The Manhattan Center is alive with the Sound of Madness and a basic pyro display inside the small venue.  Cameras pan the small but faithful XWF crowd.  They’re amped and in a great mood as we’re greeted with the voice of Madness, Jacuinde.


JC:  Welcome everyone, to the Manhattan Center!


The pyro display gets louder and brighter.


JC:  Welcome to New York City!


Pyro shoots from the entrance way like rockets, exploding over the ring.


JC:  This!  Is!  Madness!


The cameras settle on Jacuinde at ringside without a colleague next to him.


JC:  We are just two weeks removed from the start of a new era!  Tonight, promises to be just as good a night and broadcast partner or not, I am proud to bring it to you!





JC:  And it looks like we’re not wasting any time as we’re set to be joined by General Manager, Thaddeus Duke!


Thad, wearing casual jeans and a Myra Rivers t-shirt, enters with a roaring response from his hometown brethren.  He slaps fives on his way to the ring.


JC:  I had heard that we might get a sort of State of Madness address from the new boss, so maybe that’s what we’re about to hear!


Duke’s theme fades out.  He goes to speak, but lets the crowd quiet first.


It’s week two… he begins as the crowd pops.  I’ll admit I was nervous about this new era.  See?  No one puts more pressure on me to do well than I do and I just kinda wanted to come out here and discuss the state of Monday Night Madness.

I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I wasn’t sure how this roster would receive me.  I mean, I’ve been many places and I’m not always well received.  I’m very good at what I do whether it’s in this ring or behind that curtain and there are those that are envious… jealous even… of that fact.

The new era has been an overwhelming success and that has very little to do with me, he pauses as he lets the crowd do their thing.

Sure, I moved around the pieces, I drew a map and developed a plan to right this ship, but it was the men and women in the back.  It was all of you that are turning this thing around.

I remember when I told Theo we’d make our home here at the Manhattan Center… he pauses again for the cheap pop.  He laughed and thought I was kidding.  The point he didn’t understand, or maybe he did and he just wanted to hear my logic, was that we… Madness… as a brand needed to regain your trust.

You have rewarded us.  Not only are you packing this place to the rafters, but the merch is flying off the tables.  The ratings?  Hell, we had a 25% increase on the first night of the new regime over the last of the old… but here’s the thing.

I’ve been a part of this business a long time now and I was born into it.  I know how you think.  I know that excitement when something is new and fresh and I know that excitement wanes quickly.


The GM looks directly into the hard cam.


Thing is… you tuned in on Monday night.  You saw Myra Rivers, you saw me, you saw Serenity Holmes present the new World title to Myra… and you didn’t change the channel.  You stayed with your eyes locked for two hours and I… we… can’t thank you enough.


He pauses as he starts to pace the ring.


So I guess that means that you liked what you saw.  I guess that means we did it right.  I guess that means we gotta keep working hard to keep you invested in what it is we’re trying to do here in the XWF on Monday nights.


Thad paces for a few more moments before stopping and looking at Jacuinde at ringside.


Jacuinde, you’re a great voice for this brand, he says to the play by play man.


JC:  Thank you.


But you’re gonna need a new tag team partner.  I don’t expect you to do this all on your own so Jacuinde… ladies, gentlemen, kids of appropriate ages and certainly not least, all you gentlethems out there… allow me to announce to you, Jacuinde’s new full time tag team partner here on Madness.

Please join me in welcoming the 23 time heavyweight champion of the world!... annnnd in a weird convoluted sorta way, he’s also my father in law…





DAMON!  HAVOK!  RIGGS!


The Manhattan Center comes alive with roarous approval as Damon Riggs enters from behind the curtain.  Thad exits the ring and walks up the aisle.  The two men exchange a five and brohug before Thad makes his exit.


JC:  Damon Riggs!  He’s here on Madness!


Riggs makes his way down the short aisle, slapping hands with a few fans along the way as he takes his place beside Jacuinde.


JC:  Mr. Riggs!  Welcome to Monday Night Madness!

DR:  I can assure you Jacuinde, the pleasure belongs to all of you.

JC:  …Well uhhhhh

DR:  Relax, I’m kidding.  No Jacuinde, it’s great to be here to call the action with you.  I’m excited for this new chapter as we all are, and Jacuinde… here’s to a great new partnership.


The two men shake hands for a moment.


JC:  Well folks, Madness returns after we pay some bills but stay with us as the tournament to crown a number one contender to Myra Rivers world heavyweight title gets under way.

---

JC:  Back here on Madness and Brody Goodman is standing by and about to get word from one of our competitors tonight.  Brody?


Jacuinde, Madness fans, my guest at this time was victorious two weeks ago on this program in his debut.  Tonight, he’ll go one on one with a shot at advancing in the tournament.  Ladies and gentlemen, Gabriel Landry.


Gabriel Landry’s presence graces our TV screen. He’s wearing a gray zip up jacket with his last name stitched in blue in the upper left hand corner. The XWF logo is the only thing in the background. He has a very determined expression written across his face.


Gabriel Landry:  “It would be easy for a young man in my position to not put the weight of the world on his shoulders. I’m twenty one years old. I have my future ahead of me. Barring any major injuries, I have the next fifteen, twenty years ahead of me in theory? So I should go out there, throw caution to the wind, and have a little fun. Don’t worry about losing to a man who has been doing this a lot longer than I have...”


He takes a moment to pause, shaking his head he continues.

Gabriel Landry:  “... but that’s what anyone in my position should be thinking. For those who don’t know me, my name is Gabriel Landry. Fans from the other company I used to work for know I put through the ringer in The Academy. Training ground for new upcoming wrestlers. National TV exposure. My career almost came to an end cause some jealous twit decided to sabotage the gym equipment, that incident kept me out of action for weeks, lets say I learned early on that I know what it’s like to not know whether tomorrow is going to come. I can’t afford to go if I lose tonight to Eren Hunt with the mindset that the sun will rise tomorrow. Who knows if this will be my only opportunity to potentially challenge for a World Championship. I march into my match in a matter of moments with a heightened sense of urgency. I’m not the best dresser or have killer dance moves. For tonight I need to be the better wrestler.”

“Eren, good luck; all that work you spent rising from the bingo halls to arrive at this moment... your journey is taking a detour. I’m in this to win it. See you out there.”


Gabriel shots the camera a jovial wink and walks out of the shot.


This one should be a good one, folks!  You won’t want to miss it.

---

JC:  We’re back here on Madness and Damon, I think it’s time to get this party started.  What say you?

DR:  The World Heavyweight Championship is among the biggest prizes in our sport.  Whoever holds it has a target on their back.  Those that don’t, certainly want it.

JC:  Six first round matches tonight means six winners will advance.  Six men and women will have the opportunity tonight, to advance to the semi-finals and the winner?

DR:  The winner goes on to main event night one of Relentless and earns the right to challenge Myra Rivers for her World title!


RA:  The following first round match up is set for one fall!  Introducing first!





RA:  From Cincinnati, Ohio… weighing 2 hundred 5 pounds… GABRIELLL LLLLLANDRYYYY!


Walking On A Dream by Empire Of The Sun plays. Gabriel Landry walks out. He stands by the entrance way soaking in the atmosphere. He bolts down to the ring with a sense of enthusiasm.  Sliding under the bottom rope, once inside the ring he kips up. He ascends to the second turnbuckle to play to the crowd. He does a backflip. Walks to the middle of the ring. He continues to get the crowd hype with his exuberance.


JC:  Fresh off a debut victory on the last show, Mr. Landry faces a stiff test here tonight!

DR:  Thing about pro wrestling, is if you’re not looking for a real challenge, then you’re in the wrong business.


RA:  And his opponent.  From San Bernardino, California weighing 2 hundred 17 pounds… EREEENNNN HUUUUUNT!





As "THRIFT SHOP" begins to play, Eren walks out of gorilla wearing his oversized fur coat and sunglasses. He makes his way to the ring, high fiving as many fans as he can before getting to ring side. He climbs the stairs in the corner, getting into the ring before going to each side of the ring, pumping up the crowd before making his way to his corner, removing his entrance gear and preparing for the match.


DR:  Eren Hunt is one of the better young strikers in the game, Jacuinde!  He and Landry have a clash of styles so this should be an interesting match!

JC:  Eren Hunt is also fresh off a debut victory on Madness.  One of them has got to lose though, Damon!





The bell rings and the duo of Hunt and Landry waste very little time as they lock horns in the center of the ring.  Hunt, the larger of the two men, backs Landry into the corner.  The referee asks and promptly receives a good clean break from the young competitors.

They circle each other and go to lock it up again but Hunt sends a forearm into Landry’s face.  Then another and another before scooping him up and slamming him to the mat.  Landry though is quick to get back to his feet but as he spins to locate Eren Hunt, Hunt sends a European uppercut to the jaw taking Landry back down to the mat.


DR:  That’s a jarring blow that’ll stop any competitor in their tracks!

JC:  Eren Hunt is a well educated striker, Damon!  Landry needs to stay aware of his arms and hands at all times!

DR:  He does, but if he doesn’t?  Then Hunt can put his lights out quickly.


Hunt goes back to work as he pulls Landry to his feet.  Hunt sets him up then lifts him into a high vertical suplex.  Landry though, shifts his weight and lands on his feet.  Gabriel quickly grabs Hunt from behind and drops to his back with a scoolboy.


JC:  1!... 2!...

DR:  No!

JC:  Hunt kicks out but Landry damn near stole it right there!

DR:  He’s a bit too flashy for my liking, but Gabe Landry is quicker than a hiccup, Jacuinde!


Both Landry and Hunt are back to their feet with quickness.  Landry goes to whip Hunt across the ring but Hunt reverses, then Landry reverses, then Hunt reverses again and drives a knee into Landry’s midsection, doubling him over.  Hunt wastes no time as he plants Landry in the middle of the ring with a vicious DDT.


DR:  Hook of the leg by Hunt!

JC:  1!.... 2!....

DR:  Landry kicks out!

JC:  And this opening contest rolls on here on Madness!


After the kickout, Eren Hunt is feeling the momentum on his side.  He lifts Landry to his feet and whips him to the ropes.  On the rebound, Hunt catches Landry, lifts, spins, then powerslams him to the mat.


JC:  ‘Nother coverrrr annnd…

DR:  Landry kicks out again!  The little gnat won’t die!

JC:  There’s too much on the line here, Damon!


Hunt again lifts Landry to his feet then whips him hard into the turnbuckles.  Hunt follows him in with a ten punch as the crowd counts along with him.  At the count of seven, Landry stiffens up and lifts Hunt off the ropes, takes two steps and drops Hunt with an inverted atomic drop.


DR:  There’s an equalizer!

JC:  Landry!  With another inverted atomic drop and he gets the separation he needs!


After the second drop, Landry lifts Hunt off his feet and drives him hard into the mat with a spine buster.  Landry quickly hooks the leg.


JC:  1!.... 2!....

DR:  Eren Hunt kicks out!

JC:  Landry!  All over Hunt right now!


Landry is back to his feet and pulls Hunt to his.  Landry sends him to the ropes.  On the rebound, Hunt double hooks the ropes, stopping his momentum.  Landry though, was ready for it as he charges forward.  He hits Hunt with a clothesline sending him over the top rope and to the floor!


JC:  The momentum has clearly shifted, Damon!

DR:  It’s all behind Gabriel Landry right now!  This is his match right now to win or lose!


The fans are alive with some vigor as the young upstart peels away from the ropes toward the middle of the ring.  He points out to Hunt who is starting to get back to his feet on the floor.  The crowd though, is firmly behind Landry right now and urges him on.  Landry runs to the far side ropes and bounces off gaining a full head of steam.  As he nears the near side ropes…


JC:  Suicide dive!

DR:  Eren Hunt just collapsed like an accordion!

JC:  Landry took a hell of a blow on that landing though!

DR:  Well… we don’t call it high risk for nothin’, Jacuinde!

JC:  These two need to make it back into the ring before the official gets to ten!

DR:  …really?

JC:  Shut up, I know.


As the referee reaches four, Landry is back to his feet but feeling the impact of the landing.  Reaching down, he grabs a handful of Eren Hunt’s mane and pulls him to his feet.  The striker strikes fast with a jab to the jaw, stunning Gabriel Landry.


JC:  These two better get a move on!


As the count reaches 6, the two men have started slugging it out.  Hunt being the striker, gets the better of Landry causing Landry to retreat a little toward the entrance way.


JC:  We’re at 8!

DR:  Hunt’s on his way back!


