TWC is doing what they do best. They’re training in The Combat Center to sharpen their skills. Jasmin, Aisu and Marcus are in the ring working on wrestling holds.
John Carter is sitting on the turnbuckle on his cell phone talking with Marissa X$pensive and Ryu is standing ringside with his headphones on doing Ryu things, dancing.
RYU: We have to get in shape boys and girls! “You can do it, put your back into it!”
Aisu stops mentoring for a second. He turns and leans against the ropes towards Ryu.
Aisu: Are you coaching or is that the song you’re listening to?
RYU: Both!
Aisu shakes his head and blows the whistle. Both Marcus and Jasmin stop wrestling with each other. Marcus releases Jasmin’s from an armbar submission and helps her up.
Marcus: You have to get those arms stronger if you want to wrestle with this generation of talent.
Jasmin: I guess you didn’t see me throwing Ashley Moore around… as much good as that did me. You think you can teach me how to have a tougher chin?
A burst of laughter from John Carter breaks up the chit chat. The entire team looks at him. John stares back at them and realizes that training must be over. He hangs up the phone with Marissa.
John: What? A guy can’t communicate with his lady? Isn’t that what’s important in a relationship?
Jasmin: Your ‘relationship’ is what got you into this situation with Nate in the first place, you-
Marcus: What she’s trying to say is that we need to focus on our matches tonight. It’s another big night for The Wrestling Club.
John: Hey there’s no need to be jealous over the fact I’m dating the hottest woman in wrestling. The Main Event of Riot is where it got me. Speaking of, I should probably work on climbing up and down a ladder. I have a feeling Nate will be a bit faster than Pato.
Whistle blows.
Aisu: Can we not and say that we did? The Wrestling Club is a unit now. We’re not going to be dysfunctional like it was in the past. All 3 of you need to keep your head in the game.
Aisu: Marcus! Tag Team titles were part of your mission with John. It still will be but in the meantime you need to focus on the man in your sight. Now own it! Not to mention you’re going against a student from another school tonight! Make us proud and show him.
Aisu: Jasmin! You never got a warm welcome from us and on behalf of our team we welcome you.
Jasmin: Thank you!
Aisu: But that’s not all. You have to keep your chin up and watch the dropkicks, kid. I need you to have top notch mental preparation prior to fighting your opponents. That is also why Ryu is here. His experience will benefit you greatly.
John: What about me, Aisu?
Aisu: About that. You lack discipline. With discipline comes consistency. Stop the distractions. TWC needs to show the world they are working twice as hard as anybody. And put that phone away when you enter the gym.
Aisu: You guys got it?
TWC: Got it!
Aisu: This session wasn’t a great one, but we made progress. I expect a better effort in the coming ones. Now break.
Ryu: That's what she said!
August 27th, 2:15pm ET
Backstage of Summercide near the gorilla position is El Parca. Parca is staring at his reflection at a mirror, he looks deep in thought as he breaks his gaze and shakes his head aggressively. Parca slaps himself around a little bit as he starts bouncing up and down to hype himself up.
Parca: C'mon man, this is it. This is the moment, this is the match you’ve been waiting for. All of them are counting you out, all of them are wanting Christian to have his feel-good moment. YOU know who you are YOU know exactly what must be done tonight.
Parca: Not for DDE, not for Ross, but for ME. For MYSELF, I need to remind myself and everyone in this god-forsaken company just exactly who I am. The crowned jewel of DDE will make everyone recognize exactly who I am.
Footsteps can be heard all around Parca as Summercide is a busy time of the year for OCW. As Parca continues dealing with his inner battles out from the corner we can see none other than the man himself, Dennis Dillinger. Dennis is watching Parca as Parca continues talking to himself.
Parca: Lution was a fluke, Harvey taking away… mi amor was just a nightmare, a nightmare caused by Christian Garcia. If Ross would have just handled business like it was meant to have been handled I would still be the OCW World Champion.
Dennis emerges from the corner as he begins slowly clapping at Parca.
Dennis: But instead my dear boy, here you sit.
Parca turns around quickly as he looks at Dennis, the last time these two got together it was an awkward and heated conversation. Parca not understanding why exactly Dennis is around right now makes him grow even more confused.
