So it's AJ Lee birthday huh? And she returned as a crazy chick for a little bit on RAW. hmmmm...guess I chose th right time to post a chapter all about her. Don't worry, there's Punklee in here...along with a very bittersweet ending. I Know you will all enjoy this. Keep in mind: This is My version of the Road to Wrestlemania, which is nothing like the one being created by the WWE. I own nothing.
February 17, 2013 Elimination Chamber
New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is the latest update we have on the health status of Team Hell No, after they were both attacked by The Shield during a Pre-Show interview earlier tonight," Matt Striker reported from the backstage area as the fans watched on.
"Daniel Bryan is doing fine, but Kane has suffered a Grade 3 concussion after his head hit the floor during The Shield's Triple Powerbomb. WWE medical staff has taken Kane for treatment, and unfortunately, he has been rendered unable to compete in tonight's Elimination Chamber match for the WWE championship."
The announcement of that left the near 16,000 fans in attendance in a stunned state of mind.
Striker continued on with his reporting. "Smackdown General Manager Booker T and WWE COO Triple H are meeting as we speak to find a replacement for Kane's spot in tonight's main event."
The event soon progressed and moved on to the next scheduled match on the card, but the crowd still was in wonder over what had just transpired. Kane was out of commission, so who would replace him in the Chamber?
Hampton Inn & Suites - New Orleans
24 hours before Elimination Chamber
"Wait… why?" AJ asked. She stopped unpacking her bags and frowned at Phil, who sat on the bed trying to relax and tell her the change happening in his match for Sunday. "I thought you said you were fine. I mean, you stopped cramping months ago."
"Well, apparently, after further testing, the doctors saw it as a more damaging injury." He explained. "If I don't take care of it soon, I could puncture a muscle."
"Then wouldn't you being in this match make it worse?"
"Well, Taker's not gonna be clear to go for Wrestlemania, and if you think about it, the history between all the parties involved, myself included, makes for a great storyline build-up and match for Mania. You know how I am. I don't do shit that doesn't makes sense. And I think this is great."
"It sounds like a build-up for the end of a career," she snapped, averting her eyes down as she stuffed her clothes away furiously. "I can't believe you agreed to do that Phil... especially without talking to someone about it," she expressed with worry.
"I talked to Paul," he reasoned.
"Creative, skillful promoters with the ability to mind fuck everyone he looks at can't count as someone right now," she corrected. "I meant someone else who doesn't want to see you get squashed like a pancake."
Punk just snickered at her bitterness, walking over to her and taking her hand, lifting her chin up to look at him with his free finger. "You're losing faith in me, babe? That's not like you."
"Phil, that's… look, you know I don't doubt you, I never will. It's just that I'm concerned over this huge change of plans. And the man you're going up against is a monster, with no filter."
"We talked about booking this match a few weeks ago. And if he's fine with it, I'm fine with it."
"You say that you are, but I don't see that. You can't expect me to be worried about you for doing something like this, baby," she defended.
Her hand met his lips with a soft kiss as he smiled. "I know. And I love that about you, April. But I want you to relax. You got a victory to focus on, so worrying about me is not an option, alright?"
All she could do was sigh, then nod in agreement before placing a kiss on his cheek. "Everything is going to be fine," he assured her. "For you and for me. I promise."
"This following contest is scheduled for one fall, where the winner of the match will be the number one contender for the Divas championship!" Justin Roberts yelled as the crowd cheered some interest.
'Light it Up' blared through the arena, causing a loud, positive outburst from the sold out New Orleans crowd. AJ walked out, waving with a huge smile as she posed, then proceeded to skip down the ramp in her classic nonchalant way.
"Introducing first, from Union CIty, New Jersey... AJ Lee!"
"Michael, King, I think we predicted this match would happen from the start of this Divas Cup Tournament, but you two have really been rooting for this young lady the whole time." JBL drawled from his seat at the commentary booth.
King chuckled before responding. "Well, can you blame us? AJ has impressed us all since her comeback at TLC, and her matches in this tournament have been pretty amazing."
"In addition to victories over Tamina and her good friend Kaitlyn, the match that AJ had against Naomi on RAW this past Monday night still has everyone talking." Cole recapped. "Naomi displayed a great amount of flying talent and powerfully athletic moves, but AJ matched that with her high-flying abilities, new skills and endless charisma. In the end, AJ slapped on the Octopus hold and Naomi was forced to tap out."
