[CUT-TO: The broadcast table where we see none other than the storied announce team of Dave Thomas, Dean Matthews and Mike Neely, the former two jumping with jubilation in their seats for this occasion while Mike Neely looks pissed as usual.]
DT: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all so much for being apart of the 2010 edition of EPW’s Black Dawn and what a hell of a night we’ve seen so far. We’ve seen Michael Bastard and Stalker go to utter war while Anarky and Fusenshoff slugged it out in a classic.
DM: Up next, Layne Winters, as a result of the events of the last Aggression, is now putting up his EPW Television Title on the line against not one, but two of EPW’s finest. On one side, “Dopesmoker” Erik Black has come within an EYELASH of winning the title on several occasions and may be looking to finally break through. And on the other, “The Dragon” Karl Brown is looking to add another piece of gold to his already stellar collection. He, too, came within a mere second of winning the title from Layne Winters, who retained on a disqualification…
MN: HEY, HEY, HEY! He was pretty much fed to the wolves! His own stablemates were preoccupied with their own messes and The Fallen did a number on him. No one man can break the “New School” down, so that’s why we’re even HAVING this match! Dan Ryan’s too busy laying the proverbial pipe to this guy, so the odds are clearly NOT in Layne Winters’ favor.
DT: That colorful tirade notwithstanding, you’re very much right about the odds. Layne doesn’t even need to be pinned to lose the match. That being said, let’s go to ringside!
[We see several shows of the camera panning through the crowd, drawing cheers and people holding up signs. After a moment the bell rings, drawing another pop.]
TF: The following triple threat match is scheduled for one fall and is for the EPW Television Championship! Introducing first…
[The lights cut out seconds before “Rainmaker” blasts over the PA. As soon as the guitars kick in, green and white lights flash around the arena. “The Dragon” steps out from behind the curtain as the lyrics kick in, taking a quick look around the arena before walking to the ring, high-fiving fans and signing the occasional autograph. When he reaches the ring, he vaults over the top rope and stands on the middle rope, pointing out at and saluting the fans. On special occasions his entrance is largely the same, except for the use of fireworks when he steps from behind the curtain, and flames shooting up into the air from the corners as he stands on the second rope.]
TF: First, the challengers… currently in the ring, from Nottingham, England, weighing in at 211 pounds… KARL “THE DRAGON” BROWN!
DT: And here we go! Karl Brown, one of the most respected athletes in EPW history, looking to add the Television Title to his collection of accolades. .
MN: Hey, hey, hey! Layne Winters has been the TV Champion for almost an entire year! You can’t discount him.
[CUE UP: “Holy Mountain” by Sleep. Brown turns his attention from the referee over to the entrance, as “DOPESMOKER” ERIK BLACK emerges and starts striding down the rampway with a big, cocky smile on his face In his hand is none other than his Fallen brethren, Omega’s precious prize… BARB.]
TF: Next, making his way to the ring, from Indianapolis, Indiana, weighing in at 218 pounds… this is “DOPESMOKER” ERIK BLACK!
[Climbing into the ring, he smirks, keeping hold of Barb the entire time.]
DT: This is a man that’s seen quite the metamorphosis in the last several months ever since aligning himself with Stalker and Omega. He’s claimed that lately, his MO is about total destruction of anybody laid out in front of him. And with his current state of mind, he could very well do it.
DM: Can he even bring Barb out here? Can he do that?
MN: NO! GET THAT DAMN THING OUT OF THERE… AND MAKE HIM TAKE BARB WITH HIM! HI-YO!
[The two competitors glare at one another before turning their attention back to the entryway.
[CUE UP: “I Don’t Know Anything” by Mad Season. A decidedly negative reaction resonates through the crowd as “New School” Layne Winters’ HOPE video package plays on the EmpireTron.]
TF: And finally, making his way to the ring from Seattle, Washington... weighing in at two-hundred and fifty pounds... he is the REIGNING EPW TELEIVISION CHAMPION...
“NEW SCHOOL...”
LLLLAAAAAAYYYYYNNNNEEEE WWWWIIIIIINNNNTTTEEERRRSS!!!
