L ___ _ _ __ _ _ _ P / __(_)_ __ ___| |_ / _\ |_ _ __(_) | _____ R / _\ | | '__/ __| __| \ \| __| '__| | |/ / _ \ O / / | | | \__ \ |_ _\ \ |_| | | | < __/ \/ |_|_| |___/\__| \__/\__|_| |_|_|\_\___| ["Uprising" by Muse plays as the quick graphic opening to L-PRO First Strike rolls, and we dissolve into a young male in his mid to late twenties standing in front of the camera backstage in L-PRO Arena.] JD: Good evening wrestling fans, I'm Jesse DeCarlo and welcome to the inaugural edition of L-PRO First Strike! We're here a half hour before Breakout is due to start and already there's a buzz in the air for tonight's show! For those of you who don't know what this is, basically First Strike is your countdown to Breakout, right here on the internet for all you hardcore fans. We've got a couple of special bonus matches here tonight, plus comments from some of the talent who'll be in action later on the show itself. We'll also get all the late breaking news to you as soon as we have it. The big news tonight is the start of two tournaments, to crown LEGACY Pro tag team champions and a heavyweight champion! You'll be seeing two first round matchups on the tag side of things, and our main event is a qualifier to enter the upcoming four corners ironman match to crown the first ever L-PRO Champion! Either Angus Andrews or "Hollywood" Scott Masters will be the first man to join the special ironman match that's coming up in the near future, so there's a lot at stake. Later here on First Strike we'll take a special look at Angus Andrews and where he's come from, but for now we're going to send it to Stan Thomas, who's standing by with participants from one of our matches, the men of Black Mass Forever. Stan? [Backstage, Stan Thomas is with the Black Mass Forever. Billy Slice is standing front and center, quickly running two fingers down his Fu Manch before he glances at the camera, wearing a black tracksuit with neon green highlights. Shingen Ushitani is by his side, dressed in dark green leather pants and a matching motorcycle jacket while Bruno Verhoeven stands behind them, already wearing his ring attire and focused on taping up his hands.] ST: Billy, your charges had an impressive debut on Breakout when they ... [Billy Slice holds up his hands (revealing an unlit cigarette stuck between his fingers) and interrupts right away with a shrill giggle.] BS: You hear that, boys? That is the impression you gave them. [He points at Stan, his voice dripping with arrogance.] BS: "They" did not witness the dawn of a new age in this sport. "They" did not soil their cheap, tasteless, ill-fitting pants. "They" did not even hand over their shiny, new, little belts to us without thinking twice. [Billy turns to Bruno, who does not even look up.] BS: We expected more, didn't we? We _promised_ "them" more! So, tonight, I want you out there, unleashed. I want you to prove that - SU: Prooooove? [Shingen Ushitani's voice is surprisingly deep for a man of his size. All eyes turn to the Japanese wrestler as runs a hand through his wild, red hair.] SU: This ... this a ... test? [His accent is thick. It is obvious he has not much experience with the English language.] BS: Listen dude, I - [Shingen slowly shakes his head and Billy stops himself.] SU: I ... Shingen Ushitani ... the Oni Prince. I ... no do ... tests. Not for you ... not for them. I ... go to ring. I fight. I win. [His left hand mimics slowly clawing across his own face.] SU: They ... suffer. Good? [Billy Slice glances sideways at Bruno who has started to watch the exchange, no more relaxed but tense. Ushitani takes a step closer.] SU: Good, Billy? [Slice manages a crooked smile and starts to gesticulate anxiously.] BS: That is just splendid, dude. Just do your thing out there, make them cry, make them bleed, you know. I mean, I know you are the freaking Prince of Demons and all that jazz, that was never in doubt. Just show them some more of that Black Mass flavor. [Shingen stares at him for an uncomfortable moment, then just nods once, turns on his heels and walks out of the shot. Billy lets out a quick sigh of relief before he sticks his cigarette into his mouth and pushes his chest back out with bravado, even winking at Stan.] BS: You see, huh? You see how we play? Tonight will be more than "impressive" or "remarkable". Tonight shall be ... [A beat.] BS: _Infamous_. [Slice tugs on his mustache once more before we cut back to ringside.] ----------------------------------------- dARk mATCh BLACK MASS FOREVER VS. THE BROTHERS RUSSO ----------------------------------------- Utter domination was the name of this game, as Black Mass