XWL Breakdown: 3/21/2014 - 3/28/2014

Fireworks go off, a truly beautiful and spectacular sight as the penultimate Breakdown before the biggest pay per view of the year gets rolling. The fans are all hyped up here in North Carolina and you wouldn’t expect any less from the XWL faithful who shelled out their hard-earned money to be here tonight. Instead of commentary opening things up, the bell rings three times and the camera cuts to Lillian Garcia standing in the middle of the ring with a referee standing by in the corner.

-Lillian Garcia-
Ladies and Gentlemen, the following contest is a Gauntlet Match! The rules are as followed: Amazing Red must emerge victorious from only two out of three matches to win the gauntlet and get Don West his job back in XWL.

As Lillian wraps up the crowd works themselves into a frenzy chanting “Red! Red! Red!” over and over again as tonight has been declared as the night where Amazing Red will make his own personal final stand because if he fails to do right by his manager, by his teammates, by himself on this night, then what good is the real pay per view.

All the old time clichés are applicable to Red’s situation including it’s “do or die” for how much life does The West Side Army have within them without their namesake to lead the charge? West instilled in them the confidence they sometimes didn’t have in themselves, had more faith in them succeeding in XWL then anyone else had before and saw the good in them that their detractors blinded themselves to.

Stephanie McMahon made it clear when she announced this gauntlet that Red will be given no more chances and there is no more room for error on Red’s part. This whole mess started when he and West conspired to have Red compete under the moniker of Sangriento and when their ploy was exposed it was West who ultimately paid the price. Red now has this final opportunity to right this wrong and he has opted to do this alone. There has no doubt that his eyes are on the future, beyond the settling of the dust, to a time when he can get his hands on Brock Lesnar one more time: the root of all his problems.



The boos are nearly deafening as the delusional and conceited Chris Sabin is revealed to be Red’s first obstacle of the evening. The fans who once stuck by Sabin through thick and thin, have soured on him as of late and his new and “improved” attitude was the main catalyst behind the shifting of support. If there was ever a time the people wanted Daniel Bryan to show up and knee Sabin into oblivion it would be now, but alas some fantasies are destined to remain as such.

Sabin steps onto the stage with a huge grin on his face as though he were happiest man on earth and not even the disdain and hatred emanating from the people in attendance tonight can ruin what must be the tail-end of the greatest day of his life. He runs a hand through his hair and looks out into the sea of people booing the hell out of him and when it finally hits him that the boos are for him, a look of confusion crosses his face. Why are they booing him? They’re the ones that turned their backs on him; they’re the ones that gave up on him.

-Lillian Garcia-
Introducing the first opponent, from Detroit, Michigan, weighing in tonight at 205 pounds… Chris Sabin!

At the announcement of his name, Sabin raises his hand in the air in the shape of a gun as though he’s treating the fans by reminding them what used to be, but then he changes his mind and to no surprise, he’s arrogance elicits another strong wave of boos from the crowd. Sabin walks down the ramp taking some time to thank the people for showing up just to watch him wrestle tonight. He finally enters the ring to find himself on the receiving end of a “Sabin sucks!” that sounds nothing but blasphemous to him. He carries on in the ring doing stretches and the like to warm himself up for the match to come.



The people have a reason to cheer again when Red’s theme blares over the speakers, it’s loudness matched only by the cheers from the crowd who are making it more than clear whose side they’re on. Seconds pass that only serve to build the anticipation and by now the people are dying to see Red come out here and get his moment after the months of hell he’s been through.

Finally he bursts out from behind the curtain fueled by a blend of adrenaline and desperation. Red throws up his signature hand sign and the camera pans around the arena to show that many of the fans are mimicking the gesture. Red bounces up and down on the stage staring down the ramp at Sabin whose motion for him to get into the ring so that they can get the party started.

-Lillian Garcia-
And from Brooklyn, New York, weighing in at 165 pounds… The Amazing Red!

The moment may have felt a little surreal before, but the announcement of his name surely has made the situation feel a little more real to Red as the immense obstacle he’s slated to come face to face again and the stakes involved finally sink in. But there’s no turning back now, not after working so hard to get this far; not after being gifted a second chance after he lost his temper last week.

Red quickly makes his way down the ramp slapping a few high-fives on his way down and even stopping the sign an autograph at the bottom of the ramp for a young girl wearing one of his shirts. Red rolls under the bottom rope and stares Sabin down, whose relaxing in the corner, before walking over to the other side of the ring and climbing up the middle rope. He does his signature hand gesture over his head one more time and nods his head as he listens to the people chanting his name over and over again at the top of their lungs.

Red hops down from the middle rope and waits for Sabin in the middle of the ring. Red’s theme tapers off and it’s now you really get to really hear the full force of the people’s chants and it’s hard to believe, nearly impossible in fact, to fathom the idea that just under a year before Amazing Red was one of the most hated on the roster. Sabin has gladly occupied that position and looks at Red and screams out “I’m doing you a favor!” Before Red can make sense of the statement, Sabin blatantly kicks him in the family jewels! While Red stands there doubled over clutching his groin with both hands, Sabin orders at the Ref to call for the bell!

Gauntlet Match 1


The bell rings out, nearly drowned out by the boos but Sabin isn’t about to let the disapproval of the people deter him. He pins down Red’s shoulder’s to the mat with a school boy:

One!


Two!


Three!

-Lillian Garcia-
Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the first fall: Chris Sabin!

Lillian’s announcement only confirms the first and Sabin rises to his feet and throws up is hands in a celebration he doesn’t deserve as he basks in a victory he didn’t do anything to earn. Sabin shouts out that he didn’t even break a sweat so he decides to do a couple of jumping jacks to help him do what his match with Red couldn’t. The chants of “Sabin sucks!” returns and unlike last time, Sabin doesn’t appear to be unfazed by them. A complete turnaround from earlier, he actually looks to be offended because this heat that he’s getting just doesn’t make sense to him.

He just put his body on the line to deliver a classic, a bona fide five-star match and this is the thanks he gets? These people have no right to be treating him like that and now the cheeriness in Sabin’s expression begins to subside as anger sets in. He looks to his right at Red who’s still paralyzed on the ground from pain, wondering if he’ll ever be a father, and his expression hardens as wicked thoughts enter his mind.

He’s going to give the people  a reason to hate him; he’s going to give them a reason to boo him; he’s going to give them a reason to wish upon him the most sickening of injuries, and he plans to accomplish all of that by adding salt to the wound. He begins stomping away at Red’s body relentlessly. His eyes are looking wild as he gets lost in his rage but the people suddenly cheering snap him out of his senses.

Sabin looks up with a smile and says “I knew you’d see the—” but stops short when he realizes that the people are actually cheering for Dean Ambrose and The Ryback, the cavalry who come racing down the ramp. Ambrose slides in first and just barely misses Sabin’s head with a swing of his trusty lead pipe as Sabin nearly hurts himself scrambling out of the ring.

He hops over the barricade and makes a beeline through the crowd, his work comepleted for the time being. Inside the ring, Ryback is kneeling down beside Red while Ambrose looks on, a little upset he never got a chance to use the pipe. Red slowly makes his way to his feet, but that was one hell of a kick and he still can barely walk, which will be a problem going forward when a lot of his offense depends on the use of his legs.

What Sabin did extends beyond mere physical damage as he has also set Red back and effectively eliminated any breathing room he had by only being required to win two out of these three matches. Now there is definitely no time for mistakes, and now there is a higher sense of urgency on Red’s part to fight through the pain to win two straight matches.



If anything, Stephanie McMahon has done a swell job of hand-picking opponents that these fans won’t lose sleep over wanting to see lose. Next up is Curtis Axel, who is doesn’t have a contract in XWL though he must be relishing in the opportunity to prevent Don West from returning to XWL. The West Side Army, undoubtedly in his mind, were the sole reason why Paul Heyman lost faith in him and choose to abandon him in favor of the Heyman Guys that came after him.

Red and Axel were scheduled to do battle before, but Don West saw to it that Red wouldn’t waste his time on a man with no future. Oh, how times have changed. Now West is relying on Red to not only wrestle Axel, but beat him, and overcoming to size difference is just one of the many disadvantages Red has going into this second bout. Axel is the fresher man, but more importantly, wasn’t low-blowed by Chris Sabin a few minutes earlier.

-Lillian Garcia-
Introducing the second opponent, from Minneapolis, Minnesota... weighing in at 225 pounds… Curtis Axel!

Axel isn’t wasting any time getting down to the ring, acknowledging the fact that this bout will fare better for him the less time he gives Red to recover. Red can at least walk now, Ryback and Ambrose are valiantly doing their best to stall as The Ref orders them out of the ring so that he can call for the bell. Realizing that anything goes before that bell is rung, Axel wisely remains outside of the ring, ordering Ryback and Ambrose out of the ring so that he can “put that midget out of his misery.”