"And don't forget that AJ said-well, actually warned-Eve two weeks ago on Smackdown that Eve should be watching closely and carefully, telling her that her days as champion and the queen of the division are numbered, and come WrestleMania, AJ's going to be the one to end the reign of terror," King reminded his co-commentators, as well as the viewers watching at home.
"That's the confidence in her talking. She's spunky, ready to fly and on fire," JBL groaned with passion for her as AJ stood on the turnbuckle in excitement. "I was talking to her in the back before the show and she told me it only took her five months to learn her new skills. She actually left the US, went to San Juan, Puerto Rico to attended camp with WWC to better her craft. She's also been competing on NXT for practice and has been working with Daniel Bryan and some other people to improve her strengths. It shows how devoted she is, but let's see if it's enough to defeat this woman."
After making her way into the ring and posing for the crowd, AJ walked around for a bit before settling down as she waited for her opponent.
18 hours before Elimination Chamber
"Again, AJ," Amy demanded, leaning against the end of the ring as AJ nodded. Phil, Colt and Amy all watched as Kaitlyn tried to place AJ in her imitation of the Sharpshooter. AJ's face instantly scrunched up in pain from the pressure. Out of all the moves she could be tangled in, this was a nightmare to be in. Thinking of all the times she jobbed to the Hart legacy Diva still made her want to puke. But she needed to get over those moments and think in the now. Sunday was her last shot at the title and if she wanted to win, all the bumps and obstacles had to be overcome.
Amy and Phil brought her to the school they trained in in an effort to help her tweak and perfect her moves, and as a bonus, Amy wanted AJ to power out the submission, just in case Nattie decided to change up some things.
"AJ," Phil leaned closer to talk to her as she wiggled around, trying to keep the move from being locked in as everyone cheered her on. "AJ, don't toss around her, you'll give her leverage to turn."
"No fucking shit, Sherlock!" she yelled, trying to come out of it as Kaitlyn tried to turn her again.
"Just push or thrust your legs," Phil called out. AJ growled, frustrated that she didn't know how to do it. So she leaned up and bit Kaitlyn's hand, causing her to break the hold and yelp out in pain.
Amy and Colt rolled their eyes as AJ shoved Kaitlyn away, sitting up and leaning against the ropes. Phil lifted his cap briefly as AJ relaxed. "That's not legal in a match, April," Amy said in annoyance.
"It was the first thing to come to mind. Sorry if I don't want to be broken in half like a goddamn pretzel," she snapped.
"You could just shove her off and make sure she doesn't turn you when you're down. But you really need a plan."
"I never have one because she always beats me with that damn Sharpshooter." She ripped off her arm band in frustration while wiping the sweat from her face. Phil leaned over to talk to her with Amy, rubbing her shoulder for relief.
"You know you can do this, AJ. You've wrestled with her before and your reviewed your tapes," he consoled.
"And I've lost. Every. Single. Time." AJ cut him off, tucking her head between her knees in shame. "I'm out of my league here."
"No, you aren't. All these years and months of training have been paying off for you. You have to show your strength now," Amy expressed. "Powering out of the Sharpshooter is something everyone will be impressed with. So do it again, and this time, no biting."
AJ nodded as her idol climbed into the ring to get a better look of the situation. She leaned over to get a ref like view of the pair. "What about going for a submission?" AJ suggested, causing Amy to smile. She waved Kaitlyn over, urging to be placed in the move.
After Amy demonstrated the perfect counter, AJ nodded in understanding. "Just try not to bend your back. You can rest on one elbow or arm, but never do it for both. Keep your arms extended and straight and crawl to the ropes. If she tries again, do this move." AJ paid close attention while getting off the mat, placing her hands to her hips and sighing. "And if you pull it off... I'll help you perfect your new finisher in time for WrestleMania," Amy promised, giving a wink.
AJ's eyes lit up as everyone else frowned. "What new finisher?" Phil asked with a light and nervous smile.
"The B…" Kaitlyn almost blurted it out until she caught the horrid expression on her best friend's face. She shut her lips and tightly smiled. "Oh… okay. Let's do it again, AJ!" she beamed.
