[Cut to Ernie Grendel sitting in a darkened locker room. You can't see his face for all the hair, he's sitting hunkered over, elbows on knees, and apparently looking at something. As the camera swings around, you see him watching a TV, specifically what looks like a 'highlight reel' of Fuego matches intercut with his own matches.] [Ernie] Fuego... I was here before you came here. I will be here after you leave... you talk about losing your respect for me... well, jungle boy... I remember how you made your entrance into my world... by superkicking the man who gave me my start. You pasted an old man, Fuego. And gloated about it. [pause. Ernie gestures with a remote and the VCR freeze-frames on what appears to indeed by Fuego superkicking the late Gordon Solo.] [Ernie] Some of us have longer memories than others... So every time you talk about your ability... every time you talk about someone entering your jungle... I remember that behind that warrior's countenance is a little weasel of a man who made his name in this sport the way so many others do... by blindsiding someone who had done NOTHING to you... [Ernie snaps his hair out of his face and glares at the camera. One blue eye. One green eye. And he's got the full goatee now, apparently.] [Ernie] Sound familiar? Yeah. Every time someone comes into my world, they wanna beat up on ol' Ern. Heh. Well. This time, Ol' Ern's doing the beating. [pause. Ernie smiles.] You really didn't expect me to jump at you during that pointless match with Monroe, did you, Fuego? It's not my style, now is it? [Ernie goes deadpan.] I have no style anymore, Fuego. It's been hammered out of me. I'm a human freak of nature. A living highlight reel. One step away from the hospital or the morgue, and we both know it. Every match I walk into could easily be my last, whether it's because I push myself for one last high spot to make the crowd make noise, or some joke from the sticks decides to make himself famous at my expense... You know, that tag line you're so fond of using... Fuego's gonna kill you? Well, jungle boy... Fuego can't kill me. Ernie Grendel's already dead. [Ernie turns back to the TV and we fade out.] @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ [PA System] Let's get crazy.... (Crowd pop to the *STARS* as "Crazy" by Seal comes on and the lights go dark except for a single spot at the top of the ramp. Ernie comes out...and the fireballs go off as normal, except Ernie doesn't do the hair mosh with it. He walks down to the ring and goes to sit in the corner, Raven style)Fans, we are back and going into the WORLD title match, our second main event of the evening. Sitting next to me tonight is a man no less important than the owner of the EWC, Mr. Armand LeBeaux. Mr. LeBeaux, thanks for coming out. It's a pleasure to be out here, I'm going to be watching this match with great interest. With the retirement of Roker Showtime, we're starting to see the new breed come out and take the center stage of things. And the lights aren't shining much brighter than on these two. Grendel and Fuego, both breaking out from the old AWA area, now international superstars, two of the loudest roaring young lions out there...and we are going to be treated to one hell of a war tonight. I have to admit, that promo has me a bit worried about Ernie. He hasn't been the same since Chris Sim put him on the shelf. He seems more....bitter may be too harsh a word....frustrated. It's like the life has been sucked right out of him. [PA System] Fuego's gonna kill you! (The roof comes off. Ear-bleeding decibels of sound rip through the arena as the ramp raises upwards and green smoke billows from under the ramp.) I've always been in the back when Fuego was introduced...I had no *IDEA* things got this loud when Fuego came out....uhh, where is he? I'm wondering that myself, usually Fuego walks out through the smoke as normal.....Grendel up and walking towards the side of the ring where....GOOD GOD!!!!!! (Camera *just* catches the sight of Fuego coming off the *TOP* of the ramp with a plancha dive onto Grendel. The crowd pops like fiends) FUEGO OUT OF NOWHERE FIFTEEM FEET OFF THE RAMP!!!!! And Fuego crawls over to the fallen Grendel and fires several stiff