Dennis: Here you sit ready to go to war once again. Ready to continue to elevate not only your own career, but elevate this entire company as Gran Gulpe Primero
Parca: I didn’t expect you-
Dennis: Nonsense. The past, present, and future of the industry stands before me representing everything I’ve spent the last decade building. Where else would I be?
Parca looks down at the ground after Dennis’ statement. He continues looking at the ground as Dennis continues on.
Dennis: Your frustration, your anger, your irritation. Miguel, it’s all justified. I cannot correct mistakes I - or any of my associates - have made in the past, but after our last conversation… I took a long hard look at what WE have built over the last year and a half.
Dennis: I dove into the chaos in search of some kind of consistency. Some kind of meaning. Something that would allow you and I to move forward together.
Dennis: But I realized something… That consistency you long for. That comfort that I have been trying to instill in you. It’s been here all along.
Parca does not raise his head, but shifts his eyes upwards towards Dillinger.
Dennis: It’s you.
Dennis: Through every iteration of whatever this has become, you and you alone are the one who has shouldered the load and been forced to deal with obstacle after obstacle.
Dennis: …and yet my dear boy, here you sit.
Parca looks up at Dennis and turns back around to the mirror behind them as he looks back into it again. This time, Dennis is behind him and gives Parca a flashback to Chaos Theory when Dennis was with him for his match with Danny Watts.
Parca: You’re right. I am angry at a lot of things… and I want to believe you. Actually, Dennis, I do believe you. Tonight is a night to start anew, where everything can restart and I remind the world what WE were meant to do when this all started.
Parca turns around looking at Dennis again with a fire in his eyes.
Parca: I had too much going on in my mind last year when I had to face Tony, I still have too much going on in my mind though Dennis. But, this time? Tonight? I can’t make that mistake again, I’ve gotta set the course right.
Dennis smirks with glee as he walks up to Parca and places a hand on his shoulder.
Dennis: This is the man I found downtrodden and confused 18 months ago.
Parca: After tonight? After I become the new North American champion… We will figure out the particulars of the future of DDE.
Dennis: My Primero… This isn’t about DDE
Dillinger slides his hand off of Parca and reaches into his jacket pocket. Parca turns as Dillinger pulls out a text-filled contract, the DDE logo boldly displayed on the top. He holds it in front of Parca with a smile on his face and rips it into 4 pieces. His music hits as he stares perplexed.
Dennis: You don’t work for me anymore. You don’t work for DDE. This is about you, Miguel… not my business. It took me a long time to realize that, but I course-corrected. Just like you do every single time.
Dennis: This is your moment. Go teach that disgusting sewer rat who the hell you are.
Parca nods at Dennis as he walks through the curtain with the cameras making their way up to Primero as Summercide rolls on.
HITO GUI vs. CLAUDIO STARDOM
We find ourselves backstage, in the locker room of The Prophet, Elliot Parker, and his Angel, discussing the outcome of the recent triple threat match The Angel mad his in-ring return for.
Prophet: YOU DID WHAT?
Angel: I took that match for you.
Prophet: WHY?
Angel: To spare you the wasted energy on those two. You’ve already gotten the better of one, and I don’t think the other will last long enough to have a smear like that on your record anyways.
Prophet: What made you think you were even ready? You haven't seen action in over 2 years!
Angel: I did what I needed to. You had much bigger fish to fry, like reconciling with Al-
Before he can finish that thought, the Prophet snaps back at him.
Prophet: DON’T YOU DARE BRING MY WIFE INTO THIS.
Angel: …lyssa. Now, we can’t leave the elephant in the room, can we, my Prophet? You left her, high and dry, for months. I’m surprised she held it together. You were gone. Her school had forgotten she even existed, her firstborn was at her wits end, and yet she continued to perform for those people. That is a strong soul.
Prophet: I accounted for what I could. You know that.
Angel: Well, next week you have a date with someone who claims to be a messiah of sorts. Spare minimal energy with him, because then I have another goal for you to achieve. I want you to use your platform to expand our reach.
Prophet: And what do you mean by that?
Angel: Come now, we have much to discuss, away from potential eavesdroppers.
With that, the pair leaves the room, and off to another location away from the Barclays Center.
