[Earlier this evening]
Joxide had been sitting, hunched over his laptop smoking a roll up in his no-smoking hotel room when he'd learnt about the BWL. The acronym had popped up before in his browser, but that was no real different to most indy feds out there. This one time, though, it was the card that really sparked his interest. An old name from the past was staring him in the face. Of course! If THIS guy wouldn't help him against the Cydes then no one will. He should have thought of this guy before, really.
Joxide glanced at the date. Tonight! And where was it? The Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth would be tonights host of the British Wrestling League's 'pay-per-view' show. In reality, it was only a true PPV in the sense that you'd pay to watch it if you were there. Otherwise it would probably be broadcast on England's Wrestling Channel like all the other shows. Nevertheless, this PPV was his destination tonight. He left in such a hurry he had to come back to grab his wrestling tights.
[3 hours later]
Joxide had bought a £15 ticket on the door to the BWL supercard. He wore a big thick hoody and loose trackies to hide his larger than average frame. After buying his ticket he shuffled into the disabled toilets and for the first time in over 3 years, got into his wrestling tights, knowing this could get messy. His black singlet felt exactly how he remembered it. The design on it, the words 'Joxide' on a London Underground logo looked a bit faded but you could still make it out. He even remembered to put his multicoloured arm pads on the right arms. He was quite surprised by how well they still fit.
His wrestling shoes were always just his day shoes so he had to make do with a pair of Osiris skate shoes. He didn't have any tape to hand for his hands and fingers but aside from that he was ready to go. He quickly put his hoody and trackies on and went into the arena. The card was under way, and as he entered the arena he saw a guy perform an insane 630 degree flip and land hard on his opponent, hook the leg and get the fall. Just in time by the looks of things.
Joxide unfolded the printout flier of the event and checked the card. Yup here it is.
"HARDCORE GAUNTLET
ARMAGEDDONATOR VS. BWL"
Somehow his old chum had managed to get himself booked in a hardcore gauntlet. Always upsetting people, that was the way he rolled!
Armageddonator entered TXI! at the beginning of it's incarnation with the exclamation point. Arm was never gifted as a ring technician but during his tenure at TXI! he did quickly pick up a knack for hardcore matches. Arm had quite literally been beaten with everything including the kitchen sink, and had carried out a fair few beatings himself with all sorts of weapons. Despite winning every title TXI! had to offer, he always found himself returning to the hardcore division. Something about that 24/7 forum, I mean, rule always got him going.
Joxide hadn't spoken to Arm since TXA days, so long before he disappeared. He did wonder occasionally how Arm was doing, and if he was still tagging with Oblivionator, his big brother. I guess now was the time to find out!
Armageddonator was announced and he made his way out through the curtain. He was dressed in black trousers, some shiny boots and, haha, a black and red TXI! t shirt! I bet one of those costs a packet now, thought Joxide. Arm's hair was cut short and was now blond, and he carried in his hands a load of weapons unsteadily down to the ring. After throwing in various chairs, kendo sticks, a guitar with TXI! spraypainted on it, Moppy, a stop sign and a trash can, he climbed into the ring himself. Joxide stood near the back of the crowd so Arm was unaware of his presence.
Despite both wrestlers sharing the same handler, they hadn't had much to do with each other, only a short spell in J Dub's Totally Xtreme Wrestling together before it merged with Baka & Mike Rocket's Central Wrestling Alliance. Arm had been taken on as a trainer and road agent for TXA while Joxide was in the Illuminati board of directors so they did occasionally speak, but not since Joxide's big disappearance.
Joxide had been quite lucky this far not to have been recognised. He would've thought his cover would have been blown by now. Oh well, he thought. Maybe I'm just not the big star I thought I was. Hopefully. Well, whatever, that was just a bonus. Joxide watched intently, kind of hoping his friend won't need his help but still feeling keen to get in the ring and have a ruck.
Arm's first opponent runs down to the ring, two cronies in toe. Arm gives the first one a kendo stick to the stomach and then cracks him over the back. The guy takes a fall and rolls out of the ring. The other two have entered now, and Arm swings for one, who ducks and delivers a punch. He shoots Arm into the ropes, returns and dodges a double lariat, and responds with one of his own. The two spring up quickly but Arm is waiting with a dropkick to one. He hits the floor and rolls out the ring while two more approach from the back. Arm dives into the ropes and explodes out with an Approaching Comet clothesline! The fallen guy rolls out and the next two hit the ring. Arm fights them off to his knees and Irish whips them both into the same corner. He goes for a corner splash but they both duck out in time and Arm eats turnbuckle. By now, three more men have entered. They all approach Arm slowly picking up various weapons as they do.
It was time to roll.
Joxide quietly pushes his way to the front of the crowd. He then discreetly removes his trackies and unzips his hood revealing his wrestling gear. His trusty old Hawaiian shirt is back, along with his black jean shorts. Joxide lets the hoody fall to the floor and jumps the guardrail. Two guys from the back approaches him in confinement. He gives one guy a punch and sends him into the guardrail, then dodges a lariat from the larger chap, then jumps forward and strikes with a superkick from nowhere!
