Harrys: The following contest is scheduled for one fall where the winner will be the next participant to qualify for the third annual WZCW Lethal Lottery!
"The Saints Are Coming" by U2 & Green Day blasts through the speakers as Sherman walks out from the curtain hands raised in the air as the crowd cheers. As he goes down the ramp, he waves and hi-five's the fans in the front row.
Harrys: Making his way to the ring, first, from Down Under, weighing in at 255 pounds... Johnny "First Class" Sherman!
The music changes to "Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)" by Fear Factory and Winters makes his way to centre stage and performs the sign of the cross before walking down the ramp to a cheering audience.
Harrys: And his opponent, from Chicago, Illinois, weighing in at 267 pounds... Michael "The Truth" Winters.
Copeland: Both men are in similar situations here. This is their last chance to qualify for the Lethal Lottery match and will stop at nothing to get there.
Cohen: Both men are loved by the crowd and have nickname's between their names.
Copeland: What has that go to do with anything?
Cohen: Nothing, Seabass... and so does your point. If any of these two men were smart, they'd consider this just another match so they don't put pressure onto themselves.
The two men shake hands as the referee checks both of them and signals for the bell.
Sherman immediately hits a boot to the chest of Winters, knocking him back by surprise. He follows up with a dropkick that doesn't put him down but he does stumble back into the corner. Sherman taunts to the crowd and goes for a corner clothesline on Winters, but Michael moves out of the way that causes Johnny to hit his head on the turnbuckle and turn around into a clothesline of Winters. Sherman is dazed and tries standing up, but Winters is there to greet him with a European uppercut to the face. He delivers a couple more before sending Sherman on an Irish whip ride. Sherman tries for a crossbody off the rebound, but Winters grabs him and throws him across the ring with a fallaway slam. Sherman uses the ropes to get up and slowly walks backward into Winters who hooks the Crucifix, slams him to the ground and locks the submission in. Sherman does all he can to fight out of Winter's grip but it is no use. Sherman tries to endure the punishment but just as he is about to pass out, he weakly taps out.
The referee signals for the bell, Winter's music hits and the crowd cheers.
Harrys: The winner of the match and the next participant to qualify for the third annual WZCW Lethal Lottery... Michael Winters!
Copeland: Sherman jumped right out of the blocks with the offense but Winters quickly turned it around and won it just as fast.
Cohen: What did I tell you? Don't pressure yourself, otherwise you'll get caught out.
Winters walks up the ramp and celebrates with the fans as the referee checks on Sherman who is having trouble moving as go to a commercial break.
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We're back in the arena as the arena is clear and Johnny Sherman has been taken backstage after his match, Truman Harrys is on standby.
“Ladies & Gentlemen, please welcome at this time.....the former Elite X Champion.....AUSTIN REYNOLDS!!!!”
Austin emerges as his music loudly plays. He walks to both sides of the stage, playing to the crowd before walking down and touching hands with the fans who reach over. He gets into the ring which has been specially made for this very special interview slot.
“Alright guys, I am here to make your night with a very special Ratings Spike on this fiftieth episode of WZCW Meltdown.”
The crowd go wild with delight for this announcement.
“And I’d like to welcome at this time, someone who in recent months has been crucial in the success of Meltdown by consistently providing incredible competition and forcing everyone to compete at the highest level. Guys, from Ascension, this is Vance Bateman!”
Bateman comes out to a mixed reaction. Austin welcomes him to the ring and hands him a mic.
“Thank you for inviting me Austin. It’s delightful to be here on such a momentous occasion.”
“Mr Bateman, I’ve always appreciated the competition that you promote with Mr Myles. Now at the pay-per-view, Meltdown will be promoting an open challenge for the Eurasian championship, with Chris Beckford taking on all-comers. What is your comeback – how do you fight that?”
As Vance brings the mic to his mouth, Austin interrupts him enthusiastically.
