Opening Day Promo Thread

[kingclutch]

A video starts up and Clutch McCloud comes into focus.

Clutch: Bobby....Bobby....I think you've taken a few too many shots to the head. I believe I heard you say you don't need a stipulation to beat me. But you could not be more wrong. What you see before you is a renewed Clutch, one that has been broken down and rebuilt by the sands of time. The Clutch here before you is not the one you've faced in our history.

But that isn't what I want to talk about....I want to bring to light something that is...disturbing. Now I remember pretty well what you did to Danica Jane. And what has been done about it? NOTHING. No why is that? .....Do you want to know what I think? People like Bob....like Jim Houston..they're perfectly okay with it. In fact, can we get someone to check on CJ? Especially in our time of social distancing and quarantining I'm actively worried about what might be happening behind closed doors.

But it pisses me off that I keep getting brushed to the side while management looks the other way on this. You don't see the NBA vs the WNBA, you don't see the NFL facing off against a women's team, you don't see men fighting women in the UFC. It's only in this business and it's amoral and disgusting.

Now before I close up, there's something I want to address: my match with Artemis Evans. YES, I have been in an intergender match before. This was because I still had that spineless weasel Richard Crowley in my ear. Since then, I have see the error of my ways and it was after I cut the dead weight that I took it upon myself to end the barbarism in FPW.

[noname1525]

Sixty Minutes of Freedom Segment

Mike Watson was standing in a ring that had been prepared to host a contract signing, with a carpet covering the mats and a table sitting in the center of the ring. And in the center of the table was a leather-bound file. He raised the mic and began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the FPW Universe, my name is Mike Watson. One week from tonight, the FPW World Championship will be on the line, and right now, that match will be made official. But before we do that, I want to tell you a story. It's the story of a man came from nothing, only to one day hold everything. He started at the absolute bottom, and he worked his way to the very top. He never saw himself as the best,and perhaps that's what made him the best. Because every time he got knocked down, he got back up. Every time he lost something, he won something else, something better. Along the way, he made friends and enemies, gained both mentors and rivals. And even when everything and everyone was changing around him, he always stayed true to himself. And then one day, despite everyone saying that he didn't have what it takes, he achieved his goal, and he made it to the top of the mountain."

"By now you've surely figured out that this man is Jace Mason, that he's the hero of this story I'm telling. But every story needs both a hero and a villain, and the villain of this particular story wouldn't take long to appear. For just after Jace had his big moment,someone else would arrive to claim the glory for themselves. And as you know, that someone was Artemis Evans, and that glory was the FPW World Championship. Jace of course would attempt to reclaim the title, but he was unsuccessful. And now, two months later, Jace has earned another shot, and in seven days, he will stand across the ring from Artemis Evans once again, and once again look to become a two-time FPW World Champion."

The crowd applauded, and Mike smiled at the camera before he continued. "And now, without further ado, I give you the winner of the 2020 Young Lion's Cup. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Jace Mason!"

'Afterlife' played through the arena, and Jace emerged to an eruption of applause. He nodded as he dropped into his pose at the top of the ramp, then rose and walked down to the ring. He stepped up to the middle turnbuckle and raised his hand, smiling to the crowd before he dropped into the ring. He shook hands with Mike before he picked up one of the extra mics that sat on the table.

He raised the mic to speak, but he was cut off as 'Hammer to Fall' began to play. Artemis Evans appeared at the top of the ramp, a microphone on her hand and the FPW World Championship around her waist. Her music cut out as she began to speak while making her way down the ramp. "Yes, we're all moved to tears by your story Watson. How much did Mason pay you for that?" She laughed as she stepped into the ring and stood across the table from Mason. "Let's get down to why we're really here, this." she said as she raised he title above her head. She set it down on the table as she continued "That's what this always been about. It's not about me, and it's certainly not about Mason. It's about this title and about what it represents. This title is the biggest prize in this company, and as the biggest prize, there's a certain promise that comes with it. A promise that the person carrying that belt is the most deserving of doing so. In short, the person who holds that belt should be the best wrestler in the locker room in order to be deserving of it. And for a long time, this promise was fulfilled. Names like Graham Baker, Marcus Allen Jones, MDE, they were all deserving champions."

