Cort Marshall is sitting backstage, applying some wrist tape as he’s interrupted by a cough.
Maxwale: Man, the aroma of incompetence must be in the air. It really does a number on my sinuses.
Cort looks up at his opponent tonight, squinting.
Cort: Excuse you?
Maxwale: Oh hey, I don’t believe we’ve met yet. My name is Maxwale. The single greatest light heavyweight in all of OCW. I believe we have ourselves a match tonight.
Cort: We do.
Maxwale: It’s safe to assume that you haven’t seen what I do to people in that OCW ring. So I’ll summarize my weekend I just had. I read Jerry Boy Savage his Eulogy in Eugene. I tore apart every ligament possible in Buddy Burns knee.
Maxwale: So if you genuinely care about your health and well-being post your wrestling career, they why don’t we head down to the ring, you forfeit our match and I’ll continue my career win streak.
Cort just stares in response to this strange man’s assertions.
Cort: Listen, I saw what you did to Jerry Boy and Buddy Burns. But if you think you can intimidate me, you got another thing coming. I’ve heard worse from better men.
Maxwale: Intimidation? That’s for cowards Sport. That’s your name right?
Cort sighs, getting annoyed.
Cort: We can go with that, sure.
Maxwale: Right… I only speak in actualities. So if we step in that ring and have this match. I will actually break you down. I will actually read you your Eulogy in Eugene. And if I feel compelled enough, I will actually make mincemeat out of your knee.
Maxwale: See you down there Squirt.
Maxwale confidently walks off as Cort shrugs and continues to apply wrist tape.
Cort (muttering): Some people’s children.
The camera pans to the announce team.
Rude!
He is a man of integrity!
The Camera Pans To The X-Tron
Backstage again, the familiar door frame is shown on camera, with the Pride Championship still draped over the back of a folding chair, but this time there is no drumming sound welcoming the camera into the room, just the soft squeak of the ink soaked felt tip of a sharpee being dragged across the face of a replica title belt.
As the camera moves into the room, the back of the One Man Memorabilia train, Bobby Minio, is seen hunched over the table, signing belts at a more rapid pace as the pile on the right gradually shrinks.
The pile on the left has grown and expanded, pouring over the left border of the table into an open rubber bin below. Each signed title belt is tossed to the left, sending a few signed titles tumbling into the bin with each hurried toss.
Minio’s signature orange bandana is now wrapped around his forehead, for maybe the first time on camera, pulling his short and messy bangs up and back.
He’s a living, breathing assembly line, a machine, working through the task at hand that had been assigned to him almost anonymously, the mission delivered by the same sort of nameless OCW staff member that Minio has historically abused over the years in various segment.
As he begins to sign another title, the sound of a dry sharpee tip across the face of the belt is picked up on the camera’s microphone. Minio tries signing twice more before sighing and leaning back in his chair.
After a few seconds, he flings the sharpee up above without even a passing glance, the dull thunk sound of the sharpee embedding into the ceiling following the toss.
The camera pans up, revealing roughly a dozen other dead sharpees lodged into the ceiling tile above Minio. As the camera pans back down, Minio can be seen reaching into a nearly empty small sharpee box, producing another fresh sharpee to continue the work.
For a moment he considers taking a break, but a passing glance at the shrinking pile on the right hand side of the table motivates Minio to continue, knowing that the finish line is in sight and then he can support his Inception-mates in their battle against FAME later on in the main event.
With soft, barely audible grunt, Minio reaches over to the right, dragging another title belt and continuing on the job at hand. The camera turns to place the real deal Pride Championship into frame, before the scene cuts back to ringside.
The camera pans to the announce team.
Dam!
Indeed!
The camera focuses in on Stacy Clark sitting at the desk. Empress seated across from her.
Stacy: Hello, this is the Clark Effect with your hostess me Stacy Clark. Today we have a guest that seems to be making strong waves around the OCW. Let's give a big welcome all the way from Kyoto, Japan the one and only Empress.
