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 Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 11:04 pm
Salem braced his stop by reaching out and grabbing the edge of the ring as he passed, his knee sufficient enough to stun Killman and send the sadistic son-of-a-b***h to his back. Gasping a little, Croft could feel his wind coming back - the crowd, cheering him on as he turned and raised the kendo stick high with a triumphant roar. Glancing down at Ryan, "The Copperhead" slinked over towards him, slithering like a prowling serpent before standing next to his enemy's head. Lowering the kendo stick like a golf club, Salem traded sport for sport and cocked his shoulders back, twisting his hips to prepare a long-drive swing for Killman's cheek, aiming to loosen a few teeth in the process!
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 12:16 am
the kendo stick went CRACK against Killman's head. The unhinged superstar rolled away from the copperhead former champion as he clutched at his head.
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:31 pm
Salem was seething as he stared down at Ryan, watching him writhe while gripping his head after the debilitating blow from the cane. Reaching down, "The Copperhead" would grasp at a handful of Killman's hair, hoping to drag the man up to waist-level and lock him up with a double-underhook! If he were successful, Salem would then start high-stepping, seeking to slam his knees in alternating fashion up against Ryan's ribcage, simultaneously trying to stagger the man back a few steps with each successive blow!
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:44 pm
[The winner of this contest is Salem Croft.]
[The following is the ending to the match, as told by Salem Croft.] Salem Croft Salem’s knees connected, each high-step sending a hard shot to Ryan’s abdomen and forcing a guttural gasp for air out of the would-be radical. The crowd, meanwhile, began to count along with the knees, measuring the number of times “The Copperhead” kicked at Killman – the young man, only seeming to grow more enthralled with the violence he was causing with every shuffle of their feet around ringside.
”ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE!” they sounded off, the cameraman getting a close-up on Ryan’s face as the count reached ten. Each number the fans screamed registered through his expressions like the faces on a pain chart, one of those silly cartoon depictions used to help kids identify their level of suffering. Wincing, his arms unable to break free from the double under-hook, Ryan was rendered helpless but to only shuffle backward with each blow in hopes of getting some space and room to breathe. By this time, Salem had backed his victim up by the length of one of the ring’s sides, but the former BBW World Champion wasn’t stopping there. With more bludgeoning knees, Salem sought to bruise and break Ryan’s ribcage, continuing the assault around the ringside steps and down the next side of the squared circle! Thirteen, fifteen. SEVENTEEN KNEES had surely been enough to shatter this b*****d’s bones, but Salem wasn’t taking any chances…his aggression, his malice for the man who’d cost him his first and only world title was enough to motivate him into continuing his savage attack to the corner diagonal from the one he’d started from.
”EIGHTEEN! NINETEEN! TWENTY!!!” they exclaimed, Salem coming to a stop at the second set of ringside steps he’d passed since beginning the death march. Looking around for a second, “The Copperhead” caught his breath for a moment, not having realized just how exhausting so many hard knees would be on the body, especially one as resilient as Ryan Killman. Nevertheless, the crowd was anything but tired, chanting proudly for the ‘people’s champion’ ”BBW! BBW!” to show their pride. Ryan had started to squirm, gasping gruesomely as he tried to recover some breath from having it beaten from his chest. But before he could manage to do so, Salem dropped backward – sending Killman’s face into the steel steps with a DDT! The impact put an exclamation point on the audience’s enthusiasm, breaking the stairs into their two pieces in the process and leaving Ryan laid out across the arena floor in an unconscious state!
Lying with his back on the bottom half of the steps still, Salem looked up at the stadium lights for a second before rolling over and onto the matted ground, facing the apron from his forearms. Reaching underneath the ring, he grabbed a slab of wood and dragged it out, much to everyone’s delight. Save for Ryan, who was only just starting to rouse and clutch his ribcage in agony. As Salem assembled the table on the outside, near the corner, Ryan rolled over and started trying to claw up the apron, desperately reaching for the bottom rope with hopes of getting back on his feet before Salem noticed. Once the wood was propped up, however, the young superstar glanced back over at Ryan before quickly moving to the barricade nearby, urging some standing fans in the front row to part for him. Once they’d done so, “The Copperhead” reached over and grabbed a chair from the aisle, folding it up and turning around to see Killman continuing to stand, now seizing the bottom rope. Turning around and putting his back against the side of the ring, the pair locked eyes on each other just as Salem rushed over to swing for the fences! Quick to react, though, Ryan ducked to the ground and left Croft with only the ring to hit, the force of steel on steel rattling his wrists and forcing him to drop the chair. Ryan, meanwhile, began to crawl towards the mouth of the ramp, trying to get some distance between him and the Serpent of BBW. Having none of it, Salem started off after him, grabbing Killman by the hair and lifting him up before whipping the Unruly One back into the side of the ring! Hitting it chest-first, Ryan rolled hard over the edge and onto the canvas, ending up on the center of the mat as Salem slid in behind him. The referee, too, made an appearance, approaching the duo before the man in control of the match snatched the mic away, shouting down at Killman.
