Monday Night Raw, 3 Weeks until the Rumble

"Live from Louisville, Kentucky, where this crowd is at a fever pitch! Hello everybody and Welcome to Monday Night Raw! I'm your lead commentator, David Drake, here alongside my good friend Corey Graves!" "Damn right, Double D! We have a BARN BURNER of a Show lined up, plus we have multiple NXT Superstars in the house for the night's show..." The camera cuts to a section behind the timekeeper's area, where a number of NXT superstars were seated. The names seated there included Nikkita Lyons, Sol Ruca, Dani Palmer, Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes, Roxanne Perez, Nathan Frazer, Thea Hail, and Andre Chase. "But first, we have some more important matters to give our attention to..."

[I HEAR VOICES IN MY HEAD...]

https://youtu.be/DQXoYNt8eTE

"...First, we FINALLY will get to hear from The Viper himself, Randy Orton!"

The Viper slowly stalked his way down to the ring, dressed in a more casual attire; Blue jeans and a "#OuttaNowhere" T-shirt. The Louisville crowd was less than pleased with Randy, especially after his Heinous attacks on Johnny Gargano in the past 2 weeks. As Orton steps between the ropes, the recap popped up on the titantron to remind all of Louisville - and all the WWE fans at home - of What this man did in the past 8 days. Gargano measuring up Rhodes to potentially win his first world championship, only to have victory snatched away from him when the Apex Predator dropped him with the 3 most dangerous letters in all of Sports Entertainment... R. K. O. It was elementary for the champion from there. Rhodes hit the Dream No More, and the ref counted to three. The shot then cuts to 24 or so hours later on Monday Night Raw, live from Milwaukee. Gargano demanded answers, but all he got was another RKO, only this time Orton added the dreaded Punt Kick as insult to injury. We were then shown footage of Johnny being loaded into an ambulance, to be taken to a local hospital for evaluation. After all this, ALL THIS... we finally cut back to the ring, where the Viper stands, and of all things? He's smirking, seemingly Proud of what he's done! Gargano suffered enough with what Rico put him through, now Randy Orton's making his life a Living Hell! Randy finally raised the microphone, pausing, as he was greeted with the expected Jeers that his actions warranted. At last, the Viper spoke;

"For Eight days, I've been getting texts, Twitter mentions, Targeted by Dirt sheets, all regarding the events that unfolded in Adelaide on the First WWE Premium Live Event of 2024. And from what I've been reading, I can tell there's some smoke in the air, an overarching theme, a recurring question, in all of the media regarding Me... And that question is, "Why?". He paused. "You wanna know 'Why'? Let's clear the air, because I'm quite sick of the Speculation from those idiots who call themselves Journalists reporting on a mere rumor as a breaking news story! So let's GET to Why, Why I drove Johnny Gargano's skull into the mat at Day One, and why I took it upon myself to stop his crazed ramblings the following night with a second RKO, and why I had to kick him in the skull and send him packing to a Local medical facility... Johnny Wrestling said it's because I... didn't work for everything as he had? Tell me, Johnny... Outside of NXT, What have you exactly done for this Industry? You've had lackluster bout after lackluster bout... you're quite simply not the same man on Monday Night Raw that you were on NXT, and it doesn't take a genius to see that! That being said, I did what I HAD to do at Day One, And even though we don't see eye to eye, Rico Rhodes IS the champion Raw needs, because he was trained by the best, his own Iron Sharpened by only the finest and very best, clashing with the Pinnacle of TNA's talent for Years! He skipped NXT, Because he didn't need the extra time, he was READY to carry a company on Day One, just like I was ready to carry this company once I joined Evolution! Let me ask you, Johnny... what were you doing on Day One? If my memory serves me correct, you were Losing a tag team match to a pair who were fired not even three years later. You didn't become a big singles star until Tommaso Ciampa threw you into the Stage and knocked you senseless. That made you the PEOPLE'S Choice, that made you their favorite, they'd chant your name at those NXT shows at the top of their lungs, and you were happy with that, Johnny. Congrats, Kid, You carved a niche audience of whoever had the WWE Network subscription and gave a damn about NXT, and you were called the Heart and Soul of NXT, And well Mister Gargano all that is well and good, but you see that's where we are not the same. I am a FOURTEEN time World Champion here in WWE. I am a Grand Slam Champion. I've won not one, but Two Royal Rumble matches, I am going into the WWE Hall of Fame when I retire, and that's just an abridged list of everything I've done! You wonder why I, all be it inadvertantly, helped Rico Rhodes retain? I'll give you one thing... It IS because you aren't World Championship Material, but not because you're not a second generation superstar, not because you had to work your ass off to get to where you are, because you DID bust your ass every week in NXT... But Johnny, you've grown soft. Like I said, outside of your Tag team title reigns with Ciampa, you've given nothing of worth to the industry! I'm beginning to think Ciampa left DIY a second time because he was tired of pulling dead weight! YOUR. Dead. Weight!! Hell, You didnt earn that WWE title match. You got in the way of business that wasn't yours, you got your ass kicked, and you got mad. I don't know why that warrants a title match, but these days, I guess anything goes! Pearce will hand 'em out the moment... well, when you start bitch and moan enough. So, 'Johnny Wrestling'... the Way I see it, you have two options here..." The crowd was a mix of uncomfortable silence and Boos. The Viper continued after taking a few breaths.

"Option one: You let this go. Go about your life, accept that your place in this company isn't quite near the top, and your son Quill can grow up with two happy parents..." Everyone could tell where Orton was going with this... "Or Option two: You hold that grudge, you let it boil over, and you make a rash decision. You try to outsmart an Apex Predator, and you get in too deep, and I'll have to dig back into the part of me that enjoys hurting people, and not just you, but that so called Family of yours! I'll RKO You because you picked a fight with me, I'll RKO that creep Lumis because he has it coming if he's hanging around you, and THEN I'll RKO your wife, Candice, just to see the look on your face!!" Orton's intensity was keeping the crowd mostly silent, apart from a few boos here and there. He looked around, wiping off his forehead before staring at the Hardcam.

"...Your choice, John." He says into the mic before chucking it at the ground, breaking the microphone in the process. His theme plays over the speakers as he slowly saunters up the ramp, only for someone else's music to hit as he almost reaches the curtain.

The Current US champ, Jake Cross, passes Orton, but Randy didn't give him as much as a glance. Cross was heading to the ring, as he had a Title defense to open Raw coming up next!

Tonight's Opening match of the night is going to pit the United States ChampionJake Cross against challenger Shawn Rosario!

Lights flashed in sync with the Metallica track's intro, and as the words of the song kicked in, Rosario threw a fist into the air, causing a burst of Pyrotechnics to explode from the setup behind him. He took a deep breath in, then a deep sigh out. He hadn't been performing as a singles wrestler since his first run on the main roster, which wasn't exactly the best showing for the former UFC fighter, but he was a few years older and much more experienced after his time in NXT... And he was ready to show everybody what he was truly capable of on his own. 

"Interesting choice of wrestling gear for Rosario tonight, you'd think for a Former UFC competitor and a Mixed Martial Artist with a Black belt in Brazilian Ju Jitsu, He'd go for a more minimalistic approach..." David wondered aloud, before Corey corrected him. "Are you this uncultured, David?! Shawn Rosario's gear tonight is inspired by his favorite comic book hero Ant-Man!" (Graves) "Ah, I see it now! Sorry, Corey. Anyways, this United States Championship match, coming up after this short message from our sponsers, don't go anywhere!

(Shawn's Gear, for a photo reference...)

Rosario stood across from Jake, the two men both eager to get this fight underway... The referee separated them so that the ring introductions could be conducted.

"Tonight's Opening Contest is set for ONE FALL!" the crowd repeats, 'ONE FALL!'. "...And is for the WWE UNITED STAAATES CHAMPIONSHIIIP!" The ring announcer takes a breath. "Introducing first, the challenger... standing at 5 feet, 9 inches, weighting Two hundred & three pounds... From Long Beach, California... Shawn ROOOOSARIOOOO!" The crowd cheered the SoCal Native, as he had stood up to the Arrogant champion the week Prior in Green Bay. "And his opponent... From Durango, Texas, Standing Six feet tall, weighing in at Two hundred sixty-nine pounds... He Is the United States Champion... JAAAKE CRRRROOOOOSSS!!!" The official then took the Belt from Cross before holding it up for the crowd (and all you watching at home) to see. This is what these two were fighting for.

