Kermit
the Frog
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Meltdown's opening video package plays and the music blares throughout the arena as a wild pyrotechnic display goes off over the stage. The camera pans all over the crowd and the stage, which is decorated with a handful of Las Vega themed decorations, including a miniature roulette off to one side. The camera focuses in on WZCW's stalwart flagship announcing team, Sebastian Copeland and Jack Cohen.
Copeland: Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you live to beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada, and the crowd is totally electric for the most chaotic week of WZCW television all year!
Cohen: I'll tell you, Seabass, this is just about my favorite week on the WZCW calendar. It's total pandemonium in WZCW - nobody knows who they're going to face this week! Champions won't know if they're going to defend their titles until moments before they go out! It's madness!
Copeland: That's right, folks - we can't even tell you what the main event of tonight's show is. Nobody knows but the top of the WZCW brass, and they're not likely to share with us anytime soon.
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The crowd is on their feet for the arrival of Meltdown's general manager! The GM makes his way out with a smile on his face, slapping hands with the occasional fan before entering the ring. He grabs a mic from a member of the production team and begins to address the crowd.
Dave: Hello, Las Vegas!
The crowd pops and Dave grins at the cheap pop.
Dave: I want to welcome you all to Meltdown Madness, as we're kicking off the most chaotic week in WZCW. It's going to be one heck of a ride, and I hope you're all looking forward to it as much as I am.
The crowd cheers and assents that they are indeed.
Dave: But there's something else looming on the WZCW calendar that I've decided to address tonight. You all know that we're on the road to the Lethal Lottery, where one superstar will earn the right to challenge for the world title in the main event of Kingdom Come. I know the Internet has been blowing up over just how the match is going to go down this year, and after consulting with Vance Bateman and Chuck Myles, we've finally settled on just how we're going to conduct the match this year. I can reveal at this time that the Lethal Lottery will be a thirty man over the top battle royale - and furthermore, from this point forward, there will be no qualifies for the match. Entrance will be determined solely by discretion of WZCW management.
The crowd cheers, excited to hear that rumors of the Lethal Lottery being reduced in size have been greatly exaggerated.
Dave: With that, ladies and gentlemen, I'm done taking up your time, so let's get right to action - !
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The crowd's cheers turn to total derision as the number one contender to the world title makes his way to the stage, a smug grin on his face. He strides about halfway down the entrance ramp before raising his microphone up to address Dave.
Holmes: David, with all due respect - no one cares.
The crowd lets him hear it and Holmes has to wait for the noise to die down before he can continue.
Holmes: I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The Lethal Lottery is completely irrelevant. I am the number one contender by virtue of my indisputable, dominating victory over Triple X, who will now undoubtedly return to the hole from whence he came. But again, what does it matter? Triple X is now but a distant memory, and the Elite has claimed his place as number one contender.
The crowd issues noises of disgust in Holmes's direction, while Dave eyes him levelly, letting him speak his piece.
Holmes: And that, of course, is why the Lethal Lottery couldn't be more meaningless. Because I will defeat Showtime handily at the Lethal Lottery, claiming the prize I have always been meant to hold, and whomever is the victor of the Lethal Lottery couldn't possibly defeat me. I will begin the longest reign in WZCW history at the Lethal Lottery, and the winner of the match itself will simply fade away into the dust of time as I become WZCW's brightest star.
Dave raises his mic, but Holmes cuts him off.
Holmes: And yes, for those reasons, David, I simply must insist you stop talking immediately about the Lethal Lottery and instead address my impending world title reign - !
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The crowd goes wild for the arrival of the champion who saunters onto the stage with the belt around his waist. He has a microphone in hand and wastes no time in cutting off Steven Holmes.
Showtime: Holmes...you might be crazy, you might be an egomaniac, but one thing I never took you for was stupid.
The crowd cheers for the insult and Holmes grins slyly back, a smile not reflected in his eyes.
Showtime: If you really believe no one cares about the Lethal Lottery, then you're dumber than I could have ever believed. The only person in the world right now who should be more terrified of the Lethal Lottery than you is me. Because there's no one on the planet who will ever pose a bigger challenge to the world champion than the winner of that match. Inevitably, the winner of the Lethal Lottery will be the hottest star in the company, because that's what you have to be to survive that match - trust me, I know. And that's the last person you want to stare down. The next most likely person to be champion come Kingdom Come after me, is you. So you should be paying very careful attention to what Dave has to say about that match, because you have a very vested interest in it.
Holmes is fuming as he raises his microphone.
Holmes: If you're quite finished -
Showtime: Actually, I'm not. Because I also have to address the utter stupidity coming out of your mouth when you presume you're going to walk over me at the Lethal Lottery. Because maybe you haven't been paying attention, but I've already beaten you once, and I can damn well beat you again. At All or Nothing, I survived a 60 minute Iron Man match to defeat Constantine in one of the most grueling matches of my career. I say this objectively, Holmes - I am the best wrestler in this company, and I prove it every night. If you're going to take me lightly, if you're not going to bring your A game to the Lethal Lottery, than don't even bother showing up, because it won't be worth my time.
The crowd roars in approval as Holmes once again raises his mic.
Holmes: I have enough talent in my left pinky to defeat you blindfolded, you half breed son of a - !
Dave: Enough!
Both men turn to face Big Dave, who has the attention of everyone in the arena.
Dave: As entertaining and as good for ratings as this is, both of you are eating into the limited amount of time we have on air. And as much as I hate giving out spoilers, I can tell you that neither of you are on the card tonight, so I'm going to have to end this particular pissing contest. Save your best for later, boys - there'll be plenty of time for it in the weeks to come.
Both Holmes and Showtime look like they're about to speak, but Dave cuts them both off.
Dave: Although, while we're all out here, I do have one more piece of news that I can deliver. Again, I hate to spoil this, but I have enough respect for you, Showtime, to tell you what your match is going to be this week. Bring it up on the screen, boys.
WZCW Aftershock
WZCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Triple Threat Match
The crowd goes wild over the announcement as Dave raises the mic once again.
Dave: You're too good of a world champion to be asked to walk into that match blind. But likewise, I'm going to give your opponents a chance to prepare as well. Your first competitor is going to be WZCW's own Submission Queen, Celeste Crimson!
The crowd cheers and Showtime narrows his eyes, nodding slightly.
Dave: And joining you...with apologies to Red Mask, WZCW's greatest superhero, Saboteur!
The crowd cheers once again and Showtime rubs a hand over his jaw, stunned at the news. Holmes's expression is totally neutral, revealing nothing of what he feels about the news.
Copeland: Explosive news as we learn that the main event of Aftershock this week will be a world heavyweight championship contest between Showtime, Celeste Crimson, and Saboteur!
Cohen: Two of the toughest you could ask for! Celeste is a stalwart veteran and we all know that Saboteur is capable of shocking the world in an instant!
Copeland: We'll be right back, folks, with more Meltdown Madness!