Ambrose, still wielding that pipe, threatens to go after Axel to shut him up, but the ref counters that with a threat of his own to call off the match, an action which would do neither Red nor West any favors. Finally Ambrose and Ryback exit the ring after Red assures him that he’ll be okay, and the two stand by the announce table. With Red now alone in the ring, Axel finally gets inside and barks at The Referee to ring the bell.

Gauntlet Match 2


Red has learned his lesson from last time, keeping his distance from Axel when the match officially starts. Axel lunges at Red’s legs, who avoids the big man’s grasp by rolling out of harm’s way. Axel lunges once more and again Red rolls just out of his reach. Axel dives, hoping the third time will be the charm but Red ends the game of cat and mouse by leaping up into the air and stomping on Axel’s back. The high-flyer still doesn’t have his full range of motion back in his legs but at least he isn’t helpless and can string together some offense.

Red runs to the ropes, though not as lightning-quick as we’ve come to expect from him. This allows Axel to recover and damn-near knock Red out of his boots with a big shoulder block. Axel drops down and goes for the pin:

One!

Red’s shoulder shoots up into the air and the match continues. When Red gets to his feet, Axel drives his knee into Red’s gut then clubs him hard on the back with such velocity that Red cries out in pain before falling to his knees. Axel straightens out his right leg then drives it into the side of Red’s head knocking him to the ground. He was caught off-guard by Red in the opening moments of the match but is now in the driver’s seat as he hooks the leg for another pin:

One!

Again Red gets his shoulder off the mat, and Axel shows some impressive multi-tasking skills, pulling Red off the mat while admonishing the referee for counting too slow. Axel throws Red into the corner so hard that he falls to the ground himself while Red flies over the turnbuckle and takes a nasty spill to the outside!

The crowd takes a collective gasp after witnessing Red nearly suffer a career-ending injury while Axel just lays there on his stomach chuckling like a mad man while he order the ref to begin the ten-count.

One!

Two!

Three!

Ryback looks on at Red concerned…

Four!

…while Ambrose gives Axel a cold store.

Five!

Red finally begins to stir…

Six!

…and the crowd starts chanting his name to will him back into the ring.

Seven!

Red is nearly on his feet but then collapses to the ground when the pain overwhelms him.

Eight!

He struggles to uses the ring apron to pull himself to his feet..

Nine!

And dives under the bottom rope…

Te—

He makes it back in to the surprise of Axel who’s arrogant grin has been wiped clean off his face. He springs back to life to pounce on Red, pounding on his body while the sub-200 pounder fights to stand back to his feet and in a move of self-preservation, he grabs Axel by the front of his tights and tugs him forward causing the third-generation superstar to tumble through the ropes and out of the ring.

Axel tries to use his right arm to break his fall, but that proves to be a mistake as he manages to land awkwardly on it sending pain shooting up the limb. That gives Red a moment to catch his breath. He slowly stands up, then races over to the opposite side of the ring then goes to dive through the ropes but his cut off by Axel who uses his right arm to club Red in the face before he can take flight.

Axel pays for that and sits on the apron trying to take a moment to try and get the blood circulating back in his arm. He takes too much time worrying about it granting Red the crucial time to collect his senses and dropkick Axel on the back sending him flying into the barricade. Red gets to his feet, waits for Axel to do then same, the springboards out of the ring and takes Axel out with a senton!

The crowd pops after that display of athleticism but it took a lot out of Red, hopefully less than it did out of Axel. Red gets to his feet holding his back and slides under the bottom rope to enter the ring around the time The Ref’s count hits five. The count rolls on and the people are watching with baited breath hoping that Axel doesn’t make it back in, but at eight he slides into the ring as well successfully disappointing the thousands in attendance.

But what if that was a fluke? Red quickly covers Axel to see if he really has any fight left deep within him:

One!

Axel powers out! Red is barely hanging on while it seems his opponent has it in him to go a few more rounds! Red sits up and decides to go for broke climbing to the top rope with Infrared on his mind. Axel quickly hits the ropes knocking Red off-balance then sets him up for a super back suplex but Red flips backwards and lands on his feet while Axel lands hard back-first on the mat. While the fans go crazy, Red watches as Axel pulls himself up in the corner and then Red does his signature move, stepping off Axel’s upper-back with one leg and kicking him on the back of the skull with the other before rolling back into the ring.

Axel staggers out of the corner and Red races over to the ropes and goes for a titl-a-whirl but Axel turns it into a backbreaker and bends Red over his knee. Axel sits Red up then races over to the ropes and channels his father to hit a rolling neck snap and immediately goes for the pin afterwards:

One!

Two!

Red just barely kicks out and the frustration is right there on Axel’s face. He picks Red up then gets caught with a jawbreaker that causes him to stagger backwards. Red then targets that right arm with a shoot kick and Axel cries out in pain as he scrambles away. Red pursues him, delivering kick after kick until Axel hunches over in the corner. The Ref starts up a five-count then finally has to pull Red away then warns that the next time will be a disqualification.

Red grabs Axel by the sore right arms and shoots him off towards the other side of the ring. Red races across the ring but runs right into Axel’s lifted boot and staggers backwards. Axel races at Red aiming for his head with a clothesline but misses as Red drops to his back to dodge it then kips up to his feet only to get nailed on the back of the head as Axel hits the clothesline with his left arm! Axel grabs Red by the leg and locks in a single leg boston crab using his weight advantage to apply an immense amount of pressure on the submission.

Axel is wisely using his left arm to apply the grip on Red but that’s not enough to stop the little man from crawling over to the ropes with everything he has left inside of him. Ryback finds himself at ringside, drawn in by the action and starts pounding on the mat while calling for Red to fight through the pain. The people start clapping, slowly at first until it builds up to a rapid pace and when it reaches its climax Red makes a final lunge and grabs the bottom rope.

There’s a pop from the crowd as once again Red escapes from the jaws of defeat but Axel is refusing to break the hold!

One!

Two!

Three!

Ryback has seen enough and he hops onto the apron and Axel quickly breaks the hold and orders the Ref to get Ryback away from him. Axel turns around and kicks Red in the ribs knocking him into the center of the ring then turns around and screams out at Ryback, “How’d you like that?” then walks over and slaps him in the face! That really gets Ryback riled up and The Ref definitely has his hands full with him while Ambrose remains where he was in the beginning of the match with that stoic expression still on his face.

Axel turns and finds that Red is in perfect position with for the McGillicutter… he dashes over to him but makes the critical mistake of trying to grab him with his right arm and can’t get a firm grip on him allowing Red to spin out of it! Red leaps and spins in the connecting with the 540 kick causing Axel to stagger until he falls over the middle rope! Ryback is still in a heated argument with The Ref and out of nowhere Ambrose sneaks over and bends the lead pipe across Axel’s skull. Ryback sees that and hopes off the apron while Ambrose stands innocently far away from the scene of the crime.

The man who claims to be better than perfect is practically out-cold on his feet after that hit with the weapon, and Red hits a spinning back kick that doubles Axel over, bounces off the ropes, leaps onto Axels back and drives him into the mat with Code Red!

One!



Two!



Three!

-Lillian Garcia-
Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner of the second fall: Amazing Red!

The crowd cheers as Red manages to pull throw, in no small part to the two other members of The West Side Army. After his victory Red collapses to the ground, his body wrought from a terrible combination of pain and fatigue. Axel rolls out of the ring, with nothing left to do but hope XWL enjoyed this outing enough to hire him again in the future. The Ref kneels down to check on Red, most importantly to see if he can still continue the gauntlet. While Red would never admit to being too hurt to go on, there has to be a nagging voice in the back of his head asking him if he can actually do it.

With the fans cheering him on, Red works his way back to his feet then staggers backwards into the corner where he remains to keep himself propped up. He eyes the stage wearily, awaiting the last opponent so they can begin writing the chapter on what has been one of the longest nights in Red’s XWL career thus far. If Axel, and to an extent, Sabin, were any indication of what the third opponent will be like, the Red at least knows that the person won’t make life easy for him, though that’s not really a comforting thought for a man in his position.

However, acknowledging that he has his work cut out for him is the first step to overcoming the odds, and whoever the third man is should know that he’s stepping into the ring with a man who’s been through hell and is willing to take another man back down there with him.



The theme of Aries elicits mixed reaction from the crowd, but considering what he’s getting himself into, there’s no surprise that those booing are winning the war of reactions. The camera cuts over to Red who takes a deep breath as his history with Aries runs through his head. The last time these two squared off in a singles match was in a King of the Ring match that Aries was the victor of and now he’s back several months later to make it two in a row.

