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(We cut backstage to, once again, find Evenkiel trying to find a way out of the building. He has gone all the way to the main entrance where fans were let in just a couple hours ago. But as he gets there he finds Mark Payne standing there with a crowbar in hand amidst about half a dozen security guards who appear to be members of a local biker gang who were given a few bucks, a t-shirt that says “Security” and a license to get physical with anyone who provokes them. So Evenkiel backs up a few steps and walks over to the other set of front doors only to find a similar situation, with Oblivion clutching a steel chair and also surrounded by about half a dozen guards. Evenkiel takes a few steps back as we cut back to the ring.)
Nik Cain: Our next match features a pair of polar opposites, one man who was always deadly serious and another who was always joking. The only thing the two men ever had in common was a reputation for being good in a ladder match. This match is a match about respect. Jean held the FCW World Title for about six months, easily surpassing every other title reign in the belt’s illustrious history. He was often disliked but demanded respect and eventually got it from pretty much everyone…with one notable exception. Shawn Michaels, not one to respect anyone or anything, always dismissed Jean as a joke. The two never really locked horns in FCW despite plenty of verbal shots and so tonight I am going to remedy that in none other than a ladder match. And, to whet Jean’s appetite just a little more, it will be a sledgehammer dangling over the ring. You get it you don’t just win the match…you get to use it on the loser. And the loser, in addition to losing a match, might just lose some teeth.
The following contest is a ladder match scheduled for one fall with a one hour time limit.
Introducing first…
Led to the ring by Alex DiGiacomo…
Hailing from San Antonio, Texas…
And weighing in at 228 pounds…
”Made From the Best Stuff on Earth” Shawn Michaels
(“Without Me” by Eminem plays as Michaels and DiGiacomo make their way to the ring to a mix of cheers and boos. Suddenly, the lights turn to gray and the air turns cold. Fans instantly know who is about to make his appearance, and they are already on their feet. "The Butterfly FX" by Moonspell hits, and the arena instantly fills with cheers with some boos mixed in. They seem to be irrelevant, though, as once Fernando Ribeiro's voice changes to a scream, the man who holds the claim for the longest single FCW World Title reign comes charging out to the stage, the most fired up he's been in a long time. Wearing his trademark overcoat and his hair the classic black and silver, it's none other than the self-proclaimed "Prince of Darkness" Jean. He plays to the crowd, screaming and encouraging the fans to get louder. They do just that, reaching a level that's absolutely deafening.)
And his opponent…
Hailing from parts unknown…
And weighing in at 230 pounds…
“The Dark Prince” Jean
(He makes his way to the ring, the fans reaching out for him, and slides into the ring, where he continues to play to the crowd. Eventually, he stands in the center of the ring, a microphone in hand. The fans continue to cheer, and it soon becomes the chant of "FCW". Over and over it's repeated, and Jean is nodding his head with a smile on his face. Finally, he puts the mic up to his lips and the fans start to quiet down to listen.)
Jean: Yeah... Oh yeah... Hell yeah! You're feeling it. I can see it in your eyes, each and every one of you. The words 'Full Contact Wrestling' pounding away at your heart, lifting you up! That's right! That's what it's all about right there!
(The fans cheer in agreement.)
Suffice it to say, FCW was my home, just like it was for the rest of us who came here for this one night. It was my heart... my soul... my blood. Two years I poured my life into this company, and I sure as hell don't regret it. You people... each and every one of you are responsible for making this place what it was, because without you, those of us who came out here every Friday night to entertain you would have been nothing.
But I know you're all not here to listen to me rant and rave about how great this place was, because you all know how great it was already without being told. However, I do have some words for the one and only Shawn Michaels.
Shawn! Heartbreak Kid. Boy Toy. It's simple. I despise you. Always have. Yet, you are the one man in FCW that I never got a chance at one on one. I always wanted a shot at you, in order to put you in your place. I constantly asked for it, but never was given that chance. Our old boss always had something else in mind for you. However, finally, after five long years of waiting, I've got what I've been wanting. I finally have the chance the beat the hell out of you one on one. And it's in none other than a ladder match. All of the FCW faithful will recall Cruel and Unusual 2003 - the night in which the end of the "Prince of Darkness" as a main event performer occurred. That just won't be the case tonight, though.
