Disclaimer: I still do not own the rights to World Wrestling Entertainment; never have, never will. I also hold no claim to the Verizon Center of Washington DC.
In the words (or lyrics) of the band Saliva, "Do you want it, do you need it, let me hear it, Ladies and Gentlemen!"
Chapter X
Clash of the Great Americans
The pyro went off in the Verizon Center of Washington DC to kick off the storied tradition known as the GREAT AMERICAN BASH.
All through the day, even before the event started, Drake Williams had been doing everything he could to prepare for his big WWE Championship match against John Cena. He stretched his limbs, worked on his cardio-vascular conditioning and whatever else he needed to do. He knew that Cena was working on being just as prepared, is not more so and that's what Drake wanted. He wanted the absolute best out of John Cena and would settle for no less. Lately, Drake had been acting out of sync with the rest of his Entourage mates, especially Randy Orton. What else was new?
Long before the match came about, Drake was being interviewed by Todd Grisham. "Drake Williams, in just moments, you have the opportunity to once again become the WWE Champion. What's going through your mind as you prepare for your title match?"
Drake looked at Grisham like he had just passed gas and asked, "Are you serious? Todd, you should know what's going through my mind; this is the most important match of my life. But it's even more than that."
Todd asked, "How so?"
"It's all about the WWE Championship, yeah but," Drake said. "This is also about who can lay claim to being the best. This is about who wants it more. John Cena; you and I want to be the best. We want it more but only one of us can be the WWE Champion."
Before Drake could continue, Randy Orton chimed in. "So tonight's the big night Listen, the Entourage and I just wanted to wish you the best of luck," Drake could tell there was no sincerity in Randy's tone. "Of course if you need any help tonight with Cena."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Drake cut off Randy Orton right there. "I'm only gonna say this one time so listen up; I'm doing this alone. By myself! I don't want you or anybody getting involved. This is my night."
"Have it your way," Randy said. "It's your funeral."
Drake Williams gave Randy Orton that familiar ice cold stare before he headed off toward the gorilla position. JR and the King ran down the tale of the tape as the tape before going to a highlights video package. After that, Drake Williams made his entrance as the challenger for the WWE Championship to a surprisingly positive reaction. He also had new entrance music; more on that later. John Cena made his entrance as the WWE Champion to a mixed reaction. The Champ handed the belt over to the referee as Lillian Garcia did the old school ring announcement.
"The following contest is scheduled for one fall and is for the WWE Championship. Introducing the challenger: from Baltimore, Maryland weighing in at 242lbs, Drake Williams. And from West Newbury, Massachusetts weighing 240lbs, he is the WWE Champion: John Cena."
The referee checked both men and ran down the rules before signaling the opening bell. John Cena and Drake Williams didn't make any sudden moves at first; they just stared at one another as the crowd was divided between them. Finally, Cena and Williams locked up in the center of the ring, neither of them budging from that area. Their knees were shaking intensely and they could be heard screaming before breaking it up. Cena and Williams locked up again and still, neither of them got the clear advantage, so they broke up again.
Drake Williams invited John Cena into a Test of Strength, to which The Champ was happy to oblige. They locked hands and drove their upper bodies into each other; much like before, they didn't budge. The crowd got into a "Lets Go, Cena vs. Lets Go, Williams" chant as John Cena began to win out on the Test of Strength. He had Williams bending backward until he was bridging out with his head on the mat. Williams refused to be outdone and fought his way back up.
Both men were vertical again until Drake Williams tripped John Cena and tried a quick elbow. Cena moved and tried the same elbow but Williams moved. He tripped Cena again and tried a quick cover but Cena got out and did the exact same thing. They were back up almost immediately and came to a stalemate. Both Cena and Williams seemed evenly matched at least in the strength department, but it was still early in this championship match.
They circled around and locked up again; this time Williams applied a side headlock. Cena battled out and whipped him into the ropes. Williams hit a shoulder tackle that knocked Cena down and ran the ropes again. Cena rolled to his gut and then leaped over Williams before catching him with an arm bar takedown. Williams got out of the hold with a fireman's carry and put Cena in a headlock. John Cena fought his way back to a vertical base, forcing Drake Williams into the corner.
