SWF "FROM THE VAULT" MATCH FOR SWF STORM 01.23.03

[Guest 5_moves_of_doom]

EDIT: I'd like to point out that I found this match ALL by myself. ALL by myself. No help from Z, NONE. None at all. As if he could ever help anyone, pffft. No help from Z. All by myself, yep.

 

 

Sorry for not posting this earlier. I'll write a REALLY quick history on this match. It happened last year just a little after the 'Fuck.

 

King beat Thugg for the World Title at Clusterfuck 2002.

Mark beat 15 other guys for the World Title #1 Contendership at Clusterfuck 2002.

 

Soooo, I basically picked this match for three reasons. 1.) You can compare/contrast the double face King/Stevens match from before Genesis 2, with this face/heel match after Clusterfuck 2. 2.) It'll show all of you exactly what you CAN do with a win at the 'Fuck, as Stevens won that match and then went on to um, here, to win the SWF World Title. 3.) It's a damn good match. So here it is... a little late and possibly not the best choice but oh well... battle of the former mentor and student, and battle of the real life friends, and stuff.

 

Suicide King vs "Grand Slam" Mark Stevens

SWF From the Fire, 02.17.02

 

 

 

 

 

Slow music starts, Def Leppard's "Two Steps Behind". Then three words appear on the screen, white on black in a simple, basic font.

 

Teacher and Student

 

Grainy video of a ring in a small gym appears. Wrestlers in workout clothes surround it. Inside, a large man recognizable as Mark Stevens with short hair is teaching a young man, the soon to be Suicide King, how to take a basic back bump. When King can't keep his head up and whacks it hard against the mat, Stevens is right there to help him up, pat him on the back and have him try it again. Then the image fades to black...

 

Mentor and Protégé

 

Part of an old promo rolls. It shows Grand Slam sitting on a couch, the IGNJL "Anarchy Rules" (Euro) Title next to him. King is just starting to leave the room...

Brian, the King of Hearts, turns to leave, but just as he is about to close the door behind him, Mark says, "One more thing Brian. You and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things and I doubt if you would ever fit into Anarchy, but if you ever need somebody to watch your back give me a holler. Remember man, just like in the old days, I don't start feuds; I finish them. And that, my friend, is a d**n promise." Mark smiles at Brian as the King of Hearts pulls the door shut behind him.

 

Teammate and Leader

 

The WF formation of the Midnight Carnival is shown. King, Spark and Chris Raynor welcoming the reigning ICTV champion into their ranks. Then it changes to shots of match after match from the Carnival heyday. Stables Title defenses, tag matches, and the whole gang riding on the overburdened Love Rollercoaster down to the ring.

 

The music changes to a deep, ominous background instrumental and a scene from IGNWF Dissention PPV is played. As the Carnival hits the ring to give their leader some backup, King's face changes to a mask of hate! He sneaks up behind Grand Slam and nails him with the Joker's Wild!!! The crowd goes berserk as the IGNWO hits the ring and cleans house, accepting the Suicide King into their stable! This fades to a shot of Grand Slam locked in a nasty submission hold by the King, then a shot of Grand Slam on the mat, clutching at his damaged knee. Quick shots and snippets show of the encounters since then between King and the Carnival, with King getting the upper hand every time! That fades to two words...

 

Clusterf*ck 2002

 

Quickly, the end of both the Clusterf*ck match itself is shown and the end of the World Title match. Over King's celebration, Curry is heard yelling, "So it is official, the Suicide King will meet his old teacher and friend next month at the next Pay-Per-View for the greatest prize in the business, the IGNWF World Title!!"

 

Challenger and Champion

 

The promo ends with a split screen shot of Grand Slam on the right and King on the left, both holding the World Title Belt from the end of the matches in which they won them. Over this image are two quick soundbites from last week:

 

GSMS: (In a quiet, threatening voice): You stay away from me and my family or so help me King, I will snap your neck and worry about the consequences later. Are we clear?

 

King: Oh no Mark, we haven't even finished dealing the cards yet, it's far too early to fold, and as usual I have an ace up my sleeve. No Grand Slam, this game is just beginning... and a King always beats a Jack-Ass...

 

And on that, we cut back to live action at the arena and "Tonight I'm Burning" by Bombshell Rocks hits!! The crowd is frenzied and waving signs everywhere!! The tension and atmosphere is simply electric!!

 

Curry: Welcome back to a sold-out Target Center!! So far, this has been a night to remember, and it can only get better from here as we are just about ready for our main event!!!

 

NTD: This should be good Curry!! We have been waiting for months to see Grand Slam get his just desserts in the ring, one-on-one with the man he held back for so long, the Suicide King!!

 

Curry: That is a very biased view of events!! These two were the best of friends until the King's jealousy got the better of him!! Now these bitter rivals will try and put an exclamation point on their issues and get ready for our new number one contender...

 

Then the lights go out and Bombshell Rocks disappears... several seconds of hushed silence cause the crowd to become restless... they are clapping, talking, shouting, waving signs, waiting for what they know is about to happen...

 

::Crack!!!::

 

The crowd, simply put, explodes!

The crack of a bat and the roar of the crowd announce Grand Slam!! It quickly fades into the opening bass of "Born Bad" by the Gone Jackals. The IGNTron lights up with baseball highlights mixed with big spots from Grand Slam's matches while flashing the words "Grand Slam", "The Heavy Hitter" and "Midnight Carnival". The various multicolored lights flash in time with the rhythmic bass of the song until the first guitar riff when the arena is flooded with bright white light!! Red and white pyro explodes at the top of the entrance ramp!! When the smoke clears and everyone

can see again, "Grand Slam" Mark Stevens is standing underneath the IGNTron!!! The crowd erupts in even more cheers for the Heavy Hitter!!!

