WWE: Elimination Chamber
New Orleans, Louisiana
February 17, 2013

The opening bell sounded across the arena. Standing front and center was Justin Roberts in his custom black suit. “This is the Last Man Standing Match! And it is for the Intercontinental Championship.” Justin paused and smiled at the cheers of the crowd. Now in this match, there is no pin falls, disqualifications, submissions are count outs. The only way to win is to incapacitate your opponent to where he cannot answer the referee count of ten.”

‘Find the Real’ started to play across the arena, as the championship graphic showed on the titantron. The camera then zoomed in to the stage showing the challenger. Austin was as focused as ever. He pulled back at his kid Icarus like hair, possibly for the last time. His ring gear consisted of a black sleeve on his left arm, a red and black studded belt holding up his black biker shorts with red designs. All black kneepads protected his knees and brought out the red kick pads that covered his sneakers underneath.

“Introducing the challenger… From Chicago, Illinois, weighing in at 175 pounds…Austin Blake!”

Austin made it to the ramp, his green eyes scanned from left to the right. A smirk crossed his lips and the crowd cheered for him, it was evident that he was the crowd favorite. “On Smackdown this past Friday Night, Austin Blake was slightly embarrassed. Karlos took a pair of scissors and took a little off the ends. He maybe in the mind of the challenger, but Austin is wearing his game face tonight.” The voice of Michael would say as Austin  slapped hands with very few fans, but did have some family and friends in the front row. He gave them a subtle wave, and flipped into the ring.

“He is putting his hair on the line, in his last shot at Karlos Charisma. This match is do or die for Austin.” JBL commented and Austin stood in his corner mentally preparing himself. “That man right there is very desperate and as the saying goes, desperate men do desperate things. He better do something or he can kiss that hair goodbye.”
Austin glanced at the stage, chants of “Karlos Sucks” coming from the crowd. They were not silenced, but the champion’s song in ‘The O.C Life’ drowned them out.

Karlos quickly hit the stage. He was laughing as he made a hair cut motion towards Austin. The champion was confident, with tons of momentum on his side. He wore two black elbow pads and his pants were black as well with silver flames reading ‘Charisma’ black boots on his feet.

“And from Los Angeles California, weighing in 231 pounds, he is the WWE Intercontinental Champion…KARLOS Charisma!”

Karlos unhooked his title from around his waist and lifted it high in the air. He walked down the ramp doing an occasional spin to bass in his own glory. Slowly, Karlos made his way up the steel steps, and entered the ring. He smirked at Austin, and even leapt to the top rope to show off his title more. When he was ready, he jumped off, and walked over to the champion’s corner.
“JBL in all of your years, have you seen someone on such a roll like Karlos Charisma?”

“No. No, I haven’t. Karlos has been on a tear as of late, and I hope he just tear into that pretty boy and cut off all of his hair.”

“Hold on there JBL, you know better than now, he’s earned his stripes here.” King went to bat for Austin, to level out the playing field.

They stared at each other from their sides of the ring. A Barber’s chair was placed on the side of the stage, and the Wrestle Mania sign shined brighter than before. For the both of them, the world around them had stopped. Every cheer and boo was silenced. In their respected corners, they patiently waited, the assigned official holding up the prize. Their eyes locked on the man with the black and white shirt who walked over to the far corner and handed off the belt.

He was fair-haired and filled with experience. Scott Armstrong had checked both champion and challenger. They were clean from what he could tell, but in a match without rules, it would be void. Scott signaled for the bell, and finally the match was underway. A lot was on the line, hair against title. Neither one wanted to lose, with a little more incentive. When they were ready, they struck. Like Thor and the Hulk, the two collided.

Both Karlos and Austin gave each other thunderous shots. When the challenger swung for a right hook, Karlos ducked under gave him a boot to the midsection and sent him into a corner. Austin was sent forward and Karlos was looking for a bulldog, but Austin shoved the man off, Karlos landing on his feet. Karlos pulled back at his own hair for a moment and dropped out of the ring. He was in no rush that was until Austin leapt over the ropes to the outside and began to chase the man around the ring. As fast as he could, Karlos slid back into the ring, Austin right behind him. Karlos went for an elbow drop but missed as Austin moved out of the way and made it into the ring. The challenger went for a knee strike, and Karlos dodged it, a perfect standoff.

“These men know each other so well, it’s like they don’t even know a game plan for this match. They have to dig deep into their arsenal of moves and pull out things that the other may not be familiar with it.”

