it’s one and only hope of survival.

~Cage’s eyes glow with madness, while Michaels’ reverts back to an unintimidated blank

Christian:
So my apologies if the fact that I have worked my ass off in every facet to deserve my shot at the AOW Championship is insulting to you, Shawn.

~A pop goes out as Cage and Michaels stand deadlocked in gazes

Shawn Michaels:
You’re not listening to me, Christian. I’m not taking that away from you. I’m not insulted by you deserving your shot. What’s insulting to me is the fact that people think you’re the only man who is deserving of a shot.

~Michaels now stares back hard. He momentarily glares over at Heyman, who is frozen in fear just as uncomfortable as he was just a few moments ago

Shawn Michaels:
See, the biggest reason I came back isn’t just because I hate Chris Jericho. It isn’t just because I want another shot at the AOW Championship. It’s because of the reputation I’ve gotten that almost got me kicked outta here for good. It’s because of the very thing your friend and partner tonight, Samoa Joe, keeps bringing up in regards to me.

~Michaels pokes at Christian’s chest, also giving a small plug to tonight’s tag match

Shawn Michaels:
And that one thing…was what happened one faithful night in Montreal over ten years ago.

~A buzz of interest, Christian now looking like he’s actually listening

Shawn Michaels:
It all happened in that same building we’re gonna be in on March 16th. The Belle Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

~Christian perhaps now starts to understand…

Shawn Michaels:
You may deserve your shot at the AOW Championship, but what I deserve is to finally quell those demons that’ve been hounding me for years. You may have redeemed yourself and cast out all your demons on your way to The Outer Lmits…but for me…

~Michaels again takes a sharp quick stare at Heyman before looking back at Christian

Shawn Michaels:
Winning the AOW Championship in the place where it all happened is the only shot at redemption I have. So with all due respect, Christian, from one man that has had to work his way to redemption to another – I will topple anyone I have to…

~Michaels looks at Heyman

Shawn Michaels:
…and do anything I have to…

~HBK goes back to Christian

Shawn Michaels:
To make sure I get that redemption.

~Michaels now gets directly in Christian’s face here, the crowd buzzing big time. Heyman even looks to cover for what could be another brawl…but Christian simply takes a step back and puts the microphone to his lips

Christian:
Michaels, it sounds to me like your biggest beef then isn’t with Paul Heyman. It isn’t even with Chris Jericho. It’s with yourself.

~Christian’s eyes seem to have softened up. Almost as if they’re…understanding?

Christian:
It hurts me to see you like this, Shawn. I mean, you look like a puppet. And yet, you remind me so much of me a few months ago. I was looking for the same thing that you’re looking for right now and that was a way out. Any way out.

~Cage cuts his hands through the air to signify how far and wide he looked

Christian:
And when I decided to go through anyone and everyone to prove myself, to get to that little ray of light and force my way out, I completely shut everyone else around me out. I became alone. And that’s exactly what you are, Shawn.

~Michaels’ stoic face now twists to one of intrigue

Christian:
You can make all the cases you want to about Paul Heyman being a desperate man, but to me and the guys in the back? You’re the one who looks desperate. You literally sold yourself out of hatred to yourself, not because of anyone else. Trust me when I say I know exactly that feeling. But then again, Michaels, you're not a stranger to it either.

~This actually seems to touch Michaels, who takes a few steps back and grips one of the ropes as he looks down in possible self-inspection

Christian:
When you do that – when you sell yourself and don’t think about anything else – you become exactly like the things you’re fighting against. I was no better than the Bobby Lashleys and Chris Jerichos were then. And now, you’re no better than Chris Jericho or Paul Heyman. It’s you who becomes desperate. It’s you who becomes that cancer.

~Michaels is obviously rattled by this, now looking to stroke his fingers through his hair

Christian
:
Beware he who fights monsters…

~Christian now stares over at Heyman

Christian:
…because he himself will become a monster.

~Christian looks back over to Michaels, who has turned his back to Christian completely

Christian:
So Shawn, I know you want redemption of some sort, but all it looks like is just you punishing yourself. And that’s your own war to fight.

~Michaels still hasn’t moved, just staring blankly into the floor

Christian:
But as my own personal form of punishment for you interfering in my war to fight -


Christian suddenly lunges at Michaels, hooking both of his arms while Michaels isn’t looking at him. Before HBK can retaliate, Christian twists Michaels around…UNPRETTIER!! UNPRETTIER!! MICHAELS’ FACE IS DRIVEN INTO THE CANVAS!! As questionable in motive as that move may be, the crowd goes nuts for Christian obviously getting back at Michaels for all those weeks of getting Chin Music over and over. Heyman is left with his mouth agape and Cage now staring with intensity at his handiwork…before turning towards Heyman with the same glare. He says something to Heyman that isn’t audible for us, but it makes Heyman sweat even more before Cage walks out of the ring.

Joey Styles:
Some retribution to kick off Wednesday Night Oblivion!! Joey Styles alongside John “Bradshaw” Layfield where we’ve just started the night with Shawn Michaels finally having his say and from what we’ve just seen, Christian Cage also had his say!

JBL:
An’ Christian Cage is a big hypocrite! How can you deny a man who is in the same exact position as you are?

Joey Styles:
With all due respect to Shawn Michaels, but you mean a man who has been pumped and manufactured by the boss himself that he sold his soul to? How can he deny that this man has done everything he possibly can and deserves to get his shot at Chris Jericho?

JBL:
I can because it’s my right as an American citizen to boast an opinion an’ not have you ask questions over an’ over. I thought I asked you to shut up last week.

Joey Styles:
Well, that was last week, John. Slate’s clean tonight.

JBL:
That insults my intelligence, Joey.

Joey Styles:
Well then good. But what did Christian say to Paul Heyman? It couldn't have been anything Heyman wanted to hear.

JBL:
I don't think anything Paul Heyman's heard tonight has been anything he wants to hear.

Joey Styles:
A case could be made for that and while we couldn't hear Christian's remark, you heard it just now – we know where Shawn Michaels stands. Shawn Michaels wants a shot at redemption, to put his entire past behind us and he thinks what will cleanse his spirit is the AOW Championship.

JBL:
The soon to be AOW WORLD Heavyweight Championship, Joey.

Joey Styles:
That is true. Where Shawn Michaels wishes to begin anew in Canada, the AOW Championship will be given new life as well, but that’ll be in three weeks when Shawn Michaels, Christian Cage, and Chris Jericho meet for the gold.

JBL:
Tonight, we have what could be just as much on the line.

Joey Styles:
Indeed we could because despite what was probably drunk talk by means of Finlay, tonight, we will see Robert Szatowski come out of his self-imposed retirement and take on the very man who has made his life a living hell. Szatowski challenges Finlay to a Bar Room Brawl!

JBL:
There ain’t no better place for a fight, Joey!

Joey Styles:
I’m sure you’d endorse that, John, but also tonight we’ve gotten word that “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks is gonna be here tonight…or maybe he’s not? Not a whole lot of clarification on that, but regardless, CM Punk is here and he’s ready to give Banks a piece of his mind.

JBL:
That’s not somethin’ to look forward to.

Joey Styles:
Your adoration for CM Punk is well documented, John. But also tonight, we’ve got the final semi-final match in the AOW Trios Tournament, as well as a big tag team match. Samoa Joe was viciously assaulted by American Made at the demands of Chris Jericho. Tonight, we’ll see Christian again as he tags up with Samoa Joe to take down those same two gentlemen. We’ve got a big, brutal night on tap, so don’t go anywhere!


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



As we return from the break, our ears are immediately greeted by the sound of “IT’S TIME – HACKER’S REMIX”, as Gregory Helms makes his way through the curtain and down the ramp. Contrary to his expression a few weeks ago, Helms isn’t nearly as confident looking, but he still has a very ‘unstable’, if you will, twinge to his face. It’s almost…twitching? Whatever is happening, Helms rolls into the ring and asks for a microphone

Helms:
So evidently we have quite the corrupt administration going on here. They seem to like playing favorites.

~Helms twitches an eye

Helms:
But last week, I tried to do them and everyone else a favor in Bryan Danielson’s match last week. I didn’t interfere and cost him a win and some gold. Oh no. I was merely helping the referee make the right decision.

~And the crowd throws heat for that terrible excuse

Helms:
Boo it all you want, but the fact is that a champion is someone who exemplifies the best in their field. Bryan Danielson ain’t worth the gold he’s got now, so why the hell would he deserve another strap?

~Heat as Helms creeps back into his slasher smile territory…

Helms:
When you hold the gold, it means you’re the best, which is something I’ve drilled home on more than one occasion that Bryan Danielson is not. He is not the best cruiserweight in the world. He is not the best wrestler in the world. And he is not gonna walk out of The Outer Limits with the Cruiserweight Championship.

~Helms stops to gather more heat

Helms:
And all that is because the man who is the best and the man who will beat him on March 16th…is me. So go ahead, Danielson. Send out whoever it is you want, whatever shmuck you’ve picked as my ‘punishment’. Because I can assure you, more than anything, that I’m just flat out better than them. And Danielson, I’ll always be better than you.


Helms drops the microphone from his lips as his killing smile starts to grow on his face while he waits. Not too long afterward, “THE FINAL COUNTDOWN” rings out across the arena as the ever determined Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson steps through the curtain, his expression also telling a story. He has a microphone as well, walking down the ramp with it to his lips

Danielson:
Helms, all you wanna do is talk. I’m so far past that now. There’s nothing I want to do more than beat you down.

~A pop, as Danielson keeps marching towards the ring, Helms getting more and more antsy

Danielson:
But let me introduce your opponent tonight. He’s a guy I know pretty well. He’s one of the greatest cruiserweights in the world and he has a pretty big grudge against you for what you’ve done to him in the past.

~The crowd is building up here, even some chants of “619!! 619!” going around

Danielson:
And that man…IS ME!!


WHAT THE HELL?!? Danielson bulrushes the ring, dropping his mike, and slides underneath the bottom rope!! We’re gonna get a match from The Outer Limits RIGHT HERE TONIGHT!!

OPENING CONTEST
AOW Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson
v.
Gregory Helms


Danielson slides right in and immediately shoots in on Helms’ and starts beat the hell out of him unmercifully!!! There’s rights and lefts flying all over the place, with Helms being forced to cover up after being taken by complete surprise. The entire crowd is on their feet as Danielson just wails away the man who has antagonized his very existence since both men set foot in the company, but Helms finds some way to knock the enraged Danielson off of him and tries to crawl away. He only manages to get to the ropes, only for Danielson to jump him again and chunk him into a corner, now wailing Helms when he has nowhere to go!!

Danielson even gets a solid kick to the midsection in that rocks Helms’ whole body like it did Shelton Benjamin’s a week ago, but as Danielson gears back for another kick, Helms lowers his level and blatantly brings Danielson to his knees by nailing him with a LOW BLOW!! Referee Ray Ramsey has absolutely no choice but to go ahead and call for the bell after only a few brutal seconds.

Winner by DQ: Bryan Danielson at (1:13)

Helms rolls away from the wreckage that he’s caused, but he doesn’t crawl out of the ring. Instead, he just avoids Danielson and goes over to grab the Cruiserweight Championship belt that he, at some point, snapped off of his waist before the ensuing brawl. Helms holds the belt in his hands like it’s a child, cradling it and looking at his reflection in the glistening gold. The face looking back at him is one that’s back to having it’s slasher smile. He pulls the title out of his face and awaits Danielson’s recovery, stalking him…stalking him…stalking him…charging to NAIL DANIELSON WITH THE CHAMPIONSHIP…NO!!

Danielson suddenly springs back to life after clutching his groin, TACKLING Helms down, ducking to avoid the title itself! Danielson looks to start his beatdown once again, but he wraps his arms around Helms’ wrists and forces him to drop the title and brings his feet to Helms’ body…LOOKING FOR THE WRIST-CLUTCH STOMPS…NO!!! Helms wriggles out, crawling on his shoulder blades and using a foot to force Danielson away. Helms then crawls underneath the bottom rope and slinks to the floor before making his way right back up the ramp. Danielson looks to be in hot pursuit, but the senior referee actually stops him, the whole scenario getting great heat from the crowd. Danielson is absolutely furious, and as shocked as Helms may have been, he’s the one leaving with the smile on his face for some reason…​


Joey Styles:
What the hell is goin’ on here!?! Bryan Danielson just abused a loophole to get his hands on Gregory Helms!

JBL:
See, Joey, why the hell would you ask a question, an’ then answer it yourself? That defeats the entire purpose.

Joey Styles:
Stop picking on me and focus on what’s going on the ring!

JBL:
What’s happening is Gregory Helms has just be proven right! This entire administration is corrupt. But hey, it’s not like I’ve been preachin’ that same thing for months now.

Joey Styles:
How is Bryan Danielson finding a loophole a sign of corrupt administration?

JBL:
It’s not a loophole if the administration knows damn well that that’s what Danielson was gonna do!

Joey Styles:
It’s fun listening to you pull the most ridiculous things out of your ass.

JBL:
It’s not ridiculous. It’s right there in front of all of you! God, I feel like Christian used to.

Joey Styles:
Well, Gregory Helms managed to weasel away from Danielson on this occasion, but coming up next, neither Finlay nor Rob Szatowski will be able to get away from one another when they’ll be locked in the Swift Bar not too far from here and be forced into a brawl. All of Szatowski’s pent up frustration will come to a boil. And that’s coming up…NEXT!!


~Backstage, locker room area…


We turn now to see American Made, both blond All-Americans standing at attention. They both look just a tad anxious, but we see why after a moment or so when AOW Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho steps into frame and shows up on Oblivion for the first time since he didn’t physically show up last week. Jericho’s in his suit as usual, the AM boys in competitive attire.


Chris Jericho:
I’m very impressed with what you boys did to Samoa Joe. I was actually able to take a week off thanks to you.

~Jericho is walking in a circle around the tag team, almost like a hungry shark…

Chris Jericho:
But there’s still more work to be done. I, nor anyone else in that War Chamber with me can touch Christian Cage. But you gentlemen certainly can.

~Jericho stops his predacious circling and now gets close to both men’s faces, Nameth letting out an audible gulp

Chris Jericho:
I want you to maim him. Make sure he can’t walk out of this arena on his own power. I don’t care what that takes. Got it?

~Nameth and Hagar nod in agreement

Chris Jericho:
And if Samoa Joe tries to get in the way, well, I’ve got a plan for him too.

Nameth:
But Jericho, we just –

Chris Jericho:
Do not comment. Do not ask questions. I only say and then you only do. When you have paid your debt to me then, and only then, can you go off in search for your little princess. But before you can find her, you must slay the dragon, no? And for you, that dragon’s name is Christian Cage.

~Nameth and Hagar’s faces stern up before looking at each other before looking at the cold as ice Jericho and nodding. They then leave the scene, presumably to get ready for the main event. As they walk off, an all too sinister smirk spreads itself across Jericho’s face as we fade away…


The entire screen begins to cut in and out of static until we’re brought to what looks like an executive office scene, a chair sitting behind a desk. The entire scene is dimly lit and grungy looking until the chair swivels around to reveal Chris Jericho in a suit and a sinister smirk.

Chris Jericho:
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.


The scene throbs in static for a moment before returning to clarity, except this time, all color is sucked out of it and monochrome

Chris Jericho:
I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume.


The camera begins to slowly move towards Jericho, then it cuts away to the Hammerstein Ballroom losing their minds and cracking decibel levels

Chris Jericho:
If I wish to make it softer, I will tune it to a whisper.


It again flashes to Jericho staring hypnotically, then flashes back to Jericho holding the AOW Championship high to nothing but silence over the bodies of Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, and Bryan Danielson

Chris Jericho:
I can reduce the focus to a soft blur…


The scene gets blurry and out of focus so much, that we can’t make it out anymore…

Chris Jericho:
…or sharpen it to crystal clarity.


When the picture reforms, we’re on a very close up shot in the office of Jericho, his eyes locked on us as though he truly is getting us under his control

Chris Jericho:
I will control the horizontal.


As he says that now, a scene flashes of a horizontal white line that trails behind Bobby Lashley as he spears Rob Van Dam through a table from the World Ablaze main event

Chris Jericho:
I will control the vertical.


Another scene flash, this one of a vertical white line following Ken Doane as he puts Paul Heyman through the announce table with the Sky High Leg Drop

Chris Jericho:
For the first several months of this company, I have dominated all and proven my worth. Now I need more lands to conquer.


We’re back to Jericho now, pulling away from his close up, his puppetmaster fingers interlocking with each other on the front of his desk, the color somewhat returning to the scene, but everything is tinted with a red and white hue

Chris Jericho:
And I won’t just go for more things alone. Oh no. You all are coming with me. I will control what you see and hear.


We continue to pull back from the desk, but Jericho’s eyes haven’t budged

Chris Jericho:
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to...The Outer Limits.


As Jericho says that, the wall behind him becomes draped with a tattered, bloody Canadian flag





~ART OF WAR WRESTING PRESENTS~

THE OUTER LIMITS
!!A THREE-HOUR PAY-PER-VIEW SPECIAL!!
Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


~Backstage, Green Zone interview set…


The Miz:
I am Mike “The Miz” Mizanin here ladies and gents, back here in the Green Zone to excite you and ignite you with world-class wrestling journalism. But both guys I’m with this time aren’t really “exciting”. So without further ado, my guests at this time – the AOW Tag Team Champions, the World’s Greatest Tag Team!

~Benjamin and Haas enter the frame, but on opposite ends. There’s an unbelievable amount of tension here

The Miz:
Ugh…could you two act any more like a couple breaking up?

~Both Benjamin and Haas now sharply shift their stares to Miz, who seems to shit his pants for his second appearance in a row

The Miz:
Um…onto the interview then! Last week, we all saw what happened in your Tag Team Championship defense and your disagreement following. And we all saw the exclusive online footage of you two –

Benjamin:
We don’t need you to recap. We know what happened.

Haas:
Actually, we don’t exactly know what happened. But we’re moving past it because these titles mean more than just some disagreement.

~Miz sheepishly looks like he wants to get out of the way, the champs back to staring at one another

Benjamin:
Exactly. They mean we’re winners. By whatever means necessary.

Haas:
Without sacrificing honor. Right Shelton?

The Miz:
Uh…guys…

~Haas and Benjamin turn to look at Miz. When they do so, he directs them to behind Haas, both men now catching sight of TJ Wilson and Harry Smith – the Sons of the Dungeon

Haas:
What do you guys want?

Wilson:
We didn’t mean to interrupt, but you told us last week that if you retained your titles, we’d resume our conversation.

Smith:
And while we don’t agree at all with how you guys actually did retain those titles…you did retain them.

~Haas shoots the unflinching Benjamin a look before Shelton steps forward and in the SOTD’s personal space

Benjamin:
Yeah. We did. So?

Wilson:
So now I don’t see any contenders for your titles. And Harry and I can’t think of anyone better to face you guys in the heart of Canada than the Sons of the Dungeon.

~There’s a pop heard from beyond the walls for that notion. Benjamin looks at Haas, almost daring him to give into the challenge and re-spark their problems. But…

Haas:
You guys did pin us a few weeks ago. It would be nice to defend that honor…

~Haas shoots a glance at Benjamin

Haas:
…but since I’ve been told I get out of hand with these things, I’ll leave it up to Shelton.

~Benjamin now looks at Haas before looking at the two youngsters before him…and giggles to himself

Benjamin:
You guys beating us a few weeks ago was a joke. So you guys facing us in Canada or anywhere else for that matter? That’d make us jokes. But these titles…these titles are serious business. When you guys wanna get serious…then we can resume this conversation.

~Benjamin walks off, Haas obviously not approving of the tone and Benjamin’s words. He gives the SOTD a look that lets them know that before going off, presumably after Benjamin. They leave the Sons to soak in their words as we fade away…


~Back at ringside…


We return to the ring area only to see a vast majority of the crowd LOSING THEIR SHIT, but we’re not exactly sure why. When we take a look back at the entrance ramp, we can see why, as Robert Szatowski is walking down an AOW ramp for the first time in two whole months. The anguished hero isn’t in any competitive attire, just in a black t-shirt and jeans and he comes down, sans any entrance music. Szatowski doesn’t look up to address anyone in the crowd, his head down and looking very similar to, but not as artificial, as Shawn Michaels did earlier. Like the soulless Michaels earlier, Szatowski has a look of intense regret in his eye, even when the entire arena is popping for him. Rob has a microphone in hand and proceeds to stand in the center of the ring.

“RVD!! RVD!! RVD!! RVD!!”


Szatowski:
Please…please stop chanting that…


“RVD!! RVD!! RVD!!”

Szatowski:
Please…please respect me enough to stop saying that…


“WHOLE FUCKIN’ SHOW!! WHOLE FUCKIN’ SHOW!! WHOLE FUCKIN’ SHOW!!”

Szatowski:
STOP THAT!! ALL OF YOU, STOP THAT!!

~The energized and smartass crowd are suddenly silenced by the wail of a broken man

Szatowski:
That’s not…that’s not who I am anymore. That name doesn’t have a meaning. And last week, I said some things that didn’t have meaning.

~Szatowski plays with his hair a bit

Szatowski:
I was…under an influence and I challenged Finlay to a Bar Room Brawl out of a fit of anger.

~Szatowski rubs his eyes

Szatowski:
But I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. I felt like I owed it to you fans and the production team and the promoters and everyone an apology for making you all think I’d end my retirement for a match tonight.

~Szatowski get a bit of disappointment heat for that one

Szatowski:
I’m Robert Szatowski and my time in this ring is at an end. I’m sorry for leading any of you on. Now please will you all leave me alone so I can –

???
Hey Robbie!! You stood me up, lad!

~Rob and the entire arena look up to the AOW Yin-Yang Big Screen, which now has a neck-up image of Dave Finlay, right at the Swift Bar

Finlay:
We were supposed to fight here, Robbie! You were supposed to finally show me what for.

~We get a shot of Szatowski staring angrily at the screen

Finlay:
You’re breakin’ my heart, Robbie. We were gonna have a breathtaking brawl.

~Finlay lets out the fakest sad face anyone has ever seen

Finlay:
So I guess I’m just gonna have to break your heart. An’ make it hard for you…

~The camera pans down from Finlay’s neck to show us Finlay’s arm WITH A DEATHGRIP AROUND SONYA SZATOWSKI’S NECK.

Finlay:
…to breathe.

Szatowski and the entire arena is paralyzed in shock, Sonya not able to call out for help to her husband or anything

Finlay:
You didn’t tell you lady you weren’t comin’ down here, Robbie? She came down here wantin’ to see you beat me up. But you weren’t here!

~On that, Finlay takes the choking Sonya and THROWS HER FACE FIRST INTO THE COUNTER. Any buzz in the bar stops when this happens, but Finlay develops a sick toothy grin

Finlay:
You see this, Robbie? This is what you wanted! You said wanted a Bar Room Brawl, so I’m givin’ it to ya!

Szatowski:
Your fight’s with ME, Finlay!! Let her go!!

Finlay:
You asked for a Bar Room Brawl, but you never said you wanted it. An’ I said I’d face a Szatowski…I never said it’d be with you!

~Finlay looks ominously now at the hurting Sonya before revealing what’s in his other hand…the dreaded shillelagh. Sonya tries to prop herself up from the bar and can be heard crying a bit before she stands up…

Szatowski:
STOP IT, FINLAY!!

Joey Styles:
No Finlay…please, God no…


…FINLAY CRACKS SONYA SZATOWSKI OVER THE HEAD WITH THE SHILLELAGH!!
Sonya drops lifelessly to the pub’s hardwood floor, her hair falling over her face and making her look like a woman broken. Finlay lets out a hearty, cruel, and evil laugh. We get a quick shot back to Rob in the ring, who look absolutely devastated. Rob drops the microphone in his hand in utter shock…before dropping to his knees.

He soon gets on his hands and knees, his head down and his face hidden. Never has anyone looked more like a broken man. The entire rambunctious audience has fallen deathly silent, no one knowing what to say, think, or feel at the moment. The screen has gone off, but from the shaking body of Robert Szatowski, he can still hear the laughter of a cruel Irishman ringing in his head. Stepping into frame after this whole moment is captured is Joey Styles, who has left the commentators table and tries to bring his old friend back to his feet. Szatowski won’t lift his head, let alone his body. The almost equally devastated Styles then doesn’t try to help Rob up, instead going down to talk to him on all fours. The image of Joey Styles trying to console a decimated Rob Szatowski is what we last see before we fade away…



**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


We return from the break, right back at the ringside booth with a look of genuine horror and concern etched on the face of Joey Styles.

Joey Styles:
Well ladies and gentlemen, um…we’ve seen the envelope be pushed here in AOW on a weekly, monthly basis. We’ve seen some of the most graphic things go down in this ring, but what just happened was…was just too much.

JBL:
Y’know, I’ve often called Dave Finlay the model of the perfect wrestler but after what just happened, I don’t know if I can call him the perfect human being.

Joey Styles:
If you can even call him a human being. There’s mind games and then there’s destructive, disgusting, and deliberate targeting of a single man. There’s absolutely nothing redeemable about what Dave Finlay just did.

JBL:
I’m all for things goin’ a little bit farther, but even I don’t think Rob Szatowski deserved that.

Joey Styles:
No. He didn’t. No one deserved to sit there and be powerless to stop what just happened.

JBL:
But even so, the show has to go on.


As wracked as the audience may be, the next thing we hear is “MEXICANO MUY LOCO”, with the team known as SuperPsicoStar making their way through the curtain to perhaps lighten the mood and lift the spirits. While their appearance gets a pop, it’s obvious the crowd is a bit drained. The three proud Mexicans take what they can get and play up to the fans all the way down the ramp and into the ring, ready to perhaps exact some revenge against the man who has disrespected them since he got here.

“QUEN SOY YO” blares out now, getting more negative viscosity than the pop did, as Carlito Colon comes down with his Samoan Fight Club in tow. Carlito takes a bit of his apple and pulls the mask of Aero Star out of his blazer pocket before saying a few things to both Siaki and Manu. Both of them nod before going around the ring to the ‘heel corner’. Carlito taunts his opponents by continually playing with the mask before taking his chewed up apple and spitting on it. Aero Star damn near rushes across the ring, but he has to be restrained by Crazy and Psicosis. Carlito and Siaki laugh a little, and even Manu gets a small smirk before the bell gets rung.

MATCH 2
~AOW Trios Tournament Rd. 2~
SuperPsicoStar
v.
Carlito Colon & Samoan Fight Club


All six men have a moment to showcase themselves for much of the early going, with Carlito being the man with the least amount of ringtime. Even so, every man is more than holding their own after roughly five minutes into things where we cut in to see Siaki as the legal man and trapping captain Super Crazy in an abdominal stretch. The crowd is just starting to get charged back up, trying as they might to get Super Crazy back into things. Crazy does manage to make it back to his feet, striking Siaki an knocking him aback and rebounding off the ropes…but Siaki counters with a BELLY TO BELLY SIDESLAM!! Siaki wraps himself around Crazy and slams him down WITH AUTHORITY for a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Crazy keeps his team’s chances alive!

As Crazy turns over to try and perhaps start to crawl to his corner, he gets STRUCK IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WITH A SIAKI HAMMERFIST!! Under normal circumstances, this would just be a display of Siaki’s brutality, but given Crazy’s concussion situation, it could spell death. Siaki knows just how calculated the blow is, rolling Crazy back over and covering him again – 1…2…3-NO!! Psicosis dives into the ring to save his friend and his team’s chances. He’s rushed out by referee Justin King while Siaki drags Crazy on over to his corner and tags in Carlito. ‘Lito only seems interested now that Crazy has been picked apart somewhat, jumping in and ramming an elbow of his own into the back of Crazy’s head. He goes for a cover – 1…2…NO!! Crazy rolls a shoulder.

Colon now takes Crazy up by his curly top and twists around before slamming Crazy’s head back down once again with a nasty neckbreaker. Carlito with another roam over cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Crazy has enough in him to stay alive, kicking out and reaching towards his corner for some kind of hope tag. Carlito sees this and starts taunting Crazy, letting him get closer and closer to his corner before spitefully pulling him away by his tights before dropping him back down with a nasty back drop that gets him another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Crazy again has some defiance in him, Carlito losing a bit of patience there.

We get a quick shot to the backstage area, where we see William Regal pointing at the screen and talking things over with Paul Burchill and Brent Albright. We then quickly but back to the action, where ‘Lito keeps his ‘cool’ about him, stomping on Crazy for good measure before going over to the ropes and checking their buoyancy. Colon then pulls something out of his hat and looks to go for a SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT…NOBODY HOME!! Crazy finds a way to roll out of the way before Carlito can flatten him! Crazy struggles, but rolls all the way into his corner to tag in Psicosis, who bursts into the ring and shows Carlito how a SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT is done, nailing Carlito in his ailing midsection in perfect order – 1…2…3-NO!! Siaki dives in to save his team captain now, clubbing Psicosis in the back to thwart the count.

Psicosis now takes out some of his frustrations with being called a ‘disgrace to Latinos’ on the man who said it, as he yells at the recovering Colon in Hispanic expletives. He caps that off when Carlito is still gripping his midsection on his knees, charging at the Puerto Rican with a NASTY STEP UP ENZEGUIRI!! Psicosis gets another cover on Carlito after making his heat go pop – 1…2…3-NO!! Carlito somehow rolls the shoulder, Psicosis recovering quickly and rebounding off the ropes to land square on the back of Carlito’s head with a running leg drop. Another cover from Psicosis here – 1….2…NO!! Carlito stays alive yet again!

The Bad Apple is spoiling SuperPsicoStar’s chances at glory, but he catches a break when Psicosis tries to whip him into the ropes. On the rebound, Psicosis lowers his head, only to get struck by a Carlito running knee lift. Carly rebounds off the opposite ropes from his continued momentum and finishes the combo with a clothesline!! Psicosis does down now, Colon again with a – 1…2…3-NO!! Psicosis shows a little bit of fight, but all the hopeful air seems to leave the arena when Carlito goes over to his corner to tag in the man beast, Manu.

Manu doesn’t waste any time, stepping into the ring and clubbing Psicosis over and over before nailing him with a hard elbow and whipping him into an empty corner. Manu sets him up before rushing at him and crackling his skeleton with a BODY AVALANCHE CORNER SPLASH!! Psicosis stumbles out of the corner barely able to keep his feet from noodling before Manu takes him totally down with a headbutt and going for a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Psicosis rolls a shoulder a bit, irking Manu. The beastly Samoan then takes a little too much time trying to bring Psicosis back to his feet, giving the veteran enough time to catch Manu in a sitout jawbreaker!

This buys Psicosis a moment to recuperate before rushing off the ropes and nailing Manu with a SPINNING WHEEL KICK…BUT HE DOESN’T GO DOWN!! The 290-lb frame of Manu doesn’t go anywhere, although he’s dizzied. Psicosis decides to take that and rebound off the ropes again, leaping at the big man…but he gets caught. Manu spins with Psicosis draped across his chest now…SPINNING SIDE SLAM, PSICOSIS GETTING DRIVEN INTO THE CANVAS LIKE A DART!! Psicosis’ body even keeps spinning on the huge impact from the move and from the sheer power of Manu. When that happens, both Carlito and Siaki rush across the ring to bop Crazy and Aero Star off the apron as Manu covers Psicosis – 1…2…3…!!!