 

Funyon: Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time for our MAIN EVENT!!! This match is scheduled for one fall and it is for the IGNWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE!!! Entering first, the challenger weighing in at 287 pounds and hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, he is a member of the Midnight Carnival, "GRAND SLAM" MARK STEVENS!!!!

 

As Funyon makes his announcement, a graphic appears of the World Title Belt superimposed over a wide shot of the arena. When that fades, we see Grand Slam run down to the ring quickly, waving at the fans the whole way!! And they are going nuts!! Tonight, as the camera zooms in, he is wearing a Minnesota Twins baseball cap!! When the crowd sees this, they cheer even louder, nearly drowning out "Born Bad"!! Grand Slam steps into the ring over the top rope and heads to a corner. Stevens climbs to the second turnbuckle, looks at the crowd, then pumps his right fist into the air several times, firing the crowd up even more and causing a flurry of flashbulbs to pop, illuminating the ring like a strobe-light!! Before dropping back to the mat, Grand Slam flings his cap out to the crowd, giving some lucky fan a unique souvenir from the IGNWF!!! He lands on the mat and takes off his suede varsity jacket, tossing it out of the ring to a tech guy.

 

Curry: The fans love the Heavy Hitter!!! Grand Slam is the most decorated champion in the history of the WF NTD, with one World Title, two ICTV titles, three Tag Titles and a share of the Stables Title!! He has done so much in the year he has been here...

 

NTD: He has lucked into all of that by being in the right place at the right time!! King is a better wrestler and this is his first WF title!!

 

Curry: What's your point?

 

NTD: I think it's obvious!!

 

Curry: To you and some species of beavers maybe, but to the rest of us... not so much...

 

Grand Slam is pacing around in the ring like a caged animal, stretching his legs, shoulders and neck, getting ready for the match of a lifetime!!

 

Then the arena goes dark again as the voice of Ozzy Ozborne screams out...

 

"ALL ABOARD!! AH HAH HAH HAH!!"

 

The stage suddenly explodes as a wall of crimson pyro shoots skyward, deafening and blinding those closest. When the pyro finishes the wailing guitar chords of Ozzy Ozborne's "Crazy Train" pick up in volume and the Suicide King is revealed, posing cockily as the crowds pours their derision on him (and the few sparse cheers from desperate women). Smirking in disdain he makes his way down to the ring, strutting like he is the single greatest thing since sliced bread. He is wearing the huge World Title belt proudly around his waist. He points at it several times on his way down the ramp as if to reaffirm to everyone watching that he is, indeed, the World Champ!

 

Funyon: And his opponent, he hails from Dayton, Ohio and weighs in at 224 pounds, he is the reigning IGNWF World Heavyweight Champion, THE SUICIDE KING!!!!

 

Making his way to ringside, he jumps up to stand on the ring apron and moves provocatively between the ropes. Once inside the ring the Suicide King circles the ropes, making sure that everyone in attendance gets a good, long look at the most talented, entertaining, and handsome man in wrestling today. Grand Slam stands dead center, his eyes never leaving King. The men swear, the women squeal, and the IGNWF collects another fortune in merchandising... the Suicide King casually brushes the hair out of his eyes and turns to his unworthy opponent. The ref quickly steps between them and holds out a hand for the Title Belt. Somewhat reluctantly, King takes off the belt and hands it over to the ref who then shows it to Grand Slam, getting a curt nod in response. The ref then holds the belt up high and shows it to all sides of the packed arena, showing the world what is at stake in this match! All the time, King and Grand Slam continue to stare at each other.

 

Curry: NTD, if looks could kill, this would be a double homicide.

 

NTD: When you're right, you're right. There is absolutely no love lost between these two guys.

 

Curry: And it looks as if we are about ready for the epic confrontation between former friends! The ref is signaling for the bell...

 

** Ding, ding, ding **

 

As soon as the last note of the bell hits, Grand Slam flies into action, sending a hard forearm at King that nearly decapitates him!! King staggers back under the assault as Grand Slam continues to pound away with fists and forearms!! King backs into the ropes. Grand Slam rears back and delivers a hard knife-edge chop that nearly blisters the King's chest!! The crowd lets out a huge Whoo!!! Grand Slam rears back and delivers another chop!! (Whoo!!) Another!! (Whoo!!) Stevens grabs King by the arm and whips him hard across the ring!! Bounce back, King throws up a fast clothesline to try and take the momentum back, but Grand Slam sidesteps, reaches over his shoulder, hooks King's chin and drops him with a hard falling neckbreaker!! King flops around on the mat for a few seconds as Grand Slam gets back to his feet! The Heavy Hitter pulls King to his feet and sends him hard into the corner face first!! Grand Slam follows up by whipping him across the ring and into the opposite turnbuckle!! King hits so hard he staggers backwards out of the corner!! Grand Slam smiles, grabs his arm and whips him back across the ring into the corner where this all started!!King hits back-first and hangs limply, like a scarecrow with all the straw beat out of him!! Grand Slam takes a fast step, then charges in behind King, crushing the smaller man against the turnbuckles!! Grand Slam steps back and the Suicide King staggers forward about a step-and-a-half before face planting right in the center of the ring!! The crowd is going nuts for the abuse dealt out to the World Champ!!

