Hughes vs. Strife II

[Ryan Hughes]

After the latest match hyping promo segment, the feed returns to the GHW arena. The camera pans around the sold out bleachers, with many a fan trying their hardest to grab the cameraman’s attention and have the rare honor to lift their “HUGHES SUCKS COCK” and “STRIFE WILL BE SLAYED...AGAIN!” signs towards the screen for the folks back home. As soon as the commentators are ready, the production team in the back switches the feed, so it portrays the two commentators, smiling at the camera.

Fuzz- "Well the cage has been lifted, and the carnage subsides...for now.”

Big Al- "This next match may be a traditional singles, but when you look at the men in the match, there will be blood!”

"That's right. Hughes and Strife have been at eachother's throats for weeks now, and it all comes to a head tonight-"

“When Ryan puts Strife's grizzled ass on the shelf for good!”

The ongoing argument is halted abruptly by the beginning of “Animal Army” by Babylon Zoo which plays through the PA system, signalling the long awaited arrival of the Chief Batmanite. The fans begin to boo the Mancunian, who simply shrugs the gestures off as he enters the arena. Ryan pushes the last of the curtain cloth which clings to his shoulders, and stares straight ahead, wanting to get the fighting over and done with for another night. He isn't alone because two more men step in to the light behind him- Chip Diddy and El Nacho Grande. With his men by his side, Hughes slowly walks to the ring decked out in sky blue pants and his “Vintage Batmanite” t-shirt, ignoring all signs of life and looking straight ahead. Stopping a quarter of the way down the ramp, Chip 'n' Nacho move to the side and Ryan slowly adjusts both his hands in to the shape of guns, before spinning around, “blasting” the stage and causing sky blue fireworks to burst out in to the air at every “gunshot”, in a ironic homage to his hometown of Manchester.

Tyrannosaurus marching towards us
Lions a mass coming out of the grass
Ride on the back of an elephant's shoulders
Tell all your friends you're an angel

In the ring, Charlie Coors adjusts himself, before clearing his throat and wiping the sweat from his brow. He wants to get this over with soon so he isn't in the ring with those three men approaching. Gulping slightly, Coors does his duties.

Charlie Coors- "The following contest is set for one fall. Introducing first, accompanied by Chip Diddy and El Nacho Grande, from Manchester, England, standing at 6'5 and weighing in at 241lbs, he is the 2010 NeXuS winner.... Ryan Hughes!"

“Just like Strife predicted, Hughes isn't alone.”

“Why does he need to be, Colin? Chip and Nacho are just there to watch his back, in case Strife pulls any bullshit.”

"And are you sure they aren't there to kick Strife like a football whenever the referee isn't looking?”

"No, they are here to make sure this is a fair fight, and to witness the changing of the guard!"

Leopards dancing, leopards dancing in my paradise
Tigers dancing, tigers dancing in my paradise
Chrome and candy, chrome and candy in my paradise
Animal armies, animal armies in my...

He continues his slow walk to the ring with his band of merry men, going over his pre-planned match strategy over and over again in his head. He doesn't bat the hands of fans away like usual, he simply fails to acknowledge them as they slap his arms and torso. Simply staring forward, he makes his way up the steel steps; the sound of clunking metal rings around the surrounding area as he ascends to the squared circle, leaving Chip and Nacho to look menacing on the outside of the ring. He climbs the turnbuckle, looking up to the heavens. Stepping down from the turnbuckle, he walks over to the referee, listening to the referee berate him for bringing the Corps out to the ring. After the the man in the zebra stripes finishes, Hughes rolls his eyes, before hopping on the spot, readying himself for the long awaited rematch with the GodKing, Vladimir Strife.




TBCB Vladimir

[Ryan Hughes]

The crowd begin to build in noise and anticipation as they await Vladimir's arrival at Code Blue. Ryan decides to perch himself on the far turnbuckle, resting his head on his clasped hands, breathing heavily. The ex-GHW New Age Champion averts his gaze over to Charlie Coors, who is set to begin the next round of introductions.

“And the opponent...”

