AS 107 - Tony Mancini vs Xander LeBelle

The camera turns on and we see Tony & Gino at the Arrival section of the General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee Wisconsin waiting for Tony's mother Priscilla coming in from New York to visit before his match against Xander LaBelle at Ascension 107. When she gets in sight Tony goes up to her and gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Is everything OK mom? He asks with a worried tone in his voice. You sounded anxious on the phone the last time we were talking.

Gino takes the bags while Priscilla talks to her son as they walk through the airport.

It's your father, she says as they walk into the garage where the car is parked. He told me about the last time you guys talked on the phone. He's saying he doesn't have a son and you're dead to him now.

Tony sighs as he opens the car door and helps his mother into the back as Gino gets in and starts the car.

I'm not surprised to hear that. Pops was never one to take people going against him like that lightly.. He looks over at Gino as he drives out of the airport garage. Hey Gino lets go to Maggiano's Little Italy, mom's gotta be hungry after that plane ride.

You read my mind Anthony, she said with a smile as Gino turns left out of the parking garage. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast with your father and all they had on the plane was peanuts.

Tony chuckles as he and his mother talk about the mundane things going on in their lives. After about a half hour Gino pulls into the restaurant parking lot.

You're going to love this place mom, Tony tells his mother as he helps her out of the car. The food tastes like something grandma would have made in Sicily and the wine selection is excellent.

They go inside and get seated right away. After only a couple minutes the server comes up and they order a bottle of red wine as well as a serving of Nervetti to share. They decide on Penne All'Arrabbiata for the main course and a light Tiramisu for dessert.

I know you don't want to talk about this but we need to, she says with a slight furrow in her brow as she takes a sip of her wine. You need to talk to your father. He thinks you want to take his job from him and his afraid you're going to get his competitors to take him out of business. You have to call him and make things right.

Tony squints his eyes in irritation at the thought of talking to his father knowing the conversation won't be pretty in the slightest.

Dad didn't get to where he is by being stupid because that's exactly what I had planned on doing.. He raises his hands to stall his mother's complaints. But I started thinking since talking to him and realized that I've been losing because I'm stretched to thin, have my fingers in to many pies.

The conversation stops as their food arrives and Tony dishes out food for everyone. Before he starts eating he leans back with a pensive look on his face.

I've seen that look before Anthony, she says. Your father gets that same look in his eyes when he's about to do something he may regret.

Tony chuckles as he takes a bite of Nervetti.
That may be true mom, he says after swallowing his food, but there's more to it than that. The only win to my name was against a guy who barely even showed up for the match and hasn't been seen since. I lost my debut, I lost in the Gold Rush Tournament, I lost my PPV debut as well as the Tag match I was just in.

Again he raises his hand and stops his mother from saying anything as he sips his wine. He goes to respond when out of nowhere a random fan comes up and asks him for his autograph. Tony clenches his fork in his fist and gets up with a furious look on his face like he intends to use it but before he able to do or say anything his mother clears her throat which brings her son back to his senses and give the fan time to get away.

I'm sorry about that mom I guess I'm more wound up than I thought. I promise you I will call dad after my match on Ascension I need to concentrate before then, he says in compromise. He won't be any happier with the new things I have to say anymore than he was the last time we talked. Now let's stop talking about business and talk about you hand how you're doing.

His mother smiles as they turn the conversation to lighter topics as the camera fades to black.

**The DAY OF ASCENSION 107**​

The camera turns back on and we see Gino Rizzoli backstage at the BMO Harris Bradley Center looking everywhere for Tony Mancini so they can talk about the upcoming match with Xander LaBelle. After about ten minutes he finds him alone in a back room sitting in a metal folding chair and watching TV on an old metal stand like you would find in a middle school science room.

Tony, what the hell are you doing in here, Gino asks as he closes the door. We need to go get ready for your match tonight against LaBelle.