 

Curry: Grand Slam is beating King from pillar to post tonight NTD!! He is in total control!!

 

NTD: It's a ruse!! King is luring him into a false sense of security before he strikes!!

 

Curry: Well, he had better quit luring him right shortly, or he may not have a chance to strike!! I haven't seen Grand Slam this driven since his rematch with Chris Storm for the ICTV Title!!

 

Grand Slam pulls King to his feet with a handful of blonde hair and into a front facelock!! King puts up a struggle, but Grand Slam keeps him locked in long enough to grab a handful of tights and throw him up and over with a hard snap suplex!! King arches his back of the mat and kicks his feet, one hand on his lower back trying to rub away some of the pain!! Grand Slam rolls over on top of King, hooks the leg...

 

Curry: First pinfall of the match!!!

 

1...

2... Easy kickout by the Suicide King!

 

NTD: And an optimistic one at that! There is no way you beat the World Champ with a snap suplex!

 

Grand Slam is firmly in control at this point, pulling the Heartbreaker to his feet and whipping him hard into the ropes!! Bounce back, Grand Slam drops his head for a back-body drop a split second to early and King takes full advantage of Grand Slam's first mistake!! He kicks the Heavy Hitter hard right in the face, then throws himself into the ropes to Grand Slam's side, bounces back, and drops his signature scissor kick across the back of Mark Stevens' skull!! The big man hits the mat hard, his right hand on the back of his neck! King wastes no time at all!! After kipping up, he pulls Grand Slam to his feet and sends him into the ropes!! Bounce back, King leaps in the air for a prime time dropkick, but Grand Slam grabs onto the top rope, halting him long before King connects!! King pushes himself back to his feet just in time for Grand Slam to scoop him off the mat and drop him right back with a monstrous sidewalk slam!!!

 

Curry: The Heavy Hitter is on fire tonight NTD!! If he maintains this slower pace, his strength advantage will make all of the difference!

 

NTD: Don't worry, the Gambling Man knows what pace needs to be set here! The faster this match becomes, the better for him!!

 

Grand Slam gets to his feet, sees where King is laying, then heads to the corner and climbs to the top turnbuckle!! Facing away from the ring, he stands up straight, looks out at the crowd and points, getting a huge cheer in response!!

 

NTD: I think it might be a little early for Grand Slam to break out the high-risk stuff, don't you?

 

Curry: We'll see!

 

The Heavy Hitter takes a deep breath, then launches himself head-over-heels in a gorgeous moonsault!! He comes crashing down... right onto the Suicide King's raised knees!! Grand Slam hits them hard and rolls off to the side, both arms wrapped around his stomach!! Both men lie on the mat for a long second, then King pushes himself to his feet! The crowd is booing him like he just spit on their mothers!! He pulls Grand Slam off the mat and into a front facelock!! Grand Slam reacts immediately, grabbing the arm that is around his head and twisting it as he stands up, putting King in a quick and dirty arm wrench!! King reacts by slapping his right shoulder a few times, then rolling forward once to relieve the pressure on his arm, popping back to his feet and spinning in place, wrenching Grand Slam's right arm!! Without any hesitation, King sends a straight sidekick right into Grand Slam's armpit!! The big man lets out a yell and drops to one knee! King maintains the hold on his arm, flings the same foot he just used to kick Stevens up and over, delivering a brutal axe-kick to the already-hurting right shoulder of the Heavy Hitter!! Grand Slam drops to the mat, clutching his shoulder as King lets go of his arm!! The crowd lets loose with the classic "King's an a**hole!! King's an a**hole" chant, which seems to please the Suicide King! He struts around the ring for a second, before focusing again on the slowly recovering Heavy Hitter!!

 

Curry: King better be careful here NTD! Grand Slam is not to be taken lightly even if he is hurt!

 

NTD: Oh shut up Curry! All I hear from you anymore is "don't take him lightly" and "he is on fire"!! I'm sick of it!! Totally, 100% sick of it!!

 

Curry: Umm... NTD... match... Pay-Per-View... main event...

 

NTD: The h*ll with it!! I used to be a great wrestler you c*cksmoker!! I was a godd*mn World Champion!! Now here I am, playing heel second fiddle to the worst f*cking announcer this side of Coachman!! I've got money you know, lots of it!! You know that that means motherf*cker? It means I can walk off this sh*t Curry! That's what it means...

 

Curry: Uh-oh, I was afraid this would happen someday...

 

Outside the ring, NTD gets to his feet, throws down his headset and starts yelling and screaming at Curry!! The crowd sees this happening and lets out an outrageously sized pop!! Curry is remarkably calm. Slowly, as to not alert the now foaming NTD, the Spicy One reaches under his desk and pulls out a small stun gun. NTD is nearly jumping up and down in outrage now, little bits of spittle flying everywhere, making a big enough scene that even the Suicide King, in the middle of his first title defense, notices!! The camera catching all of the action judiciously shoots NTD like Elvis, waist up only!! Without warning, Curry plunges the stun gun into NTD's belly and hits the button!! Immediately, NTD topples forward into his chair. Quickly, Curry replaces the headset on NTD's head and slips a small blue pill between his lips. In the next second, NTD swallows and bolts upright.

 

NTD: What... match... uhh... King... rocks... pants... suck... system... reboot...

 

Curry: It's OK NTD, it's all good now...

