Don’t flatter yourself.


If I was ‘itching’ to right the supposed ‘wrong of my career’, I’d have come back and faced you last May. If I really cared that much about wanting to get my win back against you, I’d have smacked you on the very first Showdown after Pain for Pride and laid you out cold, demanded a shot at your EAW Championship when you had the opportunity to pick anybody you wanted to face at Mid-Summer Massacre but I didn’t, you know why? It’s because I don’t care enough about that loss to you. I don’t care that I lost to you on Voltage and as a result had to leave this company for months, you may think it’s an excuse that I had one foot out the door but it isn’t. I was talking about this company LONG before you even signed your name to an EAW contract, I was already done with this company before Pain for Pride Six. The only thing that loss did was speed up the inevitable and that was me leaving EAW, maybe you choose to believe that it was all because of you and it helps you sleep at night but let’s not forget, I already retired in 2013 when I bought out this company so I think it’s safe to say that the loss to you was nothing more than just that; a loss. The losses to Mr. DEDEDE and Scott Diamond were far more important than losing to you, you know why? It’s probably because I came back and kept coming after them. Me and DEDEDE have continuously fought against each other and so have me and Scott Diamond and oh, I hear you say; ‘but you teamed with both of them after your loss anyway’ but I chose to team with Scott Diamond to take out and erase the career of Mr.DEDEDE and I put all hatred of the man to one side to team with him to take out Zack Crash a year later. So maybe, just maybe, the losses to the two of them and to Zack Crash in 2014 were more important to me than losing to you. You really want to ask me why I came back? Have I not said this enough times or are you just asking stupid questions to help feed your fragile ego? I came back to EAW because Cameron Ella Ava asked me to come back and help her take out Scott Diamond, to help her win back the Hall of Fame title and in exchange, I’d get a shot at the title. That interested me because I knew I could come back and once again prove that I was the Greatest of all time when people had already chewed me up and spit me back out and thought that I was washed up and finished. Just like when everybody thought that Muhammad Ali was washed up and finished when he was going up to fight George Foreman for the World Heavyweight Championship because he started losing a few fights and Foreman was this big, undefeated monster and you know what happened, Xav? Ali knocked out Foreman and cemented his legacy as the Greatest of all Time and that’s exactly what I planned to achieve when I went up against HBB and Cameron.


I don’t care about you, Xavier.


And why should I? Ever you turned on me to ‘break away’ from my shadow, all you’ve done is continue to cos-play as me. You won the world title just like I did, you said you’d cash in at Pain for Pride then went back on your word like I did. You had a long reign fighting guys that I had already faced like Hades, Crash and Cage. You lost your world title and went on a losing streak, hell you even struggled at the start of your career like I did! You became so obsessed with revenge on Thomas Minns instead of winning the EAW Championship back like I was with Mr. DEDEDE! You and Tarah even resembled Me and Cameron! Honestly, I’m shocked you didn’t even try and win King of Elite so you be more like me! You never left my shadow, you’re STILL in my shadow. You’re a spin-off of my name and that’s all you’ll ever be. You have no legacy in EAW, all you are is apart of MY legacy. Your accomplishments are MY accomplishments, your career is apart of MY career and for a guy who wanted to break away from my shadow, you’ve sure had a hard time getting my dick out of your mouth. I mean, the FIRST thing you did after winning that EAW Championship was mention my name and you gave a ‘fuck you!’ to everybody, kind of like how I did when I won my first World Championship!


No, the only reason that this match is happening is because Das Lannister is too much of a pussy to face me. That is the only reason why I bothered to even fight you, you’re the substitute while I wait to get that championship shot. You may think I need to avenge that loss, I don’t. I moved on to bigger things after that loss to you so why I would I care? I only picked to fight you in Ireland because I took pity on you. I went from watching you grow as a promising wrestler to …well, a guy who is fighting Thomas Minns on FPV’s and losing to Liam Catterson on Battleground. I took pity on you and decided to make you a millionaire for one night, so congratulations. I’ll give you everything that you ever wanted from this match, Xavier. I’ll make sure to break you away from my shadow when I end your career, when I give you an honourable death in combat. I’ll carry you to the end of the match, right to the end when I end your career after ripping you limb from limb and then, you’ll be free from my shadow. Maybe you can take up another profession and try and crave up something for yourself there, maybe you’ll be able to do something there that won’t be forever tied to my name and you can actually have a legacy there but in EAW? The only legacy you’ll ever have in this company is the one from the beating that I’m going to give you, just like all HBB’s legacy is ever going to be now is the back to back beatings that I gave him. You think that there is chinks in my armour because I lost an MMA match? C’mon now. That was one match in seven and a half months but even if there was, you’re not the guy to exploit them. Oh sure, Samurai lost to Cameron a few weeks ago but I don’t see how that even remotely makes my victory over her any less impressive considering the people that she’s beaten, namely Chuck Scene. You remember him, right? He beat your ass from pillar to post and bloodied you up to the point that they had to stop it because you were unable to keep going, so what does that tell you?



