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 Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:57 am
The fans were stirring all about the arena, finding their seats after the commercial break or heading to the concession stands before the twelfth Monday Massacre continued on! The Bridgestone Arena was filled with a sea of people, all sitting in wait for the first event in Tennessee! It was definitely a sight to behold! Suddenly, the opening riff to Hell or Highwater's "Crash and Burn" resonated through the building, the song that had become known as Monday Massacre's theme tune. The fans let out a joyous cheer for at the realization that the show was beginning. Would the General Manager be sharing a word for the first time in weeks?! 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 can't 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 in approval to greet him despite the events of last week. Wearing his black jeans, a black "The National" 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 filling the arena. He had high hopes for tonight's show just like all of the fans; there had yet to be a show where Shanahan didn't have high hopes for each match! With his grin in check, Matt quickly began his trek down to the ring, slapping a few high fives along the way. Crash and burn, my friend!
I'll see you at the bottom of the
Deep, dark blue descend!
This is the end!
Begin again!The God of Punks' movements were quick, considering there was a bounce of energy in every step he took. He jogged up the steel steps and stepped over the top rope with ease, entering the squared circle. He stopped short of the center of the ring to grab a microphone from underneath the bottom turnbuckle. He continued towards the middle of the ring afterwards and began to speak before the tech-crew could even turn off his music. "How's it going, NASHVIIIIIIIIIIIIILLE!?" The energetic General Manager roared into the microphone, getting an overwhelming response of adoration from the crowd. "And also, how's it going, HBO!?" Matt continued on by looking at the nearest camera, giving it one of his classic smirks. A quiet laugh left his lips as he looked around the arena, gazing over the crowd behind his aviators. "You know, I almost didn't come out here tonight after Kelly King addressed one of our more known issues here at Bad Blood, but I couldn't miss a chance to see one of my favorite crowds in the world! Nashville, Tennessee! God, this city is so ********' awesome! You all know how much I love music, so you KNOW I love Music City, and the great ********' people of Tennessee!"Matt's classic pandering proved to be as successful as always, causing the crowd to go wild for his praise of their city. "Before I continue, I just wanna say that I'll be Bar-Hopping down Main Street after the show, if you wanna buy me a drink, the investors would appreciate you helping me not spend their money. But, let's get down to business, folks! As some of you know, we got a special Pay-Per-View event coming up in August! I would tell you what it's called, but the investors have been pretty strict on me not giving that information away until the next show; I know, they suck with marketing. With this event coming up though, I realized something... we've got no contenders for our championships." Matt paused to look around the arena, as if to let the news sink it. "Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? So anyways, we've got no contenders. TV Title? Nothing. Crimson City? Deserted. Seasons? Dry as the weather here. The World Title? I honestly don't think anyone wants a shot at it at the moment, considering the... circumstances. Rest assured though, because I'm here to announce that at our next show, we will be having contendership matches for EACH CHAMPIONSHIP! That's right, each title will have a proper contender by the end of the show, and they will get their shots at our Summer Pay Per View! Who's competing for what, you may ask? Well, that's a very inte-"[Planned]
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:52 am
"Who's competing for what?" Surely there would be a long line quickly being formed in the backstage area, filled with wrestlers looking to make their case and plead for a title shot of their choosing. But again, AJ Warner had made a career of being in the right place at the right time, as he lit up a cigarette in gorilla minutes before he would make his way to the ring. His recovery process had been going extremely well, his protege (Aiden Covell) was a victory away from winning his best-of-five series in impressive fashion, and Matt Shanahan stood all alone in the center of a wrestling ring with a microphone in hand, almost begging a challenger from the back to make a point. It was about time the Shooter found the chance to stand across the ring from the Storm, for these two had careers that never drew parallels but didn't obstruct one another's. However, there was one comparison that was clear: both long-time veterans had rarely competed nowadays. Matthew was busy running a successful wrestling business that was slowly becoming an empire, and he had a huge itch to scratch in terms of it's champion. AJ was oft-injured, managing a rising talent, and had just undergone surgery on his crooked left leg. But like the last time Warner was seen by an audience, he really, reeeeaally needed to catch Shanahan at a good time. Why not now?