ELIMINATED: PSICOSIS at (10:20)

Psicosis is rolled outside of the ring while Manu lets out a roar of dominance, Carlito and Siaki patting him on the chest as they roam back to their corner. Aero Star and Super Crazy both slide into the ring despite the ref’s pleas and surprise Manu by nailing a DOUBLE DROPKICK!! Manu stumbles a bit doesn’t fall, causing both men to go for a SECOND DOUBLE DROPKICK, but again Manu won’t fall. Aero Star darts towards Manu while Super Crazy gets on all fours and provides a leaping point…but again, Manu catches him across this chest in midair! But Crazy is keenly behind Star, letting loose one more dropkick to Aero Star’s back that finally flattens Manu, Aero falling right on top of the big man! Crazy leaves so the referee can get a count going – 1…2…NO!! Manu slings Star’s aerodynamic body off of him!

Star stumbles to his feet after Manu’s display of power, the wild Samoan charging at Star who delivers a low dropkick that sends Manu face first into the second turnbuckle in his corner! The big man is surprisingly upended, but since he’s in his corner, Siaki slaps his partner on the back and gets himself back in. He rushes at Star only to get his clothesline ducked, but he surprises Star by nailing him with a back kick to the gut. Cocky Siaki then takes Star and delivers a nasty elbow show to his head before tossing him into an empty corner so hard that Star FLIPS OVER INTO A TREE OF WOE. The ever observant and opportunist Carlito now wants in, Siaki tagging him in and getting Caribbean Cool to dash across the ring an nail a DROPKICK RIGHT TO STAR’S FACE!! Carlito pulls Star out of the corner and look to embarrass him once again – 1…2…3-NO!! Star keeps himself in this!

Carlito doesn’t sweat it too much, taking Star now and tossing him into the opposite corner. Colon then charges at the corner clad Star once again, but Star manages to get a boot up and sock Carlito in the face. Star then steps onto the second rope and leaps from it directly onto Carlito’s shoulders before spinning around…HURRICANRANA PIN!! Aero Star hooks a leg and tries to get a surprise win for the second leg in a row – 1…2…3-NO!! Carlito manages to unhook a leg and force Star off of him, Star rebounding off the ropes and back towards Carlito – TILT A WHIRL BACKBREAKER!! Another cover from Colon – 1…2…3-NO!! Star throws up a shoulder once again, Carlito a little more irate. He takes Star and tosses him back into the ropes, but as he does, Aero Star knocks Carlito off his feet with the HANDSPRING ELBOW!! Star has to take a moment to tend to his still ailing back, but he covers Colon – 1…2…3-NO!! Star can’t keep Colon down!

Carlito actually pounds the mat for Star’s determination, and when Star gets back to his feet, is met with Carlito hoisting him on his shoulders and sending him splatting with a FIREMAN’S CARRY FLAPJACK!! Carlito then taunts Star after the move, stalking him from behind. As he does so, Super Crazy starts making a hoopla on the apron. Carlito orders that Siaki and Manu to dart across the ring, both members of the Fight Club going after Crazy…who lowers the top rope and sends both men tumbling over! Manu tumbles all the way down, but Siaki lands hard on his ankles, able to regain his footing and yank Crazy off the apron with a BACKDROP TO THE FLOOR!! Carlito catches Star from behind with the BACKSTABBER…NO!! Star hangs onto a top rope and sends ‘Lito tumbling, causing Star to catch Carlito in a sunset pin – 1…2…NO!! Carlito swings it back, sitting on Star’s chest now – 1…2…NO!! Star once again reverses it into a sunset – 1…2…NO!! Carlito swings the momentum back one more time, but this time on the count, he reaches for Aero Star’s mask to get him to cover up – 1…2…NO!! Carlito’s death grip on the mask is thwarted when Star shifts the momentum once again and turns it into a prawn hold – 1…2…3…!!!

Winners: SuperPsicoStar at (14:14)

He did it again!! Aero Star literally pulls one out of the either for the second tournament match in a row! Carlito is in utter disbelief, his fixation on embarrassing Aero Star’s mask for a second time costing him dearly! The pinning of the captain is the downfall of another team, despite the losing team losing a member. Aero Star rolls out of the ring and is joined on the ramp by Psicosis, who comes rushing back to help celebrate. Both men go over to the downed Super Crazy to try and help him up while Carlito still looks on with a horrified look.​


Joey Styles:
Well for yet another leg in the tournament, Aero Star pulls one out of his hat to pull a fast one on Carlito!

JBL:
No he didn’t. He pulled one out of the hat the last time he did it. He didn’t win that at all. He just robbed it from Carlito!

Joey Styles:
What’re you talking about? He just pinned Carlito right here in front of us! The Bad Apple’s own obsession with Aero Star’s mask cost him and his team the entire Tournament! Now they won’t have a shot to face Mercenaries, Inc. for a chance to increase their client pool.

JBL:
An’ those undeserving Mexican bastards get to go to Canada? First they invade the US an’ now we’re lettin’ them steal a ticket to the north? This is preposterous!

Joey Styles:
Keep your border patrol hat on. But indeed, team SuperPsicoStar or PsicoSuperStar or whatever their name will be in less than three weeks-time will now…uh-oh. We’ve seen this before…


What Joey is referring to is when both members of the Samoan Fight Club recover and stop the winning team from getting their last member, beating them all upside their heads. Psicosis and Aero Star fall, while Carlito rolls out to retrieve Super Crazy. They set all three men back inside the ring and continue beating them down. Much like they did in the first leg of the tourney, the SFC take both members of the Mexicools and drag them close to ring corners. Meanwhile, Carlito beat the head in of Aero Star before stopping when both Siaki and Manu make it to the top ropes. Carlito brings a groggy Star up to his feet before looking to direct traffic to his teammates…a BACKCRACKER/DOUBLE SAMOAN SPLASH spectacle seems on the way…but suddenly…

**619 ESTA VIVO**

THAT’S…THAT’S REY MYSTERIO!! REY MYSETERIO IS BACK!! No one’s seen Mysterio for four months!! He rushes down the ramp to a big pop, no one wanting to see even more beatdowns for the evening! Mysterio immediately leaps up onto the apron and knocks Siaki off the rope that he’s on top of all the way to the floor! With that distraction, Carlito stops trying to beat down Aero Star and instead goes after Mysterio, but he’s met with a furious batch of punches from the smaller competitor! Manu is trying to climb off the top rope, but now he gets dropped off the top by the trio of SuperPsicoStar!!

Mysterio and Carlito are still going at it, with Mysterio managing to hit Carlito with a dropkick…and he lands on the middle rope!! The crowd pops big for what’s to come, Mysterio going to dial up the 619…NO!! Siaki pulls his partner from between the ropes, Manu soon joining them on their way up the ramp. Mysterio is in the ring with his beaten up Latino companions, Aero Star having to be held up by Mysterio himself. The four luchadors stand beaten, but still ready for a fight as they watch their destruction loving foes head away.


Joey Styles:
What a return for Rey Mysterio! Coming back to save his fellow countrymen!

JBL:
Oh my lord. As if this could get any better.

Joey Styles:
Rey Mysterio has returned after being out for four excruciating months to put a stop to the ‘Latino Savior’ himself, Carlito Colon! How can you not love the fact that Mysterio’s back to help his fellow luchadors?

JBL:
Oh look. How cute. Now we can deport’em all at once.

Joey Styles:
As usual, JBL not joining in on the fun, but there’ll be now “We Destroy” tonight form Carlito and the Samoan Fight Club because now that man, Rey Mysterio, is back on the scene and it looks like he’s a man on a mission. The AOW Trios Tournament may be all but over, but we’ve still got more to come tonight folks because we’ve still got a huge tag team main event – Christian Cage comes to his friend Samoa Joe’s aid to take down the team of American Made!

JBL:
Trust me, you don’t wanna miss that!

Joey Styles:
That’s later on, but coming up on the other side of the break, whether Antonio Banks is here or not, CM Punk’s gonna call him out! Punk addresses “The Boondock Saint” next!

JBL:
Can this night get any worse for me?


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



When we return from the break, “MISERE CANTARE – THE BEGINNING” hits the airwaves now, as the Dynasty Champion himself, CM Punk, bursts through the blood-red curtain, fresh off of getting blasted for the second time in three weeks with a championship belt. His “One Dark Flame” T-shirt and wrestling tights doesn’t hide his face at all, which is twisted in very apparent rage. His dark hair further adds to this effect before he steps into the ring and asks for a microphone.

Punk:
Last week, I got absolutely clocked in the head by a championship belt when I was trying to fight for ‘respect’.

~Punk scratches at his cheek as the crowd expresses their displeasure with the Tag title match finish

Punk:
But I guess I should be used that kind of stuff by now. I mean, a few weeks before that, the same thing happened to me immediately after I had defended my Dynasty Championship. Right after I felt I had earned ‘respect’.

~Punk wipes his hand over his mouth

Punk:
Now the guy that hit me last week obviously has a few issues he needs to work out. But he’s still a champion. So am I. And I’ve got bigger fish to fry. Bigger fish like that other guy. A guy who calls himself “The Boondock Saint”.

~Some heat being thrown as Punk says that name

Punk:
Yeah, I’m kind of disappointed too. I said that I wouldn’t address Mr. Banks directly until I met him face to face. That’s kind of what I do. And I do that out of respect.

~Punk quickly brushes some of his hair out of his face

Punk:
But after hearing Antonio’s race-fueled rant a few weeks back, I can’t say I have any respect for a man like that.

~A pop as Punk looks around him

Punk:
See Banks, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ll preach it until the day they bury me in these X’s – this is a wrestling company, where differences are settled in a wrestling ring. No matter what you say or do, it all has to amount to what happens between the bell and between these ropes.

~A bit of applause from the crowd, Punk pointing from the timekeeper to the ropes around him

Punk:
So as angry a black man as you are, and while there may be just a tad of validity to what you say, all they are are words. So you made a big impact. You got the entire wrestling world talking about you. You talked a big game. Now what’re you gonna do about it?

~Punk opens his available arm, almost as if he’s inviting in a phantom

Punk:
What you’re doing about it is not showing up. I don’t know what your excuse is for not being here tonight, but if this is what you’re doing with your opportunity, I’m sure even your ‘brothas in arms’ should be pissed at you for squandering what you say you’ve had to work so hard for.


As Punk gets another ‘preaching to the choir’ pop from the crowd, it suddenly whips into a bit of buzz, as an unfamiliar rap tune called “HOLLA TO THE WORLD” goes over the sound system. Punk turns his attention towards the now flickering big screen and anticipating an arrival…and he gets it when Antonio Banks steps through the curtain to a sound ovation of heat. He’s not wearing the outlandish colors he had on in his last appearance, but he’s still in a very garish cream colored suit, black tie, and of course, the Gucci shoes. His crucifix necklace is apparently tucked underneath his shirt, his eyes hidden by his trademark sunglasses. He doesn’t bother walking down the ramp, just staying up on the entrance stage.

Banks:
How about you shut the hell up and stop speaking for me?

~A stronger round of heat

Banks:
That means y’all too!

~Predictably, even stronger heat

Banks:
CM Punk. The lame duck Dynasty Champion himself. I said I’d be here and here I am.

Punk:
Oh, yeah. Congrats. So why don’t you and your JC Penny suit and Gucci shoes come on down that ramp and get in this ring with me?

~Punk gets another pop as he leans on the ropes nearest the ramp, goading Banks on

Banks:
Now see, you already messed up. Since you don’t know anything about anything, CM Punk, lemme give you a little lesson – don’t you ever insult a black man’s choice in threads.

~As he says that, Banks pops the collar of his much-too-expensive-for-JC Penny jacket

Punk:
Oh, how rude of me. How racially inconsiderate of me. I guess that must make me a racist, huh?

~Smartass Punk strikes again

Banks:
Now see, you done already messed up again. I ain’t never said “CM Punk is a racist”. I said the professional wrestling industry was prejudiced as hell. But hell, seein’ as how you love to sit here and preach about how you’re a “real professional wrestler”, maybe you are a piece of prejudiced scum.

~Another round of heat as Punk rolls his eyes

Banks:
I mean, it’s people like you that really disgust me. You have this vendetta against guys who look like me who’ve taken these opportunities and become successful.

Punk:
What the hell are you talking about?

Banks:
Now see, you done messed up a third time. Lemme teach you somethin’ else, Punk – don’t ever interrupt a black man when he’s in the middle of preachin’ a sermon.

~Yet another round of heat, Punk turning away in disgusted disbelief

Banks:
Don’t laugh at that. White guys like you feel threatened when a man, a black man, becomes more successful than you. Your ‘inferiority complex’ goes haywire when a guy who grew up in the slums is poised to take somethin’ you hold so precious away from you.

Punk:
Now see, you done messed up, Antonio.

~The crowd gives an initial pop for the reversing of Banks’ phrase

Punk:
See, I don’t know whether you have this warped view of every white guy being out to get you or what, but I grew up in those same slums. My family and I had to scratch and claw our way to get whatever it was that we wanted. I was raised as a, well as my last rival would put it – a ‘street rat’. And I’m damn proud of that.

~A pop for the passionate Punk there

Banks:
Oh, poor little ******! You didn’t have everything growin’ up. Boo hoo. Get to the back.

~…and it whiplashes right into some Banks heat

Banks:
That’s why a few weeks ago, I said you know nothing, Punk. It ain’t just enough that I grew up in the darkest slums of all in Liberty City. It’s that I’m a black man who grew up in the darkest slums of all in Liberty City.

~Punk wipes his mouth again, possibly hiding his mouth to what he really wants to say to Banks

Banks:
Whether you wanna admit it or not, whether you wanna say it or not, black men don’t have the same opportunities as guys like you. A white man born with nothing who works his way up the ladder? That’s called the “American Dream”.

~Banks paces a little on the stage

Banks:
But when a black man even tries to even think about workin’ his way up the ladder, he’s turned away because of that same past that white man is revered for. Black men can’t have ‘American Dreams’.

~Banks stops pacing and turns back towards Punk down the aisle

Banks:
So instead, we try and take’em. We try and grab what we can’t have and never let go. But we get vilified for it. The American Dream was never ours to have. But here and now, I’m officially throwing out the challenge to you, Punk. At The Outer Limits, I will take my American Dream in that Dynasty Championship from you. I will begin my journey to the Promised Land. I’ll show you why I am truly “The Boondock Saint”.

~Banks finally lowers his microphone, waiting for Punk’s reply as the crowd buzzes. Banks raises his sunglasses and we can see his intense eyes, not taking his gaze off of Punk

Punk:
I understand that life’s not easy. But you have to understand that life’s not easy for anybody, no matter what color you are or where you come from. So you can tell me all the Liberty City stories you want, but it just makes you another guy. And you challenging me for my Dynasty Championship just makes you another guy in my way.

~More buzz on that one, as Punk gets serious there


Punk:
So Antonio Banks, I’ll gladly accept your challenge, but on one condition.

~Punk holds up one finger

Punk:
You put up or shut up. All you have to do is have a match next week. Hell, you can pick the opponent, I don’t care. I just want you to put your money where your mouth is and get in this ring and actually wrestle. Actually show me why you’re the Boondock Saint.

~The attention now shifts back to Banks, who smirks before letting out a little chuckle and putting the mike to his mouth again

Banks:
Fine. I accept. I’ll have my first match in AOW right here, next week.

~The crowd actually pops for this

Banks:
But I’m warnin’ you, Punk. You want me to put my money where my mouth is and pretty soon…I’ll be puttin’ that belt…

~Banks points to the Dynasty Championship

Banks:
…where my waist is.

~Banks smirks away as the crowd throws heat on him for that incredibly cocky line, but Punk isn’t backing down

Punk:
Then it’s official. You can run your mouth all you want and tell me that you’re “The Boondock Saint”. But at The Outer Limits…I’m gonna show you why I’m a Second City Saint.


Punk drops his microphone to the mat and leans off the ropes to a roaring crowd, the camera going back up to see Banks’ smirk grow even wider before flipping his sunglasses back on and “HOLLA TO THE WORLD” again hitting the sound system as he walks back out through the curtain


~Cut to announce table…

Joey Styles:
Well it looks like we’ve got one more match to add to The Outer Limits here tonight! If Antonio Banks makes good on his promise to have match next week, it looks like it’ll be CM Punk defending his Dynasty Championship against Banks.

JBL:
Someone please get the gold off this straight-edge fool an’ I’d like it to be no one better than a guy who has a well-documented purpose for being here. Go spread your word, Antonio!

Joey Styles:
Also in JBL favorite news, we have the finals of our first ever AOW Trios Tournament set for a big stage in the Belle Center – Mercenaries, Inc. advanced last week and tonight, team SuperPsicoStar or whatever their name might be by that time, have both fought tooth and nail to make it there. It’s the AOW Trios Tournament Finals and it’s gonna be huge!!

JBL:
An’ not too long ago, we got a little bit of a preview in what we might get for the Cruiserweight Championship.

Joey Styles:
That’s right, partner and we’ve just received big news regarding that match. Bryan Danielson says he’s beyond talking and wants so bad to beat the pulp out of Gregory Helms. These two men who have been feuding since the very inception of AOW, but we just got word moments ago that this match will be contested under “Final Encounter” rules. What that means is that after The Outer Limits, Bryan Danielson and Gregory Helms will never face off for the Cruiserweight Championship ever again!

JBL:
We were also told that the match has to have a winner, so those two could go at it all night!

Joey Styles:
Indeed they could, but the match on everyone’s mind no matter what your motivation is the Triple Threat match for the AOW Heavyweight Championship. We saw Christian Cage remind Shawn Michaels that he’s in the exact same position he was in months ago, but not feeling sorry for him. Chris Jericho may be playing both of these men like the fiddle, but it’ll all come to a boil in less than three weeks in the Belle Center!

JBL:
It’s already a hellova card, Joey!

Joey Styles:
Indeed it is, but Christian will have to wait until then to get his hands on Jericho. But coming up next, Christian and Samoa Joe will be getting their hands on Jericho’s latest underlings, American Made. One of the best young tag teams in AOW have to do Jericho’s dirty work against Cage and Joe. And that’s up next!!



*Video Package*

Narrator:
It has been said that in times of war, prepare for peace…


A shot of what looks like two dignified men by a throne, one in Chinese emperor attire and the other in Japanese samurai attire, shaking hands

Narrator:
…and in times of peace, prepare for war.


In the land behind and beneath them, we see what looks like two armies raging towards one another as storm clouds gather…

Narrator:
The AOW Offseason is amidst us.


…only for both armies to fall once the scene starts raining, the land becoming mud and the screen to cut to black

Narrator:
But once it is over…


The screen lights back up on what looks like several men trying to get up and out of the bog

Narrator:
…a new dynasty shall arise!


Finally, one man is successful and glistens in the light. He goes over to what looks like a mountain and begins to climb…but he’s suddenly hounded by legions of other men making their way through the mud…

Narrator:
Thirty-two men…


All of those mud bogged, battle-ravaged men try to climb this mountain, all the while trying to knock the other ones off of it

Narrator:
…one goal…


The man who first started climbing begins to pull away after watching many of his comrades turned competitors fall

Narrator:
To win the 2008 Dynasty Tournament and get a shot at the AOW Heavyweight Championship…


The man now appears to reach the top of the cliff…

Narrator:
…and become a one-man dynasty!


The man reaches the peak of the mountain and sees that it is the throne the two men shook hands beside…and the victorious climber sits upon the throne

THE 1ST ANNUAL AOW DYNASTY TOURNAMENT
Beginning June 4th


*End Package*

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


As we return from the break, we can already hear ‘WE AS AMERICANS’ blasting over the sound system, with American Made marching down the ramp. They don’t have a whole lot of their signature cocky flair, both men knowing that they’re merely being used as devices by Jericho, who doesn’t appear to be coming down the ramp with the gentlemen. While Hagar again remains more focused, it’s Nameth who looks through the first few rows of the crowd, perhaps trying to still find that blonde woman in hopes that she got here on her own.

As they finish setting up in the ring, “JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES” hits the system for the second time tonight, the pop not any smaller than it was at the top of the broadcast when Christian Cage steps through the curtain. The intensity in his eyes is very much quelled for the moment, but he’s obviously a very focused man, settling at the base of the ramp and waiting for his tag team partner.

“MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT” shoots out for the first time in several weeks across the Hammerstein, Samoa Joe stepping out and almost getting as big a reaction as Christian. Joe looks much more furious than Christian does, so much so that he damn near marches a hole through the ramp on his way down. Christian has to stop him and tell him to calm down a bit, Joe staring daggers through the team that assaulted him last week.

MAIN EVENT
Christian Cage & Samoa Joe
v.
American Made


The contest starts as a back and forth affair, but American Made obviously works together more often, leaving neither man in the match for too extended a period of time. Joe and Cage hold their own, however, and more than make up for not being an ‘official’ tag team. After about eight minutes of action, it’s Christian Cage and Nick Nameth who are the legal men. Cage starts pulling away after a nasty neckbreaker. He goes for a cover – 1…2…NO!! Nameth manages to find a way out of that, but Christian gets to his feet and starts sizing up Nameth from behind, perhaps getting set up for the UNPRETTIER…NO!! Nameth surprises Cage by unhooking his arms and sending Christian into the ropes before sending Cage right back at Nameth to eat a PICTURE PERFECT DROPKICK!! It sounds like a Superkick and flatlines Christian, getting Nameth a crawl over cover -1….2…NO!! Cage manages to throw a shoulder up!

Nameth doesn’t let that get to him, instead jumping on Christian as he tries to recover and grounds him with a side headlock, both men flat and Christian almost looking choked. Nameth holds the rest hold in for a while to try and drain Cage and just when Christian seems to be coming to life, Nameth starts performing what looks like a headstand in the middle of the move…before snapping back down into a seated position and re-cranking the pain of the hold. Throwing some show-off nature there, Nameth has enough gusto left in him to drag Cage a little towards his corner and get a tag in to Hagar, who preys on the prone and drained Christian by jumping in and nailing a HAGARBOMB!! The corner sling splash leaps right over Nameth and crunches Cage’s midsection, Hagar now with a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Cage stays alive!

Hagar doesn’t waste any time, now trapping Cage by his feet – tying them up and pulling up on his face. The more annoyed than in pain Christian throws Hagar’s hand from off of his nose, but Hagar keeps his hand there and even pulls up on Christian’s teeth, despite referee admonishment. It’s Hagar’s turn then to maneuver towards his corner and once again tag in Nameth, who enters almost as dynamically as Hagar did moments ago by nailing a leapfrog elbow drop!! Nameth leaps cleanly over the top rope into the fray elbow first, another cover on Jericho’s #1 contender – 1…2…NO!! Cage still manages to survive, but he’s being relentlessly targeted by the American’s corner.

Nameth again tries to perhaps wear down the determined contender, but Cage this time manages to hit Nameth with an elbow, shrugging him away. Cage then tries to follow up on the elbow with a Reverse DDT Drop, but Nameth short arm twists his way out of that and surprises Christian and all in attendance with a JUMPING DDT!! Cage is spiked face-first into the canvas, Nameth with another chance at the cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Once again, Christian won’t go down! Samoa Joe is happy to see that, trying his best to get the crowd behind his ailing partner. Nameth doesn’t like that at all, turning around and getting hot headed at Joe, but the take-no-shits Joe immediately tries to enter the ring to shut him up. Referee Mahoney has to stop Joe and turn his back to the heel corner, only for them to predictibuly take advantage by shoving Christian in the corner and having Hagar’s long legs choke him with a boot.

When the ref turns around, the innocent Americans are back to normal, Nameth now hoisting Cage on the top rope. He’s looking for something impressive here, not opting to climb to the top rope with Cage. Instead, he walks a few steps back, even looking back and taunting Joe for a moment before running at Christian and leaping… A SUPER JUMPING DDT…NO!! Cage doesn’t let that happen, stopping Nameth as he leaps and throws him back onto the canvas!! Cage then turns and knocks Hagar off the corner while he’s still perched on the top rope before he sets his feet on the middle rope and awaits the rib-clutching Nameth to get back to his feet…TORNADO DDT!! TORNADO DDT!! Both men are lain flat out on the canvas! It’s time for the crawling game, as the crowd tries to get Cage into his corner, trying to help him with every inch he travels towards his corner. Nameth reaches his corner and tags in Hagar, but almost immediately afterwards, Christian gets the hot tag gets in to Samoa Joe

Joe rushes in, greeted by the now legal Jack Hagar, but he gets cut off with a hard clothesline! Hagar pops back up to his feet after the hit, rushing right back at Joe with a clothesline attempt of his own only for Joe to duck underneath and force Jack into a corner. Joe has his back to Hagar…and nails him with the CCS ENZEGURI!! Hagar falls from his position on back out of the ring, but Joe gets caught from behind when Nameth suddenly leaps onto his back and locks in a sleeper hold! Nameth is pulling surprise after surprise here, Joe actually dropping to his knees from the sleeper hold taking effect. Just when it looks like Nameth might actually be able to pull off the rare sleeper victory, Joe springs back to life and adjusts Nameth on his back before dropping him onto the canvas with a nice SAMOAN DROP!! Joe can’t go for a cover, but instead exalts in adrenaline, the entire crowd getting energized with him.

Joe can’t go for a cover, just trying to get this guy out of his hair. Nameth, perhaps instinctively, rolls out of the way and more towards his corner when Hagar bursts into the ring and knocks Joe off of his feet with a running boot, temporarily stopping the big man’s momentum. But as he does so, he gets in the way of a now angry tank of a man in Samoa Joe as he goes on the assault. But when he lunges at Hagar, Nameth, using the ropes to hold himself up, kicks Goose Mahoney right in Joe’s path, the Samoan DECAPITATING THE REFEREE!!

This minor distraction gives Hagar the leverage to now surprise Joe with a double leg takedown, also allowing Nameth to come in and start double teaming Joe. Hagar starts directing traffic to do so, but he doesn’t notice that someone is behind him until it’s too late…FLASHPOINT!! Christian nails the taller All-American with the diving European uppercut!! Nameth now leaps off of Joe’s body and towards Christian, but Cage is head, ducking underneath a clothesline attempt and nailing Nameth with the INVERTED FACELOCK BACKBREAKER!! The crowd is white hot now, but there’s no referee to count anything if they wanted to. All those crowd pops slowly become nervous buzz when everyone looks up the ramp to see someone no one wants to see…AOW Champion Chris Jericho, standing on the entrance stage, a smug look plastered on his “God”-ly face. The re-energized Christian is stopped dead when he gets a look of the man he hates more than life itself, the madness reawakening in his eyes.

But Jericho’s not alone. He never is. Coming from behind the curtain now is none other than Paul “The Great” Wright, showing up for the first time a little while. His presence isn’t any less intimidating, Christian now prepping for a fight. The commentators point out, however, that if Wright is to attack Christian, Jericho is stripped of his title. What’s to come here…well, we find out when Christian is cut down from behind by the recovering members of American Made, who take Christian up and destroy him with a DOUBLE SUPLEX!! Christian is forced to roll to the floor after taking the move, but now it’s Joe who is completely at the mercy of three men – Nameth, Hagar, and now, Paul Wright.

Joe tries to fight back doing the best he can as the One Man Army, even staring to evenly hold all three men back, but a chop block from Hagar puts a stop to that. A few blows later, Joe gets tossed through the middle ropes to the floor in front of the announce table, Wright following him while American Made stays in the ring. AM now looks up the entrance ramp to see Jericho with the smirk etched into his face. Back to the action, Wright slaps his ham-like hands across Joe’s chest, but Joe once again begins to fight back and tries to cap it off with a RUNNING ENZEGUIRI…KNOCKOUT PUNCH!! KNOCKOUT PUNCH!! Joe is all out of it now, but he doesn’t fall! Just like he’s done when taking them move before, the big man won’t fall, but it still allows Wright to goozle Joe around the neck…AND CHOKESLAM HIM THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE DESK!! OHH MY GAAAD!!

“HOLY SHIT” chants are going around the arena as one big man makes another come crashing down!! Just as quickly as Wright appeared, he galumphs away back up the ramp, Jericho’s smirk erupting into a smile. Wright actually steps on back through the curtain, but Jericho stays, overlooking the damage before he starts coming down the ramp and by ringside. The boys of American Made are busy trying to get Joe’s dead weight back into the ring while Jericho walks down, Hagar climbing on top of the Samoan Machine. Nameth tries to shake some life into Goose Mahoney, who crawls over and has to shake some cobwebs out to make the injured referee slow count. Will Joe’s undefeated streak end here? 1………2………3-NO!! CHRISTIAN CAGE SAVES IT!! Cage dives in at the very last second and saves both Joe and his team!!

Both Nameth and Jericho seem to be beside themselves on that, but all they can both do is throw little tantrums! Cage gets back to his corner and holds his hand out, desperate to help Samoa Joe get the tag, but Joe isn’t moving. Hagar, the more collected of his trio, gets onto a knee and starts stomping on Joe and dropping a hard elbow on him for another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Joe kicks out on his own! Nameth runs his hands through his hair as Hagar now waits for Joe to recover, rebounding off the ropes to try and hit him with something big…SCRAPBUSTER!! JOE COUNTERS BIG TIME!! Both men are lain completely out yet again, this time being Hagar and Joe, the crowd once again popping big for what should be an even hotter tag than the first…AND JOE GETS THERE!!

Hagar isn’t near his corner, allowing Nameth to jump into the ring and try to take Christian by surprise, but Cage stays a step ahead and BACK BODY DROPS NAMETH OVER THE TOP ROPE!! Hagar FLIPS and hits the floor hard with a sickening SPLAT! Hagar stumbles to his feet and tries to blindly assault Cage as well, but Christian twists around his clothesline attempt and turns it into the REVERSE DDT DROP!! The crowd is once again on fire, Cage now looking to prep for the UNPRETTIER…BUT JERICHO GRABS HIS FOOT!!! It’s out of the referee’s line of view, but it causes Christian to turn around and glare a hole through Jericho. The Worthy Champion and his challenger stand deadlocked in a staring war only for Christian to turn around to face Hagar and gets caught in a GUTWRENCH POWERBOMB!! Hagar catches him in a hellova move – 1…2…3…NO!!! CHRISTIAN THROWS UP A SHOULDER!!

Jericho is infuriated even more, trying his best not to show it, while the crowd goes nuts around him. Hagar tries to stay his focused self, but it’s not working so much as he looks incredibly flustered on that. He awaits for Cage to get to his feet and looks like he’s going now for the RED, WHITE, AND BLUE THUNDERBOMB…NO!! Christian flips out of the move and winds up behind Hagar, hooking both his arms and twisting around…UNPRETTIER!! UNPRETTIER CONNECTING!! Hagar’s face is driven into the canvas as Cage now goes for a cover – 1…2…3…!!

Winners: Christian Cage & Samoa Joe at (19:01)

Christian climbs off of Hagar’s body to a wild pop, raising his arm in hard-fought victory. He doesn’t wait for the referee to raise it for him, instead going over to check on Samoa Joe, who is lain out on the apron and still isn’t so much as responding after his devastating chokeslam bump. Jericho hasn’t left ringside, his face beet red in anger and frustration.​


Joey Styles:
Despite Chris Jericho’s loophole roping, it’s Christian Cage and Samoa Joe that stand tall!