Hunt runs toward the ring to break the count.  Just as he tries to slide into the ring, Landry dives and grabs a hold of his ankle.  The bell rings to end the contest.

WINNER:  DRAW by double countout in 9:56

JC:  We started this match thinking we were gonna see one of these two advance but instead, neither of them will move on!

DR:  Eren Hunt has gotta be livid right now, Jacuinde!  He was about to beat the count.  He was about to advance into the semi-finals but Landry made sure that wasn’t gonna happen!

JC:  OHHHH!  These two aren’t finished!


Taking exception to the countout ruling, Hunt blasts Landry in the face which rocks him backward.  The two then begin to brawl in the aisle way as security rushes to them.  The two are separated for a second but Landry breaks free and dives into the fray onto Eren Hunt.  Hunt also breaks free and the two men spill back behind the curtain.


JC:  I know those two men are extremely disappointed in themselves for not beating the count but…

DR:  Disappointment is just anger for pussies, Jacuinde!  Gabriel Landry knew exactly what he was doing!  He knew he wasn’t gonna beat the count so he made damn sure Hunt wouldn’t either!  And you know what?  I kinda like it!

JC:  I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of them.  Universe, they’ll try to restore order backstage, but in the meantime, we’ll take a quick timeout.  The Madness rolls on when we come back.

---

JC:  Back here on Madness, and Damon, during the break, the fight between Gabriel Landry and Eren Hunt spilled to the sidewalk outside.

DR:  There’s nothin’ New Yorkers like more than a good old street fight, but our esteemed General Manager had different plans.

JC:  Let’s take a look.


Hunt and Landry continued their fight through the Gorilla position and into the back hallway.  From there they fought passed catering and through the entrance onto the sidewalk.  Security bottled them up several times but each time, they found a way to break through and continue fighting.

On the sidewalk, GM Thaddeus Duke took matters into his own hands and tried to separate the two and took an errant punch to the mouth from Eren Hunt.  In a burst of anger, Thad slams Hunt against the outside wall.  Landry tried to get him some more, but after accidentally hitting his boss, Hunt held his hands up.  Thad didn’t care though as he shoved Landry against a car parked outside.


You two get your shit together!


JC:  The boss is not happy!

DR:  Well he just got punched in the face!


You see big things for yourselves and I agree!  But you both just blew a prime opportunity to make names for yourselves.  Instead of one of you advancing neither of you do and that just…


The GM cuts himself off and takes a deep breath.


I’m a big believer in second chances, he says as he stands between the two men that were trying to tear each other apart.  On August 28th, I’m giving you another opportunity but don’t fuckin’ spoil it.

You guys wanna ruin a tournament?  Fine, you’re both out of it.  In two weeks, we’ll see how well you can fight together because I’m giving you a shot at the tag team titles.


Thad angrily walks back into the building as we fade back to ringside.


JC:  That is huge news!

DR:  Shit, if all I ever had to do to get a title match was accidentally hit my boss I might have forty world titles!

JC:  I don’t think that’s…

DR:  Shut up Jacuinde!  I know!


The cameras fade backstage inside the lavish private locker room of Marisol Vilaro; the fans boo at the sight of her dressed in a tight pink dress with black leopard spots, black high heel leather boots, and her hair is done up in curls as well as gold bracelets around her wrist, and her butterfly necklace wrapped around her neck. The smug Catalonian is on her phone, standing beside her, looking imposing, is her brand new muscle, Cyrus Braddock. The natural whiney, obnoxious tone coming from the founder of VilaroFit is enough to get the boos coming in even more.


Marisol Vilaro: Like, how on earth is this fair? No, you listen, the MOTIV launch is soon, and I won't have any mess-ups. You don't get it, do you? The ad should have been on youtube yesterday! It is what I pay you to handle, right? I am a busy woman as CEO; it's why I pay people like you to handle these parts for me, or is that too complicated? 


Marisol rolled her eyes at the stuff coming from the other end, as she said in the same tone.


Marisol Vilaro: Okay, let me break this down; the ad campaign was your duty to get right, and you failed, so you have a week to get that right; otherwise, we will have an official discussion when I get back to VilaroFitness HQ, an early performance review. You should know by now I don't tolerate failure; if you needed the help, I could have gotten one of your colleagues to do it or even help you, but no, you insisted you could do it. Now look at this mess?! Either clean it up, or you know what's next; you're the VP of Marketing, and you know what to do; look, I got to go just handle it, will you? Or I will.


Marisol soon clicked the phone and put it back in her black Chanel handbag; as soon as the door was nudged, she saw two people that made a broad smile grow on her face as she said proudly and directly to Cyrus.


Marisol Vilaro:  Cyrus, they are good; they are welcome here. Congratulations, ladies. I am so damn proud of both of you!


The door opens wide as Juliana Mendoza and Emma Couture stroll in, their newly won XWF Madness tag team titles wrapped around their waists. Juliana flips her hair and smirks as she walks over to Marisol, her black dress hugging her curves and covering as little as possible. Meanwhile, Emma is eyeing Cyrus, her attire still very much curve-hugging, but the black pants and top hide far more than Juliana's dress.


Juliana Mendoza: Gracias bebe. Is it a surprise, though? We have been the best team on this brand since… well, since our arrival.

Emma Couture: Winning tag team titles is just what we do. Three companies, three sets of belts, and who can beat us?

Juliana Mendoza: Nobody can defeat the MVPs of professional wrestling. Last show, we became champions, and Mari, you had what might have been the fastest victory in Madness history.


Marisol smirked, looking at Cryus a bit before returning to her friends and partners. These three have been thick as thieves since they met, and for a good reason, they all complimented each other as a unit.


Marisol Vilaro:  I know that was something, wasn't it? My dominating performance proved Jimmy, or whatever is beneath me. Then, you two win the tag team titles, but that is only the start; this locker room is my one see; they know a star when they have one, and it is why I have a spot in the number one contender's tournament, the tournament I am going to win, and dethrone Myra Rivers to win my first ever World championship.


Marisol had managed champions in her young career, and now it was time for her to take her spot at the top where she belonged. The smug cutthroat businesswoman soon spoke in a very over-the-top tone.


Marisol Vilaro: But now, I AM STUCK FACING AN ORC?! REALLY?!

Emma Couture: I don't think he is an actual orc.

Juliana Mendoza: He has green skin, is unnaturally large, and I'm pretty sure I saw him drinking from a skull. He's an orc, and it is ridiculous that you must face someone like that. They should have just fast-tracked you to the finals with your victory last show. Let that idiot Mosh face the Warcraft rejection.

Emma Couture: You must find a good strategy, Mari.

Juliana Mendoza: After single-handedly securing the fastest win in company history, she shouldn't be forced to fight some Neanderthal brute. Even his name is ridiculous. Are you really telling me that his parents named him Grimgor Ironhide?

Emma Couture: Probably not…


Marisol said in a loud, obnoxiously whiney tone.


Marisol Vilaro: I don't care what his loser parents named him; I shouldn't be facing him, period?! Mosh deserves the honors, ugh! This is so not fair to me, not fair to the most prominent social media star on Madness; if anything, I should have a bye into the next round. What is Thaddeus thinking?

Juliana Mendoza: I honestly don't know. I mean, he left the US off of the show. I know that there's the whole tournament going on and all of that, but we just rescued the tag team division from stupidity and mediocrity. I could talk to him and remind him that he could have a VERY good relationship with the MVPs. 


Marisol nodded as she said.


Marisol Vilaro: I don't know either. Like, hello, the hottest team here should be praised, I should be honored and admired as well, but we are not, but tonight we can take what we want. That ugly hideous, disgusting, whatever they call him will not beat me tonight. He is no Marisol Vilaro, not even close.

Emma Couture: He is not, but he is ridiculously huge. Please tell me that you worked on some attacks to the leh. Basement dropkick, chop block, dragon screw, kneeDT, anything?

Juliana Mendoza: Those are good points, but seriously, you shouldn't have to face someone like that. Put Mosh against him and give you… I was gonna say one of the bing-bong bitches, but I don't think you want to bathe in Purell and burn your gear like we had to do. Really, you should have just gotten a bye right to the finals for how incredible you are, put Mosh against the troll or orc or whatever he is, and everyone is happy. Well, Mosh probably wouldn't be, but he's an asshole.


Marisol let out a cackle as she said.


Marisol Vilaro: Mosh is a moron, plain and simple, just like the rest of these simpletons betting against us, betting against the MVPS, and those are good, Emma, but I just got a brilliant little idea.


Marisol tapped the side of her head with that same snake-like smirk she got last week.


Emma Couture: Is it to have your new heavy attack your opponent before the match like last time? No judgment if that's it; it's a solid plan.


Juliana turned to Emma with a bit of a "why would you say that?" look. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and sighed softly before turning back to Marisol.


Juliana Mendoza: I am sure that it is a brilliant plan, and we have no doubt that you will win, and soon enough, all three of us will be wearing gold.

Marisol Vilaro: Oh, it's not that; it's something far else; plus, phase two of our takeover begins tonight.


Marisol let out an evil cackle as she looked at Cryus as she said.


Marisol Vilaro: Cy, can you be a dear and remove this camera from my locker room me and the ladies have some details to discuss.


Cyrus nodded and put his hand over the camera, pushing them out as Madness faded to commercial.

---

JC:  Welcome back here on Madness.  Last show Damon, Cyrus Braddock debuted as Marisol Vilaro’s new bodyguard and he did a number on Johnny Miami before the bell allowing Vilaro to pick up the easy three count!

DR:  I see what the GM sees in her.  The woman is money…

JC:  Everyone hates her…

DR:  Which is exactly why she’s money, Jacuinde!  People will pay big money to watch her fail!  If she does, they got what they paid for.  If she doesn’t, well… saddle up and pay even more money next time.

JC:  Marisol Vilaro has something brewing for Grimgor Ironhide tonight.  They’ll do battle later on but right now, its more first round tournament action!


RA:  The following first round tournament match is set for one fall!





RA:  Introducing first!  From Jacksonville, Florida!  He is one half of the Bing Bong Twinzz… EMMM CEEE MONKEYYYY!


JC:  Two weeks ago the Bing Bong Twinzz found the new tag team titles in a crate backstage.  Thaddeus Duke sanctioned it but made them defend their titles.

DR:  What a dick!

JC:  They were not successful Damon.  They had those titles for about an hour at most!  But tonight, one of these weird ass brothers will try to advance into the tournament!


RA:  His opponent!





RA:  From Lancaster, Pennsylvania!  Weighing 2 hundred 10 pounds.  EEEELIJAHHH COOOOOPELANNNND!


The camera pans around the Manhattan Center. Just then there was black, gold, and white flickering as "Breaking Through" by the Wreckage hits the speakers on the arena.

♪ Sever every tie
Untangle every lie
Your words don't mean anything anymore, no
Never satisfied ♪

Just then Elijah is seen coming through the Curtains and the fans begins to boo. He is seen wearing a black muscle shirt with "The Copeland Era" written on the front, black and gold trunks with Copeland written on the back in gold, black knee pads, black and gold boots, white wrapped up hand on his left hand, black wrist tape on his left, black dog tag with "Elijah Copeland" written in it, and a black sweatband up his arms with "Copeland" written in gold. He put his wrist together and gets a huge smirk on his face. He looks around and nods.


JC:  He’s had some tough luck lately, but Damon, Elijah Copeland is in fact a former World champion!

DR:  In this business, we all suffer some down periods.  Some dark times and a lot of times, it takes awhile for us to figure it out.  It takes awhile for us to come out of it.  What Elijah needs to do tonight is not let this opportunity slip through his grasp.  He’s been a staple of Madness for a long time and he’s got a prime opportunity to right the ship right here tonight!


♪ But I won't compromise myself for you
Anymore anymore, no
You're so complicated
I'm so over it ♪

He starts walking down the ramp as the fans continue to shower his boos. He stops and looks at the crowd and giving off a slight smirk and laughs as their misfortunes. He bad mouth the fans before getting down to the ringside and stopping on the ringside mat. He walks towards the steel steps and breathes in.

♪ Don't tell me everything is all right
(I know you know)
Don't tell me how to live my life
I'm breaking through tonight ♪

He slaps the steps a few times before walking up them. He walks alongside the edge of the ring. He enters it and walks towards the turnbuckle.

♪ You can crash and burn this time
As I leave it all behind
These scars won't breathe anymore anymore, no
Sounds like goodbye ♪

He looks at the fans as he slowly takes off his shirt and throws it to the outside. He points at the fans before getting down and moves to the corner.





