Nik Cain: It’s time for the first half of our double main event. This next contest is the infamous title fight that never happened. As most of you will remember, Scourge was the last man to ever hold the FCW World Title. He was scheduled to defend the belt against The Paladin at Civil War ’03 but, again, as most of you know, that event never took place. So, tonight, almost three years to the day from when that match was scheduled to take place, Scourge will do battle against the Paladin in a falls count anywhere, Texas Death Match.
The following contest is a Texas Death Match where falls count anywhere. It is scheduled for one fall with no time limit.
Introducing first…
Fighting out of the U.S.A…
And weighing in at 278 pounds…
The Paladin
Nik Cain: The Paladin, has trimmed down quite a bit from his FCW days when he tipped the scales at just over 300 pounds.
(The big screen comes to life, revealing the catacombs underneath this legendary arena. The walls betray their age with patches of damp and peeling paint. The floor is littered with various pieces of old equipment that used to be integral to the running of a wrestling show. In one corner of the room lies clues to the proud federation that frequently used this arena, there are promotional posters for cards for Full Contact Wrestling.
As the camera zooms in on the pile we see a hand reach down and grab one of the posters. Panning upwards the camera reveals the man known simply as Scourge, the last FCW World Heavyweight Champion. Scourge wears his customary wrestling attire: he is bare-chested but has black tights with an occult symbol emblazoned on them; he also sports black medium length wrestling boots and a long black leather jacket. The years do not seem to have altered Scourge’s distinctive appearance much; his black hair is still dreadlocked although the familiar goatee beard has gone.
Scourge gazes at the poster for a few moments before looking up to acknowledge the camera. Scourge then addresses the faithful in attendance at tonight’s event; his piercing eyes trained on the camera and his calm yet almost mesmeric voice betraying his trademark intensity.)
Scourge: Deep down I have longed for this day to come. No matter what anyone thinks of me, all of those in attendance and those watching on television know one thing - the Scourge of FCW bled for this federation. Whilst others sought fame elsewhere I stayed loyal to this company. I never envisaged wrestling for another company and when I was told that FCW was no more it was a jolt that took me years to come to terms with. After a while, as many of you know, I carried on with my wrestling career but I never forgot the spirit of FCW and what it represented.
(Scourge swallows before continuing and it seems that he is laying bare his emotions in a way that fans have never seen before)
So now I come to unfinished business…Paladin back before FCW finished you wanted to take away the belt that meant more to me than any other. Now, on the eve of what could be the most dangerous match of either of our careers there is no belt at stake, only pride. Well, Paladin I am not going to talk about the darkness within my soul that is about to be unleashed. You know all too well what I am capable of, as I know you. As far as I am concerned this match is not about anything that is happening elsewhere. So my question to you is simple: do you still have faith? Do you still have the belief you had in FCW before you were challenging me for the greatest title in the wrestling world. Because this will be a match that will be a testimony to the faith I had in FCW. It will be my testament to the federation that gave me the opportunities to develop belief in myself and to worship at the shrine that was the FCW ring. Tonight that shrine will be resurrected for one night only and our match will represent the ultimate paradox. As we celebrate the return of a prestigious federation we will revel in the pain and brutality of a hardcore match like no other.
(The cameras zoom in on Scourge’s face which is now lit up with expectation as he utters a final ominous message.)
So Paladin, as you look into my eyes when you face me in a few moments in that ring, I implore you to ask yourself ‘do you still have the faith?’. More than that do you have the faith to challenge mine when we approach the shrine of pain and suffering for a match that will define our legacies in FCW for ever more?
(The scene fades as Scourge bows his head in silent contemplation. Back in the arena “Seasons in the Abyss” by Slayer begins to play, marking the arrival of the Scourge of FCW. As he steps through the curtain, amid his usual ring attire, we immediately see the flash of gold. He is wearing the FCW World Title and a “You’re the champ” chant is audible.)
And his opponent…
Hailing from Denver, Colorado…
And weighing in at 277 pounds…
Scourge
Nik Cain: These two behemoths are in the ring…though there’s no telling how long they’ll actually stay in there, so let’s get this one started.
They lock up.
Scourge punches The Paladin.
The Paladin punches Scourge.
Scourge punches The Paladin.
The Paladin hits Scourge with a European uppercut.
The Paladin hits Scourge with a European uppercut.