Tonight! One last time! One last fight! One last match! FCW is where my career took off! But win or lose tonight, it's over. My FCW career will be complete. And I'll leave here happy tonight as long as I know I've done this one thing right.
Shawn Micheals! Tonight, you're my bitch!
(Fans explode at this, the excitement boiling over. Jean, for the last time tonight, and in his FCW career, puts the mic back up to his lips and says one last thing.)
It all... ends here.
(Jean tosses the mic from the ring and moves to a corner of the ring. The fans have risen to their feet, waiting in anticipation for the match that's about to transpire.)
They lock up.
Shawn Michaels goes for a punch but Jean blocks it.
Jean goes for a punch but Shawn Michaels ducks.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with a backdrop suplex.
Shawn Michaels takes Jean down with a clothesline.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with an elbowdrop.
The crowd starts a small “HBK” chant.
Shawn Michaels sets up the ladder.
Nik Cain: When you book Shawn Michaels, you can never be sure which one you’re gonna get, the Showstopper or the Paycheck Collector.
Shawn Michaels punches Jean.
Shawn Michaels punches Jean.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with a dropkick.
Shawn Michaels starts to climb the ladder but Jean is quickly back to his feet and pulls him down.
Jean whips Shawn Michaels into the turnbuckle.
Jean charges in but Shawn Michaels moves out of the way.
Shawn Michaels executes a backdrop suplex on Jean.
Nik Cain: HBK was way too anxious to get up that ladder but recovered nicely.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with a 2nd rope elbowdrop.
Alex DiGiacomo hands Shawn Michaels a hockey stick.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with the hockey stick.
Shawn Michaels nails Jean with a piledriver.
The crowd starts a “He’s a crackwhore!” chant.
Shawn Michaels further incites the crowd.
Nik Cain: You know, I actually extended an invitation to this shindig to Britney Spears in an attempt to use her restraining order to keep Alex out of the building, if not the entire state of New York. I guess she had a prior engagement so Alex is in the house and he just gave Michaels the upper hand he needed to unleash a brutal piledriver.
Shawn Michaels starts to climb the ladder.
Shawn Michaels is half way up the ladder.
Shawn Michaels is almost to the top of the ladder.
Jean tips over the ladder.
Shawn Michaels falls all the way out to the floor.
The crowd chants “Holy shit! Holy shit!”
Nik Cain: Just listen to this crowd cuz I don’t think I could say it any better.
Alex DiGiacomo goes over to check on Shawn Michaels.
Alex DiGiacomo helps Shawn Michaels to his feet.
Jean jumps onto both Shawn Michaels and Alex DiGiacomo with a corkscrew plancha.
Jean whips Shawn Michaels into the ringsteps.
Nik Cain: Jean, killing two birds with one stone.
Jean executes a snap suplex on Shawn Michaels.
Jean reenters the ring.
Jean sets up the ladder.
Shawn Michaels reenters the ring.
Jean hits Shawn Michaels with a knee to the face.
Jean takes Shawn Michaels down with a falling reverse DDT.
Jean starts to climb the ladder.
Jean is about half way up the ladder.
Jean nails Shawn Michaels with a moonsault off the ladder.
The crowd begins a “Prince of Darkness” chant.
Nik Cain: Jean with a moonsault off the ladder and this crowd is eating it up.
Jean starts to climb the ladder.
Jean is about half way up the ladder.
Shawn Michaels grabs Jean by the leg and pulls him back down.
Jean punches Shawn Michaels.
Shawn Michaels punches Jean.
Jean punches Shawn Michaels.
Jean punches Shawn Michaels.
Jean connects with a spin kick on Shawn Michaels.
Jean runs into the ropes but Alex DiGiacomo grabs his foot.
Jean pulls Alex up onto the ring apron.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with a low blow using the hockey stick.