”You had enough yet?” Salem spat, staring down at his exhausted enemy with a look reserved for only the most deserving of condemnation. Slapping Ryan’s cheek with his spare hand, Salem tried rousing the man back to life so as to get an answer. ”Well?! ANSWER ME!” he roared, fans hoping Killman would call it quits as his eyes began to open once again. Instead, an arm shot up to grasp Salem by the throat, a sickening smile, complete with bloodied teeth, on display from the jerk who’d been terrorizing the top face of BBW for the last several shows.
Thumb pressed into Salem’s larynx, Killman sunk in his signature submission from his back, forcing Salem to use his open hand and try to pry Ryan’s grip away. This played into his opponent’s favor, however, as Killman slipped his spare hand out from his hip pocket, slapping a pair of cuffs to the wrist Salem was using to defend and the one Killman was using to attack! Eyes widening, “The Copperhead” was caught by surprise – striking the microphone across Ryan’s face to break the choke that was turning his face red with the blood rush. Falling next to the man on the mat, Salem rubbed his throat with the hand that wasn’t cuffed, taking a second while Ryan caught his breath to consider the situation he now found himself in.
Ryan started to sit up, still cradling his ribs with the hand not bound to his sworn rival. Salem, too, was working on getting back up, if only because he was left with little choice given how his mobility was currently handicapped. Once they’d both got back to a vertical base, however, Ryan threw a stiff elbow into Salem’s chin, who was forced to eat the strike since he’d not fully adjusted to the concept of handcuff fighting. The dirty tactic was right up Ryan’s alley, though, and by taking advantage of the links connecting them the gangster started jerking “The Copperhead” off balance, repeatedly pulling him into stiff elbows and punches that were leaving Salem’s head numb and vision rattled. Ordinarily, the former champ would be taking advantage of jumps and kicks, utilizing his high-octane offense to dazzle the crowd and disorient his opponents. But this was new, and being grounded was obviously not part of Salem’s game-plan.
Struggling to stand up despite being in striking distance of his enemy at all times, Salem sought to weather the storm and try to hold his chin up until an opening presented itself. At Ryan’s mercy for the moment, Croft was driven into the corner with a hard running shoulder, rammed spine-first into the ring post while the wind was taken out of both his lungs and the fans’ sails with one fell swoop. Before Ryan could further take advantage of his opportunity, Salem started to step up onto the turnbuckles, trying to find some space vertically where he couldn’t get it horizontally. Ryan started up the corner as well, though, pursuing Salem and hooking his head with his spare arm to try and initiate a lock-up from the top rung! Ryan wrenched back, but for whatever reason – whether it was “The Copperhead” weighing him down or his abdominal muscles giving out on him after the twenty-piece his ribs had taken – he couldn’t get Salem up and over for the Superplex! Once, he tried! Twice! But on the third time, it was Salem who instead did some heavy lifting of his own, hammering at Ryan’s chest with his free fist before locking the arm around his neck, falling backward off the corner to drag both of them off and into the outside table with another DDT!
”HOLY s**t! HOLY s**t!”
The crowd chanted, giving it up for the hellacious spot created when both men vanished in a pile of broken board and splinters, neither one making efforts to move following their trip through the sturdy table. Still, the replay being broadcast on the Titantron showed that Salem took just as hard of a bump – if not harder – when he hit the table back-first and banged the back of his head against the ground in the process of delivering his deadly DDT. Thus, it wasn’t a complete surprise when Ryan was the first to start moving, making an effort to reach in his pocket and fish out the keys keeping the pair bound together by the handcuffs. After managing to unshackle himself from Salem, Ryan groaned, scraping at the mats to get away from his opponent and make his way back towards the ramp on his hands and knees. Booing the man profusely, the audience berated the b*****d for his apparent cowardice, but their jeers turned to cheers once Salem rose up from the table’s rubble, staggering and stumbling after Killman to try and catch his prey before he’d made it back to the stage. As the chase to the backstage curtain progressed, both men started to pick up steam and get their legs about them – Ryan, working on a run towards the top of the ramp as Salem shuffled up after him, gaining speed and closing the distance. Just when it looked like Ryan was about to reach the curtain untouched, however, Salem streaked up from behind and leapt forward – dropkicking Killman in the back and sending him through the stage’s LED screen with a shower of sparks! Repeating their expletive-laden chant from before, the crowd ate up this change in intensity seen in the ‘new’ Salem Croft, who moved his arms and legs about like he was making a snow angel in the place where he’d fallen following the dive. After a second, the smoke and sparks had dissipated from sight and “The Copperhead” had managed to get back up despite his lack of equilibrium, not allowing his body to give up on him so close to victory. Approaching the destroyed display, Salem grabbed at Ryan’s ankle and began heaving back with both hands, tugging the man by the pant leg back across the stage and down the ramp, much to the audience’s delight.