Time to end the fraud.

 
I appreciate the fact that you chose to address me and me alone for our match. I understand that after your match with Ryan Savage, you’re feeling explicitly confident at the moment. But I’m not feeling this total defeat and incompetence that you seem to think I am. Ok, first things first. Let’s talk about the Iconomy. I admit joining that group was a mistake. I never got to fight in a match with them until the first time we faced Hexa-gun. And already by then, everything was falling apart in my eyes. The Iconomy was sold as one idea, and then shifted into an entirely different one. The original ideals were far different. It was like a sales pitch when it was introduced to me. Shamefully, I admit they told me it was a way to help me build my career. I quickly saw that as a lie. They wanted to use me to expand their agenda. They wanted to be a cult, or rather their leader did. But when a leader is as inept as JJ Silva was, you get the result that was the Iconomy. So things had boiled to a head and they weren’t rosy. JJ knew I wasn’t sold on his leadership, and it was rubbing off on the others. It was not that I was trying to be the cancer of the group, it was that I didn’t agree with the message. I wanted my chance to go on my own, and I got it. Right as their failed battle with Hexa-gun began, I played an interesting role. Maybe you don’t even remember it anymore. I pin Luzmala and Drake breaks up the pin at the last tenth of a second. That’s when it all came to a breaking point. When JJ attempted to publicly shame me during the match, I kicked him square in the groin. And I gave Hexa-gun a gift-wrapped win. And no regrets either. But that decision was made long before Hexa-gun had scrubbed the EAW of the Iconomy. So you see, it was a nice thought, but my mind was clear on my decision long before the Hexa-gun became part of the equation. Case in point when JJ told me of his brilliant plan to help me cheat my way to the Empress of Elite tournament title. What a pitiful plan. I did it on my own. It wasn’t about my ego, it was about doing what was right.
 
So here’s the thing, Y2Impact, I would never hang my hat on a win over Haruna. I’ve never claimed to be a goddess. I’m just a girl with a championship title, fighting my way to earn everything. Nothing has been given to me, and that’s not the way I operate. I’m not a leech trying to use everyone else’s success to put myself over. I’m just working as hard as I can to be among the best this company has ever seen. You think I’m garbage? You spin together a nice story that convinces nobody of anything, creating your own version of a history that never happened. It fits your story though, doesn’t it? I have won matches and lost them, just like everyone else. But what I’m doing right now is creating my own legacy. It won’t be a legacy defined by my affiliation with a faction or club, although it might well feature a note about my inclusion with the team that takes Hexa-gun down to its ashes. We’ll see if the accomplishment stands the test of time or not. But it’s not about using you or Claudia or anyone else as a stepping-stone. I lost a match and now you want me to pretend that my career is in shambles. You want me to act as if one loss is going to define me and make me incapable of even focusing on a match. You’ve lost matches. You lost you tag titles, but have you folded into oblivion? No. And the truth is I’m not different than you or the Heart Break Gal in that. We’re all driven to success, even if the motivations or the factors that takes us there are different. I don’t let that loss weigh on me because I can’t. It would be the most epic waste of time. My existence is hardly haunted by anything that took place on Voltage. Instead, I’m motivated for the next match. A huge opportunity to face Eris LeCava in a champion vs. champion match. It would be a mistake to dwell on a past loss or another upcoming match.
 