The lights had cut out on the beloved General Manager at the cue of the opening guitar riffs, and a mixed but incredibly vocal reaction was how the hot Nashville crowd would respond to the signal of the Suplex Shooter. Despite making a career out of being a self-entitled, egotistical a*****e, it had been over a year since AJ had been in competition and over five since it was consistent. When Warner was at the top of his game, though, he could turn his ambitions into the audience's. Plus, he had something to offer that no younger guys really could: nostalgia. AJ Warner had been kicking a lot of a** before wrestling got to HBO, and that was well-illustrated thanks to the bipartisan, passionate response he received tonight. The intentions of the Bad Chyld's, though? They were always a mystery that could only be solved in due time. A light from the ceiling progressively lit up the ring until it was able to show Shanahan quite clearly. It didn't matter who was in the squared circle; if AJ was on his way to the ring, he wasn't going to allow himself to lose sight of things. He had become so good at doing that, he retired and got back into wrestling.Red eyes and tears, no more for you my love I fear
Red eyes and tears, no more for you my love I fear
No more fear, no more fear, I'm in love. Revealing the man of the hour at the top of the ramp was a golden spotlight, demanding the attention of all audience members as it was the only decent light in a gulf of darkness. The very sight of the Shooter only made the fans' varying reactions increase in volume. It was hard to follow his eyes thanks to the thick pair of sunglasses that covered them, but his face was pointed towards Shanahan since the moment the spotlight confirmed his identity. A temporary grin would suffice for the time being though, as AJ was relieved to see how many more people were actually cheering for him. It had been a while since the majority were in his corner, for making the audience angry was far less of a challenge than winning them over. Warner walked a bit better, but he had still clutched his cane in hand. As the prior BBWrestling.com article had stated, he wouldn't be ready to fight for another month. But hyping up Aiden Covell didn't require walking a fine line, anyways... Right? The journey down the ramp was slow, but the spotlight followed him, every step and hobble. Fans near the aisle stuck out their hands to give the old man a pat on the back for his services, though a lot of his career's "services" could be more properly described as war crimes.I'm losing sensation for you my love I fear
I'm losing sensation for you my love I fear
No more fear, no more fear, I'm in love.
I'm in love.... Love.... I'm in love.... AJ's eyes were still fixated on the GM. He couldn't convey his emotions and intentions perfectly with facial expressions, otherwise there'd be no need for a microphone. Once he reached the bottom of the ramp, Warner elected to stray from his usual route of taking the steps right away and turned to his right, circling the ring slowly while his eyes were glued on the Storm. Whatever caused this fire to be lit under AJ's a**, it was enough to bring him out to interrupt an announcement considering every title the franchise had to offer (although many would argue that it didn't take much to get a reaction out of AJ). Once he had reached the side of the ring near the commentary team, he turned towards the timekeeper and was handed a microphone that was snatched with his free hand. Warner continued his lap around the ring at his own pace, of course. His speed was -- temporarily -- limited.I'm losing the reasons to breathe, I never lived
I'm losing the reasons to breathe, I never lived
Never lived, never lived, I'm in love.
These are my reasons the truth is never filled
These are my reasons the truth is never filled
I'm never filled, never filled, I'm in love.
I'm in love.... Love.... I'm in love.... Finally he had reached the steps. Using his cane to push himself up the next elevated surface, he walked across the apron when he found himself at the final step. AJ put his weight on the cane as he swung his right leg over the middle rope and found himself standing across the way from Shanahan. The music faded out and the lights came back on with both warriors standing toe-to-toe with one another. Several dozen crowd members whistled and cheered for the encounter, but as many moments went on without a word being said, the hollers grew louder until AJ cut them off.
"Oh boy, do I feel lucky to be here tonight. Not only do I feel lucky to be standing toe-to-toe with the Storm, Matt Shanahan, for the first time in my career --" The crowd's roar helped relieve the two of any tension or stress that may have been in the air. A huge pop was given from the live audience as Shanahan's name was mentioned. Most of the fans cheered directly for the BBW general manager, but a good portion of them were cheering for the idea of a match between the two. Of course, that would have to wait a while. "-- but there is no where I'd rather be than in Nashville, Tennessee, in the center of a BBW wrestling ring in front of each and every one of you."
'B-B-dub!'
'B-B-dub!'
'B-B-dub!'
This was heartfelt. Strange that something coming from Warner that was heartfelt wasn't driven by cold-blooded bitterness. A smile and a laugh emerged from AJ's cheeks as the crowd showed their mutual passion and admiration for Bad Blood Wrestling. The Shooter lowered the microphone and let the audience continue before raising the talking stick back to his lips and finishing his speech.
"Bad Blood Wrestling has introduced me to so many opportunities. It was here I had my first matches with legends like Shadow and the Dream... it was here in BBW where I was introduced to my prodigy, Aiden Covell... and thanks to Bad Blood Wrestling, I have found a new home in this industry."
A unanimous round of applause and cheers erupted from the Bridgestone Arena, despite the boos that came at the mention of everyone else in his prior statement. AJ nodded in response with a huge smirk helping show his first signs of life in a very long time.
"When I first became a professional wrestler, I signed with Twisted Flow. I spent a couple years being introduced to veterans and used my body as a weapon, why? Because I was hungry. I was desperate for someone to give me a chance, I wanted to prove to myself that a lifetime of training and dedication would show results, and in two years, I was able to call myself world champion. I was hungry for an opportunity to show I could represent the sport I love better than anyone else, and I did."