The match starts off frantically as Elijah flies out of the gates, charging forward with a burst of energy. He unleashes a barrage of repeated elbow strikes to MC’s head and midsection, driving him back into one of the corners. MC covers up eventually as Copeland’s strikes hit off his forearms.He pushes Elijah away and retaliates by flying out of the corner with a huge King Kong lariat that sends Copeland spinning inside out and crashing to the mat.


JC:  That caught him sleeping a bit!

DR:  Even a broken clock is right twice a day, Jacuinde!


He is quick to recover though, using the ropes to pull himself up and launches himself back at MC as he connects with a Step-Up Axe Kick that catches MC straight in the chest, staggering him backward. Elijah fluidly moves round, wrapping his arm around MC’s shoulders, hooking his leg around and falls back hard  into a Russian Leg Sweep, taking MC down to the mat. He then wastes no time, transitioning into a Cross Armbar, applying pressure on MC’s arm. MC grimaces in pain as he grits his teeth, as he tries to fight against the submission hold. With a mighty effort, he manages to power his way to the ropes, forcing Copeland to break the hold.

Elijah’s cocky demeanor remains unshaken as he taunts MC, mocking his attempts to fight back. He backs MC into the corner once again, delivering multiple knee strikes to MC’s ribs. MC, however, begins a fight back, absorbing the blows from Copeland’s knees and lunges forward with a brutal headbutt to the nose that leaves Elijah dazed, his eyes watering from the impact.


JC:  Can MC capitalize!?

DR:  These Bing Bongz are kind of a joke, but…

JC:  They can go if they really want to!

DR:  Yeah that’s what I was about to say.


MC builds on the opening, driving Elijah into the mat with an evenflow DDT, followed up with a running senton splash that connects directly with Copeland’s chest leaving him gasping for breath. MC goes for a cover and the referee begins to count:

JC:  Coverrrr…

DR:  And a kickout!

JC:  That was closer than Copeland liked!


MC aggressively pulls Copeland to his feet by the back of the neck but he’s able to counter MC’s attempted DDT with a switch to a rear waist lock, sending him flying across the ring with Release German Suplex that leaves MC sprawled on the mat.

As MC struggles to rise, Copeland backs up into one of the corners, builds up a head of steam before running at MC at full speed, connecting with a devastating Shining Wizard that crumples him on the canvas. Elijah goes for the cover. The referee counts:


JC:  Copeland for the winnnnnn…

DR:  MC… whatever the hell his name is kicks out just in time there!


Although showing some signs of frustration, Copeland again begins to taunt MC as he executes a Running Rope-Hung Snap Swinging Neckbreaker. He grabs MC into a front face lock. He pulls him back, hopping on to the top turnbuckle and spikes him with a Snap Tornado DDT.

He waits for MC to get up and uses the ropes to launch himself at MC and connects with a Baseball Slide that sends MC crashing into the barricade. However, as MC lands on the outside, Copeland doesn’t notice Li’l Ca$h appear from under the apron, pulling MC under and he rolls back out, feigning the impact MC received from the collision with the barricade.


JC:  That’s Cash App!  That’s Cash App!

DR:  What?

JC:  The Twinzz switched places!


Li’l Ca$h App rolls back into the ring and Copeland goes on the attack again. He reaches down, pulling “MC” to his feet and goes for the “Philly Special” (Brainbuster DDT) but before he can go to lift him, he’s rolled up into a small package and the referee counts:


1!









2!









3!???????????????????









3!

WINNER:  MC Monkey (sp?) by pinfall in 13:27

JC:  This was highway robbery!

DR:  Copeland has gotta be absolutely beside himself!

JC:  The Bing Bong Twinzz switched places!  The referee didn’t catch it!  Copeland didn’t catch it!  This… This can not stand!


Cash App is quick to exit the ring and quicker to gather his brother.  MC has no idea what just happened but Cash App points to the replay.  The Twinzz celebrate and exit as Copeland sits in the middle of the ring with his arms resting on his knees.


JC:  He was going to win this match, Damon!

DR:  It’s a tough business, Jacuinde!  You gotta be ready for anything at any time and Elijah failed tonight!

JC:  MC Monkey will advance into the semi-finals!

DR:  This has got to be rock bottom for Copeland.  Losing two weeks ago to Walker Hill wasn’t bad, Walker Hill is a great young talent.  But this?


Copeland gets to his feet as he stares at the replay on the tron.  He and the official get into a heated conversation.


JC:  To be a fly on the turnbuckle right now!

DR:  Obviously Elijah Copeland is pointing out the replay.

JC:  The official is standing by his decision.  He didn’t see them switch and therefore can not call it as such.  It’s just another unfortunate turn of events for him here tonight on…


Copeland knees the referee in the gut, then plants him with the brain buster DDT.


JC:  Philly Special to the referee!

DR:  See if he’d have hit that on either of those two little pipsqueaks then maybe he’d be advancing!


The fans don’t quite know how to react as Copeland hangs his head and makes his exit.


JC:  It’s been a strange night already, Damon.

DR:  Indeed it has been, Jacuinde.  But I think we have more action lined up.

JC:  Madness rolls on, right after this!

---

“Spoiled” Summer Page is walking down the hall of the Manhattan Center followed by her bodyguard Enigma.  Summer is looking down at her cell phone as she walks down the hall when Marisol Vilaro walks up to Summer and Enigma. The sound of her boots clicking against the hard floor, the Fitness Guru has a pep in her step as she says in a bright cheerful tone, like she's super excited to see Enigma and Summer Page.


Marisol Vilaro: Hey girl, hey E how are you two holding up?


Summer and Enigma briefly look at each other.


“Spoiled” Summer Page: We’re doing pretty well. What’s going on?


Marisol had a bright smile on her face, as her tone was still very bubbly as she said brightly.


Marisol Vilaro:  Oh I am good as I said I would help and well there is more than a few people who I have strong inklings based on sources of information I have received.  Just know that Marisol Vilaro, is here to help.

“Spoiled” Summer Page: That is awfully nice of you, girl. I’m so glad you have these sources. What have you found out? Can we also talk to these sources?


Marisol looked at her and smiled.


Marisol Vilaro: Later on, however, most of these sources want to remain anonymous on this don’t blame them this isn’t a safe place why I am glad I have Cy watching my back, but anytime again just because things ended the way they did doesn’t mean we have to be at eachothers throats.

“Spoiled” Summer Page:(Looks confused) What does our history have to do with me being attacked?


Marisol nodded as she said.


Marisol VIlaro: You said it last week I’m the last one you’d expect to help you right? Just saying I am not like most and that I have your back on this.  So several things I noticed, not wanting to be seen by anyone, they made sure there were no witnesses as well which in the area you were attacked in can be quite a challenge, and third somehow they were able to overcome E here.


Marisol said pointing, toward the big guy with her multi colored nail.


Marisol Vilaro:  But, they weren’t too careful if you get my drift…

“Spoiled” Summer Page:  How so?


Marisol said in a direct tone as she unveils a long, curled and kinky reddish blondish blackish hair that definitely is not a pubic hair.  Probably.


Marisol Vilaro:  I found this.

“Spoiled” Summer Page:  Well…that’s pretty obvious.


Marisol nodded her head as she said.


Marisol Vilaro: They’re a couple of ding dongs, if you get the drift now how they overcame E my guess would be they found that stupid orc and paid him in whatever the hell they would pay him in to do it.  I’d have E go “talk” to them if I were you he might get more information out of them.

“Spoiled” Summer Page: I didn’t think they had it in them.


Summer looks up at Enigma.


“Spoiled” Summer Page:  Looks like there is a couple of inbreds that need to be checked, big guy.


Enigma smiles ominously.


“Spoiled” Summer Page:  You know I got to thank you Mari. You always come up big in those clutch times.


Summer hugs Marisol. Summer looks over at Enigma during the hug and smiles at him. As the embrace ends the women look at each other and smile.


“Spoiled” Summer Page:  Seriously, thank you, Mari.


Summer turns to Enigma.


“Spoiled” Summer Page:  We got some business to take care of, big guy.


Summer and Enigma walk away as Marisol smiles.


JC:  Say what you will about Marisol Vilaro, but she’s proven herself a loyal friend to Summer Page!

DR:  She’s got evidence pointing the finger at the Bing Bong Twinzz!?  I personally find that hard to believe, but this is wrestling.  Anything is possible.





JC:  Woah wait!  I thought we were about to head to break, but we’re about to be joined by the VIP himself, Chris Mosh!

DR:  He’s the number one contender to Lexi Gold’s United States title!

JC:  You’ve done your homework, Damon.

DR:  I’m a consummate professional.


”First Class” by Jack Harlow hit as The screen shows a V followed by a I then a P. The camera then gets the shot of Chris Mosh standing on the top of the entrance, he is wearing black dress pants and a red t-shirt with a black blazer over it. Chris walks down to the ring slapping hands with fans. He get to the steps as he looks around before walking up them. Chris enters through the ropes as he spins and then leans on the top rope and the camera zooms in as he winks at the camera. The fans are going crazy as Chris picks up the mic and he just smirks*


Mosh: New York City!


The crowd erupts as hearing the name of the city as Chris is smiling.


Mosh: This is a few miles away from the town I was born in back in Long Island. Now I’m not here to talk about the old times but I’m here to talk about tonight. This is the night that yours truly, The V.I.P gets back to being the champion of Madness. Now, we have Mr. Duke running the show and changing the title which is great because I was the first ever ID… Hold up Now it is the World Championship, so I was the first ever World Champion of Madness by being in a tournament which was in one night, but now it is over a couple of shows. Now I’m looking at this and I see that every match is a one on one single elimination except one match. I'm going to be a little biased and say it is going to be the last match as it is the Main Event , which is my match where I will be in a triple threat match. Now this is also part of the tournament which is cool but every other match has a winner and loser but this match has a winner, a loser, and someone who had nothing happen, I mean does this mean that I don’t move on in the tournament even though I was not involved, I think that is kind of not fair, I mean not just for me but for who ever I don’t pin as well.


*Chris laughs*


DR:  He does have a point.

JC:  I don’t know… deal with it I guess?


Mosh: Now I know my opponents, Sean Parker and Walker Hill are bringing their A-game and I know they will be giving me a challenge but I need to be back at the top of this show again. Not only do I need to be at the top but I’m looking to try and make history again but winning this whole tournament and winning the US title from the wonderful Lexi Gold to not only become the first double champion in Madness but become the first Triple Crown Winner in Madness History.





JC  HERRRRE SHEEEE COMMMMES!

DR:  Mark.

JC:  You’re absolutely right!  I am a self admitted Lexi Gold mark.


"5 out of 6" by Dessa hits and the crowd cheers as Lexi Gold steps out from behind that curtain and walks down the ramp while eyeing Chris Mosh who is currently in the ring. She is wearing a cropped white tank top, leather pants and high heels. She is holding her U.S title on her shoulder as she continues to walk. She smiles at the crowd in the process, then eventually makes her way to ringside, where she climbs the steps and gets into the ring through the bottom rope. Upon entering the ring, she walks over to grab a microphone and stands across from Mosh. She looks at him once again and waits for her music to cut before raising the mic to her lips.


Lexi Gold: You can sweet talk me all you want, but in my eyes, you will always remain a cold-hearted snake who only cares about yourself. You have all these people in favor of you. I've heard the cheers from these people when you walked out to this ring, but don't expect the same reaction from me, just like you shouldn't expect me to lose my United States Championship. Something that took me years to get.

Mosh: Lexi, I don’t know why you don’t understand that I’m different, I’m not the person you wrestled the first two times. I actually donate my money to charities and volunteer my time to children clubs and camps. I actually see everyone as a V.I.P as well, everyone is allowed to my parties, but what do I need to change your opinion on me. Now I also want to state that I respect you and everything you have done and this round three of you and me, now if I recall you want to bring up the last two times because I did beat you twice once was after I already had match and you were fresh and the next time when I was defend the what is now the World Title, but now the rolls are reversed where you are the champion and I’m the challenger and I know you need this win just as much as I do. You need it to show everyone that you can actually beat me, where I need it to show that I’m still one of the top performers in the business.


She shakes her head and paces the ring, then stops and adjusts her belt on her shoulder.

Lexi Gold: I have no problem showing you, or anyone else, that I can beat you. I recall all the times you told me that I would never win a title on Madness, but boy you were wrong. You know, I didn't have to resort to being the villain in their story to achieve success, but hey to each their own. You could donate to whatever charity's you want, but in the end you aren't fooling me, nor am I going to let you stab me when my back is turned. I've been in this business long enough to know not to trust people like you.

