The evening sun's rays peeked through the clouds, just barely bathing the growing mass of wrestling fans gathering in the sizable field. Right in the middle of it was the bare essentials for a wrestling show: the steel barricade, announcer's table, the ring itself, and a small ramp with a titantron held above the half-sized stage. It wasn't an over-extravagant set-up, but it was enough to ensure that the Bad Blood Wrestling crew was prepared for the evening. Behind the titantron and the curtain underneath it were various sized trailers scattered through the field, blocked off from the rest of the fans by another steel barricade and a wall of security guards.
The theme song to the first ever Hardcore Harvest, "Black Soul Choir" by DevilDriver, played on repeat through the sound system as the fans gathered into the field. Chairs were set in rows for the fans near the front to gather around, with plenty of standing space behind them for fans who hadn't purchased a chair. A good majority of the fans brought rain-gear, as the forecast was expecting some showers. The rest would have to rent a jacket or umbrella from the nearby rental stands. While the temperature was staying around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, many took to wearing a light hoodie or something else to keep themselves warm. Of course, there were still the weirdos that showed up shirtless or wearing a wife-beater.
At 5 PM, on the dot, the theme song of the night faded away; it was swiftly replaced but a roaring cheer from the fans, knowing that the show was about to begin. A moment later, the opening riff to Hell or Highwater's "Crash and Burn" resonated around the field, the song that had become known as Monday Massacre's theme tune.
Life is a long, long road I know,
Take it one day at a time!
But days are wasted,
I cant replace 'em.
If I'm not mistaken,
I don't have time for this!
The nights are getting longer and longer,
I swear that I used to be stronger.
But I wont forget that I cant regret where I've been,
So until then I'll say...
Right before the chorus struck, a tall, muscular figure ran out on stage. The moment he pushed through the curtain, the fans screamed his name to greet him. Wearing his black jeans, a black "Misfits" muscle shirt, and his signature aviators to hide his eyes, it was none other than the General Manager himself, Matt Shanahan. A wide grin etched his features as he gazed across the large crowd surrounding the ring and the field he had rented outside of Salem, Massachusetts. His ring, his crowd; tonight felt like it was all about him, but he knew better. Tonight was about Bad Blood, the fans, and the employees in the trailers. He turned to look over his shoulder at the curtain, as if waiting for someone while the chorus played. "Get out here, let's go!" He could faintly be heard shouting towards the curtain.
Crash and burn, my friend!
I'll see you at the bottom of the
Deep, dark blue descend!
This is the end!
Begin again!
Right behind The God of Punks stumbled the blonde assistant that had been seen at the last Massacre show. Mindy's facial expression made it clear that she was already overwhelmed by the size of the crowd in front of her, and that she wasn't exactly willing to follow her boss down to the ring. But once Matt began his jog down the miniature ramp, she was shuffling after him; along the way, Shanahan slapped high-fives to reaching fans, a rarity in itself. Half way through the second verse, Matt grabbed onto the top rope and climbed into the ring by stepping right over the same rope. Mindy took to the stairs and ducked under the second rope to follow behind her employer.
Live for the chase, survive by the thrill;
If you want me to take this step,
I will!
No longer afraid, no longer at bay;
Longing to face my fears but still!
A promise is made to change who I am,
No looking back,
We'll fight 'til the end!
A promise in vain is a promise to break;
Your life is only yours to make!
The chorus was starting to kick in as the music faded away, signaled by Mindy handing Shanahan a microphone once they were in the center of the ring. Matt gave a nod to the young woman before turning his head back to the fans, gazing over the masses. His grin remained on his features while he took off his aviators, exposing the black pupils that were typically hidden. He hung them on the neck of his shirt before raising the microphone and yelling, "How the ******** are you, Salem?!" It came as no surprise that the entire audience gave an astounding roar in response, even for it being an outdoor event.
Matt's features only grew brighter at the positive reaction, giving him the assurance to continue on, "That's what I like to hear, guys! It's a pleasur- no... it's an honor to be here with you guys tonight. You came out here to support one of the fastest growing indy-federations around, you came out here to support all the ******** in the back that have come to give you what you want, and you came out here to be a part of history! That's what tonight's all about, ladies and gentlemen, because tonight is the first of many Bad Blood Wrestling pay-per-views to come! It's the first Hardcore Harvest in a long line of them! It's the first time many of our competitors will be wrestling under the skies! And most of all, it's the first B-B-W event to where titles will be on the line!"