The words "RING THE BELL!" from the official were followed by three 'DING's, but neither man moved from the get go. They both walked to the center of the ring, with Jake looking down at the smaller Rosario... Last time they encountered one another, Shawn was about 40 pounds lighter and had a lot less muscle packed onto his frame. Shawn cracks his neck as Jake laughs in his face. "You ain't nothing, Kid!" Jake says with a disrespectful one-handed shove to Shawn's face. Rosario responded without hesitation, as he snapped his right arm forward and potato'ed Cross with a firm right hand to the jaw!

"Getting a little stiff with a Mixed Martial Artist... Not the soundest strategy, If I'm being honest..." Graves chuckled on commentary.

Shawn began circling Cross, using his quick feet to his advantage, as Jake was the larger man and would undoubtably have the power advantage in this bout. At last, the two locked up, basic standing elbow and collar tie up, before Jake emphatically shoved Rosario backwards, causing his opponent to bounce off the ropes and come running back towards him. Jake attempted a Lariat, but Shawn ducked and rebounded off the opposite set of ropes before nailing Cross with a spear! Jake rolled to ringside, where Shawn followed not too long after. Shawn was going to attempt to throw him back into the ring, but Jake regained his senses and threw the smaller challenger into the barricade instead! The Champ continued to slowly and methodically attack the upstart challenger, dragging him to his feet only to Back Suplex him on the apron! Rosario rolls back into the ring, and Cross takes his sweet time climbing the steps, then stepping between the middle and top ropes, before attempting a lazy cover. The referee was in the middle of saying "One" when Shawn threw a shoulder up off the canvas!

Jake shakes his head and smiles. He wasn't gonna let this kid dictate the pace of the match. It was going to be HIS match to control... But the show then cut to commercial.

When we return from the commercial break, Cross had a camel clutch like move applied while the Crowd was beginning to chant "YOU SUCK!" at Jake. Shawn scratched and clawed his way to the ropes after a good thirty seconds more in the hold, only Jake wasn't about to let up. He deadlifts Shawn up, attempting a kind of powerslam, only Shawn attempted a reversal, using their momentum to land on his feet, but before he could execute a type of reverse DDT, Jake ducked out of the move and rolls to the side. Shawn measures him up, then attempts a type of Cyclone Kick aimed at the base of Jake's Spine; This was One of Shawn's finishers, the Spinal Tap! Only Jake dodges again at the last possible second, causing Shawn's leg to slam into the mat! Immediately, Shawn grabs at his ankle. The referee quickly runs over to check on the challenger as the champion sits in the corner, grinning. The ref signaled for a medical trainer to come down to the ring, and the Crowd let the referee know they wanted this thing to continue by booing the shit out of the poor man... But Shawn grabbed the ref by the shirt, pulling him down to his level. "I SAID I'M FINE, TRENT!!" He yells into his ear. The ref waived off the medical staff who had began coming down the ramp as Shawn used the ropes to get back to his feet. Jake's nose twitched. He thought he'd just gotten a free pass to a retention.

Shawn hopped back and forth, wincing ever so slightly as he put pressure on his right ankle. Nonetheless, he grins and says, rather loudly, "Don't think I'll give up that easily, bitch!". Jake charged him, only for Shawn to launch off his good foot and plant a knee firmly in the jaw of Cross! The champ is staggered! Shawn runs off the ropes, then delivers another jumping knee, but the champ still won't go down! He looks to the crowd, who begin chanting "ONE MORE TIME!". He holds up a finger and mouths "One more?" and the crowd's chants grew louder! Shawn grins, then bounces off the ropes one more time, only this time he was met by a stiff Lariat from the champion! The crowd's elation suddenly turned to a chorus of disapproving boos. Jake once again dragged the lighter challenger to his feet before effortlessly lifting him up and back suplexing him! Jake repeated the process, drag up, lift, drop, repeat, about five more times, resulting in a total of six back suplexes! After around the third, the crowd was chanting "Boooring!" At Jake. Cross cracks his knuckles and makes a throat slash gesture, signalling that this pest was about to be eradicated. He once more drags Shawn to his feet before delivering a hard shot to the gut, getting him in position for a Powerbomb! The crowd was not pleased, as this was one of Jake's big signature moves... there was almost a collective Groan as Shawn was lifted up into the position... But Shawn began throwing a few punches at Jake's head! The crowd picked up on this second wind, and began chanting "LETS GO SHAWN!" repeatedly. Shawn clubbed Jake for a fifth time, this time being enough to get him to let go of Shawn, allowing the challenger to land on the mat on his feet. Jake stumbled forward right into Rosario, who grabbed him around the waist and delivered a Powerful gutwrench suplex! Only Rosario wasn't done yet, as he was going for more! He gets up to one leg... but can he complete the transition on his bad ankle? His right ankle is obviously beginning to swell, and the Pain was written all over Shawn's face, but he let out a yell as he deadlifts Cross up into a mighty German Suplex, sending the champion across the ring before landing on his upper back and neck! Neither man moved for a good three seconds, but Shawn suddenly kips up, landing on one leg! How was he doing this?!

Rosario remained fixated on Cross, yelling things like "COME ON, JAKE!" and "GET THE HELL UP!", however, Jake was on dream street, and he only managed to make it to his knees. Shawn, an intense look on his face, walks up behind Cross and reverse underhooks both arms, was he going to try a full nelson to submit the champion?... No, he wasn't, because once he had both arms hooked, he once again showed off his incredible power by lifting the kneeling Cross up and throwing him back with one of the most Wicked Dragon Suplexes in wrestling! Shawn lifted his shoulders up, allowing a bridging pin combination! The ref began the count; "One! Two! Th-" Kickout from Cross! The crowd let out a disappointed "Ooohhh!" as Jake kicked out, as they thought that was it.

Shawn had just gone throwback with that last Suplex, but he was done playing around. He called once more for the champion to stand, only for Jake to begin untying the middle turnbuckle pad in the corner! The referee went to try and fix it almost immediately, but as a result he didn't see what happened when Shawn tried to drag Cross up once again! Jake went low, launching a forearm between the legs of Rosario that must've definately hurt... The crowd boos louder than ever before, showing their displeasure at the situation. Jake grins confidently, applying a pumphandle on Rosario, who had been keeled against the ropes, lifting him up, and planting him with the C4 Death Valley Driver. The crowd went absolutely mild! Were they really about to get another BS retention? But Shawn had showed so much promise... Jake went for the cover to end this opening match, but the ref had not finished tightening the pad just yet, causing Jake to yell, "HEY! REF!" at him. About twelve seconds had passed since the C4 had been hit by now, and the ref finally turns to see the cover. He begins the count as Shawn's upper body is motionless and his eyes are notably shut... This one has to be over; "One! Two! Three-" and an audible Groan was heard from the fans as Jake's shit-eating grin was staring right into the camera...

But to the surprise of everyone in attendance, and most of all, to Jake's Surprise, the ref immediately began to yell, "NO! NO! No Pin! No Three!" while holding up two fingers and pointing to Shawn.

Jake sat up, looking confused at the referee. "What the hell's he mean No Pin?! Jake just won fair and square, Still the champion!" Graves cried out. The ref pointed at Shawn's right leg... which was just barely hooking the bottom rope! "Shawn Rosario got his foot on the ropes, Graves! Great awareness from the Official to catch it and make the right call!" Drake praised the officiating from the desk.

Jake backed up into the center of the ring in disbelief, head in his hands. He just fired his ace in the hole, dirty tactics included, and still, Shawn's ring awareness foiled his plan. Jake gave himself a moment to collect himself, but Shawn had recouped his bearings as well, despite not moving. Jake went to pull the downed Rosario to the center of the ring, but Shawn suddenly pulled Cross down into an inside cradle! The challenger was playing possum! "One! Two! Th-" Kickout by Cross! Shawn spun himself up to a kneeling position, glancing at the seated Champion. Shawn seemed calm and collected, even though he almost had just lost a minute ago, while Jake was fuming!