The referee asked for a clean break and almost got one, until Drake Williams got John Cena into the corner hit some knife edge chops. Cena turned it around and threw big right hands at Williams, who retaliated in kind. Cena turned it around again until the referee pulled him away, allowing Williams to take advantage with a clothesline. But John Cena saw it coming, ducked it and caught Williams with a backslide. Williams kicked out and tripped Cena with a jackknife roll up. Cena shot his arm out and bridged out; he tried another backslide but Williams turned around and hit a swinging neck breaker.
Drake Williams tried a quick cover for barely a count of one and then drove his forearm into his opponents' face for a two count. Williams brought Cena to his feet and whipped him into the corner before charging. John Cena dodged the move while Williams went crashing into the corner. The WWE Champion took advantage, running passed Williams and coming back with a flip-over block buster for a count of two. Williams got up but Cena kicked him in the gut and hit a modified Fisherman suplex for another count of two.
Drake Williams quickly got up but staggered backward into the corner. It that point, the crowd gave off a chorus of boos and the reason was coming down the entrance ramp; the Entourage. John Cena noticed Randy Orton, Mr. Kennedy and Carlito and readied himself for an ambush; but Drake Williams went outside to confront his stable mates.
"Get out of here," he shouted. "I don't need your help; this is my match"
The Entourage members actually took a defensive position until Randy Orton said it was cool. He ordered Carlito and Kennedy to leave while Drake Williams went back into the ring, where John Cena was waiting. Williams dared Cena to come and get him, to which the WWE Champion obliged. John Cena ended up walking into a boot from Williams, who sprinted across the ring and hit a thunderous clothesline. Cena got back up but walked into another, even harder clothesline. The Champ got up again and Williams hit some left jabs followed by a European uppercut.
Drake Williams made the cover but only got a two count before picking John Cena up and propping him on the turnbuckle. Williams climbed with Cena, pounded away at him before hooked him up and hitting a superplex. The move did as much damage to Williams as it did to Cena but Williams crawled over for the cover; he got only another near fall. By now, Drake Williams was starting to grow frustrated and started hammering the Champ. The referee pulled him away and they got to arguing.
The arguing almost cost Drake Williams when John Cena rolled him up from behind for a near fall. Williams was quickly up and tripped Cena and attempted to lock in the Sharpshooter but Cena got to the ropes. Williams locked the hold in anyway but the referee urged him to break it or be disqualified. Drake Williams let it go but the damage was done; John Cena's lower back had to be hurting. Drake Williams proved to be relentless as he dropped an elbow across the WWE Champions' back.
John Cena rolled out onto the apron but he wasn't safe there either; Drake Williams saw fit to remind him of that. He tackled the Champ off the apron right into the RAW announce table and went out after him. Williams started dismantling the table and tried ramming Cena's head into it but Cena countered and gave Williams a taste of his own medicine. John Cena then rammed Drake Williams shoulder first into the ring post. Both men reentered the ring where Cena tripped up Williams.
The WWE Champion tried to lock in the STFU but Drake Williams caught him with an inside cradle for a near fall. Williams missed a clothesline; both he and Cena ran the ropes and collided with clotheslines. The referee checked them before starting his count while the half the crowd chant for Cena, the other half for Williams. The referee reached the count of five before Cena and Williams began stirring. By the count of eight, both men were upright and Drake Williams suddenly tackled John Cena into the corner.
Drake Williams once again propped the WWE Champion onto the turnbuckle and climbed up with him. This time, John Cena fought off his opponent and pushed him off the turnbuckle. Williams got back up but was bent over, which turned out to be a bad position when Cena came off the top with a leg drop bulldog. Both men were down again but John Cena was coherent enough to make a cover; Drake Williams kicked out of a long near fall.
Both men were back to their feet as Williams kneed Cena in the midsection and whipped him into the ropes. John Cena suddenly came back with a shoulder block and then another. Drake Williams attempted a quick shot but missed, allowing John Cena to hit a modified spin out suplex. The WWE Champion had gotten a second wind to be sure as he stood over his opponent, held his hand way up and let Williams know something important.
"YOU CAN'T SEE ME!"
John Cena ran the ropes and scored with the Five Knuckle Shuffle, much to the displeasure of some fans as well as Drake Williams. Williams got up holding his jaw and staggering about, right onto the shoulders of the WWE Champion. Cena was moment away from hitting the FU but Williams slipped out of position and hit a German suplex. He rolled through the move and hit another suplex, then another and another until he hit up to six moves.
