- Event: Chaos 028
Location: Chicago, Illinois: HOW Studios
Date: April 14, 2023
The scene opens up to the inside of HOW Studios in Chicago. The studio is filled with rabid fans as they are waiting for the start of Between the Ropes with Jack Dawson. Between the Ropes makes its long awaited return with a special War Games addition and everyone is buzzing with the recent draft that took place earlier in the week.
“We go live in five minutes.”
The stagehand informs the crowd as they are chomping at the bit to get the show started. Everyone is making their final checks as the final countdown begins before the show goes live on High Octane Television.
“In ten seconds we go live and I need you as loud as possible when they sign lights up.”
The stagehand informs the crowd as he points to the applause sign before looking at his watch again.
“Five! Four! Three! Two!…..”
The applause sign lights up and the cameramen turn towards the audience and the barriers can barely contain the rabid HOW faithful. Most are wearing t-shirts of their favorite stars like STRONK and Conor Fuse while others are wearing retro apparel of people like Jay Luminary, Smokey, and Chris Kostoff. Others are showing their appreciation with signs.
I DRINK FOR BENNY!
YOU CAN’T TURN A HOE INTO A HOUSEWIFE AMERICA!
STRONKUMMS > STEROIDS
WHERE’S BOBBY DEAN?!?!?!?
As the camera makes a final pan of the room, the theme song for Between the Ropes begins to play and Jack Dawson makes his way onto the stage.
“Thank you ladies and gentlemen for being here!”
The audience goes wild.
“We are back with a very special edition of Between the Ropes.”
A sly smile forms across the lips of Jack as he slowly opens his arms as it looks like he wants to give the audience a big hug.
“It’s that time of year folks and you know what time of year I’m talking about.”
“WAR! GAMES!”
The audience screams in unison and Jack nods.
“That’s right, War Games is around the corner and the draft took place Tuesday night on the HOR and a lot of predictable pairings took form, but some interesting and surprising matchups took place as well.”
Jack informs before making his way towards his desk and having a seat.
“My guest tonight qualified for War Games by beating Xander Azula.”
The audience has mixed reaction, but the abundance of negativity outweigh the positivity in the air as they know who Jack is alluding to.
“That’s right, my guest is none other than the “Demi-God of HOW” Scott Stevens.”
The tune of “O Fortuna” cues up and out walks Stevens. The Texan fist bumps his supporters and threatens to punch more of the vocal trying to accost him. Scott makes his way towards Jack and takes a seat on the couch next to Jack’s wooden desk.
“Welcome back to the program Scott.”
Stevens nods and shakes Jack’s hand.
“Always a pleasure to be back here on Between the Ropes.”
Stevens replies as Jack leans back in his chair.
“Now, before we get into your victory over Xander Azula, the draft, and your match this Sunday against STRONK. It has been one hell of a year hasn’t it?”
Jack asks Scott and the Hall of Famer scrunches down in his seat and lets out a sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
Jack asks confused and Stevens simply holds up his hand.
“Nothing. It was bound to be talked about eventually so why not now going into my resurrection of sorts from almost one year ago.”
Stevens clears his throat and sits up in his seat.
“It has been a hell of a year Jack, but not in the good way.”
Stevens says with sorrow in his voice.
“Jack….”
Stevens starts mumbling his words.
“You….you….you ever someone that pretended to be your friend and they acting in your best interests, but at the same time where secretly against you, made fun of you, and trying to break you?”
Stevens asks Jack who nods.
“I think we all have Scott.”
Jack replies as lets out a heavy breath.
“That’s what Lee Best did to me for an entire year. I was a fucking punchline for him and the Final Alliance.”
Stevens tone is filled with anger and regret.
“I know I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and I should’ve listened to everyone saying that Lee was playing me, but me being the “STOOVINS” everyone says I am I believed Lee Best when he uttered those words, “I need you” almost a year ago.”
Stevens lowers his head.
“I mean, I should’ve seen it coming, but after losing my job, living in the bowels of the Best Arena and eating the leftovers from catering my mental state was not fully cognitive.”
The Texan rubs his hands through his hair as he slowly raises his head and turns to Jack.
“Lee manipulated me by telling me what I wanted to hear. He used my desperation and fear to make me feel good about myself once again. He told me he needed me to regain my confidence and become the competitor he needed me to be to make sure his team left the Ukraine victorious.”