"Awesome!" AJ shouted with a clap as she got back to work with Amy and Kaitlyn.
Colt just kept snickering as Phil frowned. "What the fuck is the new finisher?"
"And her opponent, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada… Natalya!"
The third-generation breed of the Hart family graced the stage in her black and pink attire, smiling without a care in the world about the fans or the person in the ring. AJ didn't watch her laugh, which was all fog to hide her emotions.
"JBL, you know how Cole loves his stats, so this one is interesting: AJ and Natalya have been in the ring together since AJ's days as a rookie, but AJ has beaten every diva on the roster at least once except her. I think that's why Natalya's laughing," King informed.
As JBL pondered over that intriguing piece of information, Cole took this opportunity to let the viewers know how Natalya herself got to this moment. "This past Friday night on Smackdown, Natalya defeated Paige, who is a rookie from our developmental camp NXT, to advance to tonight's finals. Natalya said after the match she stated that Paige was an example of how hard it's going to be to take this opportunity from her. AJ's good, but not as great as her. She's been with AJ in the ring and the result has never been a happy ending for her. So to say that Natalya's amused would be an understatement."
"Of course she's amused," JBL responded. "I like AJ, but the kid's out of her league here. Natalya's been the Divas Champion before, and besides that she's tough, aggressive, and skilled in grappling. She's a third-generation Hart, daughter of Jim 'The Anvil' and niece of Bret 'The Hitman'. This isn't a match to her, it's a squashing. For her, fighting AJ is like watching Beyonce and a giant yeti competing in a sing off. Natalya's not going to make this easy."
12 hours before the Elimination Chamber
"You want me to do what?" Natalya scoffed out. She wasn't upset with the idea AJ brought to the Canadian grappler's attention as they rehearsed for their match. "No, AJ, I can't do this. I don't your ribs aren't healed enough from your incident to withstand this."
"Yeah, they are," AJ retorted. "I was cleared this morning and besides, it's just a way to move the crowd."
"Yeah, a way that's going to earn us a huge earful from Vince," Natalya said. "You know I was told not to put you in a submission move. I dominate and place you on the mat, you cradle me for a pin, 1, 2, 3 and end the match."
"I know, but that's been done to death before to you. It's repetitive and boring, and we need something fresh and exciting."
"And this is exciting to you?" Natalya sat on the floor outside the ring while waiting for the tag teams to wrap up their rehearsal. "AJ, you've been taking all this risk in the ring lately. You were over the top with Naomi Monday. Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Everything is fine. I just..." AJ shook her head while taking a sip of her Gatorade and sighing. "I just want to be impressive..."
"And you are. Honey, you've outshined most of us ever since you got back. But what you're asking me to do is a bit risky, and I just can't have that burden on my mind if something happens to you."
AJ shrugged as she looked around the arena. She nodded to Cody and Clay going at it in the ring. "Look at the guys. They get to fly, kick, low blow, use chairs and tables and so much more. They get to do whatever they want but us girls, we have to be careful. In a wrestling match, we're asked to be careful," she stressed as Natalya sighed.
"And we only get about two to five minutes to display our talents. You started here when they gave you more than that and when you and a certain 'sister' of yours had the chance to compete in table matches. You've even placed your boyfriend in a Sharpshooter," AJ reminded her as they kept watching them rehearse.
"Don't you remember your first victory in the WWE, Nattie? How awesome it was? How confident you felt about winning?" AJ asked.
Natalya sighed as she nodded. "Yeah. I was high of the crowd. I wanted to show everyone who I was and make myself special."
"Well, don't you want to help me do the same thing?" AJ requested, leaning into her face as Natalya avoided the lock of eyes. Then the puppy like moaning and the doe-eyed pouting came with the little lean from AJ, causing the Hart legacy blond to chuckle and sigh in defeat, relenting to AJ's pleading.
"Alright, fine. But If I get my ass chewed out by the talent agents, I want sushi for dinner and a toy for Gizmo." Natalya pointed to her former protégé with a curled smile as AJ beamed with excitement.
"AND, someone has to have our back. I think you know who to talk to about that."
"Definitely."
"You alright?" Colt asked as he watched with Amy and Punk from the back, eyeing Natalya as she walked down to the ring. "You seem nervous about this. Or is it your match?"