Drake Williams was pretty spent by that point but stayed on the attack, finally locking in the Sharpshooter. Many in the crowd were cheering at seeing John Cena in pain, but they booed when he got to the ropes. Williams broke the hold and fell to a knee but got back up; he began stalking Cena, who was struggling to stand up in the corner. Drake Williams full on sprinted right at John Cena, but the WWE Champion picked him up and flap jacked him head first into the ring post, over the ropes and out of the ring.
The Washington DC crowd got into a "Holy Shit" chant and gasped as Drake Williams had been busted open. Even John Cena was stunned as the bloodied challenger fought his way back into the ring. The referee checked on Drake and was ready to stop the match but Drake urged him not to. Instead, Drake Williams screamed at John Cena to come at him with everything he had. The WWE Champion was in utter shock when Williams came toward him.
John Cena outright blasted Drake Williams with a hard right hand and Williams got right up. Cena hit him again and Williams was up again. The crowd started cheering wildly for Drake Williams as he just kept coming back for more until Cena hoisted him up for FU. Williams got out of position and nailed the Event Horizon but was unable to make a cover. After a few moments, Drake Williams made a cover for only long near fall. Williams looked up in astonishment, which was hard enough to do since his was wearing the crimson mask.
Drake Williams was on his feet but was also nearly clueless as to his surroundings. He did see John Cena down and out and tried to get him vertical; suddenly, Cena hoisted Williams up and hit the FU. Cena himself was fatigue and couldn't make a cover right away. The WWE Champion eventually made a cover but only another long near fall. Drake Williams would not stay down! The Washington DC crowd was solidly behind Drake Williams at this point.
John Cena was back up and tried to hoist Drake Williams up for another FU but Williams fought out again and tried for the Event Horizon. Cena tripped Williams and applied the STFU in the middle of the ring. Drake Williams, bloodied and bruised and battered, literally scratched and clawed toward for any kind of salvation but none could be found. Eventually, William passed out from the pain and the ref checked his arm. It dropped once, then a second time but Williams held it up on the third time. He tried rolling through the STFU but John Cena wouldn't let go; he was holding on like a damn pit bull. Williams kept fighting but it was finally all for naught and he tapped out.
Lillian Garcia made the official announcement. "Here is your winner and still the WWE Champion: John Cena."
The battered and exhausted John Cena was sprawled out on the mat as the referee handed him the WWE Championship. Meanwhile, the bloodied and bruised Drake Williams painfully crawled toward the corner. John Cena was upright holding the WWE Championship overhead, then turned and saw Drake Williams struggling to stand up. There was dead silence in the crowd, most believing that Williams was going to beat Cena down.
To the contrary, Drake Williams held his hand out. John Cena was understandably wary and Drake Williams was extremely proud and this hurt him to admit defeat. John Cena decided to risk it and shook Drake Williams' hand, to which Drake nodded his approval. The sold out Verizon Center roared its own approval and applauded. Drake Williams left the ring under his own power, allowing John Cena to celebrate his victory as the GREAT AMERICAN BASH came to a close.
After the show ended and the cameras stopped rolling, Drake had gotten to the back where Randy Orton was waiting. Carlito and Mr. Kennedy came up behind Drake. "That was great match, Drake; too bad you couldn't get the job done. How do you feel?"
Drake wiped some of the blood out his eyes and asked, "What does it matter to you?"
Randy Orton didn't answer; instead Carlito and Mr. Kennedy started an unprovoked assault on Drake. Kennedy violently threw Drake into a wall before Carlito pounded away on him. What the hell was this all about? The two vultures then took their fallen prey and viciously threw him through a window. Drake Williams lay on the other side in shards of broken glass and a pool of his own blood.
Randy Orton hovered ominously over Drake and asked him, "How do you feel now, you son of a bitch?"
The assault ended only when Randy Orton, the sick, sadistic, Legend Killer punted Drake squarely in the head. The Entourage, that pack of hyenas, left Drake Williams a broken and destroyed mess.
Author's note: Another chapter is in the books and it doesn't look too good for Drake. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Read and Review as always. By the way; Drake has new entrance music. I know I can't stop that. The song is called "Walking Dead" by Decyfer Down.