JBL:
Maybe you’re not watchin’ the same thing I am because as far as I can see, Samoa Joe is out.

Joey Styles:
That may be true, but Christian and Samoa Joe found a way around Jericho’s strategy and just plain went out there and won! You’re the one who is always saying that wins and losses are what matter, John. Don’t tell me you’re gonna go back on that now!

JBL:
I never said that! Just look with your own two eyes, Joey! Joe can’t stand, Christian’s beat up, an’ our announce table’s gone ‘BOOM’! You tell me who really won this one.

Joey Styles:
I’ll tell you – CHRISTIAN AND SAMOA JOE. You must be deaf, John. Wait, what’s this…oh no…


The ever reactive Styles is talking about the fact that the crowd is buzzing uncontrollably. Christian’s still trying to tend to a downed Samoa Joe, not seeing who is behind him. It’s not Chris Jericho because he’s still visible at ringside. Someone else has come into the ring and is waiting for Cage to turn around…SWEET CHIN MUSIC…TO NICK NAMETH?!? Shawn Michaels is the man who rushed down into the ring, but he defends Christian as Nameth tried to attack him with his back turned…?

Joey Styles:
What…what’s the meaning of this…? Shawn Michaels is watching Christian’s back…?

JBL:
What the hell is Shawn Michaels thinkin’ now?

Joey Styles:
I’m not quite sure, but I can almost promise you these actions are not approved by Paul Heyman.


The final image we get on this edition of Oblivion is that of Shawn Michaels begetting more questions once again, as he helps Christian Cage get Samoa Joe to his feet. While that happens, Chris Jericho walks back up the ramp, AOW Championship over his shoulder and an all too familiar puppetmaster smirk coming over his face…was this all in the plan too? What’s HBK’s play? These questions are all over the place now as we

Fade…

To…

Black…

END SHOW




THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Current Card*


~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart break Kid Shawn Michaels

~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*

The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. SuperPsicoStar



This show frustrated the piss out of me for various reasons. Hope it doesn't turn anyone away. Also let this be a disclaimer that the next few shows are gonna be PACKED with plenty of potentially heavy stuff. But again, hope all are well. Should maybe spread a few words around if this week permits.
 
#221 ·
Oblivion Review

Starting off serious here, no video package and straight to the promo, I’m liking where this is going.

Michaels is really sticking it to Heyman here. Michaels is always good at keeping the crowd engaged and alive and he is doing that by telling Heyman things like that he doesn’t own Shawn Michaels. One question I have though is when HBK says I don’t have a beef with Mick, shouldn’t it just be “I don’t have beef with Mick” not “a beef?” Heyman is not being too convincing by saying he’s not desperate, HBK makes a good point. Nice now Christian is coming in, he is awesome. This is getting really heated, Christian clearly has problems with HBK’s actions despite his blame on Paul Heyman. Michaels makes his intentions clear for the AOW championship, and I like the reference to the screwjob. Oh shit! Unprettier! Should’ve seen that coming but I really didn’t, I’m interested to see what this will lead up to in the future.

This Helms promo is good and catches a good heel character. He is really shooting hard on Danielson, nice to see him come out and “protect” himself with a challenge.

Helms/Danielson- This escalated quickly haha. I had a feeling Helms would do something to get DQed after the unexpected challenge from Danielson. Helms got lucky when he snuck away but this match is looking good for the PPV.

Jericho as a dominant, powerful heel is so awesome. I really like him both in real life and how you use him in AOW (based on the past episodes I have read). His personality and heel status just perfectly coexist.

The Green Zone segment is awesome and this promo makes the tag teams seem very significant for the show. I see Benjamin and Haas fighting each other in their match against the SOTD and then eventually feuding each other.

I don’t really get RVD’s new character of not being hardcore anymore. It’s kind of an interesting twist but it touches a little too far from home for me to enjoy. Anyway, Finlay is like the perfect dude to help a guy regain his hardcore-ness. And I like that Finlay went to the extreme of hurting his wife, maybe RVD can then get back to his old self.

SuperPsicoStar/Carlito and SFC- I have really enjoyed reading this Trio tournament in your thread. It’s very creative and something I’ve never seen before. This match is absolutely action packed, not surprisingly so seeing as many talented wrestlers are in the ring. I was thinking Carlito was gonna get the elimination with the Backstabber but that idea blew me off and they ended up losing. Based on the conclusion I can see Aero Star and Carlito feuding.

I take back what I just said, Rey just made his epic return and now I see him and Carlito feuding. I knew it would be soon for Rey to come back based on your username haha.

Punk is his typical impressive self on the microphone. This Banks/Punk feud is coming along nicely and it’s a feud I have never seen or read before. Racism is a touchy thing to use in a show but I think you use it extremely well so it matches both workers mic skills and creates an interesting soliloquy. Nice Banks will finally get in the ring, I wonder who his opponent will be? This has been my favorite promo so far of the show and I REALLY like this feud.

Cage and Joe/American Made- My early prediction is that Cage and Joe are gonna win and a brawl will ensue after. Christian goes for the Unprettier extremely early on and shows that he means business. When Joe gets into the match he looks extremely dominant, especially when Nameth tries to go for the sleeper hold but it ends up with him getting the Samoan Drop. Oh man ref goes down, now things are gonna get crazy. Of course Jericho is gonna come out here and send someone to mess Christian up. Whattt how did Samoa Joe last through the Knockout Punch to end up getting Chokeslammed through the table? Hagar had a lot of chances to end the match but I had a feeling Christian would somehow come away with the win.

HBK with the sweet chin music to nameth? This Jericho character really has to have full control of the roster as it seems like he is the puppet master of everything that goes on in the show.

Overall this was a very well done show. Next week’s Oblivion looks good but the next PPV is looking outstanding. Keep up the good work and sorry for not reviewing last episode.
 
#222 ·
Oblivion Feedback

In the opening description of Michaels, you always made sound as if Heyman had personally styled Michaels in his image, which was a kinda funny if not rather brilliant touch if intended. I thought Michaels was very well written, and you conveyed that real sense of anguish and almost annoyance Michaels has with himself that it's come to the point that he has to sell his soul to Heyman to even have a job. I say almost, as at the same time, there was a real sense of justification from Michaels too. The conflicting nature of the promo was something that was very interesting to read, with Michaels knowing what he's doing is wrong, but at this time, feeling so desperate that he has no choice and blames others for making him do so. Really good stuff, such a dynamic character to have at your disposal. And then you had those conflicting thoughts represented so well by Christian, almost as if he was a true voice of the people here. He really did sum up my own thoughts, so I guess that means you got across your message with Michaels very nicely. The way you've set up this triple threat has been pretty sweet, with Jericho and Christian firmly established in the heel and face rolls, yet we have the dynamic of Michaels, nobody quite sure which way he's gonna fall. It's all very intriguing, and this opening segment, while perhaps lacking any true storyline development, did a nice job of summing everything up thus far. Nice work here.

Ha! I loved the way Danielson picked himself, certainly a very clever twist on the pick your poison stipulation. I wasn't all that happy with the way Danielson set it up though. The whole greatest crusierweights in the world bit, it was perhaps just a bit too arrogant for a guy like Danielson's character, but it was certainly very clever. The low blow though was kinda a waste though. I'd have much rather had Danielson just blitz Helms, and if you were determined to have Helms save face, why not have him run away from the match like he did the post match beatdown? The way you left it, despite Danielson out smarting Helms, it was Helms who had the last laugh, whereas for me, the set up should have seen Danielson being the one smiling at the end of the segment. Not entirely sure I agree with you on this one buddy, certainly the start was really well done, but the finish I'm not so happy with.

Nice little interaction here between Jericho and American Made. I especially liked the line about slaying the dragon before going after the princess, that was definitely a nice touch. Acting as Jericho's lackeys is a nice spot for American Made to be in right now, and of course this continues to build the intrigue with regards to just who the blonde is and what kinda future interactions there will be between her and the team. But yeah, looking forward to seeing what happens between them and Christian tonight. As for Haas and Benjamin, the tension is starting to build between the two quite nicely, and I think it would be something different if you do decide to turn them on each other and have Haas be the face. His talk about honour in defending the titles certainly dictates that's gonna be the case. Anyway, while it didn't happen yet, I'm expecting that eventually we will get that title match set up between them and the dungeon kids.

Wow, Finlay was really well used here, just really awesome stuff. Small gripe with him using the word breathtaking, very un-Finlay like imo. But the rest, with Rob's wife and the shillelagh shot, it was shocking yet at the the same time all kinds of great. You certainly don't do things by half, and Finlay has absolutely tortured Szatowski's soul in recent weeks. Surely this is the big one though, the big spot that convinces Rob to be RVD again and face Finlay in the ring. Surely? :side:

The one huge positive about this trios tournament is that it's certainly delivered some very exciting matches, and this seemed like another here. Definitely had some pretty cool sounding spots, and Aero Star gaining a measure of revenge on Carlito was the right call here, as SuperPsicoStar have been one of the highlights of the tournament for me, and could easily go all the way and win it. :lmao at JBL and the line about the Mexicans making it to Canada, that was awesome. The post match beatdown, nice to see Mysterio back for the save, and it seems you've rather seamlessly transitioned Carlito into his next program, and I'm sure you've got some good stuff in store for him and Rey moving forward. All in all, good stuff here, nothing to complain about.

I criticised you for the debut promo from Banks, but this was much better here. The content had been toned down a bit, there was still that hint of racial prejudice but it was far more subtle and I enjoyed this much more than your previous effort. Maybe it was the fact that there was a back and forth from Punk to counter-argue what Banks was saying? Who knows, all I know is that I enjoyed this much more. Certainly the way both men talked up their humble beginnings, it almost presented the two on an equal playing field, and now we can determine who is the better of the two in the ring. Which is of course the way things should be. But yeah, a far better promo from Banks, much more easier on the eye, and that should be a great match between the two at the PPV.

And now main event time. Poor Nicky not finding his blonde in the crowd. I felt for him. :( Again some really good action, and I was surprised at how well the young guns looked given who was in the ring with them. No real surprise in Jericho and The Great getting involved, but I thought you'd have American Made sneak the win because of the presence of the champ and his henchman. But Joe and Christian get the win, a real confidence boost for them, especially Joe given what has happened to him recently. Great little tease at the end with Michaels, but of course it's Jericho who all eyes are on once again. Honestly, he's such a well used character in this thread, and I loved the use of the pupetmaster to describe his smirk at the end. There's definitely a ton of questions form me, as I alluded right at the start of the show, but of course, I'm gonna have to wait a couple of weeks for some answers, aren't I? ;)

Overall, a very enjoyable show. I definitely didn't like the Helms/Danielson segment, I thought ultimately that was a waste of a great idea, but the rest was fine and there's so much intrigue ahead of the PPV. Keep it going man, show's shaping up to be a real good one. :)
 
#223 ·
Thank you for the feedback, gentlemen. Everyone's thoughts are always valued, so I can't thank you fellas enough. I'm really glad everyone's liked the Trios Tournament concept so far. It really just started as a way to get lots of people on TV before the big 'season finale'. I'm also quite surprised for the positive reviews on the luchadors to tell you the truth, but I guess that goes to show you'll never know what an audience will enjoy.

I also apologize for any feedback I may lack in getting back to people. Hectic time over here in real life. But rest assured, I WILL get to you. Eventually. But for now, here's some website news...


aohdubya.com said:




JOE VERSUS THE GIANT ANNOUNCED FOR THE OUTER LIMITS

After weeks of hinting that the last bit of ‘scum’ on Joe’s hitlist was the man known as “The Great”, it looks like the powers that be have finally decided to give the match a go. In less than two weeks at The Outer Limits, Samoa Joe will take on Chris Jericho’s remaining subordinate from the Worthy Legion. But this ‘subordinate’ towers over every single man in AOW in being Paul Wright, the mammoth of a man who stands over seven feet tall and is a tank of over 400 lbs. After putting Joe through an announce table last week paired with an elbow injury suffered in the War Chamber, will Joe have what it takes to topple the giant? Or will the Worthy Legion be revived on the strength of “The Great” handing the One Man Army his first pinfall or submission loss? It's the Unstoppable Force meeting the Immovable Object!


AOW ANNOUNCES ‘ONLINE OBLIVION’ AND THE ‘OFFSEASON ROSTER’

While we at Art of War Wrestling wish to supply you with the greatest pro wrestling has to offer, we don’t want to run the risk of running our talent into the ground. Thus a few months ago, we unveiled a plan for the AOW Offseason which will take place following The Outer Limits on March 16th and going until June 4th.

In that Offseason that will take AOW off of television, AOW will still be hosting Oblivion, but it will be streaming right here on aohdubya.com! Online Oblivion will be a bi-monthly, one-hour program streaming live every Wednesday night at 8/7c on April 2nd and 16th, as well as May 7th and 21st from the Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky.

As many of you with a keen knowledge of wrestling can figure out from that location, this means that Online Oblivion will be aired from the same place as Ohio Valley Wrestling, which is AOW’s development affiliate. With many AOW mainstay stars opting to take time off in the Offseason, this leaves the door open for AOW’s top prospects to get their chance to shine! Several on the AOW roster have already said they want more ring time and will be in Kentucky, but they’ll have to compete for the spotlight with the likes of the OVW standouts and AOW’s future stars. The official AOW Offseason Roster will be announced on a future date.​

No AOW Exclusives this week! I think this is the first time since their inception that I haven’t used them. They probably won’t be back until after The Outer Limits at that, so don’t get too happy that they’re gone. But even so, there’s this –





3.5.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Revival of the Fittest”


After a stunning last couple of weeks, the destined showdown between Chris Jericho and Christian Cage for the AOW Championship has been interrupted by a man who has become quite famous for stealing the spotlight in the Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels. Last week, we finally got to hear from Shawn Michaels himself as to why he ‘sold his soul to the Devil’ in the form of Paul Heyman, only for Michaels to straight up defy Heyman in every sense of the word, declaring that Shawn Michaels could never be ‘owned’. While Michaels tried to point out that it was Heyman, not HBK, who had become the desperate man, Christian Cage came out and spoke as though he were one of the people. From that viewpoint, he further anguished the redemption seeking HBK by telling him that he had become a monster trying to exercise the monsters in his life. Following last week’s main event, Chris Jericho showed that he still has everything and everyone writhing under his thumbs and almost seemingly letting Christian and Michaels do whatever they want while he stays out of the spotlight. But this week, for the first time ever, all three participants in The Outer Limits main event will be in the same ring at the same time. Jericho, Christian, Michaels all address one another to kick off the show.

Also last week, we saw Antonio Banks show up in the Hammerstein for the first time since his race-themed speech, but the man who met him wasn’t exactly the welcoming committee. CM Punk did what he does best and that’s verbally combat every point Banks was getting at. Banks expressed even more feelings in regards to how prejudiced pro wrestling and the idea of “The American Dream” are, only for CM Punk to come back and express how life is hard for any and everyone, no matter the race. With Banks still more determined than ever to deliver his message, he officially challenged Punk for the AOW Dynasty Championship, which the competition-addicted Second City Saint readily accepted…on one condition. That condition was that “The Boondock Saint” had to have his first match this week. The stage is now set for Antonio Banks to make his in-ring debut in AOW after all the out-of-ring hoopla he has caused.

The AOW Tag Team Champion World’s Greatest Tag Team haven’t exactly been on the same page for quite some time now, but somehow, they haven’t let that tension completely tear the team apart. Even after their very questionable win over CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, the team is trying harder and harder to stay together. Some may say they’re just fooling themselves and are on the brink of a complete schism, but until that comes, they’ll have to defend their titles against the winner of the #1 Contender’s match come Wednesday. The Sons of the Dungeon more than have a case in having pinned both Benjamin and Haas in the opening of the Trios Tournament, while American Made have a case after defeating the Hooliganz and This is Exile and forcing both Samoa Joe and Christian to the limit last week. Perhaps putting their pursuit of the gold-haired woman on the crowd on hold, can American Made look for gold instead? Or will the Sons finally get their wish and win the right to face the champs in Canada?

Last week also saw Bryan Danielson become so overcome with hatred for Gregory Helms, that he constructed a loophole in his permission to choose Helms’ opponent…by choosing himself! While the Cruiserweight Champion did get his hands on the man who has talked shit about him since Day One, Gregory Helms managed to get away and leave Danielson even more frustrated. But in a cruel twist of fate, Paul Heyman has figured that since Mick Foley allowed Danielson to choose Helms’ opponent, this week, it’s Helms’ turn to pick Danielson’s poison! Will Helms run the Danielson route and choose to face Danielson himself? Or does the Carolinian have something else entirely up his sleeve…?

This week will mark the first time in over a month that Oblivion does not have a Trios Tournament match booked, but that doesn’t mean we’re not reeling from the fallout! Team SuperPsico Star and Mercenaries, Inc. have both been given the week off to begin preparations for the Finals at TOL, but following SuperPsicoStar’s big semi-final win last week, they were viciously assaulted by Carlito and the Samoan Fight Club. It took a surprise returning Rey Mysterio to force Carlito and Co. away from his fellow luchadors. What does Rey Mysterio have to say about Carlito and his return when he visits the AOW Green Zone?

All this (AND MORE!!) on the next edition of Wednesday Night Oblivion, 9/8c only on FX!



.:Confirmed For Oblivion:.

~#1 Contender for the AOW Tag Team Championships~
Sons of the Dungeon v. American Made

AOW Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson v. an opponent of Gregory Helms’ choosing

We hear from a returning Rey Mysterio

PLUS…

“The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks has his first match in AOW

BUT FIRST…

Christian Cage, Shawn Michaels, and AOW Champion Chris Jericho speak face to face to face


Hope the way I'm running the Offseason tickles people's fancy. Thought long and hard about how to properly run that. Show should be up over the weekend, my Internet connection permitting. Hope all remain well until then :eek:
 
#224 ·

3.5.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Revival of the Fittest”


“The Fight Song” by Marilyn Manson vignette

(Whispers)

Fight…

RVD leaps for a Frog Splash…

Fight…

HBK cocks back, Sweet Chin Music ready…

Fight…

Finlay and Joe go at it on the balcony…

Fight…

Chris Jericho’s silhouette is highlighted…

*Opening guitar riff*

You'll never grow up to be a big rock star

The camera goes from the ground up to the face of Paul Wright in his debut Week 3

Celebrated victim of your fame

Aero Star leaps onto Jamie Noble from the entrance stage columns

Just cut our wrists like cheap coupons

Christian searches for his peeps from Week 5

And say that "death was on sale today"

Bryan Danielson raises his hand, singing his theme from Week 4

*Upped tempo, heavier sound*

And when we were good

Jack Evans’ double moonsault from Week 1

You just close your eyes

Aero Star, Psicosis, and Super Crazy perform a Triple Asai Moonsault from Week 14

So when we are bad

Paul Wright chokeslams Michaels through the table from the Supershow

We'll scar your minds

A replayed shot of Shelton Benjamin German suplexing Paul London off the ladder from Week 4

Fight!

SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!

Fight!

WARRIOR’S WAY!!!

Fight!

MUSCLE BUSTER!!!

Fight!

SPEAR THROUGH THE TABLE!!

Fight!

CHOKESLAM!!!

Fight!

WORLD’S GREATEST DOOMSDAY DEVICE!!

Fight!

GTS!!

Fight!

FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH!!!

*Final cymbal crash*

Chris Jericho holds the AOW World title high in the air


The entire Hammerstein is buzzing their heads off for what’s sure to be yet another huge edition of Wednesday Night Oblivion, not a silent seat in the house. The camera pans around to see numerous fans all in a frenzy before “KING OF MY WORLD” hits the sound system and all that generous ovation turns into a huge rain of heat for AOW Champion Chris Jericho, who steps from between the blood-red curtain with his nose high in the air with a complete lack of remorse. He struts down the ramp and into the ring with his three piece suit and a microphone, no one liking what’s going to come out of his mouth already.

Chris Jericho:
My name is Chris Jericho and I am your undisputed AOW Heavyweight Champion…

~Jericho is cut off by the insane amount of heat he’s getting that he has to acknowledge before continuing

Chris Jericho:
…soon to be your undisputed AOW WORLD Heavyweight Champion.

~And the heat remains sustained

Chris Jericho:
Once I defend my championship on the soil of my home country in less than two weeks, this title will be rebranded and my power will expand to not just this cesspool of a place, but to the entire world.

~The heat stays strong, Jericho just prying at the crowd now

Chris Jericho:
But in order to defend my AOW Championship at The Outer Limits, I’ll have to do the one thing people have been saying I can’t do…and that’s do the impossible.

~The crowd buzzes as Jericho smirks just a bit


Chris Jericho:
See, not only do I have to defend my AOW Championship in a Triple Threat against two men who are undisputedly consumed by their hatred for me, but I have to do it completely…alone.

~More crowd buzz as Jericho rubs his chin a little and lets his smirk fade


Chris Jericho:
Word just came into me that due to the fact that this administration has an unblieivable vendetta against me, Paul “The Great” Wright has been banned from ringside for the match.

~…and the crowd pops

Chris Jericho:
But on top of the fact that Bobby Lashley is injured and Ken Doane has vanished without a trace…

~Even more pops, Jericho getting more and more angry

Chris Jericho:
These facts have left me defend my AOW Championship by myself…and I’m more than ready to do that.

~Jericho raises his head back to ‘holier than thou’ levels

Chris Jericho:
See, that’s what being as worthy as me is all about. Doing the utterly impossible. No mortal man can do what I have the capability of doing.

~Some buzz, as Jericho gets a little more angry

Chris Jericho:
I have the entire world a-gainst me. Paul Heyman doesn’t want me as champion. Mick Foley doesn’t want me as champion. No one in the back wants me as champion. Hell, the nacho maker in the lobby doesn’t want me as champion…and you mindless worms don’t want me as champion.

~…and the heat, predictably, returns

Chris Jericho:
So no matter what phony stories Christian Cage and Shawn Michaels want to lather you people up with, it’s I, Chris Jericho, your Worthy Champion, who has all the odds stacked against him.

~Jericho looks up and almost looks like he’s looking to the heavens for power

Chris Jericho:
And so it is I who will walk into my home country with the weight of the world on my shoulders, no one on my side…and remain for the seventh straight month your undisputed, worthy, and godly AOW WORLD Heavyweight Champion!


No one in the crowd buys Jericho’s statement for a minute, and if they do, they certainly don’t give a damn seeing as how they let Jericho have it with an absurd amount of heat being poured now. Jericho has this incredibly false noble look on his face as if he’s just delivered a dignified speech and not delivered what was perhaps the grandest load of bull anyone’s ever heard.

Joey Styles:
I would welcome you all to another edition of AOW Wednesday Night Oblivion, but if you all change your channels right now, Chris Jericho will disappear. I envy all of you at home for that ability.

JBL:
This man is speaking pure, unbridled truth!! This man has the entire world against him, but he’s more than ready to do the impossible! Don’t touch that dial, simpletons at home. My colleague has not seen the light.

Joey Styles:
I’m Joey Styles alongside John “Bradshaw” Layfield and if you can barely hear us, that’s because the Hammerstein Ballroom is showing Chris Jericho how much they believe in his phony story.

JBL:
Oh great. Someone else wants to join the blind hate parade.


Just as the world (and Joey Styles) wants to hate on Jericho some more, the heat immediately turns into a wild reaction as “SEXY BOY” roars over the sound system for the rebellious redemption seeker in Shawn Michaels comes on down the ramp. He looks slightly less artificial than he did last week, but still looks out of himself enough to not bounce on down the ramp and instead just strut. He has his iconic unflinching look on his face.

Shawn Michaels:
What the hell does someone like you know about the impossible?

~A bit of a buzz pop for Michaels showing up Jericho already

Shawn Michaels:
You’re talkin’ to a guy who has made a career out of doing the impossible. Hell, you can ask Paul Heyman right now – I am impossible.

~Another bit of a pop for the defiance of Michaels

Shawn Michaels:
You can come out here and try to convince whoever the hell you want to that you’re some sick kind of underdog, but I see right through you, Jericho. Everyone does. You’ve always had a plan. You always have a plan.

~Michaels gets close to Jericho’s face here and points a finger

Shawn Michaels:
Plus...you’re trying to get by with a lie…in front of a bona fide liar.

~Michaels spins his finger around and then points towards himself to a small pop


Shawn Michaels:
But if there’s anyone in that match in two weeks that’ll be doing the impossible…it’ll be me.

~Michaels gets a little more grave and points to himself again


Shawn Michaels:
Y’see, Jericho, I’ll be trying to bury a monster that’s been raging inside of me for more than a decade in a city that hates me more than the Devil himself.

~Michaels’ grave look becomes even more stoic

Shawn Michaels:
I might’ve sold my soul to try and redeem myself, but there’s nothing I can do to get those people in Montreal on my side.

~Michaels is utterly unflinching, but so is Jericho

Shawn Michaels:
So you can try and come out here and claim that you’re the hero…but just so you, Paul Heyman, and Christian know… I’ve got nothing holding me back from being the villain.


The crowd reels from this line, Michaels and Jericho now sharing their first staredown since December, but the entire arena breaks into A HUGE pop when “JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES” roars across the arena. Christian Cage pushes through the blood-red curtain and takes in his reaction before marching down to the ring with a purpose and with a microphone in hand.

Christian:
I don’t want to hear either one of you sit here and try to play your hands.

~Cage’s maddened eyes glare back and forth between both men, stopping on Michaels

Christian:
You…you came into this company with this ‘clean slate’ ruse. And it’s been proven time and time again that you’re nothing but the same guy that this entire company was built to thwart.

~Christian gets closer to Michaels, but his eyes do most of his traveling by staring a hole through HBK

Christian:
And then you come right back out here with this ‘redemption’ story after selling your soul to the Devil because you hate yourself. You hate yourself so much, you’ll make a spectacle of it. Why?

~Michaels doesn’t seem fazed to even ask the question

Christian:
You said it last week – no matter who owns your contract, no matter what the stakes are, you’ll always be ‘The Showstopper’. Even if the show you’re stoppin’ has nothing to do with you.

~This isn’t a term of endearment for this, Cage instantly snapping from Michaels to a startled Jericho

Christian:
And you…where do I begin with you…?

~Cage is literally about to snap Jericho’s nose off he’s so close

Christian:
Of all the bullshit you’ve pulled for months, this absolutely has to take the cherry. Chris Jericho, a man who has gone so far as to call himself a god now has the gall to come out here and plead his case as someone the world should be rooting for…?

~The crowd delivers heat, not for Christian, but for Jericho’s ridiculous notion

Christian:
I’m supposed to pity you because you’re alone, Jericho? Am I supposed to clap for you because you’re finally doing something by yourself? News flash, oh Worthy One – that’s exactly where Shawn Michaels is now and that’s exactly where you forced me to be. You get no sympathy, you sick son of a bitch.

~Christian growls this in Jericho’s face, the crowd buzzing from the vulgarity, but Christian pulls back to get a look at both men


Christian:
You’ve thrown away everything you’ve worked for just so you can keep your glory. Dare I say you two look like mirror images of each other. You’re both so…desperate.

~Jericho and Michaels glance at each other quickly before looking back to Cage


Christian:
Maybe that’s what it’s like when you’ve had and want it so bad. Maybe that’s what it’s like to have and want to hold. Maybe that's what it all boils down to. You’ve both been world champions before and you want to do everything you can to get to the top and stay there. But I haven’t ever had a world title.

~Christian stops looking at his two foes and looks a little towards the ground

Christian:
I have never held a world title and I’m supposed to take down two monsters to try and get it. I’m supposed to do that after having to fight tooth and nail to prove myself to these people, to redeem myself in front of my peers, and to save this company.

~Christian looks up to point to the crowd and to the back before turning back to the two men with him

Christian:
So if you two want to see someone who is more than ready to do the impossible…you’re lookin’ at him. Because that’s all I’ve done in AOW.

~HUGE pop

Christian:
My goal isn’t to retain…

~Christian turns to Jericho

Christian:
…nor is my goal to be redeemed…

~Christian turns to Michaels before turning again center

Christian:
My goal is to be revitalized. That’s what that gold means to me.

~Another buzz from the crowd for that

Christian:
So long story short, I’m not concerned with being the “hero”…

~Another look at Jericho


Christian:
…and I’m not concerned with being the “villain”…

~Another look towards Michaels


Christian:
I’m just concerned with being champion.


And a WILD pop from the Hammerstein for Christian cementing his place if he hasn’t already, prompting the raucous crowd to break out in a “CHRISTIAN!! CHRISTIAN!!” chant. Even so, Jericho and Michaels aren’t impressed in the least, both men glaring at Cage who madly stares right back. The intensity is all over the place right now, the crowd buzzing and waiting for something to happen…only to hear “LAMBEG” suddenly hit the threshold. All three men suddenly look up the entrance ramp to see Finlay strutting down to the ring with a microphone in hand as he eats up heat that rivals only Jericho. He even gets garbage pelted at him when he stops at the base of the ramp due to his actions last week. He just smirks a little to himself before stepping into the ring and forcing everyone’s attention there. He has to wait a moment for his heat to die down.

Finlay:
Fellas, I don’t care what your reasonings are. I don’t care about the people in Montreal an’ I certainly don’t care about the people already here.

~The heat goes even stronger, Jericho possibly jealous of the heat Finlay’s generating here

Finlay:
What I care about is that I finally did what I said I was gonna do an’ that’s break these people’s hero in Rob Van – sorry – Robert Szatowski.

~The heat just continues to pour

Finlay:
An’ I know that forcing a guy like him to retire an’ still never being pinned or made to submit is more than enough reasoning for me to get a shot at the AOW Championship.

~The heat is sustained, all three men going from puzzled and stoic to ‘oh hell no’

Christian:
NO! I won’t let anyone else get in the way!

Finlay:
Well that’s really not up to you, is it Cage? As a matter of fact, these people seem to think that you’re their new hero.

~Cage still stares back at the confident Finlay with mad eyes

Finlay:
An’ if I want a way into the AOW Championship match, I got no problem breaking another hero.


Finlay and Christian now stare daggers at one another, but their gazes quickly dart from each other back to Jericho and Michaels, all four men now equipped with the utmost uncertainty, the crowd buzzing because yet again they want something to happen…but AGAIN it’s all stopped when the voice of Paul Heyman suddenly cuts across the entire arena to another shot of heat, probably more from annoyance than anything.

Paul Heyman:
Gentlemen, gentlemen, will you please lower your testosterone levels for just a moment.

~Heyman looks incredibly flustered in his wheelchair atop the entrance ramp, probably because he had to wheel himself out with Michaels not by his side

Paul Heyman:
There will be no anarchy here! None of that on my watch!

~The Hammerstein throws very disappointed heat at Heyman

Paul Heyman:
Oh, so I try to keep order and I’m the bad guy?

~…and the crowd gives a smart ass pop, flustering Heyman even more

Paul Heyman:
Anyway, Finlay, while what you did last week was indescribably despicable.

~A bit of buzz, seeing as how even bashing someone’s wife may be a little bit too much for Heyman


Paul Heyman:
However it was…impressive.

