Rhaps vs Gnarfflinger

[Rhaps]

The lights in the arena dim, a quiet hush falling through Lockdown Hall. Izzy Wright's footfalls can be heard slapping quietly as she walks along the ring apron before ducking through the ropes. She walks to the centre of the squared circle, the luminous haze brightening her face as she takes centre stage. Simultaneously the lights are turned on and the crowd falls deafly silent, anticipation waning for the next encounter. Izzy raises the microphone to her lips, ready to announce the next match.

Izzy: The next match is a hardcore match. This means there are no disqualifications and no count outs. This following bout is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first. Hailing from Canterbury, England and weighing in tonight at 219 pounds. He is the Beast Unleashed and the Rhapsitastic One, Rhaps.

Psychosocial by Slipknot rips through the building as the familair riff bursts into life. The music sets a sombre tone as Rhaps emerges from backstage, his face remaining dark and resolute. There is no showmanship this week as a gaunt Safety Ranger keeps his eyes fixed on the ring ahead of him as he calmly walks towards it. Some of the fans try to get his attention but to no avail. Rhaps walks at a painfully slow speed whilst the fans' gaze turns to his unusual ring attire. Instead of the usual compliment of psychadelic clothing Rhaps is merely wearing a plain black T-shirt and knee length shorts, no other adornment being seen on them. The Rhapsitastic One contines his progress to the ring whilst Jimmy Pate and Ray comment on Rhaps' continued sombre mood.

JP: Devin Bozz tried to exact some measure of revenhe against Rhaps last week with an impromptu handicap match but there was no sign of the self entitles Beast Unleashed in the building last week. Which, if you ask me, goes to show that Rhaps is nothing more than a glorified coward and when the odds were truly stacked against him, he decided to hide and not bother showing up. That's the kind of man Rhaps is and it sickens me.

Ray White: I don't know what to say Jimmy. I love Rhaps' new heel side but you're right about Rhaps being a coward. So far Rhaps has been the most enigmatic of the Kingdom while Vlad has been their poster boy. He's been in plain view ever eince chaos descended on EVPW while Rhaps was nowhere to be seen last week. I'm sure he'd be the first to tote his brilliance but I can't see how he can continue to do so after last week's display.

The SIC Maniac continues to walk staunchly, making neither a show nor a spectacle out of himself. He grimly walks up the ring steps whilst Ironman continues to play around the building. The Rhapsitastic One steps through the ring ropes before walking over to one side and leaning against the turnbuckle, adjusting his wrist straps. Ironman fades out to nothing while Rhaps continues to fiddle with the tape on his wrists and waiting for the arrival of his designated opponent for the night. He gazes upwards at the arena lights beating light upon his brow. His mind empties of all thought as his entrance music dies away to almost nothing. A few seconds pass before Rhaps adjusts position and stares up the entrance ramp and waits for the hardcore legend to make his way to the ring.

TBCB Gnarfflinger.

[gnarfflinger]

The Lights go out. "99 Ways to Die" by Megadeth blasts over the loudspeakers. But instead of the Butcher, a Midget comes out dressed like the Butcher carrying an inflatable frying pan.

The Butcehr suddenly became cute...

Pervert! This will not sit well with Rhaps. He already looks pissed off!

And we all know that's not safe...

The Mini-Butcher toddles to the ring dancing like an idiot, walks up the stairs, into the ring and hits Rhaps in the knee with the fake weapon. Rhaps angrily relieves the little guy of his toy, fires it into the crowd. The smaller man runs, being chases around the ring by the safety ranger. On the floor, the little bastard falls, and as Rhaps closes in to punish him for the embarrassment, a large man in a hoodie hops off a chair at ringside, over the rail, using a shoulder block to drive a steel chair into the face of Rhaps. The Impact drives Rhaps into the ring apron. The man removes the hood to reveal that he is none other than the Butcher!

Damn it, he did show up.

Everyone got so interested in the midget, who has dove under the ring, that they forgot that there is actually a match scheduled tonight!