The problem with your theory about me is that it’s all completely full of shit. I’m not thinking about my last match or the match before it. I’m not thinking about past meetings with you two. It’s about this match. A loss is a failure, yes. But to indentify a loss as a colossal failure is more like a colossal stretch. I don’t spend all this time wallowing in my defeats when the lights go out, because I’m driven to get better. There’s an old saying: what do you get what you don’t get what you want? The answer to that is experience. You get it when you win and you gain it just as much when you lose. Like you suggested was possible, I defeat those losses internally and I never let them destroy me. I never let them define me. This is why when you and HBG stand backstage at Reasonable Doubt and watch Eris face me, you want see me skeptical of myself. I have no doubt I will win that match. And I won’t be skeptical of my chances to defeat the Mercenaries alongside Ryan Savage on Voltage. I will leave Reasonable Doubt ensuring everyone knows that I’m not only a fighting champion, but the top champion in the Vixen’s division. I’m the hardest fighting vixen, maybe the hardest fighting wrestler, in this entire company. I have a full plate, but I remain hungry. I stay humble. I’m not backing down. I want more. There’s no reason to rest on my laurels. I said this to HBG last week and it rings true, still. Hexa-gun claims to be standing for the extreme agenda, pretending that this place still doesn’t have a huge degree of extreme within it. The fact is, you’re fighting for yourselves and what you want. You’re fighting to put your little six-person posse ahead of everyone else. Pretty soon you’ll be fighting for your lives. The executioners will have their hoods removed and soon after their demise will follow. On Saturday I will defeat Eris LeCava. And on Sunday, still as energized as can be, I will lift my head up off the chopping block and deal blows to both you and HBG that you won’t be ready for. I will stand up, remove the noose and strike back at the so-called executioners.

You've all been coming at our squad thinking you have an unbeatable deck full of aces, yet every time you foolishly think you have Hexa-gun backed against the ropes and cornered without a single trump card left to play, we channel our inner Jokers and laugh. But we're not laughing with you, or crumbling into a fit of delirious rage knowing we've exhausted all our resources trying to defeat you and came away empty-handed. We're laughing at you. We're laughing at you because you played yourself by cornering an animal who is stronger than you can possibly fathom. You're rising up against a juggernaut standing on the same proportion of significance as the Roman Kingdom, Apple, Microsoft, Boeing, Viacom, you get the picture. People like Ashten Cross and Cailin Dillon, they've boldly shunned all appeals to rational thought, one because he longs for his perfect vision of EAW to become a reality and the other simply because she's a social-climbing wench fueled almost entirely by hollow, vain ambition. Need more evidence? Look no further than her tenure in The Iconomy. She failed to realize the error in judgment she made until their misfit faction repeatedly fell victim to Hexa-gun's wrath. Then, and only then, did it dawn on her oblivious, head-in-the-clouds mind that she allied herself with the wrong rogues. No matter how great a leader is, motivational speaking is only effective when you're fortunate enough to have competent personnel. The Iconomy didn't, and they paid for their shortcomings on a weekly basis to both extremists and vixens alike. The beautiful irony of a team that constantly barked at my companions and I about how a wedge would be driven between us ultimately being separated by egos, it sends tremors of joy throughout my spine. Or am I just still feeling the euphoria from last week's ass-whipping I handed Ryan Savage? Whatever the case, Cailin Dillon is one of the most criminal offenders. Point me to the manual that automatically exalts you as a goddess for beating Haruna Sakazaki, and I'll reserve a special place in the same comfortable location for that piece of crap I do for the phone books they keep sending me in the mail: the garbage.

Her disgusting hubris is a microcosm of the problem with EAW's talent for the past year, operating without any real rhyme or reason just to abide by a treasonous rule book that blatantly defies the values EAW was founded on. You're talking to Eris in preparation for Reasonable Doubt like you didn't just fail miserably last week to use HBG as a stepping stone to catapult your career even further. Why lie to yourself? You tried to hammer nails into a coffin you couldn't close, and the nightmare that continually haunts your existence reared its head yet again. Are you planning on pretending you have amnesia, like your loss on Voltage doesn't weigh on you whatsoever? Like Hexa-gun didn't torment you during your entire stint in The Iconomy? You want that fairy tale ending where the handsome knight saves the princess and a whole world of damsels in distress breathe a collective sigh of relief; but catharsis will prove elusive because our version of closure is a swift kick in the ass for you. Consciously, everyone is blustering and full of self-confidence, but when the candles dim and the walls become stained with blood, your subconscious owns you. Because dwelling in its recesses is the self-doubt beast so few are able to control, and this monster doesn't take any prisoners. You either defeat it and overcome whatever is ailing you, or it locks you in its merciless jaws and bites your head off with the fangs of Hell. Think about it: the cameras are flashing and the crowd is roaring expecting a titanic battle worthy of being dubbed "Champion vs. Champion" at Reasonable Doubt, yet fresh in Cailin's mind isn't her successful title defense against Sheridan Muller, but her colossal failure against the paragon of women's wrestlers on last week's Voltage. Suddenly, skepticism starts creeping up into her thoughts as sweat trickles down her forehead in the heat of battle. She realizes her mind maybe isn't the bulletproof, impenetrable fortress she thought it was. Suddenly! Everything comes unglued and her pride is stolen from her right after she degrades her Specialists Championship to a meaningless trinket before being forced to compete against The Mercenaries on Voltage, HBG serving as a constant reminder of everything she is not. Ryan Savage follows up last week with a similarly embarrassing performance as I crush him handily, The Heart Break Gal once again dominates Cailin Dillon, and then she's left with dirt. Her pride shattered, her championship's prestige gone, her tormentor laughing with her hand victoriously raised over Cailin's exhausted, lifeless body in that ring... And then it's back down to the bottom rung of the ladder at a cheap brothel for Ms. Dillon. In an almost unthinkable change of events, being a member of The Iconomy doesn't sound so bad, huh? Fearing what's at stake will strip you of any chance of winning, and how overjoyed I'll be as the executioner responsible for your undoing... For "elite's" demise.