The crowd boos.
Nik Cain: Jean makes an uncharacteristic mistake and turned his attention away from his opponent. Too bad for him there ain’t no penalty box in wrestling.
Shawn Michaels futher incites the crowd.
A small “You like Coke” chant can be heard.
Shawn Michaels locks Jean in an abdominal stretch.
Jean is trying to reach the ropes.
Jean fights the pain.
Jean struggles to reach the ropes and does.
Blackie McGee forces Shawn Michaels to break the hold after 18 seconds.
Shawn Michaels throws Jean over the top rope.
Nik Cain: Michaels really has no problem breaking the rules when he is actually risking disqualification. In a no DQ environment, Blackie is wasting his breath trying to get him to do anything.
Shawn Michaels distracts Blackie McGee while Alex DiGiacomo hits Jean with a series of stomps.
Alex DiGiacomo rolls Jean back into the ring.
Shawn Michaels goes for a vertical suplex but Jean reverses it.
Nik Cain: Alex is feeling bold tonight.
Jean knocks over the ladder.
Jean bodyslams Shawn Michaels onto the ladder.
Jean climbs to the top rope.
Jean connects with a senton bomb onto Shawn Michaels on the ladder.
Jean puts Shawn Michaels into an ankle lock.
Shawn Michaels is writhing in pain.
Nik Cain: Despite DiGiacomo’s best efforts, the Dark Prince has taken firm control of this match up.
Shawn Michaels tries to reach the ropes.
Shawn Michaels is barely hanging in there.
Shawn Michaels tries to reach the ropes.
Alex DiGiacomo enters the ring.
Jean releases the hold after 34 seconds.
Jean hits Alex DiGiacomo with a kick to the midsection.
Jean executes the Cry of Souls on Alex Diacomo.
Alex DiGiacomo is out cold.
The crowd erupts.
Nik Cain: The record World Title reign was nice and all but, judging by the crowd reaction, that might be the single greatest thing Jean has done in his entire career.
Jean rolls Alex DiGiacomo out of the ring.
Shawn Michaels executes the Britney Spear on Jean.
There are a lot of boos with a few cheers.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with the ladder.
Nik Cain: Well, the distraction worked again. Too bad for Alex that he is too unconscious at the moment to give himself a pat on the back.
Shawn Michaels sets the ladder back up.
Shawn Michaels starts to climb the ladder.
Shawn Michaels sees Jean getting up so he jumps back down from the ladder.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with a reverse neckbreaker.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with the hockey stick.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with the hockey stick.
The hockey stick is broken in half.
Nik Cain: If that felt half as bad as it sounded, Jean is in trouble.
Shawn Michaels puts Jean in a Sharpshooter.
Jean is valiantly trying to reach the ropes.
Jean is trying to block out the pain.
Jean tries to get to the ropes and does.
Shawn Michaels refuses to release the hold.
Shawn Michaels finally releases the hold after 45 seconds.
Shawn Michaels puts Jean in a Sharpshooter.
Jean is barely hanging in there.
Jean may have passed out.
Nik Cain: Michaels will break every rule in the book to work over the lower back of Jean, first by breaking a hockey stick over it and now by basically refusing to let him out of that Sharpshooter.
Jean starts moving again.
The crowd is rallying behind Jean.
Jean breaks the hold after 31 seconds.
Shawn Michaels whips Jean into the ropes but Jean reverses it.
Jean takes Shawn Michaels down with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
Jean starts to climb the ladder.
Nik Cain: Excellent desperation move by the former World Champ.
Jean is about half way up the ladder.
Jean is almost to the top of the ladder.
Shawn Michaels tips over the ladder.
Jean gets crotched on the top rope.
Shawn Michaels executes the Yahoo.com Sassy Hops Superkick on Jean.
Jean falls out to the floor.
The crowd starts a “That was sassy!” chant.
Nik Cain: Man, as if getting crotched like that wasn’t bad enough, as soon as Jean managed to plant his feet on the ring apron Michaels managed to plant his foot right on Jean’s jaw. And it looks like Michaels is already planning his next move.