Another round of applause came his way. AJ had made a career out of demanding respect, but who knew that being civil and successfully conveying his perspective would do just that? Huh. Funny how the world works when you take off tunnel vision.
"Then I went to the U... because I knew I had what it took to be champion, I wanted to show my nay-sayers, my critics, my bookers, and my enemies that I wasn't a fluke. I was hungry for a chance to prove my worth. I wanted to solidify myself as not 'a' top dog, THE top dog. I wanted to reassure them that anything they could do, I could do better... and I did, because in a short amount of time, I won myself the WWEU Championship. AJ Warner was no fluke, but after five years of addiction and injuries... people still like to think of 'what could have been'. And Matt, I can't fix that. But you.... see... you can. You may be too busy dealing with Blackjack --"
Oh, lord! The boos that rained in Nashville after the mere mention of the world champion were thunderous. AJ didn't even want to stop them, but he had to get to his point; he was scattered all over the place because this was the happiest he had been in so long... or so it had seemed.
"but I've got an idea that might just help you out. So first things first, ******** this."
AJ threw his cane onto the outside floor to his left before pacing back and fourth to show his condition. The boos had turned into audacious cheers for the Shooter, showing that he was far ahead of schedule. Warner then removed his glasses and jacket to show more of his physical improvement since the audience last saw him, and they whistled in approval while some girls woo'ed (the amount of girls cheering had dwindled since he grew with age).
"I may have been hungry back then, but now I am starved. BBW is my home. Blackjack can trash and spray-paint my home all he wants, but I'm gonna remind him that this business is made of bricks, and AJ Warner doesn't back down to any big bad wolf. So from an employee to his boss, Mr. Shanahan... I'm begging you, but from one man to another, Matt... I need a favor...
"I WANT BLACKJACK'S HEAD ON A STICK*, AND I WANT THE BBW WORLD. F .UCKING. CHAMPIONSHIP!"
It was as if the crowd members each had a microphone and all screamed their votes of approval into them simultaneously. Something magic was in the air tonight in Nashville, TN, and the goosebumps that came with it were probably the cause behind AJ's trembling fingers.* = Trent came up with the "on a stick" addition.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 12:54 pm
Shanahan remained silent while AJ spoke his piece; he hated being interrupted, but he wasn't going to get defensive about it if the crowd was really loving it this much. After Warner's rip-roaring speech, the crowd lost their minds. Rarely had Matt seen an audience get so behind a man in his ring! The General Manager glanced around the arena to make sure that he wasn't getting Punk'd here; they really were behind AJ! When was the last time that happened?
"You know... if you had approached me about this backstage, I probably would've shot you down hard," Matt muttered in response as he turned back to AJ, in hopes that it would get the crowd to simmer down too. "Because, let's face it, Warner. Your track record is... less than stellar. I mean, up until this moment, I wouldn't even consider you healthy enough for a match."
The crowd's enthusiasm was on a down-turn as it seemed that Shanahan was about to crush Warner's hopes and dreams, as he often did when people interrupted him. "But..." Matt turned towards the audience with his eyes cast down, thumping the microphone against his chest for a moment. "... I do hate Blackjack..." A positive reaction from the crowd followed.
"I do need contenders..." An increase in the crowd's volume occurred.
"And I suppose, everyone deserves a shot..." The crowd was getting pumped up again.
"And... if these people wanna see Warner make that rise to the top, they're gonna ********' get it!" As Matt turned back around to face Warner, after igniting the crowd once again, he walked back to him and placed a hand on the smaller man's shoulder. "You want that match? Prove it to me, next week. You come out of it as a winner, and we'll see AJ Warner versus Blackjack at the Pay-Per-View!"
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2014 6:42 pm
Once the announcement was made that AJ would get his shot at glory -- and personal redemption as well -- the aged warrior walked over to the set of ropes to his right and shook them quickly, showing his enthusiasm for Shanahan's optimism. The crowd shared the passion of Warner, roaring loudly as they heard he was put in a number one contender's match. If you asked anyone three years ago if they saw AJ Warner competing for a world title, they'd slap you silly and ask you to put money on it. All the doubters were silenced, as an energetic crowd and their loud hollers were plenty enough to drown out any nay-sayers. Warner walked up to Shanahan and grabbed his hand, shaking it with a huge grin spread across his face from ear-to-ear. This was his chance, and it was given to him by a man desperate for repairs after the damage done by Blackjack. There was no need to talk after Shanahan or say anything more; he was elated to be in the position he was in. Next week. One on one. AJ Warner versus Andre the Giant's ghost for all I care. And if he won, Blackjack would be smart to find himself in an unfamiliar position: concerned and careful. There was nothing left to say. Doing a handstand over the top rope to exit the ring was an anxious AJ Warner; he had got what he had wanted and that was another attempt to reach the top of the mountain.
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