The Camera pans to the right where Empress is sitting with a dull look on her face.
Stacy: Umm...It's an honor to have you on the show. How are you today? You seem to have a couple of scratches from your attack on Belle during her Clark Effect interview.
Empress expression doesn't change. The camera pans back to Stacy.
Stacy: Uh...Okay so let’s jump straight to it.. Last Saturday on Super Turmoil’s Clark Effect you attacked Belle during her interview for what reason? Are you aware it was just an accident what happened between you two?
The camera pans over to Empress who is staring at Stacy. Even the camera operator seems confused as to what's going on. One of the staff members walks up to Stacy and whispers into her ear.
Stacy: Excuse me...Ladies and Gentlemen. It seems we have what seems to be a language barrier problem. We are working on getting a translator as we speak please bear with us.
A moment passes as a woman in a suit with glasses on and blond hair walks up behind Stacy and sits just off camera. The Camera focuses back on Stacy as she clears her throat and shuffles her papers again.
Stacy: Sorry about the wait ..looks as if our translator is here. So let us continue. At the Clash you aired what some people are calling an Anti-Flojo campaign. Why do you have so much hatred toward Flojo?
The Camera moves over toward Empress who was looking down at her phone waiting for the interview to be over. The translator can be heard in the background speaking.
Empress' eyes shoot up from her phone as she hears the translator's voice. Before she can get up from the chair the translator jumps over the desk attacking Empress. Stacy screams Not again and crawls under the desk as Security makes their way over to break up the two women.
The Translator removes the glasses and a blond wig to reveal it was FloJo in disguise.
She tries to continue the attack on Empress but, is pulled off my Security.
FloJo: Hello Empress-chan. Don’t think for one second that I’ve forgotten about what you’ve done to me at The Clash.
FloJo: I saw the video package as well. You really Pearl Harboured me, but in response, I am gonna Hiroshima your ass!
Empress: Ore ha omae wo korosuzo!
Inaudible screaming can be heard from both women as they are escorted off the set by Security. Stacy peeks up from under the desk and sits back in her chair.
Stacy: Well that will be all for today...This has been the Clark Effect with Stacy Clark.
As the camera fades out Stacy can be heard saying: I don’t get paid enough for this.
The camera pans to the announce team.
GOOD GAWD!
YIKES
We cut backstage to the bustling Nerve Centre of OCW Riot. As we saw on Turmoil, Tiberius Dupree and Paul Pugh are sitting in the background eagerly staring at monitors, while Nate Ortiz is rising out of his chair, heading towards a coffee machine.
He presses his order - Skinny Latte, but before it can be dispensed Jim Black is back on the scene trying to steal an interview.
Black: Mr Ortiz… after your actions at The Clash *THWACK*
Before Jim can finish his sentence he’s shoved up against the wall by OCW World Heavyweight Champion Paul Pugh. Pugh has him by the throat and gets into his face.
Pugh: He’s not talking. I’m the talker. Talk to me.
He lets Jim down from the wall and turns to face the camera. Jim steadies himself and picks up the microphone he just dropped. He nervously goes to speak
Black: I’m here with…
Pugh slaps the microphone out of his hand
Pugh: Leave Jim. Now. Before I make your family homeless.
Pugh turns to the cameraman
Pugh: … You too. Out of here. This is the inner sanctum. This isn’t for you to spy on.
Pugh balls up his fist as Tiberius Dupree looks on in the background - the classic half smile cutting across his classic two face.
The cameraman retreats but only enough that he’s out of Pugh’s line of sight. He continues to monitor the situation through a slit in the blinds on the outside window.
Nate has taken a seat, as a member of the OCW writing team approaches Pugh
Writer: So we think you should toss it in the garbage…
Pugh stands, intently staring at the writer for a moment, before running his down his face, through his beard. He takes a long, deep sigh.
Pugh: What part of “someone already did that” do you not understand? Shall we also have a ladder match for a wig? Why don’t we promise we’re going to kill the frigging company while we’re at it?
