The Title Win That Didn't Happen...

[Zack Malibu 0]

Read. Discuss. Critique. Enjoy.

 

“It may not be a metropolis like New York City, or as glamorous as Los Angeles, but tonight, Billings, Montana could very well become a historical footnote in SWF history!”

 

That welcoming is what brings us back to Smarkdown, as Longdogger Pete greets the viewers at home. Longtime SWF fans will also note Pete’s partner, the Suicide King, who offers a rebuttal to that statement.

 

“I know what you’re getting at, Pete, and I’m not sure I see it that way. Cortez seems to be sliding down the mountain so to speak, while Toxxic has been sitting on top of it for a while now. Not to mention that Toxxic has the support of Revolution Zero, while Cortez has…Cortez. Maddix is doing his own thing, Clark is MIA, and Cortez’s closest confidant is soaking up the rays in some retirement village in Naples!”

 

“I’m willing to be he’s watching this broadcast somewhere, so let’s not keep him waiting. Funyon, we’re ready, this crowd is ready, so take it away!”

 

DING. DING. DING.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, the next contest, scheduled for one fall, is for the SWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!”

 

“BREATHE!”

 

“OH!”

 

The combination of that announcement and the sounding of the challenger’s theme music brings the crowd to their feet, pumping their fists and raising their signs up high. The Metrapark crowd are visible only by the strobing, pulsing green lights that beam down on the arena, and pyro shoots up from the stage, adding to the lightshow, as the Urban Legend slowly walks out onto the ramp!

 

“Introducing first, the challenger…hailing from Hollywood Boulevard, he weighs in tonight at two hundred, twenty six pounds…he is the Urban Legend, TODDDDD CORRRTEZZZZ!”

 

A deafening roar follows Funyon’s bellowing of the name, a name that has already found it’s way into the SWF history books. Looking as focused as we’ve ever seen him, the young man from “The Streets” walks down to the ring, his sunglasses absent from his entrance attire tonight. Cortez simply walks down to the ring, looking straight ahead and not interacting with any of his many fans, and pauses at ringside, looking upwards and clutching that sacred cross he wears in his hand, then kisses it and closes his eyes for a moment.

 

“I hope he’s praying that he lives to tell about his career another day, because this could be the final nail in Todd Cortez’s coffin!”

 

“For months this feud has ravaged on, and it has seen a revolving door of talent get involved. Now finally, it comes down to these two men, one on one, with the greatest prize in the game today on the line!”

 

Cortez removes his bulletproof vest and drops it at ringside, but when the sound of “Rookie” strikes, he immediately turns to face the entranceway.

 

“PREPARE TO BE PROVED WRONG!”

 

Those ominous words flash across the Smarktron, and thunderous, repeated pyro bursts set off alongside the stage, marking the entrance of the SWF World Champion.

 

“From Nottingham, UK, and weighing in tonight at two hundred, eighteen pounds, he is the SWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION…TOXXXXXXXICCCCC!”

 

With no Jet, nor any other members of his Revolution Zero stable in sight, the Straight Edge Superstar walks to the ring, thumbing his nose while staring ahead at the challenge that awaits him between the ropes. The champion rolls into the ring, coming up in front of Cortez and swinging his arms out, setting off the pyro from each corner while still engaged in a staredown with his rival. Toxxic then unstraps the World Title from around his waist and hands it to senior official Sexton Hardcastle, who raises it up high to signify this as a title match. Toxxic then removes his T-shirt and throws it out to ringside, then backs away from Cortez, however neither man let’s the other one out of his sights.

 

“The tension is thick and deep, and once that bell sounds…”

 

DING. DING. DING.

 

“…hell, you’ll know what I’m talking about right now!”

 

Immediately the two men come face to face, nose to nose. Toxxic and Cortez stand in the center of the ring, oblivious to their surroundings. Tonight, all they care about is each other, with one man looking to avenge a friend and make his mark, and another looking to vanquish his most persistent foe to date. The two men back away slowly and begin circling each other, preparing to lock up in one on one competition on national television…

 

…but Cortez comes out swinging, as Toxxic expected a lockup! Seeing the opening, Cortez starts firing off with right hands, catching the champion with his defenses down! The blows send Toxxic back against the ropes, and Cortez follows up with an Irish whip, sending the champion to the far side, then sends him crashing to the canvas with a spinning leg lariat! Cortez goes for Toxxic, but Toxxic quickly rolls out under the bottom rope and stumbles around ringside, protesting the actions of his challenger!

