Preparation

[Ameronth]

***7:50 am, Damion Black’s personal gym. Black is standing outside of a practice ring, near the apron watching Ronnie Lassiter workout with a training opponent. Lassiter and his sparring partner lockup in a collar and elbow tie-up and Lassiter immediately grabs a headlock. His opponent pushes Lassiter to the ropes then attempts to throw him off and break the headlock, but Lassiter clamps down on the headlock, stopping his momentum and maintaining the hold. Lassiter then releases the headlock as he spins around his opponent, grabs his arm and locks in a hammerlock. Lassiter continues to apply pressure as his opponent steps away and attempts to maneuver out of the hammerlock. Lassiter yanks his opponent back towards him, releases the hammerlock and grabs a waistlock, then lifts his opponent in the air and brings him down hard, maintaining the waistlock on the ground. His opponent tries several sit-outs and reverses, but Lassiter maintains the top position.***

BLACK: “Come on, Ronnie, push that pace! Wear him out! Make him sprint a marathon!”

***Lassiter’s training opponent manages to sit-out and break Lassiter’s grip, then rolls away from Lassiter. He then grabs Lassiter by the arm and attempts to whip the big man to the ropes. Lassiter reverses the Irish whip, sending his opponent to the ropes instead. On the rebound, Lassiter hits a drop toe hold and then gets top position right back on his opponent and slides over to grab a necklock.***

BLACK: “There you go, that’s it! Keep the pressure on!”

***Black reaches into his sportscoat pocket and pulls out a remote control, then presses a button. A pre-recorded chorus of boos echoes throughout the gym, causing Lassiter to pick his head up in confusion. Lassiter’s opponent reaches up and attempts to eye-gouge Lassiter, forcing Lassiter to break the hold. The two men scramble to their feet. Lassiter walks over to where Damion is, agitated at the sudden noise.***

LASSITER: “Hey man, what’s the deal with noi-“

***Before he can finish, Lassiter’s training partner chop blocks him from behind.***

BLACK: “This is all you’re going to hear during your match with Fury! Don’t lose your focus!”

***Lassiter’s opponent kicks at Lassiter’s ribs, causing him to cover up. The man then gets Lassiter to his feet and whips Lassiter to the ropes. Lassiter rebounds at a dead sprint and nails his opponent with a lariat that turns him inside out! Lassiter then picks his opponent up and lifts him high overhead, then brings him down hard over his knee in a backbreaker!***

BLACK: “That’s it! Finish him off!”

***Without hesitation, Lassiter wraps his arms around his opponent in a gutwrench fashion and lifts him off of the ground up and over Lassiter’s own head, then Lassiter throws him down hard in a Gear Jammer powerbomb! Black slaps his hand on the apron three times, then presses the remote again and the crowd noise stops. Lassiter releases the pin and approaches Black, who is now on the ring apron. Black hands Lassiter a towel.***

BLACK: “You’re making good progress, Ronnie. Your killer instinct is coming through, we just gotta work on keeping your head in the match.”

LASSITER: "That was … strange, boss. I mean, I'm used to hearing that, but … not at me, y'know?"

BLACK: “I get it. The fans can be a source of energy for whoever they get behind. It’s something you are going to have to deal with in your title match with Fury. You know firsthand what having the fans on your side will do for you. It gets your adrenaline flowing, gets your blood pumping. Those cheers fill you with confidence and determination. Make no mistake, the fans will be on Fury’s side. You won’t just face Fury in the ring, you’ll face the whole arena for the right to be Heavyweight Champion.”

Lassiter: "The fans can give a man alotta will … I bet I can outlast Fury, but outlasting the fans … "

BLACK: “Ronnie, you remember one thing: you are the best wrestler in that ring. You are better than Brian Fury, better than any jackass in the crowd, and you are going to prove it to everyone! Yeah, they are going to try to pick Fury up to his feet, give him that energy and that will to keep fighting. You know how you’re gonna stop that? You have to make the fans believe that Fury is going to lose no matter what. Every time they cheer Fury to his feet, you knock his ass back to the canvas. Every time they will him out of a submission hold, you grab another one. You smother Fury, and when you do that you smother the fire the fans try to ignite. You have to make them believe that no matter what they do or what Fury does, you cannot be stopped. You pull back that massive fist and punch those fans right in the faith! Understand?”

***Lassiter nods solemnly, his face a stone mask of determination.***

BLACK: “Good. Now get back in there. Come on, get the next guy in here!”