Apocalypse: Blade vs. Scott Hammond - EurAsian Championship

[Phoenix]

Blade has been dominating the EurAsian division as of late, retiring former champion Chris Beckford and defeating youngster King Shabba over the last few months, but a new challenger has emerged in former Mayhem and Tag Team Champion Scott Hammond. Blade has got his hands full at Apocalypse no doubt as Hammond has proven himself worthy of a shot at the gold around the champion’s waist time and time again.

Deadline is Tuesday 16th August 23:59 EST​

 

[Blade]

Rebecca Serra is walking down a hall in the backstage arena where Apocalypse is being held. She is walking quickly towards the locker room where Blade is and beckons the camera man to keep up with her, knowing that interviewing Blade before a Pay Per View always brings unpredictable but entertaining results. She reaches the locker room and takes a deep breath before knocking on the door and waiting for an answer. After a few moments the door his opened by Blade. He gives Rebecca a curt nod and invites her inside.

Blade: Nice of you to join us, Becky.

She turns around, knowing that comment can't mean anything good.

Rebecca: Us?

Blade slowly closes the door, revealing a man tied to a chair, unconscious and gagged behind it. Rebecca screams and backs away until she hits a wall. Blade shakes his head and drags the hostage to the centre of the room before slapping his face.

Blade: He smells awful... Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me. Rebecca Serra, this John Phillips, also known as Johnny Johnson, from the ABWA back in England. John, this Rebecca Serra, a somewhat competent interviewer for WZCW wrestling.

Rebecca: What is going on?!

Blade: I'm glad you asked that. You see this man is a quite revered indie wrestler back home. But he also happened to train with Scott Hammond back in the day. They became good friends and regularly keep in touch. And today, John had come over from England to watch Scotty's EurAsian title match with myself at Apocalypse. I saw him wandering these halls and I recognised him since I keep up with all the indie feds back home. I attacked him from behind while he was walking past my door and brought him in here.

Rebecca: But why? Why would you do that?

Blade: Another excellent question. You see, I want to get in the face of Hammond and tell him what I think of him, because that's what needs to be done to deflate the ego that has run away with him over recent weeks, ever since he got the title shot. But I can hardly go up Hammond and start speaking truths, can I? He'd likely just punch me in the face because the words I'm using are too big so they make him have angry feelings. So this is the closest thing I have to alternate. Sure, he's not quite as overly-muscular a Hammond, and I did hear him manage to form a full, coherent sentence without following it up with "my head hurt!" but he's still close enough to Hammond.

Blade grabs a cup of water and takes a sip before removing the gag from Phillips' throwing the water in his face. Phillips wakes up, looking groggy.

Blade: Hey there.

Phillips shakes his head and looks up.

Phillips: You... You wanker!

Phillips goes off on an insult tirade on Blade while Blade looks around the room for his EurAsian title. He spots it on the sofa and picks it up before throwing it over his shoulder.

Phillips: ...Stupid mother fu-

Blade: Are you quite finished?

Blade looks into Phillips' furious eyes and smirks.

Blade: You know what's funny, John? Right now you're so angry you could almost break free of the bonds tying you to that chair. Almost. And when you wake up again and find yourself in a location that you don't recognise, but you're no longer tied the chair, you'll spend several seconds wanting to beat my face to a bloody pulp, because that's how you deal with your problems.But then you'll get up and you'll spend who knows how long trying to figure out where you are. You'll panic, you'll sweat and you'll pray that you find your way out. And you'll have completely forgotten about me by the time you do find out where you are because I'm smarter than you and I've thought this through.

Blade sits down on the coffee table in front of Phillips and lights up a cigarette before continuing.

Blade: My point is that you and Hammond and that whole group you learned to wrestle with, your brothers, they're all the same. You are the group of wrestlers who were taught to make your muscles as massive as possible and it would inevitably lead to your being a great wrestler. I don't know what's worse, your teacher for teaching you crap like that or you guys for believing it. And this is why guys like you will never be on top of the wrestling world again. This isn't the 80's, this is a time where brains are most important. Hell, how do you think Ty Burna has been on top so long? Because of his brains. Who has come closest to taking his title? Showtime. Like I said, it's all about brains.

Blade takes a drag and blows it right in Phillips' face.

Blade: But I'm not complaining that there are people like you still around. You and Hammond believing that pure strength will help you triumph. Chris Beckford believing that heart will help you triumph. That's why I'm destined to be a champion, whilst you guys get left behind. You're just making my job a whole lot easier. Thanks to guys like you, I don't have to win matches in the ring. I win matches on the microphone and backstage and at ringside, taking little to no effort from me.

Blade takes a long drag and crouches down beside Phillips, speaking softly now.

Blade: And I've already won against Hammond. You see, first I cost him a big match. That was all the negative impact I needed to have on him. That got his angry steriod hormones flowing around his ape body. I then needed to confuse him. So when I was made special guest ref for his match, it was my destiny making everything fall into place once again. This was my Piece de Resistance, my Coup de Grace. Not only did I help Hammond win, but I raised his hand as the victor. It was like I respected him. Me, Blade, who has respect for nobody. That would confuse a normal man, but an idiot like Hammond? I'm still surprised it didn't make his head explode right then and there. But all this means is that he thinks I respect him, so he, in turn, will respect me, because that's how stupid people work. But having respect is the greatest weakness any man can have. It clouds your judgement far too much. Makes you complacent and error-prone. Hammond, I have already won.