 

“Well Cortez didn’t want to be cordial about getting this match underway…and it looks like he’s not going to wait for Toxxic to return on his own accord!”

Cortez ducks out of the ring and storms after his rival, leaving Toxxic to escape the chase by rolling back into the ring and backing away as Cortez enters behind him. Toxxic tells Hardcastle to keep his eye on Cortez, and the Urban Legend simply halts his attack, glaring as Toxxic voices his concerns. Cortez starts to approach again, and Toxxic readies for him, lifting his arms up…but once again Cortez feigns the lockup, and quickly grabs a headlock! Toxxic slides his head out rather easily, coming up behind Cortez and applying a headlock of his own…but after a moment of struggle Cortez free himself and once again applies a headlock on the World Champion! Cortez wrenches his arm around the cranium of the Straight Edge Sensation, but Toxxic again manages to escape, and when he does, pushes Cortez forward and away from him! Cortez immediately turns around, and this time Toxxic lunges at him, forcing the Urban Legend to tie up! They lock horns like two bulls and jockey for position, each man gaining a brief strength advantage before being forced back by his opponent. Toxxic quickly switches off, moving into a rear waistlock, but Cortez slips out of his grasp and counters with a rear waistlock of his own…and then shoves Toxxic just like he was shoved moments earlier!

 

“Both men trying to get under the other one’s skin, obviously trying to take the other off his game.”

 

Toxxic turns around, burning a hole through Cortez with his angered stare. Cortez waves him on, welcoming the champion to come at him once again. Toxxic, thinking to himself that that is what Cortez is counting on, begins circling his foe rather than going right for him. Once again the champion moves in for a lockup, and Cortez comes forward as well, but Toxxic switches gears quickly, shooting for the legs and hooking Cortez, then lifting him off his feet and slamming him to the mat! Cortez quickly pushes up, but Toxxic wraps him up in a front facelock, holding him in position while the Urban Legend comes up to his feet. Cortez hits a pair of kidney shots that barely phase Toxxic, but have enough of an effect to cause him to weaken his grip, allowing Cortez to slip his head free! Todd then boots Toxxic in the stomach and grabs another headlock, but the champion quickly counters by lifting Todd up and dropping him over his shoulder…right onto his feet! Cortez then stuns Toxxic with a flash rollup, pulling him to the mat for a quick cover!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

An easy kickout follows, and as Toxxic rests on his knees, Cortez makes the “that close” motion to him. Frustrated, Toxxic slaps his hand away and then comes up with guns blazing, peppering Todd with repeated elbow shots that stagger him back into the ropes. Once he’s against the ropes Toxxic pulls him away, then strikes him with a European uppercut, which only serves to stagger him yet again! Toxxic then pulls Cortez away from the ropes and attempts a snap suplex, but Cortez kicks his legs out and shifts his weight back down! The Urban Legend follows the reversal with a suplex attempt of his own, but Toxxic uses the same tactic as Cortez to block…then cradles him in a small package!

 

ONE!

 

TWO…ROLL THROUGH!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

KICKOUT!

 

Both men scurry up to their feet, and Cortez takes a swing at Toxxic, only to have it ducked by the World Champion, who then hooks him by the waist and lifts him up…then launches him into the air and sends him crashing down on his tailbone! Cortez cringes as he feels the impact surge up his back, slowly getting up to his feet…and then getting his head taken off with a discus clothesline!

 

ONE!

 

T-KICKOUT!

 

“Cortez won’t go down that easily, but it seems that Toxxic is ready to move past the feeling out process and get down to the real reason both men are out here. A fight to the finish!”

