Monday Night Raw, Royal Rumble this weekend

https://youtu.be/IBpDTxMMWJk

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to Monday Night Raw! I'm David Drake alongside Corey Graves and Ben Brayden, and we're live from Tulsa, Oklahoma! And kicking us off tonight is Raw Women's Champion, "The Fallen Angel" Crystal Zamora!"

The Champion came out to the adoration and cheers of the WWE Universe, again, minus her signature facepaint... And tonight, of all nights, she seemed to be in a rather "Casual" attire as far as her past outfit choices have went. Simply, a Pair of Blue jeans and her old Performance Center Shirt were all she chose to wear on this occasion. But what was her reasoning for it?

Zamora entered the ring, Mic in hand. "First thing's first, TULSA, OKLAHOMA, WELCOME TO MONDAAAY NIGHT RAAAWWW!!!" The crowd popped for the same reason every crowd does; someone said their city's name!

"Now, I bet most of you are rather curious as to why I chose to... how do I put it? Dress down for the night. Usually you don't get to see a certain side of me, as after all, I am predominatly a character on your TV screen, but I want everyone to know... My real name is Crystal Rosemary Zamora. I'm your Raw Women's Champion not because I had anyone to hand me the opportunity, but because I had the combination of all the right skills and talents and all the right people in my corner. A hundred and one things had to go right for me to make it to where I am today, because I'm not perfect. I've made a lot of mistakes, I'm a single mother to my 7-year-old daughter, Briana, and I've pushed away half of my own family because of how my mother views this industry of ours. But there's no way I'd trade any of that for anything in this world, because the experiences I've gone through, the nights where I cried myself to sleep in the early hours of the morning, the sleepless 48-hour stretches where I'd do nothing but travel just to maybe perform in front of fourty or fifty people... All that's made me into the champion standing before you today. And I know, I know, no one came to hear my sob story, there's probably gonna be a documentary on it in a few years when Briana starts her training..." The crowd let out a small cheer at the mention of Crystal's daughter wanting to wrestle as well! Zamora smiles, but then she gets her promo back on track. "...And so, instead of continue about the past, let's talk about the future. I'm not medically cleared to compete for the Royal Rumble. But what I am cleared to do is wrestle in an Undisputed WWE Women's Championship match, seven days from this Saturday... at WWE Draft Night. So, whether it's Liv Morgan vs Crystal Zamora round four, or it's Zamora vs Kai round one, I'll be ready and waiting for a fight. But... That's not the earliest I've been cleared. Next week on Raw, I'm allowed to return to in-ring competition. So, as the fighting champ I am, I'd like to issue a little open challenge for next week. Who's got the guts to-"

https://youtu.be/5eJwI6n389g

 "Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn?! What the hell do they want?!" Brayden asks from commentary. Graves shakes his head. "Nothing good, Ben. Something wicked, this way comes. I guarentee that this unholy duo has only the most evil intentions in mind. If I were the champ, I'd get outta dodge while the going's good!"

"Well lookie what we have 'ere! A poor, vulnerable champion tellen' a sad story to a crowd that doesn't care for 'er sobfest of a tale." Isla says mockingly and with obvious false sympathy. Crystal shakes her head. "Ok, what is it with you two? Or... moreso, Isla... What's with you?! Alba, we've had our rivalries, the Street Fight at Stand & Deliver a few years back, and that chapter's done and over with. But your little witch friend here's got some kinda obsession with my Family, and I wanna know what the hell it's all about."

Isla laughs semi maniacally, while Alba looks less than confident about her friend's mental state. Nonetheless, she raised a microphone. "I can't speak for Isla, but I just know our business is far from over, Zamora. So why don'tcha find yer sorry arse a tag team partner 'n take on the two 'a us TONIGHT!"

Crys scratched her head with the base of her microphone. "So... is all that dark magic crap turning you into a couple of dumb broads? Because last I checked, I said I'm still NOT medically cleared for tonight... But fear not, people of Tulsa! I've got friends in the back, so I'm sure I can find a team willing to face you. Come Hell or high water, there WILL be a tag match for you all tonight! And I'll make sure these two think twice before calling out the best in the business." The fans gave an ovation for the champ, who flipped the microphone out of her hand before sliding out of the ring and jumping the barricade, leaving through the crowd! Crystal raised her title as she stood amongst the WWE Universe, and this is the final shot we see before we cut to our first commercial break.

In the 1st match of the night, Luke Jamison qualified for the Royal Rumble by defeating Hangman Adam Page in a 17 minute, fast paced masterpiece of a match. The ending came when Hangman attempted a second Buckshot Lariat, but was caught on the way down by a Shot of Jamison! Luke called Hangman up and he connected on a second S.o.J., this time to the back of the head, and it was enough to keep Page down for the three.

It all had started with both men shaking hands, and it ended with both men shaking hands and with Page raising Luke's arm in Victory, only for Luke to raise Hangman's arm as well, as Jamison respected the effort put forth by the Cowboy.

David Drake stood up and picked up a Microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an email I must read. It's from the new Raw General Manager, who will be replacing Jon Moxley effective Immediately. They prefer to remain anonymous for now, but here is what they had to say..." David clears his throat. "Due to his actions on Smackdown this past Friday Night, WWE champion Rico Jamison allegedly had his contract with WWE terminated by WWE Official Adam Pearce. However, Adam Pearce has not only since admitted he made a rash decision in the heat of the moment, but the Board of Directors has issued a statement, in which they acknowledge that Pearce had no authority to make a decision of that magnitude without approval from a general manager, commissioner, or a WWE board member. So, effective Immediately, Rico Jamison's contract will be officially reinstated... but not all actions can go unpunished. As for his unwarranted physical assaults of Darby Allin, Apollo Crews, Cameron Grimes, and Orange Cassidy, along with his generally unprofessional misconduct backstage, Rico Jamison will be hereby STRIPPED of the WWE Championship, effective immediately, and will be removed from the Triple Threat match at the Royal Rumble. And as for Mister Jamison tonight... Not only will you be in action against one of the men you so heinously assaulted, Cameron Grimes, you will also be required, as per the agreement that your lawyer reached with management, to attend the contract signing between Finn Balor and Daniel Dalton at the end of the night. If Mister Jamison takes any action and initiates physical contact against either competitor, the agreement will be rendered null and void, and his contract will actively be suspended. indefinately Thank you, and enjoy Monday Night Raw. Signed, The Anonymous Raw General Manager."