The fans gave a boosting cheer for the final statement; with the anticipation that had been building over who would be the first champions in Bad Blood, the fans were beyond eager to finally get a response. "Speaking of titles, I hope you all saw the debut of the legendary Shadow last week; because with him, he brought a title I thought I would never see again, from an industry that inspired B-B-W to be what it is. You could say that title is the reason we're out here right now, it is the OECW Seasons Championship! The first industry to brave the elements of the outdoors, and it's last champion decided that the legacy of that belt will live on here in Bad Blood! Tonight marks the first defense of that belt in over five years, against none other than AJ Warner! Now that's a ********' show-stopper, I don't care who you are!"
The God of Punks' grin only faltered slightly when he turned to look at his assistant, "... What do you think the show-stopper will be tonight, Mindy?" He asked her, then holding out the microphone to her to use.
The timid woman cautiously took the microphone and moved to stand beside her boss, her eyes dancing over the crowd with nervous anxiety written all over her face, "I... I think the best part of t-tonight will be the Bloody Falls match... The one that's between... Serenno King and... O-omega?" Mindy turned her head up to look at her employer with questioning eyes, as if to make sure she got that right.
Matt stared at her with an arched eyebrow for a long moment until he looked over a stagehand and motioned for a microphone. He walked to the apron and and took the microphone out of the man's hand before moving back to stand beside Mindy, "... You mean Crimson Falls?"
The girl's eyes went wide at the realization of her mistake, fearing she just sounded stupid in front of the first crowd she had ever been in front of, "Y-yes, that one! I'm sorr-" Before she could try to apologize, Matt's gigantic hand moved between her lips and the microphone, and pushed it away to cut her off.
"Okay, so... our residential psychopath Omega, against Kelly's favorite son. Who do you think will win tonight, Mindy?"
"Um... I think uh... Serenno will win tonight," she answered in response, hoping she hadn't said the wrong name this time.
The look on Matt's face twisted in a look of annoyed confusion, which was already not a good sign to the new hire. It was clear that there was still some animosity between Shanahan and the King monarchy, especially when he pressed on, "... Really? You think the biggest brat of the King family is going to win? Against a man who's had more training, more experience, and is beyond deranged? You think that kid stands a chance?"
"W-well... yes, because he's bigger. And cuter... A-and he's from Seattle! We got some of the best talent there, yo-" The girl was cut off again as Matt pushed her microphone from her lips, this time with a little added force.
"Thank you, Mindy..." He snarled under his breath, his eyes looking over the audience again. How dare she compliment a King in front of him. The annoyed look on his face seemed to suddenly disappeared at the sight of the fans who were here just for Bad Blood tonight, "That'll be a great match-up, just like the others! We've got the first ever Land of Pain match, between the infamous Draze and the debuting Claire Hawkins! How fitting for the witch to debut tonight, here in Salem? And we've got the debut of Matt Draven as well, facing up against our up-and-comer Rick Muhammad!... But I know what you guys are really looking forward to. The crowning of the first ever BBW Champions, right?"
A sudden jolt of energy shot back at Matt from the audience, the reaction he was hoping for, "That's right, ladies and gentlemen... Tonight, you will see the Crimson City and World Championships find their owners. You've been following the tournament thus far, and it's been a really rocky road. Let's take a moment to talk about one of the match-ups. You all know that Andrew Styles and our beloved Tiger Hat were both involved in these tournaments. However, after the Close Quarters match last week against Cyrus, Tiger Hat is out of commission for the time being. And, we saw Styles mount an attack on our hardcore veteran Leone, so I saw only one option. Tonight, Cyrus is getting a chance at redemption, as he takes on Andrew Styles in the finale of one of the tournaments! It's Cyrus' shot at redemption, so it's his match you'll be seeing! Tonight marks the first ever Dreamin' In Hell match, one that is specifically designed by The Dream himself! And the winner will be awarded with one of our belts!...
"Now... For the last one. Jarel Damone has been making a name for himself here since he first walked into our ring. He's undefeated, he's taken out everyone that's come near him in his bracket. In fact, he's the only one left in it. I -should- award him with the title he was contesting for, but... that's not exciting. That's not what you guys want to see, that's not how I run things, that's not B-B-W. So, tonight Jarel will be facing a man he hasn't clashed with before, a man that's been itching to make his name heard! The winner of tonight's main event will be awarded the other championship, thus crowning both of them! You will see both titles go home with someone tonight, thus completing the new trifecta we have here in Bad Blood!"
The God of Punks paused to soak in the roaring chants of the fans, who were starting to shout "BE-BE-DUB!" for everyone to hear within a mile radius. Matt's face lit up with a bright smile that wouldn't fade, even when he turned to look at his assistant and motion for her to head to the back. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, I'll see you tonight to crown our champions! Enjoy yourselves, and welcome to HARDCORE HARVEST!" Matt screamed into the microphone to finished his piece, then dropping it to the ground and following behind Mindy. He slapped a few extra high-fives to the fans while he walked to the back, evacuating so the first match could begin...
