Disclaimer: It's pretty much common knowledge that I don't own the right to World Wrestling Entertainment, any sports arenas mention within the story or the rights to any mainstream music.
Two stories, thirty-two chapters between them and a whole lot of ass whooping. But all good things must come to an end.
Beyond The League: A New Journey
Chapter XVI; Finale
Full Circle
The arena is Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event is WRESTLEMANIA. The RAW main event and the final match on the card is Drake Williams versus Jeff Hardy for the WWE Championship. The stakes have never been any higher than this. Drake spent much of the early hours lying in the ring, watching a number of stagehands make the final preparations for the show. Plus, Revelation Theory will be playing him to the ring later that night. As he is laying there, Drake's friend and mentor Shawn Michaels popped into sight.
"You got that look on your face again." he says.
Drake sits up and asks, "Is it that obvious?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Shawn answered.
"You know, Shawn," Drake started, ignoring Shawn's statement. "This arena, Madison Square Garden, has a special place in my heart. This is where I my interest in wrestling began."
"I known what you mean," Shawn said. "There's nothing like performing in front of a live crowd in the Garden."
"Yeah; to put it real bluntly," Drake said. "I got butterflies in my gut the size of eagles."
"All I'm gonna say is that MSG is the biggest stage to showcase you talents," Shawn said. "I watch you every single night put everything you've got on the line."
"Tonight's gonna be no different."
Drake stood up and held a hand out. "Thanks for sticking by me, Shawn. I couldn't have made it this without you."
Shawn accepts the gesture and says, "Good luck tonight, kid."
Many hours went by leading into the event. Drake did everything in his power to prepare for his title defense. He was sure that his opponent and challenger, Jeff Hardy was doing the same thing. Later on in the night and with the final match looming, Drake sat in his locker room looking down on the WWE Title belt. A stage hand came in to tell Drake that his match was coming up. Drake got up right at that moment and strapped the belt around his waist.
Drake slapped himself a few times as he approached the entranceway. He could hear the band Revelation Theory starting to play his theme song as he geared up for the match. As soon as the band was halfway into the song, some pyro went off in the background and Drake appeared on stage. The WWE Champion played a little air guitar with the band before heading down to the ring ready to defend the gold. The number one contender, Jeff Hardy came out next also to a huge ovation. Both men are in the ring in opposite corners as Lillian Garcia did the old school ring announcement.
"This contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the WWE Championship."
"Introducing first the challenger; from Cameron, North Carolina and weighing 218lb; Jeff Hardy." The intro garnered Jeff another standing ovation.
"His opponent; from Baltimore, Maryland and weighing 253lb; he is the reigning and defending WWE Champion, Drake Williams." Again, the MSG crowd gave a standing ovation.
The referee motions both men to him and runs down the rules. Drake handed the title over to the ref before he and Jeff stepped away from each other. Sidewise, the MSG faithful was torn between who to cheer for. Both men are extremely popular with the fans. Jim Ross alludes to the fact that Williams and Hardy are in essence, high fliers and use their own versions of the senton bomb; be it the Arc Angel or the Swanton Bomb. But Drake has an edge in size and strength as well as the Championship Advantage. Jeff Hardy however has the edge in experience.
This match is a toss up to say the least. The bell sounds to start this all important match for the WWE Championship. Williams and Hardy lock up and Williams powers Hardy into the corner. The ref calls for a clean break and gets it. Williams backs away from Hardy and motions him to come on. They lock up again with Williams getting in a side headlock on Hardy. Hardy pushes Williams into the ropes only for the champion to hit a shoulder block on him.
Drake Williams runs the ropes as Jeff Hardy rolls to his stomach and then leapfrogs over the champion. Both men ran the ropes and Hardy quickly rolls up Williams for a one count. Williams looks at Hardy a bit surprised but shake it off. They lock up once more and attempt to out wrestle each other.
Jeff Hardy takes the champion down with an armdrag and Williams returns the favor. Williams gets Hardy in another headlock and takes him down. Hardy wraps his legs around Williams' head but the champion nips up quickly. Hardy gets Williams in a headlock this time and takes him down. Williams does what Hardy did earlier and wraps his legs around his head; Hardy nips up.