Forever made sure to make a statement with this against their unfortunate opponents. It was Bruno Verhoeven starting the match off, hammering away on Ellis Russo with a merciless power based attack, hurling him into the ropes for a devastating Black Mass Effect lariat and putting him down with a release german suplex before dragging him to his own corner to tag in his brother, Tony. The second Russo fared no better, even after Verhoeven tagged out and Shingen Ushitani slid in. Destroying Tony with a barrage of kicks that left him dazed and unable to protect himself, a springboard side kick took him down and set up for the Oni's Ambition. Not content to simply win the match Ushitani continued to drive home the point, delivering a BMR, a springboard axe kick from the middle rope in the corner. Ellis gamely tried to come in to aid his brother only to be cut down with a Yakuza kick first. Bruno returned after the tag and had his way with his opponents again too, pounding on Tony with a running punch to the side of his head, then scooped him up for an effortless turnbuckle powerbomb. Both men completely laid out, it wasn't enough though as BMF continued their work, an Ushitani superkick leading into a Verhoeven german suplex eliminated Ellis from the match completely, leaving Tony to absorb yet another Black Mass Effect. The crowd was irate at the sheer carnage being inflicted, and it was apparent that they had no interest in stopping the match at any point. Finally the official had enough and was forced to stop the match, awarding it to Black Mass Forever but not even that was good enough as Ushitani locked on a Koji clutch dubbed Oni's Tears to a helpless and practically unconscious Tony Russo. Bruno continued to toy with the fallen Ellis as well, dragging his lifeless body up into a bearhug, smashing him into the turnbuckles and then chucking him overhead with another suplex. Despite repeated warnings and ringing of the bell Black Mass Forever was disqualified, and a stream of officials and security were forced to stream out and herd the tag team away from the ring, as the decision was reversed. Outside the ring Billy Slice proudly gave his team a standing ovation as Bruno and Shingen calmly allowed themselves to be pushed back up the aisle, not laying a hand on the officials while the fervor of the crowd called for the BMF's blood. WINNERS: The Brothers Russo (by reverse decision) [Cut back to Jesse, who looks visibly disturbed by the scene in the ring.] JD: I don't think anybody had an inkling of what was in store, the Brothers Russo may pick up a win here tonight but nobody is going to be calling them winners. Black Mass Forever did what they set out to do, they proved their total dominance in that ring tonight. Statement made, gentlemen, and if I were a tag team watching that I'd be a little more worried the next time I have to face off with them. Speaking of making a statement, the next person you're going to hear from is a recent signee to LEGACY Pro and a man that's looking to make a name for himself in professional wrestling. Say hello to Elijah Little. [A young African-American man sits on a folding chair in front of a dark background, his hair short and just slightly wavy in a classic Dark Caesar cut, the top button of his otherwise plain white dress shirt open. The man is of roughly average size - it's hard to tell, exactly, given that he's sitting, but he looks like he might be 5 foot 8, 5'9" maybe? He's clearly in good shape, with an athletic build, but given the walking behemoths and muscle-bound freaks of nature that tend to populate the pro wrestling game, he looks distinctly small in comparison. The man smiles, reacting to an unseen cue from out of the shot, and he leans forward slightly as he begins to speak.] EL: My name is Elijah Little. I've been wrestling for around eight years now. I've just signed a contract with LEGACY Pro, and I could not be more excited to be part of this legacy, connected to this history... because the UWF changed my life. Let me explain how. [Little leans back again, folding his hands in front of his chest.] EL: I was never one of the big kids growing up, and when I was seven years old and hadn't hit any of my growth spurts yet... let's just say I got bullied. Every day, to the point that I would get sick, physically ill, every morning before I had to go to school. I was terrified. And then one day, just by blind luck, my dad decided to order a show for me - knowing how much I loved wrestling. He let me stay up way too late on Sunday night, even though it was a school night, and watch a Pay-Per-View from some new outfit