MONDAY NIGHT METAL S01/E12 10/07/19

“SO SEEK THE WOLF IN THYSELF!”

The crowd pops. Dean Wolf enters the arena to "Of Wolf and Man" by Metallica and marches down to the ring in his leather jacket, jeans, and Metallica "Kill ‘Em All" T-shirt. The Hardcore Championship is wrapped around his waist.

Jessica Kaine: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the APW Hardcore Champion, Dean Wolf!

Clearwater: Dean Wolf retained his Hardcore Championship at Supremacy in what started out as a match between him and Big Bad Bodacious, but saw interference from two of Bodacious’ goons, Johnny Mussolini and Luca Lupara, and the guest referee for the match, Zombie McMorris.

Remi: It was a crazy match. We almost saw the Wolf-bro get stabbed with a bull’s horn, but he ended up using it to his advantage and in the end, he overcame the odds and came out the winner!

Wolf gets in the ring and walks to all for sides of the ring, holding his belt in the air for all to see. He grabs a mic and the music stops.

Clearwater: Let’s hear what the champ has to say.

Wolf: You know, a few months back, there was this punk kid named Fuckin’ A who had a triple threat match, and one of his opponents was Smith Jones. And in his promo for that match, he talked about the other opponent for what seemed like forever, but when he got around to mentioning Smitty, all he had to say was “And I suppose Smith Jones will be there, too.” I didn’t like how he completely disregarded the guy that had just won Alpha Showdown, so when it was my turn to cut a promo on Fuckin’ A, I tore him a new asshole. I didn’t do it because I liked Smitty or because Smitty was my friend, but because Smitty didn’t deserve to be treated like that. No wrestler deserves to be treated like, but Smitty especially didn’t deserve it. I told Fuckin’ A how much of a stupid asshole he was for dismissing a guy who had been on a losing streak, just to overcome all that adversity and win a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. Then I told him that he looked like an even bigger asshole because he ended up LOSING to the guy that he dismissed. Simply put, he was an asshole because he spoke about his competition as if his competition was beneath him, and when you talk about your opponent that way, you don’t just hurt your opponent. You hurt this business and everybody that makes a living off of it.

Dean Wolf pauses and make a face of disappointment.

Wolf: But you know what? Over the last two weeks, I’m starting to think the only stupid asshole around here...is me. You know why? Because that same guy I defended from those denigrating remarks by Fuckin A’ had this to say about Zombie McMorris in the days leading up to Supremacy.

Dean Wolf looks to the Alphatron, which plays a clip from Smith Jones’ promo titled “Your Sweet Scream.”

Smith: “I watched you on the Hardcore Championship episode of Monday Night Metal when you fought your pitch black heart out for the chance to become the first ever APW Hardcore Champion. You picked up a wrench, man. A wrench. Not the type of match I wanted to have anything to do with. I watched from my home in Toronto while you bastards beat the holy heck out of one another for that glorified piece of scrap metal.”

Wolf: And then he said this.

Wolf points to the Alphatron, which plays a clip from Smitty’s “Take” promo.

Smith: “I needed to concentrate on becoming the very best that Alpha Professional Wrestling has to offer! I am the BEST. I never wavered from my desire to get to where I stand today. I didn’t flake and jump at the Hardcore Championship like so many people on the roster…”

Wolf: And finally, at Supremacy, he had this to say.

Smith: “Dean Wolf. I cannot deny that everyone who has ever challenged for the Hardcore Championship has been a top notch superstar. Heck, I’ve mixed it up with a bunch of ‘em. I’m mixing it up with one of them tonight in your Supremacy Main Event! But, when I look at the titles here in APW, in any fed for that matter, the Hardcore Championship is the least… credible when trying to decipher whom is the greatest wrestler.”

Wolf: Now, I didn’t show those clips to defend ZMAC. Lord knows I hate him more than life itself. And I know that Smitty didn’t DIRECTLY insult me, but that doesn’t matter. I showed those clips for one reason: because I wanted to show the world just how much of a DICK Smith Jones really is.

Crowd: Oooooh!

Wolf: I wasted my breath telling some green, inexperienced kid that he needed to show Smitty the proper respect, just to have Smitty spit it back in my face by saying that my title is the least credible out of all the titles in APW and that someone like me is beneath him as a wrestler because I fought for it. Well, you’re damn right I fought for it, Smitty!

The crowd cheers.

Wolf: I fought, and I sweat, and I bled, and I sacrificed to win this title, and I didn’t do it because I was a flake who lost his desire to be the best! I did it because winning championships is what wrestlers do, and I did it before anyone else in APW! That’s right! I was the first one to ever, EVER, win a championship in APW! Before you, or Jubei, or anybody else held a title, I did it first, and nobody can ever take that away from me!

The crowd applauds.

Wolf: I am the APW Hardcore Champion, and I’m not ashamed to say it!

More cheering from the crowd.

Wolf: And I won’t let you try to shame me for holding it proudly every time I come out to this ring, nor will I allow you to criticize mine or anybody else’s ability as wrestlers just because we fight for it! In fact, if you’ve got any doubts about MY ability as a wrestler, all you need to do is look back to July 1 of this year, because that was the night that I BEAT YOU!

Crowd: Ooooooh!

Wolf: But if you need a little reminder about just how good I am…then I accept your challenge for a match next week right here on Metal!

The crowd cheers.

Wolf: So don’t worry about who’s going to win this #1 contender’s tournament! Don’t worry about keeping your title at HorrorKore! Just worry about next week, because when you step into the ring with me, you are going to have to SEEK THE WOLF IN…

He stops mid-sentence and makes a confused face.

Wolf: Wait a minute. Next week? No. I’m here tonight. You’re here tonight. Why don’t we just do this RIGHT NOW!