The theme song to the first ever Hardcore Harvest, "Black Soul Choir" by DevilDriver, played on repeat through the sound system as the fans gathered into the field. Chairs were set in rows for the fans near the front to gather around, with plenty of standing space behind them for fans who hadn't purchased a chair. A good majority of the fans brought rain-gear, as the forecast was expecting some showers. The rest would have to rent a jacket or umbrella from the nearby rental stands. While the temperature was staying around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, many took to wearing a light hoodie or something else to keep themselves warm. Of course, there were still the weirdos that showed up shirtless or wearing a wife-beater.
At 5 PM, on the dot, the theme song of the night faded away; it was swiftly replaced but a roaring cheer from the fans, knowing that the show was about to begin. A moment later, the opening riff to Hell or Highwater's "Crash and Burn" resonated around the field, the song that had become known as Monday Massacre's theme tune.
Life is a long, long road I know,
Take it one day at a time!
But days are wasted,
I cant replace 'em.
If I'm not mistaken,
I don't have time for this!
The nights are getting longer and longer,
I swear that I used to be stronger.
But I wont forget that I cant regret where I've been,
So until then I'll say...
Right before the chorus struck, a tall, muscular figure ran out on stage. The moment he pushed through the curtain, the fans screamed his name to greet him. Wearing his black jeans, a black "Misfits" muscle shirt, and his signature aviators to hide his eyes, it was none other than the General Manager himself, Matt Shanahan. A wide grin etched his features as he gazed across the large crowd surrounding the ring and the field he had rented outside of Salem, Massachusetts. His ring, his crowd; tonight felt like it was all about him, but he knew better. Tonight was about Bad Blood, the fans, and the employees in the trailers. He turned to look over his shoulder at the curtain, as if waiting for someone while the chorus played. "Get out here, let's go!" He could faintly be heard shouting towards the curtain.
Crash and burn, my friend!
I'll see you at the bottom of the
Deep, dark blue descend!
This is the end!
Begin again!
Right behind The God of Punks stumbled the blonde assistant that had been seen at the last Massacre show. Mindy's facial expression made it clear that she was already overwhelmed by the size of the crowd in front of her, and that she wasn't exactly willing to follow her boss down to the ring. But once Matt began his jog down the miniature ramp, she was shuffling after him; along the way, Shanahan slapped high-fives to reaching fans, a rarity in itself. Half way through the second verse, Matt grabbed onto the top rope and climbed into the ring by stepping right over the same rope. Mindy took to the stairs and ducked under the second rope to follow behind her employer.
Live for the chase, survive by the thrill;
If you want me to take this step,
I will!
No longer afraid, no longer at bay;
Longing to face my fears but still!
A promise is made to change who I am,
No looking back,
We'll fight 'til the end!
A promise in vain is a promise to break;
Your life is only yours to make!
The chorus was starting to kick in as the music faded away, signaled by Mindy handing Shanahan a microphone once they were in the center of the ring. Matt gave a nod to the young woman before turning his head back to the fans, gazing over the masses. His grin remained on his features while he took off his aviators, exposing the black pupils that were typically hidden. He hung them on the neck of his shirt before raising the microphone and yelling, "How the ******** are you, Salem?!" It came as no surprise that the entire audience gave an astounding roar in response, even for it being an outdoor event.
Matt's features only grew brighter at the positive reaction, giving him the assurance to continue on, "That's what I like to hear, guys! It's a pleasur- no... it's an honor to be here with you guys tonight. You came out here to support one of the fastest growing indy-federations around, you came out here to support all the ******** in the back that have come to give you what you want, and you came out here to be a part of history! That's what tonight's all about, ladies and gentlemen, because tonight is the first of many Bad Blood Wrestling pay-per-views to come! It's the first Hardcore Harvest in a long line of them! It's the first time many of our competitors will be wrestling under the skies! And most of all, it's the first B-B-W event to where titles will be on the line!"
The fans gave a boosting cheer for the final statement; with the anticipation that had been building over who would be the first champions in Bad Blood, the fans were beyond eager to finally get a response. "Speaking of titles, I hope you all saw the debut of the legendary Shadow last week; because with him, he brought a title I thought I would never see again, from an industry that inspired B-B-W to be what it is. You could say that title is the reason we're out here right now, it is the OECW Seasons Championship! The first industry to brave the elements of the outdoors, and it's last champion decided that the legacy of that belt will live on here in Bad Blood! Tonight marks the first defense of that belt in over five years, against none other than AJ Warner! Now that's a ********' show-stopper, I don't care who you are!"