SFX: *PYRO!!*
[As the lyrics kick in, “NEW SCHOOL” LAYNE WINTERS storms out onto the stage, posing briefly with the TV Title to the sea of jeering fans before making his way down to the ring.]
DT: And here comes the man of the hour himself. Layne Winters, by hook or by crook, made it out of New Mexico with the TV Title intact, but now he’s got his proverbial back against the wall against a perennial rival in DOPESMOKER while Karl Brown has made it his intent to wrestle the title away.
DM: The referee now calling for the bell to start this match… he’s holding up that EPW Television Title, which has been worn by many great champions in the past, including Fusenhoff and “The Phenom” Shawn Hart. Can either Erik Black or Karl Brown include their names on that list or will Layne Winters walk out of here?
MN: Wait, wait, wait… WHY does that stupid referee not take away Barb from him? This is a WRESTLING match! This isn’t under Stalker’s rules!
[Both Winters and Brown gesture to the referee, yelling for him to make Erik Black do away with Barb [although Winters’ choice of words is a little more colorful than that of the respectful Dragon] He shakes his head and explains the rules to both of them. While this goes on, Erik Black has a confident look on his face.]
DT: Wait, the referee is going to let this go? How could he condone this?
[He starts off the match the only way that Erik Black truly can…
CRACK!
Shot to the stomach to Layne Winters! And CRACK! A stiff shot over to Karl Brown! He raises Barb in the air to a very mixed reaction from the crowd.]
MN: Hey! I may not personally like this guy, but it’s a TRIPLE THREAT, genius! There’s no DQ and no count-outs! He’s playing the system!
DT: It’s still dishonest! Erik Black is better than this, he doesn’t need Barb to get it done in that ring.
[Ignoring Thomas’ pleas for reason, DOPESMOKER stands over both Winters and Layne, taking turns delivering boots to both men, getting the action started quickly. He drives Barb right into the rib cage of Winters repeatedly until he sees the Dragon beginning to stir. Running at him with a punt kick to the chest, The Dragon goes skittering across the ring!]
DM: You’re right, Dave. Erik Black’s change over the last couple weeks really has seen him act in a new light. He’s almost enjoying doling out this punishment to both Winters and Brown!
[Throwing Barb down at his side, he throws The Dragon into the ropes and starts choking the life out of him with his boot. The referee is again, helpless to look on and count a fall or submission since he couldn’t be DQed or counted out. Smirking with the match well in hand, the unpredictable Black continues to rain down the fists in the corner before launching him across the ring with an Irish whip. He follows the Dragon in with a STIFF Running Forearm shot in the corner!
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Layne Winters coming around, so he runs to the corner and BLASTS him with a pair of knees to the gut that would make Tony Jaa proud!]
DT: He’s going to town on both Winters and Brown, who are both still trying to shake off the effects of the beatdown from Barb! He’s really dancing around the rules tonight!
DM: And there’s nothing the referee or his opponents can do about it. He can do whatever he wants in the confines of the match!
[And he goes right back on the attack, but Karl Brown gets a jawbreaker in, stunning Erik for a moment. He runs to the ropes, but the DOPESMOKER stops him in his tracks with a swift kick to the stomach, followed by a Crescent Kick to the jaw! With the offense firmly in hand for the course of this match, he takes hold of Barb again, begging for him to get up.]
MN: Okay, he’s gonna earn a couple more cool points if he beats him senseless with that chair!
DT: And here comes Erik Black back on the assault swing… AND A MISS!
DM: OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH! But Layne Winters sure didn’t!
[Tired of being outplayed by the Escape Artist, Layne Winters CRACKS him right in the back of the skull with the Television Title belt. Seeing that turnaround was fair play, the fans jeered the New School who simply tossed the belt back to the referee, threatening to do something to his ass involving a boot.
With Black incapacitated, he takes full advantage of the downed Dragon in the corner, pummeling him about the head with several fists in the corner.]
Crowd: WHOO!
WHOO!
WHOO!
WHOO!
WHOO!
DT: Those Knife-Edge Chops working over Karl Brown, who has really yet to get out of the box between Erik Black’s assault and Layne Winters’s cutthroat nature!
