MD 70: Last Man Standing Match: Blade vs. Rush (KFAD Qualifier)

[Ty Burna]

A match that has been TWO years in the making has finally found its place on Meltdown as Rush, the man who experienced a heart attack at Kingdom Come II, will be facing off against the last man he had a singles contest with and who took advantage of his weakened state, Blade, in a Last Man Standing match. If the stakes couldn't be high enough: the winner of this contest will receive a spot in the KFAD Elimination Chamber at Kingdom Come IV... if these two men survive that long.

Deadline is Tuesday, March 20th at 11:59 PM Central Time.​

 

[Ty Burna]

Rush has been granted a 24 hour extension.

 

[Blade]

Blade arrives at the arena hosting this week’s shows after having gone off the radar since Lethal Lottery. He walks through the halls looking in a foul mood. He walks past to camera operators talking to his left and stops.

Shut the hell up!

The camera men look taken aback. The shorter man finds some courage to speak.

Excuse me?

I know you’re talking about me. Yes, I left the company for two weeks without telling anybody. You have nothing to do with it so just shut up!

We… We were talking about asking out Becky…

Don’t lie to me or I will have you both fired!

Both men remain silent before Blade strides off towards his locker room. He opens the door and inside their locker room, Blade finds Overlast and Hammond, loyally waiting for him there like Blade asked them to by text earlier. They are looking at their feet as Blade enters. Blade stands before them and lights up a cigarette.

How do you lose against the worst tag team champions this company has ever seen? I have trained you to be ruthless machines in the ring, I have shown you how to get inside an opponent’s head and I have taught you to never underestimate an opponent, no matter how bad you think they are. You got lazy and you got complacent because you thought you could strut in there and get the tag titles without breaking a sweat. Championships are MY destiny, not yours! Especially with performances like that!

He takes a drag from the lit cigarette in his hand and blows the smoke in the general direction of his protégés.

Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to go out to your matches tomorrow night and you are going to win. Not just win, you will destroy your opponents. You will go out there and make a statement. Not just to the locker room, not just to the fans but to me. Give me a reason not to forget about you. I can’t have you embarrassing yourselves or me anymore. I do not want to be associated with two losers!

Overlast looks up looking angry.

Losers? If I recall correctly, you were the one who screwed up the Lethal Lottery. There was no pressure on Scott or me, you were the favourite. That was supposed to be your chance to fulfil your supposed destiny. You were supposed to win that match and lead us into Kingdom Come as the dominant group. You fucked up as much as we did. You’re the underachiever, we’ve done alright for ourselves!

Blade turns to Overlast and nods.

Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. I am as much at fault as you two and I’m glad you’ve stood up for yourself, Mick. I want you to channel any anger or resentment into your match. You’re better than what you showed at Lethal Lottery, we all are. We are still going to take Kingdom Come for our own. I will make sure you two get a rematch for the tag titles. I am going to win the King For A Day contract. I might even cash in the same night. Either way, the Lethal Lottery was just a minor setback. This is still our time. We are still the group that is going to tear this corrupt company down and rebuild it in the way that this industry and these fans deserve. Now, get out of here. I want you training every minute until your respective matches.

Overlast storms out of the locker room with Hammond just behind him. Blade collapses into the couch and puts out the cigarette before putting his face in his hands. He lets out a deep sigh before there’s a knock on his door.

Come in.

Rebecca Serra opens the door and timidly pokes her head in. Blade motions for her to come in and she takes a seat opposite Blade.

No one has heard from you in two weeks! People are worried about you. Especially Bateman and Myles, they can’t have one of their biggest stars go off the grid heading into the biggest event of the year. They want to talk to you…

Typical…

What was that?

I said it’s typical. I disappear for a while and Bateman and Myles only care about how it’ll affect Kingdom Come. There’s no need for them to worry. I will talk to them when I am ready to and I will show up at Kingdom Come… They should feel lucky I didn’t win the Lethal Lottery.

Blade looks straight into Rebecca’s eyes, fire in his own eyes.