Two is also the magic number on Red’s mind as he can use this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: avenge his loss in the tournament and avenge the firing of Don West. Seconds pass, and Red begins pacing back and forth in the ring as impatience begins to set in. These extra few moments are actually benefitting him as he gets time to heal up and game plan now that he knows who his opponent will be, but anxiety is a powerful force and is causing Red to get himself worked up.

Seconds become a full minute and there is still no sign of Aries. His theme music fades and the murmuring of the audience inquiring about his whereabouts fills the void left by the ending of the music. Red calls over The Ref so they can put their heads together and try to figure out what’s going on. Moments later a video feed, streaming events live from backstage begin playing.

We see a number of medical officials gathered around a man with a lead chair lying nearby… it’s not difficult to discern what happened here, figuring out the culprit is a completely different story. The story here and now is that the third man in the gauntlet has been taken out putting everything in disarray. The General Manager of Breakdown, Stephanie McMahon, rushes onto the scene and she is just as confused and flustered as everyone else.

-Stephanie McMahon-
What the hell is this?

-Da Doc-
He was attacked, Miss McMahon, and we’re afraid he won’t be able to compete tonight.

-Stephanie McMahon-
I bet it was Dean or… Ryback…or…

-Da Doc-
Actually, the attack happened during the Curtis Axel/Amazing Red match and those two were at ringside.

-Stephanie McMahon-
What about Sara?

-Da Doc-
We don’t believe she’s in the arena as of yet.

-Stephanie McMahon-
Then who the hell… Forget it we’ll worry about that later. Right now there’s supposed to be a gauntlet going on, but since the third opponent is clearly in no shape to wrestle…I guess I have no choice but to award the final victory to Red by default.

The camera cuts back to the arena where the live audience is ecstatic at the news that Red is being awarded the win… albeit on a technicality, but they’ll take it. Red is all smiles and watches as Ryback and Ambrose enter the ring to celebrate, but it may be a little premature.

-Da Doc-
Wait…

-Stephanie McMahon-
What?

-Da Doc-
I just received word that someone volunteered themselves for the match.

-Stephanie McMahon-
Really? Who?

-Da Doc-
I don’t know, but they’re apparently on their way to the ring right now.

-Stephanie McMahon-
Fine, I’ll take it. The gauntlet is back on!

The feed on the titantron cuts off and the mood in the arena has drastically shifted. The boos are nearly deafening and the identity of the man kind enough to volunteer himself to me the third person in the gauntlet hasn’t even been revealed. In anticipation, The Ref has already cleared the ring of Ambrose and Ryback and now that’s left if for the superstar who is definitely high up on The West’s Side Army’s hitlist. Red’s previous weary stare is replaced by one of anger and it looks like he’s ready to kill someone.






































What…

She can’t be that crazy…

The life is completely sucked out of the arena, the people so confused that they can’t even muster up a passable round of boos. This has to be a joke, right? No way would AJ Lee actually go this far to get under Sara Del Rey’s skin…

Yet there she is, the former diva’s champion in the flesh, waltzing out onto the stage with a mischievous grin on her face as opposed to the look of shock and horror on the face of Amazing Red. AJ sways from side to side on the stage and with each second that passes the harsh reality that this is really happening sinks in.

-Lillian Garcia-
And the final opponent in the gauntlet… AJ Lee…?

AJ skips down the ramp nonchalantly then does a lap around the ring making sure to wave at Ryback before making her way back over the side of the ring nearest to the ramp. AJ looks in at Red and waves at him, sensing that he’s going to have some reservations about this. How far is he willing to go to get Don West his job back? AJ slides under the bottom rope and the crowd finally snaps out of it and breaks out into a chant of “Del Rey” hoping that she’ll come to the rescue and spare Red, but that seems to be too good to be true.

AJ and Red stand across the ring from each other and interestingly enough Red isn’t that much bigger than her, which makes this predicament even more interesting. The Ref walks over to each competitor, making sure that they’re both 110% ready to go through with this. AJ says that she is if “Red is man enough” and that shot to Red’s pride is enough to make him feel a little less guilty about going through with what he has to in order to get Don West back into XWL.

Gauntlet Match 3


The Ref calls for the bell and the two wrestlers circle each other in the ring, set to kick things off with a traditional lock up when Red ducks under AJ’s arms at the last second. AJ turns around and tries to grab him but he’s too quick for her and avoids her grasp again. Red tells her to make things easy on herself and just lay down, and for a second AJ looks offended, but as she contemplates it she apparently sees the logic in the move and nods in understanding. She walks over to the center of the ring and lays on her back and Red drops down next to her and… gets rolled up!

One!

Two!

Thr— No! Red just barely kicked out after getting outsmarted by his opponent. He rolls out of the ring to try to make sense of things and watches as AJ laughs and skips around the ring until she gets fed up of waiting and walks over to the ropes where she sits on the middle rope and holds up the top, inviting Red back into the ring so that they can finish what they started.

Red climbs up onto the apron and quickly dives through the ropes at the same time snactching AJ up in a school-boy pin:

One!

Two!

AJ kicks out! The two get to their feet at the same time and AJ slaps Red right across the face leaving an imprint of her hand on his cheek! Red tells her to cut that out and in response she slaps him again. AJ randomly explodes in a fit of rage using both of her hands now to pound on Red while letting out a battle-cry until Red forcefully pushes her backwards.

AJ looks surprised by the move and says, “you can’t put your hands on a woman” before going for another slap that Red ducks under and he quickly rolls her up from behind:

One!  

Two!

AJ grabs onto his tights and pulls him back and now she’s the one pinning him:

One!

Two!

Red pushes her off to break up the pin and quickly gets onto his feet only to get nailed with a dropkick to the face. He stumbles backwards into the ropes and when he bounces off AJ takes him down with an arm drag and Red uses the momentum to roll himself out of the ring and he pounds on the apron in frustration. He watches as AJ smiles at him, succeeding in getting under his skin as she bests him once more.

AJ leans over and uses her finger to invite Red back into the ring and he lets out a scream before charging inside but he doesn’t plan anything after that and AJ takes advantage of his shortsightedness by bringing him down to the mat with yet another arm drag. This time she hangs on and now keeps Red grounded with an arm bar and continuously screams out “asks him” and Red may very well submit but more from the pain of AJ yelling in his ear that whatever agony is being delivered via that hold.

Red rolls onto his hands and knees while AJ still has the arm bar locked on and does a front flip onto his feet and quickly cuts out AJ’s legs out from under her and drops down onto her for a pin:

One!

Two!

Ever persistent, AJ kicks out and when the two get onto their feet Red slaps her across the face! AJ’s eyes open wide and Red steps backwards with his arms out in front of him. Now it’s her screaming as she charges at Red and runs right into a trap as Red goes with what has worked for him before and tugs down on the top rope causing AJ to take a spill out of the ring!

It looks like Red has had enough and he stomps on the mat to get the people clapping along and there’s no doubt that he’s planning on taking to the skies. He watches as AJ uses the announce table to pull herself up, then he runs over to the other side of the ring, when someone grabs his legs and pulls him out of the ring!

It’s Sara Del Rey! What is she… She delivers a forearm shot to Red’s face!

Why would she do that?

The Ref is calling for the bell!

That’s why!

-Lillian Garcia-
Ladies and Gentleman your victor as a result of a disqualification… Amazing Red!

As Red realizes Del Rey’s plan he smiles moments before falling to his knees from exhaustion. An ear-piercing scream is heard as AJ comes racing around the ring and attacks Del Rey. The two begin brawling and after a vicious exchange of strikes, the bigger Del Rey gets the best of AJ and before the former diva’s champion knows what’s happening, Del Rey has her set up for the Royal Butterfly! Del Rey bounces around with AJ in her clutches but just before she can hit the butterfly suplex…



-Stephanie McMahon-
Put. Her. Down. NOW!

Del Rey reluctantly sets AJ down and all eyes are on the stage as Stephanie McMahon walks out.

-Stephanie McMahon-
I let it slide the first time, but I’m NOT going to let you all get away with it a second time. You think that’s the way Don West would want to come back? Pathetic. This isn’t over, I am having the match restarted AND… and you three are BANNED from ringside and I DARE you to come back out here and that goes for anyone else that thinks they’re going to get involved in this match. AJ, Red, I want you to get back into that ring and finish this gauntlet.

The West Side Army leaves the arena while AJ laughs and waves goodbye. Del Rey almost charges down the ramp and Ryback has to restrain her all the way backstage. The camera cuts back to ringside where Red is still on his knees outside the ring while AJ casually enters the ring as if that whole fiasco never happened. Seconds pass and Red remains frozen to the spot and AJ giddily tells The Ref to count him out, a request to which he obliges.

One!

There’s no plan B…

Two!

There’s no alternate path…

Three!

There’s only one way for this to end…

Four!