The crowd gave a mixed reaction to the news of Jamison being reinstated, yet losing his WWE title... What would this mean for the Triple Threat? Would Rico be there for it? So many questions to be answered!

The 2nd match of the night saw Jake Cross squash a local talent. After the match, Jake had something to say. "It's adorable how some jabroni from this backwater town thought he could stand up to the most Dominating United States Champion in history! And you all think Shawn Rosario stands a chance? Nah, that man won't EVER come close to winning my title. I don't care how many lower card guys he runs through, he'll never be on my level. And, as for that Surfer Bimbo you claim I hit on purpose-"

https://youtu.be/st9UHmXpJHs

"I think Cross struck a nerve..." Graves notes. "A nerve? More like signed his own death warrant!" Brayden snickered at commentary. 

Rosario furiously marches out to the stage & down the ramp. Cross hightails it out of the ring, just in time for Shawn to slide in. Rosario calls for a mic, which is thrown to him by the sound guy. "YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER, CROSS!" He yells tauntingly. Jake smiles as he's backing up the steps in the crowd. "I don't need to run away. I just need to make it to Saturday without you getting your meaty paws all over THE REAL A-CHAMP of Monday Night Raw!" Shawn laughs in the ring. "You realize It'll be No DQ on Saturday, right? That means I have free range to do whatever my heart desires to you. I'm not just going to hurt you, Jake. I'm not just gonna get a little revenge for what you've done to, and what you've said about Cal... I'm gonna maim you. I'm gonna disfigure you. I'm gonna leave you a bruised, bloody, broken heap, no more than a stain that they'll have to scrub & mop off the canvas... And y'know what? I'm gonna enjoy each and every second of it." He says coldly as he throws the microphone down.

Our 3rd match of the night saw Randy Orton quickly dispatch Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo when Ricky Starks' music had hit, followed by "Absolute" Ricky sprinting down towards the ring. D'Angelo tried to intercept him, but Starks floored the Don with a wicked Spear! This distracted Stacks long enough for Orton to set himself up for that oh-so-devistating move, and once Stacks turned around, Orton connected on an RKO for the win! After the aforementioned win, Randy Orton officially accepted Johnny Gargano's challenge for an Unsanctioned match at the Royal rumble event.

After the match, we cut to backstage, were United States Champion Jake Cross stormed into WWE Official Adam Pearce's office backstage. "Pearce! I'm sick and tired of being wasted against these Mediocre talents you put in front of me. I've stalled in the midcard long enough, I'm a 2x World Champion, I deserve better than this! I want a World title shot on Draft Night, can you gimme that?! You and everyone in charge here OWE this to me for all I've done for you and this company!"

"I think I'm in more of a fit position to answer that." A voice from off-camera said. The source of the voice walks into frame, and it's none other than William Regal! "...Aren't you just the guy who runs NXT?" Jake asked, to which Regal chuckles. "Oh, the things you have yet to learn, Jake. As of the conclusion to the Day 1 Live event, I am officially the New Commissioner of Monday Night Raw." The crowd goes wild for this announcement! Regal's in Charge?! Hell yeah!

"So then YOU can give me my title match against which ever Jabroni claims the belt at Royal Rumble then? I can take either the Iron Assclown or the Emo Prince guy in my sleep! I can-" Jake's smack talk was cut off by the Commish. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Mister Cross. You see, I have had my eyes on the talent here in WWE for the past few years, and something about you stuck out from the others. From either of the Jamisions, from Mister Gedling, Mister Bourne, or any of the three Zamora siblings..." Jake grinned. "Obviously, I've got more star-power in my left thumb than all those idiots combined!" 

Regal raised an eyebrow. "Don't be so presumptuous, Mister Cross, and allow me to finish my statement. I am your boss after all. Now, as I was saying... What I've noticed is, the fans don't seem to talk about you. I spend little time on the social media, but when I see things under the hashtags for Monday Night Raw, they're usually talking about Rico or Luke Jamison. They're talking about Mister Dalton. They're talking about, for example, last week's most-tweeted about match, Ethan Bourne and Matt Riddle. And, in fact, the only times your name was in a post that had any sort of traffic lately was when Shawn chewed you out in Milwaukee... that, along with you punching Miss Ruca backstage..." Jake interjects, "Allegedly!" Regal sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. "We have the footage, Jake. I'm not going to argue this. The point I'm trying to get across to you is, I think the WWE Universe has simply lost interest in you. Ever since that program you had with the younger Jamison, Interest in you has declined in all forms possible. Media traffic on clips with you in them, your merchandise sales, the demographic number on specificly your matches, all have dropped drastically in the past two years since you won the Intercontinental championship at the Royal Rumble two years ago. Even when management sent you out to fight Rico twice more at Wrestlemania 39 and at this past Summerslam with a plan to get everybody behind you, but even with all the dice coming up sixes, it seems you couldn't make the right play. Management gave you the prestigous United States championship, and here you are moaning and whining like a petulant child as if it's a demotion? In fact, I would go so far as to reckon your Summerslam match didn't come close to generating the hype we'd hoped for. Not to mention, you seemingly were just a tad lethargic. Everything about your body language on those nights screamed 'Going through the motions', not 'Attempting to claim to the IMPACT World title'. Jamison carried that match, just as he had the prior three times he'd fought with you. And, while it is true you are a two-time world champion, how long did those reigns last, again?" Pearce cut in. His tone was a lot less patient and friendly than Regal's "His first only lasted about seven weeks. And then his second was only about three minutes. And this was only a year and a half ago. Jake, you haven't consistently showed up night in and night out since winning and losing the WWE title in the same night. You took up a part timer's schedule, then only decided to stay full-time when we agreed to put the United States title on you, and even when we did that for you, now look what's happening. You're forgetting your place, growing too big for your britches!"

Jake didn't seem to be paying much attention to what Pearce had said. "Look, I know my own worth and all I know is my potential is being wasted with this mid-card shit. All I want is a chance to Re-claim My WWE Championship. I never even got my rematch clause!" Pearce muttered, "Because Rowan refused to work a match longer than two minutes with your selfish ass-" Which Jake didn't hear, as he was too busy airing his complaints about his current situation. 