shots in the face of Grendel!!!!! Fuego up now and *PHYSICALLY* yanks Grendel to his feet by his hair. And Fuego with a HARD kick across the nose of Grendel, backing him back to the turnbuckles, and Grendel bleeding from the nose.. Fuego came to fight tonight. Fuego might actually be taking his catchphrase seriously tonight.. he sends Ernie to the opposite turnbuckles, GRENDEL RUNS UP THEM, flipover, ROUNDHOUSE KICK RIGHT TO FUEGO'S FACE, AND FUEGO's OVER THE TOP!! *crowd gasp* Fuego up almost immediately, Grendel with the HEAD FIRST SLIDE.. *CROWD POP* And Grendel taking a page from Bill Curtis' playbook, with the baseball slide DDT, and Grendel isn't here to play either. Grendel picks Fuego up, Fuego with a chop to the chest, and a hard Thai kick right in the chest, and he's wearing some sort of shin guard under his tights...at least that's what I *THINK* that bulge is...so that's GOTTA sting. Fuego grabs Grendel by the hair, RIGHT into the ringsteps goes Grendel...and Fuego climbing the steps and KICKS GRENDEL IN THE FACE WITH THAT SHINGUARD!!!!! This is as vicious and as brutal as I've ever seen Fuego, Fuego obviously upset after getting Mudslid into a steel chair by Grendel on Lords of the Ring..and Fuego tossing Grendel into the ring and following right in...more Thai-style kicks to the body of Grendel..GRENDEL CATCHES A KICK, DRAGON SCREW SENDS FUEGO DOWN!!!!! Grendel shaking the cobwebs out, and Grendel with a leg clip from behind..and ANOTHER ONE....and FUEGO dodges the third one and Grendel goes head first into the turnbuckles..FUEGO GOING FOR A BRONCO BUSTER!!! And thank god Ernie ducked out at the last second, that could have broken his back....Fuego spins around, Grendel with a series of kicks to the body, staggering Fuego, DROPKICK by Grendel, and Fuego's over the top..NO HE's NOT, stops on the apron, Grendel charges, FUEGO BACKDROPS GRENDEL TO THE CONCRETE. And Grendel landed head first, that couldn't have been healthy on him, and Fuego following up with a hipbuster legdrop across the neck of Grendel. And Fuego a little slow in getting up, Grendel was smart in working on the hips of Fuego rather than the lower leg once he figured out what was going on with the shinguard. That's not helping Ern much now at the moment..Fuego sending Grendel head first into the steel guardrail once.... twice....THREE TIMES Grendel's head goes into the steel, and Fuego's got Ern by the hair..jumps ON THE RAIL...DEAR GOD!!! *crowd gasp* FUEGO JUST HIT THE MUDSLIDE ON GRENDEL ACROSS THE GUARDRAIL!!!! AND GRENDEL'S HEAD WAS *DRIVEN* INTO THAT STEEL!!!! Grendel's bleeding. Fuego's got first blood in this one. And Fuego tosses Grendel into the ring, Grendel is dazed right now. Fuego picks Grendel up for a toss belly to back suplex, very nicely executed by the heavyweight champion of the world. Fuego for the first cover of the night...one...two.... kickout by the challenger. Fuego not missing a beat, hooks Grendel, going for a fisherman's suplex..blocked by Grendel, REVERSAL by Grendel into a vertical suplex. Grendel dazed as he falls back into the corner, waits for Fuego to get up..and shouldertackles the thighs of Fuego, Grendel staying behind Fuego...FUEGO CATCHES THE LEG...ENZIGURI by Grendel sends Fuego staggering backwards. Grendel gets up, HARD chop across Fuego's chest, sends Fuego across teh ring.. FUEGO reverses, GRENDEL springboards off the turnbuckles into a bodypress...FUEGO converts into a powerslam!!! ONE....TWO.. no go, Gerald Riley, the referee, was RIGHT there for that one. Fuego on the second rope, HIGH spinwheel kick catches Grendel right on the head. Fuego now picking up Grendel, HIGH ELEVATION POWERBOMB GRENDEL TWISTS INTO A FALLING DIAMOND CUTTER!!!!!! BOTH MEN ARE DOWN IN THE CENTER OF THE RING!!!!! Referee laying a count on both men, this has been a short but intense encounter so far. Grendel getting to his feet first, picking up Fuego for a second vertical suplex...and drapes him over the ropes, I've seen this ....Armand CLEAR OUT!!!! [Camera angle switches to a side angle as Grendel sunset bombs Fuego right through the main announcers table, leaving both men down for a bit.] Is this thing back on yet? Apparently Armand's mic is out, Grendel