up in Canada. And that's when I saw it, the example that changed everything, the match that saved me. I saw the biggest, nastiest, meanest bully that ever was. I saw a giant of man, evil coming off of him in waves, a man who just wanted to hurt people because he could. And I saw the smallest wrestler I'd ever seen, a guy that kind of made me think of myself, a little guy who jumped around and flew, and who never gave up. I didn't just see the small guy stand up to the big bully. I saw the small guy BEAT the big bully. I saw Youth Gone Wild beat Serge Annis. [Little smiles - no, it's more than a smile, it's a wide grin, the nostalgia of that key childhood mark-out moment playing involuntarily across his face.] EL: When you're a wrestling fan, those big wins are few and far between... but they mean so much. I went back to school one day with a YGW t-shirt hidden underneath my uniform. I stood right up to three of the biggest, meanest kids, three huge bullies who took my lunch money and shoved my books out of my hands every day. I looked the biggest one right in the eye, and even though I was shaking inside I told him I wasn't afraid of him. They whooped my ass. [Elijah pauses for a moment here, just enough of a wait to build some anticipation for the rest of the story.] EL: They did it again on Tuesday, and the whole week in fact. Every time, they beat me down. Every time, I had that Youth Gone Wild shirt. And every time, I told them I wasn't afraid of them. Until one time, all of a sudden... I knew it and they knew. I really meant it. I wasn't afraid. And once a bully senses that, they lose interest. They have no power over you anymore. To all the fans of L-PRO, to all the Little Guys out there who feel bullied or ignored, I promise I will always fight for you. I'm not the biggest or the strongest guy in the ring. I'll get knocked down. But I will always, always get back up. And to the bullies that are in every wrestling locker room, to the jacked-up jerks who worry more about their lats than a lateral press and the cheap-shot artists who never met a rule they didn't want to break, I have a message for you, too. [Little pauses again, but this time it's to allow the camera to zoom in tight, tighter and tighter until we're in an extreme close up focused just on Elijah's pale brown eyes.] EL: I am NOT afraid of you! [We hold on that close-up, Little's eyes brimming with determination, holding a confident gaze into the camera, before we cut away.] JD: I for one am greatly anticipating Elijah's debut here, his story is such an inspirational one and it's hard not to want to see him live his dream here in L-PRO. You can expect to see him here very soon. We've heard and seen a lot about the burgeoning tag team division going on in L-PRO, and last week the team of Greatness claimed victory over Ellis and Tony Russo on Breakout. But apparently scoring their first victory here wasn't good enough, as the team of Christopher Michaelson and Tyler Rose seemed to take offense to the supposed "return" of tag team competition. Here they are now with some comments on the matter. [We cut backstage where L-PRO greatness stands … To the left stands the "Personification of Perfection" Tyler Rose and joining him on the right is "The Epitome of Excellence" Christopher Michaelson. The two long time tag team legends stand in front of the L-PRO backdrop extended across in it's full glory.] TR: LEGACY Pro … Last week, we sat backstage after our five minute work out and watched this glorified tag team roster. We listed to the excitement as the backstage gossip was all about the return of tag team wrestling. [Tyler stands there looking puzzled.] TR: The return? Hey, Christopher? Where did it go? Greatness has been dominating tag team ranks around the globe for around 15 years now. Everywhere we have been, we have revolutionized tag team wrestling. From Solid Gold to Greatness we have lived up to our name and reputations. You want to talk about legacies? That's fine ... We are still living ours! [The Epitome of Excellence cuts in … When Christopher Michaelson speaks the world listens.] CM: For fifteen long years, Tyler and I have been walking that aisle to collect championship gold, and every time we put those fifteen pound belts around our waists, where ever we were became the talk of the industry. And yet, it seems like time after time the promotion would run out of funding … and do you know why that was? [No question Tyler knows the answer as he smirks and nods his head as Christopher continues to speak.] CM: Because the big brass in charge would throw stacks upon stacks of cash at some