Jeff Hardy hits a sunset flip for a pin but Drake Williams reverses into his own pin. Hardy rolls back through for another pin and Williams rolls back through. Hardy kicks out and he and the champion both go for a dropkick but neither hit the mark. Both champion and challenger stand and reach a stalemate. As expected, the fans in the Garden cheered for both of them. Williams and Hardy gave the other a nod before continuing. So far, a very basic, old school wrestling match.
Half the crowd starts chanting, "Let's go, Williams."
The other half chants, "Let's go Hardy."
They go for another lock up but Williams kicks Hardy in the midsection before pushing him into the corner. The champion drives his knee into the midsection twice before delivering a series of knife-edge chop ala Ric Flair. Jeff Hardy reverses the assault and chops back at Drake and he chops back. Drake chops Jeff back to the center of the ring and goes a chop but misses. Jeff Hardy catches him and hits a Northern Lights suplex. Williams shoots his shoulder up at two and then bridges out. He takes Hardy down with a backslide for a two count.
As soon as Hardy is up, Williams goes for a clothesline but misses again and falls out of ring just by the ramp. Jeff Hardy decides to kick this match into high gear, leaping over the ropes with a crossbody to Williams. He ventures away from the champion and then runs along the top of the ringside barrier and hits a clothesline. At the ref's urging, Jeff throws Drake back into the ring and covers him for a count of two.
Jeff Hardy puts Drake in another headlock and tells the ref to check him. Drake powers out of the pressure and catches Hardy with a back suplex followed by a two count. Drake slaps himself trying to clear out the cobwebs before going topside. His back to the inner side of the ring, Drake waits for Hardy to stand before sailing off with a flying forearm shot. He nails it and makes the cover but only for a near fall. Drake decides to go flying again and perches himself back up top. He hits a crossbody but Jeff Hardy rolls through and gets a near fall.
Both men are back up and Jeff Hardy goes for a kick. Williams catches his foot but Hardy answered with a spinning mule kick. Drake goes down, and then Jeff drops both legs across his groin. He covers the champion for another near fall. Jeff Hardy becomes creative and springboards off the ropes and dropping an elbow on the champion for yet another near fall.
Jeff Hardy drags Drake Williams to a vertical base but the WWE Champion catches him off guard with another shot to the midsection. Drake takes Jeff up for a suplex and hits it, then swing the hips and hit another one and another. Drake gets up quickly and drops a forearm for a near fall. The champion pulls Jeff up and whips into the corner but Jeff climbs up and scores with Whisper in the Wind. Both men are down as the referee starts a count out on them.
The MSG crowd again gets into a Williams/Hardy chant as they will the two back into the match. Jeff Hardy and Drake Williams make it back up and start trading blows before Jeff gets the advantage. He misses a shot and Drake catches him and hits a German suplex. He rolls through and hits two more before bridging out on the third for a near fall. Drake attempts a Figure Four leglock but Jeff rolls him up in mid-move for another near fall.
Jeff Hardy drags the champion up and hits a Russian leg sweep before going into a double leg roll-up. Again, he only got a near fall. Jeff Hardy climbs up the corner again but Drake gets up quickly and pushes him to the outside. Hardy crashes into the barrier and the ref starts counting him out. Drake gets up and urges the ref to stop the count because he wants to finish this match in the ring. The WWE Champion then leaps over the ropes and onto Hardy.
Drake Williams gets up and now he has control of this title match. He even has that twisted smirk on his face again. Drake tosses Jeff into the ring so he can end this match. As Williams is picking Hardy up, the challenger catches him with a sit out jawbreaker out of nowhere. The impact rattled Jeff as much as it did Drake but he manages to cover him for only a near fall. Another Williams/Hardy started as the fans are really into the match.
Both men make it to their feet and Drake tries for a clothesline. Jeff ducks underneath it, runs off the ropes and hits a flying clothesline and then hits another spinning mule kick. He then goes for the Twist of Fate but Drake counters into a backslide for a near fall. After Jeff kicks out, he winds up on Drake's shoulder. The champion is about to hit the Celestial but Jeff counters that into a Twist of Fate. He covers Drake again but only gets a long near fall.