I don't care for this lack of respect that is being shown to Rhaps. That ugly troll will pay for that!

I take that as a commentary on the new attitude that Rhaps has shown us lately. It can't sit well with his former friend...

Rhaps is still stunned allowing the Butcher to land two hard shots to the head of the Safety Ranger. The Rhapsitastic One slumps down from the impact. Gnarfflinger then grabs the hand of his opponent, whips him into the steel post, and then follows with a shoulder to the small of the back. The impact sends Rhaps head-first into the post again.

TBC: Rhaps.

[Rhaps]

The fans reach fever pitch as Rhaps' head rolls to one side before keeling over and landing in a bloodied heap on the floor. The Butcher's breathing is flat and even as he stands over his fallen opponent, his passion for hardcore encounters having been reignited after taking Rhaps out so succinctly. The hardcore maniacs in the relatively small audience begin chanting in vehement support of the hardcore hero, Rhaps. The Safety Ranger continues to remain lifeless, pain and agony screaming at him from every fibre as his skull seems afire after the Butcher's vicious attack. The EVPW fans hold a collective pause of breath as Gnarfflinger raises the steel chair over his head once more, ready to pull the trigger and deliver the final shot to end the match once and for all. The referee stares on helplessly as the moment seems protracted, Rhaps dimly seeing his opponent relishing the assault to come. The world becomes a blur as the Butcher brings the weapon down sharply. Rhaps reacts instinctively, moving his head out of the way before the sharp clang of steel meeting steel is heard. Before the Butcher can turn around, Rhaps stands to his feet hastily, just managing to maintain his vertical base. He rams his foot into Gnarfflinger's back, ramming his head viciously into the steel post, very much reminiscent of Gnarfflinger's attack mere moments earlier.

Rhaps moves instantly, springing from behind Gnarfflinger. The timing is near perfect as the SIC Maniac loops his arm around the veteran's head before letting his weight pull the bigger man down. The Butcher's skull smashes into the steel ring steps, the impact of the Bulldog; shuddering his head violently before slumping to one side. Blood begins to ooze out of a gash in his forehead, shocking many in the audience into silence as Rhaps relishes what he has just done. He stumbles around, the effects of the match already having taken their toll on the SIC Monster. Gnarfflinger lies prone next to the discarded steel chair, Rhaps casting headlong glances at him as he ducks down beside the ring apron. Rhaps gazes intently at the vast array of weapons underneath the ring. He mentally selects one before pulling out a light tube, the fans grimacing at the promised carnage to come. As Rhaps stands back up, he is immediately surprised by the presence of the hardcore veteran, looming behind him. Unexpectedly he has gotten back to his feet with a sick grin, the steel chair in hand. Rhaps doesn't have a chance to react as Gnarfflinger smashes the steel around his face, dropping him to the concrete instantly from the tremendous impact against his head.

JP: What were you saying about Rhaps making Gnarfflinger pay for the steel chair to the face of the self-proclaimed Beast Unleashed. So far in this encounter Gnarfflinger very much has gotten the best of Rhaps and I'm glad to see that he has. Ever since Rhaps has gone on his power trip he's been unbearable and it’s about time that someone like Gnarfflinger brought him back into the fold and taught him a lesson.

Ray: You know, I really don't like you. You have to admit that Rhaps has been far more entertaining of late than that era of the Ice Cream Eater nonsense we had to put up with. What I want to see now is Rhaps beat Tom-Cat for the title and we usher in the Era of the Beast. Now that's a site worth seeing.

JP: Well, as much as I want to disagree with you right now, the entire audience are on the edge of their seats. Gnarfflinger has picked up the fallen light tube and he's hovering dangerously over Rhaps. What does the Butcher have in store for the Demon of the Ice Cream Parlour?