Karlos and Austin locked up with a collar and elbow tie up. Austin grabbed Karlos in a textbook side headlock. He wrenched on to it as tight as he could, however he was lacking the leverage that he would have liked. Karlos shoved the man off the ropes, and Austin came back dropkicking Karlos down to the mat. Austin soccer kicked Karlos while he was down, the champion crawling towards the ropes and corner to make it back to his feet. Austin pulled Karlos up, gave him a kick to the midsection and started to unload with left hands while Karlos leaned in a corner. Grabbing the man by his wrists, Austin went to send Karlos across the ring, but Karlos reversed and sent Austin into the corner.

With a head of speed, Karlos charged at Austin giving him a clothesline in the corner then gave him a suplex down to the mat. Holding his back, Austin made it up to his feet, and Karlos was right on him. Karlos hoisted him up, with some wiggle room; Austin dropped down to his feet and pulled Karlos down across his knee. Austin backed away at the order of Scott Armstrong; Karlos was holding the back of his head. He was up at four, and Austin hit the man with a single leg drop kick knocking him down. When Karlos bounced up, Austin gave the man a fishermen suplex down to the mat. Karlos was down, and Austin dived on the man with a diving foot stomp. Having Karlos down, with his feet placed firmly on his opponent’s sternum, Austin leapt into the air and landed a moonsault. He was up to his feet, and watched the referee count.  

“One…Two….Three…Four….Five…”

Karlos was back up, and Austin tried to keep the pressure on the champion. Karlos gave Austin a hard fist to his face. Austin responded with a left, and Karlos kicked the man down low with a smirk. The crowd booed. “That is a legal move in this type of match. Austin is down and it’s going to give Karlos time recover.”

“One…Two…Three…Four…Five….Six…”

Austin was back up and Karlos gave him a clothesline and let the referee count once more.

“One….Two….” Slowly, Austin was making it back to his feet, and Karlos smacked the man hard across the back. Austin arched his back in response and Karlos hit him once more. He then grabbed the smaller man and sent him into a corner. Karlos placed his boot across Austin’s throat and proceeded to choke him. Austin started to change color, and then Karlos knew to lower his boot watching Austin drop down into the corner. Backing away a few feet, Karlos then charged and dropkicked Austin in the face.
Karlos lifted up his hand, and ordered Scott to count.

“Karlos is bringing the fight to Austin. He’s not doing anything too special just simple but effective shots.”

“Sometimes that’s all that it takes to win a match like this, you see Austin is struggling up to his feet and Karlos is back on him, what a slam…halfway across the ring. I don’t know if it will win the match or not, but it hurts like hell I’ll tell you that much.”

When Austin was halfway up to his feet, Karlos tossed him out to the apron and met him there. His game plan was to just beat the living hell out of his former partner, and so far, it was working. Trying to mount some offense, Austin swung at the man, but he just landed in the clutches of Karlos who gave the man a Death Valley Driver off the apron to the outside. Both men were down, but it was evident that Austin took the worse of it.
“Both men are down here, I know that Karlos hates Austin Blake, but that was just twisted.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with it.” JBL shrugged his shoulders watching Scott Armstrong begin his count.

“Their heads bounced off the floor, how you could say that?”

“This isn’t ballet!”

“One…Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…Seven…” Karlos was up and Austin was still down on the ground. “Eight….Nine….”Austin managed to beat the count. Karlos leapt on Austin’s back and was locking in a sleeper hold, hoping that the man would pass out.

He started to stir, and wobble around, carrying all of Karlos’s bodyweight. Karlos was dragging Austin down, it may have been out of pure luck, but Austin fell into the barricade, and it forced Karlos to break the hold. It was the first time in several minutes where he was able to breathe, Austin caught his wind, his mind racing thinking of things that he could do. Austin pulled out the steel steps, and turned them towards Karlos. Austin then ran off the steps, jumped off, grabbed Karlos by his head and spun his body around hitting the man with a tornado DDT.

Karlos clutched his head on the ground in pain; Scott was counting as Austin was digging underneath the ring. “JBL, I was just about to mention that weapons have not been used yet, but we see now that Austin is digging under the ring for something. Karlos is still down, the referee now at a count of four.” Cole mentioned, and Austin turned to look at Karlos. A smirked crossed Austin’s face pulling out a Singapore Cane.