Phil just frowned with a rub to his chin. "She and Nattie agreed to do something and asked for support. She didn't tell me what, though. Something is up with her. I don't feel good about this."
As Natalya stood on the turnbuckle for her pose, AJ didn't waste any time starting the match. She grabbed Natalya's leg and yanked her down from her spot. The crowd reacted as so did Colt and Phil when Nattie's face landed on the soft turnbuckle, causing her to fall after her head bounced back.
AJ began to throw multiple fists and punches furiously at Natalya's downed form, as the ref tried to gain control of the match. Natalya looked shocked as the ref pulled AJ off her, calming her down as Natalya huddled in the corner fearfully. AJ still went after Natalya, but the Canadian grappler fought back, catching AJ's leg and pushing her away.
Soon, the girls were at a back and forth for dominance. AJ flew high with dropkicks, takedowns, monkey flips and whenever Nattie tried to knock her out, AJ fought back. They even took the fight outside, and it was there that Natalya caught AJ in after she attempted to try a crossbody, and was then rammed into the steel ring post, causing the small spitfire brunette to yelp out in pain. Phil kept cursing under his breath as Natalya threw her back in the ring.
"She'll be fine Phil. Relax," Amy said, causing him to chuckle.
"You're not focused on how she is compared to Natalya."
"No, you're too focused on how she is! You shouldn't be!" she snapped, causing him to pull back. "Just relax, damn it. She's fine," Amy said as the trio turned their focus back on the match.
Natalya began to show cockiness as AJ laid on the mat hazed. Since the spot with the ring post, AJ's lower back became the main target of Natalya's attention, going through numerous backbreakers, suplexes and side slams. Everyone in the arena knew that Natalya was doing this to soften her opponent up for the famous Sharpshooter.
AJ tried to rally, but that attempt was quickly snuffed out when Natalya countered, reversed the position so that she was behind her, and then hit AJ with a painful back suplex that even caused some of the fans in attendance to wince.
Then, the Queen of Harts pulled AJ by her legs and began to prep for her finisher, when all of a sudden, as she was crossing the legs, AJ was able to reach and immediately snatch her down, using her momentum to roll her over into an inside cradle.
"Wait a minute! Small package from AJ! Here's the count…" Cole yelled.
Before the ref's hand slapped the mat for a third time, Natalya kicked out, but it was by mere tenths of a second. AJ, sensing that now her opponent was all but finished, quickly tried to figure out a way to put her away. Eventually, after waiting for Natalya to slowly rise to her knees, she then peppered the weakened third generation star with repeated kicks, which of course, garnered "Yes!" chants from the crowd. AJ used these kicks to start another fast attack, which lead to her using a springboard off the ropes to try and hit her opponent with a hurricanrana.
But Natalya managed to time it and she caught AJ by the legs and brought her crashing back down to the mat before crossing AJ's legs together, with quicker resolve this time, and finally turning her over and locking in the dreaded and deadly Sharpshooter.
AJ, remembering Amy's advice, immediately kept her body up and straight instead of bending her back. The pain was unrelenting, but it managed to keep her from subcuming to the hold.
She slowly made her path to the ropes, and as she was inches away from grabbing her salvation, when Natalya all of a sudden pulled AJ away, dragging her smack dab to the middle of the ring, and then unexpectedly, bridged down and applied an exuberant amount of pressure on her back, bending back extremely too far.
Phil and Colt were, to say the least, flabbergasted and shocked when they saw this. "What the fuck? That wasn't a part of the script!" Phil exclaimed.
"Dude, she's gonna fucking snap her like a twig!" Colt worried.
"Ames," Phil now called to Amy, snapping her direction back to him. "Did you know about this?" When the redhead didn't respond, instead only turning her head back to the match with a wry smile, Phil immediately caught on. So, without saying anything himself, and despite Colt's shouting curses, he was able to focus on the action in the ring.
It would have been easy for AJ to tap out right then and there. Nobody would have blamed her. She was trapped in an excruciating position, being tortured by Natalya's Sharpshooter, with seemingly nowhere to go. Nattie commanded for her to tap, the ref was asking if she would give; even some of the fans motioned with her hands and arms, pleading and hoping for AJ to quit.
