Post by Jubei on Jan 26, 2021 21:11:36 GMT -5
- 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 - 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 - 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 -
Overlays of sinister orchestral notes, screeching like nails on a chalkboard, as the scene goes from the black screen to a blood red wipe.
Wipe to the ending scene from last week's Metal: Damon Warrens unconscious and clutching onto Jaime. Brother Zeke glowering infinitely.
St. Remi: Vicious. Calculated. Brother Zeke just sent a message to the only untouchable men in APW. He is here, and he is not going to back down.
Clearwater: In the wake of tonight’s destruction, are we seeing the rise of Zeke?
St. Remi: Time will tell, bro, but whatever he has to play in the history of this company—it won’t be pretty!
There's a final close up of Zeke sadistic brow... then blackness.
St. Remi: Vicious. Calculated. Brother Zeke just sent a message to the only untouchable men in APW. He is here, and he is not going to back down.
Clearwater: In the wake of tonight’s destruction, are we seeing the rise of Zeke?
St. Remi: Time will tell, bro, but whatever he has to play in the history of this company—it won’t be pretty!
There's a final close up of Zeke sadistic brow... then blackness.
Fireworks stream across a largely Japanese audience in smaller numbers due to current restrictions.
The camera then pans towards the stage amidst a colorful light show to show the entranceway: 2021 in Giant numerals with a gap underneath for entrances. Spotlights search the arena as they hand off the side of that solid structure of diamond print stainless steel.
Several large booms bring the audience to their feet. Flames shoot in all directions in sudden bursts of smoking heat.
They greet both announcers warmly, but not with the same love and respect of color commentator Jonah St. Remington. Each makes their entrance and takes a spot at the table, looking puped for the big show tonight. Cameras zoom in on their excitement and impatient posture waiting for this gigantic show.
Clearwater: Welcome to Japan! Welcome, APW, to Sapporo!
St. Remi: We are on the edge of a big day for APW, bro, and it’s all uphill from here!
Clearwater: After the carnage last week, it’s hard to imagine there’s a ring that can hold this show down!
St. Remi: Damon Warrens defends. America Jackson defends. Leah Lincoln – need I say more?
Clearwater: You don’t, partner. 2021 Ways to die kicks off now!
Richie Diderot's
All Access Pass
A large man topping the scales over 500 pounds comes into view holding a microphone. He has a shiny green suit and a 2021 Ways to Die T-shirt underneath it.
Richie: Let me introduce myself... I am Richie Diderot, and I'm going be your VIP access tonight. We are here backstage at Sapporo, and let's take a look behind the curtain.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The scene changes to Masuda Jubei sitting at an angle in his backstage gear with his now signature black hat and Masuda Corp.
Jubei: The fans are buzzing, asking why I moved this company Japan. Maybe I had the foresight to see what was happening in America... but that's besides the goal. I wanted to show this company what it truly means to be a wrestling promotion. My homeland is going to be a big change for everyone. Although I know we're up to the challenge.
There's an overlaying montage of people working backstage on various tasks to get the show ready in the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Complex. Jubei's voice talks dubs over it.
Jubei: Alphas always rise to the challenge. What doesn't change is the heart of the fighter. There are no weaklings on my roster. I've made sure of that... and soon, our Alpha-faithful will see the benefits of what we've done here. They will learn the art of Japan, and then, they will learn what makes this the superior land of wrestling.
There's another montage, but this one features cultural aspects of Japan most viewers would most likely associate with it.
Jubei: As you watch tonight, stay tuned for what is going to be the next era of Alpha Pro-Wrestling. Changes are coming... and soon, it will improve this company for the better.
Cut back to Richie with big, cheesy grin.
Richie: Stern stuff from the man on top. I for one have taken time to explore the sights and sounds of Sapporo, and you can view more of those on APW.com. Or, check me out on Twitter where I'll be uploading all of my adventures. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram around the clock. This has been Richie Diderot with your All Access Pass.
Harvey Scene
The scene opens with a close up of the lock on a massive antique trunk. Two men struggle to carry it, cursing with the effort of every step. There is the buzz of many conversations tripping over each other and a vacuum cleaner nearby as the camera begins to back away revealing more of the trunk. Noise comes from all around. A woman's voice cuts through it.
Leonora: Be careful with that! Put it in the third truck with the others....Big Ticket Entertainment, please hold.