legend, who only wanted a payday. So Mr. So-Called Legend would be smiling to the bank as Tyler and I were carrying the place on our backs. Everytime we step into the ring, the crowd knows they are seeing the best of the best. They know the bar will be risen for the rest of this industry … they know Greatness is before them. And yet once again it doesn't seem the big brass in charge doesn't fully grasp what we bring … what we are! LEGACY Pro … you are not going to build a legacy by bringing in the likes of the Taylor Twins. [Tyler nods in agreement.] CM: And there is no way you're going to be able to survive bringing in the likes of Max Weinrib, Sal Mubark or that duo of clowns, the heat. Oh I know, everyone on the twitter-verse raves about those four … calls them the future of the industry …. but they are NOT! They may have looked good in Phoenix … like that means anything in this business. I was in Phoenix and I know that place was nothing but ditch diggers, wanna-be goths and a three ring circus of violence and crap! Yet, here's Legacy-Pro, rolling out the red carpet with the trumpets blaring upon the arrival of their saviors … [Michaelson pauses, running his hands through his long brown hair, a few strands of silver can be seen it., which has to be expected as he is nearly forty years of age. He begins to shake his head, a look of disgust upon his face.] TR: Preach it brother. While the foundation of this place is built on the memory of the past. Greatness still has plenty gas in the tank. Dominating tag division's isn't just something we talk about. It's just what we do … It's our way of life. The Golden One and I are honored to once again carry the standard and be the measuring sticks to what tag team wrestling is. [Tyler nods.] TR: Once again, Greatness will walk down that aisle and fill the seats and bank accounts. We encourage this glorified tag team roster to step up. Give us a challenge …. [Rose turns to his partner, Michaelson.] TR: It would be a first. [The two men snicker at the comment.] TR: In the end, for us, it's not about legacies. We were born with it. Inside that ring we will continue our dominance because we can. And all the rest of you? You get to witness greatness. [We fade to Gold … Solid Gold.] JD: Greatness definitely seems a little hot under the collar over not being given their proper due, but whether you like them or you don't they boast more experience between them than nearly the rest of the division combined. Success has come to them on both the tag team and singles side of things, and if there's a team that might have a leg up on the others with their wrestling IQ, it may very well be Greatness. [The camera fades in to see Stan Thomas, wearing his typical dark blue suit and holding the microphone.] ST: Folks, we have some more exciting LEGACY Pro Action coming up! But first... [In walks Danny Holden. The tall, gangly youngster is wearing his wrestling trucks and a jakcet, and is carrying a small blackboard. Instead of address the camera, he walks over to Stan, hands him the blackboard, and takes the microphone from Stan's hand.] DH: (to Stan) Turn it around so it faces the camera. [Stan looks a little annoyed, but does so. On the front of the mini blackboard is written "DANNY HOLDEN STREAK'. Underneath, in chalk, it reads '1-0' Danny adjusts the blackboards to straighten it in front of the camera and begins speaking.] DH: Well, last week was a monumental moment- my first win in LEGACY Pro. And I thought it was important to record this information for posterity's sake- for my own Legacy. And Stan here is kind enough to show my current won-loss record for all of you fans, so can follow as those numbers continue to go up... and up... and up. And tonight- we're going for 2 and 0. Great job, Stan. [Danny takes the blackboard back, hands the microphone back to Stan, and walks out, leaving Stan a little miffed as the camera fades to black.] --------------------------- dARk mATCh DANNY HOLDEN VS. DREW LOCKE --------------------------- Already familiar with him from the previous week, the crowd showering Holden with loud boos as he entered the L-PRO Arena. Holden couldn't have cared less, and from the moment the bell rang had his opponent, a rookie named Drew Locke, on his back focusing on his arms and twisting him into a hammerlock, dropping knees into the small of his back before switching up into a headlock. For good measure Holden used a series of deadly knee strikes into the face to keep Locke from so much as getting back to his feet unless pulled up, hitting a textbook butterfly suplex and maintaining the hold on his arms to bridge