Scourge hits The Paladin with a series of forearm smashes.
Scourge whips The Paladin into the ropes but The Paladin reverses it.
Scourge nails The Paladin with a running forearm smash.
Scourge catches The Paladin in a choke lift.
Nik Cain: Scourge displaying his raw power, picking The Paladin up with ease.
The Paladin breaks the hold with a series of punches to the side of the head after 9 seconds.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a clothesline.
The Paladin executes a gutwrench suplex on Scourge.
The Paladin rolls out of the ring.
He returns with a string of barbed wire.
Nik Cain: It didn’t take The Paladin long to go get himself a toy.
The Paladin chokes Scourge with the string of barbed wire.
The Paladin executes a German suplex on Scourge.
Scourge nails The Paladin with an eye gouge.
Scourge hits The Paladin with a spear.
Both men fall out of the ring.
The crowd starts an “FCW” chant.
Nik Cain: I knew the ring wouldn’t be able to contain these two for very long.
Scourge nails The Paladin with a snake eyes on the ring apron.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a Russian legsweep into the ring steps.
Scourge hits The Paladin with a legdrop.
Scourge whips The Paladin into the guardrail but The Paladin reverses it.
The Paladin charges in with a clothesline that sends both men over the guardrail.
The crowd starts to chant “Over here”.
The Paladin is handed a plunger.
The Paladin hits Scourge with the plunger.
The Paladin is handed a wrench.
Nik Cain: Like most nights here at the FCW Arena, tonight’s event is B.Y.O.P…bring your own plunder.
The Paladin hits Scourge with the wrench.
Scourge is busted wide open.
The Paladin hits Scourge with the wrench.
The Paladin drops Scourge throat first across the guardrail.
The Paladin executes a gutwrench power bomb on Scourge.
The Paladin goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, shoulder up.
The Paladin throws Scourge back over the guardrail.
Nik Cain: Man, Scourge has been split wide open thanks to that wrench.
The Paladin goes for a choke slam but Scourge counters it with an elbow smash.
Scourge executes a sitdown full nelson slam on The Paladin.
Scourge is bleeding profusely.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a swinging neckbreaker.
Scourge stomps The Paladin.
Scourge stomps The Paladin.
Scourge executes a swinging neckbreaker on The Paladin.
Scourge goes for The Guillotine but The Paladin blocks it.
The Paladin whips Scourge into the ring post.
Nik Cain: Scourge was softening The Paladin’s neck up for the Guillotine but Pally is no stranger to that move and was able to avoid it.
The Paladin grabs a steel chair.
The Paladin swings the chair at Scourge but Scourge moves out of the way and The Paladin hits the ring post.
The Paladin drops the chair.
Scourge nails The Paladin with spinebuster slam onto the chair.
Scourge goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, kickout.
Scourge is bleeding like a faucet.
Scourge hits The Paladin with a series of punches.
The Paladin nails Scourge with a European uppercut.
The Paladin is handed a brick.
The Paladin hits Scourge with the brick.
The crowd chants “Holy shit”.
Nik Cain: I can just imagine Kevin Cole right now, asking what kind of person brings a brick to a wrestling show.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a choke slam.
The Paladin goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, kickout.
They’re battling up the aisle.
The Paladin hits Scourge with a side suplex.
The Paladin is handed a steel chair.
Scourge punches the chair into The Paladin’s face.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a clothesline.
Nik Cain: The Paladin is having zero luck with chairs here tonight.
Scourge whips The Paladin into the guardrail.
The crowd starts a “Let’s go Scourge” chant.
The Paladin hits Scourge with a kick to the midsection.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a power bomb.
The crowd starts a “Paladin” chant.
The Paladin is handed a beer bottle.
The Paladin is handed another beer bottle.
The Paladin executes an ear ringer with the beer bottles.
The bottles are broken in half.
Nik Cain: Oh shit!
The crowd chants “Holy shit”.
The Paladin goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two three.
Nik Cain: Not even Scourge is kicking out after getting two bottles simultaneously smashed over his head.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three, four, five, Scourge gets back to his feet.
The crowd erupts.
Nik Cain: But he beats the ten count.
The Paladin hits Scourge with a series of punches.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a hiptoss.
The Paladin catches Scourge in an anklelock.
Scourge is struggling to break the hold.
Scourge breaks the hold after 11 seconds.
Scourge spears The Paladin through the curtain.