standing up, bleeding, over a dazed Fuego..and now Grendel pulling at Fuego's tights, pulling them up..he's trying to remove one of Fuego's shinguards from his leg. He said he's taking Fuego's leg, and apparently he's taking no chances here.....he has it off, and he tosses the shinguard into the audience. Now he's picking Fuego up and rolling him into the ring, Grendel following close behind. Grendel immediately taking Fuego's knee and *ramming* it into the mat, and *again* with the Posthole. Folks, if you remember, a long time ago, Fuego had that leg hurt in an AWA match, and Grendel is apparently trying to aggravate any old injuries that may be there. Grendel with a diving headbutt to the knee, trying very hard to keep on it. Grendel takes Fuego by the legs, pulls him to the corner turnbuckle, and RAMS that leg into the steel ringpost, not once, but TWICE. They got me connected again, Isaac, and Grendel is going for the ringpost figure four, and gets it connected. Grendel keeping it connected for about 10 seconds before Riley finally making a count. Riley trying to let both men settle this in the ring, but Grendel wanting to take things out of the ring. Grendel rolling in to break the count...now he's got Fuego on the ring apron..and Grendel applying an Indian Deathlock on the ring apron...and FALLS OFF THE RING APRON!!! That's one of the most interesting maneuvers I've ever seen, Isaac. He basically twisted Fuego's leg in a whole new direction. Ernie has always been known as an in-ring innovator, Mr. LeBeaux, and Ernie proving it here tonight. Ernie now has the ring steps and he TOSSES IT RIGHT ON FUEGO'S LEG!!!!! Grendel climbing the ropes now, those stairs are still on Fuego....SPRINGBOARD INTO A SHOOTING STAR RIGHT ONTO THE STEPS!!!!!!! *Crowd pop* This is COMPLETELY unlike Ernie!!! HE's a rough, tough competitor, but this is a mean streak I've never seen. Just how far did Chris Sim cause Ern to snap? Ernie rolling Fuego in the ring, Fuego's tights are cut open, and he's bleeding from the leg right now....Ernie covering... We've got one.... two........... Fuego kicks out. And that's the kind of stuff the World Heavyweight Champion is made out of. Grendel now setting Fuego on the top rope, and Ernie getting under him in an electric chair position....FUEGO REVERSES INTO A RANA!!!! *CROWD POP* GREAT move by Fuego, and now Fuego trying to get to his feet..and his leg gives!!! Fuego can't stand right now.. and Ernie with a leg clip from behind to take Fuego off of his feet, and now Ernie laying fast elbowdrops to the damaged leg of Fuego. If I were Ernie right now, I'd keep on that leg and find a good submission hold...Fuego's hurt, and that's a position that few people can get Fuego into. Ernie now draping Fuego's leg over the bottom rope, and a SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT SENTON onto the bad leg. And Grendel with another cover.. one........ two......... ANOTHER kickout by Fuego...and Grendel slapping the mat in frustration. Grendel going for the indian deathlock...Fuego kicks him away with AUTHORITY!!! Grendel moves in, Fuego with a monkeyflip.. how appropriate....Grendel lands on his feet, Fuego getting up RIGHT INTO A HARD ROUNDHOUSE KICK BY GRENDEL!!!!!!! Fuego's nose is definitely busted here, and Ernie heading for the top...this is always a dangerous thing with Ernie involved...he's up there..SKYTWISTER PRESS and FUEGO GETS HIS KNEES UP!!!!! *CROWD POP* Both men down on the canvas, it's a race to see who gets to whom first. Fuego is pulling himself up by the ropes, Fuego is upright, Grendel getting up on the other side, HANDSPRING ATTEMPT, FUEGO PULLS THE ROPES DOWN!!! GRENDEL SAILS RIGHT OUT TO THE RUBBLE THAT WAS OUR ANNOUNCERS TABLE!!!! And that might have been the break that Fuego needed here. Fuego now on the mat, tearing off his already torn tights leg.. what's he doing?? He's tying the strips around his leg wound...a makeshift bandage to get him through the match, it seems like, he better hurry, Grendel is already getting to his feet. Fuego up, walking off the knee a little bit...slow steps and a sliding dropkick right into Grendel sends him back into the steel guardrail. Fuego now getting up, walking it off some