The fans begin to scream in advance of their hero's theme music. The noise is almost deafening already, and Hughes looks around the arena, witnessing the immense support his opponent has got. Chip Diddy and El Nacho Grande stand at ringside, cracking their knuckles, and muttering to eachother. The crowd volume peaks, and begins to quieten slightly, with quite a lot of the GHW Faithful murmuring in confusion as to the lack of Mary Magdalan. Hughes gives a quizzical look to Coors, who just replies with an awkward shrug. Composing himself, Charlie tries again.

“And the opponent.....”

And there is still no answer from the stage. Still no music. Still no Vladimir Strife. Hughes drops from his vantage point on the turnbuckle, and approaches the nervous ring announcer, demanding to know what the deal is. Before Coors can answer, Hughes gestures to the timekeeper to bring him a microphone. Within seconds, Ryan is in possession of a mic, and he addresses the missing Vladimir.

“Vlad, you must be weaker than I thought. The Corps tought you a lesson last TUESDAY! That's FIVE WHOLE DAYS to get stitched up and get over yourself. If you are injured, then I have proven my point. Your career is based on fluke after fluke, and when I gave you a reality check on Triumph, you couldn't take it.

But I don't think you are injured, Vladimir.

I may be from Manchester but I am not stupid. This is just your feeble attempt at mind games, isn't it? Well let me tell you something: it doesn't work on me. Like I said last Tuesday, you can never, and will never, outsmart me. Your brain has been rattled by that many chairshots in the past, I doubt you could even beat a chicken at chess. So stop wasting our time, and get out here so we can get this over with. You have ten seconds.”

The crowd begin to boo the Batman and his arrogance towards his late opponent. Hughes doesn't listen to them, and simply counts down.

“10!

9!

8!

7!

6!”

The fans continue to boo, but now Hughes sticks an open palm in to the air, dropping a finger every second.

“5!

4!

3!

2!”

TBC

[Vladimir T. Strife]

As the crowd eagerly waits on the edge of their seats for the Hardcore King to arrive, their hopes high, Ryan's count dwindles down.

"1!"

The arena goes silent, the commentary filling the gap for those at home.

Al: "Well, it looks like the King just isn't so brave after all."
Collin: "I don't think we should be so hasty. I mean, Vlad could be on his way, he could be pulling into the parking lot, he might even be in the hospital following Tuesday night. Why jump to the conclusion that he's willingly backing out?"
Al: "Because it's as plain as day, Fuzz! Ryan tells Vlad he's made a career out of being lucky and that his luck is out. That night, he loses to Desperado. Now, after all of his hype and harsh words, he's nowhere to be seen. It's obvious that Vlad knows the Mancunian Mauler is right and is afraid."

Ryan's patience had run out with his count and his brain stews on the moment. Vladimir was nowhere to be seen, effectively robbing him of his shining moment when he would put down the Romanian Scourge and show the world that he was in the league of legends; that even the almighty GodKing couldn't stop him.

"Alright, that's it! Strife, I knew you were a man on the ropes. I knew you'd be shaken and dismantled after Desperado showed you just how right I was... but I never took you for a coward. I expected at least enough of you to come out here and face me and take your beating like a man! And since you won't, you leave me no other option. If you're not going to come out here willingly, then I am going to drag you out!"

The Batmanite drops the microphone and heads to the edge of the ring. As he slips a leg over the middle rope and plants his foot on the ring's apron, he is halted by the opening tones of Mary Magdalan's "I". The near-deafening scream blares out through the PA and the Titan emerges through the entryway, his face twisted in an expression of rage. As Ryan retracts his leg, Vladimir comes storming down the entrance ramp. The Czar of Scars rushes in, sliding himself under the bottom rope and not wasting anytime with the steps. As he does, Hughes exits the ring, joining Chip and Nacho at the side of the ring to ready himself instead of being hurried into a fight by the Romanian Scourge. He looks into the ring at his foe and points taps his temple, nonverbally touting his superior intellect.

Collin: "Well, that kind of looked more like Ryan was a coward..."
Al: "Nonsense, Fuzz! Vlad wanted to catch Ryan off guard and try to take an advantage. Ryan was simply depriving him of that advantage. It's not about courage, it's about smarts."

As the referee makes Vladimir back off, Hughes makes his way up the steel steps and enters the ring once more, waiting patiently in his corner while the referee makes sure Vlad is going to play by the rules and signals for the bell to ring. With both men ready to throw everything they've got at the other, they move in to meet one another and the contest is officially underway.