~…and there’s the heat


Paul Heyman:
And Mr. Finlay is right, Christian. It’s not your place to decide who gets title shots. So seeing as how I can’t stand you, I loathe Chris Jericho, and Shawn Michaels won’t stay chained in the yard…

~A quick shot of a smirk from Michaels

Paul Heyman:
…why not? Tonight, we’re gonna have the biggest tag team match in AOW history!!

~A big of a pop of intrigue


Paul Heyman:
Tonight, it will be Shawn Michaels teaming up with Christian Cage to face Chris Jericho and Finlay!

~A pop from the crowd

Paul Heyman:
Christian and Jericho, I’ll even waive your no-contact clause for the duration of this match! Because if Finlay pins Shawn Michaels or Christian, he will be added to The Outer Limits title match!

~The crowd lets out a mixed reaction as Heyman delivers the announcement that would make Teddy Long splooge all over the place, but none of the men in the ring seem happy at all…except Finlay. Finlay has a shit-eating smirk pasted on his face that develops into his toothy grin.

Paul Heyman:
Oh, and just in case you all wanted to cause some kind of anarchy anyway, if any of you touch Finlay before tonight’s match, he automatically gets added. But Finlay if you attack any of those men, you’ll lose your shot at the title shot. Have a wonderful evening, gents!


Heyman pouring the ham on a little bit too thick on that last line, but the entire Hammerstein lets out a great big disappointed rain of heat because they wanted to see these four guys tear each other apart. All this allows for is all four men looking at each other with ping-ponging eyes, no one quite sure to who watch first. Each man also has a different look on their face – Michaels is back to his signature stoic, Christian and his mad eyes are creating a snarl on his face, Finlay has his toothy grin, and Jericho has his master strategist smirk cranked up to a thousand.

Joey Styles:
And this still isn’t an opening I’d like to go with, but nonetheless ladies and gentlemen, these four men can’t touch each other until our main event as you just heard, but how dare Finlay.

JBL:
Whaddya mean ‘how dare Finlay?’ The man has impressed. You heard Paul Heyman.

Joey Styles:
Impressed? What he did was absolutely disgusting and he shouldn’t be treated like a human being much less a professional wrestler. He shouldn’t be rewarded for clubbing Sonya Szatowski. He should be fined, suspended or outright FIRED!

JBL:
That’s not your decision to make, ya worm.

Joey Styles:
No, but it’s more than anything going to be in the hands of Christian, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho and that’s somewhat of a scary thought considering all three of these men want at each other’s throats more than anything in the world.

JBL:
Shawn Michaels an’ Christian better put up for the fight of their lives, I’ll tell you that much. We’ve seen Dave Finlay hang Samoa Joe from a cage wall an’ bash a man’s wife’s skull in to get what he wants. I’d hate to be one of those men tonight.

Joey Styles:
We have, but that huge match isn’t the only big tag team match on the program. After weeks of talking with the World’s Greatest Tag Team, the Sons of the Dungeon finally get a chance to head to the big dance, but they have to beat a team with even more momentum than them in American Made.

JBL:
Just go ahead an’ give it to Nameth an’ Hagar, will ya?

Joey Styles:
But they have to have a match, Jibbles.

JBL:
It’s America versus Canada. Who the hell do you think is gonna win?

Joey Styles:
My money’s actually on the Dungeon boys, but nonetheless, we’ve also got huge singles action here tonight, but perhaps the one everyone’s most looking forward to is that “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks will make his in ring debut for AOW. Does he have the stuff to back up all the venom he’s been spewing?

JBL:
If he didn’t, do you think he’d be in this company? That’s what annoys me about you, Joey. You ask stupid questions that you already know the answer to.

Joey Styles:
But John, I was just –

JBL:
No. Shut up. Hype the card, hype the show, but don’t insult these people’s intelligence an’ you damn sure shouldn’t insult mine. So just stop talkin’.

Joey Styles:
You should heed your own advice, John, because we have to cut to a break. Folks, if I haven’t insulted your intelligence, keep it here for ninety minutes of action! This is AOW Oblivion, and we’re live!


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



Upon our return from the break, we’re greeted with “THE FINAL COUNTDOWN” blaring over the system with the crowd buzzing accordingly. We cut back into the program with Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson already on his way down to the ring, as pissed as ever. Danielson slides into the fray and removes the title from around his waist after flashing to the crowd just a little bit. His orbital bone injury seems to be healing quite alright.

This, predictably, goes back down to a chorus of heat once “IT’S TIME – HACKER’S REMIX” hits the fold to give way to Gregory Helms strut on through the curtain. Helms has a smirk that only rivals Finlay’s moments ago, confidence just radiating from his being as he lifts a microphone to his lips and stops on the entrance stage


Helms:
That was some stunt you pulled last week, Danielson. It was smart. It was so smart, I’m pretty sure you didn’t even come up with it.

~More heat, as Helms keeps walking from the stage to the ramp

Helms:
I mean, there’s no way a guy like you could’ve though that up. No wonder the execution was so terrible.

~:side:

Helms:
But like with everything else, I’ll just have to show you how it’s done and just prove, once again, that I’m always gonna be better than you.

~More heat, as Helms is getting closer and closer to the ring…

Helms:
See, Paul Heyman was so gracious as to grant me the opportunity to pick your opponent tonight, just like you chose mine last week.

~Helms is about halfway down the ramp…

Helms:
So if you’ll allow me to introduce him, he’s a world class wrestler, unlike you. As a matter of fact, while you were out wrestling in bingo halls, he was out making a name for himself in the big leagues where it mattered. He’s indestructible and unstoppable, and you know him pretty well by this point.

~Helms is at the base of the ramp by this point…

Helms:
That man…IS ME!!


AND HERE WE GO AGAIN~!! Helms drops his mike rushes towards the ring, Danielson fully prepared for Helms to come at it and see if we can get another preview…but Helms stops before he slides into the ring, holding his sides in laughter. Danielson is puzzled, the crowd sharing this notion, but their confusion quickly becomes heat when Helms leaves the ringside area, heads back up the ramp, and picks back up the microphone.

Helms:
Do you really think I’m that stupid??

~More heat, as Helms starts cackling in more mad laughter

Helms:
I’m not gonna give you a shot at me that easily, Mr. White Knight. You’re not gonna face me. You’re gonna face this guy.


Helms points towards the entrance stage, where “KING OF MY WORLD” hits the speakers to immediate buzz, only for Paul “The Great” Wright to step through the curtain and start galumphing down the ramp towards the ring. The heat for Helms suddenly turns into awe, as Helms truly seems to have outsmarted Danielson on this one. The fighting champion doesn’t seem fazed, but he does have a very tall order ahead of him.

OPENING CONTEST
AOW Cruiserweight Champion Bryan Danielson
v.
Paul “The Great” Wright

{w/Gregory Helms}


Danielson has tangled with the big man before, but never in a one on one situation and Helms looming over the situation. While Danielson tries with all his might, he’s just outsized and outpowerd completely, yet still holds his own. We cut into the contest roughly three minutes in, Danielson having taken a beating from trying and failing on the offensive side. Danielson again tries to go for what looks like a sitout clothesline, but the giant just shrugs the move off and doesn’t so much as flinch. Danielson backs up and tries to go for it again, but Wright catches him in the middle of the move and tosses him with one hand into one of the corners, Wright sandwiching Danielson violently between A BIG CORNER ELBOW and the iron post itself!

Danielson collapses out of the corner, Helms with a huge smile on his face from watching his rival squashed like a bug. Wright then roams over and takes the damaged Danielson and forces him back into a corner, taking a few steps back, before charging once again with a CORNER HIP ATTACK!! Wright’s gargantuan waistline crashes into the Dragon’s ribs, doubling him over and possibly causing internal bleeding. Wright’s expression doesn’t change at all, staying ridiculously stoic to counter Helms’ hyena like expression on the outside. Wright wastes no time in whipping Danielson across the ring to the opposite corner, going for ANOTHER RUNNING HIP ATTACK…NOBODY HOME!! It’s Wright now who crashes into the iron post, forced into the corner! Danielson takes this moment to heed to his midsection before getting up and rushing at the cornered big man…EXPLODING CORNER DROPKICK!!

Wright gets hit with a bursting move, but still doesn’t go down, just gingerly stepping out of the corner. Danielson sees an opportunity and gets on the apron before climbing to the top rope…FLYING KNEE TO THE SKULL!! AND WRIGHT FINALLY FALLS!! The mighty oak comes crashing down, possibly concussed, Danielson roaming over for a perhaps miracle cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Wright bench presses Danielson off of him, almost sending the Cruiserweight champ through the ropes and to the floor, however, when Wright tries to sit up and recover, Danielson tries to chicken wing both of his arms, looking for the CATTLE MUTILATION…NO! Wright is just too big and too powerful to wrap up in the submission, just tossing Danielson over his shoulders. But the fierce and focused Dragon rolls through the toss, plants his feet, and nails the seated Wright with a SHOOT ROUNDHOUSE TO THE TEMPLE!! Danielson with another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Again, Wright tosses Danielson off of him, this time actually sending him through the ropes and to the floor!

The referee actually goes to check on Wright, leaving Danielson at the mercy of Helms on the outside, who punts him in the gut before Goose Mahoney can turn around and look. This garners a great deal of heat, but Danielson shows some resolve and gets back to his feet on his own, rolling back into the ring…ONLY TO BE GORED BY WRIGHT!! A 400-LB SPEAR ON A 180 LB MAN!! Danielson is absolutely rocked, almost definitely having internal bleeding at this point. Hems is understandably, yet disturbingly, giddy as Wright steps back and raises a hand and awaits Danielson’s recovery, setting up for the CHOKESLAM…GUILLOTINE CHOKE!! DANIELSON TURNS IT INTO A GUILLOTINE CHOKE!! The weight of the big man is now completely working against him, Danielson pulling out the same strategy that he’s done against the likes of Bobby Lashley to try and pull him down to size. Wright is bent all the way over, with Danielson’s legs wrapped around him and nearly ready to pop the big man’s head off his grip is so tight…but Wright snaps back up and destroys Danielson’s grip by tossing him into a corner so hard, Danielson is forced right back out, his momentum pushing him back towards the giant…KNOCKOUT PUNCH, RIGHT TO THE STILL INJURED ORBITAL BONE!! The same man who reinjured the eye weeks ago possibly does it again, literally rearranging Danielson’s face as he slumps his gargantuan body onto Danielson’s – 1…2..3…!!!

Winner: Paul “The Great” Wright at (7:34)

There’s an unstable look of glee plastered on the face of Gregory Helms as Wright’s pinfall deflates the crowd back to delivering heat, but this only gets more intense when Helms enters the ring. Wright takes a few steps back and doesn’t really pay much mind to Helms or anyone, even refusing to have his hand raised by ref Mahoney.​


Joey Styles:
Oh no…the match is over. Someone get Gregory Helms away from Bryan Danielson. This is unnecessary and just plain wrong…

JBL:
It’s not about what’s right or wrong, Joey. It’s about sending a message.


Jibbles seems to be more right than anything on that, as Helms now stalks a recovering Danielson, possibly setting up for what could be a killing blow to the possibly rebroken orbital bone in the SHINING WIZARD…but before Helms can nail it an all too crowd-pleasing sound hits the threshold, as “MOMMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT” blares out to a huge pop. On cue, the One Man Army Samoa Joe bursts from through the blood red curtain and rushes down to the ring, immediately causing Helms to dart out of it. Wright is still in the ring, meanwhile, and doesn’t run at all. When Joe slides in, he and Wright clash and begin a big man brawl right in the center of the ring!!

Both men rock each other back and forth with heavy hands as the crowd lights up and cheers them on! The Hammerstein gets the big brawl they wanted in the opening, neither man giving an inch until Wright starts to pull away by smacking Joe in the gut with several blows. This gives him time to wait on Joe to stand back up before goozling him and setting up for a CHOKESLAM…NO!! Joe throws Wright’s arm off of his own and starts throwing blows at Wright once more, forcing him up against the ropes! Wright, who still has the size and strength advantage, manages to shove Joe away, but Joe rolls right back to his feet a la Danielson. This gives him the leverage to rush back at “The Great”…and CLOTHESLINE HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!! Joe cleans the house of the big man and lets out a passionate exalt, Danielson getting to his feet and joining beside Joe. We get a shot of Wright trying to get back up on the outside before looking at Helms still on the ramp, his smile vanishing from his face while Danielson is the one with a smile on his.


Joey Styles:
For the second week in a row, Gregory Helms and Bryan Danielson outthink one another, but it’s the other man who walks away from the scene with a smile on his face!

JBL:
I don’t know what the hell Bryan Danielson has to smile about. He just lost, an’ plus, his broken face bone looks it got re-injured.

Joey Styles:
That would be the orbital bone, John.

JBL:
It’s on your face, isn’t it?

Joey Styles:
No point in arguing with you, but Samoa Joe also getting measure of revenge against the man who Chokeslammed him though our desk last week and who he’s gonna face at The Outer Limits.

JBL:
Joe might be biting off a little bit more than he can chew, but I know Bryan Danielson definitely is.

Joey Styles:
But he’s already beaten Gregory Helms twice, John! How can you say something like that with any validity at all?

JBL:
I can say it because what Gregory Helms said before the match was absolutely right!

Joey Styles:
I beg to differ, but one of them will be proven right when they go at it in no holds barred fashion come The Outer Limits. That’ll be the real teller, John, not just your hilariously biased opinion.



~Backstage, locker room area…


We’re brought to the image of two guys who we haven’t seen since This is Exile in Jack Evans and Low Ki – known collectively as the contrast-rich Low Jack. Ki appears silent as always, Evans appears to try to be getting his attention…


Evans:
I’m tellin’ you, Ki. We need to get on that Offseason roster. Need to start gettin’ as much ring time as we can, y’know? I mean, you were this close to beatin’ Gregory Helms a few weeks ago. A little more time on the mat? You’d be Cruiserweight Champion without tryin’.

~Ki actually raises an eyebrow and nods at the notion, but doesn’t say anything

Evans:
Y’know what? I think I even got a rap f’this occasion. Hold up –

~Evans starts bobbing his head back and forth, getting the beat in his head

Evans:
Jack Evans, Low Ki
Underrated to the tee
You kick like Bruce Lee
I rap like a MC
If we’re as good as we can be
We’ll go as far as the seven seas
Never be in –

Banks:
Hol’ up, hol’ up, HOL’…UP!

~Into the scene steps Antonio Banks, a garish suit on as always, his sunglasses covering his eyes but he takes them off to interrupt Evan’s rap and stare at him

Banks:
Now I know I didn’t walk on back here to just see some white boy…

~Banks points to Evans

Banks:
…in a do rag…

~Banks goes from pointing to slapping Evans’ head that’s topped with the ‘do rag’

Banks:
…tryin’ to rap like he’s black?

~We can hear some heat beyond the walls for that, Evans stricken by the audacity of the statement and doesn’t say anything


Banks:
The white man can’t make nothin’ for himself. Always gotta be takin’ the black man’s jams. First it was jazz. Then it was rock n’ roll. An’ now y'all wanna take rap?

~Banks is legitimately peeved

Banks:
I’m supposed to have my first match tonight. An’ you know what? I think my first opponent’s gonna be…you, Vanilla Ice.

~Banks pokes Evans in the chest, Evans caught off guard by the notion

Banks:
An’ take that do rag off your head!

~Banks tries to walk by and snatch the cap off of Evans’ head, but Low Ki jumps between them

Banks:
…Low Ki, right? I like what you doin’, maan. Don’t let this white boy keep you down for much longer.

~Banks gives another sharp look at Evans after this, walking out of the scene, leaving Ki and Evans to ponder over everything he said…


The entire screen begins to cut in and out of static until we’re brought to what looks like an executive office scene, a chair sitting behind a desk. The entire scene is dimly lit and grungy looking until the chair swivels around to reveal Chris Jericho in a suit and a sinister smirk.

Chris Jericho:
There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.


The scene throbs in static for a moment before returning to clarity, except this time, all color is sucked out of it and monochrome

Chris Jericho:
I am controlling transmission. If I wish to make it louder, I will bring up the volume.


The camera begins to slowly move towards Jericho, then it cuts away to the Hammerstein Ballroom losing their minds and cracking decibel levels

Chris Jericho:
If I wish to make it softer, I will tune it to a whisper.


It again flashes to Jericho staring hypnotically, then flashes back to Jericho holding the AOW Championship high to nothing but silence over the bodies of Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, and Bryan Danielson

Chris Jericho:
I can reduce the focus to a soft blur…


The scene gets blurry and out of focus so much, that we can’t make it out anymore…

Chris Jericho:
…or sharpen it to crystal clarity.


When the picture reforms, we’re on a very close up shot in the office of Jericho, his eyes locked on us as though he truly is getting us under his control

Chris Jericho:
I will control the horizontal.


As he says that now, a scene flashes of a horizontal white line that trails behind Bobby Lashley as he spears Rob Van Dam through a table from the World Ablaze main event

Chris Jericho:
I will control the vertical.


Another scene flash, this one of a vertical white line following Ken Doane as he puts Paul Heyman through the announce table with the Sky High Leg Drop

Chris Jericho:
For the first several months of this company, I have dominated all and proven my worth. Now I need more lands to conquer.


We’re back to Jericho now, pulling away from his close up, his puppetmaster fingers interlocking with each other on the front of his desk, the color somewhat returning to the scene, but everything is tinted with a red and white hue

Chris Jericho:
And I won’t just go for more things alone. Oh no. You all are coming with me. I will control what you see and hear.


We continue to pull back from the desk, but Jericho’s eyes haven’t budged

Chris Jericho:
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to...The Outer Limits.


As Jericho says that, the wall behind him becomes draped with a tattered, bloody Canadian flag





~ART OF WAR WRESTING PRESENTS~

THE OUTER LIMITS
!!A THREE-HOUR PAY-PER-VIEW SPECIAL!!
Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


We return to the buzzing Hammerstein scene with “WE AS AMERICANS” blaring over the sound system, American Made coming down the ramp and exemplifying their personalities much moreso than last week, Hagar being focused, but cocky, and Nameth just letting his cocky flair radiate from his hair down to his fingertips. Both men flash million dollar smiles before talking quick strategy, Nameth once again taking a moment to look into the front rows for his ‘princess’. Hagar does a quick scan as well, but doesn’t linger and almost has to drag Nameth into the ring.

This is interrupted by an instapop for “EXECUTORS OF EXCELLENCE” and the team that follows it, the Sons of the Dungeon. Both Sons also flash their personalities, or as some might perceive it, lack therefore of because of their intense focus, only tending to the crowd once before marching down with a purpose.

MATCH 2
*#1 Contenders for the AOW Tag Team Championship*
American Made
v.
Sons of the Dungeon


These two teams know each other quite well by this point, their very natures clashing once again. The momentum of the match shifts from one team to the next a few times until we cut in around the five minute mark after a COMMERCIAL BREAK, where the momentum has shifted once again with TJ Wilson seeing Nick Nameth’s series of elbow drops coming from a mile away, getting the knees up and crunching them under Nameth’s bicep!! Nameth grips at his now ailing arm, Wilson grabbing a hold of it now and stomping on it before wrapping it up and catching Nameth in a LA MAGISTRAL, Justin King getting to his duties – 1…2…3-NO!! Nameth uses his legs to fling out of the move, rolling to a seated position and still gripping his arm. Wilson notices the position and nails Nameth with a DROPKICK TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD, Nameth rolling and griping his head in pain now.

As Nameth rolls a little further away, Wilson notices that he’s rolling towards his corner, rushing over to stop him with a knee to the shoulder. TJ then pulls Nameth a little closer to his corner and tags in Smith. Wilson then takes Nameth back to his feet and knees him in the gut before Smith takes him up in a bearhug and Wilson goes to the apron, perhaps looking for their variation of the HART ATTACK…NO!! Jack Hagar rushes across the ring and chop block’s Smith’s leg, causing Wilson to completely airmail his half of the move and for Nameth to now fall right on top of Smith. Hagar rushes out of the ring as quickly as he came, King getting down for the count – 1…2…NO!! Smith isn’t caught that off guard, slipping out from under Nameth quickly. He sits up, but now it’s Nameth’s turn to recognize an opponent’s position, rebounding off the ropes behind him, gripping onto Smith’s neck, and flipping over for a particularly brutal NECK SNAP!! The whiplash sends Smith back down, Nameth more convincingly covering – 1…2…NO!! Smith still has life!

Nameth is noticeably irked by that, but he takes his frustration out to hitting Smith with a pair of boots to the head. He then drags Smith back to his feet and tries to whip him into an empty corner, but Smith reverses the whip and sends Nameth spiraling into it instead. Smith immediately follows that up with a huge corner clothesline that squishes Nameth so hard, he drunkenly walks out of the corner right into Smith’s waiting clutches for a GERMAN SUPLEX…NO!! Nameth jams the move, hooking a leg around Smith’s and preventing the move from being done. Smith tries and tries, but Nameth won’t let him lift him, instead prying Smith’s grip around his midsection apart. When he’s gotten sufficient space, Nameth leaps up and cracks Smith in the face with a picture perfect DROPKICK!! This sends Smith right back down and gives Nameth enough time to get to his corner and tag in Hagar, who enters and sets himself up then rushing at him for the HAGAR BOMB…NO!! Smith gets the knees up at the last possible second!!

The constant countering just shows how much these four men know one another, Smith now taking the All-American and grinding a boot against his face before taking him up and whipping him into an empty corner, the recoil bringing Hagar right into Smith’s arms…BELLY TO BELLY SUPLEX!! The powerful Smith slings Hagar right over her head! Smith now darts over for a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Hagar still has some life in him! Smith doesn’t get agitated, making sure to stay focused. Smith then takes Hagar and flips him into a Tree of Woe in his corner, now tagging in Wilson. He jumps in, only to be grabbed hold by Smith, who whips him towards the corner and nails Hagar with a LOW CORNER DROPKICK, right to Hagar’s face!! Hagar’s body falls from the corner as his head is pushed in, but the falling body is caught by Smith, who is still in the ring. Smith grapples around Hagar’s midsection…and nails a BEAUTIFUL WHEELBARROW SUPLEX!! The double team move is seamless, but as soon as Hagar’s head is driven into the canvas on that, Wilson is ready and waiting to finish the combo with a jackknife cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Nameth jumps across the ring to save his partner now, stopping the pin!

Nameth gets admonished, but he doesn’t seem to care much. Wilson now has to see if he can tangle with the larger Hagar, nailing him with several repeat shoot kicks while Hagar tries to recover. The vicious feet of Wilson seem to be doing the trick, but as he goes for the FINISHING ROUNDHOUSE, Hagar ducks and catches Wilson around the midsection, but now it’s Wilson’s turn to fight out, undoing the grapple and nailing Hagar with a LEAPING BACK ENZEGUIRI!! Hagar is rocked and goes down hard, Wilson with another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Hagar still has something left in the tank! Wilson, like his partner, avoids becoming irritated and opts to try and lift Hagar back to his feet, but Hagar pushes Wilson off of him and into the ropes, Wilson catching onto them so he doesn’t rebound. Hagar rushes at Wilson, but gets caught with a BACKFLIP KICK for his troubles, Wilson flipping onto the apron on the blow. Wilson now looks to be setting up for what could be the killing shot, going for perhaps a SPRINGBOARD NECKBREAKER…BIG BOOT!! HAGAR DROPS WILSON FROM OUT OF THE SKY!! A stunning visual indeed, as Hagar now goes for what could be an academic cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Smith saves his partner!

Hagar now breaks his focus to gets up to get in Smith’s face, but both men are pulled apart by King, Smith admonished by him. Hagar goes right back to beating Wilson down before taking him up over his head and planting him back down with a MILITARY PRESS DROP!! The power of Hagar is on display here, now looking to prep for perhaps the finish, waiting for Wilson to get back to his feet…GUTWRENCH POWERBOMB…NO!! Wilson manages to spin it into a hurricanrana! Wilson gets the space he needs to try and get to his corner, but as he stumbles to try and tag Smith in, he’s cut off by a VICIOUS LARIAT FROM HAGAR!! Hagar goes for another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Wilson still has life!!

Hagar starts losing a little more focus, but he stays on Wilson, a rear grounded waistlock locked in. The crowd starts getting behind Wilson to try and get him up and into his corner, but Hagar keeps the hold locked in even when he gets to his feet, setting up for another GERMAN SUPLEX…NO!! Wilson stops the move again by pulling forward with a wheelbarrow roll-up – 1…2…3-NO!! Hagar throws Wilson off of his body, but it’s towards Wilson’s corner, allowing him to tag in Smith! Smith storms into the ring and clotheslines the legal man, only for Nameth to rush across the ring and eat a clothesline as well. He recovers quickly and rushes right back at Smith, who dumps him with a SCOOP POWERSLAM!! Hagar is back up and dashes back towards the white-hot Smith only to eat a big boot of his own!! Smith is absolutely on fire right now, the crowd going hard, waiting for Hagar to get back to his feet…hoisting Hagar over his shoulder…RUNNING POWERSLAM…NO!! Hagar now stops the move, slipping off the shoulder and grabbing Smith from behind…GERMAN SUPLEX!!

Smith is derailed by the All-American, who has to shake the cobwebs out of his head before reaching over and tagging in Nameth who explodes back into the ring by nailing Smith with a SPRINGBOARD ELBOW DROP!! Nameth now with a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Smith somehow has the gusto to throw up a shoulder! Nameth pounds the mat in his usual explosive anger, not liking that the match keeps going at all. Nameth sits back and prepares for Smith to get back to his feet…JUMPING SLEEPER…NO!! Smith catches Nameth right on his shoulders and adjusts him…RUNNING POWERSLAM!! POWERSLAM CONNECTING!! Smith falls on Nameth and hooks a leg – 1…2…3…!! NO!! HAGAR BURSTS INTO THE RING AND STOPS THE COUNT!!

Hagar forces the match to keep going, dragging Smith’s body off of his partner’s and starts to beat him down, but Smith fights back and pushes Hagar back before rushing at him and CLOTHESLINING HIM OVER THE TOP ROPE!! The crowd pops as Hagar goes tumbling to the floor as Smith turns back to see Nameth…SUPERKICK!! SMITH IS BEHEADED!! Nameth collapses but he does so from the wrong direction, away from his corner and away from Smith. Nameth has no partner, but he covers Smith with a desperate attempt – 1…2…3-NO!! Smith still has something in him!!

Nameth is beside himself now, barely able to lift his body but pounding his fists off the canvas. He groggily gets back to his feet, his entire body withered and unable to tag the still tumbled Hagar. He struts to his corner in vain and sees Hagar still recovering, now forced to go back into the fray and see if he can hit Smith with a STINGER SPLASH…NOBODY HOME!! Nameth hits pure steel ring post, Smith able to now tag in Wilson, who doesn’t climb into the ring, but climbs up to the second rope. Smith hoists Nameth onto his shoulders in an electric chair, Wilson taking Nameth on his shoulders and standing straight up…ROLLING STAMPEDE!! THE SUPER ROLLING FIREMAN’S CARRY CONNECTING!! The crowd pops big for that, Smith barely able to get enough in him to rush over to the ropes and baseball slide Hagar back to the floor as Wilson covers – 1…2…3…!!!

Winner and NEW #1 Contenders for the AOW Tag Team Championships: Sons of the Dungeon at (15:11)

They’ve finally paved a way!! Wilson rolls off of Nameth’s body and has to go over to Smith, who hasn’t gotten back on his feet from hitting the baseball slide. Smith uses Wilson as a brace, using the ropes to climb back to a vertical base. When both men have ensured that they’re okay, Justin King grabs both Dungeon graduates’ wrists and emphatically hoists them high to a happy Hammerstein​


Joey Styles:
And just like that, we will have a Tag Team Championship match at The Outer Limits in Canada for two men who had to work their way through the most prestigious wrestling facility in that very country!

JBL:
Could you add any more words in there, Joey?

Joey Styles:
Well, I could always add that American Made will have to go home with nothing.

JBL:
But that’s why they lost, Joey. Don’t you pay attention? They’re busy tryin’ to see if they can find that hot blonde an’ they took their eye off the ball. Plain an’ simple.

Joey Styles:
Well that may be a contributing factor, but that takes nothing away from the fact that the Sons of the Dungeon are finally going to get their shot against the World’s Greatest Tag Team.

JBL:
I’m not takin’ anything away from the Sons. I just saw my four favorite of all the rookies we’ve had this year in the same match an’ they won, they’re headed to Canada, good for them. What I’m sayin’ is American Made needs to get their head in the game.

Joey Styles:
That’s easier said than done, John. I mean as far as we know, until Ken Doane shows up, they still have to worry about doing any dirty work Chris Jericho might need for them to do in addition to their woman hunt. But nevertheless, the Sons of the Dungeon are headed to Montreal and there may be gold in their future yet!

JBL:
But we still got a huge night ahead of us!

Joey Styles:
That’s right, John! We’ve still got what Paul Heyman called the ‘biggest tag team match in AOW history’ on the block with huge implications, and coming up on the other side of the break, “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks makes his AOW in-ring debut against the opponent of his choice, Jack Evans. But right now, we’ll head backstage to AOW interviewer Mike Mizanin for an interview with the man who shocked us with his return last week – Rey Mysterio!

JBL:
Oh, great. One guy I can’t stand interviewing another guy I can’t stand. I guess every great show has to have low points.



~The Green Zone interview set…


The Miz:
Mike “The Miz” Mizanin here again with simply the best in wrestling journalism! I’m here with my guest at this time, a guy who just doesn’t know when to quit and stay the hell away…Rey Mysterio!

~As Miz says this, Mysterio enters the screen from the left with a less than pleased look in his eye

The Miz:
So Mysterio, last week, you showed up, bum knee and all. Tell me – why is it that you can’t seem to know exactly how to walk away? I mean, how much more do you have to offer?

Mysterio:
Until the day they put me in the ground with this mask, Miz, I’ll always have something to offer.

The Miz:
(Scoffs)
How valiant of you. Rey, your best years are clearly behind you though. I mean, what else could you have to offer to an up-and-comer like Aero Star or in your wildest dreams find the gall to stand up to Carlito?

Mysterio:
Y’know what, Miz? Keep talkin’ like that. I want you to. I’ve done nothing but shut up my doubters my entire career. Guys like Aero Star need someone to help guide them. And guys like Carlito need guys to shut’em up and stop’em before it’s too late.

Carlito:
Too late for what, Rey?

~As if this is scripted or something, Carlito enters from the right side of the screen, but he’s not flanked by his SFC…

Carlito:
It might be too late for ju’ to realize ju’re not’ing anymore. But it’s not too late for Carlito to get rid of Rey Mysterio.

Mysterio:
And how do you think you’re gonna go about that? You gonna stand back and let your fan club do it for you?

Carlito:
No no no. When Carlito wants to get rid of disgraces like ju’, he does it himself.

Mysterio:
Disgraces? That is what you’re doing, isn’t it? The Mexicools…Aero Star…me. We’re all stereotypes you want to get rid of, right?

Carlito:
Ju’re damn right. An’ if ju’re not careful, Rey…ju’re gonna be next.

