Early in the SitR broadcast, the PA system would suddenly come to life during a moment of intermission, a familiar voice coming across the speakers to rouse the audience from their seats with his boisterous, upbeat tone.
"Hello, hello!" Salem said, echoed by a chorus of cheers while he tapped the microphone from somewhere unseen. "Is this thing even on?! Jesus, as much money as I spent on it, it better be...*Ahem*...PEOPLE! OF! AUSTIN!"
Just then, a figure would part the stage curtain, the black drape flapping up like a sheet in the wind as a bronze-skinned figure darted through it, Bolting out onto the main platform, Salem looked primed and ready for a fight - wrists wrapped, muscles toned, and a stare in his eyes that said he was rarin' for a fight as thousands in attendance stood and clapped, shouting over one another and brandishing their cameras and smartphones for a snapshot of BBW's resident serpent. Smiling at the audience, Salem's gaze drifted from one side of the arena to the other, bringing his snake-styled microphone up to his lips for his follow-up...many in the crowd already anticipating it, shouting along with him.
"GIVE IT UP FOR...!"
"YOUR FAVORITE SON!" they finished, Salem strutting down the ramp with a visible pep to his step.
He seemed lighter, and not just because the burlap sack he normally carried around with him was nowhere to be seen - it was clear in the way he walked, the way he looked around, the way he approached fans along the aisle and gave out high fives and took selfies with a few lucky front-rowers that his jovial attitude wasn't just an act. "The Copperhead" was proud to be in the building, tonight. The BBW Faithful had never shied away from supporting him in even the most trying of times, and Salem wasn’t about to be stingy with his time when he had the opportunity. After taking a quick lap around ringside, Croft walked up the steps, raising his microphone once more while he ducked under the top rope and into the squared circle.
”…And I am your favorite son, because even though I don’t have any gold around my waist anymore, you people still respect me, you still support me as your champion, as the people’s champion, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. You guys are what makes this place so great, and if it weren’t for you…I’d not be here. So thank you, for that.”
”BBW! BBW! BBW!” the crowd chanted, Salem nodding his head in acknowledgement of their pride for a moment before raising his empty hand, trying to quiet the masses so he could speak once more.
”…But that’s not entirely true. See, I’m really out here right now because I figured I’d join in on the fun…after all, one of the hottest new segments in this company is the “Ask Me Anything” event, which just so happens to be hosted this show by none other than my good pal, Freakshow.”
”BOOOOOO!” the crowd roared, deafening the open-domed stadium with their protests, but once again found themselves cut short by a wave of Salem’s hand, who simply smirked and stared down at the BBW logo beneath his feet before speaking once more.
”…Now, I’m not going to dwell on old news. But it’s pretty common knowledge that me and Freak…well, we’ve had our differences in the past. But despite that, despite me having already beaten him and burned him in our fateful, first encounter…” he paused, glancing up at the titantron as scenes of the match in question played out for the audience’s entertainment. ”…Freakshow still felt compelled to follow me here, and has seen to it that my time in this company would be made a living Hell so long as we co-existed in BBW. He’s sent his associates, his associate’s clients, tried to do everything but hit me with the kitchen sink to keep me down, to hold me back around here…even going so far as to cost me the BBW World Title.”
Once again, the crowd exploded with fervent boos, the final moments of his match with Hiro from a few weeks ago playing out across the screen, showcasing how Killman had snuck in by surprise and cost Salem what would’ve been his most glorious moment to date. As he watched it once again, for what felt like the millionth time, “The Copperhead” chuckled and slowly shook his head, crossing his arms and tilting the mic up once again, not bothering to silence the fans – attention, focused entirely on the frozen image of his failure to defeat Hiro before it cut to black once again.
”Well, we can’t win ‘em all. But that match, I had it in the bag – pardon the pun. And had Killman not interfered, I’m sure that I’d be standing here today, still your world…heavyweight…champion. And while I’ll be getting my retribution against him later on tonight in an “I Quit” match, it doesn’t rectify the fact that all of this was put into motion because of one man…one cowardly b*****d who still has a chip on his shoulder from having a rook like me give him the what for. So, Freak, in the spirit of AMA…in the honor of BBW…I’ve got one question for ya. If you’ve got such a damn problem with me, what say you bring your a** out here right now and let me adjust that attitude of yours, huh?!”
At the former champion’s challenge, the crowd came to life once again with riotous applause, cheering and yelling with excitement from the prospect of seeing a showdown between one of BBW’s most beloved athletes and wrestling’s most hated heel!