But AJ would not quit. She had come far too damn far and too damn close to give up now. Not with a title shot on the line. Not with the chance to perform in front her friends, family, and 90,000 others in MetLife Stadium on the line. So, with all her strength and reserve, she slowly but surely began to rise up, her wiry arms shaking with a confident resolve, and a powerful purpose. Nattie did a terrific job selling the near Herculean effort, displaying a shocked and dismayed look on her face as AJ elevated out of the agonizing over-extended bridge, and back into standard position, making the crowd pop like crazy.
AJ made sure to have her arms extended out and straight once more. It was unbearable to stay that way and not to tap out, but Natalya did her part, not applying a lot of pressure this time around as they scribbled in the ring. After a few seconds, Phil and Colt sighed in huge relief when AJ crawled over to the near rope, grabbed it, and held onto it for dear life, forcing the ref to help break the submission hold.
"And that was impressive and brilliant. Not only fighting out of that bridge, but keeping your arms extended in that hold is rarely done, and AJ managed to successfully make it to the ropes. Very smart of AJ," JBL praised as they continued to call the match. Natalya broke it after a count of four to avoid disqualification, and yelled at the ref in annoyance. AJ started coughing, rubbing her back as she rose to her knees.
"Natalya is not happy about this at all," Cole said as Natalya shoved AJ down with her foot, pointing in her face and slapping her around. "And there's the taunting and teasing from Natalya. And… oh it looks like she's going for it again people." Natalya prepped her again, still yelling to the crowd how she's better than AJ and that she was the best Diva on the roster as her finger tapped AJ's forehead.
But that gave AJ a chance to hook Nattie in as planned. However, this time, instead of going for another inside cradle, AJ decided to go in a different direction. She kept on leg swinging out of control, when out of the blue, she managed to maneuver her legs together to catch and trap Natalya in a submission, the dangerous Brazilian Heel Hook.
AJ, in the midst of her scouting and watching tapes, discovered that Nattie was somewhat susceptible to the painful submission hold, having been defeated by the now retired Michelle McCool on a few occasions with this move. And with the way that Natalya had to plant her leg in order to set up the Sharpshooter, AJ knew that foot would be ripe pickings for the hold to applied, especially after her extensive Jiu-Jitsu and MMA training with Phil and Daniel during the past few months.
To say this caught Natalya off guard would be a complete understatement. She was in enough shock that AJ somehow powered out of the Sharpshooter, but now she had her in a move that had proven to be a true weakness in the past. Now, it was her turn to writhe around in pain, scream out in sheer agony, and be in a state of distress herself, which gave the fans a sight to see, watching the submission specialist being tortured by, of all things, submission. They also groaned outwardly at how much torque AJ was applying to the hold, and how Natalya's foot was being twisted at an almost grotesque angle.
Nattie tried her best to fight out of it, to find some desperate way to escape. But soon, however, the straining on her foot proved to be too much. The pain was too overbearing, too excruciating, and it was then and there that Natalya could do only one thing, or risk suffering severe injury. Though her stubborn heart and inner pride told her one thing, her body, more specifically, her foot, told her another, and the blonde technician had no choice...
...but to tap out.
Immediately, the referee called for the bell and everyone exploded in great cheers for AJ, watching her roll and duck out of the ring, huffing and puffing out of breath as she clutched her stomach and back.
"Here's your winner… and the number one contender for the Divas Championship… AJ Lee!" Justin announced as AJ cheered in exquisite and peer joy for herself. The NOLA crowd hollered and clapped as the ref raised her hand in victory.
She watched Natalya stare in disbelief as she smiled. This step on her stairway to the top was a tough one, but it was her favorite one yet.
"That was fucking awesome, kid!" Colt yelled as he spun AJ around, careful not to squeeze too hard due to her aching back, but still celebrating as they watched John make his way to the huge steel chamber. "So, who changed the script?"
"Uh, actually, Nat and I agreed to spice things up," AJ said while drinking her water. Colt froze tensely with very surprised look as she nodded with a bright smile. "I know. Hunter was pissed but, Stephanie pleaded for us, and Amy, who watched it with you, I'm sure, backed us up and said it looked great so, no trouble for me or Nat. I do have to buy her a cat toy but, we're okay and… I won!" she giggled after rambling about as everyone agreed.
