Red, white, and blue fireworks went off. The Great American Bash had begun!
It was finally the night SmackDown fans had been waiting for. It was the night Sting would do battle against The Undertaker. The match received plenty of hype on WWE television, but no one outside of perhaps the two wrestlers involved knew just how good the contest would actually be.
The Undertaker made his way to the ring first. His entrance was slower than usual due to his continuing fear and uncertainty.
The lumberjacks came to the ring next. 'Taker couldn't run any longer. The Full Blooded Italians were the first ones out. They had a lot of money invested in the outcome of the match. Rikishi followed. He was certainly a lumberjack that would cover a large section of the ring. Shannon Moore, Ultimo Dragon, Billy Kidman, and various other cruiserweights came out as well. The so-called creative team couldn't find a better use for them tonight.
Then came the Raw lumberjacks. They entered as a unit to the Raw theme song. Brand tee shirts showed the loyalty of individual wrestlers as they had done the night of the draft. Brand loyalty was very important to the Raw representatives. It would have to overpower their dislike for one another.
Sting had watched the rest of the pay per view in the rafters. He hadn't moved an inch the whole night. He was waiting patiently for his time to strike.
His time was now.
Sting ignored the crowd and the lumberjacks as he entered the ring. His entire focus was on The Undertaker. The Dead Man felt the same. Each man slowly left his corner and approached the center of the ring, their eyes remaining locked on one another. They were face to face as they had been the night of their first confrontation. Only this time there would be no running away. There would only be action and lots of it.
The Stinger threw the first punch, drawing blood from his adversary. The Undertaker responded with an equally strong blow which also forced blood loss. The number of punches thrown per minute quickly increased as did the amount of blood spilled. The crowd was going crazy as the competitors went at it. Sting shot The Undertaker into the ropes. 'Taker bounced off and landed a flying clothesline. It was the first wrestling move of the match.
The SmackDown wrestlers began to cheer on their personal favorite. The Raw superstars stared indifferently at the ring waiting for someone to land on the outside of it so they could do their jobs.
Sting threw The Undertaker against the ring post. A follow up Stinger Splash connected, but Sting wasn't done yet. He hit another Splash. And then another. His fourth attempt missed when Calloway ducked, sending Sting gut-first into the turnbuckle and over the top rope to the floor.
The lumberjacks immediately began rolling Borden back into the ring. Rikishi accidentally bumped into Triple H as they pushed. Hunter responded with a stiff right hand to the rotund face of the 'Kish. More chaos ensued as the other lumberjacks began shoving and swearing at each other.
Back inside the ring, The Undertaker had found the opening he was looking for. His plan had worked. Sting's anger had gotten the better of him and now he would pay for making a mistake. The Undertaker's gloved hand wrapped around Sting's throat. The former Mean Mark drove his victim down to the mat with a tremendous Choke Slam. He attempted a pin fall, but was surprised to feel his opponent lift a shoulder. Sting still had plenty of energy, and anger, left in him.
The fighting continued inside and outside the ring. The crowd switched their attention back and forth between both. Sting went for a Body Slam, but 'Taker slipped out of it, scooping Sting up for a Tombstone Piledriver. Sting slipped out of that, and hit a Scorpion Death Drop. He made a cover, but was forced off by The Undertaker sitting up as only he can. The Undertaker still had plenty left as well. He had faced fear and overcame it. He WAS at his peak.
Randy Orton stood up on the ring apron to avoid the brawl taking place around him. Calloway didn't take kindly to someone standing so close to his yard. He pulled the young man into the ring and Choke Slammed him.
Nunzio grabbed Sting's bat from ringside and slinked into the squared circle. He went to strike Borden and guarantee victory for the Dead Man he was gambling on. Sting blocked the bat swing with his hand and kicked Nunzio downstairs. The next image the Italian saw was Sting's bat blasting him in the face.
Slowly but surely the other lumberjacks entered the ring as well. The sea of red and blue shirts became irrelevant. Wrestlers began swinging at whatever moved around them, including Sting and 'Taker. The men in black responded in kind, not liking those at ringside interfering with their fight. They eventually cleared the ring of everyone but each other.
Then something strange happened. They didn't resume the battle. The Undertaker's fearful expression turned to one of respect. Sting's angry face slowly faded as he cracked a rather dark smile. As they looked around at the men they had just destroyed, then into the eyes of their opponent for the evening, it suddenly dawned on both of them.
Sting and The Undertaker shouldn't be fighting.
Sting and The Undertaker should be teaming up.
The fans weren't happy when the duo left the ring together and the match ended in a double count out. But the tag team they formed afterward did please some fans and critics. And it pleased them, as neither man had to win or lose to the other.
No wrestlers were fired from Raw over the incident. Though many, especially the members of Evolution, soon wished that they had been when Sting and The Undertaker switched brands looking for them.
The Undertaker and Sting had brought out the best in one another. They did it through fighting and mind games, but they did it. Steve Borden got back in touch with his angry roots. Mark Calloway faced his fears and overcame them successfully. It was because of each other that they were now at their bests. They would repay each other by going on to win and unify the Raw and SmackDown tag team championships.
Now they were focused. Now they were confident. Now they were a team.
