They come back from commercial, and then they go back to the locker room area... @%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@ {Backstage, the production appears to be going according to schedule as cameramen, production assistants, and even Armand LeBeaux oversee the critical timing required for such a complicated broadcast. LeBeaux talks to a producer waving a clipboard and points off into the distance barking out some orders about something. All the anxiety and pressure build in the pressure cooker called management, and Armand looks intense. A touch on his arm unleashes a "What's gone wrong now?" look until he sees Mississippi Queen at his side. With a smile washing over his face, Armand breaks into a boyish grin and appears to blush. Queen playfully straightens his tie and brushes a lock of his hair back into place before whispering in his ear. LeBeaux pulls away, but Queen pulls him nearer and soon LeBeaux is nodding in agreement and reaching to his inside pocket for a pen. Then Mississippi Queen pulls out a piece of paper, which Armand signs, and a kiss on the cheek is his thanks as she walks away under LeBeaux's watchful eye.} @%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@ that little scene elicited a "What's going on here?" reaction from both announcers, as "The House that Jack Built" by Metallica comes over the speakers MATCH #5: CURTIS "C-Jack" STONE vs. ROKER SHOWTIME Stone comes down with his usual swagger, getting into it with a ringside fan, and telling the crowd that Showtime is history. Then "It's Showtime" blasts and the crowd tells him otherwise...despite recent weeks and a win-loss record that would make Ric Flair blush, Roker still has TONS of fan support available to him. C-jack starts things with a forward baseball slide tackle to the outside of the ring, knocking Showtime to the ground. He picks up Roker, rams his head into the steel guardrail, then goes for an irish whip into the announcers table, but Roker reverses and sends C=Jack across the table. C-Jack gets up, and Roker smashes his head into the table, then Roker climbs onto the table, picks up C=Jack, and snap suplexes him across the table onto the concrete on the other side. Roker then tosses him in the ring and follows suit. Roker starts targeting the back (after softening it with the aforementioned suplex to the concrete), peppering it with kneesmashes and kicks, then a corkscrew elbowdrop to the small of the back, before settling into a rear chinlock, keeping pressure on the small of C-Jack's back. After about a minute of this, Roker picks him up, bodyslams him. He then goes off of the opposite ropes and goes for a legdrop, but C-Jack rolls out of the way. Both men get to their feet, C-Jack a little more slowly due to the back problems (writer's note: Jack is really selling the pain well). Jack goes for a corkscrew neckbreaker, but Roker spins around with it and hits another snap suplex. 2 count. C-Jack gets up, Roker goes for a boot to the sternum, Jack catches it...Roker goes for the enziguri, but Jack ducks it and uses the momentum of Rokers leg coming over him to hit the dragon screw legwhip with the other leg. This bent the leg in a REALLY uncomfortable looking position, and Roker was on the mat in pain. The announcers were going nuts over that move. Jack then hit a boot to the twisted knee, then hit several elbowdrops onto the fallen knee (the last one he landed on his back and winced). He then grabbed both of Roker's legs, then both of his arms, and lifted Roker into a Pendulum hold (suspended surfboard), causing Roker to feel much discomfort. After about 10 seconds, which Roker would not give, Jack dropped the arms, causing Roker to bounce his face off the mat, and settled into a Liontamer (like a boston crab only the pressure is more on the neck and back than just the back). C-Jack is talking trash at this point, but Roker still will not submit...eventually getting to the ropes. C-Jack then picks Roker up and goes for another dragon screw, but this time Roker connects HARD with the enziguri, signaling a crowd pop. Roker actually got to his feet first, but fell over when he tried to walk on his right knee. Roker managed to pull himself up...but then turned right into a C-Jack flying shoulder tackle that sent both men out of the ring. Jack stood in the center of the ring did a quick Heisman pose, then started trash talking Roker, yelling "This is MY HOUSE!!!", before going outside of the ring. Stone postholes Roker's knee into the concrete, then picks Roker up and shinbreaker drop's him right onto the steel guardrail. He then grabbed the timekeepers bell and attemped to smash it into Roker's knee, but Roker got his good leg up and kicked the wood side of the bell right into Stone's face (the look on his face when it connected was priceless). Stone got up before Roker did, rolled into the ring to break the count, then rolled out...but by this time Roker had managed to get to his feet. Stone advanced, but Roker elbowed him in the sternum once, then twice..and then let loose with a European uppercut that sent Stone *sprawling* across the steps. Roker then rolled inside and started to walk off the knee a bit. Stone came to, went into the ring, and tried to kneeclip Roker from behind, but Roker dodged it. Roker then started laying the forearms and the chops onto Stone, finishing with a LOUD european uppercut that sent Stone flying backwards into a turnbuckle. A couple of knifeedge chops, then a irish whip to the opposite side caused Stone to bounce off of the buckles, right into a backdrop by Showtime!! Showtime at this point was fired up, and C-Jack was calling for a timeout in the corner, but Showtime advanced and irish whipped him again, then followed with a back elbow smash that caused Stone to walk out about three steps before falling right on his face. Roker then picked