Mosh: Lexi, I have not cheated once since I have been here. You can watch all the matches I have had here. You need to know that I’m not the same person and if you can’t do that, well fine but I atleast want your respect because I respect you. This is Lexi/Mosh three and it is going to be a banger, so let’s make this a friendly match, I mean let the best person win.


Chris extends his hand for a shake.

Lexi looks down at his extended hand. The crowd waits in anticipation and watches on to see whether she will shake it, or not. Her eyes look up, and she raises her title up in the air instead, then the two have a stare down for a good while before she smirks, and backpedals, then exits the ring and heads to the back. Chris smirks as he nods his head.


JC:  This match is gonna happen sooner than later!

DR:  What a match that’ll be Jacuinde!  These two have been draped in gold their entire careers and that is significant all its own!

JC:  Madness fans!  More tournament action when we return!

---

Back from commercial, we go right to the ring announcer.


RA:  The following tournament match is scheduled for one fall!  Already in the ring, from Miami, Florida… JJJJOHNYYY MIIIIIAMMMMIII!


JC:  Action is upon us once again, Madnessites!  Johnny Miami takes on Summer Page for the right to advance into the semi-finals of the tournament!

DR:  I can not stress enough what’s at stake here. Jacuinde.  All these men and women are competing for the opportunity to not only challenge Myra Rivers for the World Heavyweight title, but to main event perhaps the biggest spectacle in wrestling.

JC:  That, of course, being Relentless coming up near the end of next month.


RA:  His opponent!





RA:  Being accompanied to the ring by Enigma!  From…


XWF Universe:  New!  York!  Cityyyy!


JC:  It’s very clear what side these fans are on!


RA:  Spoiled!  SUMMMERRRR PAAAAAGE!


JC:  Damon, you better believe that Enigma will have eyes in the back of his head tonight!

DR:  He absolutely will!  And I’m sure that at some point tonight, Summer will unleash Enigma on those two idiots from DUUUUVALLLL!





The bell rings and Enigma stands guard near the entrance aisle.  In the ring, Johnny gets cocky and turns his back to Summer Page exciting a chorus of boos from the New Yorkers.  He takes it one step further and drops to his knees.


DR:  This could be a mistake.

JC:  It’s chauvinism, Damon!  He thinks she can’t hurt him because she’s a woman!

DR:  That might be a reach, but he’s getting his desired reaction here in New York.


Summer Page approaches from behind.  In a sudden feat of quickness, Miami hops to his feet, grabs Summer by her hair and snapmares her over his shoulders to the mat.  Miami quickly transitions into a reverse chin lock, but Page is quick to start working herself back to a vertical base.

Upright now, she drives an elbow into his gut, then another and a third, finally doubling him over.  She shifts behind him then lifts him up and drops him to the mat with a back drop suplex.  Page gets back to her feet and drops an elbow, then another and another on Miami.


JC:  Page with the coverrr…

DR:  Miami with the shoulder up!


With early momentum on her side, Page gets to her feet and backs off of Johnny, letting him get to his feet.  As he does so, Page charges across the ring, leaps into the air and drives a knee right under his chin causing him to fall back to the mat.


JC:  This crowd is firmly behind Summer Page tonight!

DR:  It’s her hometown and she’s got her eyes on the prize!


Electing not to go for a cover, she lifts him up and sends him to the corner and follows him in with a knee to the midsection.  Page then lifts him up and sets him up on the top turnbuckle.  She climbs the ropes, hops onto his shoulders and brings him back into the ring with a frankensteiner.

Full of momentum now and perhaps smelling the end, Summer Page quickly gets back to her feet and scales the turnbuckles before leaping off and landing BME for the cover.


JC:  1!....2!....

DR:  Miami gets a shoulder up just in the nick of time!


Not letting up, Page gets back to her feet and pulls Miami to his then sets him up.


JC:  This could be it!

DR:  Pure Perfection!

JC:  1!....2!....3!  She got him!

WINNER:  Summer Page by pinfall in 5:36

JC:  Summer Page!  Advances to the semi-finals!

DR:  Johnny Miami lost control early and never recovered!

JC:  Summer and Enigma will celebrate this one tonight but the road only gets tougher as we continue after this!

---

JC:  We’re back here on Madness and Li’l Cash App is stalking about ringside with his brother awaiting the arrival of… quote unquote, “world champion” Kieran King.

DR:  I watched the last show, Jacuinde!  Myra Rivers did not look happy that King came out here and tried to upstage her!

JC:  Why should she!?  She’s the recognized champion, Damon.  Not King.

DR:  Maybe its time for Rivers to nut up and do something about it!


RA:  His opponent!





RA:  From Santa Monica weighing 1 hundred 90 pounds… he is the… (finger quotes) “World Heavyweight Championnnn” KIERAANNNN KINNNNG!


The first, frenetic strums of Faith No More's "Gentle Art of Making Enemies" rips through the arena as strobes of gold and white cast across the stage and crowd. After several moments, and then a few more for good measure, Kieran King eventually saunters onto the stage, smugly mugging for the audience. There, resting on his shoulder, is the World Championship that he walked out onto the stage with at the end of last Madness. It doesn't look identical to the one that was given to Myra Rivers to replace the IDL Championship, but the text upon it is still clear as day: 'XWF World Heavyweight Champion'

Though dressed to compete, King forgoes his usually theatrical dash to the ring and instead takes great pride in every slow step he takes down the ramp. With an almost lecherous glee, he happily jibes with any fan who dares say something in his direction. And when he arrives at ringside, he fluidly rolls under the rope and bounds up to his feet in the centre of the ring. He raises the 'World title' into the air as a very confused crowd watches on.

A microphone is snuck into his hand.


KING: New York…


The arena pops as King sings the familiar hook from Jay-Z's 'Empire State of Mind'. True to form, King quickly flushes whatever endearment to the crowd he had mustered in that moment right down the toilet.


KING: This city sucks goat balls; its streets smell like sewage, here in New York…


Predictably, the Manhattan Center shows him exactly what they think of that.

And King loves it.


JC:  You’re laughing?

DR:  What can I say?  I kinda like him.


KING: Thank you SO much for that very warm welcome. There's three things that are guaranteed in life: death, taxes, and New Yorkers being absolutely feral human beings covered in their own filth. So thank you, each and every one of you, for doing your part to help the world keep ticking on that front. Now… I suppose you gutter tramps might have a few questions about… this.


He makes a show of shrugging the shoulder on which his 'championship' is sitting. It catches the light and glistens appropriately. The look on his face suggests he could start tongue-kissing the belt at any moment.


KING: Ladies and gentlemen, I want to be VERY VERY CLEAR about this, so please listen closely. This… is the XWF World Heavyweight Championship. Now I know, I know! Two weeks ago on the last edition of Madness, you saw our new overlord Thaddeus Duke present Myra Rivers with the World Championship! How then, could YA BOY have it instead? Well… the answer is pretty simple: I never lost it.

You see, the World Championship is not a new concept. A couple of years ago we saw Big D playing around with it on the other shows. Miss Fury repurposed it for the short-lived bWo brand that was somewhat of a precursor to this incarnation of Madness. But before that, the World Championship goes WAAAAAY back to the days before a tiny-peened jackoff decided to hit the erase button on the first 13 years of history here in the XWF. The alleged greatest of all time - who I incidentally beat, B-T-dubs - Steve Jason held this sumbitch something like 5 times. It's been through the hands of Hall of Legends inductees like Centurion, K Money, and Daniel "Boondock Saint" Malcolm, among many more. The XWF World Championship means something to the foundation of this organisation. A foundation  that I represent.


King's smug grin fades with that last sentence, as he stares straight down the barrel of the camera. He pauses there a moment, before lifting his head up to sweep his gaze around the audience. Fire in his eyes, he yells into the mic.


KING: I THINK IT'S TIME TO REMIND YOU ALL JUST WHO THE FUCK I AM!


That… actually gets a fairly positive response from the crowd.


KING: As I said, the XWF's supposed GOAT, Steve Jason? BEAT HIM. The record-holding 5-time Universal Champion, Jayzon Williamz? BEAT HIM. The legendary Big Shank? BEAT HIM. K Money? BEAT HIM. The list goes on and on and on and on. My contemporaries aren't the assclowns that have paraded through that bullshit Lord of Violence division that Jacki O'Lantern was oh-so-proud to get back the title for. Nuh uh! My contemporaries are the fucking legends who built this place! That's the list I belong on! I was trained by another of those all-timers, Lee Stone, and that asshole hasn't dared get in the damn ring again since fAce Vincent and I put his ass down! I. CHANGE. HISTORY! I became the Universal Champion in just three months in this company. TELL ME WHO DID IT BETTER? And before that, in my first MONTH not just here but in my entire career, I became the XWF World Heavyweight Champion.

And I never lost it.


The mixed, somewhat confused reaction continues from a crowd who doesn't really want to like Kieran King, but who recognise the names and actions he's talking about and kind of see his point.


KING: Now, there's a natural question to ask in response to that, and that's 'why would you bring it up now'? Well… have you seen the new world we're living in. All of a sudden the XWF is trying to retcon Myra Rivers into some kind of World Champion in her own right. But to some of us, that is a goddamn INSULT. Intended or not, that is a retcon of everything that I - WE - fought and bled for so that anybody could ever even give a shit about Myra Rivers. But hey… if retcons are what's on the menu, let me go ahead and make one of my own: It is a fact that I was never beaten for THIS World Championship, which I won on December 27, 2009.

Therefore, I declare that I am STIIIIILLLL THE XWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

4,978 DAYS, AND COUNTING!

You all want a fresh start? Nah fam, I ain't letting any of you erase the history that built this place. And if any of you want to end this, then you'll have to pry this championship from me yourself.

So…


He turns to the Twinzz on the floor.


KING: I don't know if it's Bing or Bong that I'm facing tonight, but Li'l Ca$h App, you get first crack at trying. Come and take your shot, duckweed, because this match right now is for the REAL World Heavyweight Championship.


With some oomph behind his toss, he biffs the microphone from the ring and beckons for one half of the Bing Bong Twinzz to enter.


JC:  King shouldn’t be so cocksure!  The Bing Bong Twinzz have already stole one victory tonight!

DR:  I just had this terrible thought.

JC:  Whats that?

DR:  What if Bong shocked the world tonight?  What if Bong captured Kings world title?  What if Bing wins the tournament?  What if… Jacuinde, what if the Relentless main event is for that world title King has and its Bing versus Bong on pay per view?

JC:  Stop it, you’ll give me nightmares.





The bell rings after Cash App enters the ring.  He stays in his corner with his twin brother massaging his shoulders and trying to hype him up.  MC is ordered to the floor by the referee.  King goes right after Cash App but the smaller idiot escapes the corner and evades King altogether, retreating and collecting himself on the far side of the ring.

King smirks and leans over on his knees, begging Cash App to come for him.  Cash App advances a few steps but stops.  King attempts to advance from the corner he’s in but MC grabs his ankle.  King turns to fight him off and that’s the opening Cash App was looking for as he bolts across the ring with a terrible splash on King in the corner.


JC:  I swear to God Damon if you were right…

DR:  King is a veteran.  A good one at that, Jacuinde.  It’s early yet.


Cash App wails on King over and over with slaps and forearms, causing King to retreat against the turnbuckle.  Full of excitement, MC jumps up on the apron as his brother mounts the turnbuckles.  With the referee distracted and yelling at MC, King takes advantage and throws his arm up between Cash App’s legs.


JC:  I don’t know who I dislike more!

DR:  Just call the action, Jacuinde.  King did what he had to do to turn the tide.


Stunned in his place, King gives Cash App a light shove.  The eccentric weirdo from Duval County teeters off the turnbuckle and lands flat on his back.  Meanwhile, MC jumps off the apron to the floor.

Back in the ring, King lifts Cash App off the mat and tosses him hard into the far corner.  King follows him in with a full head of steam before leaping and hitting him with the whisper in the wind.  Cash App whiplashes off the turnbuckles, staggers forward and collapses to the mat.


DR:  King with a hook of the leg!

JC:  Annnnd no!

DR:  Cash App kicks out but barely!


King gets back to his feet and tries to pull the nearly dead weight of Cash App to his.  MC sees another opening and climbs up onto the apron, once again distracting the referee.  King pays him no mind as Cash App is limply on his knees.  Cash App quickly sends a shot to King’s groin behind the back of the referee as MC drops to the floor again.