The trunk moves out of the shot as we go wider. She is in her early 30s with red hair in a pixie cut. She is attractive and dressed in a white pantsuit. She is seated in a power wheelchair, gesturing emphatically to people in the over-the-top hotel suite where the action unfolds. Her heavy makeup looks out of place here. She's done it for the stage. A man takes an abstract painting of a crystal ball down from the wall behind with white gloves. Leo nods and waves him out the door. She is juggling a few calls on bluetooth.
Leo: Yes? Tonight is our last show…he has a new direction in mind. I have no further comment….you're sweet. I still have no comment. Leonora here…WHAT?! Yeah, I can think of a few places you can stick that number!
At that moment there is a loud, rumbling laugh. Leo moves over to a huge walk-in closet. Camera switches just over her shoulder where we see a huge man with his back turned. He’s dressed in black slacks and a bright purple shirt. His shoulders move as he laughs, adjusting his collar and a bowtie.
The camera will avoid his face throughout.
Man: Go easy on em, Leo. They’re just upset about us leaving. It's why I hired this film crew. A parting gift for the farewell audience.
Leo: You don’t pay me for easy. Press wants photos on stage in ten minutes, Curtain goes up in thirty. That was our insurance guy on the phone. They want a lot more to cover you in this…new act.
Harvey: They didn’t care when I threw myself over a waterfall last year. When I locked myself in a freezer for a week? No problem. Let Danny Trejo bury me alive at his birthday party? Sure, anything for charity! Now they lose it when I decide to get my hands a little dirty?
LEO: Those were illusions sir. What we're talking about now is…
HARVEY: Real? Of course it is!
LEO: Of course. Is this some kind of crisis? Most people buy a car or a dog. They don't sign up for chair shots to the face....
HARVEY: I'll be GIVING the chair shots, thankyou. You know It's not up to me, and I've been planning this for a while.
LEO: I know...Frank and I have been cataloguing your wardrobe for transit for weeks.
HARVEY: It is the hottest show on the planet. And I'm, well, me! It fits! I’d be in Hokkaido right now if I could. Though my card tricks didn't go over well at the maid café last time I was there.
LEO: …What were you doing in a maid café?!
HARVEY: …Appriciating culture! * stammering *Magic Marx is a citizen of the world!.... We can edit that bit out, right?
Leo smiles and mouths “no way” A shout from the main room gives Harvey a chance to recover.
Man: Do you want us to pack these, sir? The camera turns to a bewildered teen holding two chainsaws, one for each hand.
HARVEY: Why not, Frank? You never know what you're going to need them for.
Leo looks down at a panel on her chair.
LEO: Almost 7:00. The press is waiting, sir.
Harvey selects a jacket, putting it on in stride as he turns to walk out the door. Leo follows him into an elevator Frank runs to catch Harvey before the doors close
Frank the Apprentice: Wait, sir! What should I do with…this didgeridoo?
HARVEY: Ship it off!, I know EXACTLY when I'll need it.!
Harvey and Leo share a conspiring glance. Frank throws his hands up and walks away. Cut to a camera inside elevator. Leo speaks after a long silence
LEO: So I guess get to be a different kind of assistant soon. Not sure what to expect.
HARVEY: We're in the business of the unexpected, and I’ve got big plans for APW. Showtime?
LEO: Always…
Harvey opens the elevator doors, throwing his arms out wide just in time to meet an explosion of flashbulbs, musak, and nervous chatter. The camera stays in the elevator. A fade out begins as the doors close and we see a final glimpse of Harvey and Leo effortlessly playing to the captivated press.
We return ringside as “Der Konig der Dunkleheit” plays out Masuda Jubei, GM of Metal, and some of his suits. He makes no show of the entrance before entering the ring and getting a mic. His purposeful steps and demeanor begin to ring true.
Jubei: Sapporo… how good to be home to Hokkaido. Where many begin their careers before reaching the mainland. But let me be frank, this is far from the product I signed on to manage. Why else would this be so somber an event? 2020 Ways to Die debuted talent that has since come to dominate the entire company. That’s a good mark. Now we stand in shambles. Many refused to cross the great divide, while others could not obtain a passport or worker’s permit. I accept that as a consequence of abrupt changes. Abrupt changes like seeing the principal owner run off to a tax haven, leaving me to make sure the water doesn’t overflow. I’m not a superintendent—and I resent the role of manager.