TBCB Ryan

[Ryan Hughes]

Vladimir locks eyes with the man who has been a constant thorn in the side of the Behemoth, looking for any signs of fear. As expected, Hughes returns the steely glare, his game face well and truly on. Slowly, Vlad begins to lift his arms, getting ready for the first grapple of the bout. The Romanian lurches forward towards his prey, but the ring-smart Mancunian weaves underneath the outstretched arms of Strife. Turning on his heel, the former champion opens his palm and lands a disrespectful slap on Vladimir's left cheek. Strife lets the red mist enter his system, and he lets out a grunt of rage before charging at his foe. Hughes keeps his wits about him and intertwines himself between the second and third ropes, shouting “Back him up!”. Vlad pulls at his locks in frustration as the referee ushers him away from the Batman. Ryan simply tips the GodKing a wink, before pointing his index finger to his temple.

“No respect from Hughes, but then- when has he ever shown respect?”

“If you show a man like Strife too much respect, he will wipe the floor with ya. This is Mind Games 101, and we've only had thirty seconds!”

“You call it mind games, I call it a total lack of class and sportsmanship.”

As El Nacho Grande and Chip Diddy clap and holler at Hughes' actions, the referee lets the fight restart. Finally, the two men lock up. Vlad manages to salvage an advantage, pushing Ryan into the turnbuckle, before the ref begins to count to five. At four, Strife lets go, but Hughes replies with yet another slap to the chop, further enraging the Romanian Scourge. The GHW Hall of Famer attempts to charge in to Ryan, but the Mancunian Mastodon slips out of his corner, trapping Vlad before letting fly with numerous stiff left fists to the head. Ryan backs away slightly to appease the agitated referee, but immediately returns to his onslaught, pounding Vlad until he slumps in to a sitting position. The attack doesn't halt there; Hughes thrusts his size 12 boot in to the throat of the Behemoth, cutting Vlad off from any air. The referee counts to five, almost calling for the bell before Ryan relinquishes the choke hold.

Ryan turns his back on Vladimir, seeking adulation from his comrades at ringside. He gets what he is looking for, as Chip 'n' Nacho begin to clap, before bowing with their arms outstretched, as though adoring a prophet. With this new found swagger, Hughes struts over to the furthest corner from the Romanian. After taking a moment to compose himself, Ryan runs at the seated Vlad, before jumping with his legs outstretched...

*THUD*

Strife managed to evade just in time, rolling out of harm's way to see Hughes careering in to the ring post, shins first. The NeXuS Champion clutches his legs as the pain shoots through his body, while Vladimir looks to seize this window of opportunity he has been blessed with. The man from Sighisoara rolls under the bottom rope, before grabbing Ryan's legs. The former King of the Deathmatch Champion grunts as he drags Hughes' writhing mass to the ring post he collided with, before splitting the legs apart, either side of the post. Focusing on the right leg, he yanks it, before smashing it against the ring post several times, much to the Englishman's utter anguish. Pulling the leg back once more, Vlad slams it against the post, as if to put an exclamation mark on the assault. Out of the corner of his eye however, he sees Chip Diddy sneaking towards him, taking advantage of the referee checking Hughes for injury. Vlad waits for Chip to come close, before uncoiling, and slamming his forearm in to his face, dropping The Corps' #1 Black Guy to the barely padded mat. The crowd roars their approval of his action, but the fracas is enough to allow El Nacho Grande to club Strife from behind and tackle him to the ground. The nearby fans plead with the referee to look at what's happening, but Ryan is selling the injury way to much for the ref to care. The ambush continues as Nacho and Chip each get their shots in, stomping on every part of Vlad which moves. After enough damage has been done in their eyes, Vladimir is unceremoniously hoisted back in to the ring by the two henchmen.

“Damn them to hell. Why can't Hughes fight one on one?”

“Seizing the opportunity, Colin. That's what they are doing. And besides, it's not as though Hughes asked them to do anything, is it?”