Regal, having heard enough, raises a hand and polietly states, "That's quite enough, Mister Cross. Now, I must inform you... Should you fail to capture the world title, should you not live up to the massive pressence you projected for yourself in this office today... I'm afraid we will have no choice but to lose faith in your chances here on Raw. We will not only remove your name from the Draft pool, but we will be re-working your contract from a Main Roster one to that of an NXT Superstar." Jake raises an eyebrow. "So a shorter no-compete clause and a minor pay downgrade? That's not much punishment." Regal sighs. "Again, if you would kindly allow me to finish my statement... It means you will be assigned to NXT in Orlando, effective immediately after the deciding fall at Draft Night. In short; you come up short again, and it's back to the developmental." After a moment of silence, Jake bursts out into laughter. "Oh, that's rich! I get what this is, you're trying to scare me! And to believe you were actually gonna put something real on the line or at least some brutal stipulation! You know what? I'll put down either one of those two featherweight idiots, which ever one wins the title. And I'll show why it was ME this company should've put their faith into long ago, NOT Jamison! You got yourself a deal, Regal." Cross says with a cocky smirk as he stands up and struts out of the office... Does he really believe he can deliver on this? It's a big break, everything to gain for sure, but he also has everything to lose...

We have arrived at our 4th match of the night: A Team of Crystal Zamora's choosing vs Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn

https://youtu.be/bABNfZQDGXU

"The following contest is Scheduled for ONE FALL! Introducing first... the team of Alba Fyre and 'The Unholy Enchantress', Isla Dawn!"

Crystal came out next. She grins as she holds a mic. "Oh, boy, do I have quite the pairing for you ladies tonight. Ready to see who I've found, Tulsa?" She asks the live crowd. A thunderous "YES!" chant breaks out, and Crystal shrugs, moving to the side...

https://youtu.be/Wrbl-U-5ieA

Isla grins wildly, where Alba mouths the words, "Of course." It was Crystal's own sister after all.

"Introducing first... from Anaheim, Los Angeles, California... Lexi Zaaaamooooraaaa!!!"

But who is to be her partner?...

https://youtu.be/4opK5_5atD0

Oh my god! The White wolf, formerly of NXT, the woman who took Crystal to her limit at Day 1, making her return to WWE tonight! Moon and Lexi share a few words before they both jump up to the apron and into the ring, clearing their opponents from the ring before the show cuts to a breif picutre-in-picture break. When we get back, all four Women were ready to start the match.

Lexi and Isla start the match quick, with Zamora getting most of the offense in, including a pair of her signature scoop exploder suplexes and a jumping DDT! Isla is quick to tag out of the match, but when Lexi sees this change being made, she grins, walking to her corner, and tagging the outstretched hand of Racheal Moon. This was gonna be good.

When she's first tagged in, Rach and Lexi take down Alba and do their combo in the center of the ring with Rachael landing a running knee to the front and Lexi with a knee to the back. Racheal tops this off with a standing moonsault, showing impressive athleticism before going for a pin. Fyre kicks out at 2, but Racheal immediately transitions into a Batista Bite like submission hold. Alba is able to turn over and knee the back of Racheal's head. She relinquishes the hold, but transitions into an Armbar stretch, then yanks her arm back, nearly ripping it out of it's socket. -Alba rolls to the ropes and makes it to her feet while clutching her arm. She turns and is met with a European uppercut, followed by a stiff chop and forearm to the side of the jaw. Alba stumbles to the corner and receives a few kicks to mid section before Racheal begins driving her shoulder into her gut repeatedly. She whips Fyre into the opposite corner and follows for a running uppercut, but Alba gets her knees up, leaving Racheal clutching her arm. Alba then hops up second rope and dives for a rolling senton, taking the white wolf down. Both are rising to their feet and Alba clutches her head before stepping off a turnbuckle for a tornado DDT. She covers Racheal, but gets a nearfall. She picks Racheal back up to the center of the ring, grappling her again and looking for a gordbuster. Racheal resists the lift and soon reverses into a suplex, rolling into a guillotine headlock. She has it locked in good, but Dawn comes in from behind with a kick to the head. -Later, Lexi makes a hot tag to Racheal as Alba hot tags Isla. The White Wolf charges in with a clothesline and goes off the ropes to follow with a running uppercut. She completes her sequence with a spinebuster before running over to Alba and hip tossing her over the ropes and back in the ring.

She takes her down by the legs and takes her for a ride with the Lunar Cycle (basically a Cesaro Swing). During the swing, she manages to smack Isla with Alba before letting her crash to the mat. Alba is rocked and down to one knee before Racheal takes her out with "Pack Mentality" (Knee-Balanced Enziguri). Isla tries to pull as fast one on Racheal, but the Backbreaker Mistress catches her with an Irish Curse, followed by a half-nelson Backbreaker, and then a Randy Orton style Backbreaker. Dawn rolls to where Racheal catches her with a butterfly suplex into an Armbar, but Isla quickly interlocks her fingers to roll through and grapple her legs. Racheal is also able to escape the attempted hold and reverse into a cradle, only getting a nearfall. She then takes Dawn down and looks to execute another Lunar Cycle, but Dawn kicks her away. She tries to roll back to her feet, but is cut off by a running knee. Racheal, not wasting any time, locks in her arms again, lifts her up and drops her with a Fairytale Ending! What comes next? She keeps the hold, rolls through, Midnight Howl locked in! This could be it! Wait, up top! Swanton Bomb by Alba! Breaking the hold! 

After Lexi came in to brawl with Fyre for a bit, Alba has her set up for the KLR Bomb, but Racheal rams her with the Wolfsbane Spear! Fyre got nailed with the wicked force of Moon's attack, but unknowingly, it still allowed Alba to drop Lexi with the KLR Bomb! She inadvertantly took out her own teammate at the same time! Fyre is now practically out of the match as Lexi tries to recover. As the ref is checking on her, Racheal turns back to Dawn and is met by black mist to the face! Racheal grasps at her face and turns to be perfectly positioned for Dawn's Call of the Quarters! (That's the Headlock spin elbow drop thingy.) The ref only turns to see the pin attempt. Not this way!

"One...two...thr-" Racheal kicks out before two! 

