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Post by Tristian King on Aug 4, 2023 16:51:33 GMT
Match Four Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Tornado Tag Team Match GOC © vs MIA vs Team Friendship
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Post by Gangsters Of Christ on Aug 11, 2023 14:11:12 GMT
“Is this goodbye?”
We open inside the chapel on the GOC Compound in Lizard Lick, North Carolina to find Michael Dawson standing at the altar of his pulpit with Pope and Jethro prominently behind him with the IIW Tag Titles resting on their shoulders. The pews are filled shoulder to shoulder with their congregation leaving not a seat to be found which is a massive improvement from ten months ago.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Say it isn’t so? Say it isn’t the last hoorah of the IIW? My children, I wish I could say I didn’t see this this coming but haven’t I been speaking about the mismanagement of the IIW for the last five months? The end doesn’t come overnight. It takes time for constant mistakes, right Shaun Hart? How many times did I try to tell you that you were betting on the wrong horses? Don’t get me wrong, Shaun was fired, but mistake, after mistake, after mistake… Piss poor decision dating back to John Cavanaugh winning the World Title to how he shit all over the division with lackluster matches against subpar opponents to betting the farm on Joe Montouri who has done nothing but lose every big fight he’s had outside of the small pond the IIW has found itself to be. You can’t bet on losers and expect to be winners, so no, I’m not shocked that these are the final days of Intense International Wrestling.
The congregation spouts out “Amen”.
MICHAEL DAWSON: I am shocked that it lasted this long.
Michael takes a minute and then continues.
MICHAEL DAWSON: If the sheer discombobulation of the World Title scene is any indication it should only be further cemented when you look at the sheer waste of time being the Tag Champions has become. Hell, we had better competition here in Lizard Lick than we’ve come across in our stint in the IIW, no wonder other companies have sought out the Gangsters of Christ. It’s a sad state of affairs when Pope and Jethro have to work Friday Night in another company just to find a sliver of competition because we’ve mopped the floor with anyone that has been put in our path in the IIW. It’s become boring to be their champions to the degree that we could care less about who leaves with those paperweights when everything is said and done because I assure you that the only people that will think about the IIW when the final bell tolls on Mayhem are those that can’t hack it anywhere else.
“Amen” echoes from the congregation.
MICHAEL DAWSON: The Gangsters of Christ fight for a power higher than most people will be able to comprehend. In their careers, there’s been but one team to beat them… and they aren’t from here. We rise to the occasion because we have established that if you want to deliver we are the team to call. We also understand that it’s going to be a point of contention for our counterparts with this swansong that we haven’t competed a lot within our IIW tenure. What’s funny about that is we are the only act on this roster that didn’t have to show up on Monday nights to make an impact, we didn’t have to get in the ring unless the money was right, the time was right, the lights are on brightest just to give most of you a glimmer of hope. It was the lack of competition that drove us into the welcome arms of Thunder Pro Wrestling, it’s the work Pope and Jethro put in there that has gotten them noticed elsewhere. I don’t see a lot of companies knocking on the doors of guys like Crush, guys like The Celtic Club. I mean, when you're already making excuses to whoever will listen about losing a match that hasn’t happened it just SCREAMS sign him up, am I right? Wait, don’t answer that. I say I don’t see or hear people knocking on your doors but I do see an awful lot of you begging for jobs, promoting your “free agency” in a feeble attempt to spark some sort of interest because you’ve got nothing else going on for yourselves.
Michael then states.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Even this final show, all the matches are for the multiple titles that were created to make some of you feel good about yourselves, right Crush? You haven’t ever been the same since Chris Page exposed your ass and left your dismal reputation up in smoke. Couldn’t get it done on the big boy show so you downgraded to where your politics are able to fly under the radar. Interested PG-13 is with you, well… not really since we know how CLOSE you are. One of the biggest mistakes the IIW made was trying to expand its brand to two programs. Just because it looks good to you doesn’t mean that it is good for you, and now that is on firm display because the only thing that happened was the entire product took a hit for it… but it was all worth it to keep some of the superficial pricks happy, right? If this IS the final program then we aren’t going to leave any stones unturned and if you get your panties in a bunch about it I suggest you come find us in any ring, in any organization that will allow you to enter.