Vlad coughs as his body aches from the Corps' beatdown. His brief view of the lights in the rafters is blocked however, when Hughes covers him for a pinfall attempt, which only gets a two count when Vlad shoots his shoulder off the canvas. Ryan rolls off his opponent, putting his hands to his head, and shooting dagger-like glances at the referee. Pausing for a moment to think, Hughes decides on his 'Plan B', so to speak. Taking up a kneeling position behind Vlad, Hughes wraps his muscled arms around the neck and head of the Behemoth, cutting off the circulation, and locking Strife in a hold he cannot afford to be in for too long. Ryan swerves this way and that, trying to expel all the air from his foe's body. Vladimir tries his hardest to fight his captor, but his weakened punches are more like gentle slaps to the forehead for Hughes, spurring the executor on to finish him. Strife begins to look lifeless, with his face turning a subtle shade of maroon, and his eyes rolling in to his skull. The man in the zebra stripes has no option but to start his count. Lifting Vlad's limp arm, he drops it before shouting “ONE!”. The referee does this a second time to the same result, this time shouting “TWO!”. The crowd shift to the edge of their seats, crossing their fingers and hoping that their hero can find some way out. For a final time, the referee lifts up the arm of the once unbeaten warrior...

“Vlad still has life in him yet!”

“He's prolonging the inevitable! He should have quit while he had his health!”

Hughes' face contorts with the amount of effort he puts in the the slowly failing sleeperhold, because Vlad is using every drop of his second wind to escape his prison. Making as much trouble as possible, Strife manages to slowly get in to a kneeling position, which soon transitions in to a standing position, much to the dismay of the leader of The Corps. Hughes tries his best to hang on, but the leg that Vlad pummelled against the ring post earlier begins to twinge, meaning that Ryan can't put his all in to the hold. Vlad cocks his elbow back, ramming it in to the gut of the champion, before doing it a second time to break the hold. Ryan falls back against the ropes, clutching his ribs. He has no downtime though as Vlad whips him to the opposite set of ropes, causing Hughes to ping back towards the Behemoth. Vlad closes the distance a lot quicker by running towards the ex-champion, before leaping in to the air with arm outstretched. He arm catches Ryan in the face, and he drops to the mat, breathing heavily. Vladimir hits the canvas too, losing what is left of his adrenaline rush. The lack of movement from either man causes the referee to begin his count to ten, as the fans in the GHW Arena will Strife to get up, like he always does.


TBC Vladimir.

[Vladimir T. Strife]

With the screams and cheers drowning out his thoughts, the GodKing slowly begins to stir. Looking around, still a bit dazed and waiting for his sight and the bloodflow to his brain to straighten out, Vladimir is nonetheless able to make out the supine form of Ryan Hughes and begins crawling towards it. Once he's reached the goal, the Romanian Scourge lets his strength go, collapsing atop the Mancunian Mauler and prompting the official to begin a new count. Just shy of the first digit, the NeXuS champion sparks back to life and powers out, rolling Strife away from him with force.

"See what I'm talking about, Fuzz? Vlad pulled what he could out in desperation and couldn't even get a one!"
"I honestly doubt that that was the bottom of the Impaler's barrel, Al. While I'll admit that this match favors Ryan a little, with it being Vlad's first non-hardcore match in what is most likely more than a year, I'd also warn not to sell him short in any situation."
"Are you shitting me? I wouldn't sell him anywhere, anyway. It's illegal to market items past their expiration."

The men begin the return to their feet, with Strife beating his opponent to the chase. Waiting for Ryan to straighten himself out and turn around, the GodKing waits eagerly and balls his fist as tight as he can, cocking it back and stalking the Boastful Brit. Before Vladimir can execute his reknowned 'Lights Out', the referee runs out in from of him, yelling at the Impaler in a reminder that strikes with a closed fist are prohibited. During the refresher, the chance to attack passes by regardless, Hughes turning around and smiling at the sight. As the referee steps aside to let the match continue, the ever-witty head of the Corps launches an assualt of his own, kicking hard and landing his shot between the legs of the Behemoth, just outside of the official's view.

"How low! Ryan, yet again, finds a way to disregard the rules and get away with it."
"That's just smarts, Fuzz. After all, it's not cheating unless you get caught!"