"But then on the twenty-second of December 2019, this promise was broken, when Jace Mason became the FPW World Champion. Nothing against you Jace, you're a good wrestler. But the FPW World Champion should be more than just a good wrestler, they should be the best. And as good as you are, you're just not the best. You've never been the best, and you never will be, despite what Watson over there says. No, for a long time now, the best in FPW has been yours truly, the Glory Huntress, Artemis Evans. I'd been content as the others I listed held the title because even I saw them as worthy champions. But then Graham Baker was forced to leave, and MDE became a manager, and Marcus lost his winning ways. FPW losing championship contenders left and right, and in their hour of need, who did they turn to? Jace Mason? Seriously?"

Artemis struggled to contain her laughter, but was forced to pause for a moment as she did so. "Sorry about that, I just couldn't take that seriously. Now, as I said, I was willing to sit back for those that I saw as worthy champions, but I've never seen Jace as a worthy champion, and so I was no longer willing to sit back. And fortunately for me, I had the exact tool to claim that title. So yes, I cashed in the Dead Man's Chest, and I took the title away from an undeserving champion, putting it back into the hands of a worthy competitor and fulfilling the inherent promise of the belt." The crowd booed, and Artemis turned to address them. "I don't know why you're hating on me, the way I see it, you should be thanking me! I restored the natural order of this company!" She set down her mic as the booing got louder and bent over the table, signing her name on the contract. Smiling, Artemis went to pick up her mic again, only for Jace to swat it out of her hand! Artemis stared at him in shock as the crowd loudly cheered.

"No, no more!" Jace exclaimed. "I've had enough of you, and you're attitude that you're better than everyone else. You're not the first person to claim you're better than me, but I swear, you're the first person who's  been able to get under my skin with that attitude. I've heard those claims all throughout my career, and I've made a career out of proving them wrong. Do you think anyone thought that I'd win the Hardcore Championship? No, they didn't, and yet I went out and set records with that belt. Do you think anyone thought I could win the Free-1? No, they didn't, and yet I came out atop the most contested block in the tournament's history.  And you might think I can't beat you next week, but I'm going to go out and prove you wrong." With that, he tossed his mic down and signed his name on the contract.

Artemis smirked as Jace straightened back up, but then dropped the facade as she swung a punch, only for Jace to block and kick the table into her midsection! Artemis staggered back to the ropes as Jace shoved the table out of the way. He connected with a forearm before he grabbed her wrist and whipped her into the ropes, preparing to deliver Extra Credit. But Artemis dropped down and slid beneath the bottom rope, turning around with a smirk as she stood safely on the outside. But that arrogance turned to rage as Jace bent down and picked up the FPW Championship from where it had fallen. "Get your hands off that; that's mine!" she shouted as he raised it above his head "It's yours for one more week, and then I'm taking it back!" Jace shouted back, much to the appreciation of the screaming crowd as the show faded to black.

[kingclutch]

David Archer and Braxton Cable come out, FPW Tag Titles on their shoulders. As they make their way down the ramp, fans try to high five, but they are largely rebuffed. A fan manages to get a high five with Archer, but upon entering the ring The Vigilante immediately pulls out a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

DA: "It has been amusing to say the least...to see Revolution-X come out here and act as if they have earned the right to occupy our ring. But before we get to them, I would like to express my displeasure at facing a team that we have already beaten. The fact that Jim Houston has done raging biker for the Guardians of Strong Style doesn't mean that we shouldn't have some competition. Instead of doing the same old song and dance. Hell, at least Russ and Danica were a breath of fresh air, despite the protest from the powder blue Boy Scout. We'll destroy the Guardians of Strong Style, but after them, we want new opponents. I don't care who they are or where they're from. As for the Guardians...(in Japanese) "On Sunday we will leave you in the middle of that ring. Battered, bruised, and broken. You will be left in a pool of your own blood, piss, and shit. But don't worry, we'll only make you WISH you were dead."

[ticktock]

Aaron Williams is sat in an armchair with a bottle of Bud in his hand.

