PSW 2030 Draft III - Raising The Stakes

SDS: Ladies and gentlemen, we apologise for the power interruption, but we are now ready to continue to draft.

Shabani (clears throat again): I wish you the best of luck with your tag division, Jeffrey, but I think it's important to clarify that the Tag Team Championships will be floating between BOTH brands. 

DS: I didn't hear anything about that.

SDS: Of course, you didn't.

Jeffrey (faux-confusion): I was gettin' to that. 

Shabani: I'm sure you were. With that out of the way, my next pick is a trio who have dominated the Australian scene...

Campbell frowns.

Shabani: ... and very recently, made their mark in a promising young promotion...

Campbell's eyes go wide.

SDS: Oh no...

DS: She's not really going to...

Shabani (grins for the first time): A "Passion Project", if you will...

Crowd: PP-Dub! PP-Dub! PP-Dub! PP-Dub! PP-Dub! PP-Dub!

Shabani: Ladies and gentlemen, the Madhouse selects Lulu Asovale, Hunapo Henare and Kaivao Manu, THE MADNESS!

Campbell grits his teeth and balls his fists.

A growling female voice is heard yelling “Faavalevale!” followed by a deep male voice yelling “Porangi!” then an even deeper male voice “Vale!” All three then together scream, "MADNESS!" before a deep bass guitar and tribal drums are heard all over the building. The crowd is loud and mixed, cheering and booing boisterously as the large face-painted freaks make their way out.

Asovale is in the centre, shaking her beaded braids. Henare stands her left and Manu stands to right, rolling shoulders and frothing at the mouth respectively. 

SDS: I can't believe she did that.

DS (bursts out laughing): She just stole his own people from him! I told you, Darryl. This lady's a genius.

SDS: For those not in the know, the Madness were a top act in Jeffrey Campbell's own promotion, Passion Project Wrestling before it was purchased by Sanka and Sara Williams. They are an incredible and terrifying proposition indee- (snaps at Diogo) NO, YOU DIDN'T! 

Lulu looks over at Campbell and waggles her fingers at him while backing away. Shabani holds up three incredibly Madhouse T-Shirts. Manu grabs one in his teeth, making her drop the others in fright. Henare picks up his and Asovale's as the latter extends to a hand to the GM. Shabani, gingerly, accepts... and then Lulu tries to bite her nose, making her flinch. Asovale laughs. Then she and her "brothers" take their leave. Shabani quickly readjusts her glasses and hair.

SDS: They don't call her the Samoan Sicko for nothing. Shabani has her hands full to be sure.

DS: Eufemismo, Darryl! But still, genius. Look at Campbell. He's shaking with anger.

SDS: That's not anger, Darryl. I think... I think he's laughing.

Campbell (chuckling while looking down): Ya sneaky little devil. (Lifts his head) Well, since we'ah raisin' the bloody stakes, my next pick is bloke who, I'm ashamed ta say, got shafted at the Super Fight. The Fight Pit selects the "Moscow Machine" Kruscher!

The crowd becomes loud again and leans negative as loud trumpets and a rapid beat are played over the speakers. 

SDS: The man who, it can be argued, should be the Holder of Dominion.

DS: "Can be?" Darryl, he got screwed a for a cheap nostalgia pop. Although, I do respect the genius of it.

Kruscher, the living mountain of muscle with eyes cold as steel marches out of the tunnel with a purpose, completely ignoring both GMs on his way to the ring.

SDS: Where's he going?

Shabani (pointing at Kruscher who steps into the ring): Where is he going?

Campbell: It's your turn, love.

Shabani: You didn't answer my question, Campbell.

Campbell (taps watch): We don't have all night. Make your next pick, already.

Shabani frowns.

DS: He's up to something, Darryl. I can smell it.

SDS: Nothing ever gets past you, Diogo.

Shabani (Sighs): Very well. This next pick is a warrior whose quest to "find herself" brought her to the Saturday Night Super Fight where she had an incredible showing in the Scramble to crown our first Jewell's Champion. Ladies and gentlemen, from the city of Singapore, the Madhouse selects Zadie Chen!

SDS: The Blind Archer is going to the Madhouse.

A chorus of chanting voices plays over the speakers to a sizeable a pop, some boos. A South Asian woman in a floral domino mask whose frame is barely largely than Shabani's own dainty form walks out onto the stage.

DS: Wait, I thought she wasn't blind anymore. Or what was that nonsense again?

SDS: It was medically verified, Diogo.

DS: Yeah, because Arthur Chen is such an honest, upstanding guy. Come on, Darryl!

SDS: Diogo, please stop talking.

DS: I didn't even say anything crazy. I just-

SDS: You have a family... Several. Please stop.

DS: Fine.

Chen accepts the Madhouse T-shirt and respectfully bows at the GM before returning to the back. Kruscher is still in the ring, pacing impatiently.

Campbell: Me then? The Fight Pit's next pick goes to Vito Montani and Cody K. Olwagen, the STREETWISE KREW!

The crowd pops for the popular, but controversial gangster duo.

Campbell: But that's not all. Montani will face Kruscher in that very ring... in a NO. 1 CONTENDER'S MATCH... (the pop gets louder) RIGHT NOW!

Shabani: What?!

DS: Darryl, did you know about this?

SDS: I had no idea! Campbell clearly kept it close to the chest

A hip hop track plays over as the towering and shredded Italian American walks out, throwing jabs and crosses with his short Cape Coloured hype man, Olwagen bouncing around his hip. Kruscher stares holes in them as they approach. 

Shabani (outraged): Hang on a minute! There's only one match on the books for tonight.

Campbell: Who told ya that?

Shabani (holds out her hand in the direction of the ring: This will just... (closes fist) Well played.

DS: I keep telling you, Darryl. This lady's out of her depth.

SDS: Are you schizophrenic or something?

DS: i just call things as I see them, Darryl.

Campbell just smirks as a referee runs down the ramp, and blonde woman in a red dress walks out from the tunnel. 

Briar Lane: Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is scheduled for one fall!

Crowd: ONE FALL!

Briar Lane: The winner of this match will challenge Paul Grizzly for the PSW World Dominion Championship at Ascension!

The crowd roars. 

The ref gets to the ring and orders both men to their corners.

Briar Lane: Introducing first, from Moscow, Russia, standing 6 foot 5 and weighing in at 290 pounds, KRUSCHER!

The crowd boos, he just rolls his wrists and cracks his neck.

Briar Lane: And the opponent, from Newark, New Jersey in the United States of America, standing 6 foot 7 and weiging in at 267 pounds, VITO MONTANI!

The crowd cheers as Montani raises his gloved fist.

And then the bell rings.