If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
The match did not disappoint. It was a breathtaking, high paced showcase of agility, speed, and jaw dropping top rope maneuvers. Bourne utilized his incredible aerial offense to keep Kofi off balance, hitting a series of hurricanranas and a gorgeous standing moonsault.
Kofi, employing the ruthless aggression he had learned under Sandro's tutelage, countered with stiff kicks and nasty, targeted strikes to Bourne's lower back, trying to ground the high flyer.
The commentary team was going frantic calling the action, with JBL continually praising Heyman's ringside coaching, while the other three desperately willed Bourne to pull off the upset.
The climax of the match produced a moment that would immediately be etched into WWE history highlight reels forever.
Bourne had finally managed to drop Kofi with a spinning heel kick. He dragged the champion toward the corner and quickly ascended to the top turnbuckle. The crowd rose to their feet, knowing what was coming.
Bourne leaped into the air, executing his flawless Air Bourne, picture perfect Shooting Star Press.
He was soaring through the air, completely inverted, descending rapidly toward the prone champion.
But Kofi Kingston possessed an otherworldly ring awareness. In a fraction of a second, Kofi didn't just roll out of the way, he explosively propelled himself upward from his back, leaping directly into the flight path of the descending Bourne.
Kofi spun wildly in mid air.
CRACK.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE!
Kofi caught Evan Bourne flush on the jaw with a spinning heel kick while Bourne was literally mid rotation in the air. Bourne was instantly knocked unconscious, his momentum crashing him violently onto the mat in a heap.
The arena absolutely exploded. It was a counter of such insane timing and precision that even Cole, Lawler, and Striker were momentarily struck speechless.
"Oh my GOD!" Cole finally screamed, his voice cracking entirely. "Did you see that?! He caught him in mid air! That... that was unbelievable!"
"That is going to be replayed for the next twenty years!" Striker yelled, clutching his head in pure disbelief. "That ranks right up there with Randy Orton catching Bourne with the RKO in mid air last July! The timing required to hit that is superhuman!"
"It's not superhuman, Matt, it's System human!" JBL roared, practically dancing in his chair. "The God King teaches perfection, and Kofi Kingston just executed it flawlessly!"
Kofi landed on his feet, a wicked, arrogant smile spreading across his face. He casually draped an arm over the unconscious Evan Bourne. One, two, three.
Kofi Kingston retained the Intercontinental Championship in spectacular fashion. Heyman slid into the ring, raising Kofi's arm, the two of them mocking the shocked Houston crowd.
The Undisputed System was, so far, having a flawless night. AJ Lee captured gold, the behemoths retained their titles, and Kofi Kingston delivered a highlight for the ages.
As the Houston crowd finally managed to catch its collective breath, still buzzing from the shocking, mid air decapitation of Evan Bourne, the Toyota Center's massive screens shifted focus.
The Undisputed System was putting together a flawless, terrifyingly dominant performance, but the TLC pay per view was far from over. The night was a marathon of violence, and the next chapter was about to unfold.
"I am still shaking from that Trouble in Paradise," Cole admitted, his voice still raspy from screaming. "But we have to move on, gentlemen. Up next, a clash of absolute contrasting styles. The ultimate underdog takes on the All-American American!"
"BOOYAKA! BOOYAKA! 619!"
The arena erupted into a massive, deafening pop as Rey Mysterio shot up like a rocket from beneath the stage, fireworks exploding all around him.
The Master of the 619 was a beloved icon, and he wore a spectacular, brightly colored superhero themed mask and matching attire that stood out brilliantly against the dark, grimy atmosphere of the TLC event.
He rushed down the ramp, slapping the hands of the fans in the front row, occasionally stopping to touch the heads of children wearing replica masks. He slid into the ring, popping up to the middle turnbuckle and raising his arms to the roaring crowd.
Moments later, the aggressive, marching beat of Jack Swagger's entrance music hit. The cheers instantly morphed into a chorus of heavy boos.
Swagger marched out, a towering, collegiate wrestling powerhouse wrapped in a singlet, doing his signature arrogant pushups on the steel ramp while pyrotechnics blasted behind him. He didn't acknowledge the fans, he just sneered, displaying a supreme, unwarranted cockiness as he stepped over the top rope.
Mysterio stood in his corner, stretching his legs, while Swagger stood in the opposite corner, jumping in place to warm up his massive frame. The referee brought them to the center, gave them their final instructions, and ensured both men were ready.