(At this point we lose sight of both men. After a few seconds, we cut to a camera backstage that has caught up with the men as they brawl past the concession tables.)
Nik Cain: Okay, we’ve got our cameramen back there to follow the action. I guess we’ll just have to watch what’s going on from the big screen here in the arena.
The Paladin grabs a metal tray.
The Paladin hits Scourge with the metal tray.
The Paladin whips Scourge into the wall.
The Paladin tries to punch Scourge but Scourge ducks out of the way and The Paladin hits the wall.
Nik Cain: You could easily break a hand that way.
Scourge executes the Shadow’s Fall on The Paladin.
Scourge goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, thr…kickout!
Scourge executes a power bomb onto one of the concession tables on The Paladin.
The table is broken in half.
Scourge goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three.
Nik Cain: That torture rack backbreaker wasn’t enough to score a pin fall but the power bomb through the table did the trick.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, The Paladin is back to his feet.
The crowd cheers for The Paladin.
Nik Cain: But The Paladin is quickly back to his feet. Maybe a little too quickly…it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to take advantage of the count a little bit.
Scourge drags The Paladin over to a janitor’s closet.
Scourge is bleeding all over the place.
Scourge slams The Paladin’s head in the door.
Scourge slams The Paladin’s head in the door.
Scourge grabs a mop.
Scourge chokes The Paladin with the mop.
Nik Cain: And here I thought he was gonna clean up all that blood he’s getting all over the place.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a Russian legsweep with the mop.
Scourge grabs a can of disinfectant spray.
Scourge sprays The Paladin in the face with the spray.
Nik Cain: I guess The Paladin will really need some blind faith now.
Scourge rams The Paladin’s head into the wall.
Scourge rams The Paladin’s head into the wall.
The Paladin is busted wide open.
Scourge locks The Paladin in the Manacle.
The Paladin struggles to break the hold.
The Paladin struggles to fight the pain.
Blackie McGee asks The Paladin if he’s had enough.
The Paladin shakes his head.
The Paladin breaks the hold after 35 seconds.
Nik Cain: And The Paladin breaks the hold. He could have just tapped and beat the ten count by I think both of these guys are too proud to take the easy way out. Hell, the easy way out would have been not to agree to this match in the first place.
Scourge nails The Paladin with a series of stomps.
Scourge goes for a power bomb but The Paladin counters it with a backdrop.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a belly-to-belly suplex.
The Paladin sets Scourge up on the other concession table.
The Paladin executes a Northern Lights Bomb on the table on Scourge.
The table is broken in half.
The cheers from the crowd are deafening.
Nik Cain: The Paladin’s vision still seems a little impaired, but he found that table just fine.
The Paladin goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three.
Nik Cain: And scores another pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three, four, Scourge gets back to his feet.
The crowd is rallying behind Scourge.
Nik Cain: But Scourge easily beats the ten count.
They’re battling towards the entrance to the arena.
Scourge hits The Paladin with a series of forearm smashes.
The Paladin is bleeding profusely.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a backbreaker.
Scourge goes for the Guillotine but The Paladin blocks it.
Nik Cain: Once again, The Paladin is able to avoid the dreaded Guillotine.
The Paladin hiptosses Scourge into one of the entrance doors.
The glass cracks.
The Paladin whips Scourge into the door and the glass shatters.
The Paladin executes the Golden Spike on Scourge on the shattered glass.
The crowd chants “FCW”.
The Paladin goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three.
Nik Cain: The Golden Spike is an oldie but goodie that gets The Paladin another pin fall on Scourge.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, Scourge gets to his feet.
The decibel level in the arena is unbelievable.
Nik Cain: But even a back full of glass won’t keep Scourge down.
The Paladin tries to throw Scourge outside but Scourge blocks it.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a powerslam.
Scourge staggers out of the arena.
As The Paladin steps out of the arena, Scourge hits him with a 2X4.
Scourge goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three.
Nik Cain: Damn, Scourge might’ve just broken The Paladin’s nose.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three, four, The Paladin gets to his feet.
The crowd is rallying behind The Paladin.
Nik Cain: And this match still isn’t over.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a running clothesline.
The Paladin goes for a running clothesline but Scourge counters it with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam.
Scourge is bleeding like a faucet.
Scourge goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three.
Nik Cain: Scourge plants The Paladin with a sick powerslam on the pavement. That has got to be it.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, The Paladin gets back to his feet.