“This isn’t going to be good for Karlos, he’s winding up.” Austin spun the cane around and swung it as hard as he could hitting Karlos in the midsection once he made it up to his feet. “I’d say that’s a homerun!” It was a satisfying sight, so Austin did it again before hitting Karlos across the back with the cane. Whelps started to form on the champions back, and Austin tossed the cane into the crowd.

“A souvenir for a fan here in Louisiana.”

“Karlos is in trouble, he needs to do something.”

Austin draped Karlos’s arm over his neck, and hoisted him up high enough to deliver a backbreaker. Austin cringed as Karlos catered to his back. Austin was back up, digging for more weapons pulling out chairs, trashcans, and even a cooking sheet. All of the objects thrown into the ring, and Austin was stalking Karlos. Karlos made it up to his feet and Austin was looking for a kick to the face. The champion caught the man’s foot, spun him around and gave him a sickening elbow to the back of the head.

It was a knockout blow by itself, but it was not good enough for Karlos. Karlos dragged Austin towards the steel steps, picked him up and gave him a powerbomb on them.

“Count, now and fast.” Karlos ordered as he rolled into the ring to create some distance and hoped that Austin would be down for the ten-count.

“One…Two….Three…Four…Five…Six…Seven…”Austin was stirring, in pain and groggy but he managed to roll off the steps and start to make it up to a knee. “Eight….Nine….”Before ten, the man pulled himself all the way to the delight of his fans.

Like a bullet, Karlos launched himself to the outside with a suicide dive taking himself and the challenger down.  “Suicide dive to the outside, both men are making it back to their feet and they are going at it.”

Karlos was slightly fresher sending Austin face first into the steel ring post. When Austin fell down, Karlos was on him, grabbing his head and delivering closed right fists to the head. When he was pleased with himself, he stood up and let the official do his job. He was resting and Austin was struggling up to his feet.

“One…Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…” Austin was up to a knee, and Karlos hit him across the back. Austin then responded with a left hand to the midsection. Austin started swinging giving Karlos his best. When the opportunity rose, he launched the taller man towards the ring apron. Karlos was as agile as ever, landing on the ring apron and jumping back knocking Austin down with a back elbow.  

Karlos threw off his elbow pads; he was getting irritated because once again Austin was making it up to his feet. Karlos ran forward, grabbed his opponent by his shorts and sent him shoulder first into the barricade. Taking his sweet time, the champion was resting, as he watched on as Scott began his ten count and the fans cheering for Austin.

Austin was down on the floor, he wasn’t moving and it wasn’t looking good for him. “One…Two….Three…Four…Five….Six…”Austin shot an arm up, showing some life, to the delight of the fans in the front row, pleading for the man to get up. He placed his arm on the barricade and began to pull himself up. In the front row was the Jannetty sisters serving as plants, at the count of eight, they helped pull Austin up to beat the count.
“That’s cheating, the fans pulled him up!”

“But there are no rules in this match JBL.”

Karlos was furious, and began to punch Austin as hard as he could. He sent the man into the ring and was following after him. He kicked the man while he was down, and grabbed on to one of the steel chairs and wedged them into a corner.

“You are going to lose your hair!” Karlos shouted, picking Austin up and giving him a neckbreaker.

“One…Two….Three….Four…Five….Six…Seven…Eight…” Austin had pulled himself up, and Karlos cracked the man in the head and face with a big boot. Karlos pulled himself up on the top turnbuckle, and leapt off with a diving leg drop. Out of nowhere, Austin had rolled out of the way. The brunette rolled up to his feet, did a pivot, charged forwards towards Karlos and punted him in the chest. Austin slapped his hand on the mat, and the fans began to clap their hands together.

Austin, bounced around the ring for a moment, Karlos was dazed and confused. In a fluid motion, Austin leapt into the air, and sent Karlos face first into the wedged steel chair with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors. Karlos had seemed to be stuck, and Austin had pulled the man down. He rested against the turnbuckle as Karlos gathered his wits about him.
For the first time in a long time it was Karlos who had to beat the count.

“One…Two…Three…Four….Five…Six…”Karlos was to a knee, and Austin ran forward and pressed his foot down to the back of Karlos’s head with a pushing stomp driving his opponent’s face down into the mat. “One…Two…Three…”Austin pulled Karlos up and smacked the man in the head with a cooking sheet. Karlos fell straight down, and Scott proceeded in starting his count over once more.