Inside the ring, Vlad collapses to his knees, clutching himself in pain. The referee notices and warns Ryan, scolding him for the illegal tactic. Hughes, ever prepared, argues that hit him in the stomach and not the groin. The official backs off and the NeXuS winner goes back to work, breaking into a flurry of punches to the head of the GodKing, pummeling him until he slinks down to the canvas flatly. Not willing to allow the Behemoth the reprieve of even laying down, the Mancunian grabs a handful of hair and begins pulling him to his feet, leading the referee to again yell at him for his abuse of the rules. Ryan outright ignores him, failing to release his hold on the King's follicles until he has him to his feet. The Impaler falls back into the ropes, unable to support himself in the moment and an idea comes to his foe's mind. The EVO Pro leaps up and drives the soles of his boots into the pectorals of the Romanian, causing him to flip over the top rope and spill out on the mats outside.

"What a dropkick!"
"I'm surprised too. Ryan actually did something that was legal.."

Hughes moves quickly to follow up, heading towards the ropes before he is stopped by the referee. He backs up easily, but continues to argue with the official, distracting him while Chip Daddy and El Nacho Grande sneakily make their way to the Czar of Scars side. They begin to pick away at him with kicks, stomps, slaps and punches and the fans cry out in dismay, trying to alert the referee. The zebra clad man hears them and almost turns to see what's causing their uproar, but Hughes begins screaming at the official bringing his focus back to the Mancunian and away from the brawl on the outside. The strategist manages to keep him oblivious until a gunshot like bang comes from behind as the Corps send Strife headfirst into the steel steps. When the official looks to investigate, he finds the steps knocked out of place and the Titan sprawled out next to them, but Chip and Grande have made their way to the other side of the ring in a hurry and give him an innocent look when he peers their direction.

Hughes slips out of the ring in the moment and makes his way over to Vladimir, helping him to his feet once more and then rolling him into the squared circle. Following in, he is quick to cover Strife in a pinfall attempt. The ref slips into place and begins his count with a slap on the canvas. Another follows it and Ryan presses down hard to best prevent a kickout. A second later and the shoulders of the GodKing are still pressed down to the mat, leaving the Mancunian wondering why there hasn't been a third slap. His question is soon answered as the official informs him that Vladimir's foot is on the rope. Ryan unhands the Titan and pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. With no warning, he begins to vehemently scream at his opponent. "STAY DOWN! STAY DOWN! STAY DOWN, YOU GOD DAMNED HAS BEEN!!" Strife says nothing in response and simply raises his hand up, middle finger extended in a message that didn't need to be spoken.

Ryan's anger peaks and he suddenly snaps, raising up to his feet as the King rolls over and begins to get up. He stomps down forcefully in the middle of Vlad's back, stopping his ascent and stats kicking him in the ribs. He drops down onto Strife, driving his elbow into his spine and taking the wind out of his sails. He grabs the nearby arm of the Romanian Scourge and tucks it between his thighs before setting his hands into front of his face and latching his fingers together. As he pulls back, he raises the King's head and strains his neck, the fans on edge in a painful reminder of the historic happenings from 5 days prior.

"OH MY GOD!!! THE LOCK OF DESPERATION!!! YES! YES!"
"I can't believe it! Ryan has locked Vlad into the very move that took him out of the Hardcore Games and dealt him his first loss in GHW!!"
"What did I tell you, Fuzz? Ryan Hughes is just flat out smarter than Vladimir and he's going to show him tonight that his era is over! We're about 3 taps away from the changing of the guard!"
"I hate to think about it, but you may be right."

Vladimir desperately struggles against the hold, swinging wildly with his free arm in an attempt to hit his attacker. He's simply too far away though and instead resorts to clawing at the canvas, fighting his way towards the closest set of ropes. Drawing their heap ever closer to the sanctuary of the ropes, Strife is relentlessly tormented by Ryan's taunts in his ear.

"TAP OR SNAP, STRIFEY!!! TAP OR SNAP!!! I'LL FUCKING BREAK YOUR NECK IF I HAVE TO!"

Now only inches out of the ropes reach, the Mancunian unswivels his legs and releases the hold on Vladimir's arm. He presses his heels firmly against the canvas and begins pushing back, his size advantage allowing him to suppress the King's progress and move him back further and further until they're centered in the middle of the ring. Once there, Hughes hooks the back of his foot onto the inside of the Titan's elbow and draws it back between his thighs, locking it into place again and killing the idea of reaching the ropes. He cranks up the pressure, sending sharp waves of agony throughout the Czar's body and jarring his neck. Trapped with nowhere to go and no way out of the submission that had previously bested him, Strife reluctantly raises his hand up and flattens it, it wavering and shaking as he battles himself mentally to hold out.