~Carlito lifts up the mask he still has of Aero Star’s and actually throws it at Rey, momentarily startling him long enough for Carlito to reach into his blazer for an apple, take a bite out of it, and SPITS APPLE CHUNKS IN MYSTERIO’S FACE!! Mysterio has to wipe the apple out of his eyes, as Miz actually starts laughing at Mysterio’s misery. The miniature, masked luchador just stares daggers at Miz, who suddenly stops. Mysterio grabs Star’s mask and walks away as we fade away…


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


As we return to the Hammerstein, there’s a theme tune we haven’t heard in a while blaring over the speakers, that being the one that belongs to Jack Evans, who is already jiving in the ring, his do rag still on despite Banks’ railing. He’s break dancing a little bit for the crowd, though noticeably he doesn’t have Low Ki at ringside with him.

Evans’ dancing antics go on for a little bit until “HOLLA TO THA WORLD” sounds over the system now, as the amusement at Evans’ crumping gives way to a great deal of heat as Antonio Banks slips through the blood-red curtain for the first time in competition attire. He’s still in his trademark purple jumpsuit, although there are no letters on the back of it, though he still wears his sunglasses. There’s no taunting or anything, just his nose turned up towards the crowd as he plays with his crucifix chain a little bit. He enters the ring and scoffs at Evans, not impressed at all with his break dancing or his attire, taking off his shades and his chain to get things going

…but just as soon as referee Brian Hebner is about to call for the bell, “MISERE CANTARE – THE BEGINNING” rings out across the Hammerstein now, as CM Punk comes down the ramp with his Dynasty Championship in hand, a piece of his merchandise covering up his wrestling attire. Punk stares smugly at Banks as he walks on by the ring, perhaps Punk playing a little bit of mind games here. Whatever the case, he gets on over to the announce table where he sits down next to Joey Styles…


Punk:
How you fellas doin’?

Joey Styles:
Well, we’re doing alright, Punk. It looks like CM Punk’ll be joining us on commentary, John.

Punk:
Oh, I don’t think we’ll hear much from JBL right now. He’s too busy pouting.

JBL:
I’m not pouting, you GOON. You just don’t deserve to be anywhere near a Commentator…GAWD.

Punk:
It’s okay if you’re so starstruck you can’t speak, Jibbles. It’s always nice to meet a fan.

JBL:
Come over here an’ say that to the brim of my hat, boy I’ll hit you so hard, your trailer park trash grandparents’ll feel it.

Punk:
This should mean a lot coming from a guy like me, Jibbles, but I liked you better when you drank.

JBL:
Boy, you better –

Joey Styles:
ANYWAY, Punk, glad you could join us as you get a first-row look at what Antonio Banks could be giving you when you defend your title against him.

Punk:
That’s what I’m here for. I just want a first-hand look at this guy actually put his money where his mouth is.

MATCH 3
Antonio Banks
v.
Jack Evans

{w/CM Punk on commentary}


The match doesn’t begin for a second because Banks is glaring over at Punk, but when the bell finally sounds and he gets a look at Evans, he doesn’t hesitate to run up and punt him square in the gut, doubling the Caucasian cruiserweight over. Banks then starts to club on Evans’ spine, forcing the little guy even moreso into the canvas before forcing him back up to his feet and CHUNKING HIM SHOULDER FIRST INTO A CORNER POST!!

That was quite unnecessary and it even catches Punk completely off guard on commentary, stopping any banter he may have been building. Hebner admonishes Banks, but Banks doesn’t care what Hebner has to say. He even gets in the ref’s face and tells him “jump, white boy!” Banks then takes the slumping Evans out of the corner and grapples his head in a three-quarters facelock then begins REPEATEDLY KNEEING HIM IN THE FACE!! Evans gets cracked in the temple with about five knee strikes before he falls lifelessly to the canvas. Banks does a little pose for a moment, only to take Evans’ body back up and try to lift him. Evans springs back to life for a moment, throwing some rights and lifts at Banks to try and fight him off, but the much stronger Boondock Saint just chunks Evans into a corner and screaming out “305!” and running at the corner clad Evans…THE BOONDOCK BOOT!! The running high corner boot rakes across Evans’ face!

Evans is possibly concussed at this point, but The Saint doesn’t seem to care too much. He drags the completely dead weight of Evans across to the center of the ring and stands at his head for a moment before breaking out with a SPINNING CAPOEEIRA LEG DROP!! The crowd is a little awed by that, Banks popping up to now scream in the dead Evans’ face that “that’s break dancin’, foo’!” The loudmouth Saint then walks on over to the ropes closest to the announcer’s booth, looking over and now yelling something at Punk. Punk doesn’t ignore it, rising up from the desk and opens his arms as if to say ‘come and get me’. Banks turns back towards his opponent, only to be surprised when Evans cracks him in the head with a PELE KICK!!

Banks is taken aback into the ropes, Evans using his momentum against him and using it to fling Banks into the opposite ropes, looking for perhaps some momentum. But it’s stopped dead in its tracks when Banks flies at Evans on the rebound and jacks his jaw with a FACEBREAKER KNEE SMASH!! Evans shoots right back down to the canvas, Banks now taking a few steps away from the body to stalk him as he gets up to one knee, also muttering under his breath that “you done messed up”. When he does so, Banks crosses his arms across his face before running at Evans for the DRIVE-BY KICK!! He lets it settle for a second before jumping on Evans’ body and ordering the referee get down and count – 1…2…3…!!

Winner: Antonio Banks at (3:24)

Banks steps off of Evans’ body, snatching his red do rag off as he does so. Banks then gets up and throws the do rag in the direction of the announce booth, CM Punk not at all impressed by the motion. Banks just has a little laugh before slipping back through the ropes and on up the ramp, his gold chain and sunglasses now back in tow​


JBL:
Now see? You got exactly what you wanted. That was complete and utter domination!

Joey Styles:
It was, John, but Jack Evans isn’t CM Punk.

JBL:
I think Jack Evans put up more of a fight than Punk will at The Outer Limits.

Joey Styles:
Okay, now you’re just going on blind hatred.

JBL:
Am I blind if I’m the only person who can see the truth, Joey?

Joey Styles:
Actually, yes.

JBL:
THAT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION, JACKASS!!

Joey Styles:
I love working with you too, John.

JBL:
Shove it.

Joey Styles:
It’ll be so hard tearing myself away from you and the commentators’ table during the Offseason. It really isn’t that far away, but before anyone can go home for two months, we’ve got what’s shaping up to be the biggest Pay Per View in AOW history in less than two weeks and tonight’s main event will directly affect The Outer Limits’ main event!

JBL:
It’ll be one big brawl for sure!

Joey Styles:
That it will, because if Shawn Michaels and Christian Cage let their guard down for one second, Finlay could pin them and be included in the AOW Championship match come The Outer Limits! The ‘biggest tag team match in AOW history’ is coming up NEXT!!




*Video Package*

Narrator:
It has been said that in times of war, prepare for peace…


A shot of what looks like two dignified men by a throne, one in Chinese emperor attire and the other in Japanese samurai attire, shaking hands

Narrator:
…and in times of peace, prepare for war.


In the land behind and beneath them, we see what looks like two armies raging towards one another as storm clouds gather…

Narrator:
The AOW Offseason is amidst us.


…only for both armies to fall once the scene starts raining, the land becoming mud and the screen to cut to black

Narrator:
But once it is over…


The screen lights back up on what looks like several men trying to get up and out of the bog

Narrator:
…a new dynasty shall arise!


Finally, one man is successful and glistens in the light. He goes over to what looks like a mountain and begins to climb…but he’s suddenly hounded by legions of other men making their way through the mud…

Narrator:
Thirty-two men…


All of those mud bogged, battle-ravaged men try to climb this mountain, all the while trying to knock the other ones off of it

Narrator:
…one goal…


The man who first started climbing begins to pull away after watching many of his comrades turned competitors fall

Narrator:
To win the 2008 Dynasty Tournament and get a shot at the AOW Heavyweight Championship…


The man now appears to reach the top of the cliff…

Narrator:
…and become a one-man dynasty!


The man reaches the peak of the mountain and sees that it is the throne the two men shook hands beside…and the victorious climber sits upon the throne

THE 1ST ANNUAL AOW DYNASTY TOURNAMENT
Beginning June 4th


*End Package*

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


Back from the break, the arena breaks out in a wild pop when “JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES” breaks out across the Hammerstein and only grows when Christian Cage comes through the curtain one more time, making his way down the ramp with a great deal of focus, almost reverting back to his mad eyes, but possibly understandably so for tonight.

Not too long after Christian gets partway down the ramp, “SEXY BOY” roars to a mixed reaction and Shawn Michaels comes through the curtain almost as peeved as Christian. His competition attire is as black as his outfit earlier was, his hair still slick with gel but now rolling into the ring and undoing his ponytail. He and Cage share a somewhat intense staredown before the next sound goes over the system…

…in that being “LAMBEG” and the booming round of heat that comes with it. Finlay pokes through the blood-red curtain now, his trusty and deadly shillelagh in hand. Once again, he ignores the heat he’s getting and just smirks, looking right at the two men he needs to defeat tonight.

Finlay doesn’t really wait for “KING OF MY WORLD” to sound, jumping in the ring anyway, but he's equally peeved as his opponents when AOW Champion Chris Jericho flaunts his stuff down the ramp. Jericho's nose is so high, he could get a nosebleed, the false nobility he had in the opening segment still radiating off of him. He steps into the ring with a small smirk on his face...but one we know far too well. Is a plan in the works...?

MAIN EVENT
*If Finlay pins Shawn Michaels OR Christian Cage, he joins the main event of The Outer Limits*

AOW Champion Chris Jericho & Finlay
v.
Christian Cage & Shawn Michaels


A contest that sees back and forth action as expected given the players involved, but all of them seem to have a sense of urgency – Michaels and Cage to make sure they’re not pinned, as well as Jericho getting jittery in the corner whenever Finlay does go for a pin. Finlay, meanwhile, tries to be the legal man as often as possible for his corner, which puts Jericho’s normally ‘strategic bystander’ strategy in a bind. All four of these big names have shown their worth when we cut into the action around the seven minute mark, Christian having knocked Finlay down but Shawn Michaels SLAPPING him on the spine to blind tag himself in. This draws Christian’s ire and gets him some heat, the two sharing a staredown following the words they said to one another in the open, so it’s Finlay and Shawn Michaels who are going at it for the moment. Finlay takes the momentary staredown distraction and drives Michaels spine-first into an empty corner, furthering his assault by driving his shoulders repeatedly into Michaels’ gut. Finlay steps back and looks like he wants to sock Michaels with a corner clothesline, but Michaels spins out of the corner and traps Finlay instead, now hitting Finlay with a classic CHOP(Woooo!!) Finlay curls up a bit, but Michaels forces him open and delivers another CHOP(Wooooo!) Finlay steps out of the corner in pain, right into one last Michaels CHOP(Woooooo!) that floors Finlay.

But almost the second Finlay hits the canvas, the ring presence master that he is forces a leg behind Michaels’ own and takes HBK’s own legs from underneath him, causing him to fall now. The surprised Michaels clutches the back of his head for a moment, but then springs onto Finlay’s body and starts punching him with precision! He’s getting admonishment from referee Ray Ramsey, but he doesn’t seem to care, only coming off when Finlay forces him to roll off and gets up, catching the aggressive Michaels with a NASTY CHASING CLOTHESLINE!! Finlay now falls on top of Michaels, his forearm right in HBK’s face – 1…2…NO!! No expansion of the main event yet!

Finlay pulls Michaels into a seated position by his hair, socking him with his forearm and elbow and trying to wear his fellow veteran down, but when he gets up and takes too many steps back, Chris Jericho blind tags himself in. It’s the heel corner’s turn to hate each other, as Finlay turns around to stare sharply at Jericho as he climbs in, the God of Gods telling Finlay to get out. Finlay doesn’t stop staring at Jericho until he has to step back out, Y2J now taking the downed Michaels and delivering some hard fists of his own to him. When HBK lays out, Jericho demeans him by kicking him in the face, taunting him with ‘you want impossible, Michaels! Huh?’ before reaching down to trap Michaels in a modified sleeper. Michaels doesn’t even let him lock it in before getting to his feet, quickly turning around and catching Jericho with the INVERTED ATOMIC DROP!! Jericho clutches his family jewels before Michaels bounces off the ropes behind him, only for the ever brilliant Jericho to follow him and knee him square in the gut, doubling him over, and forcing Michaels’ face into the canvas with the ONE-HANDED BULLDOG!! Jericho now has a turn for a cover – 1…2…NO!! Michaels still has life!

Jericho disrespectfully kicks Michaels in the spine for good measure before taking Michaels in his grasp and successfully applying a chinlock, doing his best to wear down the Ironman. The crowd starts getting behind Michaels a good bit, who starts to get the life back into him and gets back to his feet, only for Jericho to knee him in the kidney before whipping him into the ropes…FLYING FOREARM SMASH!! Michaels and Jericho land flat on their backs, the crowd soon expecting Michaels to explosively recover…AND HE DOES!! THE KIP-UP!! Michaels starts getting all recharged from his big counter, but as he blindly roams around the ring to pump himself up, Christian Cage SLAPS him on the back to blind tag himself in! Sticking it right to Michaels there, Cage climbing in and doesn’t even notice that HBK is staring a hole through him. Why? Because he’s the legal man and the man directly across from him...is the one man who he wants dead more than anything. Cage stalks Jericho as he struggles to get to his feet. Just when he looks close enough, Jericho notices who is his legal opponent and knocks him away with his legs, springing towards his corner and tagging in Finlay, wanting to have absolutely no part of Cage, much to the crowd’s dismay.

Finlay rushes across the ring at the recovering Christian, sending him back down with a running clothesline. Cage springs back to his feet only for Finlay to aim with a second clothesline…NO!! Cage ducks underneath and maneouvers himself around Finlay’s lower body to pull him down for a ROLL THROUGH SCHOOL BOY…`1…2…3-NO!! Finlay throws his legs up and gets out of the move quickly, only for Christian to catch him on the recovery with a hard European uppercut. Finlay reels, but quickly shakes it off before pulling Cage in and showing him a much harder European uppercut. It’s Christian’s turn to reel, bouncing off the ropes behind him and coming right back with a hard right, Finlay responding with a right of his own. Cage and Finlay start going at it in exchanging blows here!! Cage matching blow for blow with a brawler, possibly fueled by not letting another man in on his match, Finlay being as rough as can be, trying his best to get his title match! It’s Cage who starts pulling away, wearing Finlay down enough to try and whip him into a corner, which gets reversed by Finlay, knocking Cage’s spine against an empty ring corner. Finlay charges, but Cage gets a boot up and rakes Finlay across the face, Cage pulling himself up to the second rope…FLASHPOINT!! The diving European uppercut fells Finlay, Cage looking for a more definitive cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Finlay keeps his title hopes alive!!

Cage waits for Finlay to get to his feet before punting him in the gut for good measure before pinning him in his corner, looking up and SLAPPING Shawn Michaels across the chest for the tag in. Once again, the tag partners just cannot do things benevolently, Michaels stepping in after shrugging off his chest shot and delivers a blow to Finlay’s head. Michaels grabs Finlay by the wrist and tries to whip him out of the corner, but Finlay reverses the momentum and comes back at Michaels with a SHORT ARM LARIAT!! Finlay puts his entire body behind the clothesline, covering Michaels – 1…2…3-NO!! HBK stays alive!! Michaels gets back to his feet, but is almost drunk from the hit, roaming right into Finlay’s clutches as he hoists him onto his shoulder…ROLLING HILLS! Finlay nails the rolling fireman’s carry! Michaels is pancaked on the canvas, Finlay now going for another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! CHRIS JERICHO BURSTS INTO THE RING TO KNOCK OFF FINLAY!! Jericho directly having a hand in stopping any more challengers for his title!

Finlay is beyond peeved at this turning to his corner and damn near bashing Jericho in the skull. Jericho cowers to the floor outside, not letting Finlay touch him. The rabid Irishman is vexed all to hell, but turning your back to Shawn Michaels is never a good thing. When Finlay turns back around to face Shawn he eats some SWEET CHIN MUSIC…NO!! Finlay jams the move by ducking almost immediately and single leg tackling Michaels’ free leg. Finlay then wraps up Michaels’ legs…AND CATCHES HIM IN THE CELTIC KNOT!! Michaels’ legs are tied up in pain!! Michaels is a determinate man, but could this do him in…NO!! Michaels pulls Finlay in and bashes him over the head repeatedly to release the hold.

Finlay and Michaels roll back to their feet now, Finlay socking Michaels in the gut and tossing him into the ropes…FLYING FOREARM SMASH!! Michaels second forearm smash begets the same reaction as the first, the crowd roaring in approval when Michaels KIPS UP, making sure to wander away from Christian in his corner. Michaels still all pumped up, going over into an empty corner and starting to tune up the band…waiting for Finlay to get to his feet…SWEET CHIN MUSIC…NO!! Again Finlay dodges the move, Michaels slipping seamlessly over Finlay’s shoulder…DOUBLE KNEE GUTBUSTER!! WOW!! Finlay might have destroyed Michaels’ ribs there, going for the title match clinching cover – 1…2…3…NO!! It’s Christian who bursts into the ring and stops the count!! It’s Christian’s turn to make sure no other man get in on ‘his’ shot! Finlay is again pissed beyond belief, looking up at Christian, but Christian doing the opposite of Jericho and doesn’t stand down! AND FINLAY AND CHRISTIAN GET INTO ANOTHER BRAWL!! They brawl so much that they fall through the middle rope, the brawl continuing on the outside and giving us a chance to cut to our last

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**​

As we return, Finlay and Michaels are still in the ring, still being the legal men, but Michaels has taken control and hits Finlay with a snap suplex that disorients Finlay enough to seek refuge in an empty corner. Michaels doesn’t let him rest, however, rushing at him looking for something else…but Finlay sidesteps and causes Michaels to ram his head right into the corner!! Michaels now drunkenly approaches Finlay, who hoists Michaels back up for THE CELTIC CROSS…MICHASELS SPINS IT INTO DDT!! Finlay and Michaels are down, HBK recovering first and shaking the cobwebs out of his noodle. He starts traveling towards the apron and then up to the top rope…DIVING ELBOW DROP!! Michaels nails the big one, but he’s taken quite a few blows and collapses to the mat. He and Finlay begin the crawling game, each man trying to get to their corners for the hot tag…MICHAELS GETS THERE FIRST AND TAGS CHRISTIAN…LEADING JERICHO TO JUMP OFF THE APRON!!

Jericho retains the fact that he will ‘make Christian wait’, as well as probably just screwing over Finlay some more! This gives Christian the leeway to jump on the still downed Finlay, stopping him in his tracks. Finlay fights Cage off until both men get to their feet, Finlay now going for a snap suplex, but Cage hits a drop toehold on the Fighting Irishman…AND LOCKS IN AN STF!! Perhaps borrowing a move from his friend Samoa Joe, Christian has Finlay caught in the middle of the ring!! Will Finlay have to tap out here…? NO!! The ring-aware veteran is able to grab onto a bottom rope and force Christian to stop the hold!

Both men get back to their feet, Finlay having to clutch onto the ropes to do so, but Christian rushes right at him. Finlay surprises him with a counter…TILT A WHIRL SHOULDERBREAKER!! WOH!! Finlay’s found a target and starts picking at the shoulder now, knowing if he takes away the arm, the Unprettier might be done for! As Finlay locks in a nasty Fujiwara, he caps it off by nailing the FINLAY PRESS right on the shoulder, perhaps completely taking the right arm away! Finlay with a cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Christian won’t let Finlay into his match! Finlay beats on Christian’s head as he gets back to his feet in frustration, reaching back for a clothesline…but gets wrapped around…REVERSE DDT DROP!! Christian with a cover now – 1…2…3-NO!! Finlay stays alive!

Cage almost doesn’t believe it, but knows he’s got a tough foe in front of him that’ll be even tougher if he’s given a title shot, looking for the finishing blow. He grips his right shoulder, trying to shake some life back into it as he stalks Finlay trying to recover. The crowd is starting to light up, knowing what’s coming next…UNPRETTIER…NO!! Finlay jams the move on the twist, pushing Christian into the ropes…RIGHT INTO JERICHO’S FACE! Cage stops himself before hitting Jericho, finally coming face to face with Jericho in this main event…but then Jericho SLAPS CHRISTIAN ACROSS THE FACE!! This completely sets off the unstable Cage, lunging at Jericho now, who drops off the apron and out of Cage’s grasp. Cage doesn’t let that stop him, just about to go through the ropes and after Jericho, but Ramsey stops him from doing so. Ramsey keeps his rulemaking strict, now turning to admonish Jericho, but not keeping an eye on Finlay…WHO NAILS CHRISTIAN IN THE AILING SHOULDER WITH THE SHILLELAGH!!

Christian goes down in a heap, gripping at his injured appendage, Finlay immediately dumping the evidence. Jericho returns to the apron, Finlay looking like he’s going for a cover on Christian…but Shawn Michaels darts into the ring! Michaels saw the whole thing and doesn’t want any challengers himself, charging at Finlay…who sidesteps him and sends him ROCKETING RIGHT INTO JERICHO!! Michaels and Jericho tumble to the floor, leaving a weakened Christian and a Fighting Irishman who is licking his chops, hoisting Christian over his shoulder…CELTIC CROSS!! CELTIC CROSS!! Finlay nails his finisher, covering Christian with what could be an academic cover – 1…2…3…NO!!! SOMEONE BURSTS INTO THE RING AND STARTS CLUBBING FINLAY OVER AND OVER!! RAMSEY HAS TO CALL FOR THE BELL!!

Winner via DQ: Chris Jericho & Finlay
at (20:41)

Who the hell has assaulted Finlay?? We can’t tell anything for the moment, as all we can make out of the figure is that he’s wearing button-sided sweatpants and a black hoodie and his attack has sent Finlay’s mind into a scramble, not even able to respond and fight back. When both men get to their feet, we can see that the hooded man has a ponytail flying around and still tearing into Finlay, causing the Irish bastard to slip through the ropes! When the dust finally settles, we see who might’ve just stopped it all…and it’s ROBERT SZATOWSKI??


Joey Styles:
That’s…that’s Szatowski! What the hell is he doing here??

JBL:
He’s supposed to be retired! Get him the hell outta here!

Joey Styles:
I think he’s finally come around!

JBL:
Yeah, but he just gave Finlay a title shot!

Joey Styles:
I don’t think so, partner. The condition was that Finlay had to pin Michaels or Cage, not just win!


Styles’ observation is correct, Szatowski fired up and getting a microphone while Finlay looks at him like he’s just seen a ghost. Szatowski pulls the microphone he has to his lips while the crowd goes ape.

Szatowski:
FINLAY!! You’re one sick dude, you know that?

~Szatowski huffs and puffs a little into the microphone

Szatowski:
You wanted to break me, Finlay? Well you went too far! Your fight was with me! Not Tommy Dreamer, and certainly not my wife!

~A very, very rare angry moment from Robert Szatowski here

Szatowski:
And everyone knows you went too far, dude. That’s why my proposal has been accepted. It’s been agreed that at The Outer Limits, it’s gonna be you and me, one-on-one in a match that guarantees you’ll get what’s comin’ to you!

~The crowd buzzes for what this could be…

Szatowski:
At The Outer Limits, we’re gonna meet…in an Unsanctioned Match!!

~HUGE POP!!


Szatowski:
You wanted me broken, Finlay? Well all you did was help me remember exactly who I am! You’re gonna face as me as I REALLY am –

~Finlay has a look of borderline horror on his face as Szatowski rips off his button-laden sweats, revealing he’s wearing wrestling boots and knee pads, as well as allowing us to see what looks like tights. He then slings off his hoodie, which sends the crowd into a tizzy when it shows what he’s wearing underneath…an airbrushed singlet!! Szatowski preps his free arm, sticking a thumb out and the crowd soon joining in after knowing what’s happening…

RVD:
- and that’s Rob…Van…Dam…!!

~AND THE CROWD EXPLODES

Joey Styles:
Oh my lord, did that just happen??? Did Robert Szatow – er – Rob Van Dam actually just say what I think he said???

JBL:
I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t hear it myself, Joey!

Joey Styles:
Finlay isn’t gonna be in the AOW World title match, but he’s gonna be in an UNSACNTIONED MATCH!! Karma is a bitch and she’s coming back to smack Finlay with a chair shot!


The final scene of this edition of Wednesday Night Oblivion is Rob Van Dam reborn and revitalized, standing tall in the middle of the ring after helping Christian Cage to his feet, staring with eyes of fire right at Finlay. Finlay is beside himself in both anger and possibly fear at what he’s caused as Jericho and Michaels try to pick themselves up and we

Fade…

To…

Black…

END SHOW




THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Current Card*


~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart break Kid Shawn Michaels

*Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay

~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*

The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright

~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon


~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. SuperPsicoStar


Shows should slow down after this because of my schedule/PPV writing, but hope all enjoy. Also, hopefully I can spread out a little bit of love. Hope all remain well 'til then.
 
#225 ·
Oblivion Feedback

No other way than to kick off with this beautiful situation you’ve developed around the title. I will just comment on the segment as a whole and say it was absolutely gripping. Jericho was on point, his ‘God like’ persona has been a joy to read and you once again captured that perfectly here. But y’know what? Things just got better and better. Michaels was just incredible. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt when he returned under Heyman’s spell so to speak, didn’t feel right to me but ever since then I’ve grown to it and it has infact made perfect sense. This here was just further proof of it. The way you sold his situation heading back to Montreal and the line about being a villain was fantastic, again putting doubt in everybody’s mind just what side Shawn’s gonna be on. As I said however, things just got better and Christian was absolute money here. This angle’s just fit like a glove with all three having a different and captivating role to play and I can’t wait to see what direction you roll with it come Outer Limits. Will say that Finlay coming out kinda ruined the flow of it, however I do understand that you had to set up the main event somehow and I guess there really was no other way of doing that. Great exchanges from the three title contenders though.

Strong opening contest, Danielson playing the underdog role to perfection as usual whilst Wright looks a savage as ever, the use of the Orbital bone injury again being used spot on. Helms looks like a genius with Wright as his pick btw. Joe coming out at the end made sense and I’m just waiting on these two bulls to do battle now, should be a bundle of fun to read.

This was all kinds of awesome :lmao. Evans’ rap to Banks’ interruption, I loved every second of it. I wasn’t sure how Banks was gonna unfold following that opening promo but I’ve really enjoyed the direction he has ended up going in and this feud with Punk is already looking like a winner. More stuff like this with Banks please.

As much of a good contest as this was, I think everybody knew the outcome. It’s all been set up for Sons of the Dungeon to get a fair crack of the whip against TWGTT and now they finally get it. It’s all set up perfectly and it wouldn’t shock me to see them take the gold. As for where American Made go now? Not too sure but I have high hopes you’ll make it work.

Nothing too much to this segment except solidifying the start of a feud between these guys and it has all the makings of a good one. I was a bit disappointed Mysterio’s return came the way it did but the more I think about it, the more it does make sense with him coming back to kind of stand up for his people. Intrigued as to where you go with this my good man.

Standard debut match for Banks, nothing too fancy but served its purpose and Punk on commentary just added a little more in keeping this one ticking over, no doubt things will heat up next week.

Main event delivered big time but…you already know that, Del Rio wink right at you. Some awesome stuff throughout, when these four guys are around that’s no shocker. I was really surprised that it looked like Finlay was actually gonna pull it off, I know that was the angle but still didn’t anticipate it for some reason. Van Dam returning was right on cue and an Unsanctioned match should be BRUTAL come Outer Limits. Glad to see you finally bring the real RVD back and the way the feud’s unfolded between the two has worked well, last week’s segment in particular, it HAD to be the final straw and thankfully it was.

On the whole a very enjoyable show here fella. The opening was fantastic, highlight of the show for me in terms of the way you separated all three men so brilliantly. Everything else was fairly simple, building feuds along nicely and allowing things to bubble but that’s all that you needed to do. The action inside the ring was, shock, horror, very enjoyable, that’s never in question whilst the main event certainly delivered with a big time ending. Van Dam/Finlay, The World Title and Banks/Punk certainly have me really invested as we get closer to the big show. Keep the goods coming!
 
#226 ·
Thanks in bunches for the feedback, cp. I'm terribly sorry if I'm any kind of slow delivering feedback to anybody b/c not only is the PPV on the horizon, but uni is starting to kick up for final exam season. So yes, I am terribly sorry for my Melvis-like pace of things lately.

But for the time being, there are, again, no exclusives but there is this little tidbit that might be important...



aohdubya.com said:



MYSTERIO; COLON SET TO GO NORTH OF THE BORDER

Hot off the desk of Commander in Chief Paul Heyman, Carlito Colon will get his wish to continue his crusade as the “Latino Savior” and rid the company of the ‘uncool stereotypes’ that he says ruin his image. On the other hand, Rey Mysterio will get a chance to redeem not only himself off of injury, but his fellow Latinos as well. This is because come The Outer Limits, these two second generation competitors will go head to head in a match that has more than just grudges to solve, but potentially an entire heritage and culture. Who will be the proud one standing? Will it be the Bad Apple? Or will it be the King of Mystery…??

...and now there's this...



3.12.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Master of Puppets”



We’re just four days away from the single biggest night in all of AOW history, the Grandest Stage for War that is The Outer Limits. But before we hit that threshold, we have to cross one more edition of Oblivion that could potentially have the biggest, most combustible main event that we have ever seen. Shawn Michaels was resurrected back to the depths of AOW by means of Paul Heyman. Michaels then signed on the dotted line where Christian Cage’s name was supposed to be, causing the main event of The Outer Limits to become a Triple Threat Match involving Michaels, Cage, and AOW Champion Chris Jericho. Last week, after all three men looked each other in the eyes, things are more intense than ever. But now, for the first time ever, Christian will get to go one-on-one with the man who robbed him on his one-on-one shot with Chris Jericho. For the first time ever in AOW history, Christian Cage will take on the Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels!

But hold on just a minute! That’s only one part of the main event situation! After weeks of being tormented even after his apparent retirement, Robert Szatowski saw his wife get smashed in the face by Dave Finlay. Last week, we saw what we thought we’d never see again, and that was a revitalized, reenergized, and perhaps most surprisingly, an angry Rob Van Dam. Van Dam was back in his airbrushed singlet, ready to challenge Finlay to an Unsanctioned Match come The Outer Limits. Now, with the first ever match of it’s kind of AOW, Oblivion will lay host to its second contract signing in the last few weeks, but instead of confirming the contest itself, RVD and Finlay have to sign documents that waive any and all safety. Will this contract signing be as brutal as those in the past?? Finlay and the return of Rob Van Dam climax at the signing table!

With all that going on in the main event scene, the rest of the card isn’t too shabby either. We’ve got luchadors in action all through Oblivion! Four months ago, Rey Mysterio was taken apart at the knee by the sinister Gregory Helms, who would use the injured Mysterio to get inside Bryan Danielson’s head. Now, Mysterio is back and all set to face Carlito Colon come The Outer Limits and the man he’s chosen as his first opponent…is Gregory Helms!!! Helms and Mysterio finish their unfinished business!
Meanwhile, on the other luchador side, Super Crazy is trying not to let his medical ills get in the way of the team he’s trying to captain to victory when they head up to Canada. But you can bet with the meticulous and brutal nature of William Regal, Paul Burchill, and Brent Albright, you can bet they’ll be targeting that weakness like nobody’s business. This week on Oblivion, it’s a captains duel! William Regal makes his one-on-one debut on Oblivion against the captain of his opponents Sunday, Super Crazy.