“AMEN” is heard in unison from the congregation.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Unlike most of the talent in the IIW our names carry more meaning outside of the walls known as the IIW than inside them, and inside them we are unbeaten. Why is that? I mean, we could tout that as a point of reference but Joe Montouri has an unbeaten record here yet he gets skunked everywhere else he goes, and for a guy that claims to draw ratings, for a guy that claims to sell tickets, this marks the SECOND organization, his SECOND World Title that he boasts and brags about all over the world closing its doors in nearly back to back weeks. Man, Joe. How did you take being called out on social media about drawing those ratings and selling those tickets yet to FAIL? Oh yeah, that’s right. You shat all over the IIW Roster publicly because you know most of them couldn’t operate Twitter if their lives depended on it. You didn’t take ownership, you didn’t shoulder ANY responsibility when you’ve been the driving focal point on television for the last six months! Nah Joe, you better thank your lucky stars the doors are closing because Jethro’s already choked you out once… and he was looking forward to doing it again, consider yourself marked safe… for now. My point is pretty simple; if you drew the ratings, if you sold the tickets by your logic this place shouldn’t be closing its doors… but it is.
Michael snickers under his breath as he continues to address his congregation.
MICHAEL DAWSON: The truth is we gave up on the IIW months ago. We saw the writing on the wall when we couldn’t seem to get a team that gave enough shits to spend five minutes in front of a camera to cut a promo. When you lack the competition, you lack the drive, when you lack the drive you just slip further and further away. And then you seek the thrill you’re looking for elsewhere. What I don’t want you to do is fool yourselves into thinking that just because the federation is closing, just because the lack of competition has been ever so noticeable doesn’t mean for one second that we are going to allow those tag titles to leave our shoulders. We’ve done our part in playing the role that upper management has bestowed upon us regardless if we’ve liked it or not, we’ve not abandoned ship like so many of your so-called legacy talents, like so many of the new stars you hitched your wagons too only to be led down the path of false promises and delusional optimism instead of looking at what you had this entire time that you’ve squandered. Who’s here now? Who is still giving you the time and energy? Who isn’t phoning it in? Who isn’t shitting on the company publicly? Who isn’t making excuses for losses that haven’t happened? Who didn’t need a title belt to feel important? Who just showed up and went to work whenever they’re booked? The answer is us. You see, we will be damned if any other team leaves with being labeled as the forever Tag Team Champions not because we NEED it on our resumes, not because we are going to use it to prop ourselves up… but because nobody else deserves it.
Michael takes a moment to think to himself before he continues.
MICHAEL DAWSON: It’s interesting to me that Team Friendship, a team that hasn’t been active cohesively for nearly a year and a half seems to be able to walk through the doors and be HANDED an opportunity because they’re a “legacy” team. Man, we wish the IIW would have handed us a shot when we walked into the company, but we aren’t Russell Wayne- we aren’t the epitome of an ass-kisser and circle-jerker. We aren’t the son of “the great” Jonny C either. Isn’t this the same team that was so dominant at one point in time that the IIW made an open call-out for challengers and they suddenly got mopped by Thaddeus Duke and Chris Page? That’s right, these two are directly responsible for the single worst thing to happen to this federation by LOSING the titles to CCPE… LOOK at where we’re at now. J Mont, World Champion, CCPE. Mac Bane, International Champion, CCPE, Lux, Uprising Champion, CCPE. CCPE killed the IIW and those two men can be directly linked to the monumental fuck up yet they’re conveniently back on the last show sliding themselves in a position they don’t deserve. Those two talentless chodes had the SAME run with these titles as my boys have; a joke. They can prop themselves up on what they did YEARS ago all they want, they can pretend that they carried this division when all they did was be the guys that will be forever remembered as the ones that couldn’t get it done against REAL competition back then just like they’re not going to get it done against REAL competition right now.
“AMEN” is heard from the congregation.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Let me be the first to tell you Mr. Wayne, your presence wasn’t missed considering you’ve never really been able to hack it anywhere but here. In a world that is so vast with a sea of companies for one to apply their craft, you’ve stayed close to these waters because it is the only set of waters that you’re not going to drown in. You have a level of comfortability because you sit at the table of the inner circle of the IIW. You always have. So, the first thing when I saw BOTH of your names suddenly attached to this is that the politics are strong with this one. It made me laugh, truly, because all I see are the mean girls of the IIW reuniting because they can’t have another team ride off into the sunset with their glory. Vanity at its finest. What, Russ? Did you think you would ride in on a white horse after telling the IIW to kiss your ass before you disappeared? Yeah, I know you “broke your arm” or whatever you wanted the world to believe, but maybe the truth is that you saw the writing on the wall too and didn’t want to go down with the sinking ship yet you show up now so you can get the atta boys for “trying” at the last minute. A zebra doesn’t change its stripes, and when you not only allowed CCPE into the IIW by losing the very titles that hang on our shoulders you didn’t even bother to re-write the script inside the ropes where it matters. You were content with breaking things off with Curtis and going your separate ways, now why is that? Hmmm? Why would you abandon things? Oh yeah, it wasn’t easy any longer and you had to earn your shit, that’s right. Silly me.
