Post by RT on Jul 5, 2020 21:00:00 GMT
JEFF
Undertaker & The Deathly Hollows
Following his Last Ride documentary in 2020, the Undertaker became the talk of the wrestling universe. Speculation was presented that this was his final farewell to the WWE and his retirement and subsequent Hall of Fame induction was imminent. In late Summer, the Undertaker began mysteriously appearing on WWE programming in weird vignettes. Over the next month, he had a cryptic message for the viewers.
āThe cost of living forever is high. A wage that no man is able to pay. If the cost is a soul, why does it have to be my own?ā
...
āThirty years ago, āMeanā Mark Calloway signed a covenant to be the Grim Reaper of the WWE. I always knew the contract had an expiration day. That one day a new Reaper would come hunting me. But no one ever came. The ones who were able were mentally weak. The ones who were hungry were physically incapable. Now the day has arrived to pass this mantle and there is no one left to pass it on to. I canāt do this forever, but Iāll die trying.ā
...
āLegends are immortalized by the legacy they leave behind. How will they remember me? You will never mourn for or forget the ones who never die. Iāve found a way, but it will cost me everything. It will cost others even more than that.ā
...
āSix souls. Six men to die. They will be remembered for their sacrifice but long after the memory of them has faded, Iāll still be digging holes and taking souls. The Dead Man liveth.ā
At the 2020 Survivor Series, the Undertaker emerged from the shadows 30 years after his fateful debut with the WWE. This night and the actions the Undertaker committed on it began a month-long journey where the Undertaker divided his soul into six horcruxes (six wrestlers). The Undertaker claimed that he had found a way to live forever and he would do it by dividing his soul and emerging it into the bodies of his victims. The rhyme or reason behind the choosing of the six appeared to be random. The Dead Man simply stated that the recipient had to be worthy and that they were meticulously chosen.
...
The ceremony of the final horcrux is the story that needs to be told. The sixth and final recipient, Samoa Joe, was to be the piece de resistance for the Undertaker. The Dead Man marveled at Joeās character, will, and physique and claimed he would (above the other five) be the embodiment of the Grim Reaper. The Undertaker was ready to ride off into the sunset leaving behind his soul, fragmented into six horcruxes and left behind to police the living and the dead in the WWE. But what he encountered was a very unwilling Samoa Joe. The Undertaker assured him this was best not only for Mark Calloway but for Samoa Joe as well. At present, Joe was an after thought. If he worked real hard, he could possibly win a title or two, and after years of killing himself he may be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But fifty years from now, he would be nothing. With the Undertaker, Joe could be more than a memorialized wrestler. What they would do together would be legendary.
Joe said thanks but no thanks. He didnāt buy into this black magic and voodoo. Joe said what he would do would be legendary but it would be by his hand and not by that of a skeleton that didnāt know when to call it quits. Undertaker assured him that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. But it was one that Joe passed on. One that he possibly, to this day, regrets.
The Undertaker would choose a new recipient for the final fragment of his soul but he didnāt ride off into the sunset.
...
āI fully expected that by dividing my soul into six fragmented horcruxes would devour me physically. And it did. What I didnāt realize is that it wasnāt my soul that I was dividing. It was the Undertaker, the Phenom, the Grim Reaper that I was leaving behind in these warriors. Instead of six horcruxes, there were seven. I was the seventh. We seven share strength and might. And Iāve found a renewal inside of me. Power like Iāve never known. As the leader of this undead army, I will not be stopped. The day of the dead has arrived.ā
The Undertakerās rise to power would be cemented at the revived Armageddon Pay-Per-View when he would tempt to claim the top tier title from the current holder, Kofi Kingston, in the main event. Kingston is coming off of a high profile win for the title; itās scary to think that his first title defense will be against the Undertaker who is claiming to be invincible now and commanding an undead army (especially now that Kingston doesnāt have New Day on his side.)
//// Samoa Joe the Half-Blood Prince
Joeās demise began after his denial of participating in the Undertakerās ceremony. Immediately, āTaker and the undead army targeted him. Joeās realization was that he would have to take down the Undertaker in order to survive in the WWE. However, to do so, he would first need to eliminate the six horcruxes that the Undertaker has created. His journey to destroy the Undertaker would begin with number six: the one who would replace him when he said no.. Batista. Daveās return to wrestling was sparked by the Undertaker beckoning him out of Hollywood to return to claim the glory he had left on the table. āTaker simply told him, youāve always been second best. Second to Cena and Triple H, second to Chris Pratt. Itās time to carve out your piece of history. āLet me help you.ā
//// How Do You Destroy a Horcrux?