JC:  Cash App!

DR:  With the equalizer here on Madness!

JC:  Small package from Cash App!

DR:  King reverses after 2!

JC:  1!.... 2!....

DR:  Cash App kicks out!


King is slow to get to his feet but Cash App is back up quickly as he clubs and stomps King, trying to keep him grounded.


JC:  Woah!

DR:  Big company at that!

JC:  They gotta be out here for the Twinzz!


Enigma and Cyrus Braddock begin making their way down the aisle.  Cash App pays no attention to them but MC looks spooked as he retreats to the far side of the ring just in front of the announce table.


JC:  Vilaro pinned the attack on Summer Page a couple months ago on the Bing Bong Twinzz!

DR:  Now these two giant bodyguards are about to exact some revenge!


In the ring, Cash App continues to stomp away at Kieran King while on the outside, Enigma and Cy split up, taking opposite routes around the ring toward MC.  MC doesn’t know whether to fight or run as Enigma reaches him.  MC begs him off and backpedals slowly.

From seemingly out of nowhere, Cash App comes flying over the top rope with a plancha of some sort, but Cyrus Braddock catches him in flight.  In the ring, the official is ordering Cy to set him down.  He resists at first before finally setting him through the ropes and into the ring.

Cash App gets back to his feet and remembers he has a match going on.  He turns around…


JC:  Ugly on the Outside!

DR:  That should do it!

JC:  King with the cover… 2!... 3!  This one is in the books!

WINNER:  Kieran King by pinfall in 9:49 STILL “World Heavyweight Champion”

MC squirts through the legs of Enigma, pops back to his feet behind him and runs around the corner of the ring.  He slides into the ring, grabs his brother by his hand and pulls him out.  MC pulls his groggy, barely conscious brother up the aisle making a quick getaway and averting danger.


JC:  It looks like Enigma and Cyrus Braddock are content to keep stalking their prey!

DR:  Those two are seriously huge mountains and I can’t imagine the Bing Bong Twinzz having much success in avoiding them for too long.

JC:  So Kieran King with a victory tonight, successfully defending his world title and Damon, this story of two world champions… something has to give, doesn’t it?

DR:  It surely does, Jacuinde.  Say what you want about Kieran King but every point he made knight in regards to the world title he carries, is 100% valid.

JC:  You’ve got to be kidding me!  He’s claiming something like 5000 days as world champion, but tell me Damon.  You’ve been a world champion.  How long can you really sit on a title without scheduling a defense before no one even considers you a champion anymore?

DR:  I’m not saying I agree with what he’s doing.  All I’m saying is that he’s factual, at least on the surface.  And to answer your question, did he not just defend it here tonight on Madness?

JC:  …

DR:  Jacuinde is speechless folks.  We’ll be back.

---

DR:  (laughing)  Welcome back to Madness!  Jacuinde is still speechless.

JC:  I’m not speechless, I’m incredulous.

DR:  These things have a way of working themselves out and sooner or later, and if I know my son in law, I’d bet on sooner… we will have a definitive resolution to this situation with two world champions.

JC:  Speaking of World Champions, Damon.  Brody Goodman is standing by with the REAL Worlds Champion Myra Rivers.  Brody?


Backstage, Myra Rivers is with her championship over her shoulder as well as with interviewer Brody Goodman. No time is being wasted as soon as the camera comes on and Brody cuts right to the chase.


Brody Goodman: Alright, with me at this time is none other than the XWF World Heavyweight Champion, Myra Rivers. Myra, you had a hell of a match against Lexi Gold, picking up the victory in perhaps the best main event Madness has ever had but Keiran King showed up and he had some choice words to say tonight.

Myra Rivers: He did…


Myra merely rolls her eyes at this.


Myra Rivers: And look, I can appreciate the history lesson and all of that. Don’t get me wrong. But the way I see it, he wants to take this brand and turn it back to the pits that this brand just got out of. I know that on Twitter, he was insinuating that I am to blame for it when I’ve been the one that has held this brand together. I am the one that had to endure dealing with Holden Ross and Sierra Silver. I am the one that had to deal with Holden just shortcutting his way right into things at my expense when he attacked both Sierra and I. I am the one that had to deal with Sierra and her ANNOYING personality over and over again and dealing with so much anger from that knowing in my heart that despite her win at Madness #3 that earned her a title shot initially, she chose to half ass and basically? Prove that she didn’t deserve the shot after all.

On THIS show, with a new start, that type of nonsense that I described? It’s NOT happening again! This is a new Madness, with a new locker room, and this time, we’ve got a locker room full of people that are spirited enough to want to earn their keep around here. This is no longer an era where Kieran King wants to shortcut his way through things just because he happened to hold this title more than a decade ago and he thinks that he’s the real champion. HELL with that!

Brody Goldman: Didn’t you just win a world title that was on ice for a decade yourself, though?

Myra Rivers: That’s a good question, and yes. I did. But the difference is, it was a tribute match to the company it came from and nobody was the champion. It was put up for grabs in a fair competition. King just wants to act like a champion without so much doing anything based on reputation and based off of something that he accomplished what? 2009, was it? I have done NOTHING but prove myself since I’ve been here. Sure, it hasn’t been easy. I’ve had my frustrations. When that whole Holden Ross-Sierra Silver nonsense happened, I questioned if I even belonged here in a moment of weakness, but I earned my keep last September when I replicated my big breakthrough moment from my rookie year AND wound up winning the then-IDL title! I’ve spent my whole career dealing with people like him and more often than not, I’m the one that pulls through in the end.

This is NOT that one Vegas company I used to wrestle for where everyone wanted to drag me down and shit on me every step of the fucking way. I’ve got zero tolerance for egos like him, zero tolerance for people that want to use me as a stepping stone for said egos, and this hasn’t been just a new era of Madness, but a new era for me too. Gabriel Landry went on Twitter and called me a “generational talent”... DAMN RIGHT I am! Unlike King, I’ve evolved and grown over the years. I’m not stuck in 2009 like he is and there’s not a chance in HELL I am going to step aside for someone like him. If he wants to move me aside, he can try. But I AM the face of this brand, I AM at the best I’ve ever been and NOTHING he has to say is EVER going to be true because if he’s like anyone I’ve encountered over the years, it’s going to be the same old shit that I’ve heard before…

"Same old shit you've heard before, eh?"


The camera pans to the side to see Kieran King strutting towards the scene, with THAT 'World Heavyweight Championship' over his shoulder.


Brody Goodman:  Ooooo guys, this is good!

Kieran King: I feel that kind of gives YA BOY here carte blanche to bring back that nickname of yours from the previous regime, but I won't! I'll be the bigger man here. I will lead by example, as this championship demands.


He pats the title on his shoulder.


Kieran King: And see, that's what this is all about, Myra. I don't particularly appreciate being misrepresented like you're doing here. This isn't about wishing for that era to continue. It's about so much more. It's about respect. That's what the history lesson was for: to teach you a little about respect. And isn't that all you've been after? Isn't that the issue you had with the way things were going around here? You felt disrespected? Well you can put lipstick on a pig, or you can swap out a joke of a championship for a joke of a World Championship, but it doesn't change the person underneath.

You and I actually see eye to eye on one thing: Madness wasn't respected enough previously. I just don't believe that's going to change as long as your face is anywhere near the marquee. Myra, let me be crystal clear for you on this: I have this championship on my shoulder because I don't RESPECT you enough to believe that you DESERVE the XWF World Heavyweight Championship, no matter what you think you've proven so far and no matter what you've done elsewhere. It doesn't matter here. Sierra Silver? Holden Ross? Who cares? Where even are those assholes now? Nowhere! Nobody cares about them. Thaddeus Duke wants to make Madness mean as much as the rest of the XWF. I am the ONLY person on this roster who appreciates what that means. Me. Not you.

Myra Rivers: Now I KNOW you’re full of shit when you say that.


Myra does show some anger on her face.


Myra Rivers: Because nobody appreciates what that means more than I do. I could’ve been like so many other people that were on this show and just bailed on it when things weren’t going so well, but I stayed through thick and thin. I fought my way through every obstacle, in the ring and out of the ring, to get what I’ve gotten. I’ve had to endure bullshit after bullshit for years on end to get to the level that I’ve gotten to inside that ring and I’ve never been better than I am right now. Tell me that I give a damn about whether or not you respect me, because the fact of the matter is, I don’t. I stopped giving a shit about what people think of me. I’ve stopped listening to people like you because the fact of the matter is, people like YOU are a bunch of noise. What I’ve done here DOES matter and if you want to throw a bitterness party left and right just because you can’t let go of 2009 or whatever your fucking problem is, be my guest. You’re just NOT going to regain any glory you’re trying so HARD to regain at my expense. PERIOD! I AM the face of this brand whether you like it or not.

Kieran King: The face of this brand?! When people talk about Madness, do you really think they talk about YOU?


He forces a laugh.


Kieran King: Sure you stuck around, but it seems to me like it's just been so you can mope about the past yourself. You want me to let go of the past? Lemme know when you stop talking about Sin City Wrestling. 'Cause I've been using my rep, not to whine about that ish but to build Madness on my fucking back. Let's run through the list:

In my first match on Madness, I brought the then XWF Universal Champion Mark Flynn in to fight me. I put eyes on this brand from day one! I turned around and got Raion Kido's attention when he became champ again too. He wanted to throw down on Warfare but I said no, Madness or nothing, because I wanted to USE him to build this brand! He dropped his nuts, but the offer is still open.

When Action Wrestling put out an open invite for their CruiserHavoc, I flew the Madness banner there!

And Jacki O'Lantern can thump her chest about finally getting her championship back from me back in Saudi Arabia but I think in all the delay in getting the tapes out of that hellhole of a country, people lost sight of just where I was the day before that. I was on Murder Island! ARCADIA anyone? YA BOY went there to represent Madness, and you know how I mentioned Raion Kido before? He was the XWF Universal Champion and I outlasted him! For Madness!

Myra, girl, I've been putting in the work to get this show moving from the day I fucking got here. You want to jump on board the train now? Cool, be my guest. But as far as positioning yourself in anyway as the World Champ around here, nobody's buying what you're selling. So I'm going to carry THIS championship…


He pats his shoulder once again.


Kieran King: …around everywhere I go; I'm going to represent this brand while I do it; and when push comes to shove, it's not Myra Rivers that anybody will be talking about when it comes to Madness. It's Kieran fucking King.


With a dropped shoulder, King barges past Myra and off screen. She glares after him until he is out of sight, before marching off in a different direction.


Brody Goodman: Ladies and gentlemen, bold words from our World Champion, Myra Rivers, and even bolder words from the man who also claims to be the World Champ, Kieran King! I'm not sure how this will all play out!

JC:  Brody, you’re grinning from ear to ear.  Are you okay?

Brody Goodman:  If you call my hotline right now, I have the inside scoop on why Thaddeus Duke’s chosen champion is Kieran King and NOT Myra Rivers!

For just 9.99 per minute you can find out what I know.  Call 1-900-999-9999 and listen to all of the news rumors and gossip overheard by yours truly… Beautiful Brody Goodman!

Not only do I have the scoop on King but I also have the scoop on the Kevin Mears contract situation!  I have it on good authority from the best sources that not only is Kevin Mears NOT re-signing with the XWF, but he also turned down the ultra rare favored nations clause offered to him just this past Friday by GM Thaddeus Duke.

That number again is 1-900-999-9999!

Holy shit guys!  Back to you.


We fade back to ringside as Jacuinde stares at Damon as he dials on his cell phone.


JC:  Who you calling?

DR:  Brody Goodman.  That guys for real right?

JC:  Not even close.

DR:  Oh.


Damon ends his call and lays his phone down as Jacuinde laughs at him.


DR:  Never mind then.

JC:  (still laughing)  We’ll be right back!

---

JC:  Back here on Madness and… Damon, you didn’t even thank me for saving you like a hundred bucks.

DR:  Steak later on me.

JC:  Earlier in the week, our cameras caught up with Drake Hemingway as he prepared for tonights match with Penelope.  Let’s take a look.


Darkness is what we “see” as we transition from what was shown before this. A single flame can now be seen to give a little illumination to the backdrop, which isn’t much. The single flame is enough to showcase only the face of Drake Hemingway. He speaks softly.


Drake Hemingway: “Seeking to become World Champion has always been the predictable prize in the landscape of professional wrestling. I have watched men and women. Some virtuous. Others, not bothering to hide their corruptive nature, vye to slay their competition with the noted intention of fastening a strap with a shiny gold plate in the middle around their waist. Or in some instances, carry on their shoulders.”