[He kisses a fist before driving it right between the eyes of the England native, dropping him to the mat like a sack of potatoes. Kneeling over, Layne goes for the first cover of the match.]
ONE!
TWO!
NO!
[Karl fires a shoulder up, which only incenses the New School to go get back at him with a barrage of right hands.]
LW: STAY DOWN, YOU LIMEY ****!
MN: TAKE THE FIGHT TO HIM, WINTERS! RETAIN YOUR GOLD AGAIN!
[Whipping him to the ropes, he waits for the rebound, but Karl shows incredible athleticism, rolling right over his back and landing on his feet. Winters turns around, only to be greeted with a big Dropkick to the face! He gets right back up in a daze, only to be put down by a Clothesline from the Dragon. He tries for an Irish whip of his own and tries to toss Winters outside the ring, but Winters hops over the rope, landing on his feet.
He goes low, trying to hit a shoulder block on the Dragon, but Karl wisely gets a knee to the face! Effectively stunned, he leaps to the second ropes and hits an Ohtani-esque Springboard Dropkick to Winters, sending him out to the floor!]
DT: And what a Springboard Dropkick from Karl Brown! He doesn’t look like he’s missed a step since coming back to EPW.
MN: Whatever, he’s got so much rust in that ring, he makes the Tin Man look like a brand new Ferrari.
DM: Karl Brown’s got the momentum… WAIT, HERE COMES ERIK BLACK FROM BEHIND!
[Sure enough, before The Dragon can get any sort of a reprieve, he gets pulled down to the mat out of nowhere, courtesy of a Flying Neckbreaker from the Escape Artist. With the match back on his side, he goes to the outside where he starts to rain down a series of vicious kicks and punches to the TV Champion.]
DT: I’m noticing something as the match has been going on. On several occasions now, Erik Black has had opportunities to go for a cover.
DM: You’re right. It’s almost like he’s coming out here with full intent to hurt one or both of these guys—almost ahead of winning.
MN: Hey, if you’re gonna make a statement, beat people with everything not nailed down… hell, do it WITH things that are nailed down! That works sometimes!
[Both men think the exact same idea, hitting each other with stereo Clotheslines, both men falling on the floor outside. Back inside the ring, the Dragon is the first to stir as he sees both of his opponents laid out on the outside. Looking out to the sea of roaring fans, the usually grounded technician decides to give them their money’s worth by hopping on the second rope and flying to the outside with a Cross Body that hits BOTH Winters and Black!]
Crowd: RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!
DM: And this crowd is on their feet from this action! I can’t believe the risks that Karl Brown is willing to go through in order to get that Television Title!
DT: He’s said it himself on multiple occasions. There’s nothing he won’t do to walk out of here as the champion!
MN: How about you guys quit sucking him off and help me on commentary here! How about that?!
[Karl is the first of the three to get to his feet with Winters and Black both not too far behind. The Dragon grabs Winters by the tights, but the New School quickly claws an eye before SMACKING him head-first onto the apron. Rolling him underneath the ropes, he turns his attention over to Black.]
DT: BELLY-TO-BELLY SUPLEX ON THE FLOOR! That had to take the wind out of his sails!
MN: Sure enough! Layne Winters has this match in hand! He’s got both guys back in that ring now and he’s ready to show them why he’s had that title since last July!
[Winters, with a cocksure smile on his face, starts climbing onto the apron, ready to dole out some more punishment to both his challengers…]
Crowd: OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
DM: What the hell?! It’s Shawn Hart! What’s Shawn Hart doing out here?
DT: Payback!
[Sure enough, the injured, but infinitely more pissed EPW Intercontinental Champion pulls Layne Winters off the apron and spins him around before DRIVING him right into the mat with the Diamond Cutter aka The Hart-On!]
MN: DEAR GOD, WHY! SHAWN HART JUST CAME OUT HERE, ROUGHED UP LAYNE WINTERS AND GAVE HIM A HART-ON!
DT: …
DM: …
MN: …WELL?! SOMEBODY, DERIDE HIS ACTIONS! BOOHISSSHAWNHART!