There was something strangely satisfying, watching Ryan’s lifeless-looking body as Salem dragged him down the ramp and back towards the ring. For weeks, he’d been a thorn that’d worked deep into Croft’s skin, stabbing him where he was most sensitive and hitting a nerve by being the unforeseen factor to cost him a fruitful and iconic world title run. Salem had set fire to Jarel, stapled Hiro’s face, but seeing Ryan so still and limp in this moment brought a smile back to the lad’s face, regardless of how exhausted he was at this point in their grueling test of wills. Once he’d reached the edge of the ring, Salem lifted Killman up and rolled him back onto the canvas, sliding in again after him before approaching from a knelt position. Reaching into Ryan’s pocket, Salem pulled out the handcuff key and unfastened himself from them, finally feeling comfortable without the steel clasped to his wrist. Instead, though, Salem dragged Ryan towards the Northeast corner of the ring, propping him up in a seated stance against the turnbuckles with his hands raised to the top rope. Slipping the cuffs across his wrists, Croft latched Killman’s arms to the top rope on each side of the corner, backing up to admire his handiwork while Ryan finally came to.
”Heh…now, then…” Salem said from the center of the ring, snatching the mic once again from the referee who was making his way towards Ryan. Instead, it seemed Salem wished to take his time, savor the experience of holding someone’s freedom in his hand…much as he presently did, dangling the handcuff keys out for Killman to see. ”I know you want these, but I’m afraid you’re not going to get them…that is, until you say the magic words, Ryan.”
With that, Salem strutted over towards his adversary, making sure to stay out of the man’s reach, just close enough to dangle the microphone out where Ryan would felt taunted and humiliated by the position he was currently in. Glaring, Killman spat back a rather derogatory phrase, hocking a loogey onto Salem’s chest which the latter wiped off with a disgruntled grin. Turning around, it almost looked like “The Copperhead” was going to walk away before he whipped back around and charged the corner, viciously stomping on the battered ribs of Ryan Killman. Each crushing kick forced an anguished gasp from the trapped tyrant, who received no sympathy from the fans when Salem stopped his assault and turned around, slapping his chest with a mighty thump of his forearm to reignite the arena with cheers. About-facing to Ryan once more, Salem held the microphone out again, urging Ryan to reconsider his decision before being denied a second time. Staring Killman down a second, Salem shrugged and dropped the microphone, walking to the side of the ring to duck under the top rope and hop out, leaving the defiant a*****e to himself while obtaining another steel chair from the announcers’ area. Tossing it over the top rope and into the ring, it clattered with an unforgiving sound against the canvas, surely meant to intimidate as Salem slipped back onto the mat and retrieved it. Standing in front of Ryan once more, chair steadied in both hands, Salem asked his opponent without the microphone’s assistance if he really wanted what was to come next. Unable to stand up through the ache in his chest at this point, Ryan merely shook his head and spat out a bit of blood on the mat, prompting “The Copperhead” to thrust the length of the seat forward into Ryan’s ribs, making the man cough up another breath of blood and spit as it struck. But it didn’t stop there. Once, twice, three times Salem stabbed the b*****d in the ribs, raising the steel high before dropping it hard onto the top of his head, subsequently throwing the chair out afterward. Turning around to pick the mic up off the mat, Salem talked over the audience’s elation and looked back at Killman, a twinge of frustration showing on his face from having still been denied his just victory.
”Give it up, Ryan.” Salem urged. ”This will only get worse until you accept the inevitable…so you can make this easy on yourself and end it here, or you can hold onto your pride and I’ll make sure I bury you with it. Your choice. What’s it going to be?”
Extending the mic back out to Ryan, the toll of the fight was showing on his face as he cringed trying to hold his head up, barely looking to be lucid when his mouth opened up…
”Bury me, Salem…I’ll see you in Hell. Heh…Hah…Hahaha…” he said, hacking out a laugh amidst the blood bubbling past his lips. The response was met with a unanimous flood of boos from the stands, Salem himself seeming perturbed as he paced around the ring afterward, stroking his face with his hand as if to contemplate what he could possibly do next to break the man’s spirit.