DING! DING! DING!
The bell rang, and the match officially began. Immediately, Mysterio utilized his legendary agility and speed to contend against Swagger's overwhelming size and strength.
As Swagger lunged forward, looking to grapple, Mysterio darted out of the way, sliding between the big man's legs. Rey bounced off the ropes, hitting a lightning-fast headscissors takedown that sent the All-American American tumbling to the outside.
"Look at the speed!" Striker marveled. "Swagger wants to wrestle on the mat, but Rey Mysterio refuses to be a stationary target. He's fighting a hit and run war!"
Mysterio maintained control throughout the early and middle portions of the match. He showcased his incredible talents and deeply innovative moveset to the absolute best of his ability, hyping up the Houston crowd with every aerial assault.
He hit a gorgeous seated senton off the ring apron, a springboard moonsault that garnered a close two count, and utilized stiff, targeted kicks to the back of Swagger's knees to chop the big man down to his size.
Swagger grew visibly frustrated, roaring in anger every time Mysterio slipped out of his grasp.
"Swagger is losing his temper!" Lawler pointed out happily. "He's letting the smaller man get inside his head! This is exactly how Rey Mysterio wins these David versus Goliath matchups!"
"You can only run for so long, King!" JBL countered, shaking his head at his broadcast partners. "Swagger is a Division I All-American! He's a tactical genius on the mat! He only needs to get his hands on Mysterio once, and the fairy tale is over!"
JBL's prediction proved chillingly accurate as the match entered its final stretch. Mysterio had successfully dropkicked Swagger into the middle rope. The crowd leaped to their feet, roaring in anticipation as Rey hit the opposite ropes, swinging through for the 619.
But as Mysterio spun through the ropes, Swagger reached out with terrifying speed and caught Mysterio by the boots in mid-air!
The crowd gasped. Swagger grinned a wicked, missing tooth smile. He muscled Mysterio up, using pure, brute strength to hoist the luchador onto his shoulders. He drove Mysterio face first into the turnbuckle pads, stunning him, before throwing him to the mat with a violent gutwrench powerbomb.
Swagger didn't go for the pin. He wanted to make a statement. He dragged the limp body of Mysterio toward the corner. Swagger bounced off the ropes, leaping high into the air, and came crashing down with his massive Swagger Bomb.
Still not satisfied, Swagger pulled Mysterio up by the mask, dragging him back into position. He hit the ropes a second time, executing another devastating, rib crushing Swagger Bomb.
Swagger hooked both legs. One. Two. Three.
"Here is your winner... Jack Swagger!" Tony Chimel announced, his voice battling the heavy boos from the disappointed fans.
"What a display of raw power!" JBL cheered, clapping his hands. "He didn't just beat Rey Mysterio, he dismantled him! That is how an All-American handles a pest!"
Cole sighed heavily, watching Swagger arrogantly celebrate in the ring. "You can't deny Swagger's physical dominance, but you have to question the absolute lack of sportsmanship. He had the match won after the powerbomb, but he had to inflict maximum punishment."
As Swagger made his exit, the broadcast seamlessly transitioned to a video package highlighting a deeply personal rivalry in the Divas division.
For several weeks, the powerhouse known as Beth Phoenix, the Glamazon, had made it her personal mission to be a constant, agonizing thorn in the side of the popular fan favorite, Kelly Kelly. Beth had bullied, ambushed, and belittled Kelly at every turn, leading directly to the climax of their bitter rivalry tonight.
The heavy, imposing guitar riff of Beth Phoenix's theme song filled the arena. She marched out, looking like an absolute gladiator, her muscles visibly flexing under the arena lights. The Houston crowd showered her with loud, passionate boos, which she absorbed with a cold, terrifying stoicism. She entered the ring, pacing like a caged predator.
Moments later, an upbeat, high energy pop track hit, and the arena exploded into cheers. Kelly Kelly ran out onto the stage, her blonde hair flying as she smiled and waved to the fans.
Despite the massive size disadvantage, there was a visible fire in her eyes. She wasn't smiling as she walked down the ramp; she looked entirely focused on revenge.
The referee checked both women. The bell rang to officially start the match.
There was no feeling out process. There was no traditional collar and elbow tie up. The instant the bell sounded, both women met furiously in the exact middle of the ring, abandoning technique to wildly trade heavy punches and vicious slaps, letting out weeks of pent up hatred.