 

In the ring, King looks at the silliness outside of the ring with a look that just screams, "Do you mind? I'm a little busy here!!" When he turns his attention back to Grand Slam, he sees the Heavy Hitter just recovering his vertical base! The Gambling Man throws himself back into the ropes, bounces off and flies, nailing Grand Slam right between the eyes with a massive dropkick!! Grand Slam staggers back into the ropes and goes up and over, landing outside the ring!! King gets to his feet and slides out of the ring next to Grand Slam!! King looks with evil intent at the nearby announcer's table!! He pulls Grand Slam off the floor and whips him hard into the ring steps!! Grand Slam's right shoulder slams right into a corner and the Heavy Hitter crumples to the ground. With a sneer, King starts to clear off the Spanish announcer's table!

 

Curry: This can't be good!! Don't do this King!!

 

NTD: Do it King!! Kill the Carnie!! Whoo-Hoo!!

 

Curry: Well, at least Curry is back to normal... ::sigh::

 

After moving all of the monitors and microphones off the table, King turns back to continue the assault on Grand Slam, but just as he turns, the Heavy Hitter charges and nails a fast spear on King that sends both men flying into the Timekeeper's table!! Funyon and three techs dive out of the way as the two men brawl on the remains of the flimsy wooden table!! King gets control of the situation by sending a hard martial arts strike into the bruised and battered right shoulder of Mark Stevens!! The big man recoils from the blow and gives King enough breathing room to hop to his feet, grab Grand Slam by the back of the head and slam it down hard onto a steel chair!! Grand Slam drops to the ground!! King sees the ref counting in the ring and, showing the skills of a true ring veteran, rolls in and out of the ring to break the count!!

 

NTD: King is being pretty smart by trying to keep the fight out here as long as possible!! He can't loose the belt in any way shape or form out here!!

 

Curry: I've never said he was stupid; as a matter of fact his intelligence and ring presence are two of the most dangerous things about him!! He uses everything in and around the ring to his advantage!!

 

King pulls Grand Slam off the floor, then rears back and strikes, killing Grand Slam with a strong chop to the chest!! (Whoo!!) The mics scattered all around the table pick up the sound of the impact and transmit it for all to hear!!

 

NTD: Holy Cow!! Watch out in the crowd for flying nipples!!!

 

Curry: Ick. Never say that again!!

 

Another chop (Whoo!!) and it is obvious that Grand Slam is having a hard time catching his breath. With a wicked smile, King whips Grand Slam at the announcer's table!! Stevens hits hard, doubling over it with his upper body stretched across the table right in front of Curry and NTD!! King grabs a handful of hair and slams the bug man's head down onto the table!! He is about to continue the assault when he hears the ref again counting!! With a peeved look on his face, King grabs Grand Slam by the back of the neck and guides him over to the ring, then helps him into the ring, following right after. As Grand Slam lies on the mat and tries to catch his breath, King stands up and gets in the face of the ref, demanding to know why he was counting!!

 

NTD: You tell him King!! Whoo!!

 

Curry: Give the man a break NTD! Burl Debner is the second-most senior official in the IGNWF!! He knows when to apply the rules to keep control of the match!!

 

NTD: Sticking his nose in a perfectly good beating is what I see happening...

 

As King continues to lay into poor Burl, Grand Slam starts to push his way to his feet, using the ropes to pull himself up. King sees Stevens up out of the corner of his eye and turns to attack!! He sends a couple of closed-fist punches (for which he is duly warned) into the head of Grand Slam then whips him across the ring!! Bounce back, King tries for a clothesline, but Grand Slam ducks under, steps behind King and grabs him in a waistlock!! Before King can react, Grand Slam pulls him off his feet and sends him back, nailing a picture-perfect German Suplex!!

 

Curry: There are not too many people in the WF with the technical ability of Grand Slam!!

 

NTD: But he taught King everything he knew!! If anybody is equipped to meet Grand Slam hold-for-hold, it is the Gambling Man himself!!

 

Grand Slam maintains the hold and pulls King to his feet again, looking to nail another German!! But King is ready this time. He spins hard away from the hold and gets behind Grand Slam, locking in a waistlock of his own, then using one hand to try and pull the Heavy Hitter into a reverse facelock, but Grand Slam has a second to reverse and does, reaching over his shoulder, grabbing King's head and nailing a snap mare, dropping King to the mat and immediately locking in a sleeper!! The crowd pops like overfilled bags of microwave popcorn for Grand Slam, but their good mood doesn't last long! King pushes his way to his feet and runs at the ropes!! He uses them to run up and flip over Grand Slam's head, escaping the hold and placing him behind the Heavy Hitter!! Thinking that turnabout is fair play, he locks in a fast sleeper hold himself!! Grand Slam is surprised and doesn't manages to take a deep breath before King is on him and driving him down to the mat!! Grand Slam is on his side, reaching for the ropes, which may as well be a mile away!! Slowly, Grand Slam closes his eyes and his arm falls limply to the mat!! King looks at the ref and yells for him to check!! Burl drops to one knee and grabs Grand Slam's arm, raising it in the air and letting it drop... right back to the mat!!

 

NTD: Yes! Choke him out King!!

 

Curry: Aren't you the one who is always saying these things are stupid?

 

NTD: That is when they are on people I like, when they are locked onto a loser like Grand Scam, they are the greatest thing ever!!!!

