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 Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 8:05 pm
The following contest is scheduled for one fall, and it is for the WWE:E EVOLUTION CHAMPIONSHIP!!! Introducing first...
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Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 3:26 pm
[-Looks down at wrist watch- Just waiting on Salem, bossman.]
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:14 pm
Just as the opening acoustics of "Wanted Man" by Rev Theory started to play across the PA system, the stadium was filled with an uproar of jeers and boos, fans of all ages protesting the arrival of the #1 Contender to the Evolution Title, Salem Croft. His name brandished across the titantron, the "Most Wanted Man in Wrestling" stepped out from behind the black curtain and onto the main stage, arms spread wide as he smiled and embraced the animosity from the passionate crowd. A microphone in his hand, Salem quickly spoke over the white noise of the audience and demanded his music be cut, starting nonchalantly down the ramp in his signature wrist wraps and black jeans.
"Haha...you know, you people really are a riot." he chided, chuckling at the many patrons along the ramp who were raising anti-Salem signs and even tossing a couple of plastic cups his way. "I mean, you guys have been getting so worked up about the way I've made a target of Matt Shanahan...your precious hero, your idol, the standard-bearer of excellence in WWE:E. You same people who used to cheer for me when I was your Asylum Champion, when I did the unthinkable and unseated 'The Number Three' from his year-long title reign...but no, that love didn't last long, did it? No sooner had I dropped that belt, you guys jumped right onto the next bandwagon...all you Stormchasers came out in support of Matt when this rivalry began, demeaning me for trying to do what anyone in my position should do, and that's be the best damn worker in their profession!"
Salem started walking around ringside at this point, pacing the barricade while hunching over to mock those in the audience he made eye contact with as he continued his beratement.
"But that, no...You people, most of you don't understand a guy like me...Hell, a guy like Matt, even. You, who live in your no-name neighborhoods, working in your cookie-cutter cubicles and driving your mid-sized sedans...I look around this arena and all I see are self-entitled people who want instant satisfaction but won't actually work for anything more in their lives than to live by the status quo...you don't understand me because you don't know what it takes to go against the grain, to stand up for yourself, to actually earn your place in the world rather than just sitting around being told your lot in life!"
At this point, the irate audience began to seriously turn on the M.W. Deuce, starting up a chant of "SHUT UP SALEM" before the man-in-question snapped, nearly spitting as he snarled back at the fans.
"Shut UP! That's EXACTLY my point! You people feel safe in a crowd to voice your opinions of me, but how many of YOU would say these things to my face?! How many of you would REALLY stand up to me if we were alone in a dark alley?! But unlike you all, I'm not AFRAID to be the one in a million! I'm not scared to speak my mind or say what I think, regardless of who's next to me! You think I'm some punk kid, some rook who hasn't earned his stripes in this industry, but you don't know the kind of heart it takes to do what I do! To you, this is 'sports entertainment', but to me, this is my life! This isn't a game! And for any of you who think this is fake, who think I'm just some chump, who think real wrestling is just for kids in backyards...let me ask you. Would YOU let your kid step into a ring with me?"
Salem started paying attention to the kids along the front row as he walked, prompting some parents to hold their children close as Croft got close to them and intimidated the younger audience with the tone of his voice and intensity in his eyes.
"Whattya say, kid?" he asked a small boy wearing a Shanahan t-shirt. "Think you can go one-on-one with me? Think your mommy and daddy want you to get hurt? Of course not. You might actually learn something." he spat, shooting a sneer at the parents clutching him before walking away towards the nearest ring steps, starting up onto the apron to the tune of thousands in attendance booing him. Still, Salem kept a grin on his face as he ducked the top turnbuckle and entered the ring, spinning around slowly to soak in the animosity.
"You can hate me all you want, people...but the fact is, your beloved champion once started out just like me - a punk. But after he took some licks and threw some kicks, he managed to make something out of himself...Hell, the fact that he retired Chrono in this very company made him a bona fide Hall of Famer, if his past history wasn't already enough of a factor. He's been a God, now a force of nature...and all you people are enchanted, mesmerized even at how damn good he is. Heh...but, just like all of you, Matt has another thing coming if he thinks I'm not going to give him the fight of his life for this title, tonight. In fact, it's kind of ironic that he talks so much about evolution, but carries a bat around as his weapon of choice. See...Matt reminds me of baseball. Our nation's pastime, a sport built on rich history and legacy...but one that's waded for years in a pool of stagnancy. Sure, Matt. You've learned some new tricks, showed some new tactics, but you're still the unstoppable force you've been all this time."
At this point, Salem was staring into the hard camera, as though talking to his opponent through the broadcast feed and into whatever dark corner of the arena Shanahan had secluded himself to.
"God or Storm, you're 'The Man' around here. You've vanquished everyone you've stepped into the ring with this year, defending your reputation as a living legend to the point of it being almost a forgone conclusion that those who stand against you eventually fall to a knee. But even though you're 'The Man', you're still just a man, Matt...and regardless of what these people think of me, regardless what they think of you, I'm not leaving this arena tonight without making the Punk humble, without making the God bleed, without making 'The Storm' BREAK!"