 

Toxxic leads Cortez to his feet and shoves him back into the turnbuckles, but as he tucks his head and comes running to drill Cortez with a shoulderblock, Todd lifts up his knee, striking Toxx in the side of the head! Toxxic turns away, and Cortez bolts from the corner, grabbing him by the head and looking to bring him down with a bulldog…but Toxxic slips out of Todd’s grip and sends him sailing onto his back for a second time! When Todd starts to come up, Toxxic charges him, but Cortez throws both elbows up to block a lariat attempt, and Toxxic smashes his arm against them! As he flinches, Cortez strikes with an inverted atomic drop, then traps both of Toxxic’s arms and starts to headbutt him repeatedly, dazing him enough to carry him over with a Northern Lights Suplex without resistance!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

KICKOUT!

 

Toxxic pushes his upper body off the canvas and slides out from under the weight of Cortez. As both men get to their feet Toxxic strikes with a knee to the ribcage, kieling Cortez over, then runs the ropes and knocks him silly with a kneelift. Cortez is in a fog, and Toxxic keeps on him, pulling him up into his arms and then dropping him ribs first down on his knee! Toxxic then stands over Cortez, snickering as the Hispanic star wheezes and coughs, then pulls him up, standing face to face with him, and drives another knee into the ribs. Cortez then finds himself sent to the corner, his back crashing against the turnbuckle pads. Toxxic follows up with a charge, driving his knee into Todd's ribs again, this time with the momentum of the charge causing even more pain. Todd doubles over again after having the wind knocked out of him, but Toxxic brings him out of the corner, then takes him over with a gutwrench suplex, putting him on his back. Toxxic then quickly drops an elbow, more of a reassurance that Cortez will remain stunned in that one spot, then runs the ropes and comes off with a double kneedrop to the upper body, driving them into the sternum and ribs! Cortez tucks his knees up and rolls to his side, but Toxxic rolls him back onto his back, then moves towards the ropes, coming off his feet onto the midlde, then the top rope and springboard down onto Todd with a double jump moonsault! Toxxic crashes down onto Cortez, and Hardcastle comes down to make a count...but Toxxic stands up, choosing not to cover Cortez, and instead leading him to his feet.

 

"Not even an attempt at a pin? I sure hope the champ knows what he's doing!"

 

Toxxic pulls the weakened Cortez to a standing position, then takes his right wrist and wrenches the arm, twisting and then tugging on it, pulling on the muscles and tendons. A second wringer follows, and this time he uses it to apply a hammerlock, pinning the arm behind Todd and then lifting him off his feet, then dropping him down with a back suplex, landing on his own right arm!

 

"Any questions now, Pete?"

 

"No, I'm quite all right, King. I can see what Toxxic's plan is."

 

"He exploited one weakness in the ribs, and is now focusing on the arm, a favorite part of his to target. With Cortez so beaten from the prior attack, now he can't defend from Toxxic's normal arsenal!"

 

Todd rolls onto his stomach and keeps his now wounded arm tucked under him, but Toxxic again pulls him off the canvas and wrenches the arm. Todd turns to Toxxic and brings his elbow with him, stunning the champion as he cracks him in the jaw, then whips Toxxic into the ropes, hiptossing him over with the good arm! Toxxic comes up quickly, moving towards Cortez...and gets dropkicked for the effort! Once he's up another dropkick follows, and Toxxic comes up to his feet after that one, finding himself taken into Todd's grasp and having a knee rammed into his ribs for a change, then stunned as Todd strikes away at his chest, blistering his pectoral region with open hand chops that echo so loudly the viewers at home cringe. Toxxic moves towards the corner, trying to get in the ropes which would prevent Cortez from continuing his onslaught, but Todd simply backs him against the ropes and climbs up on the second rope, pounding away on Toxxic's forehead!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

THREE!

 

FOUR!

 

Toxxic then shoves Cortez off of him, but Todd lands on his feet and charges in, monkey flipping Toxxic over! Cortez then kips up, drawing a loud pop from the fans, and rushes the World Champion as he's coming up, leaping onto his shoulders and bringing him over with a huracanrana! Toxxic is staggered, and soon finds himself dumped over the ropes, as Cortez connects with a running lariat that sends the leader of Revolution Zero tumbling over the top to the floor! Toxxic picks himself up off the floor, but then gets sent stumbling into the guardrail, courtesy of a baseball slide to the side of the head! Cortez then rolls back into the ring and bolts for the ropes, gaining momentum before launching himself over the ropes and down onto the champion with a flip plancha!