Edge was the first of the Undertakerās horcrux Warriors. Empowered by the fragmented spirit of the Undertaker, Edge took on a very dangerous persona. It was easy to see that the very nature of these horcruxes would be amplified by the Undertakerās presence in them. Edgeās nature was that of calculated risk. With the Undertakerās control? Eliminate the calculation. Edge became a risk taker. He defied doctors and returned back to the ring months earlier than expected despite the ramifications to his health and career. When long time friend Christian tried to intervene and be the voice of reason, he was dealt with harshly. This new edgier Edge stopped only short of hospitalizing his friend. He gave him some fair advice: stay out of this. For your sake. Stay out of this. No matter how far Edge pushed his friend, Christian always tried to get through to him. He was always repaid with violence. Extreme at times. And the more he did, the more dangerous Edge became. Fearing for his friend, Christian decided that eventually Edge would go too far and someone would take matters into their own hands and the result would be devastating. For Edgeās sake, Christian needed to end this. He would put a stop to a Edge but always stop short of ending Edgeās career. He just needed to get through to him. And it seems the only way he can do that right now is with his fists. āEdge, this is going to hurt me a lot more than you.. but itās still going to hurt you too.ā
//// the Lady and the Tramp
Lacey Evansā finally won the top womenās prize on Smackdown. Her reign as champion could be defined with one word: vicious. She brought a certain charm but as a masquerade for the fighter deep inside. At Armageddon she stands to face a new challenger. One that is hungry. Bianca has scrapped and fight her way up the ladder. She claims Lacey has been dodging her. That WWE has been ignoring her. She isnāt the blonde pretty face they can plaster all over merchandise. She stands to buck the system and bring style and soul to the WWE womenās division. Lacey simply stated that style and soul arenāt needed when it has all the class she has brought to it. Belair simply concluded that girls everywhere needed a role model that they could relate to. Not a 1950ās pinup that has lost touch with the culture.
//// The Johnny & Candice Show
WWE Backstage was canceled in early Summer 2020. The future of CM Punk and WWE was in question. The following week, a very unusual message appeared on the screen: WWE Backstage comes to Smackdown - next week! Featuring CM Punk. The following week, the ring was set up to look similar to the WWE Backstage set. However, Candice LeRae was in the ring dressed like Renee Young. āAnd my co-host... CM Punk!ā Punkās music hit and the crowd went crazy. However, instead of the former World Champion, we were welcomed by Johnny Gargano who appeared dressed exactly like Punk. His hair was slicked back and he dropped to a knee before doing the āItās clobberin timeā bit. When he got to the ring there was some playful banter between the two before the hard hitting questions came:
āSo does this answer the question? Is CM Punk back in WWE?ā
āWell, as Iāve always said, Iāll do anything for a paycheck; even sell out my morals. I know Iāve talked extensively in the past about my disdain for WWE but when Triple H wrote the check.. I came running.ā
...
āWell, whatās first on the agenda?ā
āAs little as possible. Sit back and cash those checks babe.ā
...
āAnyone you are interested in fighting?ā
āNo one with an MMA background if you know what I mean?ā
...
āAnything you have to say to the fans?ā
āThanks for keeping me relevant. I love you Philly! (They were in Little Rock).ā
...
The jab didnāt go unnoticed. Punk blasted Johnny on Twitter. The following week in a similar style segment, Gargano (as Punk), dished our all of his answers via Twitter instead of answering them directly to Renee (Candice). The answers were broadcast on the Titantron.
...
The following week was radio silence for Punk. However the next week in another rip on Punk segment, Johnny went too far and Punkās music actually played. This time he came out of the crowd and spun Gargano around and kicked him in the gut before silencing him with a Go To Sleep. That week Gargano hit Twitter and called Punk out, saying he only got lucky with a sneak attack. Face me like a man! And Punk did just that. He came to the ring and called out Gargano who appeared with LeRae. In the ring, Johnny kept at Punk for walking away from the greatest business in the world but finally crossed the line and Punk kicked him in the head and hoisted him up for a Go to Sleep. However LeRae nailed a low blow and Johnny applies his submission and left Punk lying motionless. The following week the two were back in the ring bragging about slaying the Straight Edge Superstar but this time Punk came out and brought backup: his wife, AJ Lee, for a fair fight. The four shared blows in the ring before an army of officials separated them. This led to a mixed tag team match between the two married couples at Armageddon!
//// Lars Sullivan, the Cruiserweight?
Lio Rush is a con-man, but you know that already, right? After winning the Cruiserweight Title and bringing it to Smackdown with him in the draft, he found himself the target of a multi-brand war. Smackdown Cruiserweight vying to take the title from him. NXT Cruiserweights looking to take the title back to the yellow and gold brand. He soon enlisted the help of a new bodyguard: Lars Sullivan. With muscle in his corner, Lio was unstoppable. When he couldnāt win by force, heād rob his opponent and when by disqualification or cheating. Naturally, this lead to a lot of resentment across the brands. Resentment that would eventually lead to the stars of both brands banding together. First, they took Sullivan out of the picture and completely surrounded Rush in the ring. Lio had nowhere to go as a dozen or so of WWE Cruiserweight got their revenge. In the chaos, Rush would take a legitimate injury to his ankle that would keep him out of action for six months. When WWE attempted to strip him of his title, he filed a lawsuit against them. Claiming WWE allowed him to get injured and did nothing to protect him as a worker. His final settlement allowed for him to name a proxy to defend the title for him during his injury. That proxy? Lars Sullivan. Lars has run over the entire Cruiserweight division so far. But following a soft split of Breezango when the two competed to decide which would get an attempt to dethrone Rush (Sullivan) as champion, Breeze plead with his former partner to stand in his corner to even the odds and give him a fighting chance. Fandango said heād do more than that and would help ensure his friend walked out as champion. Will this be the end of Sullivanās reign of terror?