Shawn stood back up, and Jake scrambled up as well. Back to square one we go. Jake and Shawn, squaring up. Shawn throws a right hand, and the crowd responds with a "Aye!". Jake returns fire with a forearm, to which the crowd responds "Boo!". Shawn fires a jab, Cross with an uppercut, Shawn with another absolute potato of a stiff shot to the jaw, Jake with a hard knee to the gut, Shawn attempting a leg sweep that Cross jumps over and tries to follow up with a forearm to the back of the head, but Shawn slides back and out of the way, he grabs Cross from behind and, to everyone's amazement, he begins to lift Jake again, this time twisting him mid-air, planting him on the canvas with a Spin-Out Powerbomb! Shawn runs in a circle for the moment, then grabs the top rope and lets out a "battle cry" of sorts, which was just him yelling loudly to hype himself up. You could feel the Crowd's energy, you could bottle it at the source and power a whole city! Shawn was stamping the mat with his left foot, as his right ankle was in fact swollen pretty badly, which only hyped the crowd up even more. Shawn finally turns his attention back to Jake, who has finally reached his feet again. Shawn unleashes a Bicycle Knee that causes Jake's lip to bust open! Shawn has drawn blood in this match, but that's far from the end! Shawn takes a step backwards before running forward into a Pump forearm strike that sends Jake staggering back into the ropes for a moment, before Jake stumbles forward and swings wildly, only for Shawn to perform a standing switch, then executing an O'Connor roll, only he kips up to his feet, and as Cross gets back to a vertical base, Shawn launches himself into a backflip, only his foot catches Cross on the base of the skull! A Pele Kick out of the O'Connor Roll, a move made famous by "The Aussie Devil", Rowan Gedling!

Shawn notices Cross slump against the ropes. He feels it. The crowd feels it. This is HIS moment! He marches up to Cross and sets him up for what looks like a Suplex. Jake tried to resist at first, but Shawn responds with a knee to the gut. Rosario now has total control, he powers Jake up into vertical suplex position... only he lets Jake fall forward slightly, so that his thighs bounce off the top rope, and using the momentum from the bounce, Shawn powers Jake up & over, into a powerful Falcon Arrow! Shawn grabs one of Jake's legs, and the ref begins the count; "One!... Two!... Thr-" But Cross kicks out at two! Rosario doesn't seem discouraged, as he pops right back up to his feet and begins to shadowbox a little. The crowd then reacts to something that Shawn doesn't yet see... As Shawn takes a few steps back while punching the air in front of him, the ref is checking on Jake, who is crawling to a corner yet again. While the ref wasn't looking, Saraya jumps the barricade and, from under the steel steps, she grabs a pair of brass knuckles and slips them on her hand. Before Shawn can see her, She runs up to where Shawn is, and only now did he hear her footsteps, but it was too late, as Saraya swung her hand at his leg, connecting on a punch to the badly swollen ankle with the Brass Knuckles! Saraya quickly ducks and slides the knucks under the ring. Finally, the ref turns around to see Shawn holding his Ankle and Saraya standing suspiciously near him at ringside. She held her hands up and proclaimed "He just collapsed! I didn't do anything!". The ref turned back around, and Saraya grabs the brass knuckles from where she had just slipped them, hiding them in the sleeve of her leather jacket.

Meanwhile, Jake saw an opportunity to regain control and walked up to Shawn, attempting to apply an Ankle Lock, but Shawn kept kicking with his good leg, preventing Cross from fully getting a good grip on the ankle. After a third attempt failed, Jake tried to lift Shawn up again, only this time, it backfired majorly, as Shawn once again tapped into some kind of secret Adrenaline reserve and threw three consecutive knife edge chops right off the chest of Cross, with each smacking impact, the crowd let loose a "Woo!" in homage to the nature boy, Ric Flair. Shawn then attempts an Irish Whip, only to get reversed by Cross. Jake was the one tried to send Shawn off the ropes this time, but Rosario was ready for this and jumped up to the middle rope and launched himself into a Cutter attempt, but in one fluid motion, Jake Cross caught him by dodging to the left slightly and allowing Shawn to fall spine first onto Jake's knee! What an innovative counter into a Backbreaker! Shawn holds his lower lumbar for a moment while Jake makes another throat slash gesture, looking once more for the Thunderous Powerbomb to potentially seal the win, but Shawn wasn't having any of it, and the challenger slides under Cross' legs, now behind him, Shawn kips up and uses his good leg to dropkick Cross in the back, followed by a second consecutive kip up! Shawn grabs Jake's right arm with is left one, and rolls Jake forward with an arm-gripped Snapmare, only for Jake to try and roll through, but to his misforture, that's exactly what Shawn planned, as he had never relinquished the grip on Jake's wrist, and he used that grip like a Ripcord, pulling Jake back in and planting a firm Knee right on Jake's cheekbone!

"ROSARIO HITS THE ROLLING TIDE KNEE!" Graves exclaimed from Commentary.

Saraya nervously began pounding the mat, telling Jake to get back up. Shawn stood poised in the corner, but when he stamped his foot, he dropped to a knee because of how badly his ankle was swelling. The referee went to check on him, and in the split second that the ref's attention was diverted, Saraya slid the brass knuckles to Jake!

Rosario regained his footing, as had Cross, and Shawn only gave one more stiff potato of a punch to Cross' face before he attempted a Fireman's carry, maybe looking for the DLR Driver to end this, but Jake slips out the back, and chop blocks the ankle! Shawn crumples to a knee, and Jake wastes no time applying a Pumphandle, looking for a second C4 to put Shawn away, but Shawn slips his arm free at the last possible second and turns it into a Cutter! Jake's own finishing move just backfired, and Shawn's quick to get back up yet again, this time he lines up Jake, looking for the Spinal Tap, but he doesn't notice Cross slide something over his right hand... Shawn takes the chance, bad ankle and all, rotates and tries the Spinal Tap, only Cross rolls out of the way and to a kneeling base, Cross takes a single step forward and steps into a Brass Knuckle-enhanced punch to the ribs! The only problem was, the referee saw this plain as day, and he had no choice but to ring the bell!

Ding ding ding!

The ring announcer had to break the news to the fans... "Ladies and Gentlemen... Your winner, by result of a Disqualification... Shawn Rosario! But as per the Champion's advantage, your WWE United States champion Is still Jake Cross!" The crowd was HEATED. Saraya stepped between the ropes and began stomping on Shawn's bad ankle! The crowd keeps booing as the referee hands Jake Cross the US title belt, despite the "Statistical Loss" he'd just taken. The crowd suddenly had an apparent change of heart, as a cheer broke out near the timekeeper's area... wait, it wasn't a cheer for Jake or Saraya! NXT's Sol Ruca had jumped the barricade, grabbed a steel chair from the timekeeper's area, and charged the ring! Jake rolls out of the ring and gets the hell out of dodge, but Saraya was too busy talking trash to Shawn to notice Ruca enter the ring. A small section of the crowd close to the ring began chanting "Turn around!". And Saraya now realized someone else was in the ring with them. She slowly began to turn, only to be greeted by the rim of the chair connecting to her midsection, followed by a brutal Chair shot to the back from Sol! Saraya rolls out of the ring and collapses at ringside, and the Surfer chick from NXT throws the chair out of the ring, barking a few choice words for Saraya. The fans began chanting "Thank you Ruca!". But Shawn sat up, looking towards the ceiling in disbelief. He'd let the US title slip through his fingers... How?... No, he hadn't let it slip. Cross had a backup plan to escape with his title. Shawn slid under the bottom rope and tried to walk away, but his ankle buckled underneath him almost immediately now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Sol sees him struggling, and she slides out under the ropes, calling over to someone from where she had been sitting earlier. Her friend, Dani Palmer, jumped the barricade and ran over to her, and the two ladies each took position on a side of Rosario, and the two friends proceeded to help Shawn walk back up the ramp. The crowd began cheering, and everyone was standing up and clapping, showing respect to Shawn for the gutsy performance he'd just put on with a hurt ankle. This was the 'Defining moment' Shawn had been seeking his whole career... He just wished he'd captured the title to emphasise it.

As we cut away from Rosario, Ruca, and Palmer...

Daniel Dalton is seen backstage, roaming the halls while wearing one of his hoodies. He looks ready to take on whatever challenge this night brings/// but is soon met by the possibility of that next challenge when Finn Balor appears and to joins him in his stroll through the backstage corridors.

"Hahahaaa! Bravo, Danny boy, bravo. You continue to excel yourself. I always knew I taught you well, but you know, I didn't teach you everything. I just hope you're not counting on your Boy Jamie to bail you out every week." Daniel smirks with a laugh. "Says the guy who lowers himself by putting overreliance on his little roughshod crew; or dare I say... hides behind them like you did last week. I gotta say, you and Dommy boy really do make quite the team, far better than people credit you for. You both had the wrestling world set in stone for you and both became a mockery of it."