 

The ref again grabs the arm, pulls it up and lets it go. If possible, it drops to the mat even faster than before!! The crowd is solidly behind the challenger, letting loose with a "Grand Slam" chant to try and will some energy back into their hero!! It seems a lost cause as the ref goes for one more check... raises the arm, lets it drop... and it stops right above the mat!!! The crowd pops like crazy as Grand Slam starts to shake and push himself off the mat!! There's that look of bewilderment on King's face that is only found in situations like this as he watches the nearly comatose Grand Slam come back!! Once back to his feet, Grand Slam grabs his left fist with his right hand and uses the strength of both arms to drive his left elbow into King's midsection once, twice, three times, each one lifting the World Champ off the mat several inches!! Finally nearly free of the hold, Grand Slam plants his feet and sends King into the ropes!! Bounce back! Grand Slam grabs one of King's arms as he goes by and starts to lock in a Full Nelson!!

 

Curry: Here we go!! There is a runner on first and a hard grounder was just hit to the shortstop!!

 

NTD: What in the h*ll are you talking about??

 

Curry: Double Play situation!!

 

But Curry's hopes are not to be realized, as King easily uses his momentum to spin around and hook Grand Slam up in a Half Nelson! He grabs the Heavy Hitter's left arm and pulls it across!!

 

NTD: Yes!! It is over!! Joker's Wild!!

 

But Grand Slam is a little too strong for King yet!! He gets his left arm free and uses it to elbow King in the face once, getting the Heartbreaker to release the hold!! Grand Slam turns around, intent on dealing punishment to King, but the Gambling Man is ready for him, snapping a fast toe kick right at Grand Slam's groin!! At the last second, Grand Slam catches the foot and breathes a sigh of relief, but King isn't done!! Faster than lightning, he flips over, sending an enzugiri right at Grand Slam's face!! Stevens ducks the kick and releases the leg, throwing King off balance enough for Grand Slam to grab an arm and whip him into the ropes!! King counters by diving forward into a handstand, bouncing off the ropes, jumping back and grabbing Grand Slam's head in a 3/4 headlock, then nailing him with a stunner!! Grand Slam drops straight back, both hands going to his head to relieve the pain a little!!

 

NTD: What a counter!! King has gotten that handspring stunner down to an art!!

 

Curry: And he is taking advantage of it!

 

King hooks Grand Slam's leg, the ref drops to the mat...

 

1...

 

2...

 

3NO!! Kickout by Grand Slam!! King pounds the mat in frustration and holds up three fingers to the ref!! But Burl shows him two fingers, telling him it was not a three count!! Frustrated, King pulls Grand Slam off the mat and into a reverse facelock, then hits a reverse DDT right onto his knee!! Grand Slam flips over and grabs at his wounded back as King stands back up, pulling the battered Grand Slam up after him!! King whips Grand Slam into the ropes, but it is reversed! King flies like a bullet into the ropes, bounce back, Grand Slam tries to catch him for a Spinebuster, but King jumps, driving a high knee right into the Heavy Hitter's chest and staggering him!! Using his momentum, King continues past the Heavy Hitter and into the ropes, bounce back, King jumps in the air, grabs Grand Slam in a headlock and drives him into the mat with a bulldog!!! King hooks the leg again and tries to win the match!!

 

1...

 

2...

 

3NO!! Kickout by Grand Slam!! Again, King is livid with all of his considerable wrath directed at Burl!! This time, King pops to his feet and tries to educate the obviously deficient ref on how to count to three!! Burl is equally upset at King for questioning him!! He is right in King face screaming!! King pushes the ref back a little, losing his cool big time!! Burl, his "tired-of-taking-sh*t-o-meter" maxed out, pushes King back!! King takes a step back and looks like if he is deciding how best to destroy this striped bastard, when Grand Slam grabs him from behind!! He spins King around and blasts the air right out of his lungs with a huge chop!! (Whooo!!) He whips him into the ropes, but King reverses!! Grand Slam into the ropes, bounce back, King drops his head way too early for a back body drop, and this time it is Grand Slam who takes advantage of a mistake, hooking King in a front facelock and pounding his head into the mat with a big-time running DDT!!! King hits the mat hard and stays on his face, preventing Grand Slam from simply dropping down and making a fast pin on the stunned Heartbreaker!!

 

Curry: And the momentum shifts again, this time away from the champion!!

 

NTD: You had to expect this though Curry! Two competitors of this caliber fighting for so much pride and the World Title on top of it?? This is quite possibly the biggest match of their lives!! They are going to pull out all the stops!! I have to think that favors the dirtiest player in the game, the Suicide King!!

 

Curry: You might just be right NTD!!

 

Grand Slam peels King of the mat and pulls him into a front facelock!! King reacts fast and 0prtevents another DDT from Grand Slam by pulling his left leg out from under him!! Grand Slam lets go of the hold and hits the mat hard!! King sees an opportunity and takes it, grabbing both of Grand Slam's legs and tying them up!! He steps over, trying to lock in the Sharpshooter!! But Grand Slam gets one leg free in the process, kicking King hard in the rear end and sending him across the ring and into the ropes!! Bounce back, Grand Slam nails a drop-toe hold that sends King face first into the mat!! With years of training behind him and acting totally on instinct, Grand Slam rolls to a knee, grabs one of King's feet and locks in a fast ankle-lock!!

 

Curry: Wow!! These two are putting on one hell of a wrestling match here!! There have been momentum shifts in this match than in a rollercoaster!! But I have to say that if this turns into a totally technical submission style match, that Grand Slam has a huge advantage over the Champ!!