"Hello, hello!" Salem said, echoed by a chorus of cheers while he tapped the microphone from somewhere unseen. "Is this thing even on?! Jesus, as much money as I spent on it, it better be...*Ahem*...PEOPLE! OF! AUSTIN!"
Just then, a figure would part the stage curtain, the black drape flapping up like a sheet in the wind as a bronze-skinned figure darted through it, Bolting out onto the main platform, Salem looked primed and ready for a fight - wrists wrapped, muscles toned, and a stare in his eyes that said he was rarin' for a fight as thousands in attendance stood and clapped, shouting over one another and brandishing their cameras and smartphones for a snapshot of BBW's resident serpent. Smiling at the audience, Salem's gaze drifted from one side of the arena to the other, bringing his snake-styled microphone up to his lips for his follow-up...many in the crowd already anticipating it, shouting along with him.
"GIVE IT UP FOR...!"
"YOUR FAVORITE SON!" they finished, Salem strutting down the ramp with a visible pep to his step.
He seemed lighter, and not just because the burlap sack he normally carried around with him was nowhere to be seen - it was clear in the way he walked, the way he looked around, the way he approached fans along the aisle and gave out high fives and took selfies with a few lucky front-rowers that his jovial attitude wasn't just an act. "The Copperhead" was proud to be in the building, tonight. The BBW Faithful had never shied away from supporting him in even the most trying of times, and Salem wasn’t about to be stingy with his time when he had the opportunity. After taking a quick lap around ringside, Croft walked up the steps, raising his microphone once more while he ducked under the top rope and into the squared circle.
”…And I am your favorite son, because even though I don’t have any gold around my waist anymore, you people still respect me, you still support me as your champion, as the people’s champion, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. You guys are what makes this place so great, and if it weren’t for you…I’d not be here. So thank you, for that.”
”BBW! BBW! BBW!” the crowd chanted, Salem nodding his head in acknowledgement of their pride for a moment before raising his empty hand, trying to quiet the masses so he could speak once more.
”…But that’s not entirely true. See, I’m really out here right now because I figured I’d join in on the fun…after all, one of the hottest new segments in this company is the “Ask Me Anything” event, which just so happens to be hosted this show by none other than my good pal, Freakshow.”
”BOOOOOO!” the crowd roared, deafening the open-domed stadium with their protests, but once again found themselves cut short by a wave of Salem’s hand, who simply smirked and stared down at the BBW logo beneath his feet before speaking once more.
”…Now, I’m not going to dwell on old news. But it’s pretty common knowledge that me and Freak…well, we’ve had our differences in the past. But despite that, despite me having already beaten him and burned him in our fateful, first encounter…” he paused, glancing up at the titantron as scenes of the match in question played out for the audience’s entertainment. ”…Freakshow still felt compelled to follow me here, and has seen to it that my time in this company would be made a living Hell so long as we co-existed in BBW. He’s sent his associates, his associate’s clients, tried to do everything but hit me with the kitchen sink to keep me down, to hold me back around here…even going so far as to cost me the BBW World Title.”
Once again, the crowd exploded with fervent boos, the final moments of his match with Hiro from a few weeks ago playing out across the screen, showcasing how Killman had snuck in by surprise and cost Salem what would’ve been his most glorious moment to date. As he watched it once again, for what felt like the millionth time, “The Copperhead” chuckled and slowly shook his head, crossing his arms and tilting the mic up once again, not bothering to silence the fans – attention, focused entirely on the frozen image of his failure to defeat Hiro before it cut to black once again.
”Well, we can’t win ‘em all. But that match, I had it in the bag – pardon the pun. And had Killman not interfered, I’m sure that I’d be standing here today, still your world…heavyweight…champion. And while I’ll be getting my retribution against him later on tonight in an “I Quit” match, it doesn’t rectify the fact that all of this was put into motion because of one man…one cowardly b*****d who still has a chip on his shoulder from having a rook like me give him the what for. So, Freak, in the spirit of AMA…in the honor of BBW…I’ve got one question for ya. If you’ve got such a damn problem with me, what say you bring your a** out here right now and let me adjust that attitude of yours, huh?!”
At the former champion’s challenge, the crowd came to life once again with riotous applause, cheering and yelling with excitement from the prospect of seeing a showdown between one of BBW’s most beloved athletes and wrestling’s most hated heel!