Shawn Michaels climbs to the top turnbuckle.
Shawn Michaels dives out onto Jean with a flying elbowdrop.
The crowd is on its feet.
Nik Cain: Both men are down! I’m a little surprised HBK didn’t just try to win this one while Jean was down on the floor. Shades of the man that earned the name Showstopper after all.
Jean executes a Frankensteiner on Shawn Michaels.
Jean hits Shawn Michaels with a flying forearm.
Jean takes Shawn Michaels down with a snap suplex.
Jean takes Shawn Michaels down with a snap suplex.
Shawn Michaels hits Jean with a low blow.
Nik Cain: Jean actually managed to recover from that elbowdrop first and had the upper hand until Michaels threw a Mexican knee lift…as in south of the border.
Shawn Michaels climbs up onto the ring apron.
Jean climbs up onto the ring apron.
Shawn Michaels punches Jean.
Shawn Michaels punches Jean.
Jean punches Shawn Michaels.
Jean hits Shawn Michaels with a knee to the midsection.
Jean executes a Samoan Drop on Shawn Michaels from the ring apron to the floor.
The crowd breaks into an “FCW!” chant.
Nik Cain: Even though Michaels clearly got the worse end of that one, both men have had the wind knocked out of them and are very slow to recover. If this wasn’t a ladder match, I think we’d be looking at a double count out.
Jean slowly reenters the ring.
Jean helps Shawn Michaels into the ring.
Jean executes a double underhook faceslam onto the ladder.
Shawn Michaels is busted wide open.
The crowd erupts.
Jean locks Shawn Michaels in a Lion Tamer.
Shawn Michaels gets to the ropes after 5 seconds.
Nik Cain: Jean just busted Michaels wide open on that ladder.
Jean goes for a punch but Shawn Michaels blocks it.
Shawn Michaels takes Jean down with a hiptoss onto the ladder.
Shawn Michaels executes a Rocker Dropper on Jean on the ladder.
Jean is busted open.
Shawn Michaels is bleeding profusely.
The crowd is on its feet.
Nik Cain: And now its Jean who has been opened up by the steel.
Shawn Michaels drags Jean into the corner.
Shawn Michaels slides outside the ring.
Shawn Michaels locks Jean in a figure four around the ringpost.
Jean is writhing in pain.
Shawn Michaels refuses to release the hold.
Shawn Michaels lets go after 14 seconds.
Shawn Michaels reenters the ring.
Nik Cain: You can call Shawn Michaels a lot of things, but stupid ain’t one of ‘em. You kinda need both of your legs in working order to climb up a ladder.
Shawn Michaels lays Jean across the ladder.
Shawn Michaels climbs to the top rope.
Shawn Michaels goes for a flying fistdrop but Jean rolls out of the way.
The crowd chants, “Holy shit! Holy shit!”
Nik Cain: Nobody home ‘cept the ladder.
Jean executes the Deadly Promise on Shawn Michaels on the ladder.
Shawn Michaels is out cold.
Jean sets up the ladder.
Jean starts to climb the ladder.
Jean is about half way up the ladder.
Nik Cain: Jean is well on his way up the ladder and Michaels is not even moving yet.
Jean is almost to the top of the ladder.
Jean has retrieved the sledgehammer.
The crowd mostly cheers with only a few scattered boos.
The winner is Jean. Time of match: 12:06.
Nik Cain: And this match is over…but the fun is just beginning.
(Sledgehammer in hand Jean waits, measuring Shawn Michaels up. As Michaels staggers to his feet, Jean rams the top of the sledgehammer right into the side of his head, sending him back down to the mat in a heap. He slides out of the ring and, passing Alex DiGiacomo who is finally back on his feet, he buries the sledgehammer in his gut, sending him back to the floor curled up in fetal position.
Jean soaks up the crowd’s reaction for a few seconds before heading to the back. As he is doing this, medical personnel rush out and help both Michaels and DiGiacomo to the back as if in a hurry to get the ring clear.)