The crowd erupts.
Nik Cain: No!
Scourge punches The Paladin.
The Paladin punches Scourge.
Scourge punches The Paladin.
The Paladin punches Scourge.
Scourge punches The Paladin.
The Paladin punches Scourge.
The Paladin whips Scourge into the side of a car.
The Paladin hits Scourge with a European uppercut.
Scourge hits The Paladin with a series of forearm smashes.
The Paladin is bleeding like hell.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a fallaway slam into the side of the car.
The crowd chants “Holy shit”.
Nik Cain: I don’t know how either of these guys is still standing…let alone tossing one another into cars.
Scourge tries to ram The Paladin’s head into the hood of the car but The Paladin reverses it.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a DDT.
The Paladin goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, thr…kickout!
The crowd erupts.
Nik Cain: Kick out? Are you kidding me?
Scourge is bleeding like hell.
The Paladin sets Scourge up on the hood of the car.
The Paladin executes a piledriver on the hood of the car on Scourge.
The Paladin goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, Scourge gets to his feet.
The decibel level is unbelievable.
Nik Cain: Scourge beats the count! Scourge is not human…it’s the only explaination I can come up with.
The Paladin opens the trunk of the car.
The Paladin throws the spare tire at Scourge.
The Paladin grabs a tire iron.
The Paladin takes a swing at Scourge with the tire iron but Scourge ducks out of the way.
Scourge grabs the tire iron.
Scourge hits The Paladin with the tire iron.
Scourge hits The Paladin with the tire iron.
Scourge hits The Paladin with the tire iron.
The Paladin is bleeding all over the place.
Nik Cain: I think any normal person would have a hard time watching this at this point. Of course, I’m loving every second of it.
Scourge sets The Paladin up on the top of the car.
Scourge nails The Paladin with a muscle buster.
Scourge goes for the pin.
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three.
Nik Cain: Neck first onto the concrete. That’s the first time I can recall seeing Scourge use that particular maneuver. Will it be enough?
Blackie McGee counts one, two, three, four, five, The Paladin gets to his feet.
A dueling “Paladin/Let’s go Scourge” chant is started.
Nik Cain: No, The Paladin is back up with seconds to spare.
They’re battling back towards the arena.
Scourge hits The Paladin with a series of forearm smashes.
They’re back in the lobby of the arena.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a Russian legsweep into the broken glass.
Scourge rubs The Paladin’s face in the glass.
The Paladin hits Scourge with a series of punches to the midsection.
The Paladin takes Scourge down with a DDT into the broken glass.
Nik Cain: DDT on the glass…which hurt the hell out of Scourge but didn’t exactly do The Paladin any favors either.
The Paladin locks Scourge in the Inquisition on the broken glass.
Scourge is writhing in pain.
Scourge is struggling to break the hold.
Blackie McGee asks Scourge if he’s had enough.
Scourge shakes his head.
Scourge is bleeding like a faucet.
Scourge is struggling to break the hold.
Scourge breaks the hold after 1 minute.
Nik Cain: Somehow Scourge mustered the strength to break a hold that has led to many a submission victory for The Paladin.
The Paladin whips Scourge into the wall.
The Paladin charges in but Scourge nails The Paladin with a spinebuster slam.
The crowd is rallying behind Scourge.
Scourge takes The Paladin down with a powerslam on the broken glass.
Scourge makes a throat-slitting motion with his hand.
Scourge executes the Guillotine on The Paladin on the broken glass.
Scourge goes for the pin.
Dick Palmer counts one, two, three.
Nik Cain: The third time is the charm as Scourge finally connects with the Guillotine…and on broken glass no less.
Dick Palmer counts one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
The crowd is on its feet.
The winner is Scourge. Time of match: 18:30.
Nik Cain: And this blood bath is finally over. The gold may not have officially been on the line, but Scourge just showed why he wore the belt. And, hell, The Paladin showed why he was a top contendor for it.
(After several seconds, we see an unbelievably bloody Scourge reemerge through the curtain and make his way to the ring in order to claim his property, namely the FCW World Title belt. He holds it up to incredible cheers and a loud “FCW” chant before leaving.)
Nik Cain: The crowd had to watch more than half of that match on our big screen but they won’t have to worry about this next one straying too far from the ring.
(We see the infamous “cell” slowly and ominously being lowered.)