Crystal, who's still at ringside, checks on Racheal. The ref was asking if he should call off the match, to which Crystal yells, "IF YOU END THIS MATCH, I'LL BREAK YOUR FUCKING LEG, JERRY!" Due to Crystal's incredible persuasion powers, the ref didn't feel like ending the match. Racheal breaks character for just a moment to crack a slight smile and give a thumbs up to Crystal, who hides her own laughter. The camera's microphone barely picks up her saying, "Shit, Did they hear that?".

During this time, Lexi snuck up to the Apron and tags herself in unbeknownst to Alba and Isla, and most importantly, Unbeknownst to Racheal. Instead of giving up like the ref had wanted her to, Racheal tells Zamora (Crystal, that is) to stand by and be ready, and that She'll know when the time is right. Suddenly, Moon starts tapping into some kind of 'animal instincts'. She appears to be attempting to use her senses of hearing & smell to track where Dawn is without the use of her vision! Dawn wildly misses a Lariat, only for Racheal to take down the Scary scotish witch lady with a hard clothesline! Dawn rolls to her feet and backs into her corner, where Alba Fyre tags herself in.

Then suddenly, just as Fyre jumps into the ring, Crystal hops up on the apron to distract the ref and as Fyre hops into the ring and charges, only for Racheal to spray some hot bloody mist to the eyes of Alba! Fyre is now in the same spot Racheal was in before, blind and unable to see a thing. And with one swift motion, she's met with the White Wolf's Kiss! Lexi rolls into the ring, but Dawn caught her and delivered a Twist of Fate out of nowhere! Racheal flipped Alba over, as Dawn also did with Lexi, and both women were attempting a pin at the same time. The ref was rather confused by this, but he counted anyways. "One! Two! Three!"

The bell sounded... but no music played. The ref looked around, seeing both legal competitors had been pinned... He'd made a mistake. 

Racheal, having wiped all the mist out of her eyes, looks up to the referee in disbelief, confusion and especially anger. Naturally, she gets up to have a few words with the official, wondering, 'what the fuck is going on?!'. It was evident Racheal was unaware that Lexi tagged herself in.

The ref quickly moves away from the pissed off Moon (most likely out of fear for his health) in order to talk to the ring announcer to explain the situation... and moments later, Samantha Irvin made it clear for everyone what had happened. "Ladies and Gentlemen... the referee has informed me that this match will be scored a Double Pinfall, and therefore, there is no Winner to this match." 

The crowd didn't know what to make of this... But we have no time to explain further, as we go to the backstage area!

Backstage, we see Rico Jamison, still carrying the WWE World championship belt, as he has yet to hand it over to officials, as he bumps into his former ANARCHY disciple Shawn Rosario. "Hey! Shawny, my boy! Glad to see you again!" Jamison says with an enthusiastic grin. The Stoic Rosario even cracks a slight smile at Rico's jubilation. "What's up, Jamie?" Is all Shawn asks. Rico pats Shawn on the back before continuing. "Ah, to think I'd see the day you'd be taking back that United States title... Remember Survivor Series? When I was Intercontinental Champ and you were US Champ? You've come a long way since then, Shawn! From just a bland, generic UFC Guy to The So-Cal Sadist, 'Shotgun Shawn', the Anaheim Assassin... You really make me proud as a mentor, Shawn." Rico says, where Shawn bites his lip and looks down, as if trying to hold in a little emotion, as validation like this doesn't come by every day... also because as with most things Rico was doing these days, this segment was not in any script, so Shawn a little blindsided by this... But it didn't last long before Rico continued. "...And think! Soon, The Anarchy will once more be RUNNING this show! We will-" Shawn held up a hand. "Do you ever Quit while you're ahead?" Shawn asks out of the blue. Rico takes his hand off Shawn's shoulder. "Excuse you?" Rico was dumbfounded by Shawn's response.

"I mean, do you ever make things about anyone other than yourself? ANARCHY got me off the ground again, it gave me the support I needed, hell, you handpicked me for a spot in your group. But that's all in the past, Jamison. You say we are gonna rule Raw? What that really means is, YOU call the shots while barking orders at guys like ME who know you're using us for your own personal gain!" Rico gets in Rosario's face. "You turning your back on me, kid? After ALL I did for you?! You said it yourself, I chose you, I SAVED your WWE Career! If not for me, you'd probably either be in Major League Baseball's unemployment line or dropping a few fights for Dana White." Shawn slaps Jamision across the face, prompting a reaction from the crowd! Much to the surprise of Everyone, Rico was about to strike, yet he held himself back. Jamison was... showing restraint for once? "I could kick your ass, Rico. You may have helped bring me to the spotlight, but I kept myself here. Don't you forget that. And I never turned my back on you. You just forgot about me once I was of no use to you. Respect is earned, not handed out... You'd know a thing or two about that. I respect you for what you've done for me, Rico. But... I have a feeling you're a long way from the man who respected me."

https://youtu.be/XtLvlaGJJEU

Rico's music hits. Jamison's nose twitches. He pats Shawn on the shoulder as he begins to walk past him. "We'll continue this talk later. Just do what I do and kick Cross' ass at the Rumble." Shawn scoffs. "I plan on it... and I don't need your help to do it either." Rico rolls his eyes as he looks back. "Wasn't gonna help your ungrateful ass anyways." And he walks through the curtain, fully ready for the upcoming match with Grimes.

As stated, our 5th & final match of the night will be Rico Jamison vs Cameron Grimes

Jamison stoically made his way to the ring as always, but he was jumped by someone from the crowd before he could enter the ring! It was Cameron Grimes! Cameron has jumped Rico Jamison! Rico attempts to fight back, narrowly dodging a Cave-In and throwing Grimes off the steel steps! Officials come out to ringside and eventually, the two men get into the ring after a commercial break. It's then announced that this match will be fought under "Street Fight" rules.

Rico and Grimes chain wrestled for a few good minutes before Rico pulled Grimes up into a Torture rack and dropped him out of nowhere with a Burning hammer for a quick near fall! 

The North Carolina native wouldn't take Jamison's offense lying down, as he came back with Pair of Gourdbusters followed by a running knee to the face and topping it all off with a a Michinoku Driver! This, of course, only garners a two count. Grimes goes to get a weapon, choosing a table, and sliding it into the ring. Cameron attempted a clothesline once Rico stood back up, but he was met with a nasty looking Exploder suplex! Rico was probably the most shocked when Grimes kipped up and whipped him off the ropes and delivered a sick knee to the gut that knocked the wind out of the former WWE champion! Grimes lifts Jamison onto his shoulders and drops him face-first across the top rope, further damaging the lungs/windpipe area of the former champ!