 

"Air Cortez finds its mark, and this crowd is loving it!"

 

Just as Pete states, the crowd is on their feet and raving about the dive, as Cortez gets up and hovers over Toxxic, grasping the spiked hair of his hated opponent and using it to hold him as he connects with right hands. Cortez then pulls Toxxic up, bringing him over to the apron and slamming his head into it before rolling him back into the ring! Toxxic rolls onto his back, dazed from the assault, and Cortez takes advantage of the situation by leaping back into the ring with his springboard kneedrop! Toxxic's body jolts on impact, and Cortez rolls to his feet, then leaps to the middle rope for the second half of his patented combo...BUT TOXXIC GETS THE KNEES UP...HOWEVER CORTEZ MOONSAULTS OVER HIS BODY AND LANDS ON HIS FEET! Before Toxxic even realizes what just happened, Todd drops a leg across his throat, then comes back up to his feet and hops over Toxxic, then up onto the middle rope again, and NOW connects with the quebrada!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

KICKOUT!

 

Jeering comes up from the crowd, as Toxxic escapes defeat again, throwing up a shoulder to postpone the championship dreams of Todd Cortez. Todd simply stands up, then jumps onto Toxxic, crushing his upper body with a double stomp, then leads him up to his feet. Before Cortez can execute a hold of any kind, Toxxic fires up with a European uppercut, trying to break away from Todd. Cortez reels, then stuns Toxxic with an open hand chop, but Toxxic absorbs the blow, then fires off another European uppercut! A second open hand chop follows, while a third European uppercut follows that! Toxxic then pulls Cortez in close and drives a knee into his stomach once again, bruising those ribs some more, then brings Todd's face down onto the same knee with a facecrusher before hooking his head and hitting a DD...NO! Cortez shoves him away, into the ropes, and Toxxic comes back towards Cortez, right into his waiting arms...and floored with a Sitout Spinebuster!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

NO!

 

"Cortez fights his way out of the Sobering Thought, and succeeds in putting Toxxic down!"

 

"He didn't succeed in keeping him down though! It's going to take more than a few lucky strikes to dethrone Toxxic!"

 

After the kickout Cortez again pulls Toxxic up, but this time the champion simply takes Todd's arm and pulls him to the canvas, trying to hold him in an armbar...but Cortez rolls over to his feet, escaping the attempt. He turns to Toxxic and tries for a ROARING ELBOW, but it's ducked, and Cortez then finds himself on the wrong end of a high angle back suplex, as Toxxic seeks to regain control of this contest! The Straight-Edger then brings Todd up, again focusing on the right arm and twisting it before holding it in a hammerlock, and using his free hand to drive his elbow into the back of Todd’s neck before following up with another back suplex down onto the right arm!

 

“First the ribs, now the arm. Toxxic is a master at finding a body part and working it over until it’s rendered the opponent defenseless. Cortez took a beating on his ribs in the early going, and now the arm work comes into play.”

 

“That right arm is a key to all of Todd’s signature maneuvers. The Riot Act Plus, Urban Assault, or the Street Dreams all need that right arm to have the full effect. I don’t know if he’ll be able to win this contest without catching Toxxic with one of those.”

 

Toxxic poses for the crowd, as Todd rolls onto his knees, clutching his right arm with his left, and groaning in agony. Toxxic then runs the ropes and comes off, driving a boot into the back off Todd’s head and sending him facefirst to the canvas, then hoists him up by the waist and all the way over with a German Suplex!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

SHOULDER UP!

 

Toxxic releases his hold on Todd and gets up, pulling him to his feet and hooking both of his arms as he would for the TOXXIC SHOCK SYNDROME…but Cortez backdrops him over, the only defense he can muster at this time! Todd then collapses to all fours, while Toxxic gets right back up and charges for Todd, jerking him to a standing position by the straps of his wifebeater and then taking him in an inverted facelock and inflicting further punishment on him in the form of the Detoxx! Cortez is laid out on the canvas, and Toxxic sets him up by the corner, exiting the ring and ascending the ropes, as his opponent is motionless. Toxxic leaps from the top turnbuckle, somersaulting through the air…and comes down with both feet driving themselves into Todd Cortez’s ribcage, driving every last bit of breath from his body!