"Need I remind you of who you're talking to? I paved the way for you. Everything you're accomplishing now, I've already done it. I dominated NXT in its golden age. I beat Roman Reigns my first night on Raw and became the first ever Universal Champion just a few weeks later. Everything you're on your way to becoming, I already am!"

"WERE... that's everything you once were, but not anymore, right? You've said it yourself that guy's gone. I don't know why you'd wanna get rid of him because now all that's left is this... this bitter old shell of the man I used to know. Let a former apprentice give you some advice for a change, straighten yourself out or you're not gonna have a chance in hell at Royal Rumble."

Finn just smirked again. "Sounds to me like you're overestimating yourself young lad; but tell you what, why don't we make a little challenge for each other tonight and see who's truly prepared? I'll step in the ring with any opponent of your choosing; but in return, you face off against whoever I decide for you." Daniel's expression lights up with intrigue. "Well, that certainly makes things interesting. Alright, you're on; and I've already got the perfect man in mind."

Finn holds a hand up before he can continue. "I'd rather it'd be a surprise. Just make sure he's ready to meet me in the ring" With that, Finn carries on as Daniel watches with a determined smirk. "...If you say so." Dalton says under his breath, elation in his eyes.

- Commercial Break -

Balor was already in the ring after the commercial break, waiting for the opponent of Daniel Dalton's choosing. Who's it gonna be?

It's the Prizefighter, Kevin Owens!!! Balor looks less than happy with Daniel's choice... and Speaking of Daniel, he was already sitting ringside with a headset on next to Corey and David.

The match wasn't anything you wouldn't expect from these two for the first ten minutes or so. Balor connected on some of his big moves, a 1619 inverted lifting DDT, the double leg & stomp, a pair of shotgun dropkicks, but missed a coup de grace attempt when Owens rolled out of the way. Not to say Owens didn't get some offense in, as he had connected on a Pumphandle neckbreaker, a KO Cannonball, and even hitting the Swanton bomb for a near fall. 

However, Balor avoided the Stunner by sweeping the leg of Owens, but it was then that Dalton yelled, "Hey, Finn! I thought this would be 'Light Work' for ya!" to which Balor took exception. He turns his attention to Daniel. "Shut yer mouth, kid! Nothin' you can say can keep me from becomin' WWE Champion at the Rumble!" He says, but he had forgotten that his last move was only a leg sweep, and that Owens wouldn't stay down very long after that... Meaning when Balor turned around, Owens kicked him in the gut and delivered a Stunner! Owens quickly went for the cover on Finn, and the ref counted; "One, Two, Three!" Owens knocks off Finn Balor, chalk the assist up to Daniel Dalton!

Finn was understandably PISSED. Propped up on the bottom turnbuckle, he called for a microphone. "You think yer Sooooo clever, dontcha Danny boy?!" The Irate Irishman says between heavy breaths. "You want 'Light work'? You're in for it tonight then, Boy, because I know exactly who yer fightin'..." Dalton shrugs and seemingly says "Go on then, who?"...

"THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, CODY RHODES!!!" Finn yells into the mic, causing the crowd to Explode! Dalton versus CODY?! TONIGHT?! And even moreso... FOR FREE?! This must be a dream, no way this'd be given out for free TV... But indeed it was to be! And a Graphic appeared on the titantron, showing The American Nightmare on one side and the Iron Angel on the other. Dalton's expression looked to be somewhere between Elated and worried... because while he'd always wanted a 1v1 match with Cody... He wished the circumstances were much different, to say the least.

In the 3rd match of the night, AJ Styles qualified for the Royal Rumble by defeating Pete Dunne with the Styles Clash. Styles, post-victory, grabbed a Mic and began to address the live Crowd.

"Fifty One Minutes. That's how long I lasted in last year's 40 man Royal Rumble match. I cracked the final four men standing in the rumble for the first time In my career, and I have my sights set even higher this time around.... Because I WILL be winning the Royal Rumble this year, and AJ Styles WILL be Headlinin' Wrestlemania! All these Media reporters ask me, 'AJ, you've already done it all, what's there left to prove?', well lemme tell ya. I'm gonna prove why I've garnered respect and admiration from fellow wrestlers, from promoters, and from fans not just here In the states, but far across the planet! So when my arm gets raised at the end of the night... THAT, My friends... Will be truly... Phenomenal." Styles flips the mic as he poses for the hardcam one more time... that is, until the show cuts to commercial.

The 4th match of the night was a Fatal fourway that saw Chelsea Green, Tegan Nox, Zoey Stark, and Io Shirai competing against each other. The match had multiple close calls, Including an Io Moonsault that she didn't get all of, and a Z360 from Stark, only Chelsea rolled out of the ring before a pin could be made. However, it was Tegan Nox who came away with the Victory, after Zoey took out Iyo and Chelsea, Nox came from out of nowhere and landed The Shinest Wizard on Zoey, Pinning her for the three count! Notably, Raw Women's champion Crystal Zamora was on commentary for the match.

"We now go backstage to catch up with our correspondant, Byron Saxton! Bryon?"

Byron is running towarda the sound of commotion in Catering. "It seems like some kind of fight has broken out..." Only Byron arrived to see there was no fight, but Shawn Rosario was making quite the mess of things. NXT Superstars Sol Ruca and Dani Palmer were notably attempting to calm him down, all be it, without much success. "Shawn! Shawn! What's the meaning behind this outburst?"

Shawn looks over at Saxton, marching up to him. "You're kidding, right?! Do you even WATCH the show, Bryon?! That Conniving little-" Shawn takes a few steps off to the side and tips over a table with three coffee machines on it, spilling cups of Joe all over the floor. Finally, Sol steps over, squares up, and grabs him by the shoulders. "Dude!! Calm! The fuck! Down!" Her curse word had slipped by the production team, as she hadn't been speaking directly into a microphone.

Shawn closes his eyes for a moment. After a few breaths, he nods to Ruca, seemingly saying "Thanks, Cal. I needed that." Before turning back to Saxton. "Sorry, Bryon. It's just... Frustrating to know that even after I fought so hard, when I had him cornered and beat, Jake Cross took the coward's way out. He hit me with those knucks because he knew he wasn't gonna leave Louisville, Kentucky with that United States Championship otherwise."

Sol stepped in. "That was Bullsh*t!" The production team caught her in time on this go-around. "Shawn had him, Everyone knows it! If Jake were half the man he claims to be, he'd give Shawn a FAIR Rematch! He'd-"

She stopped speaking, as the US champ happened to walk into frame, glaring at the two, grabbing the mic from Saxton. "I got this from here, Byron." He says before sizing up Rosario and Ruca. "Doesnt change the facts, and that is, #AndStill..."

"Hashtag Somehow Still..." Sol snickers, to which Cross barks at her to "Shut up!", which Shawn looks less than pleased with. "So you have no problem fighting dirty, huh? How would you feel if, say... You and me... For that title... No DQ?" Shawn offers. Ruca's jaw drops as she looks back and forth between the two men. "You sure about this, Shawn-?" she asks. Shawn takes his eyes off Cross, nodding to her.

Jake laughs to himself before taking a step closer to Shawn. "I'm not defending this for Free anymore. You want another shot? You gotta take it... At the Royal Rumble!" Shawn barely hesitates. "Fine then. You, Me, Royal Rumble, No Disqualifications... I accept!" The crowd roars in approval. Shawn smiles, as he'd gotten his way... But Jake cracks his neck, before uttering a warning to Shawn... He leaned in slightly, saying, "Your funeral, Pal...", before, Out of nowhere, Jake throws an elbow that misses Shawn and cracks Ruca right in the face! 

Almost immediately, blood is seen dripping from her nose as she stumbles backward, yet she didn't fall over. Sol recovered from the blow in merely a second, trying to get back at Cross for the sucker punch! But instead of Ruca tearing into Cross, Shawn caught her and held her back with one arm, as he'd torn the T-Shirt he'd put on and held it up to her nose to help stop the bleeding. After a few moments of kicking and fighting it, Ruca finally calms herself down. Meanwhile, Jake grins, wiping the blood off his elbow. He seemed rather pleased with himself. "That's right... Keep your Spraytanned skank in check, Rosario." Jake says with a cackle as he walks away. 