Grimes is far from finished. He has a battle to win here! He grabs a sledgehammer, but upon re-entering the ring, Rico kicks him in the face! Jamison arrogantly declares this match over, but as he hoisted Cameron up, Rico gets knee'd on the top of his head! Grimes twists and lands on his feet, delivering a chop block to the knee! Rico's Halo on fire got reversed! Rico didn't let this get to him though, as he kicks backwards, landing a boot to the kneecap of Grimes! Sensing an opening, he grabs Cameron, and almost insultingly performs the "DELETE!" gesture a few times before hitting a picture perfect Side effect!

Rico isn't finished, as he slowly scales the turnbuckles, standing on the top rope. Jamison takes this time to showboat a little and immitate Jeff Hardy's famous dance from the top before attempting a Moonsault, but Grimes gets the knees up! Grimes comes back with a Clothesline, then a big boot! Rico sprawls back to his feet, and Grimes is feeling it! He throws Rico off the ropes, looking for the Cave-In, but Rico ducks the stomp, bouncing off the ropes, sprinting in hard for an aboslutely wicked Spear! Rico's just turned Grimes inside out with one move!

Rico looks to end the match and attempts to set up the shadebreaker with the kick to the gut, but Grimes caught his foot! He anticipated the Shadebreaker! Rico doesn't hesitate, and he uses Grimes' knee as a launching point to perform a moonsault kick that lands right on the jaw of Grimes! Cameron's stunned in the ring, and Rico kicks him in the gut once more, hooks both arms, lifts, and Drops Grimes on his face! Shadebreaker connects! But just to add insult to injury, Rico picks up the very same Sledgehammer Cameron had introduced. He lifted the dazed and barely conscious body of Cameron Grimes up to a knee. "You did this to yourself." Rico says as he takes the hammer and bounces it off the temple of Grimes!! Rico mercifully covers Grimes. "One! Two! Three!"

Rico wastes no time. He shoves Grimes out of the ring, then sets up the table that had been put in the ring earlier. "Alright, playtime's over. I Demand to get this contract signing thing over with. Pearce, get your goonies out here to put the shit in the ring, bring a few chairs, bring your pens and whatnot. I wanna get outta this inbred bumville town as soon as possible." The crowd Boos heavily as we cut to commercial break.

When we return, Rico and Pearce are in the ring, with Rico sitting in the middle of a table covered in a black table cloth. There are two chairs in the ring on opposite ends of said table, with Rico's former WWE Championship belt on the table in the middle. The contract signing was about to go down! Finn Balor's "I AM DANGER" theme was playing in the arena as we came back from commercial, as he was already on his way down to the ring. Balor took his seat on the right side of the table, awaiting his soon-to-be Opponent for the WWE title.

https://youtu.be/kQhdwd8ObrA

Awake and Alive hits and the Iron Angel steps out, this time in casual wear. No gloves, no face paint, just one of his light hoodies with pants and shoes. He does his usual entrance with his arms raised and the fireworks flowing at the call of "I'm Awake, I'm Alive" and made his way down the ring. He high fives the fans and trades glances down the ring, growing more serious as he draws closer. As he approaches the ring, he stares off towards his opponent for this Saturday. There is a distinct readiness in his eyes, as well as almost a gladness about it now being just him and Balor, an admiration of the poetic nature of this match and the challenge it held. He walks up the steps and trades a glance with Rico, smirking with a slight laugher. He then enters the ring and keeps his eyes on Finn, taking this moment in before taking his from across his former mentor, ready to seal the deal. Pearce raises a microhpone once all three men were seated. "Gentlemen, have we any opening comments...? Prefereably between the two men in the match..." Pearce says, eyeing Jamison.

Daniel's the first to speak up. "You know, I gotta say, I'm actually glad it's now gonna be just you and me for the title. It'll certainly be a lot better than anything done by this death metal clown and his trickery bullshit."

"...You Do realize Rowan's more a death metal guy than I am... and the only Clown I see is this shell of a man across from you, Dalton." Rico quips lightheartedly.

Finn sports that angry, evil death-stare of his as he raises the mic."That's real cute, Danny boy, real cute, but you're an even bigger fool than this Lord of Darkness wannabe over here if you truly believe that. People keep saying that, how I'm a shell of my former self, how I'm not the man I used to be; and they're right, I'm not the man I used to be; I'm far passed the man I used to be! I'm part of the most dominant faction in this industry! I am a two time NXT Champion, the only man with over 500 combined days as NXT Champion, and two time Universal Champion! All I have left... is the WWE Championship... and I've come too far to let someone I paved the way for take that away from me. You're an astounding talent, Danny, one of the best I have ever seen; and from the bottom of my heart, I am proud to have taken you under my wing once upon a time. You have grown far beyond your years and without a shout of a doubt, the future of this company... but that future has not arrived yet. This is MY time, not yours; and if you still think you have any chance at defeating me, nobody in that locker room knows you like I do. None of them know your style or your work like I do; and YOU have no chance against ME!" Balor grabs a pen and is about to sign the contract.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah," Daniel stops him right before he signs, earning confusion from him and everyone else. "Finn, don't sign that just yet" He leans on the table and blows out a sigh. "Finn, you may not believe this, but everything I have said and done these past few weeks is to do for you what you did for me for so many years and that is bring out the absolute best in me; but in spite of my best efforts, you're still going about this the same way you have everything else this past year; and you can claim this is you at your best all you want if it helps you sleep better, but you can't fool me or anyone that knows you like I do with that crap. You and I BOTH know who you were at your best. You were telling me all about it two weeks ago, how you were one of the pillars of NXT, how you were the man who beat Roman Reigns his first night on Raw, the man who went on to become the first EVER Universal Champion; and you know what else that guy did? He did it all on his own. He didn't need to overrely on a faction to win or stay relevant, he didn't carry himself like a thug, he didn't come out here and make excuses EVERY FREAKIN' TIME he lost, nor did he cry like a bitch over a few stitches! But most of all, that guy was hailed as the future of this company... long before I was even a thought in this company's mind. Wherever that guy is Finn, you need to find him again. You need to learn to dig deep down again and find that fighting spirit you once had, that same spirit that made you a top guy, that got you those milestones and brought you back the Universal title despite the years of scratching and clawing and people telling you it would never happen! Because Finn, you know exactly what you're up against this Sunday. You know what I'm capable of, what I've gone through to get this point, and what this match means to me. You're gonna be facing me in my home town, in front of all my friends and family and people that helped get me there. This is the perfect scenario for me; and whether you're willing to admit it or not Finn, you know deep down that THIS Finn Balor doesn't have a chance against me; and if you bring this Finn Balor at the Royal Rumble anyway, then I am going to embarrass you... FAR worse than I did Dominik. But Finn, as much as you may deserve it, as disgusted as I am with what you've become, I still love you dude, and I still respect the hell outta you; and I do NOT want to embarrass you like that, not after everything you've done for me; but I also don't wanna walk out of this Sunday as champion having beaten just anyone! I wanna walk out this Sunday as champion, knowing I had the match of my life against the very best I could've faced. If you can't give me that Finn, then....." He hesitates as anger and frustration can be seen in his features. "Then at least, if our history has ever meant anything to you, do me the courtesy of finding someone who will and stop wasting my time!" He sets the mic back down and leans back in his seat. As Daniel sat back, Finn looks down at the contract, hesitating, but Jamison piped in.