That's what I'm doing Gino, Tony says as he hits the pause button. LaBelle used to wrestle in WZCW as Le Gentleman Masqué so I grabbed a handful of his matches so I could get a feel for who I'm up against. I just started watching his debut, pull up a chair and let's come up with a plan of attack.

Spoiler

Jacobs is only ten pounds heavier than me so this shows he can go with the big guys and win. I need to keep the match slow and methodical and wear him out before he builds up steam and gets away from me otherwise I'm in trouble.

Gino looks over at Tony with a bewildered look on his face.

What's gotten into you Ton, he asks bluntly. You've been acting different ever since you had that fight with your old man.

You heard what I told mom right, Tony asks in complete seriousness. I meant every word. I'm done living a double life. I know this isn't what we talked about so if this isn't what you want you don't have to stay. I can't imagine dad is going to take this lightly, no one has ever stood up to him like this before.

Gino grabs a chair and sits down as he thinks about what Tony has said.

My loyalty is to you, not your father. I'm sure we can deal with whatever your father tries to do.

Thanks Gino that means a lot, Tony says a he claps him on the shoulder. There's an ending of another match of his I want you to see.

Spoiler

When the numbers game is against him he falls apart. At this point Tony stops the TV and pushes it a few feet away. We can't take him lightly though. LaBelle is at his best when he's got someone in his corner. When he started teaming with The Beard he became a Tag Team Champion.

All that was years ago Ton, people change a lot over the years, Gino says as he leans back in his chair. And now he's got Andrew Adonis in his corner[/Color].

I know but this is all I have to go on so I need to use it, Tony says as he gets a serious look on his face. I'll handle LaBelle but Adonis is a complete unknown in this match so I want you to keep an eye on him and stop him if he tries anything.

Gino nods as Tony pulls the TV closer and turns it on. They watch the rest of the matches and talk strategy as the camera fades to black.

 

The following is a message from Xander LeBelle, French ambassador, WZCW superstar, and class act.​

Xander LeBelle sits in front of a backdrop emblazoned with the colors of the French flag. He is in his full suit and red tie, his white-gloved hands folded in his lap. His face is a mask of stoic rage as he refuses to speak. The lenses on his bottle glasses catch the light, obscuring his eyes. His agent, Andrew Adonis, paces in front of him. His gold suit and sunglasses are as immaculate as ever, but his trademark smirk is gone. After a moment, he settles into position, standing in a way that allows himself to be in full focus, with LeBelle still center-stage. He glares into the camera from behind his sunglasses.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Andrew Adonis," he says. "I am the head of the Adonis Studios talent agency and the representative of the World's Greatest Mind, Xander LeBelle."

LeBelle doesn't react at the sound of his name.

"We are sending this message today for a number of reasons, and the biggest one is named Tyrone."

Adonis spits the name out like a poison.

"Tyrone, buddy, guy, we know why you attacked my client just before we were about to make our grand debut. And trust me, we ain't happy about it either. I want you to know, Ty, that because of you, we got shoved off to Ascension, our time got cut in half, and Mr. LeBelle here had his bell rung so hard it's amazing we aren't suing your ass for attempted assassination of a government official. You should be thankful that this message is all we're sending out, Ty. Hell, you should be grateful."

Adonis inhales and exhales, the anger still dancing across his perfect features.

"You really don't know who the hell you're dealing with, Ty, but maybe if you had taken a sec and not smacked my client with a chair, you would have known. We were gonna spell it out for you, Ty! Right there on live TV! If you had waited just twenty goddamn seconds, you would've known all about me and Mr. LeBelle. I at least figured you'd be the type who would be smart enough to actually learn what you're up against before making stupid choices like that."

Adonis straightens himself up and pretends to flick a speck of dust off his suit. He inhales again, his face relaxing slightly.

"But, hey, buddy, I get it. You had it out for us because you saw us as a threat, right? Y'know, that's great! We are a threat, kid. I'm the greatest manager Hollywood has ever seen, the undefeated mixed martial artist and head of Adonis Studios, Andrew Adonis..."