Last on the docket but certainly not least, was that last week, we saw the in-ring debut of perhaps the most controversial AOW competitor in the company’s young history in “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks. Now, just four days away from facing CM Punk for the Dynasty Championship, Banks has a response to CM Punk’s treatment of him since his arrival. Punk is a man who will say whatever is in him to, while Banks is a man who will probably never stop talking about himself. What will happen when these two are in the same arena at the same time with microphones yet again?

Plus, the World’s Greatest Tag Team and the men they face Sunday in the Sons of the Dungeon WILL be in attendance!! All this (AND MORE!!) on the penultimate edition of AOW Wednesday Night Oblivion, 9/8c only on FX!!



.:Confirmed For Oblivion:.

MAIN EVENT
*For the First Time Ever*
Christian Cage v. Shawn Michaels


~UNSANTIONED MATCH CONTRACT SIGNING~
Rob Van Dam and Finlay sign their waivers


PLUS…


~Rey’s Return~
Rey Mysterio v. Gregory Helms

Super Crazy w/Aero Star & Psicosis v. William Regal w/The Mercenaries

AND…


Antonio Banks addresses CM Punk


Show should be up tomorrow, Wednesday at the latest. Hope all don't hate me until then.
 
#227 ·

3.12.08

The Hammerstein Ballroom – Manhattan, New York City, New York
“Master of Puppets”



“The Fight Song” by Marilyn Manson vignette

(Whispers)

Fight…

RVD leaps for a Frog Splash…

Fight…

HBK cocks back, Sweet Chin Music ready…

Fight…

Finlay and Joe go at it on the balcony…

Fight…

Chris Jericho’s silhouette is highlighted…

*Opening guitar riff*

You'll never grow up to be a big rock star

The camera goes from the ground up to the face of Paul Wright in his debut Week 3

Celebrated victim of your fame

Aero Star leaps onto Jamie Noble from the entrance stage columns

Just cut our wrists like cheap coupons

Christian searches for his peeps from Week 5

And say that "death was on sale today"

Bryan Danielson raises his hand, singing his theme from Week 4

*Upped tempo, heavier sound*

And when we were good

Jack Evans’ double moonsault from Week 1

You just close your eyes

Aero Star, Psicosis, and Super Crazy perform a Triple Asai Moonsault from Week 14

So when we are bad

Paul Wright chokeslams Michaels through the table from the Supershow

We'll scar your minds

A replayed shot of Shelton Benjamin German suplexing Paul London off the ladder from Week 4

Fight!

SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!

Fight!

WARRIOR’S WAY!!!

Fight!

MUSCLE BUSTER!!!

Fight!

SPEAR THROUGH THE TABLE!!

Fight!

CHOKESLAM!!!

Fight!

WORLD’S GREATEST DOOMSDAY DEVICE!!

Fight!

GTS!!

Fight!

FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH!!!

*Final cymbal crash*

Chris Jericho holds the AOW World title high in the air


We’re brought to the take-home edition of Wednesday Night Oblivion to a buzzing crowd, but it doesn't take long at all for us to take the focus off of the crowd and get a full shot of the ring, where its all set up for yet another contract signing, the contract sitting on a table with a pair of microphones and pens lined up across one another. The ring is lined with red linen as always, the table with a black tablecloth over it. Standing all around the ring are multiple security guards (but none of them look like OVW talents, sadly). The only man standing in the ring is John “Bradshaw” Layfield.

JBL:
Ladies, gentlemen, an’ mutants of the Hammerstein Ballroom, due to the fact that all of you keep demanding more an’ more violence an’ because the man himself is wheelchair bound, Paul Heyman has asked that I watch over this Unsanctioned match contract signing.

~Some heat for JBL just glossing over the pokes at the crowd

JBL:
Also due to the graphic nature that the match will ensue, an’ the animosity between both Rob Van Dam an’ Finlay, we have numerous security guards surrounding the ring. So don’t think about jumpin’ the rail, ya nimrods.

~Another great round of heat

JBL:
An’ just so all you ex-convicts understand clearly, the reason why we’re even havin’ this is so that both Rob Van Dam an’ Finlay can sign this contract that makes neither man liable for the damage they will inflict on one another Sunday, as well as absolving AOW of any an’ all legal ramifications as a result.


The crowd lets JBL have a GREAT deal of heat for his constant crowd poking, but before he can continue, “LAMBEG” hits the speakers to an even bigger chorus of heat. Finlay comes through the curtain and down the ramp in a leather jacket and black collared shirt to go with some nice dress paints and some boots. The ol’ Irish bastard cleans up mighty nice. He still has the shillelagh in hand, however, stepping into the ring with said apparatus and walking over to the far end of the table. Before he can sit down, however, JBL calls for him.

JBL:
Um…Finlay? By order of Commander in Chief Paul Heyman, I’ve been told that for the duration of this contract signing, I must confiscate that shillelagh.

~A surprising round of heat for that, probably more that they’d rather see violence than not, but nonetheless, Jibbles extends his hand to take Finlay’s staff. Finlay stares a hole through him for a moment, only to being to motion that he’s handing the shillelagh over…only to TRY AND HIT JBL…but it was a deke, leaving Finlay with a toothy grin and Jibbles flinching and covering his head. After trolling JBL, Finlay has no quams about handing the staff over

JBL:
Well…um…there’s Finlay. An’ now, lemme introduce the man he’ll be facing at The Outer Limits in just four nights, the man who took too damn long gettin’ back – Rob Van Dam!


And the Hammerstein erupts to a HUGE F’N OVATION when “WALK” by Pantera hits the Oblivion sound system for the first time in four long months. Rob Van Dam comes on down the ramp wearing a black wifebeater (ironically) and some jeans, his hair up in his signature ponytail. Van Dam looks as if he has a very stern look on his face as he comes through the curtain, but he can’t maintain it the further he comes down the ramp. As the entire area showers him with quite possibly the biggest pop in the history of the company, Van Dam’s face goes from intense to the smile of a returning hero. RVD’s signature inability to tell a story shows full frontal here, but no one seems to care once he rolls in the ring. His smile quickly disappears once he locks eyes with Finlay, however. Both men are standing, no intention of being civil about this it seems.

JBL:
Gentlemen, I would just like to inform you that another order by Paul Heyman was that there is to be no physical contact between the two of you for this contract signing or else the match will not only be called off, but you will both be suspended indefinitely.

~A huge round of heat, both Finlay and RVD turning to look at JBL like they’re going to kill him.

JBL:
So that means there’s nothing left to do but just sit down…an’ sign the contract.

~Jibbles puts his microphone down and looks at both Van Dam and Finlay, who just keep staring at him until they both sit down. RVD is the first man to take the contract…and he signs it without any hesitation. The crowd pops for this, but before he hands the contract over to Finlay, RVD holds onto the papers a little longer before bringing his microphone to his lips

RVD:
There. I’m inked. But there’s one thing I’m not. And that’s satisfied.

~Van Dam gives a cold stare to Finlay, who shoots it right back

RVD:
I’m not a guy who is gonna sit here and ramble on with some passionate monologue. No, dude, that’s not my MO. All I’m gonna do is beat you eight was from Sunday this Sunday and let what I’m gonna do to you do the talking.

~A HUGE pop for Van Dam threatening Finlay

RVD:
But there’s still one question that’s just burning me up from the inside. I know you’re a sick dude. I know you’re even less of a man for words than I am. But you’ve threatened my career, bloodied one of my best friends and then you…

~RVD actually has to take a moment to comprehend what he’s about to say

RVD:
…and then you struck my wife in the skull.

~A big round of heat for that one, but Finlay actually smirks at the mention, visibly pissing off Van Dam

RVD:
My one burning question is simple…why?

~Van Dam lowers his microphone and still doesn’t hand the contract over, obviously waiting for Finlay’s answer. Finlay just stares coldly right back at the ECW alum and slowly lifts his microphone to his face


Finlay:
Because, Robbie. You needed to be broken.

~A GREAT deal of heat for this one, RVD staring at Finlay with a combination of questioning and anger

Finlay:
Y’see Robbie, I know exactly what kind of guy you are. You sit on your laurels an’ ya don’t try to do anything else. But why should ya? Ya keep gettin’ rewarded for not doin’ anything.

~More buzz for this statement, Van Dam just taking it in

Finlay:
All you’ve done since you’ve come to AOW is go off of your ol’ ECW moments. News flash, Robbie – ECW is dead. An’ honestly, you should’ve died with it

~A ballsy threat there, the entire Hammerstein now throwing Jericho-like heat onto Finlay. Van Dam looks like he’s visibly trying to restrain himself from jumping across the table

Finlay:
I’ve been damn near undefeated since I came to AOW. I’ve never been pinned an’ I’ve never been made to submit. An’ yet, I’ve only ever had one shot at the AOW Championship. But you? You kept getting title shot after title shot after title shot after losing each an’ every time…an’ it bored me to tears, Robbie. That’s a record that needed more than anything to be broken.

~Another round of great buzz

Finlay:
So long story short, Robbie…I tortured you an’ broke you simply because I wanted to. Because I wanted to be the reason you walked away. An’ this Sunday…

~Finlay snatches the contract from out of Rob’s hands. RVD’s face is shaking he’s so rattled with anger

Finlay:
…I’m gonna finish the job.

~Finlay puts his mic down to put pen to paper, but RVD speaks to suddenly stop him, Van Dam’s voice creeping into an eerie monotone

RVD:
Before you sign on that dotted line dude, I just want you to know that after Sunday, I wanna be the reason that you walk away. You tried to break me, but all you did was help me remember exactly the kind of guy I wanna be, the guy I need to be…and that’s a bloodthirsty R…V…D.

~Van Dam does this very dry, with no thumbs, inching closer and closer to Finlay’s face…but Finlay just shows a toothy grin and laughs a little


Finlay:
That’s cute.

~Another bit of heat, as Van Dam damn near prepares to sock Finlay in the nose

Finlay:
But while you were away finding yourself, remembering who you are…you must’ve forgotten exactly who I am. I’m Finlay. I love ta fight. I’ve done everything from hanging a man from a cage wall to beating some broad in the head to get what I want.

~Another bit of heat as Finlay again references Sonya Szatowski

Finlay:
So when I step into that ring with no limits just remember…you asked for this.

~…and on that bone chilling line, Finlay finally signs his name on the document and hands it to JBL. RVD is still all in Finlay’s face

JBL:
Great. Well, now that the contract is signed, you fellas can just get out an’ –

Finlay:
Hold on there, John. Robbie, you look really tense. An’ since everything you know will come to an end Sunday, I brought a little something for you.

~Van Dam again looks at Finlay with a puzzled expression, Finlay reaching under the tablecloth and pulling out…a bucket of ice. And sticking out of is…a bottle of rum? Finlay then reaches down and pulls out two glasses from underneath the table, setting it all on the table in front of him. He then puts some ice in both glasses before pouring some ale into them.

Finlay:
How about we have one last drink, aye?

~Finlay puts on another fake smile, taking a glass for himself and holding the other one out for Van Dam to take…which after a moment or so, he does. But almost as soon as he takes it up, he grabs his microphone with his other hand

RVD:
Y’know, they say you drink to help you forget. But I’m done with forgetting. I don’t ever wanna forget these people, I don’t ever wanna forget ECW, I don’t ever wanna forget who I am…

~A rising pop for all that, as Van Dam puts his glass back down on the table

RVD:
…and I sure as hell don’t ever wanna forget what I’m gonna do to you.


Van Dam defiantly gets in Finlay’s face, the two of them nearly nose to nose, the security outside beginning to rustle a bit. Finlay just smirks once again and briefly turns his head…before THROWING HIS ALE IN RVD’S EYES!! The alcohol burns at Van Dam’s retinas and completely blinds him, forcing him down to the canvas. JBL climb out of the ring as security starts to jump on the apron, but Finlay grabs a hold of the bottle of rum and starts holding it up and circling around him, threatening to smash it over the head of any security guard who comes into the ring.

The crowd is buzzing tremendously at this, no one willing to get in the ring and stop this. Finlay turns all the way around and keeps an eye on every guard, but then he turns back to RVD trying to get back to his feet and holding his eyes, ready to BASH HIM IN THE HEAD WITH THE BOTTLE…BUT VAN DAM KICKS THE BOTTLE, SMASHING IT TO PIECES!! The educated feet of Rob Van Dam seem perfectly intact as he suddenly smashes the bottle with a vicious kick! Finlay is left holding the neck of the bottle amidst the rum that’s exploded into his face, Van Dam now getting up and ready for a fight, but security finally jumps in now and restrains both men. Finlay and Van Dam keep trying to escape the guard’s grasps multiple times, but each time they’re restrained, much to the dismay of the Hammerstein crowd.


Joey Styles:
This is Joey Styles and soon I’ll be joined by my broadcast partner John “Bradshaw” Layfield, but folks, you can see it plainly there – Finlay and a revitalized Rob Van Dam have plenty of unfinished business that will come to an unparalleled head come The Outer Limits this Sunday. Folks, we are just four days away from what’s shaping up to be the biggest show in all of AOW history. Trust me folks, this is just the first of many times tonight I’m sure we’ll see unresolved tensions running amok.

JBL:
Don’t tell me you started the rundown without me?

Joey Styles:
Well, you were doing your moderating thing. And what took you so long? You bolted the ring forever ago.

JBL:
I didn’t ‘bolt the ring’, you twit. That’s like saying you’re a coward for moving out of the way of a moving train. These two men were gonna kill each other an’ I sure as hell wasn’t gonna get in the way of that. Plus, I couldn’t just let RVD waste a good drink.

Joey Styles:
What? Oh dear lord. You went back and got RVD’s glass?

JBL:
It’s not RVD’s anymore, is it? I’m not a man who wastes a pint, Joey.

Joey Styles:
Folks, I guarantee the night will be chock full of surprises and final act twists and turns before the big dance this Sunday. We’ve got the Trios Tournament team captains facing off, we’ve got Rey Mysterio in his return match against the man who injured him, and last but certainly not least – just four days from what’re calling the most anticipated match in AOW’s short history, we will get to see Christian Cage go one-on-one with the man who interrupted his shot with Jericho in Shawn Michaels.

JBL:
I tell you what, Joey, the only thing better than that drink I just had is gonna be that main event.

Joey Styles:
That’s something we can agree on, partner, but keep it here, folks! The final stop before we head to The Outer Limits north of the border is coming back with ninety minutes of incredible action! We’re just four days away, and I can hardly contain myself!


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



We return from the commercial break with “WELCOME TO WHITECHAPEL” blaring over the speakers already, the men of Mercenaries, Inc. stepping into the ring. Paul Burchill and Brent Albright hold the ring ropes open for William Regal, who wipes off his boots before stepping in. Burchill follows while Albright holds open the ropes, Albright then following last after wiping his boots off as well. Regal has a microphone and his signature perpetual scowl etched on his face.

Regal:
For those of you who are unaware, my name is Sir William Regal. I am a proud born and bred Englishmen, raised with such class that I find it ironic that I’m standing before any of you ruffians.

~A bit of cheap heat on that one

Regal:
But I’m not here to talk about how low on the food chain any of you are, no no, I’m here to talk about how low our opponents for this Sunday are on that food chain.

~A little more heat, more buzz than anything as Regal sways his hair back a little

Regal:
The finals of the first ever prestigious AOW Trios Tournament are soon upon us. We are a team who has a clear identity and goal in mind. I am William Regal, a man who has forgotten more wrestling moves than anyone in the back will ever even know.

~Regal shifts his weight a bit to look over his left shoulder, where Paul Burchill stands

Regal:
Standing to my left here, this is “The Ripper” Paul Burchill, who is undisputedly the most dangerous man in AOW so long as he’s breathing.

~A sly smile comes across Burchill’s face as Regal now turns to his right

Regal:
And standing to my right, we have the single best member of AOW’s inaugural year Rookie Class: “Shooter” Brent Albright, who is not only as brutal as his adviser, Mr. Burchill, but who is also slowly gaining my meticulous prowess as well. He’s already given Super Crazy a concussion.

~A round of heat for the mention of the ‘botch’

Regal:
Combine all of that with his otherworldly technical abilities, and you have the man who will define AOW’s future.

~Albright’s expression doesn’t change, although he gets heat from the long-winded put-over

Regal:
We are Mercenaries, Inc. We know what we want and we go get it. But our opponents Sunday don’t even know their own team name, much less what that trophy means to them. So Super Crazy, how about you get your behind out here so I can show you what a captain who will lead his team to victory can really do.


Not too long after Regal sets aside his microphone and huddles a little with his team does “MEXICANO MUY LOCO” hit the speakers, the team of Aero Star & the Mexicools comes through the curtain, captain Super Crazy leading the way, a microphone in his hand as well. Star and Psicosis follow close behind, none of them stopping as they keep walking while talking

Crazy:
Ju’re biting off a little bit more than ju’ can…como se dice…’swallow’ there, William Regal.

~All three Mexicans keep their determined march down the ramp

Crazy:
Ju’ see, we know exactly who we are, too. We know what we’re capable of, homes. But what ju’ don’t seem to know is that los tres…‘all three’ of us have clocked in time wrestling in Mexico.

~A quick shot of the Mercs, Burchill mouthing a “So?” while Regal mouths a “So have I.”

Crazy:
An’ in Mexico, de Trios match has been around for years. It’s deeply engraved in de luchador lineage, amigo. If there’s any team on dis show that has a goal an’ knows themselves in dat kind of match, ju’re lookin’ at’em, homes.

~A pop, as Crazy sounds a little more serious there, all three men now stopping at the base of the entrance ramp

Crazy:
So yeah. We may have changed our name around a few times. PsicoSuper, SuperPsico…but we’re changing it una ultima ves – ‘one last time’. Because none of us are better than the other. We’re one luchador unit. No matter what, we will rule like kings. Three kings. Tres Reyes.

~Upon saying potentially their new name, all three men now suddenly spring forward and slide into the ring simultaneously, actually taking Regal and co. back a bit


Crazy:
So dis Sunday, we will show ju’ de pride of Mexico an’ show ju’ jus’ how strong Tres Reyes can be. Dis Sunday, we’ll show ju’ dat trophy means heritage an’ tradition to us. But for now, we’ll jus’ callate la boca – ‘shut up j’ur mouth!’


Crazy throws his microphone down and motions for Regal to “come on!” Regal doesn’t seem intimidated in the least, telling Crazy to tell his partners to leave the ring. Crazy won’t do it until the Mercenaries leave Regal’s side, all four non-competing men leaving very tentatively as referee Ray Ramsey tries to have just a little bit of order here.

OPENING CONTEST
William Regal

{w/The Mercenaries}
v.
Super Crazy

{w/Aero Star & Psicosis}


The match kicks off pretty high paced with Super Crazy taking the early advantage and setting the tone with multiple arm drag variations, but Regal would find a way to slow things down and keep the crazy luchador off his feet, showing how proud he is of his ground game. Things would swing back into Crazy control after that, only for Regal to take things right back in his favor. That’s where we are when we cut in four minutes into this contest, Regal whipping Crazy across the ring and rushing at him on the rebound with a NASTY KITCHEN SINK!! Crazy flips over Regal’s deadly knee to a cover – 1…2…NO!! Crazy shows the same resiliency he showed all through the tournament!

Regal doesn’t take too kindly to that, looking to continue to wear down Crazy with a sleeper hold, but Crazy manages to nail Regal with a jawbreaker that forces Regal back. Crazy has the space he needs to rebound off the ropes behind him, but the ever intelligent and aware Regal follows Crazy and immediately catches him on the rebound with a DEVASTATING CLOTHESLINE!! The commentators point out that that could bring into play Crazy’s concussion, which Regal now seems to be thinking as well, taking Crazy and DRIVING A KNEE INTO THE BACK OF HIS HEAD!! Crazy could be out here, Regal now covering the team captain – 1…2…3-NO!! Super Crazy somehow stays alive!

Regal looks slightly frustrated, but he keeps his composure before taking Crazy in his clutches and wrapping him in a double underhook. He strikes him with a knee to the gut before lifting him up and going for the REGAL BOMB…SAMURAI DRIVER!! Super Crazy turns it into a devastating samurai driver at the drop of a hat!! Tres Reyes’ knack for pulling out surprise after surprise continues here, Aero Star and Psicosis getting pumped up on the big counter. The crowd gets pumped with them as both men are lain out for a while, Crazy doing his best to try and shake the cobwebs out of his head. When he’s done doing so, Regal is back to his feet, Crazy rushing at him and CRACKING HIM IN THE HEAD WITH AN ENZEGUIRI!! Regal flops to the mat with Crazy on top of him now – 1…2…3-NO!! Regal stays alive now!!

It’s the Mercenaries’ turn to get pumped at their captain’s resiliency, Regal getting back to his feet on his own power. He’s incredibly groggy, leading Crazy to try and rebound off the ropes to try and knock him down with something else, but Regal counters with a momentous European uppercut! It knocks Crazy back, allowing Regal to grab him from behind to set up a REGAL-PLEX…NO!! Crazy struggles a bit and rolls forward, catching Regal underneath him in a nifty roll-up – 1…2…3-NO!! Regal gets out of it just in time! Another surprise pinfall win was on tap for the Reyes there, but Regal is painfully aware of those. He rolls back to his feet and charges at Crazy, only for Crazy to rush at Regal himself with a SPINNING WHEEL KICK!! The move knocks Regal back down so hard, he nearly springs right back up, Crazy catching him in a front headlock…runs towards and springboaring off a second rope…ROPE RUN TORNADO DDT!! Regal is driven into the canvas on that move, Crazy with another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Regal shows veteran prowess by stretching his foot onto a rope!

Crazy shows some frustration now, snatching Regal’s foot off the rope and driving a knee into Regal’s sternum to keep him down. Crazy then ascends to the top rope, looking for the finishing MOONSAULT…but he’s stopped when he sees from his perch that the Mercenaries are attacking Aero Star and Psicosis!! There’s a brawl on the outside that draws the attention of Crazy off of the match, referee Ramsey now looking at it. This allows Regal to spring back to his feet and grab Crazy’s foot and sling it off the rope, SENDING CRAZY CRASHING TO THE CANVAS ON HIS HEAD!! The concussion is definitely aggravated following that move, but it’s what Regal wanted all along as he takes the limp body of Crazy and cradles it up before slinging it back…REGAL-PLEX!! Crazy’s head is further hurt, Regal now covering a Super Crazy who is possibly in a coma – 1…2…3…!!

Winner: William Regal at (8:39)

No sooner than the ref’s hand comes down for a three does the attention turn back outside, where Star and Psicosis have CHUNKED BRENT ALBRIGHT INTO THE STEEL STEPS!! Burchill tries to fend off the angered luchadors alone, but while he does so and Ramsey is trying to get outside to break them up, Regal has a devilishly sinister look in his eye. He slowly and methodically retreats to a corner opposite of where Super Crazy has fallen, waiting on him to make the slightest move to recover. The crowd that’s not buzzing over the brawl outside is buzzing over Regal’s stalking, Crazy barely able to pull himself onto all fours.​


Joey Styles:
Oh no, the match is over, Regal. This could be a killing blow to Crazy’s head…


Styles could be right, as Regal charges for what should be a DECAPITATING KNEE TREMBLER…SKY-HIGH CROSSBODY!! AERO STAR INERCEPTS THE MOVE WITH THE SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY!! Aero Star, just like he’s done the entire tournament, saves his team at the very last minute! Psicosis has rolled into the ring, trying his best to tend to his best friend, while Star is all kinds of pumped up along with the crowd. As Psicosis and Star prepare for perhaps a double team move on Regal, he’s grabbed under the bottom rope by his Mercs, garnering a great deal of heat. Mercenaries, Inc. head back up the ramp, but they don’t have a frustrated or afraid look in their eyes. They just look damn angry. Tres Reyes are left in the ring, both Star and Psicosis having to help Crazy get to his feet.

Joey Styles:
And Aero Star, just like he’s been doing for weeks with his team, comes out of the blue to prove his worth to his team!

JBL:
He can prove his worth all he wants, but right now, Super Crazy is absolutely worthless.

Joey Styles:
I’d hate to say that Super Crazy is ‘worthless’, John, but he certainly is in a spot to drag his team down Sunday.

JBL:
“Drag his team down?” What is that? Nice-nice speak for ‘he’s gonna make his team LOSE!?!’ Say what needs to be said, Joey. Super Crazy coming out here an’ competing with a concussion is not only stupid, but it’s incredibly selfish.

Joey Styles:
You can’t fault a man for having heart and trying to lead his team of friends to victory, John!

JBL:
I can if he came to this country dodging Border Patrol.

Joey Styles:
Oh please.

JBL:
If this team is as experienced in Trios matches as they say they are, then they need to take the captain title off of Super Crazy an’ put it on the rookie.

Joey Styles:
Wow, John. That’s actually a fantastic piece of analysis. With Crazy obviously hurt, I would definitely make the case that Aero Star should be the one to lead his team to a trophy in his rookie year.

JBL:
Oh I didn’t say they’d win, Joey. I just said if they wanna back up what they said about experience. Regal an’ those Mercs got this one wrapped up no question.

Joey Styles:
You can’t make that call yet, John. Although Mercenaries, Inc. certainly do look like favorites with their opponents a man down, William Regal looked like has about to do more damage. But the competition is up to the brim between these two teams and it’ll all come to a head Sunday when they vie for that Trios crown for the very first time. But we’ve still got huge action tonight!

JBL:
Lots more huge action, Joey!

Joey Styles:
That’s right because later on tonight, Christian Cage and Shawn Michaels will lock horns for the first time in all of AOW history when they step in to face each other in the main event. Two men who have taken very different, but very similar paths to get to the Belle Center Sunday will clash. But coming up next, we’ve got another luchador in action, as Rey Mysterio comes is officially back and he’ll return to the ring against the man who took him out months ago – the #1 contender for the Cruiserweight title, Gregory Helms! Keep it here!



~Backstage halls, equipment ar -…OH SHIT, MOVE CAMERA MAN~!!


This is spoken verbatim by Jamie Noble, who is also ducking out of the way of a brawl we’ve cut right into between Samoa Joe and Paul Wright!! Wright clocks Joe with several ham-sized blows the stomach, but Joe takes all of the hits and just chops the living shit out of Wright so hard, that it forces the big man to packpedal into some of the equipment lying around, the loud clanging perhaps catching the attention of several officials. It’ll take them time to get here, but in the meantime, the One Man Army has the space now to accelerate…and BASH WRIGHT WITH A FLYING ELBOW!!

Wright’s jaw is possibly knocked off of its hinges, Joe now whipping the big man around and forcing him into even more equipment! Something that looks like a lead pipe manages to fall, Joe bending over to pick it up and wait on Wright to turn back to him –

“You like breakin’ people’s faces, huh?!”

JOE CLOCKS WRIGHT IN THE FACE WITH THE LEAD PIPE!! The sickening thump against Wright’s skull echoes in the cramped backstage compartment, but beyond the walls in the arena, we can hear the crowd deliver a huge pop. Wright doesn’t go down, but he’s very much affected and has to lean up against the wall for support. Just when Joe rears back to go for A SECOND SHOT TO THE HEAD, the extra security from the opening segment pulls Joe away from his chance to end this.

Joe still manages to break away from the mob of men restraining him, but more security comes in front of him and stops him. It looks like there’s somewhere around fifteen men restraining Joe, but no one’s keeping an eye on Wright…who SWEEPS half of the security aside with one hand and leaves Joe open to a KNOCKOUT PUNCH!! Joe falls, his dead weight forcing the men still holding him to brace a bit and try to keep up, but Wright was evidently counting on this, and no one is still able to stop him from NAILING JOE WITH A SECOND KNOCKOUT PUNCH!! Joe falls all the way down, several of the men holding him collapsing with him. A few of the men stay to tend to Joe, but the others leap up to hold back Wright, who has some choice words for Joe of his own, some of the only words he’s spoken in AOW –

“Breakin’ faces? That’s all I know how to do!”

Wright is being held back after this badass boast, Joe still knocked the fuck out as we fade away…


*Video Package*

Narrator:
It has been said that in times of war, prepare for peace…


A shot of what looks like two dignified men by a throne, one in Chinese emperor attire and the other in Japanese samurai attire, shaking hands

Narrator:
…and in times of peace, prepare for war.


In the land behind and beneath them, we see what looks like two armies raging towards one another as storm clouds gather…

Narrator:
The AOW Offseason is amidst us.


…only for both armies to fall once the scene starts raining, the land becoming mud and the screen to cut to black

Narrator:
But once it is over…


The screen lights back up on what looks like several men trying to get up and out of the bog

Narrator:
…a new dynasty shall arise!


Finally, one man is successful and glistens in the light. He goes over to what looks like a mountain and begins to climb…but he’s suddenly hounded by legions of other men making their way through the mud…

Narrator:
Thirty-two men…


All of those mud bogged, battle-ravaged men try to climb this mountain, all the while trying to knock the other ones off of it

Narrator:
…one goal…


The man who first started climbing begins to pull away after watching many of his comrades turned competitors fall

Narrator:
To win the 2008 Dynasty Tournament and get a shot at the AOW Heavyweight Championship…


The man now appears to reach the top of the cliff…

Narrator:
…and become a one-man dynasty!


The man reaches the peak of the mountain and sees that it is the throne the two men shook hands beside…and the victorious climber sits upon the throne

THE 1ST ANNUAL AOW DYNASTY TOURNAMENT
Beginning June 4th


*End Package*

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**


~Backstage area, the Green Zone interview set

Romero:
Ladies and gentlemen, Steve Romero here with my guests at this time, the number one contenders for the AOW Tag Team Championships, the Sons of the Dungeon…

~Pan over to see Smith and Wilson, a pop from the crowd

Romero:
AND my other guests at this time the AOW Tag Team Champions themselves…the World’s Greatest Tag Team!

~The camera pans all the way back to show Benjamin and Haas on the opposite side of Romero, all five men fitting in one frame. We can see behind Romero now that some of the traditional set has been thrashed, Wright and Joe possibly having been here not too long ago…

Romero:
Now, you two teams have made it known that you don’t wish to step into the ring to face one another until you meet at The Outer Limits this Sunday. Can any of you tell us exactly why that is?

Haas:
Simple, Steve. It’s a technique called ‘competitive seclusion’. Shelton and I used it to perfection when we were training to be All-Americans.

Smith:
And TJ and I had to swear by it in the Dungeon.

Romero:
What exactly does this technique encompass? Well, besides not seeing your opponents until game day?

Benjamin:
It’s exactly what it sounds like, Steve. Why do you care what it’s for?

Romero:
Well, I just want our audience to know why we aren’t seeing you guys in action this week.

Wilson:
We’re merely staying out of each other’s way and doing everything we can to better ourselves for the big match. Each of us is our own….“zone”, and anything to do with the opponent could take us out of that focus.