into another submission hold. The match finally came to an end after Holden employed his armbar submission to score the win by tap out, as Locke clutched his shoulder post-match. Holden rolled to his feet, barely winded at all and scored the victory, holding up two fingers to signify 2-0. WINNER: Danny Holden (via Armbar) [Cut back to Jesse in the locker rooms.] JD: So another victory racked up for Danny Holden, the first man to go 2-0 here in LEGACY Pro so far. You have to think he's a favorite for the L-PRO Heavyweight Title at least based on momentum, and later- wait, what? [Jesse puts a finger up to his earpiece.] Ladies and gentlemen we've got something going on out in the arena now, we're going to cut back there- [Back to the L-PRO Arena we go as the ring is a scene of chaos. Black Mass Forever is back on the scene suddenly, while Holden is seen leaving the ringside area. Surrounding the ring are the same officials from before, and the referee in the ring tries to admonish them but it's all for naught as both Ushitani and Verhoeven lay into Locke with a series of kicks and stomps all over his body, the rookie just trying to cover up as best he can. Kneeling down, Bruno begins to aply a camel clutch, stretching him out as his partner repeatedly facewashes him with his boot. He's clearly unconscious now, and Bruno drives his own skull into the back of Locke's head with a vicious headbutt, and with an impressive show of strength rises to his feet and lifts the unconscious man up in one move. Shingen sets up and viciously superkicks him backwards into a german suplex from the Hellspawn. The bell rings several times and the officials attempt to talk the two men down, but Billy Slice is guiding his team to continue the destruction in the middle of it all.] JD: This is unnecessary, come on! Get in there and break this up! [Verhoeven reaches down and lifts Locke up by the head, as a river of blood flows down his face, having been busted open from the violent superkick. He's not offering any resistance at all as Ushitani climbs to the outside apron; Verhoeven again picks up the dead weight that is Drew Locke and hoists him up across his shoulders face up, and at their manager's behest Ushitani leaps up and springboards off the top rope and catches Locke on the way down as Bruno drops him with an inverted death valley driver at the same time! The crowd gasps in horror as Locke is left crumpled on the canvas a bloody mess, and the members of BMF rise to their feet and stand over him as officials continue to scream at them to leave.] JD: Oh my god, THE DEATH KNELL DRIVER! Somebody stop this! [In the chaos and confusion, it's Slice who grabs the house microphone and climbs up onto the timekeeper's table and begins to speak to the hostile crowd.] BS: Are you feeling it now? Can you hear the sound of drums? Don't worry, it is just your hearts, panicking as you realize just who has entered your realities. [In the ring, Bruno lazily kicks their victim into the ribs, causing him to roll over.] BS: We are the Black Mass ... Forever. Mercy is no virtue, cruelty is no vice. [Bruno goes down to one knee and drags his gloved hand over the wound, smearing blood all over the man's face.] BS: And your desperation will be our ... _salvation_! [As the crowd boos and finally L-PRO referees start to break into the ring we cut back to the locker room area to a disgusted looking .] JD: They've gone too far! Black Mass Forever have demolished everybody in their path tonight but there was no reason at all to do that! Drew Locke is just a rookie, and that Death Knell Driver may have just ended his career before it even began! Hopefully they can get him out of there and sent to the local hospital here, but L-PRO officials need to do something about Black Mass Forever. That is inexcusable! Fans, we're going to break away and show you that look at Angus Andrews right now, hopefully we'll have more information on the status of Drew Locke here for you. [We open on a black screen with a placard which reads:] "THE FOLLOWING FOOTAGE WAS FILMED OVER THE COURSE OF TWO WEEKS IN EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA." [The words fade as the various sounds of inside a car fill the remaining black screen. Keys jingle and a car engine stops.] "I haven't seen Rufus in close to twenty years." [A car door slams shut, the sound bringing us to color. We find ourselves in the parking lot of a rundown gym, grey clouds invading the Easton sky. Angus Andrews, wearing a white L-PRO t-shirt and gym shorts, peruses the area with a nostalgic gleam in his dark eyes.] AA: Not since my last day of