[Looking down at the fallen Layne Winters, he nods in approval and blows a snot rocket on his own [ex?]stablemate before walking back up the ramp, still clutching his arm from the beating that he’d received from earlier in the night.]
DT: I can’t believe this! If HOPE wasn’t coming apart at the seams before, they sure are now!
DM: Shawn Hart heading back behind the curtain, but look!
[Back in the ring, The Dragon ties up Erik Black in a Small Package.]
ONE!
TWO!
THRR… NO!
DT: VERY close! Karl Brown and Erik Black now coming around after the damage that’d be done to both of them by Layne Winters, who may not be able to get BACK into this match!
[The Dragon goes right to work on the DOPESMOKER, kicking him with several shots to the leg before striking him with a volley of stiff forearm shots. He goes for a whip to the corner, but Erik Black cuts on the brakes and tosses him instead. With Brown firmly perched into the corner, the Escape Artist runs at his target looking for another striking move, but he gets a pair of feet up! Hooking him in the corner, he leaps out, connecting with the Diamond Dust!]
ONE!
TWO!
TH… NO!
DT: SO close, but Erik Black just will not give up! This is the most resilient and violent I think we’ve ever seen him!
[The Dragon remains undeterred in his quest for the EPW Television Championship as he tries to go for another move. Karl Brown goes to the corner and leaps to the second rope, looking for something big, but Black stops him just short, courtesy of a sucker punch to the chest. Grabbing him by the leg, he THROWS him out of the corner, sending him crashing to the mat.
Measuring him up for another assault, he pummels Karl Brown with a series of fists and kicks before starting to work him over about the head with rights. Kneeling over the head of The Dragon, Erik Black continues to rain down the blows to the top of the skull for a moment. After he lets go, the Dragon suddenly comes around and ties him up with an Inside Cradle!]
ONE!
TWO!
THR… NO!
DM: And there’s the cunning of Karl Brown coming into play. Even when he’s on the ground, he’s thinking a step ahead of his opponent!
[Karl Brown rolls to his feet to try and get momentum going, stunning the DOPESMOKER with several Knife-Edge Chops to the chest. He boots him in the chest and rolls off the ropes, but Erik Black catches him with a Fireman’s Carry…]
DT: STEAMROLLER! Erik Black caught him with the Steamroller and now he’s down and out! Erik Black with the lateral press!
ONE!
TWO!
THR… NO!
MN: Damn these two! And Layne Winters is still out on the outside, courtesy of Shawn Hart! These two are trying to win Winters’ TV Title and he may not even be involved! I call BS!
DT: That’s what this match IS!
DM: And now, Erik Black putting the boots to The Dragon. He’s got something big in mind here as he goes to the top rope!
[With back fully turned to the downed Karl Brown, The DOPESMOKER starts to ascend the top rope while the crowd buzzes, waiting to see what happens next. He gets a foot on the top when he feels a loud shot connect with the small of his back!
Karl Brown is also on the second rope right behind Black, looking to try and suplex him off the top. As the crowd looks on with suspense, Black throws an elbow backwards, hitting him right in the jaw. He tries to free himself, but the Dragon fires back with another clubbing shot to the head. Effectively stunning him, he hooks both arms, but when he looks down, he feels a pair of arms wrap around his own waist…]]
CROWD: HOLY SHI*T! HOLY SHI*T! HOLY SHI*T! HOLY SHI*T!
DT: I DON’T BELIEVE THIS!
DM: LAYNE WINTERS GOT BACK INTO THE RING AND JUST GERMAN SUPLEXED KARL BROWN WHILE HE HIT THE DRAGON WINS!
MN: HE’S BACK! LAYNE WINTERS IS BACK TO SLAY THESE TWO PRETENDERS!