“Never in life have I’ve seen two men just so hell bent on just destroying each other. There have been great rivalries and just as great Last Man Standing Matches, and this one might make its way up to the list.” King stated, and Karlos was back up to his feet, egging Austin on to give him his best shot. Austin dropped his weapon and tossed off his sleeve into the crowd.

They charged at each other, and grabbed on to the other by the back of the head. There was nowhere to go, like two big hockey players they were landing forearms to the face and wherever that they could. Karlos had gotten the advantage rocking Austin. With Austin behind him, Karlos grabbed the man and gave him an explosive exploder-suplex into a turnbuckle, Austin’s head bouncing off.

“Austin has to be out.” Karlos leaned forward with his hands on his knees, sweat dropping off his face to the mat.

“One…Two…Three…Four…Five….” Karlos pulled Austin up in a bear hug and threw him over with a belly to belly suplex. Giving Austin no breathing room at all, Karlos picked the man up by his waist and delivered a German suplex.

“We might have ourselves a new suplex machine here. Karlos just tossed him in three different ways in less than a minute. He’s going back to the basics, and giving Austin very little to no breathing room at all.”

Karlos grinned, and a few fans even cheered for the man. “There are some Karlos Charisma fans here in Louisiana and he is taking this time to pander to them.” Karlos gave the fans a small salsa, his eyes still locked on Austin who pulled himself up with the ropes in a corner. “He’s wasting time here in my opinion.” Karlos launched himself at Austin spearing him driving the air out of his opponent’s body.

“As you were saying?” JBL questioned, “Karlos is back on him, he’s not just going to rush in there and let himself get knocked out.”

In a battering ram like fashion, Karlos drove his shoulder into Austin’s midsection. Each blow was harder than the other one, and delivered with distinct purpose. Four were delivered before Karlos would back away, Austin falling forward to the mat. Karlos was a man on a mission, ripping the belt off Austin’s shorts. He smacked the man across the back, and then used the same belt to wrap them around the ankles of Austin. “This is smart here, but Austin can easily reach down and free himself.” Karlos knew better of it, but it kept Austin down long enough for him to get what he needed to inflict more pain.

Two chairs were slid into the ring, and a third in the hand of Karlos. He may have been an evil genius, or maybe he was just a sick bastard, either the case, whatever Karlos was planning was a device of pure pain. Karlos kicked Austin in the side of the head and unfolded the chairs placing them in the form of a triangle. Slapping his chest, Karlos shook his hips like the late great Eddie Guerrero. It was not looking good for the challenger, Karlos freed the man, but what was awaiting him was far worse than anything that he could imagine. Karlos placed Austin’s arm around his neck and dragged him front and center.

With all off his strength, Karlos pulled Austin up in position of a vertical suplex. He delayed it for a moment before dropping Austin down on the first chair, the tip of the triangle. Karlos swung his hips around with a pop and was back to his feet pulling Austin with him. Karlos smirked and did it again on the second chair. “Three Amigos on the chairs, this is sickening guys.” Karlos was on the last vertical suplex, he held Austin up in the air for ‘14’ seconds as counted by the fans, before dropping him down on the third and final chair. Karlos was mighty proud of himself, making snow angels in the ring as Austin laid there in pain. The WWE Intercontinental Champion made it to his feet, and laid across the turnbuckle and ropes as Scott Armstrong began to count.

“One…Two….Three…Four…Five….Six…”Austin slowly started to sit up, and Karlos was counting along with Scott. “Seven….Eight….Nine…”Austin was up, giving Karlos the two finger salute, the equivalent of the middle finger.  Karlos popped up to his feet and Austin gave him a swinging enziguri. The force itself knocked Karlos through the middle ropes to the outside. Gaining a head of steam, Austin bounced off the ropes and dived over the tope rope with a Tope Con Hilo knocking Karlos down and landing on his feet.  

Pulling Karlos up by his hair, Austin gave the man a forearm to the face. Austin was backing Karlos up, bringing the fight up the ramp. Karlos gave Austin a knee to the midsection, and started smacking the man on the back. All Austin did was feed off it, taking Karlos down with a double leg takedown and started punching. He was seeing red, most certainly in such an epic battle he was the Hulk, and Karlos was looking for his hammer. With all his force, he kicked Austin off him and was scrambling back up to his feet backing away towards the stage. Austin popped up and was running after Karlos, but the crafty veteran was ready giving Austin a drop toehold. It was simple but effect, Austin was holding face hoping that his good looks would not be damaged from the hardness of the steel ramp.