 

“Brutal combination by Toxxic!”

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

THR-NO!

 

Despite the pain it has caused the Urban Legend, it was still not enough to get a three, and the frustration begins to build within the World Champion. He looms over Todd as he pushes himself up, then stands over his body and jerks his head back, striking him across the side of the face with some vicious forearm shots, and soon enough the blood starts to drip from the nose of Todd Cortez!

 

“Sheer brutality shown from Toxxic, and the Urban Legend could have a busted nose as a result!”

 

Toxxic then pulls him back up, apparently trying for another Detoxx on his foe, but Cortez manages to twist around and shove him off, into the ropes…and Toxxic comes back with a soccer kick to take Cortez off his feet! Toxxic then takes the right arm of Cortez and starts to pull him off the canvas, then executes a quick twist of the arm and snaps Cortez back down! Todd rolls away and tries to curl up, trying to deflect the onslaught of his sworn enemy, but Toxxic is too strong and persistent to give any leeway to the challenger. Cortez finds himself led to his feet and taken to the corner, where Toxxic seats himself on the top rope, his feet planted on the middle one, and both of Todd’s arms trapped in a butterfly lock. Thinking on his feet, Todd simply drives his head upward, catching Toxxic low and causing him to release his grip! The champion flinches, while Todd backs away, trying to catch his breath…only to have Toxxic dive from the middle rope and grab his head, spiking it with a DDT from the…NO! Cortez shoves him into the corner, and as Toxxic comes staggering away, the crash vibrating through his spine, Todd comes off the ropes, targeting the side of Toxxic’s body for the HOLLOW POINT…but Toxxic spins around just in time, dodging the human bullet and causing Todd to run to the other side of the ropes. Toxxic prepares for a rebound attack, but Todd clutches the ropes and brings himself to a stop, drawing a charging Toxxic to him…and backdrops him out onto the apron! The champ lands on his feet, and Cortez turns around, just in time to put up his arms to block an elbow shot, then catch Toxxic across the cheek with his own! Cortez then runs up the ropes, showcasing his excellent balance and agility, as he leaps from the top rope down onto Toxxic’s shoulders…AND RANAS HIM FROM THE APRON TO THE FLOOR!

 

“Hot DAMN! That was incredible!”

 

“One for the highlight reel surely, but also one that could cost Cortez just as much as it could cost Toxxic!”

 

King’s observation is right on the money, as Todd looks just as spent as the shocked titleholder that was just taken down to ringside the hard way. Cortez picks himself up by the guardrail, and the first few rows of fans flock towards the railing, shouting and ranting words of encouragement towards Todd. Cortez breathes deeply, flinching slightly and massaging his right shoulder, then tears the wifebeater off his body and looks out to the crowd, a look of stern focus, bordering on anger now emblazoned across his face. Clutching his sweaty shirt in his hand, he moves for Toxxic, who is coming up to his feet, and hurls the wifebeater into his face, using it as a momentary distraction to tackle Toxxic and go off on him with a ground and pound attack!

 

“Listen to these fans! They love it!”

 

“Bloodthirsty savages! If Cortez doesn’t put a stop to those ILLEGAL fists, then they won’t get to see his championship dreams play out!”

 

Hardcastle counts away, beckoning both men to come back into the ring. After slugging his opponent repeatedly, Todd simply pulls him up and throws him back into the ring, climbing up on the apron and pulling on the top rope as he watches Toxxic come up on spaghetti legs and stagger around. Cortez then springboards in, soaring through the air like an eagle with its wings spread, and Toxxic reaches out to catch his foe…but the only thing he catches is a right hand between the eyes!

 

“Springboard PUNCH by Todd Cortez!”

 

Toxxic is down, Hardcastle is stunned, and the fans roar in approval, as Cortez comes to his feet, still favoring that right arm but doing his best to fight through the beating he’s received tonight. Toxxic comes up holding his head, and Cortez sends him to the ropes, leaping up onto his shoulders for a rana…but Toxxic won’t allow himself to be taken over! Cortez backflips to his feet, then runs right into a boot before Toxxic hoists him up, looking to inflict further damage with a powerbomb…but Cortez slips out of that and kicks Toxxic, then pulls him up with a powerbomb attempt of his own…but the World Champion turns it back into his favor with a sunset flip!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

CORTEZ ROLLS THROUGH AND HITS A QUICK SHINING WIZARD!