 

NTD: Well with his experience and size advantage over King, I have to agree with you! But these two know each other's styles in and out!! King will have planned for Grand Slam trying to move the match ion that direction!!

 

As the Heavy Hitter twists ion the ankle, King gets his bearings, places both hands on the mat and pushes himself up, planting his free leg under him!! Grand Slam tries to put enough pressure on the ankle to push him back down, but King is too fast!! He spins in the air in the direction of the twist, clocking Grand Slam right upside the head with his free leg!! Grand Slam drops the hold and falls to the mat, hitting at the same time as King!! But King is the first man to his feet, bouncing up almost immediately!! Showing a little limp, the Gambling Man lives up to his name by heading to a corner and jumping to the top turnbuckle!! He stands up straight and starts motioning for Grand Slam to stand up!! The crowd is going crazy, trying to warn the challenger about the danger that is waiting for him!! But Grand Slam is oblivious, shaking his head as he slowly stands, facing the corner King is in!! With a quick jump, King lances out with a missile dropkick, headed right for the chest of Grand Slam!! At the absolute last second, Grand Slam sees him coming, grabs King's feet and slams him hard to the mat!! Without wasting a motion, Grand Slam twists King's legs around his own, steps over and falls back, locking in the dreaded figure four leglock!!!

 

Curry: He locked it in!!

 

NTD: He doesn't actually expect to win with this moldy oldie does he?? Good Lord, that hold has been around since I was kid!!

 

Curry: There is a reason it is still around NTD!! It works!!

 

King lets loose a cry of pain as Grand Slam sinks the hold in tighter and tighter!! The crowd is cheering, waiting for the Suicide King to tap!! Trying to keep a check on the pain, King falls back on his back, trying to stretch his legs as much as possible, but the ref is right there, counting the pinfall!!

 

1...

 

2... King sits back up, glaring at Burl!!

 

King is reaching for the ropes, looking for the break but they are just too far away and Grand Slam is far to large to drag!! Resigned to his fate, King drops back to his back again...

 

1...

 

2... King lifts his right shoulder and tries to roll over onto his left side!! Grand Slam clamps down and puts the brakes on that!! Again King tries to roll over, and again Stevens stops him, but not by mush!! Finally, after a deep breath, King puts all of his weight behind it and rolls over the hold, reversing it!! Grand Slam lets out a scream of pain as his legs are slowly twisted and ripped!! In desperation, he reaches for the ropes... that are just an inch out of reach!! King is shaking his entire body, trying to snap something in Grand Slam's legs!! Grand Slam pushes himself up on his hands and pulls, inching closer, then reaching out... making the ropes!!! The ref calls for the break!! King doesn't want to release it, but Burl grabs their legs and pries them apart, releasing both men from the hold!!

 

NTD: That was close Curry!! Either man could have submitted in that exchange!!

 

Curry: You are dead on NTD!! This match is getting closer and closer to the edge that separates victory and defeat!!

 

King and Grand Slam are on opposite sides of the ring, both pulling themselves up by the ropes, trying to work blood down into their abused legs!! Both men are on their feet, Grand Slam sees King across the ring and charges, letting loose a battle cry as he runs!! King drops to his back and pulls down the top rope, letting the Heavy Hitter tumble out of the ring once again!! Without missing a beat, King runs across the ring, bounces off the ropes, and runs, jumping right over the ropes and, as a thousand flashbulbs frame him in the air, nails the slowly recovering Grand Slam with a massive suicide palancha!!!

 

Curry: My God!! Did you see that NTD!! Holy sh*t!!

 

NTD: Well, like I said, this is about revenge, this is about pride and this is about the greatest prize in the wrestling world, the IGNWF Title!! These guys are going to leave it all in the ring tonight, no doubt about that!!

 

King recovers first, pulling Grand Slam off the ground and delivering a series of blistering chops to the chest!! (Whoo!! after each one) Once again, King whips Grand Slam the length of the ring, crashing him into the ring steps again!! King stalks his prey like a jungle cat while the lucky fans at ringside give him a huge ration of heat!! King reaches his opponent and tries to pull him up, but Grand Slam is ready for him!! He grabs an arm and pulls him down face first into the ring steps!!! King reels back clutching at his nose!! Grand Slam gets him to his feet throws him headfirst into the ringpost!! King hangs there, all of the energy seemingly gone from his body as Grand Slam stands him up and marches him in front of the announce tables to the other end of the ring where he winds him up, let's out a loud "This is for Chris" and posts him!! King falls back sideways, landing half underneath the ring apron!! Grand Slam stands for a second accepting the cheers from the crowd and beats a fist against his chest, yelling "for the Carnival!!!!" He starts to clear off the main announcing table, dropping everything on the table to ground around it. He reaches down and pulls King up again, setting him up for another close encounter with a steel post!!

 

Curry: Oh my!! King has been busted open by the ringpost!!

 

NTD: But look what he has!! Yes!!

 

But King has a baseball bat!! The Ace of Clubs!!! He shoves the thick end into Grand Slam's stomach, doubling the big man over!! He rears back, ready to crush Grand Slam's skull with his enforcer, but Burl the ref is right there in the ring!! He grabs the bat and yanks it from King's hands!! King is stunned for a second, just long enough for Grand Slam to deliver a brutal uppercut to his chin!! King staggers back into the ring apron! Grand Slam grabs an arm and whips him hard into the announcer's table!! Curry and NTD scatter as the fight gets a little too close for comfort!! King flips up onto the table!! Grand Slam follows, climbing up onto the table and pulls the stunned King into a standing head-scissors!! He starts to hook the arms, then lets out a scream and falls forward, collapsing the table underneath him and King!!