Joxide slides into the ring and picks up a stop sign. The first guy swings a punch at Arm, who blocks it. Joxide wraps the stop sign around the back of the second guy's head and grabs the fist of the third guy about to swing for Arm. He twists him round, grabs his head, leaps into the air and comes crashing down with a JKO cutter. Joxide, in a frenzy, shoots back to his feet. Arm throws him a chair, which he catches, then immediately throws to another attacker. He catches it and gets wiped out by an Approaching Comet into the chair by Armageddonator.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Armageddonator shouts over to Joxide as he elbows a tall muscular assailant.
"Someone has to look out for you, right?" Joxide replies as he ducks a lariat and trips the guy up.
"Better late than never!" Arm shouts as he monkey flips the tall guy out of the corner. His huge frame flies, upside down, towards Joxide, who dodges it. An unfortunate would-be assailant in his path is wiped out and the two crash to the floor.
"How do you manage to keep getting yourself into all this trouble?" Joxide shouts over to Arm, who points behind Joxide. Joxide ducks just before a clothesline hits him and hits an enziguri on his opponent.
"What can I say?" grins Arm as he dumps a metal trash can on another nameless wrestler. "I LIKE it!" Arm picks up two kendo sticks and throws one to Joxide. Arm swings one around expertly in his hand with the professional, businesslike air of a man about to inflict a lot of pain.
He swings at the guy with the bin of his head, rattling the trash can and the poor victim's eardrums. Joxide takes a few swings himself, grinning as he does, then superkicks the trash can. The guy takes a fall and Joxide and Armageddonator share a chuckle.
"So have you figured out why i'm here yet, or what?" Joxide asks. Another swarm of about 7 wrestlers approach the ring.
"I think so, buddy!" Arm rushes the guy getting through the ropes and lands some fists on his back. Another guy grabs his feet from outside the ring allowing two others to pile on him at the ropes. Joxide approaches the mass, but he stops when a hand lands on his shoulder. He cocks his head slightly and receives a stiff shot in the jaw followed by a leg landing across the back of his neck.
"Take this, Cock-side!" the unnamed challenger yells.
Original, thinks Joxide, as his head bounces off the mat following the leg lariat. Arm, ever resilient, is fighting to his knees once more. Joxide, out of the game for more than 3 years, tries to crawl to the weapon cache. Two hands grab his foot and Joxide hits a desperation enziguri on the guy, then throws himself over to the weapon cache. Joxide does a kip-up, (wow, didn't think that would work first time) and grabs Moppy. Moppy headbutts one of the wrestlers but another shot is blocked and Moppy snapped. (God, where do all these people come from?) Undeterred, Joxide charges the remaining group of three with a spear, knocking down one and piling on the two with fists of fury. Joxide headbutts one who rolls out of the ring but the other gets the better of him and rains down with hard shots to the face. He suddenly stops mid punch and screams in Joxide's face. (What the fuck!?) Then as if by magic he slides off of Joxide. He looks up to see Arm stood above the guy, wrenching his left leg back in a half-crab. Joxide gets to his feet and boots the guy, then hits a flying clothesline on the man approaching the static Arm.
"So, what do you say? Jox & Arm against the Cydes?" Joxide shouts back to him as he knocks a guy off the apron.
"No can do!" Arm yells as he finally lets go of the guy's leg. "Pay-per-view next Sunday! Heads!"
Joxide instinctively ducks and pulls down the top rope, and a guy flies over the top of him.
"Oblivionator?" Joxide says.
"Good luck! He's on a tour of Japan at the moment! Last I heard he was getting slapped about with barbed wire chairs in some wrestling hall in Kyoto!"
Joxide grins slightly. "Lucky guy!"
"Any other ideas?" asks Arm as he executes a diving shoulder block on an attacking wrestler.
"None, man. That's it. Looks like it's me --" he is cut short by a near-miss big boot. He turns the guy around and hits him with a swift DDT. " -- against the Cydes!"
Arm, despite the massively unfair numbers situation, laughs heartily.
"If anything, or anyone springs to mind, I'll let you know!" shouts the self proclaimed Don of Hardcore.
"Thanks mate." says Joxide as he hits a double flying clothesline on the last two guys left, just as Arm drops the last man with a CometCutter. Joxide drops to his knees and slides out of the ring. He jumps the barricade and hurries out through the crowd toward the exit of the famous Mountbatten Centre.
[Later that night]
Led back, smoking in his bathtub, Joxide soothed his aching face and arms.
Well, still fucked, unfortunately. I guess I'm going it alone. Guess I'd better arrange a press conference. I'm not doing that fucking Jox Factor shite again...
Subject: Memorable Mountbatten Moments 
Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:23 pm