Shawn wanted to go give him an ass whoopin'... but he also didn't leave his good friend's side. The Camera had a great view of the bloody Ruca and the irate Rosario. There was an unsettling, icy cold, murderous look in his eyes as he glares down the camera. And All he says one simple sentance in a scarily calm manner; "I'm gonna tear that Son of a Bitch apart."

Shawn was going to make him pay for this, IN THREE WEEKS AT THE ROYAL RUMBLE In a NO DISQUALIFICATIONS match for the United States Championship!

In the Co-main event of the night, which happened to be the "Number 30" Ladder Match, Ethan Bourne defeated LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Austin Theory by pulling the silver briefcase down and claiming the 30th entrant spot in this year's Royal Rumble after he'd thrown Sikoa off the ladder and through a table!

MAIN EVENT - Cody Rhodes vs Dalton Daniel

https://youtu.be/kQhdwd8ObrA

Ding ding ding.

"The following contest is scheduled for ONE FALL... Introducing first... from Fort Worth, Texas, weighing in at 188 pounds... THE IIIIRON ANGELLL... Daniel Dalton!!!"

Dalton seemed to be carrying himself with less than his usual swagger... Maybe it was nerves. Maybe Finn got under his skin. Or maybe it's because this may just be the single most challenging singles match of his entire career. Indeed, He had a monumental challenge ahead of him, but neither fear nor trepidation were in the eyes of this Angel. Only a focus, a fire, a passion not seen since his ultra-personal blood feud with JD McDonagh. Daniel Dalton was damn sure ready for Cody Rhodes.

["Wrestling has more than one... Royal Family."]

https://youtu.be/qDj0ckfQPjo

Cody stepped through the smoke following the usual burst of Pyro. Clad in the patriotic colors of Red, white, and blue, Rhodes, with a smile across his face, high fived a few fans as he stepped to the center of the ramp, awaiting the moment of the song...

["Out the curtain, lights go up, I'm hooome..."]

The entire Louisville crowd belted out, "WOOOOAAAAAHH!!!" with the American Nightmare's theme music and as the rest of Cody's Pyrotechnics blew off behind him, which left Dalton's jaw hung open momentarily. He'd seen the reactions to Cody on TV before, but he'd never been in the center of the ring when it's happened. Daniel couldn't hide his elation anymore, as he slid out of the ring and began shadowboxing at ringside, hyped as ever to get this match underway. Cody continued his usual walk down to the ring, removing his weight belt, then handing it to a child in the front row. He then climbed the corner ring post for the second "WOOOOAH!" of the song, followed by removing his ring jacket, but skipping the part where he kneels in the center of the ring... Cody was also rather eager to face this young Up & Coming Superstar. Neither man could wait... so wait no more, they shall. Let's get it underway.

Dalton climbs the steps and slingshots himself into the ring. The referee steps to the middle of the ring, then calls for the bell!

Ding ding ding!

Cody and Daniel start the match off with a respectful handshake before circling each other. They look to start things off with some grapples, but Cody turns it into an arm-drag & armbar. After only mere seconds in the hold, Daniel pulls his arm out of said armlock and rolls to his feet before catching Cody with a Japanese arm-drag and into his own armbar. Cody likewise escapes the hold, and both men are at a standoff once more. Dalton throws an elbow, which Cody responds to with a left hand jab, but Daniel leaps into the air and tries to execute a Hurricanrana, but Rhodes over-rotates and lands on his feet! Both men are once again, at an impasse!

Following a staggering right chop to the throat, Cody comes off the ropes for a shoulder tackle before running back and forth across the ring; jumping over Daniel the first time, then Daniel leaping over him the second, but Daniel's the one who gets the quick offense in, dropping his opponent with a corkscrew dropkick! Cody quickly pops back up to fight back, but Daniel ducks under the clothesline and looks for a springboard, only Once he dives, Cody nails a dropkick in midair! Dalton rolls to the outside while clutching his gut. 

While on the outside, He tries to catch his breath, but Cody doesn't give him the chance as he returns with a suicide dive, driving Daniel into the barricade. He then rolls Dalton back in the ring and takes him back down with a brainbuster, making the first cover of the match; "One! Two-", Daniel kicks the shoulder up at 2! Cody attempts to transition it into some more offense, but Dalton quickly shakes off the prior damage he'd received and goes back on the offense, countering with a northern lights suplex, landing a series of running strikes before Cody counters with a titl-a-whirl backbreaker. Rhodes then looks to capitalize with a suplex, but Dalton fights back with a gordbuster knee before landing another series of forearm and knee strikes. Daniel has Cody rocked, so he goes back to the well again and tries another aerial move, Launching off the middle rope, attempting a springboard moonsault, but Cody ducks under it and goes for his own springboard, this time landing a nasty disaster kick right to the head! Cody makes another cover, but only manages to get another near fall, as The Iron Angel kicked out at 2 once more!

Cody's first attempt at the Cody Cutter gets caught with a single knee backbreaker, catching Cody with a wicked knee to the spine! This was similar to the one Jake Cross pulled out agaonst Shawn Rosario at the beginning of the night, only this one looked a lot more painful! Daniel goes on the offense with a series of moves, all targeting the spine of the American Nightmare: first a normal Irish Curse maneuver, followed by a standing switch transitioned into Half Nelson, lifting Cody and dropping him over his knee, and finally completed with a suplex into tge double knee backbreaker! Cody contors in agony and staggers to his feet as Daniel begins hyping himself up in the corner, stomping the mat and working the crowd into a frenzy! When Cody stood back up, Dalton launched him backwards with a German Suplex, rolling back into a bridge pin, but Cody kicks out at two! All that damage to the back, yet still not enough!

Daniel pops back up, heading for the corner. He gathers himself once more, and delivers a superkick to Cody, bringing him down to a knee, Dalton hops up on the second rope and attempts the same move that helped Dalton overcome Rosario at Day One, the Demigod Destroyer, but Cody stops the flip attempt, holding on to the Iron Angel before spinning him around. Once he stops, he brings Daniel down with the Alabama slam, looking to transition into the figure four, but Dalton rolls him into an inside cradle, only receiving another 2 count.

After this, Daniel was making some serious noise with a comeback sequence; First a clothesline, then a high knee to the shoulder, and capping off the sequence with a nasty Thrust kick that sends Rhodes stumbling into the corner. Dalton sees the opportunity, and rebounds off the ropes to deliver a running dropkick, but he didnt quite get all of it! Cody still falls down, and Daniel quickly springs through the ropes, then up to the top turnbuckle, looking for something big, but Cody kips up, then hops up to the middle rope and brings him back down for a thunderous superplex! The crowd applaudes and begins chanting "THIS IS AWESOME!" as the two lie motionless on the mat for a short while, slowly getting back to their feet. They return to a Stand-off once more and begin teeing off on one another. Daniel, being the striker among the two, soon catches the upper hand and soon starts landing the seven deadly strikes combo... However, Cody ducks under the spinning roundhouse and counters with his signature drop-down uppercut. This rocks Dalton and knocks him back a little before Cody starts landing the bionic punches. He looks to finish with the elbow, Homage to his father, but Daniel pulls off a last possible second almost Matrix-like dodge, throwing Cody off before rising back up for a spinning forearm. He follows it with a hard chop and proceeds with the seven heavenly kicks this time. Three hard roundhouse kicks to the gut, a straight-on right footed kick to the ribs, a Hard left Savate Kick, A Spinning Back roundhouse with the right! Cody is knocked senseless! Rhodes, however, falls backwards and into the corner as Daniel hypes up the crowd more, he's looking to finish this! He runs forward, burying his shoulder into Cody's gut before back flipping and coming back with a running knee to the jaw. He then takes Cody down with a running bulldog before coming off the ropes with a Rolling Thunder! He looks to follow it with a springboard moonsault, but Cody brings his knees up! He looks to follow it up with a second Cody Cutter attempt, but Dalton catches him and reverses into a half Nelson, looking for that backbreaker, but Cody blocks this time. Dalton spun Rhodes around and, suddenly, with one pop of his hips, he scooped Cody off his feet and delivered a truly nasty exploder suplex into the corner turnbuckles! That Vicious Scoop Exploder, A move that's seen as a trademark of the Zamora siblings, Utilized quite effectively by The Iron Angel!