more.. Grendel knocked woozy by that hit, but he's finally getting to his feet as well...Fuego SPRINGBOARDS OFF THE TOP..CORKSCREW SHOULDERBLOCK, AND ERNIE'S INTO THE FANS!!! *CROWD POP* And listen to that scream by Fuego, I think he's finally jumped over the edge here... Fuego getting up, climbs into the fans, HARD chops across the chest of Grendel, now a stiff headbutt to the bridge of the nose. Grendel is woozy, Fuego tossing him back over the steel guardrail. Fuego better be careful, this is NOT falls count anywhere He's aware of that, I think, he just rolled into the ring to break the count, now he's got Grendel by the hair, runs up the steel steps and jumps to the side...X-FACTOR ON THE CONCRETE!!!! And Fuego landed pretty hard on that himself, he's taking a couple of seconds longer to get up...and now Fuego finally up on his feet, and tossing Grendel into the ring. Fuego now climbing to the top rope, we've seen this before.. FROG SPLASH!!!!! That was the move he used on my father three years ago And Fuego with the cover.... one......... two..... thr...NO!! GRENDEL WITH THE KICKOUT!!!!! Fuego now picking up Grendel into a bodyslam...MICHINOKU DRIVER II!!!! Fuego now with another cover.... one......... two............ three. NO!!!!! REFEREE says it's only two!!! Fuego not letting it affect him...he picks Ernie up, sets up for a uranage...Ernie goes behind, FLOATAROUND DDT ON FUEGO!!! And now ERNIE makes the cover..... one............ two........ Fuego kicks out. I don't know how much more these two can take...Grendel up now, gets Fuego's head between his legs, and lifts the 240 pounder up into a POWERBOMB!!! Another cover by Grendel..... one........ two.. kickout by Fuego. And Grendel now quickly picking up Fuego. He's got him in a vertical suplex position, this could be the LAWN DART....Fuego falls behind, kick to the midsection, MUDSLIDE!!! *CROWD POP* MUDSLIDE BY THE WORLD CHAMPION!! THIS IS IT!!!! ONE.......... TWO....... GRENDEL HAS HIS FOOT ON THE ROPES!!!!! Fuego cannot believe it..he picks Grendel up, sends him to the ropes..picks him up for a CHOKESLAM...ERNIE WRAPS HIS LEGS AROUND FUEGO'S HEAD...HURACANRANA!!!!!. And Ernie up the ropes like a shot.....has to do this quickly.. SKYTWISTER PRESS!!!!! SKYTWISTER PRESS!!! WE HAVE ONE!!!!! WE HAVE TWO!!!!!!!!!!! WE HAVE A KICKOUT!!! FUEGO KICKED OUT!!!!!! I can't hear myself think right now. Ernie picks up Fuego...Fuego ducks a savate kick..THAI KICK TO THE STERNUM!!!! MUDSL...No, Fuego ducks under, gets him on his shoulders...DEAR GODD!! ERNIE JAMS FUEGO'S BAD LEG ONTO THE MAT!!!! Fuego's in a world of hurt right now, and Ernie's rolling outside the ring..he's under the ring, pulling a table out. Whatever this is, this is going to be ugly....Ernie sets the table up, rolls inside, grabs Fuego's leg and gives it a twist to keep him pliable....lifts Fuego up and crotches him on the top turnbuckle...he's climbing up, he's holding onto Fuego's leg, they're both on the top... *CROWD SCREAM* OH DEAR GOD!!! OH DEAR GOD...ERNIE JUST DRAGON SCREWED FUEGO OFF THE TOP ROPE!! AND FUEGO CRASHED HIP FIRST RIGHT THROUGH THAT TABLE!!!!! [Instant replay re-shows the move] Grendel rolling Fuego into the ring...Fuego is out, Grendel is almost there himself.......cover by Grendel... One............ Two....... Three!!! WE HAVE A NEW WORLD CHAMPION!!!!! *DING DING DING* ############################################ # WINNER: Ernie Grendel, by pinfall 14:22 # # NEW EWC WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION # ############################################ ("Crazy" kicks in) I think the crowd is in shock right now..... I know I am...Grendel is out on his back right now, but he's the new Heavyweight champion of the world!!!! I'll give Ernie this, he took Fuego to the limit tonight.. but Fuego took him back, and you can bet this won't be the last match between these two. Grendel came out tonight to prove a point, and I think he did, Fuego has to have injuries to his leg at this point, and I'm not convinced that Grendel isn't hurt either. But he is the new Heavyweight champion...we have medical attention coming out for both men...folks, we're out of time. We'll sort this out more next week.. (c) 1999 Solo Sports, Inc.