Adonis points to the still-brooding LeBelle.

"...and he is the French diplomat, the smartest man in the world, the former WZCW tag team champion, the brand new and better than ever Xander LeBelle. This ain't no Masked Gentleman you're squaring off against anymore, folks. At least we still got to burn the damn mask."

The manager sighs.

"And what a scene that was, right?" he continues, more enthusiastically. "Incredible. Astonishing. Talk about an impact! C'mon, folks, do we know how to put on a show or what? And Ty, pal, no matter what, there ain't nothin' you can do to take that away from us. I know you tried, buddy, and I know why you tried. It's because you're really a big ol' softy, ain't ya? You're a helpful guy, right?"

The cocky, perfect grin has returned to the agent's face.

"I mean, you sure helped Cooper get the win, right?"

Boom. Adonis snaps his fingers.

"It's a great time, kid! A real Cinderella story! The big controversial veteran finally makes it to the top with an 80s rocker by his side, and then a prince swoops in and cracks his biggest challenge to date over the head with a chair. Trust me, folks, I'm shedding tears on the inside. It's better than Hollywood!"

Adonis mimes a tear falling from behind his aviators.

"But, y'know, as I stood there in the back restrained by those hacks WZCW calls security, watching my friend get smacked over and over and over I wondered to myself, why? Why would Ty do such a thing? Sure, we're a threat, but the brutality and the venom of the attack and how it affected my client to the point that he couldn't compete at his full capacity the next day really made me raise an eyebrow! Luckily, folks, I've already told you about the real class act here. Mr. LeBelle, how do you feel about enlightening the audience a little?"

Coming to life, Xander slowly but surely gets up from his chair, walking up to the center, letting Adonis move behind his shoulder. From the pocket of his suit, he takes out a cigar, and from out of his sleeve slides a metal lighter to ignite the tip, before sliding it back into his pants pocket. He takes a puff,

and then exhales, taking in every second before speaking.

"Thank you, Andrew. Even someone such as I could have trouble putting it quite as elegantly." He says, with a stern tone, and a deadpan expression. "Mister Blades, Mister Cooper, Your act is almost convincing, so by all means, keep it up, but it is no secret there is only one degree of separation between you two, and his name...is Alex Bowen."

He drops his hand and the cigar it is holding to his side.

"The traitor of the Apostles of Chaos, Blades? The man who brought down your Empire, Cooper? Surely the two of you know the name well. The two of you must have fought and sided with each other so many times. In spite of it, you still hold some trust for them. The two of you say strong words to describe him, like 'traitor', until you two wind up on the same side, and then they are your confidante. The two of you had been very trustworthy towards a man who only showed pride in his title as 'The King of Mayhem'."

A crooked smile comes across the face of The Class Act.

"We are always told to accept and believe what is in front of us, but there will always be something just out of view." Xander pushes his glasses down to give the world a view into the top of his eyes. "And like always, it is down to the minor details that expose everything so clearly. Specifically, his wasted chair shot on me, when I had no business with him, seemingly only for the purpose of leaving me at far less than one hundred percent for my match on Ascension."

Xander scoffs.

"Is this a blood feud between these two? If so, why was I the one to receive the brunt of the attack?" Xander says.. "Call me a skeptic, perhaps, but Cooper, I would understand making such terrible decisions, but am I to believe that Tyrone Blades, the former 'Ty Burna' would have such terrible judgement? You may not be 'The World's Greatest Mind', but still you seem like you would be sharp as...I suppose, a blade?"

Xander raised a gloved index finger in front of him.

"I would not say for certain that Bowen is involved in my attack on last Meltdown. Who knows? Perhaps he is, but it makes not a lick of difference. Call it a hunch, but I would say the two of them seem used to making deals behind the curtains. Could this all have been an under the counter plan that the two had set up, to stop The World's Greatest Mind from stealing the show in his return match?"

Xander takes another puff of his cigar,

and then exhales, before dropping ashes onto the ground.