'What do I have to do to beat this man?' Jeff thought. 'This guy is just unbelievable.'
Pondering what he has yet to do, Jeff Hardy ascends the turnbuckle. He wanted to go for the Swanton Bomb but Drake was vertical. Jeff took a chance anyway and Drake caught him and locked in the Sharpshooter. The champion sat back as far as he could and administered as much pressure as possible. To the shock of Drake Williams, Jeff Hardy refused to give up and clawed his way to the ropes. He made it and the ref urged Drake to release the hold.
'What the hell else must I do to beat this man?' Drake thought. 'I've never fought anybody with this much drive and determination.'
Drake Williams drags Jeff Hardy in an appropriate position before going topside. The WWE Champion gave his rival the DX sign before going for the Arc Angel. Jeff Hardy moved at the last minute and Drake crashed and burned. Both men are absolutely fatigue as the ref begins a count out; the gut check is absolutely off the page. The Madison Square Garden faithful once again got behind both men; this is anyone's ballgame.
Jeff Hardy manages to climb the turnbuckle and was perched but Drake Williams was there to stop him. Drake climbed up to meet Jeff and they pounded each other into exhaustion. Drake finally got an advantage and tried a superplex but Jeff held on. He breaks free and sends the champion crashing face first into the mat. Jeff Hardy goes for the Swanton Bomb and nails it. Jeff Hardy covers Williams…1…2…Williams somehow gets his shoulder up.
Jeff Hardy cannot believe it as he drags Drake Williams to his feet. Drake suddenly gets Jeff on his shoulders and nails the Celestial with everything he has got. The champion is slow to make the cover but finally does…1…2…Hardy gets a shoulder up. What a match!
Drake Williams has a look on his face similar to Jeff's; what is it going to take? Drake stood up even though he shown signs of fatigue and measured Jeff Hardy. When Jeff was finally vertical, Drake hoisted him onto his shoulders and went up the turnbuckle. It looks like he is going to try a Celestial from the top rope. Jeff Hardy suddenly starts fighting out of it and counters into a sick hurricane-rana. Both came down but Jeff went back up top; Drake landed hard on his back. Jeff Hardy goes again for the Swanton Bomb and hits it. He covers Drake Williams and…1…2…3. Jeff Hardy has done it!
"Here is your winner and," Lillian announced. "The NEW WWE Champion, Jeff Hardy."
Jeff Hardy is utterly exhausted after the match but he has done it; Jeff Hardy is the new WWE Champion. Drake rolls out of the ring also fatigue, his reign as champion having finally come to an end. He stood up outside the ring holding his back but takes the belt from the timekeeper. Jeff Hardy is still in the ring but he sees Drake coming in with the belt. The music stops playing as Jeff uses the ropes to pull himself up.
A hushed silence comes over the crowd in the Garden as the two rivals approach each other. Drake looks at the belt for the last time before presenting it to Jeff and raising his hand in a tremendous show of respect and sportsmanship. Madison Square Garden erupts in celebration as Drake Williams and Jeff Hardy embrace in the ring as WRESTLEMANIA came to a fantastic end.
After the show, the RAW and SMACKDOWN locker rooms emptied and converged on the ring. Several wrestlers hoisted Drake and Jeff onto their shoulder all in celebration for their amazing performance. Jeff's brother Matt embraced his younger sibling. Drake was also embraced by Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Even Edge, the man Drake beat to win the title in first place, shook his hand. All of this is a show of respect.
Many in the crowd started chanting, "Thank you, Drake" and "Thank you, Jeff"
Drake Williams may not be the WWE Champion anymore, but his undying drive and will to win stays strong. The fire that burns deep within him will never be extinguished. The WWE Championship belt is material. To Drake, the title does not make that champion. It is the man that makes the champion. Drake Williams is a true WWE Champion; now and forever.
Author's note: Well, all good things must come to an end. I certainly appreciate all of you who read and reviewed my work. Please review this one. Thank you so much and goodnight everybody.