Michael then says.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Well I’m sorry Russell, your wicked ways just aren’t good enough to sniff what you once had; and don’t even get me started on that nothing happening Curtis. After you boys screwed the pooch with CCPE Curtis fell the radar faster than flies circle shit. I mean talk about a disappearing act. David Copperfield has nothing on your man. You stabbed Curtis in the back and took what was left of his career with you. Some partner, Russell. When the times get tough you don’t stand up and fight, you coward away like a bitch, so excuse me when I don’t feel like you’ve earned your spot at this table because the truth is you’re only here to placate your own ego while masking it under a false narrative that most people might believe… but then you come to us with intelligence who can see right through it. So what about Curtis? How can this dude trust his own partner let alone drive a car without the aid of sitting on a couple of phone books? I mean we all saw how poorly you fared when Russ dicked you over the first time so is that why you have gone back to the same poisoned well? Is it because you know that the only way you will ever amount to anything is by being carried by a subpar talent that can’t hack it anywhere else? Man, that does not have the makings of what I’d like to call success. It’s bad enough you both look like a couple of fanboys sniffing your own farts while you reminisce about the good ole days.
Michael then states.
MICHAEL DAWSON: I’ve seen your father, Curtis, he’s almost as big of a failure as you are with the only difference between you both is that he could win here when it matters. Not so much outside of the IIW though, right? Didn’t he try his hand at Cult Wrestling? How did he fair? Oh yeah, he tanked. Didn’t he also try his hand in Thunder Pro Wrestling? What happened? Dang it if he didn’t flunk out there too. Do you see where I’m going with this, Curtis? You share the same genetics as that dismal failure and now you are standing across the ring from us expecting us to care about your involvement when you don’t care enough about your own career to make it something worth talking about. Hell, I’ll be surprised if you bother to cut a promotional package because your genetics say you’re a lazy sack of crap.
Michael observes his congregation and then continues.
MICHAEL DAWSON: I bet you two sat back and watched our half-assed promos because that’s all we’ve had to do, and I bet you thought to yourselves that this would be an easy way to sneak in the back door to pick up some titles and bring “closure” to your careers. I guess when you finish this piece of business you’re going to understand how wrong you were, you’re going to scramble, you’re going to go on the defensive because your egos have just been shattered beyond repair. We are going to make YOU regret your decisions to lace up your boots, WE are going to make YOU regret the fucking thought that you can hang in the same ring as us. Team Friendship is a nonfactor.
Michael pauses.
MICHAEL DAWSON: If I am MIA I’m pretty pissed that I wasted my time with some tournament to do more than Russ and Curtis have done to get here, you know, MIA earned it. If I am MIA I’m not even bothering to show up for this event. If the IIW is going to shit all over the entire aspect of a tournament just to slide in one of their “homegrown” teams at the final hour then why the hell should you show up for the match itself? Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t happy about their political involvement but we aren’t going to back down from them either. We’re just going to smack them with facts before smacking them with fists. I am curious how it makes you two feel knowing that your accomplishment of knocking off however many teams that bothered to cut a promo was just shit all over by Team Friendship and the shot callers that are responsible for this ship sinking faster than the Titanic? I mean, if you HAD a shot; which let’s face it, was minimal at best to begin with, it has just been pivoted to nonexistent.
“Amen.” is heard from the congregation.
MICHAEL DAWSON: I’m also curious how a team like this can be anything of merit when you can’t even be bothered to list out any moves or any notable information on your bio attached to the IIW website. Are you two that lazy to list your accomplishments, or is it because you don’t have any? I wish I could say that I’ve been able to sit through one of your promos but the truth is I’ve grown bored two minutes in and by five minutes you put me to sleep! Jayce Carver and Trent Maddox are the epitome of cookie-cutter talents desperately looking for that one moment, that one opportunity to make themselves a household name. Unfortunately, that time is not here or now. Your talents and abilities are only going to get you so far before you run into that brick wall that is the Gangsters of Christ, YOUR IIW Tag Team Champions. I will say this, I can respect fighting your way to get here. We had to do the same thing, literally. That seems to be par the course because my boys had to do the same thing and I am pretty positive Tag Tournaments are the go-to for the IIW to try and bolster the division… but unlike my boys, they parlayed their tournament win into the Tag Titles, and for the last six months we’ve stood on top of the mountain looking down at everyone else trying to keep up.