Rico laughs, clapping his hands before picking up his Microphone. "...Well, Danny, that was all fine 'n dandy. Quite the speech indeed. But you're failing to see the magnatude of the situation ahead of you. This' the biggest match of your life, kid. I don't know where you've been or who you've beat in the past, but I guarantee you, if you look across the ring and see the supposed Shell of what he used to be? You'll be in for the beating of a lifetime. Even if he abandoned the morals he once had, even if the very essence of what made him who he was back then is fading away with the flow of time, He still is just as vicious... just as dangerous... And he still taught you most of everything you know. So even with all the confidence in the world, even with the WWE Universe at your back, even with the severe 'Bright Lights experience' disadvantage, and ALL the odds against you... you still think you can win just because your family and a couple of other backwater Yee-Haws in the front row are cheering for you?"

Daniel gives him a weirded out eyebrow before bringing the mic back up. "Clearly, there's not a lot you do know because if you did, you'd know that was perhaps the most idiotic shit you've ever spewed! I mean seriously man, I don't know if you get paid extra to say stupid crap, or if you really are too dumb to have a working mouth; but in answer to your question, I know exactly the magnitude of this match and why I am GOING win! For the past year, the proudest moment of my career was when this man placed the very NXT title in my hands. It was like be given the world itself to me; and this Sunday will be the next stage of that. I'm just hoping my former mentor understands as well."Balor still has that intense stare displayed as he finally speaks up. 

 "Danny boy, I understand completely; and Rico, I don't need you to sell my name. You're not the Paul Heyman to my Brock Lesnar, but he is right about something Danny. I am as dangerous as ever and you'd be wise not to underestimate me. If you honestly think I won't be bringing my best this Sunday, then it's you who is going to be embarrassed my former protégé." He then signs the contract at last.

Rico smirks. "Well, That's one signature down. Danny, why don't you do everyone a favor and save your Hero's journey bullcrap. We don't need to hear your gargling while you suck off Black & Gold Era Finn Balor, we don't need the 'Student becomes the Master' mantras, spare us the heart throb story about how your grandfather was never good enough to experience a chance at this very title, we don't wanna hear about how your Dad was once WWE champion, but it came during a time where the belt was passed around more than your sister-in-law, Lexi, was in college..." The crowd let out an "OOOOH!" after that line. Rico took a brief pause before he continued. Dalton balled a fist, as if he wanted to strike Rico... but he knew not to provoke Jamison, as that would give Rico permission to fight back. Jamison continued his rant.

"...So save your 'Finish the Story' promo for someone who actually gives a shit about your story. You can tell yourself a thousand times in the mirror you're gonna win that title, you can tell Crystal you're gonna both be champions similtaniously one day, you can tell Briana that her... well, her stepdad... or does she not even call you dad yet? Are you still just 'Ben' to her?... Either way, you promised her you'd become World Champion time & time again, because I know how much that little girl loves this business, and I also know she'd love nothing more than for you to walk through the door of your place with that belt over your shoulder... And at the same time, I'd hate for her new Daddy to come home a dejected failure who just couldn't win the big one... Need I continue?" At the mentioning of Dalton's fiance and step-daughter, both of whom everyone knew Rico had been a close friend of, Daniel's confident expression had been swapped for one that could only be described as 'Hell hath no fury', because the murderous look in his eyes told the entire story. 

Daniel slowly picked up the pen and signed his name on the contract, then raised his microphone. "There. It's signed. Now... do yourself a favor and shut your fucking mouth. Mention my Family again, and it won't be a suspension keeping you out of the ring." Dalton glares daggers at Jamison, who simply leans forward in his chair. "Is that a threat, Danny Derps? Because by all means, throw a punch. You and I both know damn well if you so much as touch me with malicious intent, that gives me full permission to make sure you don't even make it to Saturday." After a few deep breaths, Dalton sits back down. "I assume you wanna make it home to Liv with both your legs working, so just shut up for once in your life, Jamison." Daniel and Rico both are on the verge of brawling, but just in time, Pearce snapped up the contract.

Adam Pearce breathes a sigh of relief, as he had two signatures on the contract at last. "Gentlemen, I thank you for making this official in a peaceful manner. And with all things set in stone, I have three more subjects to handle... first, a request of the Former WWE Champion, Rico Jamison." The two competitors' eyes drifted to Jamison, who simply rolled his eyes at the declaration. "First, I need you to set that WWE World Championship on this table, officially vacating the championship." Rico's eye twitched. He took the belt off his shoulder, holding it in his hands and giving a long look. With a defeated sigh, he tossed the belt onto the table. 

