"And now – for the first match of Friday Night Redención! First, allow me to introduce, The Deadman! The Underrtakerrr!" the ring announcer called when the show returned from commercial.
"Ain't no grave…gon' hold my…body down…" The thunder crashed, the lightning flashed, and the Undertaker slowly walked out. He didn't look the least bit surprised that he had a match that night, even though Jeff or Alix hadn't said one word to him about their plans. He carried on his normal entrance routine until it was rudely interrupted.
"Welll it's the BIG SHOWW!"
Big Show lumbered out with a huge smile on his face and his bandanna across his forehead. He slapped the hand of each fan along the sides of the entrance ramp, but his eyes never left the Undertaker, who was now glaring down at the world's largest athlete.
He stepped into the ring and the two stared each other down, quickly backing into their respective corners. The bell wasn't rung. Nothing was done. They just looked at each other dead in the eye.
As the mumblings started in the crowd, the bell was rung, and the two slowly circled each other. They were trying to decide what would go down first. Who would get the beatdown.
The two made mocking punching movements at each other, getting closer and closer to each other. Undertaker glared at Paul when they were a nosehair apart.
"You know what this is about." He growled quietly – no one in the audience could hear him.
"Oh and what would that be?" Big Show asked, equally as quiet.
"We're the father figures to Alix, Paul." Undertaker hissed. "Whoever wins this is her real father. "Just give it up now."
"Never!" Big Show roared, and the two linked their arms around the other's neck. Big Show forced the Undertaker into one of the turnbuckles, Taker all the time trying to fight his way out of it.
Show tried a punch in the face to the Deadman, but missed, and Taker ducked below his arm – getting his mojo back. Show rolled his eyes at himself as they started circling each other again, wrapping the other's neck as soon as possible. Instead of getting Undertaker into one of the turnbuckles, Show landed an uppercut on the older man's gut.
Taker staggered back a step or two, giving Show the room to land two more, eventually grabbing onto the sides of Taker's head and headbutting him backwards. Undertaker now in the turnbuckle, Show landed two consecutive punches on either side of his gut, and Taker was easily reeling.
As soon as the chance came up, Undertaker used some momentum to run into the ropes on the other side of the ring. Bouncing off them, he raised his fist and slammed it into the side of Big Show's head, sending it to the side. Second landed punch and Big Show countered, slamming again into Undertaker's gut. This was a battle of strength, and that was it.
Big Show slammed his knee into a quick but powerful lowblow, and Undertaker was sent reeling for a second, bent over.
Punch, punch, punch, Big Show slammed into Undertaker as the older man leaned into the turnbuckle. They got harder and faster, and Undertaker's heart closed up – or what was left of it anyway. He was officially hurting – and he didn't want Alix to be watching this. But he knew she was.
With that closed heart, he powered under Big Show arm, bounced off the ring ropes and punched him. Hard. Back into the turnbuckle – punch, kick, punch. Harder and harder. Until he stopped to breathe.
Big Show headbutted him so hard stars shone in front of his eyes. He flipped backwards, landing flat on his back on the mat and looking up at the lights on the ceiling.
Show lumbered, proud of himself for getting the Deadman down. Mark got up again, shaking in his wrestling boots. Show headbutted him again twice, and Mark, showing a rare sign of emotion, let tears prick to his eyes.
"Paul please…" he nearly whimpered, and if the arena could hear him they would have been dumbfounded. "I need this…"
He limped to a corner of the ring, looking up at Big Show with wide pleading eyes. His requests were unmet, as he was pounded with fists and kneed in the groin again. Paul walked away, again proud of himself, and planning to slam into Mark with his entire body. That would surely put the Deadman out.
That was surely a mistake.
As he ran towards the Deadman, his supposed prey got out of the way, swinging half of Big Show's body over the top rope, so he ended up sitting on it. Undertaker backed to where Big Show had been standing, and ran at the larger man, landing a vintage kick to Show's skull. Big Show fell to the ground. The bigger they are the harder they fall.
Undertaker leaned on one of the turnbuckles, thanking the Devil that he had been able to land that. He had a chance.
Show slowly crawled up, letting Undertaker breathe. He ended up pulling on the bottom rope and lifting himself up onto the end of the mat, laying there and breathing hard. Undertaker tried to land his trademarked and vintage legdrop – and technically did – but he ended up falling to the ground as well as choking the Big Show.
The two slowly lifted themselves up, Undertaker forcing himself to get back in the ring. As soon as the two were standing, Undertaker tried to run at the Big Show to land something. Again, he missed. Big Show landed a hard kick to the Deadman's jaw. It didn't drop the Demon, but the hit from Big Show's large head to the Taker's neck did.
Mark squirmed on the mat, holding his head. It's over, it's over, godammit I'm gonna lose Alix…
Big Show picked Undertaker up and held the top part of his body back under his arm. Alix…Alix…
Undertaker held Big Show's head down and flipped him over his shoulder. The two were on the ground again.