“I don’t often talk like this. Sat in a chair, talking to a camera. But I wanted to address a few things and what better time than now. As much as we all hate to admit it, first impressions count. They count a lot. Whether you’re interviewing for a job, trying to get a date or trying to impress a wrestling crowd so that they’ll come back and you’ll get paid enough to buy food for the month. In wrestling, your first impression to any new crowd is your entrance. And I could go on and on about Jerry and my paths and our differences, but I don’t need to. Just look at the first impressions we choose to give. Me? I choose an upbeat song with a message that grinding away in small venues means something. Jerry? He chooses a song talking about how much he revels in everyone hating him and that they ought to shine his shoes. Why he chose that song, I don’t know. Why I chose mine, well, I want to tell you about it.

“It was 2012. The British wrestling scene was just starting to bubble up and I was just starting to catch my really big break with ROH. I was asked to go over to England and wrestle in a city called Sheffield. It was a good show with a hot, if small, crowd. I decided to take my then girlfriend and spend a week in England. I didn’t know if I’d ever get the chance to go back so why not? Anyway, we’re in a bar in London and they’re playing my kind of music. This guy walks in and he can tell I’m enjoying it. He asks me if I’ve ever listened to Frank Turner. I hadn’t, so he told me about a show Frank Turner was playing the next day and told me that I wouldn’t regret it. I’m not the kind of man who says no very often so I went along. Why not? The ticket was cheap and I didn’t have anything better on. And that was when I first heard the song that just defined who I was. It was so upbeat and positive, so easy to sing along to... I just felt it right there.

“From the very start where Frank Turner listed off all of these places, so many of which I’ve wrestled in, onto ow he talks about anybody being able to take to a stage and make miracles for minimum wage. That’s what I was trying to do every goddamn night and I loved it then and I love it now. He talks about never having to feel alone and about the power that rock and roll has. I believed then and I believe even more now that wrestling has that power. The power to bring people together. The power to give people meaning. The power to save lives, save souls and have fun. Frank Turner talked about rock and roll saving us all, but it’s wrestling. I knew as soon as I heard that song that it encapsulated what I try to do better than I ever could. After that show, I asked him there and then if I could use it and he signed a scrap of paper which said I could. I’ve never entered an independent wrestling arena without that song since then.

“That’s who I am, Jerry. That’s why I want to face you and that’s why I need to have the kind of match that saves lives. The kind of match that saves souls. That’s why I need you and I to go to that ring and to have that fun. And believe me, Joker, I’m going to have my fun whether you like it or not. I promise that nobody will leave the arena without a smile on their face when they’re thinking of this match. That’s who I am. Who the fuck are you?”

[Jim Houston]

The Guardians of Strong Style's music plays over highlights of their big matches. We see big kicks, chops, lariats and big double teams. We see several different shots of them holding up the FPW Tag Team Championships before seeing the end of their match at Judgement Day II, and The Dogs of War standing with the Tag Team Championships in their hands.

The music ends and Sato's face appears.

"Guardians of Strong Style... best team in FPW history. Two-time Tag Team Champions. Death Squad. Hunter Killer. Bobby O and Jack Sevren. All fall before Guardians of Strong Style. Last summer... no teams left. Jim Houston search for new teams. Guardians of Strong Style get confident. Too confident. Dogs of War... beat Guardians of Strong Style. Shame. Great shame."

Sato pauses and turns to Masa Tchyukiro and Hiro Takahra.

"Takahara-San and Tchyukiro-San go into singles matches... two reason. Reason one. Get better wrestlers. Better singles means better team. Reason two. Humility. Takahara-San and Tchyukiro-San strong as team. Not as strong apart. Lose to Marcus Allen Jones. Botiatus. Lose to good wrestlers. Sato sit back and watch. Wait until Guardians of Strong Style ready again. Now Guardians of Strong Style ready. Matches make Tchyukiro-San and Takahara-San better. Losses make Guardians of Strong Style hungry."

Tchyukiro and Takahara tape their wrists and tie their boots.

"Now Dogs of War next. Dogs of War won at Judgement Day. Better team. But only at Judgement Day. Not better team now. Guardians of Strong Style better team now. Opening Day... Guardians of Strong Style take rematch. Take revenge. Take Tag Team Championships. Begin again. Dogs of War. You have nice reign. But... how do they say... all good things come to end. Sunday... Guardians of Strong Style stand tall. Three-time Tag Team Champions."