This last statement sent the audience into unbridled anger, a tsunami of insults being hurled at the Wanted Man who was huffing and puffing in his eager prance around the ring. Having worked himself up to a foaming fury himself, Salem turned back to the hard camera after running a hand through his bangs in irritation, wanting to get his hands on Shanahan now more than ever.
"So get your a** out here, Champ! It's time to see if I belong in the Major Leagues!" he shouted, accenting the demand with a violent throw of the microphone to the outside.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:13 pm
The fans were radiating an unprecedented amount of hatred towards Salem tonight, showing the challenger just what they thought of his antics against The Evolution Champion so far. As they roared, the temperature the room fought against them; it began to drop, fighting the hateful rage the crowd had. It would be some time before the fans noticed and began to quiet down, some taking it as the cue that their Champion was on his way. A faint sound could be heard in the air. Like there was a car wreck in the distance, a faint crashing sound that just barely caught the audience's attention.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly there it was, the shockwave of thunder that shook the arena like a train had just hit it. It seemed premature, compared to all of Shanahan's previous entrances. Where was the music? The eerie guitar that always welcomed The Storm?
BOOM!!!
A second roar of thunder shook the arena, this time causing the lights to flicker with them. The crowd lit up like the Champion had suddenly appeared, screaming their approval for the sounds for the force that was so close to hitting the arena. A quiet sound followed, contradicting the ear-shattering crashes from before. A light plopping sound bounced off the ring.
Plop...
Plop...
Plop...
If anyone were to look at the ring, they'd notice small, black spots appearing on the mat every couple of seconds.
Plop-plop...
Plop-plop...
Plop-plop...
The rate of the the falling drops began to increase, now spreading all over the arena. Fans began to exclaim about what they felt fall from the ceiling: rain. Rain drops were falling all through-out the room, and they only began to fall faster as time passed on. The small drops had been falling just long enough for fans to forget about the thunder...
BOOM!!!
And there it was again. The reminder that this wasn't a shower. This wasn't a drizzle. This was an impending Storm. The rain began to fall even faster as the lights flicker with another shockwave.
BOOM!!!
Plop-plop...
Plop-plop-plop...
Plop-plop...
BOOM!!!
The lights went into a seizure with each clap of thunder, making the fans raise into a crescendo of anticipation. A flash streaked across the ceiling, the signature bolt of lightning that always sent the arena into darkness.
Tonight was no different. The lights crackled and fizzled out, plunging WWE:E into a state of abyssal darkness. Only the sounds of the pouring rain remained, which had grown to a steady speed. Fans who weren't smart enough to bring rain-coats by now were getting soaked in the weather. Crew members sat in the darkness with miniature tarps to protect their gear. Commentators went silent in an attempt to focus on protecting their equipment. The official and the man in the ring would meet the same fate as the rest of the arena: soaked in the rain.
Another lightning bolt flashed through the air, but this one descended with a planned destination. It didn't hit the stage, but instead targeted one of the ring-posts! The bolt of pure energy smacked the metal post, causing sparks the fly, illuminating the room just enough for the fans to see Salem Croft and the referee in the ring. A second bolt followed, this one striking the opposite ring-post!
BOOM!!!
More thunder followed, but it was having to fight to be louder than the fans. "Shan-A-Han!" chants erupted all through the arena, ushering The Storm to hit Heatwave like a monsoon straight from Hell itself. The people knew Matt wasn't one to deny his people what they wanted. A final bolt of lightning struck the stage, causing a loud metallic crashing sound. But after that, nothing. Just rain. No dark-blue lights, no music, no signs that the Champion even arrived with the electric bolt. Just rain.
When the fans began to get disheartened and fall quiet again, a flash erupted through the air, illuminating the room for a brief moment.
There he stood in the center of the stage. In the brief moment that the lightning revealed him, everyone saw the Evolution Champion. Well protected from the rain by his trenchcoat, with his legendary baseball bat in hand, hood over his head, and championship belt around his waist, it was the man of the hour. The Storm. The Evolution Champion. Matt Shanahan.
No lights came on to lead Shanahan on his path to the ring. Instead, the fans only got occasional glimpses at him due to the lightning coursing overhead. Like a creature of the night, he moved with an ominous presence through the darkness. Each flash only made him closer to the ring. Each flash revealed the look on his face. Emotionless, unphased; but his eyes never left Salem Croft. With just glimpses of the man's face, it was clear that The Storm's thousand-yard stare was fixated on his challenger of the evening.
BOOM!!!
With the final clap of thunder, lightning surged through the air once more and powered back on the lights. The fans lit up with the lights, because now Shanahan was standing square in the ring with his foe. His hood was pulled back and his black eyes glared right into the soul of Salem Croft. Much like the rest of the arena, his leather trenchcoat was dripping wet; he threw his baseball bat aside and removed it rather quickly to reveal the scarred and heavily inked torso underneath, one that many marveled was a 'disasterpiece' of sorts. In front of his challenger, he stood with the WWE:E Evolution Championship around his waist. His championship. Heatwave marked the anniversary of when he ripped it back from Major's claws and saved Evolution from a tyrant's reign as champion. Tonight, he sought to quell of a pathetic excuse of a man's attempt to rule.