“You know what, I can tell you right what will sell the pay-per-view to the masses. You can put me in the ring with David Cougar and John Constantine and let me loose.”
“And while you’re at it, give me a rematch for my Elite X title.”
Bateman shrugs off the interruption.
“I’ve got a fantastic idea, to blow that away. You see I don’t need to have a title on the line – I can come up with a great match with something just as important. You see Mr Reynolds, the Lethal Lottery is a crucial event and the winner will need to survive nineteen others. That is why the number twenty spot is important and that is where you come in. Austin, you are going one of the two men in that match.”
Austin celebrates with a quiet fist pump while the crowd react extremely positively to that news.
“But I am going to have to put somebody in that match who will give you a run for your money. I need a strong figure who will combat you and force you to bring your best. I have thought long and hard about this but the choice was obvious to me.”
“Well don’t keep me in suspense boss. This is one of those need-to-know things and I.....we need to know!”
“You got it.”
Constantine’s music starts, booming loudly through the arena and the crowd boo furiously. He is smiling broadly as Austin furiously squares up to Bateman.
“You know Mr Bateman. It’s all been worth it just to see his face. And I on behalf of the Showtime Power Trip, will be glad to ensure Austin Reynolds has NO CHANCE IN HELL in the Lethal Lottery match!”
“Are you kidding me? This is BS!! Holy crap this makes so much sense! You have been behind this all along!” Austin pushes Bateman away out of anger but holds back. Bateman laughs and gestures at Constantine to stay at the top of the ramp.
“Mr Reynolds, this is the reality of the situation. You have dragged my show down the toilet so I had to take the Elite X title from you. You were simply not worthy of the championship and you did nothing with it! David Cougar is a superb champion and I am delighted to have him represent Ascension. The Showtime Power Trip are the future of this company and you, just like everyone else needs to take a backseat to my choices.”
“You know what, I should knock your teeth down your throat. And then deal with your giant ape up there.” But it’s going to be more fun, going to Ascension to prove you wrong and then screw him at the Lethal Lottery like you screwed me!”
The crowd roar again as Austin stands up for himself so vociferously.
“Now as this is my very special segment for the fiftieth episode of Meltdown, it means for a few minutes at least, that this is MY SHOW!!! So I will see you tomorrow night *points at Bateman* and I am looking very forward to seeing you at the pay-per-view!” He points at Constantine and the two men lock eyes as Austin’s music hits to end the segment.
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Meltdown Memories, clips of WZCW Superstar share their memories, with shots cutting between them
Wasabi Toyota: When I made my WZCW debut on Meltdown 39, it was a glorious day. I still remember how the sun shined high and bright in the sky when I woke up that morning. Being able to get in the ring and get my life back on track was one of the most fantastic days of my life. While I may not have won my contract battle royale, I still impressed enough to receive a contract at the end of the day and got the chance to be featured with some other great talent.
Gordito has become one of the premier young stars in the company and a great friend of mine. He showed from day one that he had the talent to one day be a World Champion, which I believe is going to happen sooner rather than later. Steven Holmes was also feautred in that battle royale, but he's a man with minimal talent that's done had success only because he's a spineless, gaping asshole. He needs to be dealt a huge serving of VENGEANCE!!!!
Hunter Kravinoff: My first exposure to Meltdown was about fifteen months ago. As I grew more integrated into western society, I discovered the magic of television and beyond all the fluff about houses, senates, and American Idols, I found some of the most enthralling, rigorous, mesmerizing combat I’d ever seen. Meltdown 29 truly gave me the taste for a hunt the likes of which I needed to be a part of. Two men in a squared circle locked in mortal combat the likes of which would allow me to finally get my hands on humans who are in fighting form in a socially acceptable battlefield.
But it wasn’t the obvious “great” matches that really sold me on the company. It was the mismatches, the battles that resembled Christians being thrown to the lions more than they did legitimate athletic contests.