“This fight has escalated towards the ramp now. We should have known that the ringside area would not hold these two.” Michael Cole spoke trying to get the match over more than it already was.

“Michael I’ve been trying to tell you this, these guys are from Smackdown, and we fight on Smackdown. Of course this match was going to move all around the arena, they want to beat the holy hell out of each other. Looks like Karlos is grabbing some scissors from that barber station. Austin is getting himself another haircut.” JBL laughed as King shook his head.

“Yeah, a repeat from this past Friday on Smackdown, he hasn’t won this match yet. Karlos should not be doing this.” Sitting on Austin’s back, Karlos began to cut at the man’s ends and tossing away the strands.

“Split ends for you pretty boy!” Karlos laughed manically, and smashed Austin’s face down on the ramp. Austin was seething, making it to all fours, it was one thing to mess with his comics, or his face, but he was drawing the line at his hair. Drawing his hand back as far as he could, the 5’9 lunged forward and punched Karlos in the face as hard as he could knocking the gum out the man’s mouth. He was more than furious, sending the man off the stage, and jumping down himself.

They were by the barber’s chair, and Scott Armstrong was looking on intently. Austin picked Karlos up on his shoulders and began to spin as fast as he could. “A turn of events here, usually we see Karlos Charisma spinning Austin Blake on his shoulders, but now it’s the other way around!”

Austin was screaming as he spun Karlos around over and over again. Even though he continued to get dizzy he spun until dropping Karlos down who landed in the Barber’s chair. He frowned up his face in disgust, holding on to one of the arms of the chair. He too let out a manic laugh, similar to the Joker’s as he spun the chair around as fast as he could. Austin walked away, watching the chair and Karlos spin.

“Round and round he goes!” Forward to the ground Karlos fell and Austin low dropkicked the man to the side of the head. Scott was by his side and proceeded to count.

“One…Two…Three…Four…Five…Six…” Karlos made it up to a knee breaking the count. As Karlos was staggering up to his feet, Austin was backing up to charge at Karlos. He was in mid stride before leaping towards Karlos, monkey flip on his mind. His feet were placed on Karlos’s midsection, arms around his neck, but he couldn’t launch him back. Karlos was too strong, and had the move blocked perfectly. It took some adjustments, and Karlos placing his arms around Austin’s waist, it was almost like deadlift, literally pulling the man up on his shoulders.

“Oh no, this isn’t looking good here for Austin.”

Karlos had fire in his eyes, with Austin sitting on his shoulders. Power bomb was in mind, but Austin ended up giving him a hurricarana as his own saving grace. When he made it up to his feet, he jumped up on the stage, so many things that he could use as a weapon, it was all about being creative enough.  Austin jumped forward for a cross body, and once again, Karlos caught the man. His back was hit against the walls of the side of the stage before getting dropped against the side of the ramp. Having Austin where he wanted him, Karlos drove his chest up and down across the ramp before climbing up himself. Karlos turned towards the ring, there was a trashcan sitting perfectly in it. Austin was being pulled up by his ears, and dragged all the back to the ring, with Scott following behind them.

“He’s going for a ride!” Karlos shouted so it was audible for most people in the arena. “You don’t have to go to Disneyland to go on Splash Mountain today esse.” Karlos cleared the chairs out and the other broken objects out of the ring, and fixed the trash can right in the middle of the ring. Austin was in a complete daze, out on his feet. Lifted up in a crucifix position for the world to see, Austin knew what awaited him, but there wasn’t much that he could do about it. Karlos had pulled him forward and was giving him a sit out power bomb through the trash can.

The match may have already been won there, no one would ever know. Instead of allowing Scott Armstrong count, Karlos pulled Austin by his legs, flipped him over and locked in the Lasso from El Paso, an elevated Texas Cloverleaf with his knee placed firmly in Austin’s back. He wasn’t going anywhere.  

Music to his ears was Austin’s screams. “Austin is in the center of the ring here guys; Karlos has that submission locked in tight. But the thing is he can’t win by submission though.” Cole changed the subject, watching on as Austin tried to find a way out.

“Yeah, but you can’t make it up to your feet with a broken back.” JBL said bluntly.

“I highly doubt that he would break Austin’s back though.” King responded with no doubt in his mind, but JBL thought better of it.