The God of Punks' grin only faltered slightly when he turned to look at his assistant, "... What do you think the show-stopper will be tonight, Mindy?" He asked her, then holding out the microphone to her to use.
The timid woman cautiously took the microphone and moved to stand beside her boss, her eyes dancing over the crowd with nervous anxiety written all over her face, "I... I think the best part of t-tonight will be the Bloody Falls match... The one that's between... Serenno King and... O-omega?" Mindy turned her head up to look at her employer with questioning eyes, as if to make sure she got that right.
Matt stared at her with an arched eyebrow for a long moment until he looked over a stagehand and motioned for a microphone. He walked to the apron and and took the microphone out of the man's hand before moving back to stand beside Mindy, "... You mean Crimson Falls?"
The girl's eyes went wide at the realization of her mistake, fearing she just sounded stupid in front of the first crowd she had ever been in front of, "Y-yes, that one! I'm sorr-" Before she could try to apologize, Matt's gigantic hand moved between her lips and the microphone, and pushed it away to cut her off.
"Okay, so... our residential psychopath Omega, against Kelly's favorite son. Who do you think will win tonight, Mindy?"
"Um... I think uh... Serenno will win tonight," she answered in response, hoping she hadn't said the wrong name this time.
The look on Matt's face twisted in a look of annoyed confusion, which was already not a good sign to the new hire. It was clear that there was still some animosity between Shanahan and the King monarchy, especially when he pressed on, "... Really? You think the biggest brat of the King family is going to win? Against a man who's had more training, more experience, and is beyond deranged? You think that kid stands a chance?"
"W-well... yes, because he's bigger. And cuter... A-and he's from Seattle! We got some of the best talent there, yo-" The girl was cut off again as Matt pushed her microphone from her lips, this time with a little added force.
"Thank you, Mindy..." He snarled under his breath, his eyes looking over the audience again. How dare she compliment a King in front of him. The annoyed look on his face seemed to suddenly disappeared at the sight of the fans who were here just for Bad Blood tonight, "That'll be a great match-up, just like the others! We've got the first ever Land of Pain match, between the infamous Draze and the debuting Claire Hawkins! How fitting for the witch to debut tonight, here in Salem? And we've got the debut of Matt Draven as well, facing up against our up-and-comer Rick Muhammad!... But I know what you guys are really looking forward to. The crowning of the first ever BBW Champions, right?"
A sudden jolt of energy shot back at Matt from the audience, the reaction he was hoping for, "That's right, ladies and gentlemen... Tonight, you will see the Crimson City and World Championships find their owners. You've been following the tournament thus far, and it's been a really rocky road. Let's take a moment to talk about one of the match-ups. You all know that Andrew Styles and our beloved Tiger Hat were both involved in these tournaments. However, after the Close Quarters match last week against Cyrus, Tiger Hat is out of commission for the time being. And, we saw Styles mount an attack on our hardcore veteran Leone, so I saw only one option. Tonight, Cyrus is getting a chance at redemption, as he takes on Andrew Styles in the finale of one of the tournaments! It's Cyrus' shot at redemption, so it's his match you'll be seeing! Tonight marks the first ever Dreamin' In Hell match, one that is specifically designed by The Dream himself! And the winner will be awarded with one of our belts!...
"Now... For the last one. Jarel Damone has been making a name for himself here since he first walked into our ring. He's undefeated, he's taken out everyone that's come near him in his bracket. In fact, he's the only one left in it. I -should- award him with the title he was contesting for, but... that's not exciting. That's not what you guys want to see, that's not how I run things, that's not B-B-W. So, tonight Jarel will be facing a man he hasn't clashed with before, a man that's been itching to make his name heard! The winner of tonight's main event will be awarded the other championship, thus crowning both of them! You will see both titles go home with someone tonight, thus completing the new trifecta we have here in Bad Blood!"
The God of Punks paused to soak in the roaring chants of the fans, who were starting to shout "BE-BE-DUB!" for everyone to hear within a mile radius. Matt's face lit up with a bright smile that wouldn't fade, even when he turned to look at his assistant and motion for her to head to the back. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, I'll see you tonight to crown our champions! Enjoy yourselves, and welcome to HARDCORE HARVEST!" Matt screamed into the microphone to finished his piece, then dropping it to the ground and following behind Mindy. He slapped a few extra high-fives to the fans while he walked to the back, evacuating so the first match could begin...