[All three men are down and out on the mat as the fans give them a huge ovation. On the far side of the ring, Erik Black has collapsed into a heap, taking such a deadly move. Not too far off was Karl Brown, looking up at the ceiling lights wondering what the hell just happened. And still shaking off the effects of eating a Diamond Cutter from Shawn Hart, Layne Winters takes a reprieve, not letting either of his challengers out of his sight. He gets back to his feet and pummels both Black and Brown with a boots to each men’s sternum, wanting to punish them further. He picks Erik Black up first and drills him with a series of rights, then buries a knee right into the stomach before lifting him up and DRIVING him down across the knee with a picture-perfect Pendulum Backbreaker!]
DT: And this is a part of what makes Layne Winters so dangerous! He’s very methodical in his movement, and I’m thinking here, he’s making a statement the title is his!
DM: OOOH! Karl Brown caught Layne Winters with the dropkick, sending the TV Champion back into the ropes! Brown goes to the ropes…
MN: NO! LAYNE WINTERS CAUGHT HIM WITH THE OVERHEAD BELLY-TO-BELLY INTO THE TURNBUCKLE!
[The Dragon gets folded like an accordion, satisfying the TV Champ greatly. Grabbing him by the arm and dragging him over, he cradles the dead weight into a pin, pressing the body weight on top of Brown!]
ONE!
TWO!
SAVE BY BLACK!
DT: Black with the Dropkick to the face of Layne Winters, saving the match for himself!
MN: No, no, no! That freak screwed him out of the title!
DM: Wow, we know who you’re rooting for, eh, Neely?
[Erik Black tries to capitalize on a move, but Layne Winters goes low and picks a leg, attacking him with a Chop Block. Turning his attention back to The Dragon, he goes for an Irish Whip, but The Dragon somehow has the wherewithal to put on the brakes and send him into the corner. He runs at him and BLASTS him with a big Forearm Smash in the corner! But before too long…
DT: WHAT A RUNNING DROPKICK TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! AND NOW, LAYNE WINTERS IN TROUBLE!
DM: BARB! HE’S GOT BARB AGAIN AND HE JUST SMASHED WINTERS IN THE HEAD!
MN: NO, NO! WHAT’S BLACK DOING NOW?
[While the tide has firmly been turned, the DOPESMOKER now has Layne Winters trapped in the center of the ring with a submission attempt, pulling back on the head of Layne Winters, wedging Barb between them.]
DM: THAT’S THE COTTONMOUTH!
DT: HE’S GOT THAT SUBMISSION LOCKED IN AND HE’S USING BARB TO AMPLIFY THE DAMAGE! THERE’S NO WAY THAT LAYNE WINTERS WILL NOT TAP!
MN: DON’T TAP! DON’T TAP, DON’T TAP! YOU CAN BEAT HIM, LAYNE! YOU ALWAYS DO!
[He tries to fight, but the pain is way too much. Winters yells into the sky, waving a hand into the air as if he was contemplating tapping out. He closes his fist and tries with all his might to free himself from the excruciating confines of the submission hold that he’s locked into. Black pulls backwards, gritting his teeth.]
Black: YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY THIS TIME!
Winters: ****… YOU! **** YOU, YOU… BURNOUT!
[Defiant even with a hand being jammed down his throat, Winters bites down on his lips, not wanting to give Erik Black the satisfaction of letting him know he was in pain, but the DOPESMOKER pulls back further, waiting to hear the signs of tapping on the ground.]
DT: HE’S GOT THE HAND UP! I THINK HE’S GONNA…
DM: NO! KARL DRAGON! SHINING WIZARD TO BLACK!
MN: YES, I LOVE KARL BROWN! HE SAVED THE TV TITLE FOR LAYNE WINTERS!
[At least, that’s what Mike Neely thinks at first. However, when he picks up Layne Winters off the mat and sets him up in a Reverse DDT position, his demeanor quickly sours.]
MN: Wait, what? NO, NO!
DT: YES! HE GOT THE DRAGON’S BITE! THESE FANS HAVE GONE INSANE!
DM: WHAT A SLAM! THAT’S GOTTA BE IT!
ONE!
DT: NO! ERIK BLACK IS BACK IN THE RING!
TWO!
DM: ALMOST THERE!
[Erik Black jumps right into the fray, delivering a big elbow to the back of Karl “The Dragon’s skull, knocking him off the fallen body of Layne Winters…
THREEEEEEEEE!
