Did Ripley Succeed? (Spoiler)

[obsessed]

Takedown returns from a commercial break.

Matt: "Well, Buzz, we definitely had a scary situation on our last edition of Takedown, didn't we?"

Buzz: "That we did, Matt. Look, I don't wanna get anyone confused... I definitely don't like the guy, but no one wants to see a situation like this.

"Folks, if you missed last week, here's the situation..."

The end of the Ripley / Pryor match from the previous TakeDown was shown as Matt narrated it.

"You see here that Dan Ripley unleashed that nasty punt to the temple of Jon Pryor to finish him off, winning his match last week. Now, we fast forward it to ten minutes later, well after we'd come back from the commercial break, and even ran a backstage interview with another TakeDown wrestler before hand... Jon Pryor is still face down and unconscious in the ring, being attended to by EMS."

"I know, Matt, it's a freaky situation. Jon Pryor was left unresponsive, and as I understand it, we have no updates to his condition."

"And, nobody from the back has said anything about seeing him show up in the arena either. Pryor was taken to the local medical facilities, but from the front office we've not heard a word updating us to his condition."

"I don't get that. It's a contracted XWA wrestler, and Ms. Blackheart hasn't heard of the condition to have the website updated at least with a "Ripley Won!" message? Gimme a break. Something is going on here..."

"Or Ripley did win and he may be waiting to tell us all himself..."

"It'd be quite the victory speech. Too bad the Crucible matches were made without him while he was busy taking out the trash..."

{open for Ripley if he'd like.}

[pancho]

Later on in the broadcast, the entrance theme of Dan Ripley hits the PA...

Matt: Well, here comes Dan Ripley. I can only imagine what's on his mind.

Buzz: Aside from doing his victory lap? Not much I would guess.

Ripley makes the familiar walk to the ring, met with the familiar "greetings" from the fans. But this week the jeers had a special bite to them. Ripley enters the ring and is handed a microphone.

There's many things a man can accomplish between these ropes. A man can become a champion in this ring. A man can become a legend in this ring. A man can become an afterthought or an utter failure in this ring as well. But there is one thing above them all that stands out more then anything else a man can attain in this business. Becoming a career killer. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Dan Ripley...career killer.

Hisses and boos emanate from the stands.

Not everyone can do it. It takes a certain level of resolve that let's face it, I can count on one hand the number of men in XWA have to take another man's livelihood away from him. Men like say...Ethan Bain, who ended the XWA and wrestling career of one Anthony "Cinder" Xavier. Or Bryan Jasta, who's ended more careers then I think any of us can remember. What makes me different from them, and anyone else who's ended another man's career...is the fact that I ended the career of the man who oh soooooo many failed to, time and time again, Jon Pryor. Men in this very company now who have failed to. But then again, I'm not like most of the other men in this company, am I? *Heh heh*

Jon Pryor signed with XWA in hopes of resurrecting a career that has been successful, yet tainted. XWA was supposed to be for him a way to vindicate everything he's screwed up in the last five years, and prove he has what it takes to be one of the best, in the company that employs the best. Problem is, he crossed my path. And as good as he is, and as much as you people seemed to have cheered him on, willed him to continue. His best wasn't good enough. That's the difference between guy who decided he wanted to become a wrestler one day after seeing a tryout at a local gym or something, and a man who is a natural born athlete. Jon Pryor was beat by me before we even wrestled the 1st time. Problem is he, as well as all of you, were to ignorant to realize it.

The razzing and boos continue.

Look at you all. You don't even realize that I did you, and the XWA a favor. You wanna know the reason why there hasn't been any formal word from XWA HQ or Pryor's camp? Because there's nothing any of them can say. I didn't just beat him, I beat him soundly, and left him laying dead center in the ring. Every single man and woman in this company who steps between these ropes knows what they put on the line when that bell rings. Pryor is no different. If he was smart, he would have realized that he was bringing a .45 into a battle against a gun ship. You people need to make your peace with the fact that Jon Pryor's career...is dead. It died in this ring last week, and if he was smart, it'll stay dead. The verdict was capitol punishment, then sentence was passed, and last week, the execution was carried out. Let the fate of Jon Pryor serve as a lesson to the rest of the Takedown men's roster. That's only a taste of what I'm capable of. Up to this point, I've been taking it easy. It's high time I turned it up a couple of notches and show all of you exactly why I'm Dan Ripley...

...and why I'm better then you.

Ripley's music cues up once again. He gives his signature cocky grin as he drops his mic to the floor. As he exits the ring, Takedown goes to commercial.