"All I shall tell you is that it is plausible, and unlike many elements to this story, it is a solution that would all make far sense than our accepted 'truth'. For all I know, Mark Keaton could have been behind Tyrone's assault on me. Either way, thanks to them, I was robbed out my rightful payday last time, but it will not happen again.I have a fresh start, thanks to Blades' indefinite suspension. Which leads me to the match that will forever be dubbed 'Xander LeBelle's True Return to Greatness', a match against...Tony Mancini."

Xander could not help himself and sneers at the last line.

"I believe this is the first time 'Greatness' and 'Tony Mancini' ever shared a sentence. There is a first time for everything, Andrew."

The agent laughs, a short, sharp bark.

"You crack me up, kid," he says, grinning. "Yeah, you bet there's a first time for everything, and there's a last time for everything, too."

He walks and stands side-by-side with his charge and folds his hands.

"Tony, Tony, Tony," he continues, shaking his head with each name for emphasis, "you're a lot like Cooper and Ty, you know that? Now, I bet you're sitting watching this and thinkin' to yourself, 'well spaghetti my carbonaras, that's high praise!', not even realizing that I don't mean you got the pedigree they got. What I mean is you are about to step in the ring with a guy you don't even know the half of! Xander, guy, tell me about mafia members. What do you think they crave?"

"Power," came the simple reply.

Adonis pounds his right fist into his left palm. "Exactly!" he exclaims. "This Mancini guy, he thinks he can walk around with a puffed-up chest because he's some kind of mafia hot shot with his bodyguard and his family and his hoity-toity Napolitano garbage. Well, joke's on you, buddy, because you're gonna be starin' down the two most powerful guys in WZCW. Were you watching the start of this, Mancini? LeBelle here was chosen to represent France in the United States! And I've taken losers and made them winners, hall of famers, legends! Buddy boy, your Family doesn't mean a damn thing when you're taking on LeBelle. This man earned everything he has, you got me? Me and him, we're exactly the same, two hard-nosed guys who scratched and scraped their way to the top. Once you're in that ring, you're in LeBelle Territory, bucko, and in LeBelle Territory, all your underground connections don't mean a damn thing."

Adonis removes his sunglasses to reveal his brilliant eyes. His grin widens.

"Guy, there ain't nothin' more pathetic than a man who will look you in the eye and lie through his teeth. LeBelle is gonna walk out there with "Astonishing" Andrew in his corner, and he's gonna be the one high and mighty at the end of the match. Trust me."

The agent turns to his charge, who is standing tall and smirking.

"Now, kid, we gotta get you rested up," he says. "Make sure you're actually 100% this time. Conserve your energy before the big night. You got anything else to say?"

Xander drops his cigar to the floor, before stomping it out.

"Anthony, please, please come to your senses. You and your family may have tangled with plenty of ordinary men in order to reach some level of control, but the last thing anyone would ever think to call me is ordinary. Being a champion is not ordinary, not that you would know. It requires skill far beyond the average man to hold even the lowliest championship. Being a diplomat is not ordinary, it means I am among an elite few who are modern day royalty to my country. And being 'The World's Greatest Mind' is a title few have claimed to be, and it is the rest of them who are the ordinary ones."

Xander puts his hands behind his back, and looks up towards the ceiling.

"I am extraordinary. Something that The Beard never seemed to have realized, but something that a genius such as Adonis did. And after I defeat Anthony Mancini, the man who's only victory in WZCW thus far has been against..." Xander pauses, in reflection. "...My replacement, maybe that will show, him, as well as WZCW that I will never be replaced. I cannot be imitated, or replicated. I am one of a kind."

A few silent seconds passes, before he lowers his head to look back at what was in front of him. He takes his hands from behind his back, and splits them up to nudge Adonis' shoulder.

"Come now, Andrew. You must get good rest as well. You will be the key to my success."

Nodding, Adonis follows Xander as they walk away, as everything fades to black.

This has been a message from Xander LeBelle, French ambassador, WZCW superstar, and class act.​