The Hardcore Veteran stands over Rhaps, the light tube held loosely in his left hand as he contemplates his next move. The fans in the front row grimace as Gnarfflinger spreads Rhaps' legs apart. Rhaps feebly fights but the lights have been irrevocably dimmed for him. Abruptly, Gnarfflinger rockets the light tube downwards. The impact if vicious as the glass smashes across Rhaps' crotch, bringing a tear to many of the male fans as Rhaps howls in agony. The Butcher gives a rare laugh, loving the pain inflicted on his former friend. Rhaps' hands clutch his manhood desperately and he squirms and contorts violently on the concrete, his face streaked with tears from the pain. In spite of himself, Ray begins applauding and laughing girlishly at the extreme outcome of the hardcore encounter thus far. The Butcher wastes little time as he grabs Rhaps by his hair, dragging him unceremoniously to his feet. He pushes him towards the ring apron, inserting the Rhapsitastic One into the ring before following him into the squared circle. Gnarfflinger flips Rhaps onto his back and lowers himself over his downed opponent, the referee dropping to his knees to count the pin.

The crowd chants along as the count gets ever higher. The in ring officials hand slaps the canvas twice before his eyes catch a slight movement off to one side He gazes intently and sees Rhaps' foot on the bottom rope. He points to it and stops the count instantly, angering the hulking mass that is the Butcher. Gnarfflinger stands to his feet, gazing menacingly at Rhaps as he rolls to his side. Rhaps' eyes are creased, trying in vain to block the pain out. Gnarfflinger turns back onto his opponent, dropping over Rhaps' chest before grabbing a handful of his hair. The fans are well into the match as the Butcher bunches his hand into a fist. He crisply lands a full right hand into Rhaps' forehead, rocketing his head back as it slams dully into the canvas underneath. A new chant is taken up as Gnarfflinger continues to unleash yet more huge right hand shots onto Rhaps' face. The count reaches nine before the Butcher stops, satisfied at the destruction he has wrought, looking down at Rhaps whose face has become a crimson mask. His head remains slumped to one side having taken the brunt of Gnarfflinger's concentrated assault for the last few minutes. The audience has reached fever pitch as the vast majority chant for him as he drops over Rhaps once more for the second pinfall attempt of the match.

Ray: Noooooo, kick out Rhaps. You have to. You have to stand up and prove to everyone that you have what it takes to beat him. I'm scared Jimmy, I've never seen anyone be able to take control of the match and dominate against the Rhapsitastic One as easily as Gnarfflinger has done tonight.

TBCB Gnarfflinger.

[gnarfflinger]

It looks like you got your wish, Ray. Rhaps did get his shoulder off the canvas. I can't say that that was a wise move by the Safety Ranger...

Gnarfflinger seems displeased that Rhaps has resisted the pinfall. He lifts his foe by the hair, fires him to the corner and charges in behind him. Rhaps hits hard and bounces forward. He is met with a leaping knee to the jaw, causing him to slump into the corner. Gnarfflinger mounts the second rope and rains right hands to the nine count, then executes a monkey flip to send Rhaps to the canvas, flopping like a dying fish.

The dominance continues. Has Rhaps let his new attitude override his judgment? If so, I can't think of a worse opponent for this to happen against!

And now that Ugly Troll is continuing to torture my Rhapsie-poo. He's found a black velvet bag under the ring...

Gnarfflinger returns to the ring, scatters the thumbtacks, but Rhaps has found a kendo stick. He cracks the Butcher hard to the back. Gnarfflinger arches back with a snarl. Rhaps spins and cracks the Butcher in the gut this time. Gnarfflinger doubles forward. A third shot to the back brings the Canadian to his knees. Rhaps tees off to punt, but the Butcher rolls to the side, spins around, taking the other leg out from under his foe, and drops him on the tacks...

Nothing like Thumbtacks to burst someone's bubble, right Ray?

NO! Not that perfect little tushie!

Gnarfflinger grabs the legs of his foe, Turns him over into a Boston Crab, using his weight to push the torso of his foe on the tacks...

TBC: Rhaps.