Stevens says as he slides his tongue over his teeth before making a clicking sound.
“Honestly, he could’ve picked anyone, but he knew I would jump at the chance and be desperate enough to believe anything his mouth spewed out.”
Stevens informs before he lets out a long sigh,
“It was hell Jack, and I was too stupid to realize I had been played.”
Stevens gets choked up admitting his mistake.
“Come on, it couldn’t be all that bad. You had title shots and main evented pay-per-views and Chaos as well….”
Stevens immediately cuts him off.
“That’s how Lee plays you. He didn’t reward me because I was a top the standings.”
Stevens shakes his head.
“I was rewarded because I was singing his praises and didn’t question none of his decisions. Hell, he even let me think I had fucking power in the company by using the Liberty Card, having the EPU at my becking call, and contacting me when he needed someone taken out.”
Stevens bluntly informs Jack.
“For nearly a year I was sucking Lee Best’s dick and everyone knew it and was telling me to my face, but I wouldn’t listen until it was too late and the load that was blown in my face is no one’s fault but my own.”
Stevens hangs his head in shame before slowly raising it up.
“Sorry Joe.”
Stevens says somberly.
“I knew I was being played when he gave away the only thing I wanted from him, and that was to be a War Games captain. The only thing Evan Ward should be captaining is the basketball team at the local YMCA. Evan took what was rightfully mine and I wasn’t going to go along with the bullshit from that point on. After Lee gave with the metaphorical middle finger with the captain naming I knew at that point my mission was to make the Final Alliance’s life a living hell and that’s what I have been doing.”
Stevens cracks a smile.
“And that you have, but you’ve been going at it alone.”
Stevens nods.
“True, but I’ve basically burned every bridge possible by aligning myself with Lee Best and doing the tasks he asked me to do, and because of that, I’m alone.”
Jack nods in agreement.
“That’s why every time you’ve interfered in Final Alliance business you have been brutally assaulted.”
Stevens nods and simply replies.
“Sometimes you have to go at it alone.”
The crowd gives the Texan a respectable applause.
“I can respect that, but the constant beatings must get exhausting?”
Jack asks Stevens who scratches his chin.
“It does, but what are you going to do?”
Stevens says before shrugging and smirk form’s over the host’s lips.
“Is that why you’ve been sending those cryptic message out on HOWrestling.com?”
“Jack asks and Scott chuckles.
“Look man, with the recent gang type violence the Final Alliance has been doing as of late I’m extending an olive branch to anyone that’s considered an enemy. If they want to accept my offer to watch their back all they have to do is respond and after Conor’s attack on America and Ward I’m sure payback his coming for him.”
Stevens states the obvious with his statement.
“Speaking of America, he recently didn’t like what you said about his girl making googly eyes at you or the message that she deserves better.”
“And?”
Stevens responds kind of rudely.
“Look Jack, America is an abusive man. It’s not my fault if 97 Red wants to divorce him for someone better. I mean did you see how aggressive he handled her when he saw Brian Bare giving her, “the look?””
Stevens asks Jack who cautiously agrees.
“I see what you mean.”
“Exactly, America can pretend he’s put her first but we all know America puts no one ahead of himself.”
“Fair enough. However, he seemed to give you a compliment during the week….”
Stevens cuts Jack off.
“When you deal with America you have to read between the lines. You have to filter the bullshit. America’s compliments are subtle jabs. He would never openly admit I was a threat to him because none of the Final Alliance would ever admit that. America alluded to me as a threat because I’m the only one stepping up to the Alliance even though I have had my ass handed to me every time while Byrd has been in hiding. You see Jack, Clay Byrd is in my Lonesome Loser stage of my career. When you think you are doing everything right but you keep failing every time. Clay has every tool imaginable to be a success in this company, but the only thing keeping him back is himself. His self-doubt that he can’t win the big one has been lingering for a long time and once he let’s go of it he will rise to the top like he should’ve been all along. He will become the replacement for Chris Kostoff that everyone expected him to.”
Stevens sits upright in his seat.
“However, I am a threat Jack. I’ve taken the Final Alliance’s best shot and I keep coming back. They’ve tried to put me down with three or four men and it hasn’t stopped me and you know when my named was announced in victory on Chaos they had some wide-eyed looks amongst themselves. I have been in the ring with every single one of them and they don’t leave the same when they leave because I take a little piece of their soul because they have to go to places they don’t want to put me down and there is no one in HOW that can put me down.”