Michael turns around facing Pope and Jethro.
MICHAEL DAWSON: I couldn’t be prouder of the men you’ve become. We left Lizard Lick to conquer the world and spread HIS word. It didn’t take long for both of you to reach the pinnacle of the IIW, to be recruited by Thunder Pro Wrestling, to ink deals with…
Michael spins back around facing the congregation.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Stay tuned.
Michael spins back around facing his sons.
MICHAEL DAWSON: The only thing WE have to accomplish is leaving Mayhem exactly as we enter… the IIW Tag Team Champions.
“AMEN.” is heard by the congregation as we see Michael spin back around to face them.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Tuesday Night is the final chapter of Revelations for the IIW. Only the strong will survive and Team Friendship has already established just how breakable they are while Team MIA is about to come to the stern realization that on the pecking order of Tag Team Wrestling their glass ceiling is right before midcard status. My boys have walked into this organization and remain undefeated against the so-called best Osh and company could muster up. We are the team to beat, we are the prize inside the cereal box, and we are why BOTH MIA and Team Friendship are here.
Michael’s tone shifts to a more serious nature.
MICHAEL DAWSON: Let’s not lose sight of that. Let’s not lose focus on we have what all four of you want, and by the time that bell rings, it’s going to be way too late for either of these teams to understand that when you walk with God you’re untouchable. The life of sin MIA and Team Friendship have lived is going to be the final nail in the coffin. We are the judges, we are the juries, and WE are your executioners. We said we would dominate, we’ve done that. So, when I say that we are leaving as the forever IIW Tag Champions, you can call it a spoiler from the big man upstairs.
The congregation lets out another “AMEN”.
MICHAEL DAWSON: You don’t have to wait for a second shot to be fired because you won’t be getting it. This is our swan song, this is our goodbye, and this is our good riddance. What better way to slap the IIW in the face further than by leaving with their hardware? Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
STORY TIME
The scene opens up to an exterior shot of the Dawson Family compound deep in the heart of Lizard Lick, North Carolina. The compound is home to the IIW’s current reigning, defending and undefeated tag team champions Jethro and Gabriel “Pope” Dawson, better known as The Gangsters of Christ.
The compound which sits on 3 acres of land features the family home whose only current resident is the family patriarch and the Gangster of Christ’s family Michael Dawson. Situated not far from the family home is an enormous car bay above which sits the multi room apartment that Pope and Jethro have lived in for the last several years.
The scene transitions from an exterior view to an interior one as we see the 3 living Dawson’s seated around the kitchen table deep in thought.
“Boys I know it’s been a tough year, especially with having to bring you two into my dealings with the Irish but you have both handled yourself well. So well in fact that Patrick reached out and he wants to double the amount and number of shipments moving forward.”
“Double?” Jethro asks with an uneasy look on his face.
“That’s what he said. Double. He said the Irish Council is so pleased with what you guys have been able to do that they want to do more. Which means more money in your pocket.” Micheal responds as he looks over at his son “Pope” who has so far remained quiet during the conversation.
“I don’t know dad. I thought the goal here was to try and distance ourselves from the Irish. Not get in deeper.”
“It was but things change Jethro. You know that.” Michael says as he finishes off his Miller High Life, the Champagne of beers.
“Did they Dad? Did they change? Or was this always the plan?” Pope responds, immediately grabbing the attention of both his father and brother. “Come on Dad, we’re already neck deep in with Uncle Declan and his Council why pretend like the plan was ever for us to do anything other than get all the way in? You have worked with these guys for decades. You know better than anyone that there is no getting out of it with them. They can’t afford to let us go right? From their perspective we know too much. So we can’t go anywhere, isn't that right Dad?”
“No Son that’s not right. The plan was to erase my debt to the Irish with your help and then once that was done you guys would be free to leave the arrangement. You will still have that opportunity. Now it will be even sooner because you guys have the chance to double your money per run. Seems like a no brainer to me, especially with you guys getting some much needed time off coming up.”