“Who knows, he might. It’s not against the rules; Karlos can do whatever he wants out there. He is the Intercontinental Champion, and it is his job to do whatever it takes to keep the title. If he has to break some rules or some bones, so be it.”  Austin had rolled underneath the ropes, once Karlos had broken the hold. The fact of the matter was, he was down and in pain, the hold was in for a long period of time, and the effects had defiantly taken its toll.

At the count of eight, Austin was up with the help of the ropes. “I cannot believe it, and neither can Karlos Charisma.” Karlos swung at Austin, but Austin lifted up his arm blocking it, and responded with a hand of his own. Austin grabbed Karlos by his head and bounced it off the top turnbuckle. Karlos was stunned, and it gave Austin all the time he needed. The young star from Northbrook, leapt into the ring, and was lifting Karlos up in an electric chair.

“Appeal to Reason, he’s looking for that Electric Chair drop into that German suplex.” Just as King had said it, Austin was doing it. “Karlos is down here, he could be done after that.”

Karlos was laid out across the ring, he was down, but the problem was keeping him down. Scott was counting, and so was Austin. Just to make sure that he was safe than sorry, he slid out of the ring, and was pulling out a ladder.

“What does that idiot need a ladder for? Karlos is down!” Austin was setting up the ladder, and Karlos was stirring, the count at five. It didn’t matter, if the challenger had anything to do about it, he was going to be the champion in a matter of seconds. Austin had literally pinned Karlos down with the legs of the ladder, and climbed up a few rungs to add his little 175 pounds.  

“Karlos is trapped with nowhere to go, Scott is at eight!”

Everyone in the arena was counting along with Scott and Austin. “NINE…TEN!” The bell had sounded, and ‘Find the Real’ began to play around the arena.

“Here’s your winner and the NEW…WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION….AUSTIN BLAKE!”
Austin smiled and let himself fall off the ladder to the mat. A mixed amount of emotions along pain ran through his body. Scott Armstrong had handed the man his newly won title, and Austin clutched it to his chest.

“Congratulations to that young man, Austin Blake. Your new WWE Intercontinental Champion.” King was proud as ever. He was up to his feet giving both men a standing ovation.  

“My hat is off to both men, but if I was Austin, I might want to wear a hat. His hair looks horrible.” JBL stated. Austin had pulled himself up to his feet, his title in his hand; once again, he was locking eyes with Karlos who also made it up to his feet.

“Uh oh, they are going to go at it again; they just went through a war.”

‘Find the Real’ had stopped playing, and Karlos had extended his hand to Austin.

“Look at that Cole; he wants to have some sportsmanship.” Austin had looked around for a moment, fixing the title in his hands. He glanced at it then at Karlos. He nodded his head, and with a shrug of his shoulders, he hit Karlos straight in the face with the belt.

“Some champion we have! All Karlos wanted to do was show some sort of sportsmanship, and what does Austin Blake do, hits him with a cheap shot!”

Austin smiled proudly, holding up his title. He slid out of the ring, giving everyone in the front row high fives, before making his way up to the back.
---

Matt Striker stood smiling at the backstage area, a microphone was in his hands and he was ready to deliver a make or break interview. “Ladies and Gentlemen, standing with me at this time, your new WWE Intercontinental Champion, Austin Blake!” Striker extended his hand, and Austin stepped into the frame. He looked like a man beaten, if it wasn’t for the title worn backwards on his shoulder no one would have guessed he had won. “First of all, Austin congrats on the win, you were in a battle here tonight. I want to know with a mixed of emotions, what are your thoughts and feelings at this time?”

Austin looked over at Matt, twitching his mouth thinking for a moment. “I think I want a bacon avocado cheeseburger and go to sleep, no pun intended. It’s been a long journey for me, I got beat up, I need a haircut now. Karlos and I pretty much destroyed each other, and for what…this title this precious title on my shoulder. Bigger and greater men have held this title, which is why I wear it backwards. Everything leading up to this moment is now in my past, and I’m looking forward. I’m beat and battered and at the drop of a dime, I’m ready to do it again. Either it’s tomorrow or WrestleMania, I’ll be ready.” Austin placed his hand on Striker’s shoulder. “For now, I’m going to sleep and live to fight another day.”

He pushed past Striker, his title shining as Mat looked towards the camera.

“Austin Blake everyone, and that is our Intercontinental Champion.” Matt stated as the PPV went into the next match.