“A World Championship has become the equivalent of a God to the men and women who put their bodies through horrors most of you pedestrians watching at home don’t have the resolve to commit too. Watching what we do appears glamorous. The undisputed truth is NOTHING we do should be mythicized. We exist in a cruel world. Professional wrestling is a microcosm of the world you believe you are escaping from watching us essentially play the role of a dancing monkey...”

“So how do I factor into this equation?”

“Am I like the donkey chasing the carrot, blind to the reality that exists in front of me?”

“I see this tournament for what it is, entertainment for you unwashed masses. I take no pleasure stepping into the ring with Penelope. I am fond of her. She helped me at a time in my life when I was lost, since our partnership, she has become an even bigger star than any of you thought possible. You often saw me on social media reminding each and every single one of you not to underestimate this woman. I am the last one on this planet to underestimate what she is capable of.”

“If I am being forthright, she should overcome the challenge I represent, not because I am going to take it easy on her. I won’t. She’d kill me if I did. I am a pragmatist at the end of the day. This is my first in ring action in months, sparring is far different than the actual heat of competition. I could think of no one better to test myself against than the winner of the Calamity Chamber.”

“If I lose, I won’t fret. The World Championship is not my great prize. I will always have the bigger picture in mind. What is that you might wonder... well... stay tuned to find out.”


Drake blows out the candle. FADE. TO. BLACK.


JC:  Some ominous words from Drake Hemingway!

DR:  Not entirely without merit.  I like it.  Drake pulled back the veil a little and that can ruffle some feathers, but… I like people that ruffle feathers.

JC:  Woah Damon!  We gotta get backstage!  I’m told something is going down…


Backstage, Enigma and Cyrus Braddock have caught the Bing Bong Twinzz.  The larger men beat the holy hell out of the smaller tatted weirdos from Florida.  Punches, kicks, stomps and clubs galore occur before the two bodyguards deliver a pair of chokeslams in stereo on the Twinzz, sending them through the catering tables.

Cy and Enigma look at each other a moment, with their chests heaving and the faces resting at anger, the duo walks off camera as Brody Goodman enters the scene.


Brody Goodman:  Guys I’mma see if I can get a word with my friends!  The tag team champions, the Bing Bong Twinzz!

Cash App, MC!  I just wanted to congratulate you on your recent success in capturing the tag team titles!


He leans down, holding the mic in front of the unconscious twins.


JC:  They literally lost the belts like an hour after they found them, Brody.


Brody Goodman:  Oh for real?  Ain’t that some shit?  Alright then… MC, Lil Cash App… can you tell us your future plans or maybe how you plan to recapture the titles?


DR:  (laughing)  You know they’re unconscious, right?


Brody Goodman:  Well that explains everything!


Goodman begins to stand upright and notices a figure looming over him.


Brody Goodman:  Thaddeus Duke!  To what do I owe the…

Shut up Brody.  When these two wake up, let ‘em know that MC is booted from the tournament.

Brody Goodman:  But Mr. Duke!  You can’t do that!

I can and I just did.  Also let ‘em know that in two weeks, they’ll have their shot at revenge when the Bing Bong Twinzz take on the team of Enigma and Cyrus Braddock.


Thad begins to walk off and Brody grabs him by the wrist.


Brody Goodman:  If I may sir…


Thad nods.


Brody Goodman:  Earlier tonight, Chris Mosh raised a valid point that perhaps the man that doesn’t get the win and doesn’t get beat tonight in the main event… the odd man out so to speak… that perhaps they should get a pass into the semi-finals.

If Chris Mosh wants to make sure he advances in the tournament, he should worry about Walker Hill and Sean Parker.  I will consider his point but I’m not prepared to make a ruling just yet.

Anything else Brody?

Brody Goodman:  No sir.

Good.


Thad walks off leaving Brody and the busted up Bing Bong Twinzz by themselves.  Brody looks like he’s about to speak but instead, just exits stage left.


JC:  MC is out of the tournament!

DR:  That’s all well and good, but what about Elijah Copeland?  And what about making the Bing Bong Twinzz face those two monsters, Enigma and Cyrus Braddock?

JC:  I think the General Manager likes to torment those two.  Fans, we’ll be back.

---

JC:  We’re back here on Madness and we’re headed back to the ring!

DR:  It’s kinda been a wild night, Jacuinde.  And it’s not even over yet!


RA:  The following tournament match is set for one fall!  Introducing first!





RA:  From Salem, Massachusetts, weighing 2 hundred 45 pounds…. DRRRAKE!  HEMINGGGWAYYYYY!


The lights go out. "Exciter" by Judas Priest plays from the loud speaker. Steam rises from the stage. Out walks Drake Hemingway. The spotlight shines on him as though he is an angel being given to us from the heavens, his aura tells a different story. He walks down to the ring. Drake walks up the steel steps, walks across the apron. He walks to the center of the ring as the lights come back on. He stands there stoically waiting


JC:  No doubt Drake Hemmingway poses a physical risk to Penelope!

DR:  Yeah, that’s true.  But Penelope is as tough as they come.  This isn’t anything new to her!


RA:  His opponent.





RA:  From Fort Worth, Texas.  PEEEENELOPPPPEEE!


The lights in the building all go out, save for the ones directly around the entryway from the back which swaps to a glowing red. You hear the sounds of a lone female voice which sings acapella.

Ohh Death…Ohh Deeeaaaath…Ohh Death
Won't you spare me over another year.

The red light begins to slowly pulsate to the drop beat as the song continues with the male vocals coming back. A small layer of fog begins to form at the top of the ramp.

Oh what is this that I can't see?
With ice cold hands taking hold of me

The lights all around the arena slowly begin to pulse as well. The song continues, causing one area of the building to turn red after another.

When God is gone, and the Devil takes hold
Who'll have mercy on your soul? Ohh Death

Penelope walks out from behind the curtain, pausing at the top of the aisleway. She looks out at the people in the building to a chorus of boos. She grins beneath the wide brim of her hat in her devilish way as she surveys the crowd.

Penelope, carrying a dead flower in her hands, plucks the black, withered petals off the flower one at a time as she walks and lets them fall to the floor. This leaves a bizarre trail behind her as she walka down the ramp.

Ohh Death, Ohh Death

She drops the naked step on the floor before at the end of the aisleway. She slides into the ring under the bottom rope. She crawls to the middle of the ring, before sitting back on her haunches.

No weath, No ruin, No silver, No gold
Nothing satisfies me but your soul
Well I am Death, non can excel
I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell

She looks up, and spits out a cloud of fine black mist before she lets out an ear splitting shriek.

Ohh Death…Ohh Death
My name is Death, and the End is Here…

Penelope turns and gestures towards the crowd maniacally as the lights come back up to normal. She gets to her feet, slowly removing her hat and shawl, and makes her way to one of the corners as she waits on her opponent.


JC:  What she lacks in size, Penelope more than makes up for in wit, in skill…

DR:  She won the damn Calamity Chamber, Jacuinde.  She’s that… damn… good.





The bell rings, and the match is underway. Penelope wastes no time, employing her quickness to circle around Drake, looking for an opening. Drake, on the other hand, stands his ground, unperturbed, his eyes locked onto Penelope who makes the first move. She darts forward with lightning speed and connecting with a series of Running European Uppercuts that catch Drake unawares. But Drake’s resilience is he absorbs the blows and retaliates with a powerful dropkick that sends Penelope crashing to the mat.


JC:  What a devastating dropkick!

DR:  I think the size difference made it look worse than it was!


As Penelope quickly rises to her feet, Drake seizes the opportunity, grabbing her by the arm, pulling her in forcefully and executes a perfectly-executed Scoop Slam. Drake follows up with a series of leg drops, his methodical approach in stark contrast to Penelope’s agility. His well-conditioned legs smash across Penelope’s solar plexus and after the last one, Drake transitions into a pinning combination and the referee counts:


JC:  1!...2!...

DR:  Penelope powered out!

JC:  Incredible!


She sits up ominously and Drake just stares at her, his gaze unmoved. Penelope scoots to her feet with cat-like agility and speed though. She runs up Drake’s body, rotating around his head and neck before making a full rotation and drills him with a Satellite DDT. Sensing an opening, Penelope transitions seamlessly into a Wheelbarrow Facebuster that drives Drake’s head into the mat. Penelope uses her legs to roll Drake over into a pinning combination and the referee’s hand hits the mat for:


JC:  Penelope pinning combinationnnn annnd no!

DR:  Drake kicks out here in this great match!


But Drake’s brawler-like instincts kick in and he kicks out. He looks pissed off as he athletically rolls back to a vertical base, using the ropes for momentum and almost puts his foot through Penelope’s face with a pulsating Scissors Kick. She staggers back into the ropes, her head snapping back. Drake doesn’t give her time to recover though and follows up with a hellacious Discus Big Boot, again driving the sole of his boot straight into her face as she reels into the corner.

countering with a punishing Scissors Kick that caught Penelope off guard. He followed up with a Discus Big Boot that sent Penelope reeling into the corner. Drake capitalizes on his open target, charging in for a Running Big Boot, but Penelope displays her agility and has the wherewithal to evade the attack and causing Drake to crash into the turnbuckle, his foot caught precariously on the top of it. Penelope takes advantage, grabbing Drake around the waist from behind and launches him over her head with a brilliant Rollthrough German suplex. She keeps up the momentum, showing impressive strength to lift Drake up and drills him over knee and uses his superior weight to rotate him into a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker.

Penelope’s newly adopted aggressive approach comes to the forefront as she unleashes a rapid succession of strikes, driving a disoriented Drake back into the corner. She builds up a head of steam and runs sends him reeling with a Running Hurricanrana.

Drake, undeterred, unleashed his own arsenal, connecting with a powerful Electric Chair Facebuster that leaves Penelope sprawled on the mat. He transitions smoothly into a German Suplex, showcasing his technical prowess.

But Penelope has surprises of her own. She counters a Snake Eyes attempt with a Ripcord Knee Strike that staggers Drake. As he stumbles back, Penelope propels herself off the ropes and delivers the Leucotomy Kamigoye Knee Strike that connects with precision, leaving Drake crumpled on the mat.

As Drake struggles to regain his bearings, Penelope seizes the moment, transitioning into the Lament Configuration. She scissors Drake’s arm and applies the Lament Configuration Crossface, wrenching back with all her strength. Drake’s face contorts in pain as he fights against the submission hold, his strength waning.

But Drake is not one to back down easily. With a surge of energy, he manages to begin to power out and break the hold!


JC:  Hemingway!

DR:  If he breaks this hold…

JC:  Penelope will have to dig deeper into her bag of tricks!


Penelope shifts and locks the hold in even tighter.  Hemingway cries out in obvious pain.  Soon, he can take no more of it and taps out.

WINNER:  Penelope by submission in 14:25

JC:  What incredible, gutsy performances by these two competitors!

DR:  That was a brilliant match from start to finish and a lot of people might think it shows weakness in tapping out but, at the end of the day, sometimes its the only thing you can do to save yourself from permanent injury!


Drake rolls out of the ring clutching his arm and shoulder.  He backpedals up the aisle and gives a nod to Penelope.


JC:  Mutual respect from these two athletes but Penelope will advance to the semi-finals!

DR:  I haven’t seen the odds, but overcoming odds, at least on paper, seems to be the thing Penelope is best at!

JC:  Two more matches on the slate tonight!  Stay with us.

---

JC:  Sean Parker!  He’ll be in action tonight in the main event, but he’s gonna join us a little early!

DR:  These kids got incredible talent.  I really can’t wait to see him in action.


“Ken’s Theme [Metal Cover]” by ToxicxEternity starts to play throughout the arena. As the song plays its slow, building intro, Sean Parker appears on the stage to a massive cheer from the fans. He acknowledges the cheers with fist pumps as he makes his way down the ramp and slides into the ring. He stares around the sold-out Manhattan Center, a big grin on his face. He goes over and accepts a microphone from the ring announcer.


Sean: How are we doing tonight, Manhattan?


The crowd cheers again and Sean’s grin widens.


Sean: I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I know Thad has booked an incredible show for you all tonight and I’m excited to see how it all unfolds. I mean come on, it’s my first official night as a XWF competitor, how awesome is that!?


The crowd cheers loudly before Sean continues.


Sean: And, can you believe I’m in the main event tonight? A triple threat match against Walker Hill and Chris Mosh, the VIP himself!