“Nice segue Dad. But here’s the deal. We’ll agree to the Irish’s terms. But in return I want a guarantee from them that by year's end we are done with all of this. In the meantime you and Patrick need to find someone to replace us because on January 1st 2024 we are done with the Irish. I don’t care what you do but me and Jet are out. We have way more important things to do with our time than cater to those Catholic crazies.”
“Is that what you want as well, Jethro?”
Jethro stares at his father for a few seconds and then over to his brother before finally responding to Michael.
“Yes Dad, that is what I want. I never wanted any of this. I told you both that from the very beginning but you made it seem like we had no choice.”
“Very well. I will talk to Patrick and Declan and ask them if they would agree to this proposal.”
“No Dad. Don’t ask them. TELL them. Tell them that this is their only play. We will do their bidding for 4 more months and then that’s it. We will do whatever we need to during that time to make the money we need to and help transition this to someone else that you and Patrick can oversee but this is it for us.”
“You don’t get it son. I don’t have the luxury of telling the Council anything. I can ask and hope for the best because the alternative is far worse.”
“We’ll see about that.” Pope quips.
“What does that mean?” Michael askes as he leans forward in his seat.
“I’ll let you know once you have their answer. In the meantime, you mentioned some upcoming time off. Jet and I don't want time off. In fact we want the exact opposite of time off. We want to work like never before. We want to do what we thought the IIW would afford us the opportunity to do, what they promised us they would do. But as it turns out they couldn’t deliver.”
“That’s a little harsh Pope no?” Jethro asks his brother.
“Is it? Look, it wasn't all bad obviously. We made a name for ourselves in IIW. Tried to in TPW but The Malvado’s seem to have some kind of protective shield on them when they wrestle under that flag. If they were to meet them on a neutral location we’d handle them with ease. But back to IIW, in a way our title reign which is about to hit 5 months strong gave us an identity. It made us more marketable to the non indy feds.”
“You're right Pope. With the IIW on the precipice of closing and with only one title defense left for us before the lights turn off for good I have had no less than a dozen offers from other federations looking to sign you boys.”
“Really?” Jethro asks as he perks up in his seat.
“Really.”
“Like who?”
“Look I’m not going to name them all, some of the offers were so low that I lit them on fire right then and there but some of the bigger named federations... The Entity. Thunder Pro, Sin City, SFW, XWF, Solid Gold Wrestling, WGWF, Outcast Wrestling, and Full Throttle, just to name a few.”
“Those are some big names. Any thoughts on where we should focus our attention?”
“Of course. There are a few on my short list. Which I compiled based on a few different things such as how much they offered, how long the contract was for, the longevity of the federation, their management style and of course how healthy their tag team division is. So with that these are my top three destinations.”
Michael reaches into a folder in front of him and pulls out three pieces of paper. He looks them over for a second before sliding them in front of his sons. Jethro and Pope each take a few moments to examine the three offers. The two sons talk quietly amongst themselves for a little bit before picking one of the offers and sliding it forward on the table towards their father.
“Excellent choice. I’ll reach out to them once your match against MIA and Team Friendship is over.”
Fade To Finality of Blackness
OOC: Thank you IIW for the last 10 months. Good luck to all of you.
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Post by Gangsters Of Christ on Aug 13, 2023 22:58:01 GMT
The scene fades in as Michael Dawson stands at his pulpit in front of his congregation. Behind him stand Jethro and Pope with the IIW Tag Titles over their shoulders.
MICHAEL DAWSON: I promise I won’t take up alot of your time. Hey, MIA, I think it’s adorable that you spent your entire time in front of a camera rebutting the things that I had to say. The question is, are the two of you that talentless to come up with your material? Oh wait, you’ve already answered that with a resounding… YES! Not only did you not have an original thought but you’ve also shown the world that you’ve got no clue who WE are. I wish I could say we are surprised, but this is the IIW. I bet you’re both kicking yourselves knowing that you’ve got nowhere else to go. What took ya so long to show up to the party? Oh, that’s right… you had to be spoonfed material, and that right there, is exactly why you’re not ready for us… more importantly, you’re not on our levels. I should be flattered, but I’m insulted, not because that was what you TRIED to do, but because you did such a piss poor job doing it.
Michael laughs under his breath.
MICHAEL DAWSON: I would say I’d appreciate the efforts but then I’d be confusing them with results. You two think you’ve got this in the bag, you might think that you showed a position of power with your stunt, but the truth is you just showed the world how weak you are. Just so we’re clear… we win, you lose. Two can play with sandbags, but one can utilize them better.
Fade To Black...again.
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