training in the late Nineties. To say he wasn't very proud of what I've done with my career would be the understatement of the last two decades. [Angus opens the back door of his tan Toyota Corolla to retrieve a weathered gym bag and slings it over his shoulder. He runs a hand over his scarred forehead, feeling the individual creases as if remembering the derivation of each one.] AA: How could he be proud? He taught me headlocks and armbars and I gave back glass and barbed wire. Not exactly the ideal pupil. But, this tournament gives me my first real crack at a World title in years, so I couldn't imagine going to anyone else. [After a cracked smile, Angus closes the Corolla door and heads towards the front of the gym. Cut to the gym's interior. It appears to be a slow day for the establishment as very little equipment is being occupied. A few wrestling hopefuls passionately pump some heavy iron, grunts and clanking fill the room. Overlooking these lifters is a stout older man. He's all business in a "Easton Weights" t-shirt that is two sizes too small, revealing that he was once in better shape. The photos of a much younger version of him, muscular and a full head of hair, confirm that the t-shirt has seen better days. After adjusting his lifting belt he signals to the camera with a brief wave and enters an office on his left. The door closes and we cut to footage of a red faced Angus struggling to lift some particularly heavy weights. He completes his set, dropping the weights to the floor and releasing a sigh of relief. We hear a gruff voice over the footage.] GRUFF VOICE (VO): My name is Rufus Knox, and I trained Angus Andrews. [Angus places his face between the crook of his arm while supporting his body against a wall. The shot holds on him breathing heavily, then cuts to a close-up of Rufus Knox sitting in his office. His face is weathered, and his demeanor closed off.] RK: I'd say the hardest part was the wasted potential. The kid had it. He was a natural. Just couldn't get him to listen. Things always had to be done his way, on his time. The business doesn't work that way. I tried to teach him that, but he chose to learn things the hard way. [Older footage of a younger Angus Andrews is shown. The camera is shaky and the ring canvas is covered in blood and Japanese lettering. The ring ropes have been replaced with three rows of barbed wire, which is loose and tangled in spots. A crimson waterfall flows from the forehead of Angus, who violently presses on the neck of a young Japanese wrestler whose throat is draped over a line of wire.] RK (VO): It's not easy watching that crap, you know? Especially when that's your protege in the ring. He was like a son to me, so I had expectations for his future. But instead of glory, years of my training, experience and life go into him doing that kinda stuff. What kind of legacy is that to leave behind? He had it all going for him, the kid could have been a World Champion. If he could've just gotten out of his own way, things could've been different. [Cut back to Rufus shaking his head in disappointment.] RK: Things could have been different. Maybe this tournament in Toronto can be a turnaround. Who knows? [Cut to Angus sitting on a bench in gym. He guzzles down a healthy gulp of water, much of it drizzling down the hair of his salt and pepper beard. He wipes down his face with a towel and lets out a sigh.] AA: I started noticing a change in myself around my late teens. I was training then, and my head was filled with dreams. I was gonna be a professional wrestler, and I was going to be great. No one could tell me otherwise. Then a friend of mine got some scalped tickets to IIWF Forever [Laughs]. Our crazy asses hitchhiked across the country to Portland for that show. Rufus pulled some strings with Spreadsbury, got us backstage. I got to meet Joe Petrow, he was a favorite of mine at the time. [Angus takes another drink of water, his reminiscent vibe shifting drastically to disdain.] AA: He told me to go home, become a bus driver or something. Said I didn't have what it took to be in the wrestling business let alone be a champ. Called me pathetic and kicked me out of the locker room. That changed a lot for me. Made me see a different side of the business. Brought out that hatred. That anger. [Rapid footage of an even younger Angus shoots across the screen. Multiple clips of disqualification finishes, subsequently known as the thirteen DQ fiasco, are shown in succession.] AA: Life no longer became a matter of wins or losses or championships. It became solely about proving my own point. To prove that I didn't need to be