Pearce smiled a little bit, seeing how the situation had not yet gotten out of hand. "Great! And now, second subject to handle... for a special announcement, which I've been informed was just approved by the Board of Directors while you all were engaging in conversation minutes ago. Rico Jamison will not only be in the building for the Royal Rumble event, not only will he be seated in the arena for this title match... Rico Jamison will be in the timekeeper's area, and he will ring the bell for the beginning and teh conclusion of this WWE Championship match. And should Jamison leave the timekeeper's area at any point in the match, his contract will be-" 

Finn and Daniel both looked at Pearce as if he was crazy. The man who'd been antagonizing them verbally, even Physically attacking them prior, and he's gonna be there, so close to the ring?! Sure, any action he takes would be bad news for Jamison's contract, but would you put it past him to find a way around the punishment? This was obviously gonna only end badly for their 1 on 1 match, with the two men thinking Rico would do everything in his power to force a DQ finish... But Pearce's statement got cut off by Rico, who looked absolutely livid.

"We get it, Suspended indefinately!! Now you listen here, Pearce. It's one thing to make a man give up his title belt so that two men who don't deserve it can toil over it. It's another thing to make me sit there and bear witness to this match, let alone RING THE BELL for one of them?! They don't deserve to face me in any type of match, what makes you think I'd want to ring the bell to signify their moment at Royal Rumble?!" Pearce shrugged. "Your lawyer agreed to it for your reinstatement." Rico bit his lip and flipped his hair out of his eyes. "...Fine. I'll ring the damn bell." He said begrudgingly. 

Pearce raises his mic one last time. "And the third and final point I wanted to address tonight... Mister Jamison, I want you to look both of these men in the eyes... Shake their hands... and wish them good luck." Rico's jaw hung open for a moment. Then, he began Laughing. "Ok, really?! After ALL that you've done to humiliate me tonight?! Strip me of my title. Make me accept sitting through a match for a title I never lost. And what's worse, making me actually wrestle in this ungrateful, good-for-nothing town of Tulsa, Oklahoma... And you want me to lower myself to below their levels to bid them 'Good Luck'?!" Pearce nods his head and says "Yeah, basically" barely loud enough for the mic to pic up. If Rico wasn't overflowing with rage and anger inside before, he probably was now. He took a few deep breaths before turning to Dalton... Daniel extended his hand, a smirk on his face as a part of him was gonna enjoy seeing this egomaniac forced to be humbled for once. Rico reached out... but in the blink of an eye, he shot his back leg up and kicked Adam Pearce square in the jaw! Pearce flopped to the canvas like a dead fish, as Jamison had knocked him out cold with the sudden superkick.

Rico's facial expression remains unchanged for a moment. He looks from Dalton to Balor and back again, before he slowly extends his hand to Finn to shake. Balor, realizing Rico wasn't going to attack either of them for his own sake, reached out to accept the handshake, only for Rico to swoop his hand under Balor's and threw up his Middle finger right in Finn's face. Rico sported his trademark devious grin as Balor was seething at the simple trickery. Rico backs away from Finn before turning to Dalton. Rico did the same extension of his hand, seeming to want Dalton to fall for the same trick. Daniel, however, saw this coming. Instead of attempting to shake the Nightshade's hand, Dalton smacked Jamison's hand away. Rico chuckles and says something like "What, you not like sportsmanship?", only for Dalton to suddenly slap Rico across the face! This illicited an "Ooooh!" from the live crowd as  Jamison's grin was gone, now replaced by a look of pent up fury as he stared down Dalton... and David Drake noted that, since Rico had been hit by Daniel, meaning he could retaliate without fear of punishment. The crowd was anticipating a brawl would break out... but instead, Rico just walks past Dalton, bumping shoulders, as if trying to move him out of the way, exiting the ring and walking up the ramp.

Dalton turns back to Finn, disregarding the disgruntled former champion as he locked eyes with his mentor once more. The two looked down at the WWE title on the table in between them... and the shot of these two men standing over the most Prestegious title in Sports Entertainment ended the show.

Friday Night Smackdown, Royal Rumble TOMORROW

To open the show, Damian Priest and Aaron Zamora sign their contract for their Royal Rumble title match. Priest vowed to not let all his hard work go to waste, he had friends, family, and fans who had waited years to see him win a title, and he wasn't about to let some guy whose sister told some sob story to take all that away from him. Aaron retorted by saying he didn't care if Priest saw Crystal's promo on Raw because he's his own man, and if Damian wants to keep that title, he'd better do his homework and study well, because He'd been paying lots of attention to Priest's past matches over the last few months. Aaron more than ever wanted to finally become world champion, to do the very thing Priest had done: Be the one guy in his former faction who wasn't supposed to become world champion, then defy the odds and claim that top prize. Priest said Aaron's goals are nothing but a Pipe dream, but Aaron said so was Priest's chances of being the top champion as long as guys like Daniel, Rowan, Ethan, Rico, Luke, Shawn, Himself... Priest attacked Zamora when he wouldn't stop naming names. Priest ended the signing by Chokeslamming Aaron through the table.

Tonight's Opening match saw a less than 100% Darby Allin face Austin Theory for a spot in the Royal Rumble. 

All was going surprisingly well for Allin, until a freshly reinstated Rico Jamison slid into the ring and delivered a "Dream No More" superkick that knocked Allin into next week while the ref was downed. Theory attempted to Grin and be all "Buddy-Buddy" with Rico, only to receive a kick to the gut, followed by his Lifting Double Underhook Facebuster finisher, the Shadebreaker, only it just so happened to be delivered right on top of Darby! Both men were out cold, and as it happened, Theory was positioned on top of Darby Allin... and finally, the ref came to, and he had no choice but to count to three.

The fans are in disbelief. Not this guy, damn it! However, just as Theory is about to Celebrate his "Hard-earned Win"...

https://youtu.be/TOJcCwacgGA

IT'S BROCK!! BROCK IS HERE!! Lesnar, with smile on his face, makes his way out to the stage as his usual entrance pyro explodes, as the rockus St. Louis crowd cheered for the Beast Incarnate!

Lesnar jumped up to the apron, then ducked between the middle and top ropes to enter the ring. Austin Theory backed away nervously, and upon seeing Darby Allin standing back up, Theory grabs the weakened Allin and tosses him towards Lesnar, who plucks Allin up and delivers a thunderous F5! Theory laughs, not realizing that Brock wasn't done with just one... Lesnar cornered Theory and attempted to power him up for an F5, but the weasel-like Austin Theory managed to slip out of the Fireman's carry, and he slid out of the ring. Theory began sprinting up the ramp, fearing for his life! Brock looks irate at the escaped F5 attempt... as no Beast likes when prey escapes. Lesnar picks up a microphone from the Apron. "You think this' over, kid? This ain't over 'til I pick you up and drop you on your face in the middle of the ring. Come Hell 'r High water, I'm gonna give Austin Theory an F5 this Saturday." The crowd began a "THANK YOU BROCK!" Chant. Lesnar's theme resumed, and the Beast grins at the camera as we cut to a commercial break.