Fans cheer at his pain until the Master cracks a smirk.
Jubei: And you know there was no reality where I could be “just” a manager. No restraints to keep me from crushing APW the same way I did two summers ago. When this fledgling organization needed a leader, I answered that call to glory. Now I do so again in that drank my blood the same as everyone here tonight. I made many enemies. Friended even less. They could not stop me from reaching the top of Alpha Pro-Wreslting. Now, in this moment, I stare at you all once more from the absolute pinnacle.
That gets heavy booing from the crowd.
Jubei: Deride me! Derogate everything I sacrificed to keep this brothel of a promotion alive. Where else to help it rediscover its lost roots than in the heart of wrestling. We shrank to meet demand. We condensed our times to fit a larger niche. Ratings, however, demand everyone bow at the knee without seeing the men and women forced to show respect. Let them forget our greatness because no one in a polyester suit can change where I’m taking APW. No one can say otherwise. And no one can stop me.
He casually walks out of the ring before signaling for the ring bell to sound.
John Blade Vs. "Sexy Bond" Gold Finger
John Blade’s music begins to play as he walks out on stage.
Jessica Kaine: This match is scheduled for one fall! …on his way to the ring from Boston, Mass… weighing 251 pounds… “Big Match” John Blade!
He talks to the cameraman and bounces a little. He holds up his “Never Give Up” logo flag and tosses it to the fans. He salutes and runs straight down towards the ring. He bounces off the ropes side to side and he holds up his “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” shirt. Blue and gold streamers rain over his appeal to the fans. John takes off his hat, tosses his shirt to the fans, and hands his Chain to the ref to begin to fight.
St. Remi: Here go, bro!
Clearwater: 2021 Ways to Die starts begins in the ring with John Blade facing the man he’s come to hate.
St. Remi: What the hell!
Clearwater: Hey! He took my Pepsi Max!
Gold Finger—mere moments after hopping the barricade and daring theft of announcer Mike Clearwater’s cola—dives under the ropes and gator rolls back onto all fours. John Blade feeds off the crowd with the GM of Metal watching from the entranceway. Jubei disappears the very second the bell tolls for the start of their match.
Clearwater: John roars out of the gates and hits his second suplex on consecutive tries.
St. Remi: Look at his opponent! Gold Finger is no more a paperweight to those manly shoudlers.
Clearwater: He wants the powerbomb already!
St. Remi: What are you made of, Gold Finger—sunset flip!
1!
2!
John Blade throws “the Sexy Bond” off him like a chin-up bar. Gold Finger lands headfirst, becoming a human lawn dart in the process. John recovers and whips the smaller fighter into the far rope where leapfrogs Gold Finger. Gold Finger pass through his legs on the rebound before locking in a crucifix attempt… except that John Blade simply flexes and turns that into a sidewalk slam.
1!
2—
Clearwater: Barely two! This little man has more heart that someone thrice his size.
St. Remi: But you can never count of the size of the fight in a dog, bro. Everyone knows that.
John Blade takes the pain to Gold Finger with an elevated surfboard stretch that he powers down into an STF. Gold Finger reaches through his tightening grip and slips out of the ring.
Clearwater: Blade standing tall.
St. Remi: Really?
Clearwater: You know what I mean—he’s atop the mountain.
St. Remi: And there goes that little hound dog!
John Blade isn’t fooled when Gold Finger rolls into the ring behind him. An attempt at the knees fails, when the stronger of them goes for another powerbomb.
Clearwater: Hurricanrana!
St. Remi: Gold Finger got ‘em!
Clearwater: And now he’s showboating… act like you’ve been there!
He makes a victory lap to a mixed albeit growing reaction. Only to get nailed by a lying shoulder block. John Blade gets a huge pop when he throws Gold Finger onto his shoulders.
St. Remi: This could be it!
Clearwater: Razor! Blade!
1!
2!
3!
Jessica Kaine: And your winner… John Blade!
Clearwater: That’s how we start the show!
St. Remi: Love him or love to hate him, but no one keeps to their brand like John Blade.
Clearwater: And he’s helping Gold Finger off the mat—what a sportsman!
He then hoists the dwarf onto his shoulders as they wave to the crowd on the way back.