The fans once again are getting hyped as they know what's next... The Iron Angel has an evil grin with his legs bouncing as Cody reaches his feet again, once more in the corner. Daniel charges off the ropes and nails a new variant of the Archangel's Arrow, this one being more like a Superkick combined with a Dropkick. Cody drops like a sack of Potatoes, and Dalton goes to the top, rising with his wings spread far and wide, he leaps for the Angel-

No! Cody rolls out of the way In time! Dalton lands on his feet and rolls through, rushing back at the American Nightmare, but Rhodes turns the momentum against him by catching him with a scoop power slam! He makes the cover, but only another 2 count.

Rhodes doesn't leave room for air though as he immediately brings Dalton to the center ring and is setting up for what seems to be the pedigree. Dan gets his arms free, taking down Cody by the legs and rolling into a bridge pin. He rolls out before 3, but keeps a hold on Daniel's gut. This proves to be a mistake as he suffers another northern lights at the hands of the Angel. He kicks out, but is quick to stand back up, running towards the ropes, and by the time Daniel rolls to his feet, he's met by the Cody Cutter! He connects with the pivotal move, and Now he's gotta be looking for Crossrhodes, hoping to end this! He has Dalton in position, center of the ring, but Daniel drives his knee up, catching Rhodes in the head before flipping him down with a headlock roll through. Neither man stays down, but Dan takes him back down with a slingblade followed by a Hesitation dropkick to the head. Now, Daniel is looking for his "Faith-Breaker" Rolling Stunner. He makes the roll and jumps for the stunner, but Cody catches him, head captured, Could it be?! Crossrhodes! Crossrhodes! This has to be it. Cody transitions into the cover!
"ONE!... TWO!... THRE-" No! A kickout! A damned Kickout! Daniel kicks out at the last second, most likely by pure Instinct, the Iron Angel's still Alive in this one!

The fans are shocked. Cody's now showing frustration, but he doesn't dwell on it for too long as he sets his opponent back up for the pedigree. Dalton, however, escaped with a back body drop. He kneels back down and watches Cody return to his feet... Dalton grins, then rolls foward and this time connects with a Faith-Breaker! Cody's stunned as he stumbles and bounces off the ropes and is welcomed back by the Heaven's Light! A 360 Codebreaker to the Jaw! Now Daniel has a chance to prevail, as he crawls into the cover! "One...two...thr-" Cody's too close to the ropes and stays alive. Great awareness by the official, but I gotta ask... What's it gonna take to win this match for either man?!

Cody just barely makes it to his feet when Dalton suddenly jumps to his feet and tries to perform a Victory Roll, but it's not what it seems! Cody's in a world of pain now, because Daniel rolled him into a submission hold! 

"Dalton seems to have locked in some type of Lying cloverleaf on Rhodes!" Drake observed, only to be corrected by Corey. "Drake, you fool, that's not just any cloverleaf! That's the Guardian Lock! Our Raw Women's Champion's own signature move!"

However, the hold did not last too long, as Cody managed to slip a leg free once Daniel felt the need to readjust his grip. It's hard to outsmart a man with the in-ring IQ of Cody Rhodes! Dalton wastes little time, looking for another Heaven's Light, but Cody had this out scouted, catching Dalton and instead throwing him up & off of him, but when Daniel lands (feet first) on the mat, Cody shocks everybody by performing the very same move Dalton had just attempted, a 360 codebreaker!! Rhodes quickly into a cover! 

"One! Two! Thr-" Kickout at 2 and a half!!

Cody just tried to beat Daniel Dalton with his own move! But of course, nobody's gonna let that kind of disrespect slide... so this match continues!

-A Picture-in-Picture Commercial break ensues, but nothing of note happens aside from resting and a few minor strikes & reversals...-

The two men both were bruised, tired, on wobbly legs... but neither man was backing down. At first, there were blows traded: Chops, elbows, punches... but Dalton seemed to have more in the tank, as he wound up and landed a powerful kick to the ribs, followed by a knee to the jaw, and finally, he lands a devistating superkick that once more sends Cody back to the canvas! Daniel slumps to a knee, but manages to dart to the corner... He begins attempting to scale the turnbuckles, but he at first struggles to do so, due to obvious fatigue. His second attempt at climbing the ropes was a success, however. This couldn't mean anything good...

Dalton stood up straight on the top rope, and to the shock of everyone, he mimicked Balor's signature pointing gesture, then, rather than going for his Angel Splash, Dalton lept off the top rope, looking for a Coup De Grace for the second week in a row!... However, Cody rolled to his feet and out of the way at the last moment, causing Daniel to land Semi-awkwardly on his feet and roll an ankle in the process. Dalton didn't have much time to process the pain, nor the fact that he'd missed, however, because Immediately, Cody traps his head from behind and Delivers another Crossrhodes!... But no cover yet, because Cody rolls through and stands them both back up, He can't be going for this, can he?! Cody trying again, rolls over and Hits the Second Crossrhodes! Neither man moves for a solid three seconds, but then Cody rolls Dalton over & up one more time... Only, right as Cody went for the third and final one, Daniel slips out and rolls backwards, then nailing Rhodes with an elbow to the back of the neck, setting him up, and Dalton's the one who hits a Crossrhodes of his own!!! Turnabout is Fair Play indeed, ladies and gentlemen!!! Dalton flops onto his back after executing the move. Cody was in perfect range... if he could just get there... Daniel felt a second wind fill his lungs, and to the shock of everyone watching, he kips up to his feet! He marches over to the corner, shoots over the top rope to the apron, yelling "COME ON!!!" To the crowd as he's about to ascend once more. The crowd gets behind him, which was all the fuel he needed for this one last blow... Dalton, perched up top, goes back to his own playbook, and he takes a leap of faith...

Picture perfect 450 degree rotation. Picture perfect landing. "ANGEL SPLASH CONNECTS!!! COULD IT BE?!?!" Drake and Corey were practically out of their suits, they were losing their voices, they were fully invested in this match.

The referee begins to count, and the audience all counting along with him, but this would feel like the longest count in Dalton's life...

"One!" Cody still had not even so much as moved a muscle since being hit with the 450.

"Two!" Still, nothing.

"Three!" The ref's hand hit the mat for Three, and only then did Cody just barely lift a shoulder, but it was too late. 

Dalton's music hit as the ref called for the bell. Daniel looks around frantically, as if in shock that he'd just pulled that off. Did... Did he just beat Cody Rhodes cleanly?! 

"HE GOT HIM! HE GOT HIM! DALTON PINS RHODES! DANIEL DALTON, IN ONLY HIS SECOND MONTH ON THE MAIN ROSTER, HAS PINNED CODY RHODES!" Drake, voice rasping and barely having anything left, managed to let the news be broken, elation and disbelief both present in his voice.

Raw Women's champion Crystal Zamora runs out from backstage and slides into the ring, nearly tackling Dalton. She's all smiles, embracing him from behind as he too shares the joyful emotions in this moment... Until Daniel says something to Zamora, which she obliges... Crys slides out to ringside and asks the sound guy for a mic, which she's granted. She raises it, "Aye, Danny... Catch!" She says, throwing the microphone into the ring... and rather impressively, Dalton didn't even move from where he'd been sitting, as he just reached up and snagged the microphone out of mid-air as if it was nothing. The crowd popped for this moment as well, because despite being unplanned, it was still a cool "Right place right time" scenario. After the mic-throw-and-catch, Crystal rejoins Daniel in the ring, kneeling behind him to show her support... in this case, Literally, because her leg was the only thing potentially keeping Dalton from falling over backwards. Who can blame him after such a gruelling match?

"I dunno if you all saw that, but This man right here..." Dan points to Cody, who's now also sitting in the corner. "... He almost kicked out at the end there. All that, and he still had some left. I can't even put into words the Respect I have for this man. For what he's done for this industry... For Everything he's meant to the world of Pro Wrestling! So the chance to step into this ring with him tonight... It's a dream match come true for me, and Cody... I just want to say... Thank You."