"I'm so proud of you and impressed. And so is Punk," Amy nodded as they watched the ring. John and Daniel entered their respective pods as Ryback made his way down. Amy leaned over to AJ as the beast from Sin City entered the third pod. "Um… did Phil tell you what was going on in this match? Why did they take Kane out?"
AJ stopped smiling, pressing her lips together nervously. "Yeah. He told me."
Colt and Amy looked relieved when she answered them, but then her worried frown stopped the relief. "AJ?" Colt asked with confusion as AJ just looked away unhappy. "AJ, look at me please. What's going on?"
"I thought he told you about it. I mean, we talked about it…"
"About what, AJ?" Amy asked, also concerned for her best friend.
Before AJ could speak up, a familiar siren blared through the tech speakers and they all looked to the ring, causing the New Orleans Arena to erupt as "The Next Big Thing" played. They all watched Brock Lesnar, former WWE Champion, former UFC Heavyweight Champion; the man who broke the arm of Shawn Michaels, ended the career of Triple H, and then supposedly quit soon after, entered the front of the stage and posed with a prepping jog before making his way down the ramp.
They watched the faces of John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Ryback showcase their own looks of surprise and shock as Brock looked at each and every one of them, grinning brashly before he made his way to the final pod in the corner.
"Holy fuck," Amy muttered quietly as Punk made his way to the ring as the person to kick things off, looking at The Rock who entered before him. He raised the belt above his head in glory. Paul's expression was blank as he accompanied him to the entrance, only to stop, pat Phil on the shoulder positively before leaving him and heading to the back.
"Shit's about to go down, isn't it?" Colt asked.
AJ nodded dejectedly as the officials closed the gate to the chambers, securing all the locks before the ref in the ring called for the bell. "Yeah... it is."
At 10:45, it happened as planned.
All the participants of this brutal, intense, physical, yet amazing match were in the ring at one point. Then Daniel received an emphatic F-5 before being eliminated. When Phil was hoisted up by Ryback for Shellshock, Brock regained enough strength to tackle him with a vicious, which helped Punk pin him out the match.
With Rock and John being left in, the two protégés of Paul Heyman teamed up to take them out. The crowd heat fed Brock as he stomped into John's chest with his foot. Punk tossed around with Rock in a back and forth exchange before knocking him down with a roundhouse kick. John fought back against Brock only to be caught in a full nelson submission.
That's when Punk went for the chance to take out John, but without focusing on the stance of the pair, he just delivered another roundhouse kick. This time, only the shin of his leg hit John and his whole entire foot slapped Brock, knocking them both down. The element of chance was there for John to take Brock out as his arm landed on Lesnar's chest. Before anyone could do anything about it, the ref counted to three, counting Brock out as he kicked out too late.
Punk was too busy going back and forth with Rock to see the enraged look on Lesnar's face. He was fuming, and downright pissed. And the fans were in for a huge surprise when his reaction came to light. As Punk climbed the top rope, Brock grabbed Punk by the neck, shocking everyone as he tossed him out the ring, causing the champion to collide with the chain-décor cage hard. Punk shouted out in pain as Brock glared down, thinking of how to teach the champ a lesson. He saw the refs trying to stop him and even heard the pleading roars from Paul Heyman when he picked Punk up. He tossed him again… and again… and again once more into the fence with a sinister look on his face.
Punk's face dripped with blood as the last collision cut him, and as Brock left laughing at him, Punk crawled miserably back into the ring. He was coughing, huffing and wiping the blood away from his eyes. As he stood up to his feet slowly, Rock was there lurking behind him, waiting, watching him turn before delivering a thunderous spinebuster to the champ. The Great One taunted his millions and millions before running to the ropes and swiftly dropping the People's Elbow on Punk.
Three seconds later, it ended. CM Punk's place in the match ended. His days as the longest reigning champion of the modern era, ended. His chance to main event and headline the biggest event of the year, ended.
And his wonderful time as the real people's champion and an icon in his prime... ended.
Woah. AJ v Eve at Wrestlemania...and Punk v. Brock as well. What will happened on the way there? You'll have to see in the next chapter.
#HappyBirthdayAJ
#PunkleeNation
#20-1
#RunninonCrazyCreations