Tchyukiro and Takahara stand, walking over to a ring in the background. Sato turns and the two of them begin chopping each other hard in the chest.

[kingclutch]

An ad surfaces, with the clear feel of a campaign commercial right away. Clutch McCloud comes into view and he's wearing a blue suit with an American flag pin. He is also wearing a white shirt with a blue Hextie.

CM: "Hi, I'm Clutch McCloud, one of many personalities with Freedom Pro Wrestling. As of late, FPW has okayed an absolutely barbaric practice. The practice of inter-gender wrestling.

[various clips of matches such as Jace/Artemis, Jerry/Berry, etc. play as Clutch continues talking]

"Under Jim Houston's watch, this disease has raged, but I am here to say that I am the cure! I just humbly ask that you rise up and join me. Together we can end it once and for all."

[Clutch's name comes up on screen, as a portion of "Rise" by Skillet plays]

"....Rise, Rise, Rise in revolution"

This repeats as the screen fades to black.

[botiatus]

Bo sits in a nearly empty airport lounge. He stares out the window as a private jet is rolling into the gate when suddenly his phone beeps. He checks the notification with a frown as J approaches with a Carona in hand. Bo takes the drink as his attention never breaks from the phone

J- "Something wrong?"

Bo- "Maybe"

Bo maneuvers through the phone before setting it down on the table as the speakerphone rings. J sits across from Bo as the phone call is answered and a growl can be heard"

Bo- "Umm Fozzie?"

An assertive growl answers Bo's question

Bo- "Umm, is Berry around?"

Another growl is heard before the line goes quiet. The silence continues for a few seconds before J whispers to Bo

J- "So is he getting her?"

Bo- "Bro I dunno. The call is still connected so I..."

Bo is interrupted by the sounds of crashing metal. Another loud growl can be heard and shortly after a nearly breathless Berry Bishop comes onto the line

Berry- "Hey there Bo-Bobo"

Bo- "Bo-Bobo? Have you been watching my anime collection?"

Berry- "I had to do something to pass the time since you limit how much I'm allowed to train. And jeez you have so many Blu Ray sets. It's almost like Jerry and his record collection...'

Hey voice tails off at the mention of Jerry as thoughts cloud her mind about her upcoming match against him. Bo decides to quickly changes the subject

Bo- "I'm limiting the amount you train for a reason. We're not just working on skill, were also trying to increase your endurance. I want you to be able to hit Checkmate a bit faster and at any point in a match. But rest is just as important to the equation as training is. Speaking of which, that's why I called. I just got a notification from your Fitbit that your heart rate has been in the yellow for over 30 mins. Are you training off schedule again?

Berry scoffs

Berry-"Heck no. Especially after you caught me the last time. You're not my dad you know sheesh"

Bo- "Ok fair. Then what are you doing and why did I hear crashing metal a minute ago"

Berry- "I'm putting the final touches on the place. I can't wait till you get back to see it, you're gonna LOVE IT! I think the purple adds a nice touch next to the electric blue"

Bo shakes his head and let's out a chuckle

Bo- "That's all well and good but take it easy ok. I don't want you basically putting your body through another workout by moving 100 miles a minute"

Across the table J mouths "Like her mouth does" and Bo has to stifle a laugh

Berry puts on her best Army cadet impersonation

Berry- "Yes sir Mr. Botiatus sir!"

Bo- "At ease solider. The plane is about ready so we'll be back there in plenty of time. Thankfully I have a few friends in high places or I might have been forced to miss the show. Oh by the way, I still plan on having you run through a few things with me to get my final preparation for Liz. She might be silent lately but she seems more deadly than ever. And I can't elevate this belt if I can't distance myself from the last Champion so this time I'll make sure not to just win but to make a statement"

Berry- "Sounds good. I told you I want to be able to contribute as well and Liz is someone I have tons of experience against..."

Another loud crash can be heard in the background

Berry- "Oh dang I forgot I wasn't done hanging that picture up. I gotta go, have a safe flight!"

The call ends and Bo looks at J

Bo- "So paint... And paintings"

Bo takes the beer and quickly downs it in one glup

Bo- "Guess it's a good thing that it's a long flight from Cali to Chicago"