Red has no choice but to hit AJ…

Five!

Until she either comes to her senses…

Six!

Or falls and doesn’t get up…

Seven!

But can he go through with it…

Eight!

Could he forgive himself if he doesn’t try…

Nine!

He slides into the ring and keeps his eyes locked on AJ as he slowly stands to his feet. AJ draws in close for a lock up, a little too close and Red clips her on the side of the leg with a kick; a warning shot to let her know that he’s done messing around. The two lock up and Red quickly bends AJ’s arm behind her back but she reacts quickly and slips behind Red bending his arm now. She pushes him forward to the ropes and tries to do an o’connor roll but Red hangs onto the top rope with her free hand which sends AJ rolling back by herself.

Red dashes after her but is caught by surprise when she hops onto his shoulder and takes him down with a hurricanrana:

One!

Two!

Red kicks out!  AJ gets into The Ref’s face and screams something incoherent at him, but smiles because apparently a great point was made. She turns around to face Red who spins off his back and takes out AJ’s legs out from under her while spinning onto his feet in one swift motion. He goes for the Red Star Press…No! He hesitates but finally makes up his mind and flips into the air and lands right onto AJ’s raised knees!

If he went straight for that standing shooting star press the match may be over right now, but now Red’s on his hands and knees coughing violently after knocking the wind out of himself with some help from AJ. She races over to the ropes as Red works his way back to a standing base, bounces off of them then locks in The Black Widow!

She has Red into the middle of the ring and perhaps all his stalling was because he was too beat up to do anything else and now AJ has him right where she wants him. The crowd begins chanting Red’s name, hoping to give him a second wind or whatever number he’s on now, but this may be the end of the line for him.

Digging deep into his energy reserves, Red tries to overpower AJ and break the hold and for a moment it works, but AJ just twirls to the other side and locks in the submission again! She begins tugging on Red’s arm, threatening to pull it out of the socket. Soon he falls to a knee and then to both as he slowly begins to fade away; the match

All of a sudden the people begin chanting “Crazy…Crazy…Crazy” and it seems as though everyone in the arena is joining in because the chant grows to a volume that’s nearly deafening and you can see AJ slowly begin to get rattled until she breaks the submission on her own accord and starts screaming at the people to shut up because she’s not crazy.

But all her screams do is encourage the people and fuel the fire that keeps the chant going and it didn’t seem possible before, but it’s getting even louder! AJ places her hands over her ears and keeps screaming at the top of her lungs doing what she can to drown out the horrid accusations that she is far from sane, though it’s impossible to silence the voices at this point. She drops to her knees with her hands still over her ears unaware that there’s even a match going on, but her opponent still has his head in the game, and Red grabs her arm and forces her to the mat with a La Magistral pinning combination:

One!



Two!



Three!

-Lillian Garcia-
Ladies and Gentlemen, here is the winner of the third fall Amazing Red!



There’s a huge pop as Red rolls out of the ring before The Ref can even raise his hand in victory. AJ pops up to her feet and she couldn’t look more pissed off, but Red isn’t about to let her spoil his moment after he worked so hard to get to this point. Red walks backward up the ramp until he gets to the stage and drops to his knees. He chuckles as AJ continues to throw a fit in the ring, her screams and cries drowned out by the cheers of the people. Don West has a job again and there’s no doubt that’s he has a lot to say, perhaps he has some stuff to sell too.

With West back at the helm, there’s no telling where The West Side Army will go from here, but if there’s one thing that’s for certain it’s that their future is looking a little brighter now thanks to the members of his stable. Red made the final pin, but he had a lot of help along the way especially from the fans. The people came through for him when he needed them the most and the sight of him thanking them is the last image we see before Breakdown heads to a commercial break.

Faster than a speeding bullet,
more powerful than a locomotive,
able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Up in the sky, look!
It's a bird!
It's a plane!
It's!



[Chris Hero] Chris.. Hero.

*Hero flashes a smirk towards the camera.*



[Chris Hero] Don't call it a comeback, folks, I've been here for years.. And in those years that I've been active in XWL, what has Chris Hero done exactly? It's not really your all star résumé in all honesty and that's why I'm here today. I mean, when you think of Chris Hero in XWL.. let's face it, you think failed factions, tag teams, groups.. Let's start with "The Resistance" a group of misfits in XWL banding together to change XWL for the greater good! The group may not have stuck around for long but some of the members went on to go some great things in this company, Layla went on to become a champion, as did Cody Rhodes climbing the mountain and becoming the World Champion himself. But what did Chris Hero do? Did he become Intercontinental or US Champion? Nah, he didn't lift a finger because he was expecting everything to be handed to him on a silver platter.



[Chris Hero] After some time an old friend of mine surfaced in XWL and we reformed The Kings of Wrestling, one of the greatest tag teams ever seen! If The Kings were on the card you knew you were in for a spectacle that night. We had a pretty good run around here, matches with The Motor City Machineguns, The American Wolves, but it all kind of fizzled out. Once again Chris Hero was left behind, Antonio Cesaro went on to become a multiple time United States Champion and current one as we speak! But did Chris Hero follow in the foot steps of his tag partner, follow his work ethic to strive and be the best I could be in XWL? No, he sat at home thinking "Why is Antonio the one getting the title shots? What about me?" And then... after a couple of matches here and there in singles competition, the phone rang.



[Chris Hero] I thought finally! This has to be XWL management ringing me about something big in store for me. And low and behold, I'm told that I'm getting put in a tag team. Not with Antonio Cesaro, with Scott Hall... *Hero takes a deep breath.* Scott Hall?! Really?! That's how XWL management decides to bring me back? Because Scott Hall was reforming the NWO and wanted me to be a part of it? How long was it, 1-2 weeks and Scott Hall was gone. Now I'm back to square one. So I thought to myself, do I go back home, cash my checks every week, wrestle a match or two every couple of months and wait until I'm fired? Or do I get off the freaking couch, stop feeling sorry for myself and making excuse after excuse and work my ass off to be the very best wrestler I can be and show the whole world that I am on par.



[Chris Hero] I'm is not going to be a sob story in XWL, I don't want it to be five years down the line and have people look at me with pity. I don't want to hear "Man, that Chris Hero sure could've been something." Because I promise you right now I'm going to make something out of myself in this company if it takes every last breath in my body! I'm gonna do it. I know it's going to take a long time to get you guys behind me after how much I've let you down in the past, but over time you're going to see just like everyone else that I'm not playing around. I've got to go back to basics, start from the bottom and work my way up to the top, the holy grail. I have a lot of things I need to prove to not just the fans, but myself. Right now I don't need anyone else to believe me because all I need is myself. No more tag teams, no more groups, factions, anything! I need to do this myself.



[Chris Hero] It's going to be a long and hard road to redemption, it's not going to be an easy ride and I can guarantee there's going to be some bumps in that road. There's going to be times when I'm down on my luck, I may not win every single match but what matters is how strong I come back. See I used to let things like that get to me, if I lost a match I would dwell on it for weeks and weeks and it would hinder my performances only leading to more losses in a downward spiral and that's when I would reach out for someone like an Antonio Cesaro or a Cody Rhodes to help me out. If I win a match, great, it's just one step closer to proving myself. If I lose a match, I'm coming back swinging. Believe me I've been watching, I've been studying XWL for a while now. There's a lot of people I wanna test in that ring, and I know there's a lot of people who will put me to the test and I'm itching in between those ropes and do my thing.



[Chris Hero] Life story aside, I've got a match tonight. Xavier Woods! It's time to step up. I hope you're as ready as I am because one slip up and it's over. I'm going to be coming at you from all angles my friend, elbows, kicks, punches, headbutts, chops, you name it! You may be working on getting yourself a PhD but I've already got myself a PhD in the study knockouts. All it takes is one well placed hit and it's lights out, 1, 2, 3. This is usually the part where I talk about how "That Young Knockout Kid" is going to reign supreme, but I think it's time to put that name to rest. I'm far from a kid at this point and it's safe to say that I've mastered the art of knocking an opponent out from any angle at any time. So instead of "That Young Knockout Kid" I think tonight we usher in a new era of "The Knockout Artist" yeah, I think that has a nice ring to it. Because I'm not a kid anymore, I'm a man, and men don't make excuses.

*Chris stares into the camera as focused as ever now.*



[Chris Hero] Final Stand is coming up in a few weeks, I don't expect to be on the show, nor do I believe I deserve to. But you best believe this time next year Chris Hero is going to be one of the top names on the card. It's almost time for that bell to ring and for my killer instinct to be released, I need to turn XWL's diamonds back into coal if I wanna make a name for myself. You don't have to believe me, because time is gonna prove everything, just wait and see.