I got screwed in that match. They were out to make sure I didn’t win it. It was obvious. But I guarantee that as soon as I get the opportunity, I’m going to take this company down. This isn’t about taking what I deserve anymore. No, this is about me destroying this company that continues to screw me over. The Sons should be in the spotlight but we’re not. The passion and mat skills of Overlast, the loyalty and submission expertise of Hammond. They are designed to be the perfect team but they had an off night. So I will be fighting tooth and nail to get them the rematch that they deserve. But mark my words, everyone will want to keep them away from Runn and Reynolds just because they sell the t-shirts…

Fair enough. But what about the elephant in the room?

Aw, come on Becky, Rush hasn’t gotten that fat.

Even when you're going crazy you can't resist a snarky one-liner, huh? How can you say that? The man is an inspiration. He came back from the brink of death and is now wrestling again!

Good for him. That doesn’t entitle him to anything! Of course, his story will make all the sheep cry. The suits who run this company will take advantage of that and will want to make money off Rush’s big return. But that’s not going to happen. Rush stupidly asked for our match to be made a Last Man Standing match. That just means I have the freedom to finish him off. That old man has no right to be in the ring, no right to be hogging spotlight that I have worked my ass off to earn. He had a terrible diet despite being an athlete, had a heart attack because of it so he gets rewarded? No, that is bullshit. I’m going to take him out for good this time, before the suits can make another dime off of his ridiculous story. That’s just the start of me taking down this company. Cut off the money supply and make sure Rush never bothers me again. Two birds with one stone.

Blade, Rush is furious with you… He’s not going to go down as easily as you seem to think. They say he’s in the best shape of his life. Watching him eliminate you at the Lethal Lottery seemed to show that.

Rush is the one who has the problem with me. Wanting to destroy him is nothing personal, it’s just business. Despite what everyone seems to think, I don’t hate the other guys in the locker room. I’m indifferent to them. But they are all in my way and they are all less deserving of the spotlight than I am. Rush has no reason to hate me.

Blade lights up another cigarette and leans back in the couch as Rebecca looks bemused.

Blade, you pinned a man who was having a heart attack!

Blade stands up so suddenly it causes Rebecca to let out a squeal of fright. He furiously pushes the locker room coffee table over.

I’m sick of being shown as some sort of villain. You ask anyone what they would have done in my place and they will lie. They will claim that they are disgusted by the thought of pinning a man who is practically dying. But everyone, I mean everyone, would take that pin to walk out victorious at Kingdom Come. Hell, Rush certainly would’ve done it to me. But no one sees that because Rush is one of the all smiling poster boys who puts money in the pockets of the greedy assholes who run this place.

Blade takes a long drag before he starts pacing again.

I am not just fight for what I deserve anymore. I am fighting for justice. Those who are deserving of being on top have to take a back seat to Burna and Showtime and Reynolds because they’re poster boys or have the connections or were relevant years ago. It’s up to the Sons and I. No one will believe we can do it, but I will prove we can. Overlast and Hammond will win their matches, I will take out Rush for good and the destruction of this company in it's current state will begin.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

Harrys: The following contest is scheduled for one fall! The winner will receive a title shot of their choice at either the Elite X or Eurasian Championship.

"Bliss" by Muse begins playing as a dark red light begins flashing in the arena. Blade walks out to a loud boo from the crowd as he does his signature taunt. He walks down the entrance ramp, sneering at the crowd before entering the ring and doing his signature taunt once more.

Harrys: Introducing first, from Dublin, Ireland. He stands 6'2" and weighs 235 lbs, Blade!

"10,000 Fists" by Disturbed hits the PA system as Rush makes his way out. The crowd begins cheering loudly as Rush does his own signature pose. He lets out a scream before beating his chest and then walking down the entrance ramp, slapping hands with fans on the side. He slides in the ring and does his pose once more before turning towards Blade.

Harrys: And his opponent, from Windsor, Ontario. He stands 6'7" and weighs 361 lbs, Rush!

Copeland: These two have some bad blood between the two of them. Blade cost Rush his match at the Megashow so he would have the opportunity he cost Rush. As it stands Blade lost his match and his opportunity, but now they face each other for a shot at either the Elite X or Eurasian Championship.

Cohen: Blade has the youth advantage and should take out that decrepit old Rush with ease. Blade will make better use of the title shot anyways.

Connor: Rush looks to gain some revenge on Blade. I expect this to be a hard fought bout.

