Little Mac is OPed my ass. Samus actually blasted me clear off the screen.
AJ Lee chuckled a little as she read the latest text from her CM Punk. She sat atop a crate in the backstage area as she waited to have her match on RAW. She sighed, tossed her long chestnut hair back, and continued her oh so important discussion with her husband. Sure, it was okay for him to relax after getting back from yet another Chicago charity drive, but he could at least pick another character for Super Smash Bros.
Geez, every time you play you choose him. It's like you're freakin' married ;) Get outta the 80s and pick someone else.
AJ turned her head as she heard laughter amongst the other wrestlers and stagehands. Dolph Ziggler was coming through the hall, his smile glistening like his Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, or like his crazy blond hair after he dunked it under the shower head.
"Speaking of the 80s," AJ thought to herself, starting to laugh again.
Ziggler noticed the crazy chick giggling in the corner. He went over to where AJ was and snatched her phone away.
"So what's ol' Philly sayin' tonight?" Ziggler jested, looking at the message stream.
"Give that back!" AJ cried, getting up and reaching for her phone. Ziggler laughed and kept it out of reach.
"Tsk Tsk Tsk!" Ziggler said. "Everyone knows Fox is the way to go... Ow!"
AJ had slapped him in the back of the head, enabling her to take her phone back.
"Stick to stealing the show, Dolph," AJ warned, flashing a grin.
"Hey, watch it..." Ziggler groaned, holding the back of his head. "I don't want another concussion."
AJ just coyly cocked her head to the side. "So what's your match?"
Ziggler patted his championship belt. "The best damn Intercontinental Champ is gonna go out there and...lose to Rusev."
"Again? They need to find something else for you both unless the title's up for grabs."
Ziggler shrugged. "Hey, it's a living. We're working to that, by the way."
As Ziggler finished talking, Rusev's thundering music hit the air, mingling with a chorus of boos from the crowd. The big Bulgarian and his statuesque valet Lana came from the same direction Ziggler came from. The two nodded toward the champion and Rusev clapped him on the shoulder. The duo continued on and went through the Gorilla Position.
Ziggler jogged in place and threw a few punches. AJ got back on the crate and looked at a new message from Punk; she had been texting the whole time she talked with Ziggler.
"He says hi, by the way. And to have a great match." AJ said.
"Back at him." Ziggler said. A few moments later, the Russian tune faded as "Here to Show the World" blared from the PA system. Ziggler took one more look at AJ and bumped fists with her, then strode to the curtain and on his way to the ring.
As the match went on, people in the crowd and behind the curtain gasped and cheered as Ziggler and Rusev battled on. Belly-to-belly suplexes, dropkicks, DDTs, and clotheslines were exchanged between the two wrestlers, among other holds and strikes.
AJ watched the match on a TV backstage with a group of young NXT talents who were taking plenty of mental notes. Kofi Kingston, Layla El, Dean Ambrose, and Randy Orton all crowed around the screen as well.
"This is how it's done!" Kingston exclaimed. Orton, who stood by him, folded his arms in silent agreement.
In the ring, Ziggler had dropkicked Rusev's knee out from under him. The Showoff then ran to the ropes and bounded off of them toward his stuttering adversary. He gripped Rusev's head under his arm and thrust himself in the air, preparing to land his huge swinging DDT. The Hero of the Russian Federation was prepared for this, however, and pushed Ziggler off of him during the upswing. The Intercontinental Champion flew back to the ropes and stumbled forward, only to have his forehead meet Rusev's massive jump side kick.
The crowd almost lost their breath as Ziggler rocketed back from the huge kick, falling through the ropes and to the floor. The reaction backstage matched the fans'.
"Oh my God!" Layla shouted.
"Holy shit!" one of the NXT rookies yelled.
"And that's the ball game," Ambrose added, shaking his head.
AJ was speechless. She dropped her phone and her jaw as soon as she saw the kick. Her mouth gaped open even wider as she saw Ziggler react to the attack. He writhed back and forth in pain, both hands gripping his head so tightly. The camera stayed on him as he removed his hands and put them to the ground as the referee counted and Rusev and Lana gloated. Blood ran from a cut near his eye, which was turning dark purple instantaneously; his mouth hung open like he had just had a stroke. The young man tried to rise up, clawing to the ring apron, but it was no use as the official counted ten and Ziggler was counted out.
Even as the camera panned away from Ziggler to focus on the victor, AJ couldn't get the image out of her head. She had seen that face before, and it was one she prayed to never see again.