Big Dave: Meltdown's had a lot of memories whether seeing them as a fan or being part of it as a WZCW Superstar. Naturally my debut in the Contract Battle Royale will stand out for me as I made the first stage of reaching this company, though Meltdown 21 saw more things as that was the birthplace of the FHD.
My lowest moment, well it was going to be said by someone sooner or later was the infamous Chicken Match at Meltdown 25. We already had a set up where we switched Garth Black's music to the theme song from Sesame Street which got good laughs, but one of the guys at the back told me to look under the ring and call the guy that's under there out and play the match as normal. Little did I know that some geezer in a Chicken suit would come out and do what he did, I ended up losing the match which didn't help but that moment sticks out like a sore thumb, even more than the Ladder Match from All or Nothing, so you can see why it can be viewed as a low point!
Steven Holmes: One of my fondest memories of being a WZCW wrestler was episode #44, where myself, Dr. Kurtesy & Doug Crashin revealed ourselves to be the masterminds of the Mayhem plot. I know many were shocked by the revelations that night. It was night where I was reborn and a night where the Crashin Movement certified our dominance over WZCW. We took out several men that night, and showed the world what we were capable of. I think that’ll go down, not only as a moment that not many people expected to see, but also as one of the greatest in Meltdown’s history.
Hunter Kravinoff: That night, I experienced this phenomenon twice when Matthew Fox lost decisively to Corey Payne and then Eurasian Champion Drake Callahan destroyed Excellency. These quick, forgettable contests served only to wet my appetite for the human prey I had long been ready for. Not only did I want to destroy people in similar fashion, but when I did so I intended to go up against the real carnivores of the organization and lay them out in a manner that says they too belong at the bottom of the food chain. You see, just like these squash matches serve to tease the viewers and give them a taste of what the greats in WZCW are capable of, it also gives me as a competitor a goal to strive for in matching the abilities of these modern day titans. Competitive matches are always exciting to watch, but a good squash match doesn’t get enough credit and WZCW Meltdown has provided some doozies. When Showtime David Cougar defeated Trevor Steel in under a minute on Meltdown 36, I knew that one day I wanted to squash Cougar in similar fashion one day, just as I’ve often squashed real cougars using real butternut squash.
My favorite squash match in WZCW history was Beckford vs. Baller on Meltdown 42. Beckford showed Baller exactly why he needs to focus on one sport and quit wasting his time with his silly basketball preoccupation. Beckford beat Baller and then went Alice in Wonderland on him: Off with his head! It was an impressive display and one that will live in the annals of WZCW lore for long time to come. I can’t wait to see what both men attempt to do to up the ante come Meltdown 50.
Chris Jones: Without a doubt, the most important thing that happened in the last 50 Meltdowns was my victory over Baez, which led to me capturing the Mayhem Championship. Not only did I do what I said I was going to do, not only did I capture the title after working for it for ages, but I proved that, like it or not, I am here to stay. But what is much more important than one moment from my past is my future. Rest assured, not only will I win the Mayhem Title again, but before my time in WZCW is over, I will have held every title this company has. I will embed my name in the record books and ensure that no one will forget me.
Wasabi Toyota: The most talented man in that battley royale was no doubt Mr. Rodney McClain. I regret eliminating him so early because it certainly deprived the company of a surefire superstar. McClain had all the tools, he was smart, strong, charming, good looking, and popular with the ladies. It was that damn marijuana that ruined his career. Our company really needs a better support program for wrestlers who struggle with issues such as Rodney's. On the plus side, I have heard that his cousin Ricky Jade has recently been looking to join the company and I wish him the best of luck.
So, yeah. Meltdown 39. The day a few careers were made and one was violently crushed.
Big Dave: My biggest moment for me was Meltdown 35, I had a great match with a newcomer in the form of Chris Beckford, while that was a great bout, the moment that stood out for me was after I got the pin, the moment hit me as I just won the EurAsian League and was getting a title shot at Kingdom Come, that was a huge moment in my career because I was getting a big match and I earned it through hard effort.