"This isn't a wrestling match, it's a fistfight!" Lawler yelled, clearly surprised by the sheer aggression.
"The Divas division has evolved, King!" Striker noted, adjusting his headset. "The level of matches we are seeing from these women over the past year has grown exponentially. The fans aren't just here to dig their appearances anymore, they are invested in their wrestling, their psychology, and their storytelling!"
Beth Phoenix quickly used her overwhelming power advantage to take control. She shoved Kelly to the mat, stomping on her midsection before lifting her into a torturous Canadian backbreaker. Beth bent Kelly over her knee, trying to force a submission through sheer agony.
Both women showcased their talents and movesets to the best of their abilities, drawing loud, reactive gasps and cheers from the invested crowd. Kelly managed to escape the backbreaker, rallying with a flurry of tilt a whirl headscissors and a gorgeous, athletic back handspring elbow smash into the corner.
But the Glamazon was a tank. She absorbed the offense, caught Kelly off a crossbody attempt, and hoisted her up into a devastating military press, dropping her face first to the mat.
Beth signaled for the end. She grabbed Kelly's arms, hooking them in a double chickenwing, and hoisted her up before driving her face first into the canvas with the devastating Glam Slam.
"It's over!" Cole shouted. "Nobody kicks out of the Glam Slam!"
Beth casually rolled Kelly over for the pin.
One! Two!
Kelly Kelly miraculously shot her shoulder off the mat at the very last millisecond!
The Houston crowd erupted into a massive, sustained roar. Even the referee looked shocked, holding up two fingers to confirm the count.
"She kicked out! She kicked out!" Lawler screamed, throwing his hands in the air. "Kelly Kelly just survived the Glam Slam!"
"Impossible!" JBL roared, pounding the desk. "That was a slow count! The referee is blind!"
Beth Phoenix was livid. She grabbed Kelly by the hair, screaming at her, setting her up for a second Glam Slam. But as Beth hooked the arms, Kelly executed a desperate, beautiful counter, flipping backward and breaking the hold.
As Beth turned around, stunned, Kelly hit the ropes, leaped into the air, and grabbed Beth around the neck, driving her face first into the mat with her signature leg drop bulldog finisher, the K2.
Kelly hooked the leg with everything she had.
One! Two! Three!
"She did it!" Cole yelled triumphantly as Kelly's music blared. "What an unbelievable upset! Kelly Kelly has vanquished the Glamazon to the absolute delight of this sold out crowd!"
Kelly rolled out of the ring, clutching her ribs but smiling through tears of exhaustion and joy, high fiving the fans as she made her way up the ramp.
The emotional high of the upset victory was a perfect palate cleanser for the absolute carnage that was about to follow. The ring crew swarmed the ringside area, dragging heavy wooden tables from underneath the ring apron and setting them up around the barricades.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Striker said, his tone shifting back to severe gravity. "We have reached the final undercard match before our awaited main event. It is time for a Tables Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships."
The terrifying, distorted screech of "SHOCK THE SYSTEM" echoed through the arena, followed by the heavy, methodical beat of the Undisputed System's secondary theme. The Houston crowd immediately showered the stage in deafening, vitriolic boos.
Out walked Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre.
The two imposing, violent Europeans looked like absolute assassins in their dark ring gear. They wore their WWE Tag Team Championships around their waists with supreme arrogance.
They didn't care about the boos, they thrived on them. They marched down the ramp, their eyes cold and focused. They entered the ring, unbuckling their titles and raising them high into the air, mocking the fans who desperately wanted to see them lose.
But their opponents were no strangers to faction warfare.
"OH, YOU DIDN'T KNOW?!"
The iconic, unmistakable catchphrase blasted through the sound system, followed by the thumping, classic bassline. The arena practically shook from the massive, nostalgic pop.
"YOUR ASS BETTER CALL SOMEBOOOOOOOOOOODY!"
Out stepped the New Age Outlaws. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn strutted onto the stage, soaking in the adulation. They were returning for the first time in several months, having been put on the shelf after their reunited D-Generation X faction had gone to war, and lost, against Sandro and the Undisputed System in an intensely personal rivalry. This wasn't just about gold, this was about revenge.
Road Dogg went through his iconic, rapid fire microphone routine, hyping up the crowd as they marched down the ramp, concluding with the legendary "Suck It!" catchphrase that had the entire arena chanting in unison.
The two veterans slid into the ring, coming face to face with Wade and Drew. The tension was palpable. The referee stepped between the two teams, backing them into their respective corners.