a great wrestler, I just needed to hurt people. Then everyone would notice. I fully went down that road, and it was a difficult one to get off of. Even more difficult getting anyone to give me a second chance. [Cut to Angus taking down a trainee with a drop toe hold. Rufus Knox stands ringside with a subtle glow in his eye.] RK: Good, good. Make sure to transition to that headlock before he has a chance to make a decision. [Angus applies the headlock with a look of determination one has not seen in the man's eyes in years. Rufus grins, reliving a time long past.] AA (VO): L-PRO has given me that second chance. [Angus releases the headlock as the trainee rolls out of the ring. Rufus enters, giving Angus a towel while patting him on the back. Cut.] JD: It's been a long road indeed for Angus Andrews, and tonight he has a major opportunity to get his name into the championship match. Standing in his way is Scott Masters though, it's not going to be an easy task at all. We're almost out of time here, so as we leave you we have a look at two competitors we'll get to see in just a couple of minutes. Stan "The Man" Fox is a young up and coming star, and tonight he'll be in action against the second generation rookie Eddie Kirkpatrick. We'll see you next time folks, and enjoy Breakout! [Cut to the locker room backstage at the L-PRO Arena. Seated on a bench is Stan "The Man" Fox, wearing his tights and a sleeveless t-shirt. He is in the process of getting ready for his match when a polite, almost cheerful voice interrupts him.] "Lace 'em tight, Mr. Fox." [Stan looks up from what he's doing, and as he does so the camera pulls back. It reveals a large and impressively built young man standing in the doorway. He's very obviously dressed for war. He's in white Muay Thai styled shorts trimmed with black flames, black boots with white kickpads, taped fists and black elbow pads. Standing six and a half feet tall and spectacularly muscled, this man is none other than Eddie Kirkpatrick, Stan's opponent for the evening. Stan "The Man" rises quickly from the bench, to which Eddie raises his hands plaintively, smiling all the while.] EK: Easy, man. I came to talk. That's all. [Stan is obviously wary as he watches Eddie.] SF: Yeah right. Figured you'd try to make your night easier with a little Pearl Harbor job before the match, huh? You really are like your dad. [Eddie chuckles softly, then pauses.] EK: Wait... was that it? [The smile on his face broadens into an almost Cheshire Cat-like grin. He replies acidly to Stan's taunt.] EK: Come on, man! I thought you'd have something better for me. "Well if it isn't The Bastard's Bastard!" or maybe "Oh hi Eddie! How are the rest of the Sabbat Justice Muppet Babies?" [The fire in Eddie's eyes is almost manic. Fox is still hesitant, but softens just slightly in his tone.] SF: Don't get hot, kid. EK: Maybe even, "Oh look, it's Eddie Kirkpatrick. He's Nepotism-Pro's Most Likely to Appear on Maury Povich"! [Eddie leans closer, letting the smile die on his face. His stare is intense on Stan Fox, who isn't backing down in the least, his arms folded across his chest.] EK: You think I haven't heard all of these before? I have. And I'm still here. And despite what you may think of me, I'm going to do this. [Eddie extends his open hand to Stan "The Man".] EK: I respect this business. I respect the opportunity afforded me. And I appreciate you giving me my first match in Legacy PRO, Mister Fox. Remember, this is an opportunity for you, too. After all, I didn't see your name on the main splash page of the website, and I sure don't recall you getting a podcast interview. But if you beat this upstart kid, you just might. SF: Hmm. Good point. EK: I've got an offer to make you. Winner buys the beer, loser entertains the winner with road stories. SF: Winner buys? EK: Reverse Frat Boy rules, yep. [Stan thinks about it and shakes Eddie's hand. A cocky smile appears on his face.] SF: What kinda good road stories can a rookie have anyways? EK: You forget, I traveled with one of the craziest men in our industry. [They both chuckle at this.] EK: And what I said before still stands, Mister Fox. [Holding the handshake, Eddie's eyes harden.] EK: Lace your boots, and lace them tight. Because if you think for an instant you can underestimate me, I'll throw you clean out of them. [Eddie breaks the handshake and turns to leave. He looks over his shoulder a moment.] EK: I came here to wrestle, and that's what we're gonna do. Bring the best you've got, because you know I will too. [Eddie leaves and we fade on Stan Fox, staring in the direction of his opponent defiantly.]