Blade takes his title off his shoulder and presses it hard into Phillips' face.

Blade: I know you want it, don't you? Huh? Guys like you and Hammond trying to go for titles because the shinyness mesmerizes you. Well that's never going to happen. Hammond will never even get a whiff of this belt.

Blade stands up and looks adoringly at his title as he keeps talking.

Blade: Thank you for your help, John.

Suddenly Blade swings the title into Phillips' head, knocking him unconscious once again. Blade looks at him smirking as Rebecca stands in the background, horrified.

 

[Low_Ki]

The scene fades into what appears to be a wrestling convention with hundreds of people moving around small booths getting signatures from their favourite wrestlers from around the world. The is a large ring in the centre of the hall and has a couple of indie wrestlers entertaining the large crowd. The camera pans into a medium sized interview room where a massive 'WZCW' sign can be seen against the back wall. Scott Hammond can be seen at the helm, sitting with a mic in front of him and a group of reporters sitting in front of him

I will now take any questions that any of you may have.

A reporter stands up

Mr Hammond, last week on Meltdown, you defeated Ale in a match that many said you had no chance of winning, but more interestingly, your opponent at Apocalypse the EurAsian champion Blade counted the pinfall and even held your arm up as the victor after the match. What do you make of that?

Its simple. He believes that he is in my head. Let me tell you what really happened on Meltdown. He came out, pinned Ale's shoulders to the mat, and raised my hand in victory, thinking that it was the most genius thing that he had ever done. Going from costing me a match one week, to thinking that he was the reason that I won a match the next, he thinks he's in my head. I won't lie to you. The week after I won the right to fight Blade for the EurAsian title, he was in my head. But after a consultation with myself and an old friend, I cleared my head, and I am now more ready than I have ever been to take the title from Blade.

A cheer erupts from the small crowd crammed inside the room. Another reporter gets up

Mr Hammond, Blade recently took hostage an old friend of yours, John Phillips who trained with you when you were learning to wrestle, do you have anything to comment on in regards to his actions?

As a matter of fact I do. I saw the footage. It conveniently found its way to me. Johnny is a good friend of mine, and quite frankly the way he was treated has given me even more reason to do what I am going to do to Blade at Apocalypse. He insinuated that I was all brawn and no brains, but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realise that when I put Blade in that Anaconda Vice, and I intend on making him tap, that hearing the bones in his arm crackle will put him right out of action. Whether or not I am educated is not the issue, my knowledge of wrestling is far superior and I intend on putting on a masterclass when I step into the ring with him, not just for me, but for Johnny, he didn't deserve that. He thinks I'm stupid but I wasn't the one raising my forthcoming opponents hand in victory on Meltdown was I?

A small cheer and some laughs break out amongst the crowd

What do you say to those who think your are merely a great Mayhem Division wrestler and no more?

That's the stigma right? I hear guys say it all the time. People overlook the fact that I was one half of the best tag team in recent memory, held the tag titles the joint longest of all time. Blade talks about Ty being great because of his ability to get into the head of his opponents, but he too was Mayhem champion at one stage in his careers. So was Everest, so was Cougar. What I'm saying is that everyone starts somewhere. That is where I started, and now I take a big step forward by taking the EurAsian title and proving once and for all that I am better than Blade.

A loud 'YEAH' can be heard coming from the crowd. Another reporter stands and raises his hand

Blade has stated that the likes of Chris Beckford had heart, and was still retired by him. He stated that your respect for other wrestlers is your biggest weakness, what do you say to that?

I agree. My respect is my weakness. But there in lies the issue. I don't respect Blade. He was right. Respect clouds judgement, and ultimately, his judgement is coming, and I couldn't find a more appropriately named PPV to to cast it.

And what about...

I'm not finished. He isn't going to win this match with a mic or backstage oh no. He is going to look me straight in the eyes and realise that he is not the wrestler I am. I am superior. And I will take that title from him. Come Apocalypse, the mind games are over, and all there will be left are two men, and when the smoke is cleared, the better man, me, will go home with the EurAsian title.

I have a question...

The voice is coming from the middle of the crowd and as the man struggles his way to the front of the room he is identified from the cheers and jeers from the crowd to be Blade. He slowly makes his way up to the interview table as Hammond stands up and goes nose-to-nose with Blade.

How are you and these sheep that call themselves your fans going to feel when I walk out of Apocalypse STILL EurAsian champion? How's poor Johnny going to feel when he realises that his friend Scott is just as much of a failure as he is?

Hammond stares coldly into the eyes of Blade, and gives off a slightly evil smile, pointing at the EurAsian title around Blade's waist and pointing to his waist

Forget the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, come Sunday, it all ends for you.

As he finishes talking, Blade unhooks the EurAsian title from his waist and raises it high in the air above his head as camera's flash around the room as both Hammond and Blade stand face to face. The scene fades out