The crowd loses it.

Wolf: SMITTY, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!

The crowd goes mental. Dean Wolf lays his title down and waits for Smith Jones.

A few seconds pass by before all of the arena lights blast to full white. The opening guitar riff of Linkin Park’s ‘Waiting For The End’ rips through the speakers and the tron goes plain white. Wolf paces back and forth inside the ring, staring straight towards the entrance ramp with wold eyes. That haunting double piano note begins to repeat overtop of the guitars as the drums kick in and the song comes to life. The arena lights slowly fade to darkness while all of the arena spotlights flood the entranceway with bright white light. The crowd is draped in the shadows left behind by every spotlight in the bowl. Determined to declare their existence, the people chant along to the beat of the music.

Crowd: I’m right here!! I’m right here!! I’m right here!! I’m right here!! I’m right here!!

They’re everywhere. Cheering swells when Smith Jones appears on the stage dressed in his shiny white robe with sparkly silver trim. The eternally elegant APW World Title belt is draped over Smith’s right shoulder. Jones’ face is stern. He lifts it off his shoulder and hoists it high above his head for all to see. This symbol of months of hard work and sacrifice; this trophy of triumph means everything to Jones. He then brings it down and rests it again on his shoulder. Jones pulls his a microphone out of his pocket and when the music fades out, he speaks.

Smitty: Wolf. I can see that it is going to take more than just a little bit of convincing to make you believe my words. I’m going to have to have to dip deep within myself in those moments when I start to feel like I can’t beat you. I need to do whatever I can to clearly illustrate to you that I am your APW World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion whether you like it or not. I am above you. You take great pride in the fact that you won the very first championship available here in Alpha Pro. You took the FIRST one while I sat in the background and waited for the one that matters MOST. You’re right. No one can take that away from you. That noise is aaalllllllll yours. I don’t want it. You missed a subtle detail when regaling this attentive audience with a history lesson on why I choose not to be Hardcore. Why I see you as below me. I said that “the Hardcore Championship is the least… credible when trying to decipher whom is the greatest wrestler” and I meant that wholeheartedly. What you do is cool and you provide a lot of holy bleep moments along the way. A bull’s horn. I applaud the true wrestling skill THAT takes. That’s just the sort of thing you could see at Kegler’s bar just four minutes down the road from here about 2am tonight! Your bull’s horn gimmick is much more interesting than just any old bar room brawl because you get to wear a belt covered in caution tape for your troubles, eh? Likely.

Jones holds The World Title belt high above his head with both hands.

Smitty: Look at the simple elegance of this belt. Do you understand how proud I am to show this off? This title in MY hands stands for real pro wrestling. You are the stuntman. You are the circus performer. I’m shocked you don’t wear a red nose and oversized boots to really drive that gimmick home. I have officially cancelled any and all plans to hold every single title here in APW simply because I never want to have to be seen in public carrying that… thing of yours around... ever! I never asked you to defend me against Fucking A. I defended my damned self when I dropped him with the PoC and pinned him to the canvas on my way to becoming the apex of APW. I’ve left in my wake a string of victims who are the proof that I am the very best that APW has to offer. Period. And just last week at Supremacy, I used my regular finisher the Point of Controversy and my desperation finisher Gravitas to get the job done against a man who many believed would end my dreams for good. I needed to pull out all the stops to beat ZMAC. What will I need to finish you, Wolf? How do I shut you up and make you sit the heel down with your mouth shut. Criss cross applesauce, Hardcore. You wanna play? Our Champion versus Champion Match doesn’t have to wait until next week. This Morgantown mob is fired up tonight! We can shake a leg and break it down right now! What do you think of that, West Virginia?!

Crowd: Let’s go, Smitty!! Seek the wolf!! Let’s go, Smitty!! Seek the wolf!! Let’s go, Smitty!! Seek the wolf!! Let’s go, Smitty!! Seek the wolf!! Let’s go, Smitty!! Seek the wolf!!

Smitty stares at Wolf from the top of the aisle, looking smug and supremely confident.

Wolf: Nice entrance. Now cut the bullshit and get down here so I can kick your ass!

The crowd cheers. Smitty looks incredulous at the disrespect he’s hearing from Wolf. He starts making his way to the ring. The crowd gets louder the closer he gets. Wolf is imploring Smitty to get down to the ring quicker when all of a sudden a man in a black mask, black hoodie, and blue jeans runs into the ring and tackles Wolf from behind.

Remi: What the hell, dude?!

Clearwater: Some fan just jumped the guardrail and attacked Dean Wolf!

Wolf gets to his back and pushes the fan off. He mounts the fan and starts raining down punches on him.

Clearwater: Here comes security!

Four security guards pull Wolf off of the masked man. The masked man gets away, hopping the guardrail and disappearing into the crowd. Two of the guards go after him. In the ring, Dean Wolf pulls himself out of the other two guards’ hands and starts tagging them with right hands.

Clearwater: Why is he going after security?!

Remi: They pulled him off of the masked dude! They should have just let him finish the job!

Clearwater: They were just trying to protect him!

Remi: I don’t think he wanted it or needed it! Now THEY need protection!

Wolf takes out one guard with The Kill. The other one tries to apprehend the Hardcore Champ, but Wolf gives him The Kill as well. Smith Jones slithers into the ring and attacks Wolf from behind.

Clearwater: POINT OF CONTROVERSY!

Wolf is laid out on the mat. Smitty picks up the Hardcore Championship and observes it. He scoffs and throws the belt out of the ring. He stands over the fallen Wolf and holds the World Championship over his head.

Clearwater: What’s going to happen next week when these two champions step into the ring and have it out?! And who was that masked man?!

Smith Jones looks into the hard camera and smirks as the show fades to black.