Cody gets handed a mic as well. He uses the ropes to help himself to stand. Crystal throws Daniel's arm over her shoulder and helps him stand, since they're both the same height (that being 5'10"), and She continues to help him stand as Cody limps towards them. Rhodes then raises his microphone. "...So, I think I know what I wanna talk about. I'm not gonna give any excuses, I'm not gonna say you took shortcuts, because damn it, you didn't! You stood across from me and you had a fire in your soul, a determination in your eyes that I haven't seen in a long time, maybe not ever in another man, but you... You're something special, Daniel." Cody pauses. He offers his hand for a shake. "You're going places, Kid. Win or Lose, I believe you're walking out of the Royal Rumble... A Megastar." Dalton didn't even hesitate, he reached out and shook Cody's hand. They end the match the same way they began it, with Respect for one another. Cody suddenly switched his grip to Daniel's wrist, turned to the side slowly, and raised Dalton's arm in the air, prompting the crowd to let out a rockus ovation for the Iron Angel! What a way to end Monday Night Ra-

https://youtu.be/XtLvlaGJJEU

The lights went OUT. The Ominous Music began to play, until it was obvious that it was Slayer's "South of Heaven". The Metal track rocked the arena, but when the words ["BEFORE YOU SEE THE LIGHT, YOU MUST DIE!!"] Rang in the ears of  all 18,000 fans in Louisville, the words "ENTER NIGHTSHADE" Flashed up on the tron, and the lights came back on... and the WWE Champion was standing in the ring across from Cody, Crystal, and Dalton. He stoically stared at one half of his challengers at Royal Rumble... Not breaking eye contact, not for Crystal, not for Cody. He and Dalton never broke each other's gaze as Slayer kept playing in the background. The show then goes off the air when the lights cut once more, Blacking out the arena.

Smackdown, 3 weeks until the Rumble

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're live from Saint Louis, Missouri this week for Friday Night Smackdown! I'm Michael Cole, alongside my commentary partners Wade Barrett and Benjamin Brayden, and THIS is WWE Smackdown on Fox!"

https://youtu.be/uv7AOobjheI

Zamora is in the ring with his two younger sisters, Lexi, and Raw Women's Champion Crystal. Aaron's just a bit taller than Crys, and Lexi's a good 3 inches shorter than the two of them. However, Lexi was the one jumping up and down, running in circles around her two older siblings. Aaron couldn't help but smile, as Crys remained rather stoic, yet a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She was happy for her Brother, it was just... "In-character" of her to not show it.

Aaron raised the microphone. "It's still kinda surreal to me. Getting that victory last week, looking up at the tron right over there, and seeing that I would be fighting for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble... Honestly, I haven't felt this good since the time I stood across from Ethan Bourne at Summerslam. Yeah, that happened, just followed a pretty good triple threat match..." Crystal interjected, "Pretty good?!" She looked slightly offended. Aaron chuckled. "Ok, fine, it was amazing. But either way, This time around, Things will be different. I've got all the confidence in the world right now, beating Seth, Cesaro, and Drew... And honestly? Nobody can knock me off this mountain now, because in Three weeks' time... I'll be standing here as your WWE Universal Cha-" But Aaron was cut off by the sound of a theme hitting,

https://youtu.be/GuJoZVarveg

Smackdown General Manager, The American Dragon, Bryan Danielson makes his way out to the ring, with the crowd doing the signature "YES!" chant with him in rhythm to his music. The GM steps between the ropes before climbing the corner turnbuckle and holding his hands out and letting out a "WOOO!", most likely because he was rather excited to be in the ring... Or maybe it had something to do with what he had to say?

"Aaron, Aaron, Aaron... You did win that fatal fourway last week, but... I'm afraid we just can't give you that Universal Championship match..." The crowd begins to boo. What was he saying?! They were gonna take away what Aaron rightfully won?! "You see... Aaron, you're a good wrestler, we know! But the Universal championship number one contender needs to be someone who's a GREAT Wrestler... Someone who can outwrestle any man put in front of him... The #1 Contender should be able... to GO TOE TO TOE WITH THE AMERICAN DRAGON!!!"

A gasp fell over the crowd. Was... Danielson CHALLENGING Aaron Zamora?!

"So you're saying if I want to go face Priest at the Royal Rumble, I've gotta take you on?" Aaron sighs, catching onto Danielson's plan right away. "Fine. Name the time, name the place." Bryan didn't take long. "Next week. You wanna prove to the world you can go it alone in this industry? You have to face ME... INSIDE THE FIGHT PIT!" A silence fell over the crowd... The FIGHT PIT?! So close to the Royal Rumble?! That's insane! Aaron can't seriously be considering-

"Interesting Choice. I accept." Aaron says without hesitation, dropping his microphone and getting in the face of Bryan...

When out of nowhere, Cesaro hopped the barricade and attacked Aaron Zamora! Lexi and Crystal got the hell out of there, as it didn't take long for Wheeler Yuta to slither his way out and join in the beatdown of the man who'd foiled their "flawless victory plans" last week...

["BURN IT DOOOOOWN!!!"]

It's the Visionary! And he's coming out to the aide of Zamora, and for his match with Yuta here to open the night! 

And in said 1st match of the night, Seth Rollins was facing Wheeler Yuta (w/ Cesaro). After 10 solid minutes of Shenanigans attempted by the BCC, Aaron had had enough of the interference. Aaron grabbed a steel chair and chased off Cesaro, leading to Yuta getting distracted... and when he turned around, he was summarily hit with a superkick, & then curb stomped. Seth picks up the win, 1 2 3, and qualifies for the Royal Rumble.

Cesaro was running for it, with Aaron giving chase! Aaron is stopped by a few security guards while Cesaro keeps running. Aaron has an idea in that moment; "HEY CESARO! How 'bout you and me, Tonight! No Running, No Outsiders... Let's have ourselves a good ol' STEEL CAGE MATCH!!!" The crowd let their approval be heard at the mention of this idea. A Steel Cage match this week, a Fight Pit match NEXT week?! This was unbelievable!

in the 2nd match of the night, Kyle O'Reilly retained the Intercontinental Championship against Sammy Guevara following a Brainbuster & a Diving knee from Kyle. O'Reilly followed this up by taking a Microphone and declaring that he too is entering the Royal Rumble!

In between the second and third matches, Liv Morgan & Dakota Kai met in the ring. Liv said that Dakota was just a stepping stone, either SHE (Liv) walked over her to go to Draft Night, or she got Walked over AT Draft Night by Crystal. Dakota didn't come to talk, and after throwing her microphone, Kota threw a punch, and things escelated quickly to the point where they had to be separated by security. Smackdown Women's Title will be on the line at the Royal Rumble, folks!

In the 3rd match, of the night Dawn & Fyre were facing Katana Chance & Kayden Carter. Everything was pretty normal, Alba stopped KC squared from hitting their "Afterparty" finisher, and then Kayden was hit by the Gory Bomb/Flatliner combo of Fyre & Dawn, but Isla didn't go for the pin off the tag finisher, strangely enough. Instead, Isla picked up Katana and looked to be going for some kind of suplex, until she twisted herself around and instead Dropped Chance into a Suplex-Cutter. This confused the Commentators quite a bit... 

"Wait... That's... Last Breath?!" Brayden asked, wondering if he'd seen the same thing his collegue had just saw. "No doubt about it, That was a Last Breath Suplex-into-Cutter maneuver from Isla Dawn... A Move made popular by two superstars - Carmelo Hayes and... Aaron Zamora." Michael Cole answered. "That can't be a coincidence..." Brayden shakes his head as Isla stacks both team members, and the referee counts "One, Two, Three!". 

Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre defeated Katana Chance & Kayden Carter.

We then cut to the video tron, where Earlier today, Ashante Adonis and Top Dolla of Hit Row were seen backstage. The three lesser members, Adonis, Francis, and B-Fab, were waiting for their leader, Swerve Strickland, and they decided to pass the time by 'Roasting' people. B-Fab had started the whole thing by making a less-than kind remark about Shotzi Blackheart, and it only spiralled downward from there. 

"Aye, Aye, check this guy out! He been packin' on the POUNDS y'all! Like go eat some GRASS man!" Top Dolla laughed while Otis passed by with Chad Gable, who took a little offense to the comment. "Shoosh!" Gable said, without as much gusto as usual, as if being respectful due to them being in the locker room and all. All three members of Hit Row ceased laughter. "What you actin' so tough for, Little man? You ain't gonna do nothin'! Just like Yo WWE Career!" All three began laughing again. Gable sighed and shook his head. "No, you don't understand... I... Said..." and with a huge breath in, he let out a mighty "SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!"