This match happened over two years ago, but this is the first that that I have been willing to sit down and watch it from bell to bell. It wasn’t a lack of time that has kept me away from watching this match, but a complete disinterest in reliving an event that not only ended my career, but also my life.

Anyone could ask the most die-hard wrestling fan to list wrestlers that have been willing to put their body through the punishment that wrestlers endue on a weekly basis more than I have, and for as long as I have, and I’m guaranteed to be on the very top of that list. For over thirty years, I continued to step through the ropes, repeatedly putting unneeded stress on my body and mind for millions of people all over the world.

The referee signals for the bell as the two men lock up in the middle of the ring. Rush easily overpowers Blade and pushes him into the corner and quickly begins punching away at Blade. Blade cowers in the corner and the ref forces Rush to break from the corner. Blade steps out from the corner and kicks Rush in the stomach and then hits an uppercut. He goes for a belly to belly suplex but has difficulty lifting Rush up. Rush lifts Blade up but he floats over and goes for a sunset flip. Rush stumbles but keeps his balance and reaches down, lifting Blade up by his neck and tossing him across the ring. Blade retreats to the outside, walking around as he stares down Rush.

Copeland: Blade seems to be having difficulty lifting the larger Rush. He looks to be adjusting his strategy on how to take him down.

Cohen: How do you expect someone to pick up a 360 pound sack of crap like Rush up Seabass? Blade is just taking a break before defeating Rush.

I have lived the life that many men only dream of living and I have accomplished more than most who make it into this business ever will. I know that after years of giving everything, I have nothing left to prove. I have had plenty of opportunity to hang up the boots and walk away, but there has always been an unseen hand guiding me back into the ring. For every day that I welcomed thoughts of retirement, I had three days that I worked harder to improve and get better in the squared circle.

Blade slides back into the ring and Rush charges forward going for a clothesline. Blade ducks and begins kicking away at Rush's knee, hitting another uppercut before bouncing off the ropes and undercutting Rush's leg. Rush drops to the ground and Blade quickly goes to work, applying a knee bar on Rush. Blade applies more pressure to the lock as Rush tries grabbing for Blade. Finally Rush connects with elbows to Blade, causing him to release the hold. Blade gets up and stomps away at Rush before grabbing his legs and flipping over, getting a two count on the pin attempt. Blade drags Rush up and punches away at him. He tries whipping Rush into the corner but Rush pulls him towards him and connects with a powerslam. Rush gets up and yells out loudly. He bounces off the ropes and goes for a splash on Blade, but Blade moves and quickly rolls him up for another two count.

Cohen: Blade is using his quickness to outmaneuver Rush, who should be in a wrestling retirement home by now.

Copeland: So far Blade's strategy is working, he's been able to escape any major damage from Rush.

Connor: Problem is if Blade gets caught by Rush, he doesn't have the power to counteract Rush's offense.

Good ol’ dependable Blade: Always sticking to the same boring basics and wrestling with a little more than a hope and a prayer. I’d be lying if I pretended that I wasn’t slightly relieved to find that the Blade I face at Meltdown has barely evolved since our last match two years ago. The only real difference is now Blade appears to be consumed on achieving his vision of “destiny.” Sooner or later, this fixation on destiny will be his eventual demise as I know, now more than ever, that there is no such thing as destiny.

When you are literally lying face down on your death bed, you enter a sense of clarity. You attain many different thoughts and revelations that can’t be obtained during typical daily activities. You are able to prioritize everything in your life down to the smallest detail, and it is at that precise moment that you are able to decipher what is real, and what is a lie.

Things like karma, luck, fate and especially destiny are nothing more than empty words pushed onto you by people that don’t know any better. Family, friends, spouses, bosses, teachers and priests all wrongfully use these words in an attempt to guide you through life and mould you into their image of a moral human being. The thing that I know now is that none of it matter. There is no heaven. There is no hell. Boy Scout or rapist, it all ends the same.