[…one second too late.]
TF: HERE IS YOUR WINNER…. AND THE NNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW EPW TELEVISION CHAMPION… KARRRRRRRRRLLLLLL “THE DRAAAAAAGGGGGGONNNN” BRRRROOOOOOWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNN!
[Erik Black tucks his head down, glaring at the mat in a somber manner while Layne Winters is barely slipping into unconsciousness, courtesy of the Dragon’s Bite. He barely makes out the words of the ring announcer amidst the cheering of tens of thousands of screaming fans. Karl Brown just barely makes it back to his feet, the look of the win slowly registering on his face, solidified by the referee putting the title belt in his hands.]
DT: KARL “THE DRAGON” BROWN HAS DONE IT! JUST WHEN IT LOOKED BLEAK FOR HIM, HE RISES ABOVE AND WINS THE TELEVISION CHAMPION! THE TEN-MONTH REIGN OF “NEW SCHOOL” LAYNE WINTERS IS OVER!
MN: No… not fair… not fair… it took EVERYTHING to keep him down! EVERYTHING! Shawn Hart, Barb, Erik Black and Karl Brown… it took FOUR people to finally wrestle the title away from him! This is a farce! This is…
DM: A HUGE FEATHER IN THE CAP OF KARL BROWN, WINNING THE TELEVISION TITLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
[The Nottingham native, now with the title in his possession, raises his new Television Title for the crowd to see. Celebrating amongst the crowd, he keeps the title raised as tens of thousands of Portland fans reveled in his victory.]
MN: HE’S A G*DDAMN CROOK! DO YOU HEAR ME?! A THIEF!
DT: NO, HE’S THE CHAMPION! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!
DM: Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve still got a LOT left of Black Dawn to go! Stay tuned!
[CUTTO Backstage, we see Layne Winters walking aggressively toward The First before shoving him into the wall and getting right up into his face]
WINTERS: YOU THINK I'M BLIND?! SEND YOUR BOY HART TO COST ME MY TITLE, HE HELPS YOU WIN THE WORLD AND LEAPFROGS ME?
FIRST: What? No...
WINTERS: Read my lips you Goth abortion: HOPE...IS...DEAD! Since the day I joined up with you it's been one disappointment after another. You haven't won SH*T, and Shawn Hart's making a bad habit of costing me matches! I haven't trusted him since day f*cking one, I trust you even LESS, and if you think I hurt HIM bad, well...what do you think your chances of winning the title on a handicap are?
FIRST: Look Layne, we had a deal, you and me, and I regret that deal just about every day of my life, but I’m true to my word…So after I win the EPW World Title –
WINTERS: WHEN you win it?
FIRST: Yeah when I win it…Look, I’ve already got Anarky and Hart out for me, you want me dead too? Great, get in line, as far as I’m concerned I might as well make the bullseye as big as I can, so I might as well have the whole damn locker room gunning for me as EPW World Champion…
WINTERS: What are they gunning for? YOU HAVEN'T WON SQUAT! You talk too much and win too little. Sorry freak, I ain't interested in a subprime mortgage or a used car. And if breaking your painted little face is the only satisfaction I get out of tonight, so be it...
FIRST: Look, we had a deal…And that deal goes both ways, you get a title shot after I win…BUT your end of that deal was that you have my back until Black Dawn’s finished…So if you punch me out or crack my face…It’s not going to stop me…And once I’m World Champ…You start at the back of the line, and I know how bad you want that title…So go ahead Layne, throw it away, break my face…
[First leans forward, goading Winters to hit him, but Winters stands back seething with rage.]
WINTERS: [breathing heavy through his nose] The worst I was gonna do was send you to the hospital. They check you out, send you home for some rest, you live to fight another day. Go out there, get your title- if you can. And when you do, we'll have business. But know this: if you lose tonight, there's not going to be a quick hospital visit. I'll do everything in my power to see that you never wrestle again. That's a promise...Brian.
[Winters storms off.]
FIRST: Guess HOPE is dead….Guess it’s just up to me now…Win or lose…All in my hands…Time to find my Destiny…
[FADEOUT]