 

COVER ON TOXXIC!

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

“My God, what is it going to take for either of these men to stay down?”

 

“COR-TEZ!”

 

“COR-TEZ!”

 

The chant comes up just as Todd does from the pin attempt, as the Metrapark Arena has come alive in support of the popular superstar. With Toxxic wounded on the canvas, Cortez makes a move for the turnbuckles, climbing the ropes slowly until he’s perched on the third one. He comes up to a full standing position, his knees quivering as he balances himself before using the top turnbuckle as launchpad, coming down across the throat of the World Champion with his right leg…or not, as Toxxic rolls out of the way of the guillotine legdrop attempt, and Cortez takes the crash landing squarely on the tailbone!

 

“Talk about pain. That kid won’t be walking right for a month!”

 

With his eyes closed and his teeth grinding together, Cortez rises to his feet, the pain moving up his back. He limps forward, his back locked in a tight, upright position. Toxxic comes up and moves forward, again using a shot to the ribs as his first attack, keeping up with his strategy of destroying particular body parts, then pulls Todd into a butterfly lock, lifting him into a horizontal position before spiking his head off the canvas!

 

”Toxxic Shock Syndrome! That move has won many a match for the SWF World Champion!”

 

Pete is right, as one of Toxxic’s most reliable maneuvers has just placed Todd Cortez on his back, his shoulders pinned to the canvas.

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

THREE…NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

“Did he…I mean…HOW did he?”

 

“I don’t know, King, all I know is I’m happy he was able to!”

 

You might think they don’t know how to party in Montana, but the crowd is one of the rowdiest at an SWF show in recent memory, as the hooting and hollering, ranting and chanting continues at a fever pitch now that Todd Cortez has escaped defeat. Growing more agitated with the never say die attitude of Cortez, Toxxic pulls him to his feet and holds him in a front facelock, slamming him across the back with his other arm furiously!

 

“Stop fighting it! STOP FIGHTING IT! Just DIE!”

 

Cortez falls down to all fours, and Toxxic drops down to his hands and knees as well, glaring into the half-open eyes of his opponent, then paintbrushing him across the face! Toxxic then brings him to his feet and floors him with a European uppercut, needing only one shot to knock Cortez on his ass!

 

“This is your savior? THIS is your hero?”

 

The crowd jeers Toxxic’s sarcastic interrogation, but watch on intently as Cortez is led to his feet…AND CORTEZ STUNS HIM WITH A QUICK STO, LEAVING AN ARM DRAPED OVER HIS CHEST!

 

“Hardcastle, COUNT!”

 

“You biased sonuvabitch!”

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

NO! NO!

 

The fans gasp, as they thought Cortez might have taken Toxxic by surprise for long enough to capture the biggest prize in wrestling. Instead, it only fuels Toxxic’s rage, as he shoves the limp body of Cortez off of him, then drops an elbow on the back of his neck. Toxxic then stands up and cracks his neck from side to side, snarling at the crowd before swinging his arms out in his familiar pose, signaling that he’s going to bring this contest to a close.

 

“Toxxic has fared quite well tonight. He’s been able to connect with some vicious moves, moves that have put lesser men away. Now he’s going to try and make Todd Cortez another statistic!”

 

“It’s like the final fight scene in any action movie, only this time, the “villain”, if you’d like to call him that, will be the one riding off into the sunset!”

Toxxic brings Todd to his feet, and just as an added F-U strikes him with ANOTHER knee to the sore and bruised ribs. He then applies a ¾ facelock and kicks off the ropes, perfectly executing each step of the Intoxxication…EXCEPT THAT CORTEZ DROPS HIM ON THE TOP TURNBUCKLE OUT OF SHEER DESPERATION!”

 

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAH!”

 

“I don’t know how he did it, but these fans are glad he did!”