…It was then that something caught Salem’s eye, forcing the lad to pause mid-step and turn to face something on the opposite side of the ring from Ryan. Instantly, fans across the arena let out excited applause once they realized the object of Salem’s fascination, the source of inspiration that had fixated his attention away from his beaten-to-a-pulp opponent. It was the burlap sack, still sitting in the drizzle of red on the edge of the apron where he’d left it upon arriving to the ring, and as he started approaching it the fans’ joy was contrasted by a look of nervousness from the half-awake Ryan. Carefully, preciously, Salem crouched over the sack and stroked it, slowly undoing the knot that kept it shut and its contents from spilling out and wreaking havoc on the general public. There was nothing holding him back now, though, and with a flick of his wrist Salem whipped his snake out of the sack and onto the center of the canvas, the magnificent king cobra now dead-center between Salem and Ryan in their respective corners. Camera flashes ignited from all over, Salem smirking wickedly as he approached the twelve-foot killing machine from behind and pressed a palm to the back of its head…easing it flat to the mat before cradling the back-end of the serpent, brandishing it like a toy despite being the lethal weapon it was. Not even the official seemed interested in getting close, the ref immediately ducking out of the ring and a safe distance away once the snake had made its appearance. But Ryan, however, had no such luxury – forced to bear witness to the unleashing of the beast, he was helpless to break out of his own handcuffs as Salem approached the corner menacingly, cobra in-tow.
”You think Hell is funny?!” Salem shouted, still smiling as Ryan cringed fearfully, weakly trying to kick his feet and discourage Salem from getting any closer. There wasn’t any stopping “The Copperhead”, though, the referee only willing to watch on from outside Killman’s corner with the microphone in-hand. ”Well, in about five seconds, you’re going to be wishing you were IN Hell because when this cobra bites you, the poison is going to eat into your flesh…creep through your veins, and drive you mad with pain until you BREAK! Now SUBMIT! Or SUFFER AS I HAVE!”
Thrusting the snake’s head forward, the hooded serpent hissed, prompting Ryan to panic as he squirmed to get free. ”Okay, okay! I quit! You hear me?! I QUIT! Now get me the hell outta here!” he demanded, looking over at the referee outside the ropes as the official signaled for the bell much to the crowd’s pleasure.
”Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this contest, SALEM –“
Before the verdict could be read, the announcer was stunned silent by the sight of Salem flourishing his forearm forward, allowing the irritated serpent to get within striking distance and clamp its jaws down onto the right shoulder of Ryan Killman, who was still cuffed to the ropes! Going wild, fans in the stands jumped up out of their seats and roared in disbelief, watching as the venomous predator chewed on its master’s foe while the official was flabbergasted on the outside! Darting into the ring, the referee began slapping Salem on the back, trying to pull him away from the corner while chastising the former champion for his unnecessary attack! Unrelenting, Croft resisted the official, only being pried away by the assistance of two burly security guards from ringside who’d arrived to help at the ref’s demand. Once the snake was free from Ryan, however, the guards immediately bolted back out, the referee standing in a nervous wreck as Salem stared him down, the cobra swaying and strutting off his arm.
“Give me the keys, Salem, please!” the official begged, the guards from before struggling to break the cuffs off with some bolt-cutters in the meantime. Smirking, Salem teased the man in stripes with a wave of the snake in his direction before tossing the keys to the mat with his spare hand. Walking back towards the bag, “The Copperhead” slipped his scaly friend back in the burlap and tied it up once more, ducking under the top rope and hopping off the apron while personnel began administering first aid to his poisoned victim. For all intents and purposes, Salem looked satisfied by the results of the night’s festivities, watching the drama unfold on the titantron as he started up the ramp, slinging his sack back over his shoulder while a medical team rushed down the ramp, past him. Making his way back up towards the stage, Salem swayed from side to side once again up the aisle, allowing fans to pat him on the back and share their support for what was another entertaining in-ring installation of Croft’s ability. But this wasn’t about the fans, tonight – this was about him, about the pride that he’d put on the line since Freakshow had first tried to tangle with him back at his first title defense against Jarel, months earlier. Though it had been a grueling one, this was just another chapter in the book that was Salem’s journey back to the top – one that he hoped would end in championship glory once again, but not before he crossed out the remaining names on his hit list. Until then, there would be more blood. Until then, the former champion couldn’t relent. He’d have to be just as savage, just as brutal as the bastards he had yet to face…knowing that, eventually, his warpath would lead him back to Freakshow. Back where it all started, much like he was in this moment staring out at the ring from the center of the main stage, a more tired and exuberant version of himself standing where he’d once stood when he’d come down to the ring. Raising a hand, Salem slapped his chest and shouted out loud and proud, ”I AM BBW!” before turning around and vanishing behind the curtain, leaving the arena to chant the final three letters on into the next match.
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