Blade comes off the ropes and kicks at Rush's knee once more. Rush drops to one knee and Blade connects with a dropkick to the face. He again applies a knee bar to Rush, working on grounding the big man. Rush grabs Blade by the head and slams him head first into the mat. Rush gets up hobbling slightly as Blade rushes towards him again with a cross body. Rush catches him and lifts him up and drops him with a reverse Samoan drop. Rush gets up and drags Blade with him. He whips him hard into the corner, and Blade bounces out holding his back. Rush connects with a Big Boot, dropping Blade. Rush goes for the cover and gets a two count. He lifts Blade up by his throat and whips him into the ropes, lifting him up off the rebound with a military press. He suddenly comes down and slams Blade hard into the mat and covers him, getting a two count.

Connor: Rush has taken advantage in this match. He's throwing Blade around like a rag doll in there.

Cohen: Rush's age will catch up to him quickly. He can't keep up this for too long, he'll run out of stamina.

Despite having wrestled in thousands of matches and facing hundreds of opponents, this upcoming match with Blade somehow feels like the very first time I’ve stepped foot into a wrestling ring. I am a changed man, I can see it when I look into the mirror, and more importantly, I can feel it.

Looking back, as sick and perverse as it may seem, the heart attack that I suffered was the best thing that could have happened to me. Not only did the time away from the ring provide me with the opportunity to heal all of the nagging injuries that I had been working through, but my new diet and physical training has put me into the best shape that I have been in a very long time.

I’m living proof that there is truth behind the old adage “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Rush gets up and bounces off the ropes, going for a big leg drop. He connects across the chest of Blade and goes for another cover, getting a two count again. He drags Blade up and whips him into the corner and comes barreling in and connects with a big splash, collapsing Blade in the corner. He drags Blade out and lifts him up in a Bear Hug, squeezing the life out of Blade before tossing him to the side. He stomps away at Blade and connects with a fist drop before lifting Blade up once again and whips him into the ropes. He kicks him in the stomach and sets him up for the Rushing Powerbomb! The crowd cheers wildly as Rush does his signature pose. He lifts Blade up and hits his finisher! Suddenly Rush gets up rather than going for the pin and grasps his chest, breathing very heavily. He suddenly falls over next to Blade, still clutching at his chest. Blade puts an arm around Rush and gets the three count.

It’s interesting how our outlook on life constantly changes as we mature. Our perception on the world evolves with us. Things that we once held in such high regard become meaningless, insignificant and forgotten. It wasn’t too long ago that all I cared about in my career was wins, losses and championship gold. Now, the thing that matters most in my life is so clear that I wonder why it took me so long to finally see: Longevity. Numbers, guns, girls and gold all appear so petty when compared to the longevity I plan on getting. Longevity in my name, my career and my life.

Like everybody else, my life consists of many peaks and valleys. As of this moment, in the eyes of the wrestling world, my career has ended in the valley of Kingdom Come II. Memories of my career, blackened by that moment like an asterisk beside my Hall of Fame worthy name and I’ll be damned if that is how I will be remembered. I refuse to have conversations about my talent tarnished by that event.

When I finally step away from the wrestling ring, it will be on MY terms and by MY own free will. I will be remembered as of the best in the business, and not as someone who had to be carted away after losing to Blade.

I have earned that right and I challenge anyone to try and take it from me.

The ref immediately throws his arms up in an X.

Harrys: Here is your winner, Blade.

Copeland: What just happened to Rush? He had the match in hand, but he suddenly collapsed.

Connor: This doesn't look good, he's clutching at his chest. You don't suppose?

Cohen: He looks to have suffered a heart attack of some sorts. I knew he would lose his stamina, but not this badly.

The crowd suddenly goes quiet as paramedics rush to the ring. Blade gets up and the ref raises his hand before looking on as Rush is slowly loaded onto the stretcher. The paramedics get him strapped on to it before wheeling him out of the arena quickly. Blade slides out of the ring and makes his way slowly to the back.

It seems that many people have many different experiences when they are close to death but I have no story to share.

I didn’t see a bright light.

I didn’t see any guardian angels.

I didn’t see visions of friends and family who have passed on before me.

I didn’t see my lifeless body lying in the ring as I floated above it.

I didn’t see my life flash before my eyes.

At Meltdown, it is my turn to leave Blade’s body lying in the middle of the ring, clinging to life. But I won’t be leaving Blade for dead like he did to me. No, I’ll be sure to leave just enough life in him so he can share his near-death experience with his family when they visit his bed-ridden and broken body in the hospital.

There are a few things in life that are much worse than death and for Blade, I am one of them.