*Hero lets out a confident smile as he walks off to prepare for his match against Xavier Woods as BreakDown goes to a commercial break.*

-Alex Shelley-
Ah, well… JB is nowhere to be seen folks so it looks like I’m flying solo this time around, which is all for the best after the trouble he got us into with Wade Barrett last week. Who knows what Barrett would have done if we had a couple more minutes to record him while he didn’t know we were there? That, will forever remain a mystery because, as I’m sure you all know, everything fell apart and 95% of the blame goes to JB, so I hope that wherever he is, he’s learning from his mistakes. That other 5% of the blame? Well that’s all on me for letting JB tag along. Now I’ll admit that Paparazzi Productions isn’t a perfect operation, there are still a few kinks that we need to work out and some rough edges that could stand to be a little smoother, but we’ve been getting the job done and exposing what Wade Barrett does inside of his locker room was just another classic video in a long list of Paparazzi Production exclusives.



-Alex Shelley-
To my utter surprise, Barrett didn’t take too kindly to what we were doing and I would have thought he would have appreciated us coming around to “spy” on him, though I wouldn’t necessarily call it spying… it was more like covertly sticking your nose where it may or may not be wanted. If you ask me, we did Barrett a favor and I’m a little offended there wasn’t a box of chocolate and a thank-you card in my locker room upon my arrival. Nobody cared about him or what he planned to do in the Money in the Bank ladder match until we came along and made him relevant. Now he’s one of the most talked about superstars in XWL, and hell, I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything, but I’m pretty sure people tuned into a Wade Barrett match in record numbers and I’d like to think it was in no small part because he was facing a man as refined and technically-savvy as myself.



-Alex Shelley-
Like the bitter sad little Englishman that he is, Barrett couldn’t just be grateful that we at Paparazzi Productions turned his career around. No, he got selfish, wanted the fame and glory all for himself, and so he tried to make sure that we never gave another wrestler a boost in popularity the same way we did to him. He tried to sabotage the company the same way that he sabotaged his career and I wasn’t about to just stand around at let that happen. Last week I had a choice, and I know that deep down inside I made the right one because I am proud to sit here and announce to you all that both the camera and the tripod are alive and well tonight despite their traumatic near-death experience. It may have looked like I ran away from a fight last week, but I did what I had to do to save a life. I’m not scared of Wade; he breath makes my eyes water and his beard leaves a lot to be desired, but being a Technical Messiah means that I’m prepared for a fight against any opponent, especially those that mess with the people and things that I care about the most.



-Alex Shelley-
That camera is the lifeblood of Paparazzi Productions and without it we have nothing… without it we are nothing. People are depending on that camera to make a living, to feed their families and put a roof over their heads, and most importantly, you, the XWL Universe need that camera to record XWL superstars in their most private moments and it has never let you down once. Now that the camera is out of harm’s way I will gladly get into that ring again to deal with Barrett so that I can finish what he started because last week he made things personal. Last week’s match was supposed to be just a fun little spar to see how much we’ve both grown since our clashes for the United States Championship last year, but he had to go cross a line. That line is there for a reason dammit! And there’s no going back until I drag his incapacitated, lifeless body back over it after I generously stuff him full of Sliced Bread.



-Alex Shelley-
So the agenda for this week is to kick back, relax and… damn, I should have done a cool little introduction like Chris Hero did earlier. It’s good to ol’ Chris back, his identity crisis a thing of the past, but I kind of find it a little funny that the man who calls himself a hero is the one who needs the most saving. Jokes aside, we’ve had our run-ins in the past and maybe one day you’ll call up your friends and I’ll send a letter in the mail to mine and we can get the party re-started. Though it looks like Antonio Cesaro has grown tired of waiting and moved on to someone else, a much older man nonetheless, but I’m sure you’ll elbow your way through the heartache and find closure in your own special way.



-Alex Shelley-
But that’s neither here nor there, this week I’m actually more concerned with another hero in XWL, an American Hero. A man who won a gold medal with a broken neck, and continues wrestling even though it’ll take just take one bad fall to break every other bone in his body too. Angle, this little blast from the past series I’ve been on since returning from Japan, continues with you, and I must say a lot has changed since you were one of the biggest pains in my asses. You’re the shell of the man who were when we crossed paths, which is pretty disturbing because you weren’t a full man back then to beginning. Here you are, clinging to a career that’s been shambles, ruining your legacy every week that you keep limping from match to match. But I’m not here to take pity on you, tonight I’m here to wrestle you.



-Alex Shelley-
I know deep, deep, deep down inside you still have the heart of a champion, the fighting spirit that made you one of the best wrestlers in the world… once upon a time. If you want to beat me in the ring Kurt tonight, you’re going to have to dig deep and pull out the stuff that made you one of the most ferocious wrestlers on the planet because you’re not going to beat me by getting lucky. And if you don’t take my advice and step into the ring the way you are now, well that’s on you because I’m bringing my A-game and if you can’t keep up… well, it’ll be less of a match and more of a slaughtering… and Kurt, I don’t have any issues getting your blood on my hands.

*We return to BreakDown to see the referee for the Final Stand Main Event, Brad Maddox. He is sitting alongside an annoyed looking Tony Dawson as Maddox examines sheets of paper in front of him muttering to Tony deep in thought.*

[Brad Maddox] Hmm. I think this might be the one Tony, I've spent so much time in the last week learning this "Microsoft Paint" thing and all of my hard work is finally paying off! What do you think of this one?



[Tony Dawson] I really don't care Brad.. I'm sorry but I'm an interviewer and this is how I'm put on television? All of the years of college and journalism work to get this job and this is all it leads to?



[Brad Maddox] Whoa now, looks like you got off the wrong side of your single depressing race car bed this morning. Look Tony, you're not just sitting with any handsome guy. You're sitting with one third of the Final Stand Main Event alright? This is the scoop you've been looking for! Do you know how many interviews I turn down daily? Everyone wants a piece of Brad Maddox and I give you the chance to be on screen with me and you're sitting here not even smiling, you're on worldwide TV! Cheer up! Now, which poster do you like best?



[Tony Dawson] Personally, Brad, I think what you're doing is disrespectful not just to the company but to the legacy of Final Stand. You can't just make your own poster! I'm pretty sure you could get fired for altering something as important as the poster for the biggest show in XWL history!

*Brad just sighs and organizes his pages.*



[Brad Maddox] Alright, I'm gonna make this crystal clear. I'm pretty much untouchable at this stage of my career. Stephanie wouldn't have the guts to fire me! She wouldn't ruin the Final Stand Main Event, Ted DiBiase and Dean Ambrose would cause an uproar if I was taken from the match. Did you see that nod Dean Ambrose gave me when I first petitioned to be in the match? That means he has my back and we're technically bro's. They both know that I'm as big a part of their match as they are. XWL offices would be bombarded with requests for refunds for Final Stand because they were promised Brad Maddox and they didn't get Brad Maddox. Trust me Tony, this is best for business.

*Tony just puts his hand on his head now being completely fed up with Maddox.*



[Brad Maddox] I just need to get these things ready in time for Final Stand because I know fans are going to be begging for me to sell them autographed. Think of how much money I'm gonna make! And that doesn't even include the big ol' Final Stand paycheck, it's all about that Main Event bonus for us top superstars. Maybe with all of the money I'm gonna make I can hire Madonna to record a theme song for me because let's face it, after Final Stand people are gonna want to see more and more of Maddox and just refereeing isn't gonna cut it. Stephanie's gonna have to give in and let me wrestle, the plan is all coming to fruition.



[Brad Maddox] Now if you'll excuse me.. *Maddox clears his throat and adjusts his tie looking towards the camera.* Greetings XWL fans! It's me, it's me, the greatest referee.. Brad Maddox! I'm here with a special announcement for my fans for the leading weeks to Final Stand, since I don't have an official XWL t-shirt yet I decided to go ahead and make my own merch. Before and after XWL shows I am going to start selling my very own...



OFFICIAL BRAD MADDOX FINAL STAND 6 POSTER!

[Brad Maddox] That's right ladies and gentlemen, for the cheap price of $40 you too can own a piece of XWL history sold and autographed personally by myself. So get your wallets ready because once the show ends you know you're going to want to buy yourself or your loved ones this history in the making poster. Thank you very much and enjoy the rest of the show!

*Brad holds up the poster still with a smirk as Tony just sighs as we fade away to a commercial break.*

Josh Matthews : Ladies and Gentleman i'm heading out to find a man who some would call a upstart
others call a egomaniac never the less he has made a huge impact in XWL he is Tyson Kidd

(The crowd gives a mixed reaction to the mention of the mans name)

(Josh soon starts to head to the locker room but to no avail Kidd is not there where is Kidd?!)

Josh : Have any of you seen Kidd?