Top Dolla and Ashante both stood up. "The Hell you think you are Lil' man?" Adonis said while peering over his shades. "Me? I'm sticking up for MY Number One guy, Ah-THANK YEEEWWW!!!" Adonis stepped closer to Gable. "You best shut yo damn mouth if you wanna be walkin' outta here tonight. I mean, you think you the toughest MoFo in here? Nah, fam, you LOOKIN' at the toughest, bruh! I mean, looka that big dumbass over there!" Adonis pointed to a man in a T-shirt knelt over a duffle bag in the corner. "What's some jackass sound engineer doin' in mah Locker room? Getcha weak ass outta here, ya jabroni! I-" As Adonis once again began to cackle as he had been throwing shade at the man, Gable and Otis did not seem to approve. Only Adonis' Laughter died out quickly, as the man stood up. He was HUGE, at least Six foot Eight, Two hundred Eighty pounds, and absolutely RIPPED. He was in rather casual attire, a T-shirt that had a "United States Army Veteran" patch on the right sleeve, and dark blue camo pants with his wrestling boots already on, tied, & ready for a few kicks... He cracks his knuckles, then his neck, and walks up to Adonis, whom the man absolutely TOWERED over. "Care to repeat that, you son of a Bitch?" His quiet, gravelly voice said in such a calm mannor... yet it sent shivers down Adonis' spine. (Think like the voice of Geralt from The Witcher 3.) The camera pans, finally allowing us to see the man behind the voice...

It's Zack Chandler, the 27 year old United States Army Veteran, former NXT North American Champion and NXT Heritage Cup champion! Top Dolla and B-Fab slowly take a few steps away from Adonis, who surprisingly doesn't back down. "I'm sayin' you's ain't the toughest sumbitch in here. You wanna fight about it, I don't gotta problem kickin yo a-" But before Adonis could finish, Chandler delivered a Wicked forearm to the face of Adonis! Ashante stumbles back into a Locker, but Chandler picks him up in a Fireman's carry and unceremoniously dumps him spine-first onto a bench that snaps under the weight of Adonis combined with the force of the slam! Adonis' back begins to bleed from a few splinters lodged in it, but Chandler isn't satisfied with just beating the crap out of him here. Zack picks up Adonis and throws him over is shoulder, and he begins walking. First he passes catering, where noticably, Luke Jamison from Monday Night Raw took notice in the background of the shot. Then, Zack marched into Guerrilla position when Adonis slipped off his shoulder and shoved Zack into a wall. Adonis began laying into Zack with a few right hands, trying desperately to get some offense in despite the pain shooting through his spine! Zack finally has enough of this, and he pushed Ashante back before making him pay by smashing his forehead with a Nasty Big Boot!

Adonis fell backwards, and Chandler once more clamped his hands around the neck of the Hit Row member, lifting him to a vertical base, then powerwalking through the curtain with Adonis, arriving out on the Stage at last! Zack positioned Adonis for a chokeslam on the metal, but Top Dolla came rushing through the curtain with a chop block! The big man tried stomping away at Chandler, only for the crowd to pop as someone else had come to join the party. Luke Jamison! He followed them out here!

AJ "Top Dolla" Francis looked back and seethed at the sight of the older Jamison brother. He immediately charged at Luke, only for Jamison to intercept him with an Annihilation Knee! (Think a Jumping knee strike out of nowhere.) Luke then nodded to Zack, who sees Jamison and climbs to his feet. Luke noticed Francis getting back to his knees, and he rushes forward and Delivers a Shot of Jamison! Top Dolla staggers back against the Titantron, and Chandler comes dashing in from off Camera and connects on a Spear, shoulder-to-Ribs, and the Titantron gave way in a shower of Sparks! The crowd began chants of "HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!".

Chandler emerges from the hole in the tron, seemingly unphased, and he marches towards the ring, where Adonis was limping away, in an attempt to escape through the crowd... Only for Zack to grab him by the back of the head and toss him into the ring. A referee was in waiting in the timekeeper's area... Zack threw his shirt off, into the crowd, revealing his Chiseled pecs and abdominals, and slid into the ring for himself.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in the 4th match of the night, a DEBUTING Zack Chandler versus Ashante "Thee" Adonis of Hit Row, with Top Dolla effectively being neutralized! 

Adonis is already favoring his lower back, which has stained the mat with the crimson dye that is his blood due to splintering a bench backstage, which means Chandler was about to have NO Mercy for the disrespect he was shown.

Jamison had made the walk down to the ring and was in the Corner of the debuting Zack Chandler, and once Adonis used the ropes to maintain his balance, the referee called for the bell to ring, and the match is underway! Chandler begins with a series of chops to the chest, followed by a wicked twisting Spinebuster! Adonis lets out a cry of pain before Zack sits him up, then, Chandler deadlifts him out of a seated position into a vertical suplex! What Power!

Adonis began trying to crawl towards the ropes and escape, only for Zack to grab him by the ankle and begin wrenching on it with an Ankle Lock! It appears to be rather effective, as Ashante writhes in pain on the canvas, only reaching the ropes out of sheer desperation. Zack relinquishes the hold, stepping back with a huge grin on his face. "You talked such a big game, What's wrong?" He taunted as Ashante gets up to a standing position again. Adonis' breaths have grown heavy and labored. Chandler attempts to get him in powerbomb position, only Adonis now gets his second wind and begins to try and kick the Big man's legs out from under him! Consecutive kicks land to the thighs and calves of Chandler, yet he just won't go down! Adonis waited until he had a moment of separation, then he rebounded off the ropes, only Chandler also ran off the ropes and Chandler charged like a Bull. As a result, the two collided in the middle of the ring, with Chandler delivering a wicked Spear, with picture perfect form as his shoudler connecting with the upper ribs of Adonis, and Ashante lies motionless after the blow, the wind clearly knocked out of him at this moment. That didn't matter, as Zack forced him to a wobbling, yet just sturdy enough standing position. Zack delivers a swift kick to the gut, and Adonis keels over. Chandler steps up to him, head between his legs, and Effortlessly powers Adonis up into Powerbomb position! Chandler marched around the ring for a moment, as the crowd was anticipating a huge move...

Finally, Chandler stepped into the middle of the ring and drops Adonis with his Finishing move, a kneeling powerbomb known as the "Hellfire Bomb", the same move that won him the NXT North American title ten months ago! He sat back, admiring his handiwork. Adonis lie motionless in the center of the ring and as Jamison watched on from the outside. Zack smiles and finally, mercifully, he makes a cover on Adonis. The ref tries to make it quick, yet fair. "One! Two! Three!". And the bell sounds for the second time, signifying the end of the match. Jamison jumped up to the apron and into the ring with a microphone. Zack sat in the corner, barely a sweat broken.

"Listen... Zack Chandler, was it? I'm the leader of a special club here in WWE, and recently I've been tasked with building it with men or women of my choosing. And I see promise in you, kid. You're in the prime of your life, you're a force to be reckoned with, and you really have that World Champion potential inside you. So what am I saying? I'll make it quick... I want YOU to join me in the OC!"The crowd cheers, with "YES!" chants breaking out. Jamison extends his hand, but not before he tosses the microphone to Chandler for a response. Zack raised the mic as he sat perched in the corner...

"Interesting offer...!" He says, grasping Luke's hand with his free one, allowing himself to be pulled up. The crowd was on their toes as they shook hands, anticipating Chandler's verbal answer... But then Luke throws up a "Too Sweet" as a way of getting Chandler's answer. Zack grins and looks around at the cheering fans, who begin a "TOO SWEET!" Chant. After looking around him, glancing back at the stage and seemingly saying something under his breath, he turns back to Luke and Reciprocates the gesture! Zack Chandler has joined Luke Jamison's NEW O.C.! The camera feed cut backstage, ending the segment.

And lastly, In the Main Event, Aaron Zamora defeated Cesaro in a Steel Cage match after hitting the same Rolling Thunder Flatliner that he'd hit last week on Cesaro in the Fatal Fourway to pick up the win. The Commentary team had said that Aaron called the move "Crashing Horizon", and He knocked off the BCC's Strongman with it!

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Writer's notes:

Gonna tag all who are involved here:

@MitchMcGuinness - Co-Writer

@instantclassictwo - Co-Writer

@Ben10thejoker - Co-Writer

@JakeCross_WWE- Has a character involved in a match this chapter.

Alsooo Heya Ben, ya owe me one for the finish of that match XD

Also I may combine weeks 3 and 4 just to get to Royal Rumble sooner...

But that's for later! What're your thoughts on the two main matches of the chapter (Cross v Rosario and Dalton v Rhodes)? and What about this new 6'8" Mountain of a man named Zack Chandler?

And what match(es) are you looking forward to Next week?!