He slaps the writer’s papers out of his hand
Pugh: You are fired.
Writer: You can’t fire me… can you?
Both the men look in the direction of the Head of Talent in OCW - Nate Ortiz. He takes a long sip of his coffee and gives a single, solemn nod.
Writer: But my kids… I have a fam…
Pugh: Me too… but I also have a job…
He points at the door and waves in the writer’s face
Pugh: Bye.
The writer’s eyes have filled with tears at this point as he hurriedly leaves the room, passing our courageous cameraman at the same time. He tries to hide the tears as the camera lens focuses on his face. He shoots out of shot as the camera re-train’s itself into the room
We see Pugh lifting a title belt from the table in front of Nate - but it’s not the OCW Championship we’ve seen recently. It’s different… a more classic, 2012 design. It’s big… It’s Gold…
Dupree: I thought he told you to leave?
The camera spins around to the doorway where Tiberius Dupree is standing. He immediately takes his hand to the lens and shoves the camera to the ground, ending it’s poor life and this scene...
The camera pans to the announce team.
Its like a time capsule!
What is this an AARP Ad?
VALKYRIE vs BLAINE* & MOORE
The camera pans to the announce team.
GOD HEAVENS!
................
The camera opens to the RIOT stage, as Telos’ music hits. He takes his time walking to the ring, scanning the arena amid jeers from the crowd.
Telos motions to ringside for a microphone. After snatching one away, he walks back toward the center of the ring. Raising the mic to speak, the OCW universe showers him with boos.
Telos drops his hand, walks toward the hard cam and leans on the top rope, chuckling at the reception he’s receiving from the fans.
Telos: “Ain’t nothing like it.”
A chant begins to pick up throughout the arena, section by section…
Crowd: You lost Dennis! *clap clap clapclapclap* You lost Dennis! *clap clap clapclapclap*
Telos cracks a slight smile at the chant and moves back to the center of the ring to address the crowd.
Telos: Yeah I know, its been awhile since you’ve seen Telos out here all on his lonesome. But after losing against Tayy at The Clash, I did a little thinking. Thinking about the pros and cons of what comes next.
Telos: Pro: I can move on my own accord without worrying about someone else’s personal grudges. Con: One of the greatest business minds OCW has ever seen, is banished from the building indefinitely.
The arena pops at the mention of Dennis Dillinger’s suspension from OCW. Telos pauses for a moment before raising his eyebrows and continuing.
Telos: Pro: One of the biggest snakes in the company will finally stop harassing people backstage. Con: You losers will probably start cheering for Breizee now, since you definitely weren’t before he got tangled up with me…..Terrible choice. I wish I could say I expected better from you...
As the crowd cheers for Tayy Breizee, Telos mocks them with a disgusted face and a fake shudder.
Telos: All that is to say: Win or loss, pro or con, I will move forward as I always do…..Which leads me to my next topic.
Telos: A few weeks back, I ran into a situation. One involving three clowns, a kendo stick and the Pride Championship. At the time, most of my focus was on Clown #2. But briefly…a glare hit me in the eye. A reflection, from said championship. So I looked Clown #1 in the face and let him know what I was coming for.
Telos: But post Clash….There’s just one issue. Shepherd doesn’t have the title anymore.
The crowd begins to buzz while Telos continues…..
Telos: I mean, I thought ditching Cort Marshall would stop him from going AWOL…. But I guess not. So now, once again the focus has shifted…
Telos stops and stares directly into the camera, with any sign of a smirk leaving his face.
Telos: Bobby Minio.
Telos: Haven't really come across you in my time here, but I have a distant respect for you. I mean, I have to. You have what I want.
Telos: And I want you to know, as much as I like making things personal, I got nothing against you as a man. But I'm coming for that Pride Championship. And it won't be much longer before I make you hand it to me.
Telos tosses the microphone out of the ring, and makes his way back up the ramp as we move to the next segment….