Unlike his opponent, Shanahan needed no words; the crowd spoke for him. The cheers, the "Shan-A-Han!" and "Salem Sucks!" chants, the presence of the Champion in general made it all too clear. That was a message no man could overlook, but one that was meant for Salem alone.
Matt put an exclamation mark on the message by ripping his belt off of his waist and hoisting it into the air, taunting the smaller man with the prize of the company. Once again, the crowd roared in approval for The Storm. Deadlocked eyes remained on Salem all the while as he lowered his arm and handed it off to the referee. With a flex of his gloves... Matt was ready. Was Salem, though?
-Ding-Ding!-
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:53 pm
Salem shot a steely stare back at Matt as his entrance ended and the match began. The insulting chants, the intimidating presence of the Evolution Champion, these things failed to impose on Salem anymore than fists against a heavy curtain. But this wasn't a curtain call, the spotlight was on Croft and it was time to see what the M.W. Deuce could do. Mouthing a few disparaging words to the elder statesman, Salem would start things off with a sudden shove against Shanahan's chest, looking to assert himself with the unsubtle gesture against his daunting foe.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:20 pm
The smaller man shoved hard against Shanahan's chest, but the massive figure barely moved an inch. He stood as still as a statue, simply glaring down at the M.W. Deuce. Daring him to try again. Urging him to, even.
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2014 3:00 am
Salem's shove had seen little effect, Matt standing sternly with an intimidating look that beckoned the M.W. Deuce to try again. But rather than simply push at Shanahan again, Salem stepped forward and pressed his chest into Matt's, Looking into the champion's eyes, Salem mouthed out an insulting sentence that the crowd was unable to hear, but threw a stinging slap towards the side of Matt's face for added emphasis!
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 8:23 am
The crowd ignited in a sea of hatred as the slap connected with The Storm's cheek, but that tide may soon shift already. On contact, Matt's head turned to the side and he took a step back with his right leg. That step wasn't due to the force of the slap, however; the step was to give a good positioning for the wrecking ball of a haymaker that the Evolution Champion was sending right towards Croft's jaw as a retaliation move!
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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 5:56 pm
Salem was getting jeered right out of the gate, but the self-confident superstar was unphased by it, instead trying to antagonize Matt into throwing a punch with his offensive demeanor. As Shanahan swung his fist and stepped into the returning Haymaker, the M.W. Deuce would use his athleticism to duck and sidestep behind the Evolutio Champion, hoping to wrap the man up with a waistlock and attempt a belly-to-back suplex!
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2014 4:36 pm
The classic haymaker of Shanahan's missed, already suggesting that Matt might've played right into Salem's hands here. But as Salem's arms wrapped around The Storm's waist and went for the lift, Matt's feet refused to leave the mat. Planted firm and weight centered, it looked like The Storm was refusing to be suplexed! In an attempt to end the challenger's attempts, Matt sent a fierce elbow flying backwards towards Salem's head.
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:15 pm
Matt's elbow made contact with Salem's cheekbone, rocking his head a second and forcing the young challenger to break his waistlock and stumble back into the nearby ropes. But, throwing his weight back into the cables, Salem would send himself flying back towards "The Storm" with a clothesline on the rebound!
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:42 pm
The moment Salem let go of Matt's waist, he went running forward to the opposite ropes to increase his distance from Salem. On the rebound, it was clear that both men were about to rocket towards each other and had little time to halt their commitment to this engagement. As Matt came flying forward at the smaller man, his own arm raised up, aiming to land his own clothesline regardless of the oncoming clash!
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 4:38 pm
Salem was speeding across the mat towards Matt, who'd bounced off the other side of the ring to prepare a clothesline of his own. Croft may have been cocky, but he wasn't stupid - veering away from "The Storm" just enough to hook his extended arm as they approached one another for impact. Trying to carry his momentum through and hook his legs around Matt's opposite arm, the M.W. Deuce tried to catch Matt by surprise with a Crucifix counter, hoping to drag the Evolution Champion backwards into a sudden pin attempt!
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 3:00 pm
The Storm's arms were suddenly caught by Salem's legs and arms, and he was brought down to the mat on his shoulders. Before the referee could even dive down for the one count, Matt managed pull his arms away and roll back onto his knees, preventing the pinfall from going through.
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 5:58 pm
Salem had failed to get the quick pin, but his athleticism and innovation was on display to show he came to put up a fight. The bigger, bulkier Shanahan broke free from the Crucifix, as expected, but the moment Matt took to regain his senses, Salem saw as an opportunity. Springing back up onto his feet, the "Most Wanted Man in Wrestling" would rush the Evolution Champion to deliver a swift toe kick to his exposed ribs!
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