In a backstage segment, Wheeler Yuta and Cesaro challenged Zack Chandler & a partner of his choosing to a tag team match in the Main Event tonight.

Our 2nd match of the night was to be a #1 Contender's match for the House of Black's Smackdown Tag team championships; and the match was to be contested between the Blackpool Combat Club's Bryan Danielson & Cesaro and the team of Jimmy & Jey Uso. The match was a roller coaster of insanity, with near falls galore. A Neutralizer kickout by Jimmy, Jey escaping the LaBell Lock, Bryan kicking out of a double Uso Splash, a running knee, only for Jimmy to get a foot on the ropes. However, Buddy Murphy attacked Jimmy Uso, then by kneeing Danielson in the face to cause a No-Contest! Murphy took out Cesaro and Jey as well before he left through the crowd.

Our 3rd match of the night saw a clash of the titans that ended in a surprisingly quick manner, as the Aussie Devil Rowan Gedling dispatched Braun Strowman after a pair of Boots to the head and a "Divine Judgement" Chokeslam. After the match, Gedling picked up a microphone and addressed the WWE Universe, saying it was time to rebuild the very essence of who he was... and that big changes would be coming to whichever brand drafted him.

4th match saw a title clash wherein Intercontinental Champion Kyle O'Reilly defending his title against Dominik Mysterio, who was accompanied by JD McDonagh & Rhea Ripley of the Judgement Day. 

O'Reilly had dealt with the hijinks of the Judgement Day throughout the match, but Roderick Strong came in the clutch and chased off McDonagh while a well-timed distraction of Racheal Moon's music hitting making Mami Rhea storm up the ramp to attempt to intercept her former rival allowed O'Reilly to hit the Brainbuster and then lock in a Guillotine choke, and with no one around to help him, Mami's little "Dom Dom" was forced to "Tap Tap", and thus he retained his belt.

And Finally, In the Main Event of the Go-Home edition of Smackdown, Zack Chandler and Universal Title #1 Contender Aaron Zamora, who were accompanied by Monday Night Raw's Luke Jamison, teamed up to take on Wheeler Yuta and Cesaro of the Blackpool Combat Club. The match saw Chandler showcase his incredible power by Military pressing Cesaro, who is not a small man in the slightest. Zamora brought the end upon this match with the BCC when, after Zack nearly put Cesaro through the ring with his "Hellfire Bomb" (think Undertaker's "Last Ride" move), He tagged in Aaron, who climbed to the top rope and connected on the same move that won him the #1 contender spot in the first place: The Vengeful Impact Corkscrew Moonsault! Aaron made a cover, but Yuta came in to try and break it up, only for Chandler to intercept him with a NASTY Spear that connected shoulder-to-ribcage! Yuta had the wind knocked clean out of him, and most likely a few internal organs knocked around. But more importantly, the ref counted to three on Aaron's cover of Cesaro.

Post-Victory, Chandler says he spoke to a few people backstage... and that he'd gotten a match sanctioned against the self-proclaimed head of the BCC, Jon Moxley. Not just any match, but a Falls Count Anywhere match, would be taking place at the Royal Rumble!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AND FINALLY!!! We are AT The Royal Rumble! I've been planning this for literal MONTHS. (Seriously. I'd began work on this on February 5th, 2023. That's going on 6 months of planning as of September 5th, 2023!)

Myself, @Ben10thejoker, @instantclassictwo, and @MitchMcGuinness have all been dying to get this stuff out and done! Royal Rumble will have some damn good matches, and here's a SPECIAL SNEAK PEAK LOOK at the Royal Rumble Card!!!

1. Daniel Dalton vs Finn Balor for the Vacant WWE Championship

2. The 30-Woman Royal Rumble match

Top row (L-R): Alexa Bliss, Cora Jade, Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley, Ruby Soho, Saraya, Toni Storm

Bottom Row (L-R): Sol Ruca, Raquel Rodruigez, Racheal Moon, Lexi Zamora, "The Virtuosa" Deonna Purrazzo, Tegan Nox

3. Falls Count Anywhere: Jon Moxley vs Zack Chandler

4. Dakota Kai (c) vs Liv Morgan for the Smackdown Women's Championship

5. Unsanctioned Match: Randy Orton vs Johnny Gargano

I know, the Graphic doesn't say Unsanctioned, but GIMME A BREAK, I MADE THIS THING MONTHS AGO AND I'M NOT ABOUT TO CHANGE IT NOW XD

6. No DQ Match for the United States Championship: Jake Cross (c) vs Shawn Rosario

7. Damian Priest (c) vs Aaron Zamora for the WWE Universal Championship

8. 30-Man Royal Rumble match

Back Row (L-R): Tomasso Ciampa, LA Knight (YEAH!), Seth "Freakin" Rollins, Brock Lesnar, Jake Cross, Solo Sikoa, Tyler Bate

Bottom Row (L-R): AJ Styles, "Absolute" Ricky Starks, Ethan Bourne, Shawn Rosario, Luke Jamison, Intercontinental Champion Kyle O'Reilly, Austin Theory

A/N: Raw Women's Chamion Crystal Zamora will be joining our Premier PPV Commentary team for the WHOLE NIGHT at the Royal Rumble! Zamora will join the panel of Corey Graves, David Drake, and Benjamin Brayden for this historic event! Don't Miss it!

Who do you got winning the Rumbles and punching their ticket to WRESTLEMANIA 40?! Who you got for the singles matches?! Who's to become the new WWE champion, and can Aaron Zamora realize his dream of becoming a World Champion against the Punishment, Damian Priest?! 

Find out in the next chapter, when the ROYAL RUMBLE PAY-PER-VIEW COMES TO YOU LIVE FROM DALLAS, TEXAS!!! 

Once more, Thank you all for your support. It's an honor to entertain you with my fantasy bookings, to regail you all with my tails of matches that if only happen in my own little corner of the internet... Again, you all know who you are. You have my gratitude. Til next time... RicoTheLegend out! Dueces!