"This is it!! Strife's going to tap!!"

As Vlad's hand continues to hover, a man begins to rush through the nearby crowd, making his way to the barricade. The stranger, clad in a black suit and a top hat, pushes through until he reaches the guardrail and screams out to the Titan.

"ROLL OVER, M'BOY!! REMOVE THE PIVOT!"

Security grabs the stranger fan with the English accent and begin escorting him back to his seat. His advice reaches the ears of the GodKing though and he plants his foot away from Ryan onto the mat and uses it to push off and roll the two of them over. With his body above Hughes instead of pushed against the mat, the grasp and pull on his face puts less strain onto his neck. As an added bonus, the Mancunian is left under him with his shoulders on the mat. The referee drops into place and begins counting. At two, the Corps Captain releases the Lock of Desperation and pushes Vladimir away. The King rolls out of the ring and leans against the apron, rubbing his neck and looking around for the source of the advice he'd received.

"He got out!! Yes, long live the King!!"
"While I hate that we didn't get to see the Lock of Desperation put Vlad away again, it did it's job, Fuzz. Strife is worn down and there's just no way he's going to make a miraculous comeback. Including the minute he was locked into that hold, Vladimir hasn't so much as hit Ryan Hughes in over 5 minutes! He's just outmatched, plain and simple."

Ryan goes to move to the outside, intentionally doing so with the referee between himself and Vlad to again prompt him to stop the Mancunian. He gets drawn into it again, stopping Hughes and leaving himself blind to see Nacho Grande and Chip Daddy heading for the Titan once more. The GodKing is, however, ready this time and turns towards Chip Daddy, cocking his fist back before launching it into the mouth of the right hand man and dropping him in place. Strife feels a grasp onto his bicep and turns around, ducking down and letting a punch from Nacho fly over his head. He presses his shoulder into Grande's gut and lifts him off of his feet, rushing with him and slamming him against the turnpost. As he lets go him and watches him fall down, he looks in to lock eyes with their surprised leader.

As Vlad rolls back into the ring, Hughes pushes the referee aside and moves in to stomp away at him, looking to stop his momentum before it starts. Strife turns over onto his back and expertly stomps onto the already weakened knee of the Mancunian, causing him to back off and give the Titan time to get back to his feet. Once up, the King finds himself already under attack again with the Corps Captain sprinting towards him. He swiftly kicks into the air, twisting on his grounded foot and driving the steel toed end of his boot across the left temple of his assailant. The move levels the NeXuS victor, leaving him in prime position for the pin.

"Holy shit! Did Vlad just use the Chick Kick!?"
"Yes... yes, he did.."
"Well, name aside, he just laid the Mancunian out cold!"

Vladimir contemplates going for the pin, but quickly decides against it. He'd have other opportunities for it and he had yet to really send the message he wanted to. With a step in towards the prone Hughes, he leaps into the air and straightens out his legs. He slams down across the length of his opponents body, his heel dropping onto the mouth of the British strategist. The effect of the Son Of A Bitch legdrop is immediate, Ryan making his way out of the ring and holding his lower face. The Corps, recently recovered from their last encounter with the King, move in to check on him. Chip Daddy in particular seems concerned and his words get the Mancunian to move his hand away from his mouth, almost everything under it now painted with his blood.

"Well, I must say that I really think red is Ryan's color!"
"Oh, shut up, Fuzz! Ryan may have a split lip or have lost a tooth! I don't see how they can let Vlad use a move like that!"
"At least it's legal in the rulebook! If it wasn't, it would probably be Hughes using it.."

As the Corps stand at ringside, ignoring the referee's count, which is at a mere 2, Vladimir backs against the ropes furthest from them. He takes off in a sprint towards the trio, throwing his body recklessly through the top and middle ropes and slamming against the men, causing them to collapse in a heap. Strife, having the others as a landing pad, comes out the best in the situation and quickly rises back up, pulling the Mancunian out from the wreckage and rolling him back into the ring. Taking his time up the steps, the Hardcore King makes his way back into the ring slowly, a choir of cheers coming from the crowd as he towers over the downed loudmouth.

TBCB Ryan Hughes

(Also, the man in the top hat is a bit of setup for something upcoming, just so it doesn't seem like something completely pointless and random.))