 

NTD: What the heck just happened??

 

Curry: I'm not... wait...

 

A bloody Suicide King lets the stun gun Curry used on NTD earlier drop from his hand as he crawls out from the ruins of the table and gets to his feet!!

 

Curry: He used the stun gun!! I don't believe it!!

 

NTD: Why the heck is there a stun gun down here Curry?

 

Curry: Ummm... No reason...

 

NTD (feeling the sore spot in his stomach): You and I need to have a long talk after this match Curry Man...

 

The Gambling Man pulls a gimpy Grand Slam up and drags him to the part of the ring nearest the Spanish announcing table! He stands Grand Slam up by the table, hops up on the ring apron and jumps!! He flips over Grand Slam's head, grabbing it in a 3/4 headlock as he flies and NAILS THE ANTE-UP RIGHT THROUGH A TABLE!!!!

 

Curry: Oh my God!! King is trying to kill Grand Slam!! This isn't right!! Stop the match!!

 

NTD: I told you they would be like this!! Look at the destruction around us!!

 

As the crowd picks up a "Holy Sh*t chant", a wounded King pulls Grand Slam up from the wreckage and rolls him into the ring. He follows slowly, the massive table spot obviously taking a lot out of him as well!! Finally, he makes it into the ring, hooks the leg...

 

1...

 

2...

 

3..NO!!! Grand Slam kicks out!!! King is livid, looking at the rafters like, "What do I have to do to beat him?" Without waiting too long, he pushes Grand Slam back down and hooks the leg...

 

1...

 

2...

 

3Kickout by Grand Slam!! Now King is on fire!! He stands up in front of Burl, right in his face screaming!! Grand Slam is dragging himself to his feet behind the King to a huge pop from the capacity crowd!! King hears it, and with a sly grin, continues to berate Burl!! Grand Slam throws himself back into the ropes, charges across the ring and throws up a big boot! But King grabs Burl by the arms and spins around, placing the ref in front of him!! Grand Slam nearly decapitated Burl, who drops to the mat instantly!! With a concerned look, Grand Slam looks to the ref immediately and starts waving for medical help!! King takes the opportunity to gather his senses, wipe the blood out of his eyes and sneak up behind his former teacher!! He hooks the Half-Nelson, sweeps the leg, WHAM!!

 

NTD: Joker's Wild!! Joker's Wild!!

 

Curry: But there is no ref!! They are carrying Burl out on a stretcher!!!

 

King waits for a second before making the cover, looking to the entrance ramp, waiting for something...

 

Another ref comes charging down the ramp!! The crowd starts to cheer a little until they see his face on the IGNTron!!

 

Curry: It can't be... that's... that's Eddy Long!! That's the ref King bribed to help him end Chris Raynor's career!! I thought he was fired!!

 

NTD: Nope!! Only suspended!! And with the huge distractions that Stubby has had to deal with, is it any wonder that his re-instatement automatically went through?

 

Curry: NO!!! This isn't right!!!

 

Eddy slides into the ring and makes a fast count...

 

123NO!!!! Grand Slam kicks out at the very last second!!!

 

Curry: That was closer than close NTD!!

 

King looks at Eddy who shrugs, not willing to totally cheat and call it a three count!! With a determined look King pulls Grand Slam off the mat, and sets him up for another Joker's Wild!! But Grand Slam is not easily fooled twice!! He immediately spins around and locks in a Full Nelson!! He pulls King off the mat and sits out, crushing the Gambling Man's tailbone!!

 

Curry: He's going for it...

 

NTD: Crap!!! Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap...

 

Grand Slam maintains the hold, pulls King up and throws him down face first, nailing a powerful Grand Slam and turning the Double Play!!! He flips King over, hooks the leg...

 

1...

...

...

...

...

 

Curry: This is the slowest count I have ever seen!!!

 

2...

...

...

..

Kickout by King! Grand Slam is back on his feet in an instant looking for the ref with the slow count!! As King writhes on the mat and tries to get his wind back, Grand Slam sees Eddy trying to step out of the ring, and he recognizes him!!! Pure animal hatred washes over Grand Slam as he grabs the crooked ref by the front of his shirt and lfts him off the mat!! The crowd is going insane, beside themselves with joy over Eddy finally getting his!! Grand Slam starts letting Eddy have it verbally as the poor man cringes!! King, finally back on board mentally, rolls out of the ring shaking his head and muttering something like, "I'll be d*mned if I am losing my title to this jackal..." In the ring, Grand Slam picks Eddy up and slams him down with a classic powerslam!! Not finished with the man who cost his good friend his career, he peels Eddy off the mat and into a standing head-scissors, then pulls him up to his shoulders!! He puts both hands on Eddy's chest and powerbombs him right into oblivion!! The crowd explodes with cheers for a split second before King attacks Grand Slam from behind with a steel chair!! He cracks it right across Stevens' spine, dropping the big man to his knees!!

 

NTD: Grand Slam is wasting energy on the ref and her forgot about King!!

 

Curry: Yeah, but that guy deserves everything he gets!!

 

King steps back and yells for Eddy to get back up!! The crooked ref is crawling towards King. King winds up and waits for Grand Slam to get back to his feet! As the crowd boos their fool heads off, King rears back and breaks the steel chair over Grand Slam's head!!! The Heavy Hitter drops back to the mat face first, both hands on his head!! King triumphantly throws the chair out of the ring and flips Grand Slam over!!