Smith:
We’re not worrying about what they can do…

Haas:
Just what we can do.

~Haas extends an arm, hoping to get handshakes from the Dungeon dwellers

Haas:
We’ll see you guys in Canada. Shelton?

~Haas nudges Benjamin to extend his hand as well. Shelton looks over his shoulder at Haas…before letting out an aggravated sigh and walking away from the scene. Haas looks surprised, only for Smith to grab his hand and shake it, followed by Wilson doing the same

Wilson:
We’ll see you in Canada.

~The Sons walk off after nodding towards Romero. We’re left with the focus on Haas, looking to see where Benjamin went, shaking his head and running his fingers through his hair a little as we fade…


~Back at ringside…


“619 ESTA VIVO” hits the scene now, Rey Mysterio bursting through the blood-red curtain and ready for his first in-ring action since his knee was messed up. Mysterio is greeted with a very welcome ovation, the Master of the 619 slapping hands with a few of the faithful in the front row before sliding into the ring and doing some theatrics to the crowd, coming off the turnbuckle and shaking his knee out and telling referee Justin King that the knee is in good shape.

This is interrupted by “IT’S TIME – HACKER’S REMIX”, as Gregory Helms gets a reaction directly opposite of Mysterio’s. Helms struts with the utmost confidence as he comes down the ramp, knowing he’s already beaten the tar out of Mysterio once before. He taunts Rey before stepping into the ring and telling him he’ll ‘send you right back to the ER’.

…and just before the referee Brian Hebner rings for the bell, “QUIEN SOY YO?” chimes across the arena, the Latin rhythm giving way to a great deal of heat when Carlito Colon comes on through with even more confidence and ‘swag’ than Helms. He’s full out in his white blazer and wrestling trunks, pulling out an apple and walking around the ring, smiling like a jackass and staring right at Mysterio.’lito just walks right on past the ring and takes a seat at the announce table next to Styles.


Carlito:
You keepin’ it cool, bro?

Joey Styles:
Um…sure?

JBL:
You wouldn’t know what cool is if it cracked you in the head.

Carlito:
Carlito was actually taking to JBL.

JBL:
As well you should be, my good man.

Joey Styles:
So Carlito, where exactly are the Samoan Fight Club? You guys have gotten and stayed awfully close, even after you were eliminated in the Trios Tournament.

Carlito:
Why does he not talk like Carlito wasn’t there?

JBL:
Because he likes repeating the obvious.

Joey Styles:
None of that answers my question.

Carlito:
If ju’ must know, Joey, Carlito gave’em the night off. Carlito’s said it before an’ he’ll say it again – when Carlito needs to take out the trash, he does it himself.

JBL:
What a true warrior.

Joey Styles:
Oh brother. There’s nothing ‘cool’ about talking about your fellow Latinos like they’re garbage.

Carlito:
Carlito isn’t. He’s saying that Rey Mysterio is trash. Das why Carlito has to get rid of him. So the rest of us don’t look as bad as him.

JBL:
Truer words have never been spoken.

Carlito:
J'u hear that, Joey? Why can’t you be cool like Bradshaw?

Joey Styles:
Anywho, Rey Mysterio looks ready to face off with the man who put him on the shelf for four months in Gregory Helms right now –

Carlito:
Yeah, but he needs to be worried about Carlito.


MATCH 2
Rey Mysterio
v.
Gregory Helms

{w/Carlito Colon on commentary}


Much like the match before it, the motivated face starts like a house afire, only for the man who injured him several months back takes advantage of a the psychological distraction that Carlito represents. Helms seems to still be in control when we cut into the contest around the six minute mark, catching Rey in a seated surfboard stretch. Rey’s arms are being stretched behind his body in violent fashion, Helms’ knee forcing the torque back even more. The crowd is getting Rey pumped up, getting him to his feet and fighting back…LEAPING DOUBLE BACK KICK!! Mysterio spins in Helms’ arms and plants two feet to his chest! This knocks Helms back into the ropes and rebounds right back towards Mysterio, Helms going over in a sunset flip, but Rey rolls out of it to his feet…KICK TO THE HEAD OF A SEATED HELMS!! Helms may be out here as Rey covers – 1…2…NO!!

Helms stays alive a little longer, but Rey starts building a head of steam when Helms gets to his feet and is immediately met with a pair of spinning headscissors! Helms flips disoriented onto his feet, only for Mysterio to come back at him, feed him his leg, and attempt an ENZEGUIRI…NO!! Helms ducks underneath the kick, but keeps hold of Rey’s leg, spinning around…and locking in a BOSTON CRAB!! Helms doing exactly what Carlito will be doing Sunday and that’s looking to maim the infamously bad knees of the luchador!

Rey is screaming in pain, trying his best to get out of the hold, but Helms sits back and sinks it in deeper. Rey FINALLY manages to scratch and claw his way to a bottom rope, but predictably, Helms doesn’t let go of the ropes until a count of four and a half. Helms lets go, but gets in Hebner’s face and tells him that “I HAVE ‘TIL FIVE”. Those who know the reference give Helms a great deal of heat as he flashes a smug little smile towards the crowd and the camera before turning back to Mysterio, who is already back to his feet and peppering Helms’ thighs with calf kicks, rebounding off the ropes…only to be caught by Helms win the STRAIGHT JACKET SLEEPER SLAM!! Mysterio is out, Helms pulling both of Rey’s legs up to his shoulders – 1…2…3-NO!! Rey stays alive in his return match!

Helms is frustrated at this, looking to perhaps toss Rey over the rope and to the floor, but as he turns is back in satisfaction, Mysterio holds on and stays on the apron. Helms charges at Mysterio after seeing this, prompting Rey to nail Helms with a counter kick to the head, stupefying Helms long enough for Rey to springboard off the rope…SPRINGBOARD SEATED SENTON!! Rey pops up and rushes off the ropes for more momentum, Helms getting back to his feet and trying some offensive action, only for Rey do duck under his attempt and leap off the second rope…SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY CONNECTING!! Rey with another cover – 1…2…NO!! Helms won’t be taken down!

Rey doesn’t get frustrated, instead getting a little more pumped up to perhaps maybe start setting up for a finish. When Helms does get back to his feet, Rey looks to charge at him for more offense, but Helms does the dastardly thing and SHOOTS RIGHT AT THE INJURED LEFT KNEE!! Rey crumples as JBL points things out to Carlito about said knee, Helms now using the striking of the weak point as leverage to force Rey up…NIGHTMARE ON HELMS STREET!! The high speed elbow connects! Helms with another cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Mysterio still keeps his classic determined heart!

Helms pounds the mat for a moment, knowing he’s beaten Mysterio before and rubbed it in his rival’s face, but unable to show up Danielson yet again. Helms starts stalking Mysterio before charging for the SHINING WIZARD…ENZEGUIRI!! The failed move from earlier connects from Mysterio, forcing Helms to fall in the opposite direction…right onto the middle rope!! The crowd is buzzing big, as Rey yells that he’s dialing up the “619!” Mysterio goes to rebound off the ropes for the finish…but Carlito has jumped on the apron!! Mysterio stops dead in his tracks and gets into it with words with Carlito, but the ref steps between them and tries to tell Carlito to get off.

While the ref’s back is turned, Helms is recovered and stalking Mysterio yet again…but the crowd starts buzzing louder for some reason…and we see why when Bryan Danielson slides into the ring. Helms turns only to get clocked with a ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE TEMPLE!! Helms is dead on his feet, Danielson vanishing from in the ring as quickly as he entered. Mysterio now turns back to the stupefied Helms and hits him with the front dropkick that sends him right back down onto the second rope! Carlito is unaware as he’s stepped off, Mysterio going for it one more time…619!! 619 CONNECTING!! Helms flops back, Rey ascending to the top and finishing it off by DROPPING DA DIME WITH THE LEG DROP!! A leg hook and cover – 1…2…3…!!!

Winner: Rey Mysterio at (12:09)

And Mysterio gets a measure of revenge against Gregory Helms!! Carlito looks up to see Mysterio pinning his opponent and can’t help but snarl, Mysterio celebrating right in Carlito’s face. ‘lito changes his tune to a small smirk before making his way up the entrance ramp and leaving all of that behind him, perhaps taking something away from this…? Either way, once Carlito disappears, Gregory Helms rolls out of the ring and looks up in complete distain while gripping his head and neck. Bryan Danielson has since rolled into the ring and stands beside Mysterio with a microphone in his hand.​


Danielson:
Helms, you know as well as anyone here that you had that comin’!

~A good crowd pop, as the close up of Danielson allows us to see that his orbital bone has had to be re-patched up

Danielson:
And trust me – that’s just the smallest sneak peak I can give you for what’s to come in our Final Encounter match!

~A shot over Danielson’s shoulder shows that Mysterio hasn’t left the ring, just standing in a corner as Helms looks on still horrified

Danielson:
You’ve gotten opportunity after opportunity, Helms, but after Sunday you’re not gonna have any excuses! The rules of ‘Final Encounter’ say that this match will never happen again! Bryan Danielson versus Gregory Helms for the Cruiserweight Championship will have no rematches!

~A pop of intrigue for those who weren’t clear on the rules of the billing

Danielson:
So Helms, just consider this the beginning of your own final countdown. I’m so ready to get you out of my life, so ready to let out all my anger, that I want no more words. I don’t want to wait, and hell, come Sunday, I might not even want to wrestle.

~This begets buzz from the crowd as Danielson looks all the more fierce

Danielson:
Sunday night…I’m just gonna kick your head in.


The crowd reels quickly before unleashing a big pop, “FINAL COUNTDOWN” blaring over the sound system as a final chime of victory. Mysterio stands alongside Danielson and celebrates a bit more, Danielson not taking his eyes off of Helms. Greg himself actually has a look of concern on his face and isn’t flashing his newfound slasher smile at all.

Joey Styles:
That’s as direct a message as you’re ever gonna hear, folks! Bryan Danielson making the threat of a lifetime!

JBL:
He’s not tryin’ to convince anyone but himself. An’ if I were Rey Mysterio I’d be mad as hell.

Joey Styles:
Oh, come on! You don’t even like Rey Mysterio!

JBL:
But I wouldn’t want someone interferin’ in a match I had with a guy who took me out of the ring. No, I don’t like him, but I feel for him.

Joey Styles:
Oh, so you feel for him there, but you don’t feel for him in the fact that Carlito Colon is blatantly targeting him in his crusade to rid this company of ‘uncool stereotypes’ as he’s said?

JBL:
Do I look like a Hispanic stereotype to you, Joey?

Joey Styles:
Well, you do seem to tan pretty we –

JBL:
Don’t answer that, ya yutz. I can’t feel for that because Carlito is right. Rey Mysterio is a disgrace to his people.

Joey Styles:
Well then what’s Bryan Danielson according to you, I wonder.

JBL:
He’s a paranoid little man! Why else is he gettin’ so angry at Gregory Helms being back? It’s because Helms said it best weeks ago – it’s because when he’s here, Danielson knows he’s second best.

Joey Styles:
Believe what you wanna believe, John, but what’s a cold hard fact is that later on tonight, Shawn Michaels will be forced to face the man whose main event he impeded on. Christian Cage and Shawn Michaels will lock horns for the first time ever in AOW history! But coming up next, “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks is here live to offer his own rebuttal to CM Punk. What on earth does he have to say now?


**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



We return to Oblivion when “HOLLA TO THE WORLD” hits the airwaves to a great deal of heat, as “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks comes through the curtain with his usual garish outfits, this one with more of a green tint. He struts his Gucci shoes on down the ramp before revealing that he has a microphone in hand as he steps in the ring.

Banks:
I know some of y’all lookin’ at me funny because I look this good in a green suit.

~More heat as Banks pops the collar of his oddly colored jacket

Banks:
But then again, I shouldn’t be surprised at any of you people hatin’ based on color.

~Even more heat, as Banks takes stabs at the race issue again

Banks:
See, green is the color of money, and that’s something I never had growin’ up as a kid. It’s what nobody I knew had growin’ up. It’s why every brotha down in Liberty City and Miami wanted to be a basketball or football star or a famous rapper so they could get what they didn’t have as quickly as possible.

~Banks going back into preaching mode it seems

Banks:
But that’s if you were smart enough to have dreams. Those pipe dreams ain’t realistic, though. In these United States, the odds of anyone actually being drafted by the NFL are 1 in 1,300. For the NBA, it’s even worse. The odds are 1 in 3,500. And don’t even get me started on tryin’ to make it in the music industry.

~Banks shakes his head disappointedly

Banks:
So when all those unrealistic dreams crumble around guys who ain’t never had nothin’ noways have to face reality. The reality that this country doesn’t want guys like me to be any kind of successful. So where do they go? They go where I went for nine and half years. In the US, 1 in 3 black men will go to prison at some point in their life.

~This actually kind of reels the audience a bit, Banks with a stern look behind those classes

Banks:
Inside those prison bars, you got a lot of time to think and a lot of time to learn. And I managed to get just a little bit closer to the man upstairs.

~Banks looks up and touches his crucifix necklace

Banks:
Me and the Maker? We’re real close. So close, I can hear him talk to me sometimes. I heard him talk to me and say that I had to represent all those who weren’t able to make it out of the ghettos and backroads. To become the ‘Boondock Saint’. But last night…

~Banks starts lifting his feet hand off his crucifix and up towards the sky

Banks:
He spoke to me. And God said “Antonio…you gotta beat the hell outta that white boy and take his Dynasty Championship.”

~…and the somewhat sympathetic story is over, Banks now re-drawing the ire of the Hammerstein

Banks:
So as a man of the cloth…of the very fly, expensive, name-brand cloth –

~Banks looks down at his garish suit for a moment

Banks:
Sundays have meant a lot to me. But none moreso than this Sunday when I will walk into the Belle Center in Montreal and start my road to fulfilling all my brothas in arms dreams. The American Dream will be mine! I will beat the system! But most importantly…I will beat CM Punk.


A rain of heat pours from the rafters here, Banks just letting his smugness envelop his face and starts nodding his head to the camera. He’s about to walk off and out of the ring when suddenly “MISERE CANTARE” hits the speakers to a rousing ovation for CM Punk to burst through the curtain, his ‘One Dark Flame’ t-shirt on with wrestling bottoms and the Dynasty Championship strapped around his waist. We also see he has a microphone in his hand as he marches on down to the ring and slides in, much to the distain of Banks.

Punk:
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait…okay so I might not be the most religious guy in the world and I’ll openly admit that, but even I know when you’re grossly misquoting the man upstairs.

~A bit of a pop for that one

Punk:
Race…religion…you’re just full of controversial topics, aren't you? But see Banks, I think the more you talk about how much society is against guys like you, I learn more and more about you. And I think all those ‘controversial’ things you wanna preach about are just cover ups.

~Banks lowers the brim of his shades and echoes Punk. “Cover ups?”

Punk:
Yeah, cover ups. They’re just gold plates on what’s really a piece of trash.

~”Ooooh”

Punk:
And I know the first thing you’re gonna say when I say that and that’s that I’m saying it ‘because you’re black’. No, Banks, I’m talking about underneath the pimp suits, underneath the big issues, underneath the skin color. I’m talking about you as an individual sicken me.

~Banks crosses his arms and looks sharply at Punk from behind his shades

Punk:
I think it’s fitting that you’re wearing green tonight. It fits you. Because the man you really are underneath it all is just a man who is consumed by greed.

~Punk gets closer to Banks

Punk:
And as close to the ‘Maker’ as you say you are, isn’t greed one of those big sins…? See, to me, and I’m sure to a lot of these people, it seems that you don’t want to ‘break through’. You’re just greedy as hell. You don’t want to have just because the white man took from you. You can spout all the statistics you want. But I know you want more than everyone, even your so called ‘brothas in arms’.

~Punk creeps closer and closer to his #1 contender

Punk:
I know that because you don’t even have to be here. You were roaming free, easy, and soaring to the top in that other company. There’s absolutely no reason to even be here other than to stir up trouble. And if I can borrow my Christian Cage conspiracy theory glasses for a moment, it seems to me like you’re here because you think because of who you are, you can maybe throw your weight around just a little bit more.

~Punk is getting more intense, the crowd feeling it

Punk:
You sit here and you talk about dreams and how everyone is holding you down so your ‘American Dream’ can’t come true when your dream has already come true. You’re standing in the middle of a wrestling ring in front of the most passionate fan base in the world in the heart of New York, less than three blocks away from Madison Square Garden. I’d have to imagine that you wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t dreamt of it for a long, long time.

~A big pop here

Punk:
So it’s my belief, Antonio, that you’re here just because you want more. You want more money. You want more glory. But to do that…you want my gold.

~Punk pats his title

Punk:
And Banks, just in case you may have missed it, but since the day this company opened its gates, I’ve let it be known that it’s been my dream to be here. Hell, I think I’m annoying people with how much I mention it.

~:side:

Punk:
Banks, if you believe it makes your life better, be as religious as you want. But for as for me, this ring, this dream…this is my religion.

~Another huge pop for the passionate Punk

Punk:
But you live the way you wanna live and I’ll still beat you here. Because Banks, this is where it really matters.

~Punk points to the canvas beneath both men’s feet

Punk:
So Banks, you can be in the pew, on your knees Sunday morning. Just know that I’ll put you on your back Sunday night.

~And with that, Punk takes the title from around his waists and holds it up between both men, a fierce staredown going on with the crowd popping hard for a while…only for Banks to back away into a corner and laugh…?

Banks:
Now see, you done messed up, Punk. You’re tryin’ to threaten me? No no, kid. I might be lookin’ to get farther than anyone here, but that’s because I’m just better than everyone here. That’s not greed, it’s fact.

~A big rain of heat for that one

Banks:
And you tryin’ to shake me up before Sunday? You not gonna shake a black man with just a few ‘intimidating’ words, boy. Not one that’s fighting for as much as I’m fighting for.

~Banks just reclines back against the corner

Punk:
Well then I’ll be professional and just let my actions do the talking. Because a knee to the face…means the same to every race.


Punk suddenly drops his microphone and rushes at the corner-reclining Banks…RUNNING CORNER KNEE!! Punk drills Banks in the face with the high knee!! Banks’ shades fall off of his face as he stumbles out of the corner, going further into Punk’s clutches…AND ONTO HIS SHOULDERS!! GTS…NO!! Banks wriggles off of Punk’s shoulders right onto the apron and out of the ring, the crowd delivering heat for Banks just managing to get away. Banks backpedals up the ramp with anger in his eyes, shouting back at Punk and trying to fix his expensive clothes. Punk isn’t happy Banks just got out of his grasp, but he reaches down to pick up his Dynasty Championship…and then picks up Banks’ fallen sunglasses. The smartass that is Punk takes the shades and puts them on, giving us the image of Banks getting even more irate as he backs away and the champion Punk raising his title high with cool shades on to a nice ovation.

Joey Styles:
CM Punk like Bryan Danielson before him sending an incredibly direct message that will most certainly linger in the mind of his opponent this coming Sunday in Antonio Banks!

JBL:
CM Punk is a selfish, stubborn little man an’ I hope with every fiber of my being that Banks beats him for that Dynasty Championship. At least he stands for something more than himself.

Joey Styles:
Did you just not hear a word CM Punk said? He knows Banks isn’t here for something more than himself. He’s here for nothing but himself. So if there’s anyone that’s selfish in all of this, it’s undeniably Banks.

JBL:
You need to stop sippin’ CM Punk’s Kool-Aid an’ listen to actual truth! Antonio Banks has never had an American Dream, an’ as a proud American, I more than behind Banks to get to his. Long live the ‘brothas in arms!’

Joey Styles:
You just hate CM Punk because he likes you more when you drink.

JBL:
How can I be mad at him for that? Hell, I like me more when I drink.

Joey Styles:
Well, CM Punk is a man who takes pride in not taking drinks, but he will be putting his AOW Dynasty Championship on the line when he faces Antonio Banks this Sunday at The Outer Limits, coming to you live from the Belle Center is Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

JBL:
Nothin’ would make me happier than Punk being dethroned in Bizzaro World.

Joey Styles:
It will indeed be The Second City Saint taking on the Boondock Saint, both men playing up their rough upbringings up to the fulfillment of their dreams in a wrestling ring. But which dream will survive and be Dynasty Champion?

JBL:
There’s a lot of guys on this card I hope get run into the ground.

Joey Styles:
You’re supposed to be an unbiased commentator, John, but somehow I’m not surprised that you can’t be. What’s John’s referring to, of course, is that Rey Mysterio will have an entire country’s pride and tradition on his shoulders when he faces Carlito Colon. Will Carlito be able to drive out the ‘uncool stereotypes’ and complete his role as the ‘Latino Savior’?

JBL:
Nothin’ cooler than accomplishing just that, but just a heads up to you Carlito – Rey Mysterio ain’t no easy pickins, boy. He’s not gonna go down without one hellova fight.

Joey Styles:
You wanna talk about fight, I don’t think it may get much ‘fight’ than when Bryan Danielson and Gregory Helms finally lock horns in what is guaranteed to be the last part in a saga that has enveloped both men since the very first day of AOW. It is what has been branded as a “Final Encounter” match. The only rules are that there must be a winner and that once this match is over, it never happens again!

JBL:
The man who loses will not be getting any kind of rematch, an’ as well they shouldn’t. My money’s on Gregory Helms, but whoever walks away with the Cruiserweight Championship will be a man who has proven to his blood rival that he’s flat our better than him.

Joey Styles:
And that does warrant no more rematches. Given how focused and angry Bryan Danielson sounded earlier, the physicality of that match could further set the tone for Cruiserweight classics for years to come.

JBL:
How about this match with two guys who are most certainly not cruiserweights, but who most certainly won’t be any less physical?

Joey Styles:
It’s a clash of the titans, the locking of the bulls! Samoa Joe has long vowed to take out all the scum in AOW and with his hitlist dwindling down, he’s come face to face with a modern day giant in Paul “The Great” Wright. It’s the Unstoppable Force meeting with the Immovable Object and only one of them can be left standing.

JBL:
It’s very rare when we get matches like this, Joey, an’ that one is gonna be somethin’ ridiculous. Both of these guys have shown time an’ time again that they are the two men who should be feared the most in AOW, the single most intimidating presences on the entire roster. I can’t even pick a favorite!

Joey Styles:
But here’s another match where there isn’t a clear favorite – are the World’s Greatest Tag Team slowly imploding? Is this finally the match where Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin show their true colors to one another? Will that combined with the hometown ambition of the Sons of the Dungeon be enough to warrant us new AOW Tag Team Champions?

JBL:
Not just Tag Team Champions, Joey, the first ever AOW WORLD Tag Team Champions. All this talk about honor an’ competition is just Charlie Haas lyin’ to himself. Either he’s on the same exact page as Benjamin is an’ won’t admit it to himself or it’s all gonna fall by the wayside when they step in against one of the best rookie teams the wrestling world has ever seen.

Joey Styles:
The Sons grew up and trained in the Dungeon an they’ll be in their home country to hopefully get their big break, but while the Sons are looking for the first big notch in their young careers, how about a man who almost came to the end of his career until Finlay’s disgusting acts forced him to come back. The first ever Unsanctioned match in AOW history will be between two men who virtually want the other one dead.

JBL:
I admire Rob Van Dam for havin’ the guts to come back, but if he’s as washed up as he’s said that he is, he doesn’t have a chance in his life. To win an Unsanctioned fight, you’d better be willin’ to hold not a damn thing back. An’ seeing as how Finlay hasn’t held back this entire feud, I gotta give the nod to him on this one.

Joey Styles:
How can you bet against Rob Van Dam here? Yes, Finlay is a cruel and dangerous man, but I can promise you that there’s no bigger threat in the world than a driven man. But what about a match that’s been building and has shown AOW’s own unique flair, where we’ll see not one, not two, but six driven men?

JBL:
The Trios Tournament has definitely put AOW even more on the roadmap of distinction, an’ I cannot wait for this finals contest!

Joey Styles:
Indeed, Bradshaw, two teams who have weathered the storm will lock horns in the Finals of the first ever AOW Trios Tournament. The meticulous and sinister Mercenaries, Inc. will see if they can be the first team to ever take that trophy home when they face the yet again newly named Tres Reyes. But will a concussion to their captain spell their doom?

JBL:
In one world – yes. Tres Reyes or whatever the hell their name is have put up fight after fight in this bracket, but their luck is about to run out. I love this contrast of styles of high-flyin’ lucha verses the ground-and-pound technicians, but in the end, it’s Regal an’ his gang that should walk out with that trophy.

Joey Styles:
You’re more than grounded on that point, John, but what about our main event. Three men who have each had their own distinctive goals and roads to get to where they are. But the one common bond between all of them is that they all have to accomplish the impossible to get what they want – and that is the AOW Championship, soon to be AOW World Championship. Chris Jericho has to defend his AOW title against two men whose careers he has impacted forever – the hungry Christian Cage and the redemption seeking Shawn Michaels.

JBL:
The motivations for each of these men have been nothing less than riveting. I give Christian an’ Shawn Michaels credit for comin’ this far, but Chris Jericho always has a plan.

Joey Styles:
I think it’ll take more than a plan to come away with this one, John. Jericho is going into this one completely and utterly alone for the first time, he’ll have no Worthy Legion to back him up, and he’s facing a man whose life has made a living hell for months now, as well as a man who hates him and wants his title so much, he sold his soul to the devil that is Paul Heyman for another shot. Jericho is a bright man, but he’s not a miracle worker.

JBL:
You’d be surprised what a god can do.

Joey Styles:
Well he’ll have to pull something out of his ass in the next four days because that’s how long he has until the biggest Pay-Per-View in AOW history comes to you internationally! But we’re not done tonight, as two of the men in that AOW World title match will go head-to-head for the very first time. The Man on the Moon, who wants revitalization so bad, will face the man who took his fair shot at the gold with one swift kick and that’s the man who will return to a place’s he’s no stranger to Sunday and that’s the Heart Break Kid. Which man will walk out victorious tonight and pick up some serious momentum going to Canada? We’ll find out next!!

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**



We come back to the Oblivion stage only to hear the sound of very…erm…“pleased” women, as “SEXY BOY” hits the threshold. This yields yet another mixed reaction, Shawn Michaels exiting through the curtains. He's without Heyman for this match, the Commander probably opting to staying home. Much like last week, he looks more like himself than he does Paul Heyman, but even so, his hair is still slicked back and artificial looking. He’s not as jovial as the Heart Break Kid probably would be, but there is more pep in his step than there has been in weeks past.

The pep mellows out once he gets to the ring and hears “JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES” play over the sound system and the huge pop that comes with it, Christian Cage stepping on through the curtain and down to the ring, his maddened eyes completely focused on Michaels. There’s no crowd pandering or anything, just Christian making a beeline towards the man who has been a thorn in his side while going for the rose. Cage steps into the ring and keeps up the lack of pandering by getting nose to nose with Michaels. Christian’s incredibly intense gaze locks horns with Michaels’ unflinching stare. Two sets of eyes that have taken different paths, but in the end, mean the same thing.


MAIN EVENT
Christian Cage
v.
Shawn Michaels


The tension doesn’t get any lighter for the duration of the match after the stare down, Christian exiting the gates like the mad man he’s become and lighting up Michaels for much of the early goings, but a guy like HBK who has been around the block quite a few times doesn’t let him keep that advantage very long. Michaels swings it back in his favor and keeps bearing down on Christian, eventually finding that Christian’s right shoulder is still ailing from its punishment last week and begins exploiting it, only for Christian to fire back and exploit Michaels’ obvious back ailments.

We cut into the match with both men having gotten very physical on each other’s weaknesses, about twelve minutes in. Christian has caught Michaels in an ABDOMINAL STRETCH, trying to apply even more torque on the spinal area of the man who took his one-on-one shot against Jericho from him. Michaels has the pain painted on his face, but after struggling mightily, he manages to throw Christian over and get out of the move with a mighty hip toss! As luck would have it, Christian lands directly on his right shoulder, further eating at his weak spot. He grips at it in pain and tries to get to his feet, only to be met with Michaels catching him and wrapping that right arm around for a scoop slam, Cage landing right on the weak appendage! A scream of pain from Cage as Michaels briefly tends to his back and heads to the top rope…FLYING ELBOW DROP…NO!! Christian moves out of the way at the very last minute, causing Michaels to crash and burn and play right into his weak lower back!

It takes both men a while to recover after grabbing at their respective injuries, neither man able to get up past their knees. This prompts them to start trading blows while on their knees, going back and forth and dueling until they both get back to their feet, where Michaels backs Christian away with several knife edge CHOPS(Woooooo!) and forces him in a corner. Michaels tries to whip Christian across the ring into the opposite corner, but Cage manages to reverse it, sending Michaels spine first into the corner and forcing him to SKIN THE CAT!! Michaels springs back to his feet and grips at his lower back once again, only for him to back right into Christian grabbing Michaels’ head in an inverted facelock…INVERTED FACELOCK BACKBREAKER!! Cage further damages the target, now going for a cover on Michaels – 1…2…3-NO!! HBK throws up a shoulder and stays determined!!

But Christian doesn’t give Michaels any breathing room whatsoever, almost immediately delivering a club to Michaels’ spine before wrapping him around…CLOVERLEAF!! A SUDDEN CLOVERLEAF!! Christian’s going for blood here, taking everyone by surprise by wrapping Michaels’ legs up and putting a tremendous amount of strain on Michaels’ spine!! Michaels flails away, trying his damndest to perhaps find a rope as his back gets absolutely torn apart…BUT CHRISTIAN TUGS HIM AWAY!! Michaels is back towards the center of the ring and back to flailing in are ridiculous amount of agony, selling it as only Shawn Michaels can. Michaels forces himself to inch closer and closer to the ring ropes…a fingertip away…AND HE FINALLY GETS THERE!! It took two trips and possibly the destruction of his spine, but HBK is finally out of the hold! The Hammerstein lets out a massive mixed reaction, the crowd still torn between these two men.

Goose Mahoney nearly has to rip Christian off of Michaels, Cage stumbling away and using the time Mahoney admonishes him to shake some life into his shoulder. Michaels uses the ropes as a ladder to climb up to get to his feet, Christian waiting in the wings to wrap him around for the UNPRETTIER…NO!! Michaels pushes Christian chest-first into a corner! Christian’s sternum crashes off of the padding, Michaels following up behind and clubbing him in the back of the neck. He follows that up by turning Christian around and setting him in the corner, getting up to the second rope and getting the crowd to join in with him on the count as he punches away at the Man on the Moon – 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…Cage lifts Michaels over his head…and STRADDLES HIM ON THE TOP ROPE!! Cage shows some life and some fight, but having to lift HBK over his head puts strain on the shoulder, forcing him to play at it for a moment. Michaels stays sitting on the top rope with his back to the inside, Cage now recovered enough to climb up to Michaels and perhaps try the killing blow with a SUPER BACK DROP…MICHAELS TURNS IN MIDAIR…AND TURNS IT INTO A HUGE CROSSBODY!! Michaels counters at just the right time, crashing on top of Cage for a cover – 1…2…3…NO!! Cage somehow stays alive!

