*** “Charisma” by W.A.S.P. blares through the arena as Damion Black comes out to the ring, alone this time, and mic in hand. The crowd unleashes a torrent of boos and jeers at the smiling Black. ***
BLACK: “Since The Camp have made our intentions known, the whole wrestling world is talking about us. Some agree with us, some do not, but all the talk has accomplished one very important goal: the problem of professional wrestling today can no longer be ignored. Now, The Camp is far from finished, far from satisfied. We still have a great task ahead of us. Last Assault, The Camp put PWA’s feet to the fire, in a manner of speaking, to see what PWA was made of. Unsurprisingly, Assault, when left in the hands of the PWA locker room, was predictably dismal. The lowest ratings Assault has ever had occurred that night, which only serves to prove that The Camp is correct.
“So tonight, in the spirit of the giving season, The Camp has come bearing gifts to all of you ungrateful, undeserving people watching live or at home, on your fat butts, on your dingy moth-eaten couches. We present to you a night of unparalleled wrestling so that you may begin to appreciate what The Camp is doing and the sport we are trying so fervently to save-”
***Suddenly, Akira Wyld’s theme music explodes out of the arena speakers. Damion Black stops mid-sentence and glowers at the entrance ramp. As the PWA Armada cheers, Akira Wyld makes his way out of the entrance area and toward the ring. He is dressed to wrestle and has the PWA Heavyweight Championship around his waist. The champion locks eyes with Black as he rolls into the ring. He calls for a microphone and stands nose-to-nose with the PWA owner.***
WYLD: “So this is your play, Damion? This is your grand plan? Make the PWA locker room look like chumps by sabotaging their Assault… and then swoop in like a hero and deliver a ‘real’ wrestling show using only CAMP talent? Is that what true professional wrestling is all about? Your ‘sacred’ ring… your time-honored traditions? If this is your game, then you’re not the paragon of wrestling you claim to be. You’re stacking the deck like a crooked Vegas casino owner.”
***The crowd cheers and Damion Black rolls his eyes.***
WYLD: “You’ve seen Battery the past two weeks. You’ve seen what happens when The CAMP and PWA lock horns. And now you come out here and peddle this revisionist history. You’ve got a lot of talented wrestlers on your roster. There’s no denying that. But when you come out here and run down the locker room without even giving them the chance to fight for themselves… well frankly that’s beneath the Damion Black I know. And that kind of low game is an insult to the PWA Armada… AND the talented wrestler in The CAMP.”
***Wyld takes off his belt and lays it on the mat between them.***
WYLD: “So that’s why I’m here. You say you want to feature CAMP talent in a big way tonight? You want to prove The CAMP is better than the PWA locker room? Well put your money where your mouth is. Just like last week, I’m issuing an open challenge to anyone in this company. Anyone backstage tonight… including every member of The CAMP. I challenge anyone to face me for this belt tonight in front of the PWA Armada!”
***Black looks around with disdain at the screaming PWA fans. Akira steps forward and locks eyes with Black. The tension is palpable.***
WYLD: “So what are you going to do Damion? You say you want to put on a show that impresses the world and shows them The CAMP is a superior group? Then let Robert MacElroy step up. Let Yuri Krucheiv step up. Let Victor Sokolov step up. Let someone from The CAMP try to shut me down and take this belt. Are you going to be the one to deprive The CAMP of the chance to put a nail in PWA and take this title? Or are you afraid of the message it will send when I BEAT whoever you send down here in front of the world?”
*** Damion smiles and mockingly claps at Akira’s words. ***
BLACK: “An impassioned speech from our PWA Heavyweight Champion! Any open challenge to any and all competitors for a rich prize! Kid, I like your moxie! If only you were in charge… You see, we already have a major title defense tonight. The fact is that the NWC World Championship will be defended on every Assault from here on out, starting with Viking’s first opponent, Nakamura Yamasaki! Surely you don’t think I would upstage the NWC World title by allowing you to defend the Heavyweight title with no notice, do you?” ***The crowd boos loudly.*** “I’m afraid you got all dressed up for nothing. That’s the risk you take when you try to make matches on your own when you have. No. Authority! But don’t worry, Akira, because you will be defending your precious belt and vigorously because from now on, you will be defending your title each and every night… exclusively on Battery! The ‘B show’! The house show! You are going to take on all comers that I choose and you’ll do it in front of… 100… 150 people? I’m going to wear you down and wear you out until you are nothing but a husk!”
***Wyld paces back and forth in frustration. Black gestures to the back and a team of red shirted security make their way down the aisle, flanked by a quartet of uniformed police officers. Wyld spies the on-coming security team and scowls at Black.***
WYLD: “Really, this is how…”
***Akira’s mic is suddenly cut off as the security enters the ring. Akira looks down at the dead mic disgustedly and throws it to the ground. Off-mic, Akira jaws at Black who just stares at him stone-faced. Black picks up the championship belt from the floor and shoved it into Akira’s chest as the security team muscles him out of the ring and up the aisle. As he is lead away, he can be heard yelling back up at Black.***
WYLD: “You can’t win like this Damion! You can send me to Battery, but that won’t change a thing! Send your best! You know where to find me!”