Now, no one else was safe.
It was finally the night SmackDown fans had been waiting for. It was the night Sting would do battle against The Undertaker. The match received plenty of hype on WWE television, but no one outside of perhaps the two wrestlers involved knew just how good the contest would actually be.
The Undertaker made his way to the ring first. His entrance was slower than usual due to his continuing fear and uncertainty.
The lumberjacks came to the ring next. 'Taker couldn't run any longer. The Full Blooded Italians were the first ones out. They had a lot of money invested in the outcome of the match. Rikishi followed. He was certainly a lumberjack that would cover a large section of the ring. Shannon Moore, Ultimo Dragon, Billy Kidman, and various other cruiserweights came out as well. The so-called creative team couldn't find a better use for them tonight.
Then came the Raw lumberjacks. They entered as a unit to the Raw theme song. Brand tee shirts showed the loyalty of individual wrestlers as they had done the night of the draft. Brand loyalty was very important to the Raw representatives. It would have to overpower their dislike for one another.
Sting had watched the rest of the pay per view in the rafters. He hadn't moved an inch the whole night. He was waiting patiently for his time to strike.
His time was now.
Sting ignored the crowd and the lumberjacks as he entered the ring. His entire focus was on The Undertaker. The Dead Man felt the same. Each man slowly left his corner and approached the center of the ring, their eyes remaining locked on one another. They were face to face as they had been the night of their first confrontation. Only this time there would be no running away. There would only be action and lots of it.
The Stinger threw the first punch, drawing blood from his adversary. The Undertaker responded with an equally strong blow which also forced blood loss. The number of punches thrown per minute quickly increased as did the amount of blood spilled. The crowd was going crazy as the competitors went at it. Sting shot The Undertaker into the ropes. 'Taker bounced off and landed a flying clothesline. It was the first wrestling move of the match.
The SmackDown wrestlers began to cheer on their personal favorite. The Raw superstars stared indifferently at the ring waiting for someone to land on the outside of it so they could do their jobs.
Sting threw The Undertaker against the ring post. A follow up Stinger Splash connected, but Sting wasn't done yet. He hit another Splash. And then another. His fourth attempt missed when Calloway ducked, sending Sting gut-first into the turnbuckle and over the top rope to the floor.
The lumberjacks immediately began rolling Borden back into the ring. Rikishi accidentally bumped into Triple H as they pushed. Hunter responded with a stiff right hand to the rotund face of the 'Kish. More chaos ensued as the other lumberjacks began shoving and swearing at each other.
Back inside the ring, The Undertaker had found the opening he was looking for. His plan had worked. Sting's anger had gotten the better of him and now he would pay for making a mistake. The Undertaker's gloved hand wrapped around Sting's throat. The former Mean Mark drove his victim down to the mat with a tremendous Choke Slam. He attempted a pin fall, but was surprised to feel his opponent lift a shoulder. Sting still had plenty of energy, and anger, left in him.
The fighting continued inside and outside the ring. The crowd switched their attention back and forth between both. Sting went for a Body Slam, but 'Taker slipped out of it, scooping Sting up for a Tombstone Piledriver. Sting slipped out of that, and hit a Scorpion Death Drop. He made a cover, but was forced off by The Undertaker sitting up as only he can. The Undertaker still had plenty left as well. He had faced fear and overcame it. He WAS at his peak.
Randy Orton stood up on the ring apron to avoid the brawl taking place around him. Calloway didn't take kindly to someone standing so close to his yard. He pulled the young man into the ring and Choke Slammed him.
Nunzio grabbed Sting's bat from ringside and slinked into the squared circle. He went to strike Borden and guarantee victory for the Dead Man he was gambling on. Sting blocked the bat swing with his hand and kicked Nunzio downstairs. The next image the Italian saw was Sting's bat blasting him in the face.
Slowly but surely the other lumberjacks entered the ring as well. The sea of red and blue shirts became irrelevant. Wrestlers began swinging at whatever moved around them, including Sting and 'Taker. The men in black responded in kind, not liking those at ringside interfering with their fight. They eventually cleared the ring of everyone but each other.
Then something strange happened. They didn't resume the battle. The Undertaker's fearful expression turned to one of respect. Sting's angry face slowly faded as he cracked a rather dark smile. As they looked around at the men they had just destroyed, then into the eyes of their opponent for the evening, it suddenly dawned on both of them.
Sting and The Undertaker shouldn't be fighting.
Sting and The Undertaker should be teaming up.
The fans weren't happy when the duo left the ring together and the match ended in a double count out. But the tag team they formed afterward did please some fans and critics. And it pleased them, as neither man had to win or lose to the other.
No wrestlers were fired from Raw over the incident. Though many, especially the members of Evolution, soon wished that they had been when Sting and The Undertaker switched brands looking for them.
The Undertaker and Sting had brought out the best in one another. They did it through fighting and mind games, but they did it. Steve Borden got back in touch with his angry roots. Mark Calloway faced his fears and overcame them successfully. It was because of each other that they were now at their bests. They would repay each other by going on to win and unify the Raw and SmackDown tag team championships.
Now they were focused. Now they were confident. Now they were a team.
Now, no one else was safe.