(The wrestlers all look puzzled and shake their heads till Lashley heads into the locker room then picks up his bags and begins to walk away)

Josh : Lashley can I get a momment of your time

(Lashley looks upset over something but soon speaks)

Lashley : Hurry up

Josh : Do you know where Tyson....

(Josh was soon cut off as Lashley tells Josh to follow him)

(The two head down the hallway and soon approach the door that reads)

NEW REIGN

(Lashley walks inside shortly followed by Josh A-ry and Kidd can be seen Talking over a few drinks as A-ry soon stands up)

Alex Riley : About time you show up where were you last week?! And who the hell is this guy!!!

Josh : I'm Josh Matthews and i assume your Alex Riley nice to meet you

(Josh then sticks out his hand for a handshake but Riley just glares at him)

(Tyson then sits up and waves his hand for Riley to back off then approaches Josh)
https://i.imgur.com/zP6njUn.png[/img]

Tyson Kidd : I assume your here for a reason we don't take kindly to people who waste our time

Josh : Yes um I could not help but see tension in the room when Lashley walked into the room not to pry but if there is something
going on it would help my career if I could get the scoop.

Kidd : Well that's unfortunate because I really don't give a Damn about your career that's our business now ask me a real question.

Josh :Ok my apologies my next question is how do you look at your career so far.

Kidd :Well already better then my WWE one if thats what your asking while any situation I was put in I succed WWE just would not let me have my moment my chance all I needed was one!!!

(Tyson then puts his hand in front of his face and looks down at the ground almost remembering every night within the next 6 seconds)

(Josh is about to speak when Tyson continues)

Kidd : I'm the final graduate of the dungeon do you know what that means?
Of course you don't your attempted wrestling career is just as bad as your journalism career.
It is the hardest and greatest training school out of any sport bar none.
I've seen careers ended there before they even started they ranged from body builders,celebs,ex cons, even to the nerd who sat by himself in high School where they all failed I succed.
I learned from the best but I learned how to become better thats
why when the school closed down I was told by Stu hart god rest his soul
that I would be his final and greatest student yet he then named me as
the king of Canada not Y2j,Lance storm,or even Bret hart ME!
Soon WWE took interest in me who would'nt and
I soon formed a faction with my friend David Smith and my wife Natalya
after attaining tag gold on multiple occasions and winning the Bragging Rights trophy for Smack-Down
my potential seemed end less and it was but after
beating multipile big names including but not limited to Jericho,The Miz,even the Big show
WWE saw me as threat to there poster boys and soon neglected me
sometimes I was in a dark match sometimes I was not even on the show.
After a few years of fighting I got into the mitb match
but soon got injured WWE used this as a great excuse to put there best talent on the shelf and neglect him to a
reailty show...

(Tyson look enraged but before he can continue Josh cuts him off)

Josh : I Ment in XWL my bad I know thats a sore subject.

Kidd : Well that is a whole other ball game.
You may think to your self what would make me sign with the mcmahons again after killing WWE and attemting to kill my career
this locker room for starters but that
isn't even the best part I have free creative control
over my career as well as a guaranteed contract
which means I could quit tomrrow and receive full payment
for a insane price that we agreed on so they
know to keep me happy.
As for my debut It could not be any better
in my home country of Canada we delivered a promo
that shook the very foundation of this company and earned me superstar of the week
I didn't even have to compete to become the most talked about superstar on all forms of social media.
Week two since
I already talked the talk it was time to walk the walk and
against Dolph Ziggler no less a man who thinks of himself as perfection where as I don't think I know I am.
He spends his free time showing off while I spend mine getting better yeah I know better than I already am thats not fair to the roaster.
A man who prides himself on stealing the show where as I don't have to take something that is already mine.
After a match of the night quality match I of course won take nothing away from Ziggler he is a amazing talent but i'm so much better
week two was great week for the New Reign the entire group won our assigned matches you would assume week three would be more of the same.




(Tyson then eye balls Lashley but Josh cuts the tension again)

Josh : Week three your match was canceled due to Woods being attacked by the Wyatt's your thoughts

Kidd : He lucked out what can I say but thats not what I wanted to talk about.....

(Josh agains seems to interrupt Kidd)

Josh : I can tell you guys have matters to attend to but one more question what are the goals for the New Reign?

Kidd : I thought our motives were clear when we stated them three weeks ago
but I guess I used to many big words i'll dumb it down for you we are here to take this company to the next era and
since most factions are either equals or have a boss who barks out orders on the sidelines
I am this groups leader which means i'll be in the trenches fighting with my boys while also making the tough choices which
brings me to what me and A-ry were talking about.
Where were you Lashley!?

(Tyson then steps away from Josh and gets in Lashleys face)

(Lashley is about to speak when Tyson nods his head)

(A-ry soon clocks Lashley with a chair !!!! the two then begin a two on one mugging!!!)

(Kidd soon grabs the chair and smashs it into Lashleys sugrey repaired knee!!)

(Josh seems as stunned as everyone else as Kidd grabs the mike)

Kidd : Theres the scoop you wanted Josh we already heard his lame excuse last week and it reeked of failure!
This group has no time for failure or anything that will get in the way of our goals!!!
Let that be a warning to any XWL superstars who want to try and cross us!!!
The future has spoken.... and the future.... is the New Reign!! Now get out and take this piece of trash with you.

(A -RY can be seen dragging the body of Lashley out of the room as Josh is thrown out by Kidd)

(The door closes as Josh can be seen calling for the medics)

(The show then heads to commercial break...)

As Breakdown returns from a commercial break, Kenny sits backstage in a steel chair, lacing up his boots. As he finishes up, foot steps approach, causing him to slowly look up. The camera zooms out to reveal that it's Stephanie McMahon, her hands held together at her waist. Kenny hangs his head, letting out a heavy sigh. 

Hello, Kenny. Would you like to tell me where you were last week? Why you didn't show up to the arena? 

Yeah . . . I had some things to think about. I needed some time.

There is this thing called a telephone, you know. You can't just vanish, Kenny. This is your job, and after you almost lost it two weeks ago, I'd think that you'd take it more seriously. 

Kenny nods his head, breathing through his nose. 

You're right, my bad. Now, I'm curious . . . After what you said to me two weeks ago, after you almost fired me . . . Why are you putting me in this second chance match tonight against Zack Ryder and Goldberg? In the main event nonetheless. 

Kenny, you may be a thorn in my side. And you may be as disrespectful as disrespectful can be. But . . . You're a great competitor. And you, along with Zack Ryder and Goldberg, deserve a second chance. That's what this company is all about. I gave you a second chance two weeks ago, and I'm expecting you to not screw things up again. Now, about your match with Jerry at Final Stand, that's still happening. And your career is still going to be on the line . . . Don't think that it's not. But, I think that you'll be able to handle him. After all, you brought this upon yourself. And, well, if you can't, and Jerry manages to beat you . . . I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

The camera returns Live to hear huge cheers from the crowd, as the camera turns it reveals CM Punk standing in the ring waving his arms trying to make the fans cheer as loudly as possible. CM Punk walks around the ring and looks into the sea of fans that surround the XWL ring. He takes a seat in the middle of the ring and holds the microphone in his hand high in the air to draw the attention of the crowd.



[[CM Punk]]
As you may know what I hold in my hand is my source of power. Other people like to find their power in other places, some like to find it by sleeping their way to the top, others like to beat people down into the ground to assert theirs and some like to believe their power comes from their position on the hierarchy ladder. Mine however is much simpler than that, this to any other ordinary human being is nothing more than a microphone but as you all know in my hands this is a pipebomb. Where others have failed, I have succeeded and I have succeeded because of this. Where other people fail is that they like to believe that their power gives them some sort of edge, that because of where they stand on the ladder that they can not fail but this puts a stop to all of that, this simple microphone as the naïve like to view it as has shaken that ladder to the ground on more than one occasion and been the hard dose of reality that every person in that locker room has needed.

Punk stares directly at the microphone for a moment before returning it to his mouth



[[CM Punk]]
However, for the past... Only God knows how long there has been nobody at the helm of this pipebomb to shake things up, there has been nobody to say the things to say that nobody else has the balls to say. My little road back to the World Heavyweight Championship seems like it is constantly interrupted by something or someone and for a brief moment of time all of that momentum, all of the success that I had building up comes to an abrupt halt, meaning that I have to start my progress all over again. Maybe I'm getting on a bit, maybe this schedule is becoming tiring or maybe because I've been busting my ass since the inception of this company, who knows? All I can be sure of is that two years ago these things wouldn't have stopped me, I'm man enough to admit that I lost my way because two years ago I wouldn't somebody to stop and mourn, to look back and take a week or two out of my business that is not what I do. Every little hiccup, every little thing that tried to knock me down just added fuel to the fire, sure you can say it made me more angry, more bitter and not the person that people like to say they got on with but it made me far more determined, it gave me more drive and put that fire inside me that has since gone out.