SmackdowNation Presents:
ARMAGEDDON
WWE Championship Match
(c) Kofi Kingston vs Undertaker
Samoa Joe vs Batista
Edge vs Christian
Womenās Championship Match
(c) Lacey Evans vs Bianca Belair
CM Punk & AJ Lee vs Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae
Cruiserweight Championship Match
(c) Lars Sullivan w/ Lio Rush vs Tyler Breeze w/ Fandango
RT
Las Vegas is a unique city in many ways. Perhaps the most unique is the fact it even exists in the first place. It's an oasis of greed and indulgence in the middle of the Nevada desert built by criminals and politicians alike. But it is a success because of it's ability to thrive in even the toughest situations.
When the entire world locked down in March of 2020, Las Vegas did too. But they took their lockdown to the next level. Governor Steve Sisolak announced that Las Vegas would exist inside a "metaphorical bubble." Everyone in the city, citizens and visitors alike, were given 72 hours to leave. Everyone outside the city was given the same time frame to arrive, and would quarantine in their hotel room for 2 weeks upon arrival.
But once the 72 hours were up, nobody was in or out. Airports closed, roads in and out of Las Vegas city limits were shut and heavily guarded. Patrols by police and National Guard were tighter than ever. Routine testing and health checks are mandatory. It was one of the biggest social experiments in human history, but it worked. It's business as usual in Las Vegas, the city that can't be stopped.
Just like when Las Vegas was built, with this great experiment came great opportunity. And one of the business' ultimate opportunists, Chris Jericho, devised a plan. He invited a group of the finest wrestlers from around the world to purposely lock themselves down in Las Vegas. Jericho assumed that all contact sports would either go on hiatus or be forced to shutdown due to an outbreak, and he was right. And now him and 15 friends and co-workers have struck gold.
16 fighters have isolated and quarantined inside Las Vegas for weeks, and they have a lot of pent-up aggression to work out. They're not just the only game in town, but the only game in the world. Who will reign supreme?
When the entire world locked down in March of 2020, Las Vegas did too. But they took their lockdown to the next level. Governor Steve Sisolak announced that Las Vegas would exist inside a "metaphorical bubble." Everyone in the city, citizens and visitors alike, were given 72 hours to leave. Everyone outside the city was given the same time frame to arrive, and would quarantine in their hotel room for 2 weeks upon arrival.
But once the 72 hours were up, nobody was in or out. Airports closed, roads in and out of Las Vegas city limits were shut and heavily guarded. Patrols by police and National Guard were tighter than ever. Routine testing and health checks are mandatory. It was one of the biggest social experiments in human history, but it worked. It's business as usual in Las Vegas, the city that can't be stopped.
Just like when Las Vegas was built, with this great experiment came great opportunity. And one of the business' ultimate opportunists, Chris Jericho, devised a plan. He invited a group of the finest wrestlers from around the world to purposely lock themselves down in Las Vegas. Jericho assumed that all contact sports would either go on hiatus or be forced to shutdown due to an outbreak, and he was right. And now him and 15 friends and co-workers have struck gold.
16 fighters have isolated and quarantined inside Las Vegas for weeks, and they have a lot of pent-up aggression to work out. They're not just the only game in town, but the only game in the world. Who will reign supreme?
********************
presents
"The Great Indoors"
From the SOLD OUT Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino!
LVWF Heavyweight Championship
Single-Elimination Tournament
Round 1
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens
Aleister Black vs. KENTA
Rusev vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Pete Dunne vs. Sami Zayn
LVWF Women's Championship Qualifier
MMA Rules Cage Match
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
LVWF Women's Championship Qualifier
MMA Rules Cage Match
Sonya Deville vs. Becky Lynch
Best 2 out of 3 Falls
Matt Riddle vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
Plus!
The Young Bucks issue an Open Challenge
presents
"The Great Indoors"
From the SOLD OUT Caesar's Palace Hotel & Casino!
LVWF Heavyweight Championship
Single-Elimination Tournament
Round 1
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens
Aleister Black vs. KENTA
Rusev vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Pete Dunne vs. Sami Zayn
LVWF Women's Championship Qualifier
MMA Rules Cage Match
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
LVWF Women's Championship Qualifier
MMA Rules Cage Match
Sonya Deville vs. Becky Lynch
Best 2 out of 3 Falls
Matt Riddle vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
Plus!
The Young Bucks issue an Open Challenge