Stone up and NAILED a backbreaker drop right onto Stone's back. Stone, by now, decided that he had had enough, and started to take a walk. Roker, of course, went out after him and tried to drag him back to the ring. This cued the entrance of Jon Owens and Nick Duncan, and all three started to go after Showtime. This caused the referee to call for the immediate DQ. ######################################## # WINNER: Roker Showtime, by DQ 17:12 # ######################################## All three men tried to go after Roker in the ring...but Roker *EXPLODED* with forearm uppercuts on all of the men, sending them scattering...he then belly-to-belly suplexed Curtis Stone, then Nick Duncan...but Jon Owens nailed his knee from behind with the timekeepers bell a few times...then placed the bell right onto Roker's knee as Owens applied the Showstopper STF on Roker. This went on for about 30 seconds until Damien Omega cleaned house with a chair. Roker got on his feet and, although wobbly, walked out on his own power. Commercial, then @%@%@%@%@%%@%@@%%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@% [Tape plays. The camera pans over some desert. As the camera pans, it turns over an old western style graveyard. A few tumble weeds blow by as the camera pans over to an open grave with a figure dressed in a black hat and veil for a funeral. A few crows can be seen and heard cawing on a tree with no leafs on it. The figure turns to reveal that it's Calamity Jane Manson who throws a black rose into the open grave.] [CJM] In two days, the Metropolis of the west...Cut 'n Shoot, Texas...has it's first champion crowned in the quaint little suburb of Houston, Texas. You know, when EWC said that they wanted a champion who represented what Cut 'n Shoot was about, I had to think hard and long about the most appropriate way to crown a champion. When I thought about wrestling, the truest test is a fight to a finish, the good old fashion Texas Death match. And while that's fine and dandy, in Cut 'n Shoot, we have a little thing known as courtesy... so if you kill a man, the least you can do is give them a proper burial. So putting this together with the old cowboy mentality... if you're going to go... you're going to die with your boots on. And in two days, in front of thousands of fans, Grant Harrison and Jay Gillette, one of you gets that honor and the other one walks away with the title. The rules are simple, you dump a man in a grave, he doesn't get up, he's out. All the winner has to do is put the other one down for the count.... [A crow flies down and lands on one of the crosses. Jane scares it away.] [CJM] He's got a 10 count to get out! Then he's all yours! [Fade out.] @%@%@%@%@%%@%@@%%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@% They then fade in to a mock-up of the gravesite that will be at Houston for that match. The announcers talk about how difficult it will be for either man to be put down for a 10 count...two of the toughest men in the federation. After a few minutes of talking.... @%@%@%@%@%%@%@@%%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@% (The curtain parts, as we see Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse emerge, each taking one corner of the entranceway. Siouxnami do their usual tribal posing, as Chris Monroe bursts out between them, seemingly pretending to be riding a bucking bronco. Monroe's wild girations continue all the way do to the ring, where he quickly snatches a mic) [Monroe] Well, well, well....here were are and I am feelin' fine! Tonight, it's me and the "Human Highlight Reel," Mr. Charisma himself, Ernie Grendel. This goon was granted a title shot after being out of action for a month, but it's highly understandable...I mean, he just has so much personality, it's hard not to fall in love with him. Don't all of you championship committee type just wanna scoop him up and hold him in your arms like the little baby he is? Personally, I think little baby needs a diaper change, because he's done nothing but whine ever since he's been back. Where's the action Ernie? You can talk and talk and talk till your balls turn blue, but when are we gonna see the results, cowboy? Well, you're one lucky fellow...you get to prove yourself against me tonight. Yes, me, little Chris Monroe, the boy nextdoor....everybody's friend....aren't you excited? I'm truly a little concerned for you though...I mean, with the big PPV coming up so soon, you must be awfully concerned having to fight a spirited competitor such as myself. But don't worry Ernie, I'm gonna give you a fair fight, as always, and may the best man win! And just in case you are still a little prone to confusion from your injury, let me remind you that I'm the best man here Ern. Time after time, Siouxnami and I have tried to play nicely with you boys, but you just don't want to share, do you? Can't handle us stealing your spotlight? Well, guess what? We play nicely! We do know how to share the spotlight! And furthermore, Crazy Horse can color within the lines! The point is, you are overmatched Grendel....very very overmatched. Tonight, you're gonna find out firsthand why CHRIS MONROE IS A CRIME!!!!! And Curtis, watch carefully me boy. Very carefully. You may see some things that may interest you. When are you two going to learn that we just want to be friends and co-exist pleasantly? It's not our fault that you're both downright lunatics.....tonight, we'll give you one last chance to shape up or get reformed by us. As much as we'd like to save you from your crazy ways, if need be, we know how to get down and dirty ourselves. SO WHO YOU TRYIN' TO GET CRAZY WITH ESES?!?!? (Monroe starts galavanting around the rings, really whooping it up) DON'T YOU KNOW WE'RE LOCO?!?!?!? (Monroe tosses down the mic, dances a bit for the crowd, and the three head to the back) And, according to Cross, that match is next.