[[CM Punk]]
Two weeks ago however, something sparked inside me and that fire started roaring once again. I took my time to show my respect, I took a little time to wrap my head around what had happened but during that time I felt the anger rise and maybe I became a little more jaded and bitter it that's even possible but what's more important is that I felt that hunger again, I felt that drive that made me get to the very top, what made me stand out from all the rest in this company because who else besides me is going to come out here year after year and can still be as good as when he first walked into this company. People leave, people quit, I have seen more faces come and go then I care to remember but through all of that I have been standing tall throughout and while other people might have just been gifted their opportunities, I have had to fight for them, I have had to scratch, claw, kick, bite and punch my way to earning everything that has ever came my way. It's not a position game, I think I'm the only person in this company who can ever say that nothing that I have accomplish has came from my position on the ladder, it came from being the absolute Best in the World!



[[CM Punk]]
That is something that is going to continue to be proved, just like I have since day one and just like I will continue to prove until the day I die! In two weeks time we head into the biggest PPV of the year, bigger than the World Cup, bigger than the Super Bowl, bigger than the World Series because we are heading into Final Stand VI. Now before I was sadly forced to skip a couple of weeks, there was an announcement I was going to make, another little notch under something that I have managed to earn. There is a lot of concentration on the Championships in this and in fact any PPV, United States, Intercontinental, Barbie Doll and World Championships will all be on the line that very night, we may be seeing new Champions we may see others retain but there is something with equal importance that night. Something that I first cut my teeth in when it comes to the big time, where it all began for me and now I get the chance to announce a little reunion if you will with that very match.



[[CM Punk]]
Now three other men have already confirmed themselves for the match, three other men will fight for the same right and the same opportunity... ”But I'm afraid I've got some Bad News...” Because CM Punk is officially entered into the Money In the Bank Ladder match at Final Stand. These other men might be feeling confident, they might be thinking to themselves that they might be able to achieve greatness, all of them might be thinking that they have that little advantage in the match but let's just think about that shall we. Shawn Michaels, one of the participants in the first ever ladder match, he lost, but still some nice experience to have. Wade Barrett, a year or two ago he was the very man that brought my Title journey to a crashing halt, how? In a ladder match, so it seems very fitting that this is how the two of us should meet again but the Bad news for Barrett is that lightning isn't going to strike first, I will make sure first hand that he will not be the man to leave with that Briefcase. Then you get Edge, his accomplishments in ladder matches don't need mentioned, every one understands that Edge is a threat, despite the fact that he is in and out of this company than a left foot in the hokey pokey.



[[CM Punk]]
I guess that just covers about everybod... Oh wait, I forgot about me. Now I'm not saying that my accomplishments rival Edge but I will point point out that I have faced the master and innovator in a ladder match on more than one occasion, that person being Jeff Hardy and despite having little to no experience in that match type what-so-ever, as always I managed to come out on top and defy the odds. I challenged Hardy to that match to prove a point, that all of the advantages a person think they may have are all meaningless when you climb into the ring with CM Punk. I did forget to mention, while it may not be modern history but you are looking at a man who in a different company is a two time holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase. A man that has went on to claim the World Heavyweight Championship with every attempt of cashing in the briefcase and I fully intend on making that happen once again.



[[CM Punk]]
There has been one thing about me that has always rung true and that is that I can back up every little claim I make. Other people stand here and they make their idle threats and half the time they fall well short of living up to expectation but every time I have had a challenge presented to me, I have stood in the middle of this ring and I have told the World exactly what is going to happen. Trust me when I tell you there is going to be pain, all four men are going to experience some of the worst pain that they could even imagine in that match. With every ladder match somebody is going to do some stupid spot trying to take their opponent out of the question but in doing so taking away any hopes and dreams that they had of winning themselves but more importantly when all seem to be done, when the pain becomes to great and the prize no longer seems worth it, only one will climb that ladder, step by step and take the Money in the Briefcase for themselves and while the others look up, with their hearts broken, I will look down at them, I show them my prize and as I stand tall on the ladder, briefcase in hand you will all see the next World Heavyweight Champion but also prove that I am and will forever be the Best in the World!!

Normal Match


Breakdown returns from a commercial break and we’re quickly thrust into the action in the ring where Angle has successfully been able to wrestle Shelley down to the mat with a fujiwara arm bar. Shelley is in an immense amount of pain as his opponent is threatening to rip his arm right out of his socket but the ever resilient superstar is able to roll Angle onto his shoulders:

One!

Two!

Angle thrusts his legs into the air to break the pin and both men make it to their feet at the sme time though it’s Shelley who beats Angle to the punch by kicking him in the gut. Angle doubles over in pain leaving himself vulnerable while Shelley crosses his legs, lifts him into the air and hits It came from Japan! Thinking he has the match just about won, Shelley hooks Angle’s legs for the pin:

One!

Two!

Angle kicks out again and this hotly-contested match continues. Shelley pulls Angle to his feet and throws him over to the other side of the ring. Shelley goes for a kitchen sink and comes up empty when Shelley flips over his knee and turns the predicament into a school boy pin:

One!

Two!

Now it’s Shelley who’s forced to kick out to avoid defeat and when Angle pulls him to his feet Shelley catches the gold-medalist off-guard with a jaw breaker that causes him to stagger backwards. Shelley charges forward, his arm outstretched ready to hit a clothesline but Angle ducks under it while grabbing Shelley in a rear-waist lock at the same time and slams him into the mat with a german suplex!

Angle keeps his arms locks around Shelley’s waist and Shelley tries to damndest to break Angle’s grip, but fails as he gets german suplex’d for the second time in a row! Angle rolls back onto his feet and Shelley fights every step of the way and it takes three sharp elbow strikes to the side of the head in succession to finally break Angle’s grip.

Angle staggers away from Shelley and gets grabbed from behind and from there Shelley grabs hold of Angle’s wrist. Shelley shouts out, “This one’s for you, Wade!” then he does a ripcord but misses the elbow as Angle ducks under and hit the third german suplex! Angle drops down on Shelley for the pin:

One!

Two!

Shelley just barely manages to get his shoulder up into the air. Angle gets up and removes the straps from his singlet off his attire as he signals for the end. Shelley stumbles backwards, right into Angle’s arms and Angle goes for the Angle Slam! No! Shelley wiggles out of Angle’s grasp and hoists his opponent onto his shoulders. Shelley shouts, “This one’s for you, Punk!” And thrusts Angle off his shoulders but the knee gets blocked!

With Shelley’s leg in his hands Angle shouts, “You think this is a joke?” And before Shelley can respond Angle slaps him across the face! Shelley tries to take advantage of Angle holding onto his leg by gunning for an enzuigiri but he misses and Angle makes him pay by putting him in an Ankle Lock!

Shelley howls in pain, but fights through it while clawing to the ropes. Shelley is just a finger tip away but just before he can grab it Angle pulls him away! Before Angle can grapevine the leg, Shelley rolls onto his back and kicks Angle off. Shelley scrambles to his feet while Angle is knocked back into the ropes and when he bounces off he gets hit with the superkick! Shelley lifts Angle onto his shoulders and shouts, “This one’s for you, Alex!” before planting Punk into the mat with Automatic Midnight!

One!

Two!

Three!

The live feed is replaced by static, the horrible sound of white noise screeches through the speakers for a brief minute until the live feed returns, a brief cheer can be heard when Roman Reigns is seen on the titantron.



[Roman Reigns]
Talk of The Shield has sparked up once again, people want to know and the former members that once fought so proudly side by side now fight for the right to be the stand out member of The Shield. Everyone has made their statement, everyone has tried to prove that fact but there can only be one. So the question is, who? Is it the Architect? The Lunatic Fringe? Or is it The Juggernaut? Every man says it's something that does not bother them, they don't want to give it the time of day but it is in the back of their mind, it is a matter of pride and prove that you are the better man who stood among the Hounds.



[Roman Reigns]
Ambrose has made his way to the top, he has managed to secure himself the World Heavyweight Championship but take a look at just how it happened. What has changed? When the Hounds were hunting together, Ambrose relied on help to make it, to survive in the big bad World and when the Shield dissolved he survived on his own for a little while before realising that he just can't make it in this World on his own, so now he's part of the West Side Army. Once again Ambrose has back up, once again Ambrose is relying on others to help him make it to where he feels he needs to be but what he needs to realise that it will quickly come to an end because everything that Ambrose touches is doomed from the start. Men of Honour, the Shield and now the WSA but that just makes them easy pickings for me.