Michaels almost can’t believe it, but he knows he’s up against a very driven man. And just like Christian wouldn’t give Michaels any kind of breathing room whatsoever, HBK does the same thing on Christian by grabbing his torn apart shoulder and shoving it between his legs…CROSSFACE!! THE CROSSFACE LOCKED IN!! The move garners another big reaction, some popping for Michaels locking in the hold and some popping to try and get Christian out of the hold. The shoulder of Cage is being pulled away from his head and neck here, the torque unimaginable after a match as grueling as this…but CHRISTIAN SLINGS HIS LEFT ARM OVER THE BOTTOM ROPE!! It’s Michaels turn to have to be thrown off of Christian’s body, neither man letting up on their reasons for wanting in the title match Sunday.

Michaels throws Cage’s face down into the canvas as he’s forced away, a sign of possible disrespect and getting caught in the moment. Cage, like Michaels before him, has to use the ropes as leverage to get back to his feet, clutching his right arm close to his body. Michaels still grabs at him and tries to toss him into the opposite ropes, only for Cage to reverse the whip and send Michaels rebounding…FLYING FOREARM SMASH!! Both men get sprawled out until that sudden moment with Michaels KIPS UP, but he clutches at his lower back as soon as he does so. He has to brace himself against the ropes to recover, Cage getting back to his feet as well, fighting back at the momentum gaining Michaels with a kick to the gut and trying to rebound off the ropes for something…only for Michaels to counter him with a MOMENTOUS SINGLE ARM DDT!!

Michaels with another blatant target of the injured arm, this move garnering more of a negative than mixed reaction. Shawn doesn’t seem to care, as the move leaves Christian writhing on the canvas enough to let him tend to his back and climb to the top rope…FLYING ELBOW DROP CONNECTING!! Michaels drives the elbow right into the heart of Cage, going for perhaps a finishing cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Christian still has the heart to keep going on! Michaels throws his hair out of his face and looks angry that the match has to keep going. He slowly makes his way to his feet, his back still killing him as he goes over to a corner and gets everyone prepared for him to tune up the band, Cage getting closer to his feet with every stomp. Cage grips his right shoulder like it’s about to be separated, turning around to greet a stomping Michaels…SWEET CHIN MUSIC…NO!! Cage catches the kick before it meets his jaw and throws Michaels around…INVERTED DDT!! Michaels is driven right onto the back of his head, Cage now going for a big cover – 1…2…3-NO!! Michaels stays alive!!

It’s Christian’s turn to get aggravated at the thought, but he quickly sucks it up and backs away from Michaels, his arms wide open and getting the crowd pumped now for his finishing maneuver. Michaels is trying to recover, but when he gets to a knee, his back gives way and forces him to flop back down. Cage is still waiting, his eyes growing more and more intense as he waits…but soon, the crowd’s crescendo for Christian transforms into a loud array of heat. Something catches the corner of Christian’s eye, as someone is coming down the entrance ramp. Lo and behold, it’s the puppetmaster himself, Chris Jericho, coming down to the ring with his AOW title slung over a shoulder and three piece suit on. He eats up all the heat he’s getting, the smirk on his face growing even wider when he knows that he’s completely distracted Christian from his task at hand, Cage damn near about to leap out of the ring and assault Jericho right there. Their no-contact clause is still intact, however, and that’s probably the only thing stopping Cage. Jericho just tells Cage to ‘wait your turn’, Christian’s madman eyes turn back towards the match at hand…SWEET CHIN MUSIC!! SWEET CHIN MUSIC CONNECTS!! Michaels took advantage of the distraction! Christian is out like a freakin’ light and drops to the canvas like a stone, Michaels with just enough strength in him to sling himself over Cage’s body – 1…2…3…!!!!

Winner: Shawn Michaels at (21:03)

Yet another massive mixed reaction floods over the entire arena, as Michaels uses the very last of his reserves to rolls off of Cage’s body. He can’t even get to his feet immediately, Goose Mahoney trying to get him up to raise his hand. While he does so, we can see Jericho out of the corner of the shot taking off his jacket and fidgeting with his tie…


Joey Styles:
What the hell was Chris Jericho doing out here!?! He just cost Christian the match!

JBL:
He was doin’ exactly what a man as brilliant as he is should be doin’, Joey! He was out scouting the two men who want him dead for Sunday! An’ how could he cost Christian the match? He didn’t even touch him.

Joey Styles:
He didn’t violate the no-contact clause, but this is absurd! Jericho should’ve…oh no, what’s he up to now…


Styles stops his commentary to see that Jericho has slid into the ring, his jacket and tie completely off, and his face having morphed from the smug strategist to an angry champion, lying in wait for Mahoney to bring Michaels to his feet and raise his hand…Michaels turns around only to see Jericho charging at him…CODEBREAKER!! MICHAELS’ JAW GETS JACKED!! The crowd delivers not a mixed reaction, but undisputed heat as Jericho watches Michaels’ decimated body flop to the canvas. Jericho stands up and lets us see his face, which has gone back to being sinister and smug. He looks over his shoulder to see Christian Cage, who is still downed and hasn’t moved since getting kicked, making his smile go even wider. Jericho grabs his title belt and roams over to grab a microphone before going back and stand over his decimated opponents’ bodies.

Chris Jericho:
This Sunday…there is no hope for either of you…

~Jericho adjusts the AOW title in his hands

Chris Jericho:
And that’s because the two things you want…redemption…

~Jericho looks over Michaels before turning around


Chris Jericho:
…and revitalization…

~Jericho now looms over the dead Christian


Chris Jericho:
…are things that only divinity can provide you. And seeing as how I’m the closest thing to a god in this company…

~Jericho is caught off by some of the heat this statement evokes, a sick smile developing over his face

Chris Jericho:
…I can safely say that neither of you have a prayer.

~A much more intense round of heat, as Jericho drops the microphone to laugh a bit before raising it to speak again

Chris Jericho:
So no matter which of your missions you think is improbable…it’s taking the AOW Championship from me, Chris Jericho, the undisputed Worthy Champion, the undefeated Master of Puppets, the unconquerable God of Gods…that will truly be…impossible.

~Jericho flips the microphone down and in it’s place, raises the AOW Championship up to eye level

Joey Styles:
This man is sick. He’s demented, he’s delusional, he’s twisted –

JBL:
He’s brilliant. He’s infallible. He’s the AOW Champion who deserves every moniker he’s earned.

Joey Styles:
He’s AOW Champion…for now. But come Sunday in the Belle Center in Montreal at The Outer Limits, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a god falls to man.


The final image we get on the take-home edition of Oblivion is the dastardly image of the “Master of Puppets” Chris Jericho holding his AOW Championship high over his head and over the bodies of the new-life seeking Christian and redemption-seeking Michaels. He does so with the most smug of strategist smirk we’ve ever seen as the entire Hammerstein throws heat and hopes that somebody, anybody, can dethrone this ‘god’ as we

Fade…

To…

Black…

END SHOW



THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Final Card*


~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels

*Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay

~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*

The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright

~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon


~Grudge Match~
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio v. The Bad Apple Carlito Colon

~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. Tres Reyes


NO PREDICTIONS YET!! Hope to get some things done before an official preview goes up, hopefully before the end of the month. Few things didn't even sit well with me on this one, but I'll leave them up to you to see if they worked well enough.
 
#228 ·
First off, I’d just like to throw some apologies out for my recent complete lack of activity. Lots of things going on over here to keep me busy. So some quick apologies to both cp and Melvis because I’ll probably be incredibly late on any PPV feedback I give you (if I get to it at all :$)

Also quick apologies to Fluxy and WeirdGuy for being so swamped, I never even got to wish you guys any luck on your new threads. Gotta keep tabs on last year’s Tournament’s Final Four. And I guess Stojy, too.

And lastly, The Outer Limits itself is coming along at a slow but steady pace. But after having people say things like this…

That being said, The Outer Limits is the show, it's your big payoff - it's essentially your Wrestlemania.
…I’m thoroughly convinced to not hold anything back on this PPV. So you all have been appropriately warned. This show is looking to be massive. I also may or may not have misquoted this person as an excuse to go all out :side...

But before we get to the festivities, a dab of pretty important last minute news from aohbuya…



aohdubya.com said:
AERO STAR NAMED CAPTAIN

In continuing with their strategy to keep rotating around their ‘captain’ position in the Trios Tournament (as well as their name), the team known as Tres Reyes – Super Crazy, Psicosis, and rookie Aero Star – have agreed to name Star their team captain for the finals. Star has considerably less experience than both Crazy and Psicosis, but after being the ‘star’ of his team all through the bracket, the team obviously feels more than ready to name Aero Star as the man who will lead them to victory.

Super Crazy, the most recent captain, has a minor concussion that he received at the hands of Brent Albright just over a month ago.​

…and now this.


619IDH PRESENTS
THE OUTER LIMITS OFFICIAL PREVIEW






~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels

Three men. Three different paths to glory. Three different motivations. One ultimate goal – to do the impossible. Shawn Michaels, Christian Cage, and Chris Jericho have all been indirectly linked in some way since the very inception of AOW, but for the first time ever, these three genuine superstars will lock horns in what has been deemed far too perfect – a date with destiny for all the world to see.

For AOW Champion Chris Jericho, this match is not like any of the ones he has had in the past. Chris Jericho has prided himself on being AOW’s undisputed Master of Puppets; a man who can manipulate any and all human beings to do his every whim at the drop of a hat. Then he’ll tug the puppet strings and cut them loose if they dare pose a threat to him. Everyone from Christian to Shawn Michaels to Mick Foley to even Paul Heyman himself have fallen to the might of the Worthy Man. He has gone undefeated for all seven months of AOW. The “Worthy Champion” has gone so far as actually call himself a god on more than one occasion. But for the first time ever, the master stratagem that is Chris Jericho has no plan in sight – his Worthy Legion is in shambles and his gigantic insurance policy, Paul Wright, is banned from ringside (and has his own troubles to deal with).

Challenging Jericho’s god-like seven month reign up front is a man who knew what was coming, but was absolutely powerless to stop it for months on end. Christian Cage tried to convince everyone that Chris Jericho was up to something, but fell on deaf ears before losing his job to Bobby Lashley at World Ablaze. In the weeks that followed, with the ‘Man on the Moon’ out of the way, Jericho and the Worthy Legion turned AOW into their own theatre. But when Christian returned to assemble a team to enter the War Chamber, it was Cage alone who emerged after an hour inside the hellish structure, more than ready and more than able to be on level footing with the ‘god’ before him.

But one man literally stands in both of their ways. After Shawn Michaels’ heartbreaking defeat in December at the hands of Jericho, all thought we would never see the Heart Break Kid in AOW again. Fast forward to Christian and Jericho’s contract signing for this very match, one that Michaels suddenly interrupted and superkicked all in attendance…before signing his own name at. Being revealed now having sold his soul to the devil in Paul Heyman for his job back , Shawn Michaels seeks redemption. The Outer Limits takes place in the very Bell Center in Montreal that the wrestling world’s most famous match took place in, something the Canadians have never let Shawn forget.

Now, all three of these journeys will intersect in a place that two men can call home, while the other calls Hell. But no matter what, they will cross paths and see who will become the first man to ever hold the AOW Championship when it is rebranded as the AOW World Heavyweight Championship. One man has never held a world title and has worked and sacrificed so much to do so while avenging an entire company. Another man has sacrificed his very soul to hold one again. And the other has self-elevated his own ego to a point of divinity to never let it go. There is absolutely no telling which man (or god) will walk away from the Grandest Stage of War, title held high. But whoever it is, you can be sure they will accomplish the impossible and become…immortal.





*Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay


In the end, all a man has is a name. But when your very identity is challenged by your own faults, there is nowhere to hide anymore. No one to blame but yourself. For his entire career, Rob Van Dam has made his name by…well…chanting his name in arenas all over the world. The signature thumbs and letters littered sold out crowds everywhere, no matter which company banner the man himself was under. Very early on in his stay in AOW, RVD said that “RVD is AOW” and vowed to become AOW Champion no matter the means.

But on Van Dam’s third bid to become champion, something happened. Chris Jericho pulled off an incredible strategy, revealing the hand that Christian Cage had warned everyone about since day one. This revelation cost RVD another shot at the title through no fault of his own, but that wasn’t something Acting Commander Mick Foley was going to take lightly. He granted RVD one last shot at the title, but just when it looked like Van Dam would finally defeat Jericho for the gold, a grudge-carrying Dave Finlay struck him with his shillelagh and crushed those dreams. With that loss, Van Dam was banned from ever being able to challenge for any AOW gold…period.

In the weeks that followed, Van Dam become a shell of his former self. He forgot who he really was, what he really stood for, and even announced his retirement from professional wrestling, almost completely out of shame. Not being able to fight for gold had cost Van Dam everything and made him want to step away from everything, declaring that “Rob Van Dam is dead”…until Finlay reminded him that RVD doesn’t die until Finlay say he does.

From December on, Finlay has made it his personal mission to break everything involving Rob Van Dam or Robert Szatowski. He beat his friend Tommy Dreamer to a bloody pulp at This is Exile, right in front of Szatowski. Finlay then put on the fake guise of wanting to patch things up with Szatowski, only to use alcohol to get to him even more and goad him into challenging him to a match. Szatowski bailed on their Bar Room Brawl, but Finlay took the opportunity to take RVD’s wife and smash her deliberately with the shillelagh. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back and gave birth Rob Van Dam again in a demeanor we’ve never seen him before – angry and seeking revenge. Now, with absolutely no limits and not even legal restrictions holding them back, two men who want the other deader than dead will find out just how far a name can go towards rebuilding a man…or killing him.






~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*

The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

Bryan Danielson has held the AOW Cruiserweight Championship for 127 days, boasting an incredible resume as not just AOW’s inaugural Cruiserweight Champion, but putting on quite the display in his first year in a mainstream wrestling promotion. Harnessing his craft for years on the independent circuit conditioned Danielson for things like facing ‘god-like’ heavyweight champions, entering War Chambers, and even competing for several months with a broken orbital bone over his left eye.

But despite all of those accomplishments, there’s one thing that Bryan Danielson cannot shake for the life of him. And that’s the pursuit from a man obsessed. Gregory Helms has more than established himself as one of the greatest cruiserweight champions of all time, most prominently holding a cruiserweight title in another promotion for more than an entire year. But Helms has not been able to have the same type of success in AOW, despite doing everything he possibly can in getting title matches with Bryan Danielson.

Helms has gone so far as to produce fake evidence and even hold the physical title itself hostage. Following his second defeat by Danielson following World Ablaze, Helms only resurfaced when a #1 contender’s mini tournament was announced, the Carolinian getting the big win he needed to once again face The American Dragon.

A rivalry that has been brewing since the very first day of AOW will finally come to a head, as this match will be contested under Final Encounter rules. The rules are simple there are no count outs or disqualifications, meaning that the only way to win is by the means that a title changes hands – pinfall or submission. There must be a definitive fall here because no matter what happens, this match will NEVER happen again! Will the obsessed and boarderline crazed Gregory Helms finally get his thirst for gold quenched? Or will Bryan Danielson finally prove he is the best in the world and make good on his promise to ‘kick Helms’ head in’?






~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

The term “Saint” can be used to describe anyone who possess great virtue beyond the normal man. Both CM Punk and Antonio Banks fit the bill on that regard, but how can two men claim to be of the same mold, yet be so different? From the very first moment he showed up in AOW, CM Punk has been defined by his virtues of the straight-edge lifestyle, abstaining from drugs or alcohol. He has also become defined by the virtues of pride and passion, using both to propel him to the Dynasty Championship due to his love of being a professional wrestler.

But on the night that CM Punk finally vanquished his rival in Muhammad Hassan, a man struck him from behind with a piece of gold that didn’t belong to AOW. For weeks, vignettes hyping the coming of “The Saint” stirred up quite the buzz among the wrestling world, but no one was prepared for the buzz that would be sent out when the man revealed to be “The Saint” was Montel Vontavious Porter – a man who a week later would rebrand himself as “The Boondock Saint” Antonio Banks.

While Banks’ very presence proved controversial and may cost the company off-camera, on-screen, Banks’ motivations for leaving the WWE high and dry can be boiled down to one word that most of us like to avoid: race. Banks preached that professional wrestling, like any other business, is prejudiced against Black performers and competitors. Claiming to have risen from his slum upbringings and being a light unto the world, Banks has set his sights on CM Punk’s Dynasty Championship to begin his ‘march to the Promised Land’.

CM Punk has never been one to back down from a challenge, but now his pride and passion will have to clash with one man’s provocativeness and prejudice. Verbally getting into it with Banks on multiple occasions, Punk has maintained the platform that wrestling nor life care what color you are, only what you can bring to the table. But will both men bring to the table come Sunday? Can The Second City Saint overcome all the controversy and chatter surrounding his opponent? Or will The Boondock Saint make good on his promise to guide his ‘brothas in arms’ to a higher place…?





~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon


Honor amongst friends is something that should never be disputable. There is even honor amongst thieves. But there seems to be a distinct disconnection between Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas in regards to who they are as a team and what they stand for. For normal men, holding the AOW Tag Team titles for over six months would be enough. But to a pair of gentlemen who are overcompetitive, there must always be more.

Seemingly flip-flopping in their attitudes on a weekly basis for a while, things finally came to a sense of direction when the two faced each other at This is Exile. In a technical display of athleticism and wrestling ability, it was Haas who just barely managed to get a sneaky pin over Benjamin. While Haas has not boasted as much as one would think, it’s probably because Shelton Benjamin has become much more aggressive and less agreeable, the pinnacle reaching in the twos title defense against Bryan Danielson and CM Punk, where Shelton defied the very ‘honor and respect’ stance the team had set up for itself.

If there’s anyone who knows about honor and respect, however, it would be a pair of gentlemen who have eclipsed the famous Hart Dungeon. One of the rookie highlights of AOW’s inaugural year, TJ Wilson and Harry Smith have proven their worth in the ring beyond anyone’s expectations. While trying to get a two-on-two shot with the WGTT for a while, a rib injury to Smith delayed that dream. Even so, Wilson faced both members and attempted to show that the team was more than ready for gold. After pinning both members in the Trios Tournament and defeating their rivals American Made for this fair chance, no one is doubting that the Dungeon dwellers don’t have what it takes.

Now on home soil, could that be the edge that the Sons need to overcome the incredible reign set before them? Or will the World’s Greatest Tag Team be able to set aside their differences for the umpteenth time and walk away from Montreal as AOW’s first ever WORLD Tag Team Champions…?






~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. Tres Reyes

Started as a way to get a lot of guys some TV time before the AOW Offseason hits, the AOW Trios Tournament has supplied the annals of Art of War Wrestling with a magnificent new slew of matches to call classics. What no one expected was that not only would the two teams involved be so worthy, but would develop a great deal of aggression towards one another.

Mercenaries, Inc. have been bracket favorites from the moment the competition was announced, headed by their captain and one of AOW’s latest additions, Sir William Regal. Regal has past ties with Paul Burchill, making him an additional mentor to the already catching-on Brent Albright. Call him ‘Sir’, but Regal is no less meticulous or violent than his new stablemates, leading them to convincing victories by using the Trios Tournament rules of elimination and gunning for team captains to end the match as quickly as possible. Having yet to have lose a member in a match, Mercs Inc. hopes to extend their client pool with the credibility of calling themselves the best three-man band in all of wrestling.

On the other side, Tres Reyes have not just undergone three name changes in their Mexican hat dance of swirling ideas, but now have also had three captain changes. The team hasn’t forgotten what The Mercenaries did to them at This is Exile, as a potentially botched half-nelson suplex from Brent Albright gave Super Crazy a concussion and put the Trios’ future in jeopardy. Using the Trios rules to protect Crazy in the first round, Crazy named himself captain for the second bout and made it past there. But the only way they possibly made it to the finals was from the aerobics and quick thinking of their rookie, Aero Star, who has quickly become the biggest must-see luchador prospect in the world.

The bracket is done and the finals are set. Mercenaries, Inc. have made it no secret that they plan to exploit every physical weakness that Tres Reyes has, but the luchadors are not backing down from a chance to show the world just a little bit of lucha heritage on a grand stage. Whoever takes home the gold will have to earn it through the fight of a lifetime.





~Grudge Match~
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio v. The Bad Apple Carlito Colon

To a much lesser degree than one Antonio Banks, Carlito Colon has made it no secret, nay, made it his mission to let the world know just how ‘cool’ and proud he is of being Latino. Carlito started by looking how to excommunicate all the terrible Latino stereotypes running around in AOW, first targeting The Mexicools and Aero Star. Successfully defeating them at This is Exile (with little to no help from The Mercenaries), Carlito seemed to now shift gears towards possibly a strap in the company, but a returning Rey Mysterio saw fit to make his return after four months of injury to stop him.

Colon has newfound friends in the Samoan Fight Club, the trio showing their dominance in the Trios Tournament and looking to exert it more when Tres Reyes defeated them. But it was then that Rey made the save to rescue his fellow countrymen, standing up for their rights to be who they are because that’s just who they are. Mysterio has argued that there’s more than one way to be Latino and that Carlito is merely a young punk who needs to be taught a serious lesson. Now, Carlito and Mysterio are set to face one another for the purpose of pride and heritage.






~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright

It may not be the main event, but you can be this will be the heavyweight clash of all heavyweight clashes! The two heaviest titans in all of AOW will do battle in what has been billed appropriately – Samoa Joe will not stop until all the scum is out of the way, and Paul “The Great” Wright is not stepping out of the way. If there’s anyone that can avoid these men’s grasps, it’s one another, but they’ve chosen to go at it like tanks instead.

Since December, The Unstoppable Force of Samoa Joe has made it his personal mission to get rid of all the scum in AOW. His decree was first to Shawn Michaels, but his journey has since taken him through the ranks of the Worthy Legion. Joe has wins over Ken Doane, Bobby Lashley, and has stepped in a ring with Chris Jericho three different times, once with the AOW title on the line and twice being locked in a steel structure. In the War Chamber variant of that, Joe was the last man in but the first man to leave after driving Wright through the girdle floor and eliminating both men.

The Immovable Object in Paul “The Great” Wright has been a wrecking machine since being introduced to AOW. First coming in and surprising everyone by siding with Chris Jericho, Wright has been the anchor of the Worthy Legion. Playing the dragon alongside Bobby Lashley to Jericho’s evil sorcery, Wright and Jericho remain the only two men on the roster who are undefeated. Samoa Joe has never been pinned or made to submit – a distinction he holds with on again, off again rival Finlay. But come Sunday, one of these things will almost surely have to give. Samoa Joe’s hitlist comes to a close and Paul Wright faces his first true, genuine challenge in AOW. Will “The Great” outmuscle Joe, or will the One Man Army be able to finish off his mission in a “Great” way…?



PREDICTION TEMPLATE

THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Final Card*


~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels

*Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay

~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*

The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright

~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon


~Grudge Match~
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio v. The Bad Apple Carlito Colon

~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. Tres Reyes


Bonus Bids!!
1) Predict the match order
2) What will be the longest match?
3) What will be the shortest match?
4) Will there be any surprise appearances? If so, by whom?
5) Will there be blood? If so, what match(es)?
6) Who gets the winning fall in the Trios Tournament Finals?
7) Who takes the losing fall in the AOW Championship match?​


It's not the greatest preview I've done, but it's here. I haven't forgotten about the last contest, but I'm not quite sure what the winner will get for this one except...pride, I guess. As far as the show itself, five out of the eight matches are done and one more is coming along nicely. I'm hoping to get it up in two weeks or so, but I won't rush it. I'll post some last minute news and notes before I post the show and whatnot. Hope all stay well 'til then :eek:
 
#229 · (Edited)
Bonus Bids!!
1) Predict the match order

(1 AOW Trios Tournament Finals

(2 Rey Mysterio vs Carlito

(3 Bryan Danielson(c) vs Gregory Helms:Criuserweight Championship

(4 Worlds Greatest Tag Team vs Sons of The Dungeon:Tag Team Championship

(5 CM Punk(c) vs Antonio Banks: Dynasty Championship

(6 Samoa Joe vs Paul Wright

(7 Rob Van Dam vs Finlay

(8 Chris Jericho(c) vs Christian vs Shawn Michaels: AOW Championship


2) What will be the longest match? Jericho vs Christian vs HBK

3) What will be the shortest match? AOW Trios Tournament Finals or Rey Mysterio vs Carlito

4) Will there be any surprise appearances? If so, by whom? I don't think so.


5) Will there be blood? If so, what match(es)? The unsanctioned match between RVD & Finlay, and maybe Joe vs Wright

6) Who gets the winning fall in the Trios Tournament Finals? Either Regal or Aero Star


7) Who takes the losing fall in the AOW Championship match? Jericho

[/I][/CENTER]


It's not the greatest preview I've done, but it's here. I haven't forgotten about the last contest, but I'm not quite sure what the winner will get for this one except...pride, I guess. As far as the show itself, five out of the eight matches are done and one more is coming along nicely. I'm hoping to get it up in two weeks or so, but I won't rush it. I'll post some last minute news and notes before I post the show and whatnot. Hope all stay well 'til then :eek:
I have read every episode of Oblivion, and I must tell you, this preview, along with all the episodes of Oblivion has got me excited for The Outer Limts, I am looking forward to your PPV.
 
#230 ·
First off, apologies for how late these are and lack of feedback. Been incredibly busy and have been out of the BTB loop for a little bit but with this bad boy round the corner I’ve gotta give ya some thoughts!

PREDICTION TEMPLATE

THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Final Card*

8. ~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels


The build has been all kinds of epic and I’m really torn on what route you’re gonna end up taking which is credit to you. Jericho’s had an incredible run as champion and in this puppet master character, it’s been a joy to read and I could see you sticking with him, losing it in a one on one bout eventually. However, I’m not sure how much more gas is left in the Jericho as champion tank. Michaels is the wild card for me, the outside bet if you will. Just can’t see him taking it home even though his character since returning has developed beautifully. I think you’re gonna give the strap to Christian. His man on the moon, saving the company schtick needs an end result and I think it comes here. I would not be shocked to see Jericho retain but Christian’s my pick, no doubts this will match the build and produce a brilliant contest.

7. *Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay


Been a unique storyline that’s had a real lot of good stuff, it’s been a lot better than I actually anticipated. I think this is all lined up for a Van Dam win, solidifying that the real ‘RVD’ is back in the game. Expecting this to be brutal.

4. ~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks


Tough one, really tough one to call. Banks has been brilliant, even in bits of that controversial opening promo. I’ve enjoyed the verbal interaction between the two and in my opinion this feud will continue, therefore Punk to retain this time around.

1. ~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*
The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms


Danielson to win and finally end this rivalry once and for all.

5. ~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright


Gotta be Joe for me. With the rumours of Wright heading out the door, Joe to dispatch of him in real style would be a real rub for him.

2. ~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon


Been building and brewing for a while and in my eyes S.O.D take the straps here, perhaps even with a WGTT implosion. If WGTT are to lose those titles, now’s the perfect time, Wilson and Smith are ready.

3. ~Grudge Match~
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio v. The Bad Apple Carlito Colon


Mysterio doesn’t need this in my opinion. I know he’s just returned and it’d be big for him to get a return victory but Carlito’s been building nicely since his debut and a big win over a top superstar would help propel him higher up the card for sure.

6. ~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. Tres Reyes


Tres Reyes have surprised me in getting this far, I expected one, maybe two rounds max for these guys but I’ve enjoyed the work you’ve done with them. That being said Mercenaries Inc. are only on the up and a victory in this tournament would be a real notch on their belt. Merc.Inc. to take it.


Bonus Bids!!
1) Predict the match order Done
2) What will be the longest match? World Title
3) What will be the shortest match? Mysterio/Carlito
4) Will there be any surprise appearances? If so, by whom? Yes but god only knows who you’ll pull out the bag lol.
5) Will there be blood? If so, what match(es)? Yes sir. Van Dam/Finlay and me thinks the main event.
6) Who gets the winning fall in the Trios Tournament Finals? Albright
7) Who takes the losing fall in the AOW Championship match? Jericho

Should be an absolute beauty. Good luck man.
 
#231 ·
THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Final Card*

8.~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels

4.*Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay

6.~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

2.~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*
The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

7.~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright

3.~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon

5.~Grudge Match~
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio v. The Bad Apple Carlito Colon

1.~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. Tres Reyes


Bonus Bids!!
1) Predict the match order Yip.
2) What will be the longest match? Jericho/Michaels/Christian
3) What will be the shortest match? Mysterio/Carlito
4) Will there be any surprise appearances? If so, by whom? I'll go for Tommy Dreamer in the Van Dam/Finlay match
5) Will there be blood? If so, what match(es)? Van Dam/Finlay and probably Joe/Wright too
6) Who gets the winning fall in the Trios Tournament Finals? Aero Star
7) Who takes the losing fall in the AOW Championship match? I think it should be Jericho
 
#232 ·
THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Final Card*

8. ~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels

6. Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay

4. ~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

1. ~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*
The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

2. ~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright

3. ~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon

5. ~Grudge Match~
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio v. The Bad Apple Carlito Colon

7. ~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. Tres Reyes


Bonus Bids!!
1) Predict the match order Done
2) What will be the longest match? Triple Threat
3) What will be the shortest match? Trios Tournament
4) Will there be any surprise appearances? If so, by whom? Paul Heyman Mick Foley
5) Will there be blood? If so, what match(es)? Unsanctioned Match Triple Threat
6) Who gets the winning fall in the Trios Tournament Finals? Regal
7) Who takes the losing fall in the AOW Championship match? Jericho
 
#233 · (Edited)
THE OUTER LIMITS
The Belle Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
March 16th, 2008
*Final Card*

~AOW Heavyweight Championship~
The Worthy Champion Chris Jericho(c) v.
The Man on the Moon Christian Cage v.
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels

*Unsanctioned Match*
The Whole F’n Show Rob Van Dam v. The Fighting Irishman Finlay

~AOW Dynasty Championship~
The Second City Saint CM Punk(c) v. The Boondock Saint Antonio Banks

~AOW Cruiserweight Championship~
*The Final Encounter*
The American Dragon Bryan Danielson(c) v. Gregory Helms

~The Unstoppable Force vs. The Immovable Object~
The One Man Army Samoa Joe v. Paul “The Great” Wright

~AOW Tag Team Championships~
World’s Greatest Tag Team(c) v. Sons of the Dungeon

~Grudge Match~
The Biggest Little Man Rey Mysterio v. The Bad Apple Carlito Colon

~AOW Trios Tournament Finals~
Mercenaries, Inc.v. Tres Reyes


Bonus Bids!!
1) Predict the match order
Mysterio-Carlito, Tag Titles, Wright vs. Joe, Punk vs. Banks, Cruiserweight Title, RVD vs. Finlay, Trios match, World Title match

2) What will be the longest match?
Danielson vs. Helms

3) What will be the shortest match?
Mysterio vs. Carlito

4) Will there be any surprise appearances? If so, by whom?
Ken Doane, American Made, perhaps the Samoan Fight Club, maybe Heyman and Foley? Whole lotta surprises lol

5) Will there be blood? If so, what match(es)?
RVD vs. Finlay, World Title

6) Who gets the winning fall in the Trios Tournament Finals?
Brent Albright

7) Who takes the losing fall in the AOW Championship match?
Chris Jericho

You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to this PPV being posted. Can't wait!
 
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