 

Another strong chant for the Urban Legend comes up from the fans as he lay on the mat, and Toxxic straddles the top rope, his mouth wide open due to the combination of shock and pain. Slowly, Cortez crawls to the ropes, gripping the bottom, then the middle, and finally the top rope before stepping out to the apron. Toxxic attempts to push himself up off the turnbuckles, but Cortez simply swats his legs out from under him, dropping him hard onto the top turnbuckle in the one spot no male wishes to be struck in! Todd then climbs the turnbuckles, holding on tightly as his equilibrium is pretty shot by this point. He comes up on the third rope and takes a chunk of Toxxic’s hair, yanking on it to forcibly bring him to a standing postion. Toxxic presses his palms on Todd’s shoulder, ready to push him off the ropes, and both men do a highwire act on the top turnbuckle, neither one ready to budge. Cortez then knocks the hands of the World Champion away and pushes forward, kicking off the ropes while taking Toxxic into the air by his waist…

 

…AND DROPS FROM THE SKY WITH HIS KNEE DRIVEN INTO THE NETHER REGION OF THE WORLD CHAMPION!

 

SUPER INVERTED ATOMIC DROP!

 

“Don’t say it, Pete…Don’t say it…”

 

“CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROTCCCCCCCCCCCCCCH DROPPPPPPPAAAAAAHHHH!”

 

“Do you know how stupid you sound?”

 

Flashbulbs go off. Cameras snap still shots of the two men laid out across the canvas, their full throttle assaults having gotten the best of them tonight.

 

“COR-TEZ!”

 

“COR-TEZ!”

 

Adrenaline surges through the crowd, and they do all they can to transfer it into the body of Cortez, who slowly powers up. As he gets to his feet the crowd pops loudly, and Cortez stumbles around for a moment, regaining his bearings and wiping the sweat from his brow before taking note of the fallen champion that lays before him. Cortez pulls Toxxic up, staring down at the World Champion. The same man who has brought him so much pain and agony for nearly a year now. Cortez takes him by the head and pins it between his knees, then wrapping his arms around Toxxic’s waist and pulling him up to his feet. The crowd erupts in anticipation of what’s coming, as thoughts race through the mind of Todd Cortez.

 

The forced retirement of his confidant and tag team partner. The man who brought him in to the SWF and made history with him.

 

The repeated attacks. Spike Jenkins. Sean Davis. Scott Pretzler. Revolution Zero.

 

Todd’s head begins to hurt from all the thoughts, and he lets out a primal scream, releasing all that pent up frustration as he springs over the back of Toxxic and pulls the World Champion with him before climaxing in the ultimate head drop…

 

…RIOT ACT PLUS TO THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

 

“HE GOT IT!”

 

Toxxic’s head bounces off the canvas, and he lands facedown, only to be rolled over by Todd, who hooks his leg and pulls it as far as it will go, wanting to make sure the champion stays down for those all important three seconds.

 

ONE!

 

TWO!

 

THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!

 

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAA!”

 

The bell rings, but you wouldn’t know it as the ringing is drowned out by the humongous ovation. The fans are leaping to their feet as Todd Cortez, his body still clinging to Toxxic’s, unsure of whether or not he’s gotten the three count yet, is helped to his feet by referee Sexton Hardcastle. Todd shakes his head free of the cobwebs, and it takes a minute for it all to sink in, until Hardcastle raises his hand and hands him the sixteen pounds of gold.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, your winner…and NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION…THE URBAN LEGEND, TODDDD CORRRRRTEZZZZZZZ!”

 

Cortez falls to his knees, clutching the World Title to his chest like a newborn baby. He then looks down at it. Months of hard work. Blood spilt. Battles won and lost.

 

This is his retribution.

 

Cortez pushes up onto his feet, and all he does is raises the belt up with his left hand, letting the strap dangle as he turns to each side of the crowd, showing his newly won crown.

 

“A dream has come true here tonight for Todd Cortez, and the nightmare reign of Toxxic has come to a close!”

 

“Pete, I can’t hear you right now, and I’m not sure I’d even want to!”

 

“Breathe” continues to play, but you couldn’t hear it unless you were listening for it. The crowd is deafening as they chant the name of their new champion. The Urban Legend…the new leader of the SWF, who climbs onto the turnbuckles and looks to the sky, holding his belt up as if to show his beloved brother, watching over him from the heavens.

 

Somewhere, Mike Van Siclen is smiling.

 

Revenge has never felt so good.

 

FADE OUT.