Stevens slowly rises and places his hands on the desk.
“Not Steve Solex. Not Jatt Starr. Not Dan Ryan or Aceldama. Nor Christopher America or Evan fucking Ward!”
Stevens informs as he grips the desk tightly before sitting back down.
“The last guy that tried to put you down you blew him up.”
Jack cautiously replies and Stevens shoots him a look.
“Shifting gears, the War Games draft was this past Tuesday and you were selected by Michael Lee Best. How do you feel about this and how do you feel about your chances going into War Games?”
Stevens takes a moment to think before responding.
“I feel very confident Jack. We have the former World champion that has been a pain in Lee’s ass for the last couple of years chomping at the bit to regain his world title, and is taking the fight to them. You saw America and his bitch, Evan Ward, get slapped around. Don’t worry though, Ward is used to being bitch slapped around as that was his gimmick for most of his career.”
A loud “OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH” from the audience is heard.
“Then you have the single most underappreciated LSD champion in HOW history in Jace Parker Davidson. Jace was all about the Final Alliance until he had to copy my look by getting himself stabbed in the eye.”
Stevens points to his 97 Red glass eye.
“By doing that you just pissed him the fuck off and when you’re on the other side of Jace’s wrath watch out.”
Stevens says with a light chuckle.
“You have the resurrected Scottywood.”
Stevens nods.
“Seems so and if Scotty can resurrect the Scottywood of old then we are going to be unstoppable because Scotty is one tough son of a bitch and you have to kill him to keep him down, literally. However, if it’s the Scotty that I buried then he’s going to be a burden.”
Stevens states with an aura of confidence in his tone.
“You also have a chance of a man advantage if Zach Kostoff wins the fatal five way.”
Stevens sighs.
“Look, Kostoff has a bright future ahead of him, but he isn’t his dad. He doesn’t have that killer instinct yet, and I personally believe we will not get the man advantage. However, I could be wrong because War Games brings the animal out of people and if it brings out just fifty percent of what his dad had then all the other teams are fucked!”
Stevens slams his fist onto the desk with excitement.
“Sorry.”
Jack waves it off.
“Before this takes place you have a massive rematch coming up this Sunday.”
Stevens simply nods at Jack’s comments.
“That I do.”
Stevens runs his hands through his hair nervously.
“I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m not a little worried, but I am.”
Jack gives the Texan a confused look.
“Why?”
Stevens throws up his hand and sits there with his mouth wide open before speaking.
“Because I’m one of the strongest people to ever step foot in a HOW ring. I’m arguable one of, if not the best brawler in HOW history. I’m technically sound as well.”
Stevens rambles and Jack cuts him off.
“So…..what’s your point?”
Jack interrupts for Scott to get to the point.
“The point is none of it worked against STRONK!”
Scott shouts with nervousness creeping into his tone.
“He threw me around like a fucking rag doll and toyed with me like a cat playing with a cornered mouse before he finished me off. I had no answer for him Jack and I don’t know if I will have one for Sunday.”
Stevens says as he cautiously places his hand over his mouth remembering what happened last time.
“Well it’s a no disqualification match this time…..”
Stevens shoots Jack another look.
“And do you think STRONK cares?”
Stevens nervously scoots over and leans onto the desk.
“The STRONK I lost to was a muscle-bound, meat head, and the STRONK I have facing Sunday is someone totally different. His sadistic, has no remorse for the harm he will inflict, and he’s borderline sociopathic because hurting people is joyous for him.”
Stevens’ eyes begin to wonder and the Texan looks down.
“I’m going to throw everything at him including the kitchen sink Jack, but it may not be enough. Hopefully I’m wrong again and I overcome the King of Stallions take out one more member of the Final Alliance on my way to winning War Games. I…..I…..I got to go.”
Stevens tells Jack before abruptly getting up and leaving the set causing everyone to look around confused.
“Ooooooookay……..”
Jack looks at his producer who shrugs.
“Well, thank you to Scott Stevens for coming on tonight and thank you to everyone in attendance and watching at home. This is Jack Dawson signing off. Good night.”
The scene fades to black.