The crowd gives mixed reactions to Sean’s mention of Mosh’s and Walker’s names.


Sean: I mean, to already be in the World Championship, it really is the stuff dreams are made of. And you know, when Thad asked me to come meet him, when we met, he said “Tell me, Sean, what do you want to achieve in your career? What is the dream of the so-called King of the Skies?”

And I told him without missing a beat… I told him, “I want to be the best, I want to hold championships, I want to be the standard bearer. When people ask what makes a professional wrestler stand out from the rest, I want people to say my name. When fans argue about who is the GOAT, I want my name to be the one fans argue should be in the conversation.”

He looked at me and without taking his eyes off mine, slid a contract across the table between us and said, “Well, in that case, I think you’ll want to sign here…and that’s exactly what I did!



The crowd cheers even louder as Sean walks around the ring, looking into the audience in the Manhattan Center before he stops and leans on the nearest top rope.


Sean: Like I said, to be involved in a tournament to determine a new number one contender for Myra Rivers’ World Championship on just my second appearance on Madness, it really is an honor. It’s a testament to the faith Thad has shown in my abilities inside this ring and I intend to repay that faith tonight against Chris Mosh and Walker Hill. Like the age old expression goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

I know both of them have already said how much they both need this match, how much they need this victory and I don’t blame them, a chance to get off the mark in a tournament that could potentially have repercussions for the main event scene for Madness.

But to be honest, I know why this match is especially important to both Chris and Walker. Both guys have up and down journeys in the last year or so here in XWF on Madness. I mean Chris, he’s been through the ringer… a former IDL Champion, Equatorial Champion, Trios Champion, he’s practically done it all, hasn’t he. But sandwiched between those wins, he lost the IDL title to Elijah Copeland, the mix-up against the United Elite, missing out in that Fatal Four-Way at Madness 6 and losing to Josslyn Spencer at Madness 8. But then again, this is your redemption arc, Chris, isn’t it?

And I can’t forget about Walker Hill. That name commands a profound sense of admiration from me. I know you came into XWF at the start of the year and you yourself have had a tumultuous time of it but you’ve shown a lot of grit and determination to ride that storm and I have to say, I was really impressed with how you pulled out that win against a former World Champion in Eljah Copeland last week. Make no mistake, I am acutely aware that underestimating both of your abilities would be a catastrophe on my part and believe me, I have no interest in dropping the ball on my first night on the job.


Sean stops for a moment, letting his words settle with the sold-out crowd and those watching him from behind the curtain backstage.


Sean: But let's not forget the reigning World Champion, Myra Rivers. Myra, your journey to the pinnacle of this industry has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. Your resilience, your determination, they've defined you as a true champion, and I tip my hat to you. You've etched your name into the annals of XWF history, and it's with the utmost respect that I enter this tournament to determine who earns the right to face you at Relentless.

Now, my gaze turns to a different intrigue – the enigmatic saga of "Will He? Won't He?" that surrounds Kevin Mears. Kevin, your vlogs and your streams have been an interesting watch…coming from a fellow streamer myself, I have to say, I’m a little impressed.

Thad's vision in bringing me into the XWF, into the heart of Madness, speaks volumes. He saw a potential, an opportunity for something remarkable to unfold, and, whilst I am committed to realizing that potential, there is one thing I will not be… and that is a pawn… a bargaining chip used to help you make more money. I am a World Champion, Kevin and I am no pawn… I am a King!


The passion in Sean’s voice resonates with the crowd in the Manhattan Center and it draws a slight, confident smile on the face of the WCW World Champion.


Sean: Kevin, I know you’re here tonight and I know you’ve got something to say so go ahead and get it out of your system. Say what you want, whether you sign on or not; it makes no end to me. I am still sticking around here on Monday nights for a long time, I’m still going after the World Championship, I’m going after the United States Championship. If you want to stick around and be part of things and give me that challenge Thad is so sure you can give me, so be it, but don’t think for one moment I am going to give you one more ounce of thought until I am standing across the ring from you, not when I have an opportunity to become World Champion! The ball’s in your court, mate!


Sean drops the mic in the centre of the ring as he takes his leave, his music playing throughout the arena.


JC:  Strong words tonight from Sean Parker!

DR:  Indeed!  But this is a business of backing up your words and we’ll see just how well he does that a little later on tonight!

JC:  Folks, when we come back, the tournament continues!

---

Back from break, the bell rings, grabbing the attention of the Universe.


RA:  The following tournament match is set for one fall!  Introducing first… GRIMGORRR IIIIIRONNHIIIIIDE!





As Grimgor's song begins to hit the PA system, DA ONCE AND FUTURE GIT appears on the stage, screaming "GRIMGOR IZ DA BEST!" . He marches down to the apron and climbs to the ring without paying any heed to the fans, and once he's in the center, he raises up his fist and lets out a savage scream: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"


JC:  What a… terrifying individual!

DR:  I’ve seen some strange things in my time, but this… just might be the strangest.


RA:  His opponent!





RA:  From Barcelona… being accompanied tonight by her entourage… MMMMARISOLL VILLLLARRRROOO!!


JC:  What is this!?

DR:  More like… who!?

JC:  You have GOT to be kidding me!

DR:  She kids you not!  The tag team champions Majestuosa Manor, her bodyguard Cyrus Braddock AND her very good friend Yelena Gorgo are ALL coming to the ring tonight to cheer her on!

JC:  I smell shenanigans, Damon!

DR:  Of course you do.  It’s Marisol Vilaro!

JC:  Two weeks ago on this program, she had Cy Braddock beat the hell out of Johnny Miami and tonight, you just know she has another plan!

DR:  Have you seen what she’s up against?  I could hardly blame her!

JC:  Damon, come on!  There is no way that…

DR:  Look, I’m not saying I condone it, but looking in that ring right now, I can certainly understand it!





The official orders everyone of Vilaro’s entourage to the floor.  The last one to leave is her loyal bodyguard, Cyrus Braddock.  The bell rings and immediately, the tag champions climb onto the apron, grabbing the referees attention.  That gives Cy and Gorgo on the other side of the ring, an opening to attack.  The muscled up duo gets on the apron and starts clubbing at Grimgor, taking him out of any fight for the time being as he tries and fails to fight off the powerful duo.  Gorgo will trap an arm, allowing Cy to beat on him.  When Grimgor breaks free, they switch it up, continually keeping the large greenish brute on the defensive.


JC:  This isn’t a match!  It’s a mugging!

DR:  Welcome to New York City!


With Grimgor trapped in the corner, Vilaro charges across the ring and drops a shoulder to the inside of his knee.  He drops to the mat in a heap of pain.  Yelena and Cy drop to the floor and back away from the ring.  The tag champs do the same as Vilaro goes to work on her large, green foe.  She kicks and stomps away at the lower, ailing limb of Grimgor in an attempt to ground the man.

Grimgor yelps out in pain as he crawls away, dragging his leg behind him.  Vilaro won’t let up though as she drops an elbow into his sternum.  She pops back to her feet and drops another, then another then stops to do some pushups.


JC:  It’s easy to be cocky when you’re in a 5 on 1 handicap match!

DR:  She still has to find a way to keep him on the mat long enough for the ref to count it.


Vilaro gets back to her feet and unwisely celebrates as the crowd boos and Grimgor fights back toward his feet.  Mari notices last minute and lays in some more kicks and stomps.  Grimgor catches her leg and Vilaro tries to pull away.  The hulk of a … man… yanks her leg toward him, pulling her into a clobbering lariat that turns her inside out.

Grimgor bought himself some separation as he gets to his feet.  Limping around the ring, he shakes the pain from his ailing knee as he reaches down and grabs her by her weight lifting belt.  Suddenly the belt gives way and Marisol hits the mat.  With her weight lifting belt in his hand, he has evil intentions as he wraps the belt around his massive fist.


DR:  You know, it boggles my mind how you can sit there and think that a man that is four times her physical size is somehow at a disadvantage even if she has outside help!

JC:  Grimgor don’t do it!


Grimgor rears back, but just as he tries to swing forward, the referee grabs the belt and hangs on for dear life.  The two struggle over the belt for a moment and Marisol takes advantage, clipping him in the back of his already hurting knee.  Grimgor collapses again.  The referee hands the weight lifting belt to Yelena Gorgo on the outside.


DR:  Vilaro with the cover!

JC:  And Grimgor powers out at 1!


Vilaro was thrown so high that she landed on her feet.  Ironhide works his way back to his feet and Vilaro traps his head, turns… and Grimgor counters the neckbreaker by thrusting his pelvis backward into Marisol.  Vilaro lurches forward, crashing into the turnbuckle before staggering backward right into Grimgor’s clutches.  He lifts her up and front power slams her to the mat and hooks the leg.


JC:  1!....2!....

DR:  Foot on the rope!

JC:  No thanks to Cy Braddock!

DR:  You know how it goes, Jacuinde.  If the referee didn’t see it, it just didn’t happen.


Grimgor gets to his feet thinking he’s won the match.  Instead, the referee has the unenviable task of telling him he’s wrong.  Thinking nothing of it, Grimgor goes back to work as he grabs Marisol by her hair and lifts her to her feet.  He quickly grabs her by the throat and as soon as he does, Majestuosa Manor are on the apron drawing the officials attention.

Grimgor shoves Marisol away and lunges toward the tag team champions.  They both scream in horror and switch sides, running around the ring post to the next apron.  The official admonishes them both but they’re pleading their case.  Grimgor turns to refocus himself on Vilaro, but Gorgo throws a bottle of some kind.  As Grimgor reaches down for Marisols hair, she squirts body oil into his eyes.

Stunned in place, Grimgor is doubled over.  Big Cy Braddock enters the ring and quickly lifts Grimgor Ironhide off his feet and powerbombs him to the mat.


JC:  Vilaro’s Justice!

DR:  She makes the cover!  The help evacuates!

JC:  1!....2!....3!

WINNER:  Marisol Vilaro by pinfall in 8:46

JC:  This… this has been a miscarriage of justice tonight on Madness!

DR:  No!  That was Vilaro’s Justice! (he laughs)

JC:  By hook and most certainly by crook, Marisol Vilaro has defeated Grimgor Ironhide!

DR:  She’ll advance into the semi-finals and that’s all that mattered here tonight!  She came with a plan, she enacted that plan… you know, with a little help from her friends… and Marisol is the victor whether you or this crowd like it or not!

JC:  This is the second show in a row where Grimgor Ironhide had the match won but lost due to outside substances.

DR:  I mean, the man… or whatever the hell he is…  is a beast and it took five people colluding in order to take him down.

JC:  Fans, still to come on Madness, the triple threat main event pitting Walker Hill and Chris Mosh versus the debuting Sean Parker.  Stay with us.

---

JC:  We’re back here in Manhattan and in just a moment, we’ll be headed to the ring for the main event…





JC:  Wait a minute!

DR:  Sean Parker all but confirmed it earlier tonight!

JC:  It’s Kevin Mears!


“The One” by Slaughterhouse featuring the New Royales begins to play before Kevin Mears appears at the top of the stage. In a pair of black jeans and a red and black silk shirt that was unbuttoned, he looks amused by something before adjusting the dripping heart sunglasses on his face and extending his hand towards someone…that turns out to be Serenity Holmes. He holds her arm up to let her twirl around for the crowd into his arm before kissing her.


JC:  It was rumored!  He’d alluded to it on twitter!  But Kevin Mears is in the house, Damon!

DR:  I’ve been in this business a long time, Jacuinde!  So few have what Kevin has.  The man is an absolute heat seeker!


He starts snapping his fingers before a pair of microphones are handed up to him and Serenity before he starts to speak.


Kevin: What’s up, Manhattan? You already know who I am. You already know Kevin Mears. You already know this woman right here. Hell, she showed up on the last show right here in this building. The gold magnet herself, title collector and my girlfriend…most important title she has in my mind…Serenity Holmes.


The audience goes ballistic in representing their addiction to seeing Serenity Holmes who smiles at the reaction she’s receiving.


Serenity: Hello ladies and gentlemen! Yes and thank you Kevin for the introductions. The last time I was here, I introduced the new XWF Madness World Championship belt to Myra Rivers because I wanted to help embrace the amazing talent we have in this company! With that said, there’s a lot of questions or better yet Kevin, would you say there’s been a lot of chatter?