[Roman Reigns]
Rollins, he might like to think that he has got something going for him but in truth he has fallen off of the grid. He can talk the talk, he can claim that he wants to face his former allies but let's face it, if he were to stand in the ring with me I would tear him in half before he even gets the chance to think about quickening the pace. Since I returned to this company after my brief departure, I have been unstoppable, I have taken out the biggest names and the rising stars and I have done it all on my own. I have proved that the Juggernaut can not be stopped and I will roll over anybody that is stupid enough to throw themselves in my path and Rollins wants to be stupid enough to get on the wrong side of me? He wants to say that he wants to take me out? Try it because I will enjoy breaking you in half boy.



[Roman Reigns]
Two weeks ago I faced a former ally, two weeks ago I faced the World Heavyweight Champion and I beat him with ease, I showed him just why The Shield relied on me to take people out, why I was the muscle and I was what people feared when it came to The Shield. Two weeks ago I beat the World Heavyweight Champion and in two weeks time I will take on arguably one of the strongest competitors that I have ever faced, the United States Champion Antonio Cesaro. Know this, you may have found a little cheering section, you might have somebody to pat you on the back and tell you that everything is going to be alright but if it were not for Stephanie McMahon's little ruling, you or your racist little friend wouldn't make it to Final Stand but I can wait, I can wait for that moment when I can cut you down, I can wait for that moment on your little friends face when he realises that I'm like nothing that he's came across before. He may know the heritage but he doesn't know a thing about growing up in that family does to you. You believe that my family were violent? Cut throat? Pfft... You haven't seen nothing yet.



[Roman Reigns]
Believe That!

Breakdown cuts backstage to see AJ Lee walking through the hall, when a wild Josh Matthews appears


[Josh Matthews]
AJ! Can I just get your thoughts on what happened with Amazing Red earlier? You came up short against Re..


[AJ Lee]
Oh Josh...You think I came up short? You saw Sara's reaction, You saw just how worked up she was...I achieved exactly what I wanted to achieve. I didn't go out there to beat Amazing Red...I went out there to get under the skin of Sara... I could've beaten Amazing Red if you I wanted to..I mean, Sara even had to get me disqualified because she knew that I would've beat Amazing Red, but I didn't want to beat Red..I didn't need to beat Red. I wouldn't want Sara not to have West in her corner when she finally accepts my challenge. She'd have just another excuse after I beat her..because I will beat her again.


[Josh Matthews]
In all fairness, AJ...Sara has declined your challenge multiple times now.. What makes you think she will now accept it?



[AJ Lee]
You saw her reaction...my plan is working... I'm getting under her skin, I'm getting her worked up...If she doesn't want to be the diva she claims to be and just face me...then I'm going to make her, I'm going to give her no choice to be face me! She gets to be part of history...she gets to be the last diva I defeat before I climb a ladder and capture the money in the bank briefcase! Sara gets a chance to go out on top! She get's a chance to wrestle on the biggest stage in this business! She should be thanking me for actually giving her my time because let's face it, Joshy..She doesn't deserve my time.


[AJ Lee]
It's only a matter of time until Sara finally...get's what she really deserves....


Suddenly someone comes rushing outside the frame and knocks AJ to the ground! The camera zooms in on the action to reveal a very pissed of Sara Del Rey taking it to the woman whose been a thorn in her side for weeks. The two women are screaming as they tear into each other looking to distribute as much pain and punishment as possible. Something within Del Rey has snapped, and the woman who always has her temper in check has never looked more pissed off. As the battle on the ground continue, security and other XWL personnel rush onto the scene and it takes a great effort to pull Del Rey off of AJ. As they pull her down the hallway Del Rey can be heard screaming at the top of her lungs.

-Sara Del Rey-
You want me at Final Stand, AJ? You got me! You got me! I’m going to end you!

The camera cuts over to AJ who’s kneeling on the ground and after hearing Del Rey finally accept her challenge, a wicked smile creeps onto her face. She runs a hand through her hair as she slowly stands when Del Rey comes out of nowhere and knocks her back to the ground! The brawl continues as limbs and hair fly everywhere with the screams of frustration serving as a background track to this heated altercation. The security finally catches back up to Del Rey again have to struggle to pull her off.

This time AJ doesn’t watch passively as Del Rey gets dragged off and jumps into her knocking everyone to the ground! Round three begins as tempers flare up and the aggressive sides of these two women are put on display for the entire world to see. The security guards are forced to split up to hold back these two balls of anger and they’re having a hard time keeping them at bay. Both women are dying to get their hands on each other and they scream out that they’re going to tear their rival apart.

As the seconds go by and this statement drags on, Stephanie McMahon rushes onto the scene, and upon seeing their boss there looking as annoyed as ever with her arms tightly crossed in front of her chest, Del Rey and AJ calm down, at least for the moment, and with the head woman in charge here in the flesh to do alone what a group of them couldn’t, the security guards let go of the two women and walk away, leaving their fate up to Breakdown’s General Manager.

-Stephanie McMahon-
I have had it up to HERE with you two and I’m glad to hear that you were kind enough to accept AJ’s challenge, but I make the matches here and I’m starting to think that a normal match won’t cut it. So I’m going to put you in a ring that’s surrounded by a steel cage and you’ll have all night to beat the living hell out of each other, but as for tonight? I’m sending you both home NOW!

With that said, Stephanie walks away and after an exchange of an intense stares, AJ and Del Rey turn and exit the scene in opposite directions.

Christian walks out onto the stage, sporting a new theme song and titantron, causing the crowd to go nuts!



He walks down to the ring with an arrogant smirk on his face, and rolls into the ring, before jumping onto a turnbuckle and being handed a microphone.


[Christian]
Ladies and Gentlemen, Peeps! Captain Charisma has returned to XWL!

I'm here to make sure everyone gets a true champion that they deserve, and that means overthrowing that lunatic Dean Ambrose and replacing him with someone more...Charismatic.

Christian smiles, showing off his pearly white teeth.

And I then thought, why should I come back home completely the same, so I called some friends, a new clothing line, new titantron, new music, I'm a changed man, Peeps!

And because you guys deserve a charismatic champion, I'm going to give something to you peeps...as it is for the benefit of those with flash photography!

Christian smiles, before hitting a five second pose. His theme hits  and Christian walks backstage, waving and high-fiving the crowd.

*As Breakdown cuts from its last segment we see a man leaning on a wall, the man is wearing a tank top and some grungy looking jeans and with the color of his hair, it's not hard to tell the man is Seth Rollins. As the cameraman moves to where we can see Seth's full face as opposed to his profile, we see a face that is stoic and lost, not in the lost as in intelligence but that of his thoughts. What could Seth be possibly thinking with the roller coaster of a week he had last week? This question is soon answered as the rainbow haired warrior breaks his proverbial trance and begins to speak.


[Seth Rollins]
A lot of people want to know something about me, something that I myself wonder from time to time, but I put those thoughts away. But it still lingers deep.


*Seth then breathes heavily before speaking again.*


[Seth Rollins]
People always ask me if I'm afraid. Am I afraid of facing Bray Wyatt tonight? I mean you'd have to be a fool not to be, not because of what bones you might break if you step in the ring with Bray and his crew, but what happens when you're knocked down if you know what I mean. *Seth then chuckles and smirks* People ask me if I'm afraid of failure. What happens if I lose in the Quest For Gold match? That's not something I'd like to think about because honestly, that scenario's not happening. I've waited too long for another chance at a championship and Woods, Angle, and whoever wins tonight better understand that I want this, no I need this more than all of them combined. That's not an exaggeration.  Roman, I'd like to see you try and break me in half, and if you ever do that's the day you'll hang it up too because I assure you, if we ever meet up again, it won't be pretty, for you at least.


[Seth Rollins]
But let's say, Stephanie, Dolph Ziggler, Roman Reigns, those three other dudes, and a gang of aliens team up and make sure I don't win at Final Stand, if that happens not only would they be forever on my hit list, but whether or not they'll admit anytime soon, they're afraid of me, and if they're not yet, they should be.


[Seth Rollins]
Earlier today, some idiot who didn't even look like a Dolph Ziggler fan asked me if I should be afraid of him ha, not to copy the Miz but really? You can say I'm all flash and no substance, but the facts don't lie. Ever since Uprising, I haven't been beaten and no, my mission isn't to go on a Goldberg type of streak, although it would be cool. My mission is to get the World Heavyweight Championship, so go ahead, doubt me, say I'm all talk, I want you to! But if you think that don't act shocked when you're staring at the lights, because the Blackout is here. And it can't, shouldn't and won't be stopped. Believe that!

*Seth then walks off and we're sill left with more questions than before. Can Bray Wyatt stop Seth's streak and get into his head? Can Seth win the Quest For Gold match and prove that he was the diamond in the rough for the Shield? Will Dolph be involved in Seth's upcoming matches? As with everything in this wacky world of XWL, only time will tell.*