"This. Is. It." The Undertaker seethed, picking Big Show up off the ground as if he was nothing. He slammed the Big Show into one of the turnbuckles and grabbed the Big Show's arm ready for an Old School. As soon as he jumped, Big Show clasped his meaty fingers around Undertaker's throat and chokeslammed him. The Last Outlaw was again staring up at the lights of the arena. He didn't know what to do. His strength was almost gone.
Suddenly, the lights were out. Several people in the crowd screamed loudly. Big Show twisted and turned in the ring, trying to see anything. No camera flashed were going off. No light was coming from the commentators. You could have held your hand two inches in front of your face and you wouldn't have seen it.
Suddenly Big Show felt leather around his throat, and he knew it was too late to do anything. The lights flared back on, Show looked Undertaker dead in the eye for one split second before he was lifted nearly a foot off the crowd and was slammed to the mat. Mark lifted Big Show's meaty fingers onto his chest and the ref slid down doe the count to three. The entire arena joined in.
"One! Two! THREE!"
With that, the lights turned off again and when they turned back on, the Big Show and the Undertaker were no where to be seen.
"That was indeed a match for the ages!" Josh Matthews praised, and Booker T was too impressed for words.
Alix and Jeff were seated in the back in their own room. A giant flatscreen TV was playing Smackdown for them, and Alix nodded when the Undertaker won.
"I expected that." Jeff said, unimpressed. "So what, does that mean Undertaker is who you'll be calling your father from now on or something?"
"I don't know." Alix muttered. "Hunt didn't have a chance. He was already hurt."
"Guess this next match is the one that really matters?"
Alix nodded, her eyes not leaving the TV. Next was Rey versus Evan. It was the one that mattered.
"Booyaka, booyaka, six one, six one nine…" Rey came out with a smile on his face happy as he usually was, and used to be. It was different than how he had been recently, and Alix liked the change.
"Yeeeahhhhh! Some are born to fight! Some are born to sin! I was born to light the fire, all that you fear!" The second Rey's foot touched the mat, Evan's song boomed through the arena, and the young Superstar came out with a wide smile on his face. It disappeared, however, when he looked at Rey, who was pacing in the ring.
Without touching one fan's hand, Evan silently entered the ring. The two glared at each other, and the referee looked uneasily between the two.
"And for our next match, we have Rey Myyssteeerriiioooo versus EVAAN BOUURNE!"
The crowd cheered, the two shook hands, the bell rang, and off they went. Evan forced Rey into a corner, and the red forced the two apart. Evan backed off barely in time. These two had already realized what every single one of the matches that night were based around.
Rey smiled evilly, realizing that Evan didn't want to use strategy to win this. It should be easy…
The two circled each other, crouching, when Rey jumped forward and got Evan into a headlock. The younger wrestler was on his knees, trying to separate Rey's arms from his head.
Evan backed Rey into one of the ropes and got him loose. The two jumped around as Rey flew between the two opposite ropes, trying to dodge each other. That was until Evan landed a low, sharp kick to Rey's groin. He then caught the Ultimate Underdog in a headscissor, effectively flipping him to the other end of the ring. In maybe a second, the two were facing each other again - no longer sure what to expect.
Rey got himself onto his knees at the turnbuckle, watching Evan's feet and hands at the same time. It was difficult.
He got up and slowly walked closer towards Evan, trying to be wary. He quickly clasped his hands around Evan, holding him still, until Evan turned the tables and did the same to him. Rey rushed forward, grabbing the rope and flinging Evan backwards.
When Evan tried to race back at Rey, the Underdog caught him in a beautiful Hurricanrana. Evan was thrown to the ground and Rey stood back up with a smile.
When they both were up, they both seemingly went running at each other. Rey, on the other hand, dodged and sprung up onto the top rope, catching Evan with a Seated S Senton. Rey got off and ran back to the ropes again to get momentum – but Evan saw it coming. He quickly stood up as Rey came racing back and caught him with a flash kick, landing them both on the ground. They were both hurt now. Badly.
With them both on the ground, Evan rolled over a few times and tried to pin Rey. "One, two - !" Rey kicked out and Evan swore under his breath. He thought he had the Master of the 619.
Evan stood and grabbed Rey's feet and hands, dragging him to the opposite turnbuckle. Rey still wasn't really moving. With one swift movement, 'Air' Bourne stomped Rey's face in, and blood poured out of the Mexican's nose.
Evan climbed the nearest turnbuckle, preparing for a Shooting Star Press, when Rey got up and punched him dead in the face. He started to climb, but Evan whaled on him before he could get all the way up. Rey fell back and Evan jumped, catching Rey's hips and twisting him back onto his shoulders. Rey wriggled out, grabbed Evan's feet, and shot him onto the second rope, where he then stayed.
The crowd knew what was coming.
Rey raced back, bounced off the ropes, and swung to kick Evan dead in the face. Six one nine. Evan tried to stand, but Rey hopped off the top rope for a Seated Senton. Although he missed, when Evan tried to roll him up for a pin, Rey used the momentum against him and got Evan on his shoulders.
"One, two, threeeee!"
Rey stood with happiness, holding his hand high in the air.
"That's my Rey-Rey…"