Kevin: There’s been a lot of chatter around my name when it comes to the XWF. Is Kevin gonna renew his contract with the XWF? Is he gonna walk out and wash his hands of the place? All valid questions, which I’ll answer shortly. But why, you might ask, was the decision so hard to make? That’s simple, because previous management didn’t have a damn clue what they had. I spent a year in meaningless matches, none of which had any bearing on anything. And while I made a lot of money, I was bored. Now we got Thaddeus Duke running the show, and already making a lot more sense. After all, he’s been trying to get a new deal signed., And on the last show, he made a point of making it known he brought my girlfriend to the show.


Kevin looks towards his girlfriend.


Kevin: DId you think I wasn’t aware Serenity was going to be at the last Madness? Did you think it was going to be some big surprise to me that you brought her to make an appearance? Hell, I knew about her being here before she told you she was coming.

Serenity: Sorry guys, he’s my boyfriend. What I do, he knows first.


Serenity shrugs her shoulders and smiles at Kevin.


Kevin: Now don’t get me wrong. Bringing her to the show was smart. If I were trying to revive interest in a brand that was in shambles, I’d have Serenity in every part of the show. She’d open and close the show and be on it somewhere throughout. After all, this is Serenity Holmes.

Serenity: It’s no doubt I was reached because Thaddaeus sees what I can do. I appreciated his offer and I took it because I enjoy the respect. It was an honor for me to unveil the new XWF Madness World Championship to Myra Rivers. However, I think there was another person Thad brought out?

Kevin: One thing that Thad also did was bring out Sean Parker, who seems hella intent on having a match with me. That doesn’t surprise me, but it wasn’t until he started tweeting me that it did surprise me. Because he has no idea who I am. He asked why he should give a shit about me, and my bad on not responding to that tweet because Twitter filtered out your replies because it didn’t feel you were a quality tweet per the filter. But my question is if he doesn’t know who I am or why he should give a shit about me, why are you running your mouth? Serenity, tell Sean Parker who I am, if you please.

Serenity: Hello Sean Parker. If ignorance is bliss, I wonder what heaven is for you. Congratulations on becoming the new WCW World Champion and I understand you brought that championship to Madness because you’re so proud of the journey from being paralyzed. However, you’re making one crucial mistake, if you think my boyfriend, Kevin, needs motivation from you? No. He has the motivation within himself to become the face of Madness. However, you want to think that you have this match in the bag? We appreciate your confidence but never underestimate a man when you’re waving a world championship in his face.

Kevin: The fact is I love it when people underestimate me. I love it when they automatically go into a match with me and think it’s already a foregone conclusion. And he’s the one you’re supposed to be cheering. AIn’t that some shit? That’s one of the dumbest comments I’ve ever heard in my life. Maybe he’s bipolar, I don’t know.  He must be on the Vilaro System.


He grins towards Serenity as he says it.


Serenity: Don’t even remind me of that.

Kevin: Serenity, you ever go into a match or ask for one with someone you don’t know anything about?

Serenity: Here’s the thing babe; Professional wrestling is a hit or miss. We’ll face people we know everything or nothing about; Your opponent made it clear where he stands in Madness but you know where you also stand, love. All we know is that someone is in front of us and in order to win, we beat them right down to the canvas where they belong.

Kevin: That’s what I thought. So when the question is asked if I decided to renew my deal? Well Thad met my requirements. So yeah, I renewed and am back in XWF here on Madness. And what that means is Madness is once again gonna have to deal with the only two Aces in a deck full of jokers, including Summer. And whether it’s Sean Parker who don’t know who anybody is….it doesn’t really matter. Because the story of my career is always the last verse being the same as the first. When you hear my name get called by the ring announcer, it always gets said again after the bell. Madness, you just got dealt another hand another and I’m the one with all the Aces. And I always play with house money!


He gives Serenity another twirl before leaving the arena hand in hand with his girlfriend.


JC:  It is official!

DR:  Dammmn that kid!

JC:  What kid?

DR:  My son in law.  Y’know, I doubted him when I first met him.  Thought he was an arrogant prick.  I mean, he is… but he makes shit happen.  No one can deny that.

JC:  Kevin Mears is back in the fold on Monday nights and we are now destined to have a major league clash between Kevin Mears and Sean Parker somewhere down the line!

DR:  That’s a heavyweight fight, signed sealed and on its way!

JC:  Kevin Mears is playing with house money, as he said, Damon.  The adage says the house always wins but that remains to be seen.  Folks, up next… the main event.

---

JC:  We’re back to the Madness, folks!  We’ve taken our last break and we’ll be with you throughout the remainder of the night.

DR:  I don’t know about you, Jacuinde.  But, I feel like Madness has been a crazy ride from start to finish tonight and now we’re about to be treated to a triple threat main event.

JC:  I guess you could say that tonights show…

DR:  Don’t you dare say it…

JC:  Has been…

DR:  …Don’t…

JC:  Madness.

DR:  Hate you.


RA:  Ladies and gentlemen the following main event is a triple threat match set for one fall!





RA:  Introducing first!  From Scotland… weighing 2 hundred 15 pounds… SSSEANN PARRRKERRR!


“Ken’s Theme [Metal Cover]” by ToxicxEternity starts to play throughout the arena. As the song plays its slow, building intro, Sean Parker appears on the stage in a hooded waistcoat. He goes down on one knee, his head low as sparks fill the stage area. When the song explodes into life, Sean leaps to his feet, his arms outstretched and his hood falls back behind him. Sean walks confidently to the ring, running as he gets ringside and slides effortlessly under the bottom rope. He takes off his waistcoat, tossing it into the crowd before he climbs up one of the turnbuckles and fist pumps before doing a backflip back down as his music fades out.


RA:  His opponent!





RA:  From Gun Barrel City, Texas!  Weighing 2 hundred 30 pounds… WWWALKERRR HIIIILLLLLLL!


Be Cowboy” performed by Black Stone Cherry begins as a spotlight shines down on the ramp. Walker Hill burst through the curtain and throws up the horns as some red, white, and blue pyro shoots off. Walker yells out a hearty YEE HAW! before he starts making his way down the ramp. He slaps hands with some fans along the way, then makes his way up the steps and hops into the ring. He throws the horns up and yells another YEE HAW before he tosses his hat into the crowd.


RA:  Their opponent!





RA:  From Las Vegas, Nevada… weighing 2 hundred 10 pounds… The VEEEE IIIIII PEEEEEE CHRRRRRISSS MOOOOOOSSSHHH!


JC:  Three men with only one winner.

DR:  One, brand new to the XWF.  Brand new to Madness!

JC:  One up and coming young star!

DR:  One former XWF World Champion!

JC:  One shot at advancing to the semi-finals and that match begins… NOW!





The crowd is alive as the bell rings.  The three men each adopt a ready stance.  Sean Parker is the first to advance forward as he goes for Walker Hill, but Hill wisely steps back leaving the three of them at a stalemate.  Parker charges toward Mosh, but Mosh attempts a clothesline counter.  Parker ducks underneath though and Mosh takes the opportunity to hit Hill with it instead.  Hill goes down as Parker bounces off the ropes.  Mosh bends to body drop but Parker slides on his ass and sends a knuckle thrust into his throat that sends him reeling.

Parker is back to his feet and gives chase to Mosh as he tries to regain the air but Hill grabs him from behind.  Parker quickly counters with pele kick right to the top of the skull of Walker Hill that sends him right back to the mat.  Sean refocuses his attention to Chris Mosh but Mosh is there to grab him and send him to the mat with a belly to belly suplex.


DR:  Quick cover from Mosh!

JC:  Two and a kickout from Sean Parker!


Mosh gets back to his feet, but Walker is back up and grabs him from behind nailing an inverted DDT.


DR:  And now Hill with the cover!

JC:  Kickout at two as this match continues at a break-neck pace!


Walker Hill is back to his feet quickly.  He lifts Chris Mosh to his feet and tosses him out of the ring in order to focus his attention on Sean Parker.  Hill lifts Parker to his feet then scoops him up and bodyslams him to the mat.  Hill back to his feet, again brings Parker to his.  Again Hill scoops him up, then launches him overhead and down to the mat with a fallaway slam.

Hill sits up on the mat and leans his body against Sean Parker.


JC:  1!...2!... annnnd

DR:  Reversal!

JC:  1!.... 2!...

DR:  Walker Hill kicks out!


Hill is up first and just as Parker gets to his hands and knees, Hill delivers a punt kick to his ribs sending Parker reeling away across the ring in agony.  Walker Hill stands in wait for Parker to get back to his feet.  But behind him, Chris Mosh enters the ring and grabs him from behind.  Gathering as much strength as he can, he powers Hill up and over the top rope with a modified belly to back suplex that causes Hill to take a nasty spill to the outside.

With Parker almost vertical, Mosh rushes to him and traps him up before sending him to the mat with a snap suplex.  Back to his feet he pulls Parker to his before planting him in the center of the ring with a vicious DDT.


JC:  Hook of the leggg… twooo annnndd….

DR:  Parker kicks out!


Mosh peels off toward the corner allowing Parker to get up under his own power.  As he does, Mosh lunges from the corner with a super kick.  Parker evades it though and grabs Mosh by his leg and sends him to the mat with a capture suplex.

Both men lay on the mat as Walker Hill makes his way to the apron.  Slowly he works his way to the top rope with his back to the ring.  He leaps off with a moonsault.  Parker rolls out of the way, pulling Mosh with him, effectively causing Mosh to take the blow instead of himself.

Parker is slow to get up but Hill exits to the apron.  As Parker gets upright, Hill slingshots himself over the top into the ring and nails a lariat on Parker.


JC:  King of the Hill!

DR:  Hook of the leg!

JC:  1!....2!.... And a kickout from Sean Parker!


Parker rolls to the apron as Hill focuses his attention on Chris Mosh.  Hill grabs a handful of Mosh’s hair and pulls him to his feet before hoisting him up into a firemens carry.  He turns to position himself but takes a springboard missile dropkick to the chest from Sean Parker.

Mosh lands weerily on his feet as Hill crashes to the mat.  Parker is back up as quickly as he can and turns around, walking right into a superkick!  Parker stumbles and tumbles through the ropes as Mosh tries and fails to keep him in the ring.  Parker hits the apron and lays there.

On a splitscreen, Kevin Mears is shown backstage with Srerenity Holmes watching the match unfold.


JC:  No doubt, Kevin Mears has a vested interest in this match!

DR:  He may not be in the tournament, but he’s definitely got Sean Parker sooner or later!


Back in the ring, Hill works himself back to his feet but eats a superkick from Chris Mosh for his trouble.  Walker Hill staggers backward and bounces off the ropes.  The momentum carries him forward several steps before Mosh settles in behind him and drops him with a vertebreaker!


JC:  This is gonna do it!

DR:  Chris Mosh will advance!


1!









2!









3!????????????????









JC:  Leap of faith!

DR:  Holy cow what a move!


Parker hits both men with his twisting 1080 senton.


JC:  Mosh is out of the ring!

DR:  He hooks the leg of Walker Hill!


1!









2!









3!?????????????????????









3!

WINNER:  Sean Parker by pinfall in 17:21

Kevin Mears is shown nodding his head before walking off with his girlfriend.


JC:  Sean Parker advances!

DR:  That was an incredible match and it could have gone either of their ways!

JC:  It’s an impressive debut though for Sean Parker as he punches his ticket to the semi-finals!

DR:  I don’t know what’s next for Walker Hill, but Chris Mosh is still the number one contender to the United States title!

JC:  The field has been cut in half tonight but Penelope, Marisol Vilaro, Summer Page and now Sean Parker have all advanced to the semi-finals!

DR:  Just as Kevin Mears was seen watching this match, you have to think the World Champion Myra Rivers was too!  There’s four challengers for her championship!  Each with different sets of skills and talents.  Each presents their own unique challenge to Myra’s throne.

JC:  We are just about out of time and while we don’t know who will face who, we do know that the semi-finals are confirmed to be taking place in two weeks!

DR:  Not only that, but there’s a pair of tag matches as well with Majestuosa Manor set to defend their tag team titles against Eren Hunt and Gabriel Landry.

JC:  And how could we forget the match Thaddeus Duke made a little while ago as Cyrus Braddock and Enigma will team up to take on former tag team champions, the Bing Bong Twinzz.

DR:  Jacuinde, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed to come here but I guess it’s in the name… it’s Madness.

JC:  It really is and it’s an exciting time here on the green brand.  I don’t know what the hell is going on on the blue brand but Madness is really beginning to take shape so join us next week!


Brody Goodman (voiceover):  And don’t forget to call the hotline at 1-900-999-9999!


JC:  God dammit Brody.

DR:  We’ll see ya in two weeks on Madness!