 

NTD: That was a chair shot to be remembered Curry!!

 

Curry: That was vicious, and Grand Slam is busted open as well!! There is blood everyewhere!!

 

King drops to the mat and hooks the leg...

12NO!!! Somebody pulled Eddy out of the ring!!

 

NTD: Now what??

 

Curry: It's Rotten!! It's the Co-Commissioner!!! Yes!!

 

Eddy hits the floor and looks up at Rotten! Johnny Rotten pulls Eddy up, grabs a hold of his black and white striped shirt and pulls, ripping it right off him!! He then lets out a huge "You're Fired!!!" and the crowd goes funky-monkey-chocolate-chip-in-banana-sauce-bleeding-out-the-ears-insane!!! The roof is about to come off as King glares down at Rotten!!! The co-commish and the World Champ exchange a few words, then Rotten smiles!! King looks suspicious, then the crowd lets out another huge roar!! Grand Slam is on his feet!! He grabs King by the arm and whips him across the ring!! Bounce back, Stevens kicks him hard in the stomach, doubling the Champ over!! He pulls King into a standing head-scissors, hooks the arms, jumps in the air... WHAM!!!!!

 

Curry: Walk-Off!!! Walk-Off!!! Walk-Off!!!

 

NTD: But there is no ref!!!

 

Grand Slam flips the Gambling Man over, hooks the leg...

 

JOHNNY ROTTEN DIVES INTO THE RING AND MAKES THE COUNT!!!!!

 

1...

 

2...

 

 

 

3!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Pandemonium erupts in the Target Center as "Born Bad" hits the PA system!!!! Rotten stands up next to a wobbly Grand Slam and raises his arm high in the air!!

 

Curry: New Champ!!! New Champ!!!

 

Funyon climbs into the ring, handing the huge gold belt to Rotten as he raises the mic to his lips...

 

Funyon: Ladies and Gentlemen, you winner... AND NEW IGNWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION... "GRAND SLAM" MARK STEVENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

King starts to wake up as the announcement is made. He hears the cheers, he sees the belt being handed to Grand Slam, and he sees Rotten raising his enemy's hand in victory... and he snaps!! He charges right into Grand Slam and tackles him, landing blow after bloody blow right to the wound on Grand Slam's forehead!! Rotten and Funyon pull the insane ex-champion off a battered Grand Slam and shove him out of the ring!! Grand Slam is left lying in the center of the ring, blood steaming down his face and the World Title Belt draped across his chest.

 

Curry: We have a new champion!! Grand Slam avenges the Carnival against the Suicide King by taking the World Title away from him!!!

 

NTD: But at what price Curry? Look at Grand Slam and tell me he looks like a winner in there!!

 

Curry: You have a point NTD, and look at King!! I may not know much, but I can tell you that this is far from over!!! But for tonight, it is!!! We are out of time!! Thank you for joining us tonight, and don't miss IGNWF Storm later this week as I am sure there will be repercussions galore from this match and all of the others tonight!

 

NTD: You can bet on that...

 

Curry: So for NTD and all of the rest of us here at the IGNWF, this is Curry Man saying goodnight!!!

 

The last shot is of the Suicide King, an insane look in his eyes as he looks back at the ring. Blood is running down his face and matting his blonde hair, but he is smiling, a nasty, devious, evil smile...

[Guest Suicide King]

Only fair I think. This match was actually the first time Mark ever beat me in storyline and writing, as our previous two matches ended with me winning in storyline. We had written one joint match previously and I had beaten him writing-wise once. A very nice effort from him that more than deserved the win, in my opinion

[Guest HVilleThugg]

Just so you know...you don't HAVE to do this for every single show. Just every couple of weeks would be fine. If you do it after every show, you're going to run out of really good matches to post, and you'll have to start repeating. You can do it as often as you like, I'm just saying to don't have to do it after every show.

 

Da "trying not to overwork people" H

[Guest 5_moves_of_doom]

Just so you know...you don't HAVE to do this for every single show. Just every couple of weeks would be fine. If you do it after every show, you're going to run out of really good matches to post, and you'll have to start repeating. You can do it as often as you like, I'm just saying to don't have to do it after every show.

 

Da "trying not to overwork people" H

Eh, it's fun though. And you know, after we run out of good matches, we could just start posting famous yet hideously bad ones. Heh.

 

Soul Assassin vs Ted Flink Pink Slip On a Pole Match from way way way back, anyone?

[Guest Grand Slam]

This is one of my favorite matches of all time. In case anyone is interested the others are...

Clusterf*ck 2002

Retirement Match v. Edwin

Cage Match v. Axis for the JL Euro Title

Rematch with Chris Storm to win my 2nd ICTV Title

Stables Title Defense v. Neilsen

 

I remeber when writing this I thought it was horribly overbooked and there weren't enough believable false finishes, but it worked OK. I honestly believed I was going to lose the match.

 

Unfortunatly, this was a match that marked two of the greatest missed opportunities in my career. The first was that in the month leading up to this match, King and I collectively dropped the ball on building what I think could have been the greatest feud in SWF history. The second was King retiring before he got his rematch coupled with my losing the title mere days later to Thugg in the whirlwind of confusion that marked our move to the new boards.

 

I'm glad other people think this is a good match and I thank TNT for putting King and I in the Archive spotlight two weeks in a row.