"Let's remind everyone of the rules here," Cole explained over the broadcast. "Because this is a Tag Team Tables Match, it is contested under Tornado Tag rules! There are no tags! All four men are legal in the ring simultaneously! The only way to win and claim the WWE Tag Team Championships is to put your opponent through any table offensively! And both members of the opposing team must be put through a table to secure the victory!"
"It's going to be pure chaos, Michael!" Lawler added, wincing in anticipation. "There are going to be tables everywhere! Inside the ring, outside the ring! This is a car crash waiting to happen!"
The referee signaled the timekeeper.
DING! DING! DING!
The bell didn't just start the match, it ignited a powder keg. Immediate chaos erupted. There was no posturing.
Road Dogg lunged at Wade Barrett, tackling him into the corner with a flurry of lefts and rights, while Billy Gunn and Drew McIntyre immediately brawled underneath the bottom rope, spilling to the ringside floor.
Both teams showcased their distinct talents and movesets. The Outlaws relied on their veteran instincts, quick strikes, and unparalleled tag team synergy, while Wade and Drew utilized their superior size, vicious striking, and undeniable strength advantage to overpower the legends.
It was an intense, breathless back and forth of moves, punches, kicks, and brutal weapon strikes. Drew McIntyre grabbed a steel chair and cracked it violently across Billy Gunn's back, the sound echoing like a gunshot.
Road Dogg managed to counter a suplex attempt from Wade, hitting his signature Shake, Rattle, and Roll punch combination, concluding with a shaky knee drop.
There were several heart stopping, incredibly close moments where either a member of the Outlaws or a member of the System almost went through the wood. At one point, Billy Gunn had Drew McIntyre set up on a table outside the ring. Gunn climbed to the top turnbuckle, looking for a diving leg drop.
"He's going to put him through!" Striker yelled.
But Wade Barrett managed to shove Billy off the top rope at the very last second. Billy tumbled to the outside, crashing hard onto the protective mats, narrowly missing the table. The crowd groaned in disappointment.
Minutes later, Wade Barrett had Road Dogg set up for the Wasteland through a table propped up in the corner of the ring. Wade hoisted him onto his shoulders, but Billy Gunn slid in with a steel chair, jabbing it directly into Wade's midsection, forcing him to drop his partner.
"This is absolute madness!" Cole shouted as pieces of splintered wood began to litter the ringside area from various brawls. "You literally have to have eyes in the back of your head!"
"The Undisputed System is purging the Attitude Era!" JBL roared, pounding the desk in excitement. "Wade and Drew are dismantling these relics! The future is now, old men!"
The chaotic, violent Tornado Tag match reached its crescendo in a sequence of terrifying synchronization.
The Outlaws were finally running out of steam against the younger, stronger champions. Drew McIntyre caught Billy Gunn on the outside of the ring, hitting a brutal Glasgow Kiss headbutt that completely knocked the wind out of the veteran. Drew then dragged Billy toward the steel steps, setting up a table parallel to the apron.
Inside the ring, Wade Barrett had managed to catch a desperate Road Dogg with a massive, spinning Winds of Change slam.
Wade looked to the outside, making direct eye contact with Drew. They didn't need to speak, the Undisputed System operated on a hive mind mentality.
Drew dragged a groggy Billy Gunn up the steel steps, pulling him onto the ring apron right in front of the setup table. Inside the ring, Wade dragged a second table to the center, setting it up quickly. He pulled Road Dogg to his feet, kicking him in the gut.
"Uh oh," Lawler said, his voice dropping in dread. "This looks bad. This looks very, very bad." Drew hooked Billy Gunn's arms, setting him up for a spinebuster off the apron. Wade hooked Road Dogg, setting him up for a massive powerbomb.
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Name: Alessandro Zhang
Age: 20 (2010)
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida, USA
Brand: WWE - RAW
Wrestling Style: Mixed Of All Styles
Faction: The Undisputed System
Championships History: 1x FCW Tag Team Champions, 1x FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion, 1x TNA World Heavyweight Champion, 1x TNA X Division Champion, 1x WWE United States Champion, & 1x WWE Champion
Other Achievements: 1x Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale Winner, 1x Mr. Money In The Bank, Youngest WWE Champion, PWI Top 500 (No.1) - 2010, & 1x KOTR (2010)
Wrestlemania Record: 1 - 0