It's a daunting task to go about recognizing one's defeat, especially when said defeated individual would utilize most of his time beforehand to emphasize upon how little the chances of that happening are gonna' be. I am misfortunate enough to fill those shoes for the time being, hot on the heels of my failure to rout Drake and Jones off of the lightning bolt that they are riding, alongside their brethren in Hexa-Gun, into the second anniversary of Fighting Spirit. I'll admit it, I was proven wrong on Voltage last Sunday. The pairing of Drake and Jones exemplified the quite impressive chemistry that they share with one another and exactly why they've ruled the tag team division with a firm grip for so long. Now that the confessions of a wronged man are all out in the open, let's expand upon a couple of reality checks that might grant my half of the story some much needed support. While it stands true that Drake and Jones did display a great showing of fortitude and unity when they beat me and Clark Duncan, despite the impromptu stipulation that I took the liberty of introducing, the fact remains that the line of distinctness placing myself and Duncan on one side while Drake and Jones on the other - tag team experience wise - is one decisive factor that cannot be ignored. To put matters into perspective, Drake Jaeger and Tiberius Jones have arguably been fighting side-by-side since their inception within the company. Both men have mastered each other's thinking a long time ago and thus harmony is an established constant in the way that they communicate inside the squared circle as well as occasionally outside of it. With that in mind, let us shift focus to the team of Carson Ramsay and Clark Duncan. While Drake and Jones might as well be called the Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons of EAW for future references; myself and Clark though? We're more like the Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas of this place and dare I say, respectively. It has to be publicly recognized by now how much dislike we owe one another. We’ve been at each other’s throat for most of my run in EAW with a common mentality that belittles the other in every field or aspect imaginable. I’m not too sure what initially sparked the whole beef between me and Duncan either, but I never tried changing that. I’ve never cared to think it through because whenever his name pops up in my head, all I ever thought about was his demise and my claim to the New Breed crown simultaneously transpiring before his and my own eyes. Now, I know what you’re thinking; this statement is probably coming across as a poor excuse more than anything else. I don’t blame the theorists for taking that easy route of judgment. However, being the generous man that I am, allow me to enlighten your limited span of knowledge regardless; I’m conducting this little analysis simply to beg this thought provoking equation; who in his or her right mind would bet on two of the world’s most combustible elements defeating a well-oiled machine, one which also happens to be the Tag Team Champions of the world? Statistics are one thing, but the mere number of blunders that ensued due to the miscommunication which Clark and I excelled at sporting in our fight with Hexa-Gun on Voltage can paint a clear picture of how we cannot co-exist as a unity; let alone beat a team as established as Drake and Jones. For whatever reason, a discouraging vibe was instantly inaugurated as soon as we walked out of the curtains. The grudge, the dislike, the competitive thrive for superiority over the other; they were all still very much there and they eventually played a big role in fulfilling our loss. But you see, I’m not at all mad or even slightly moved by the fact that we came up short. 

Granted, the defeat did leave a foul taste on the tongue for myself and Duncan to contend with but, it was only temporary. I woke up the next morning free of any thoughts regarding that fateful evening. I was further motivated to continue on such path when I got the news that I will be getting half of Drake and Jones this Sunday inside the ring FOR myself. No more babysitting a man who I hold the utmost repugnance for and no more worrying about a low–budget Julius Erving trying to interfere, the latter being hopeful thinking more than anything since this IS Hexa-Gun we’re talking about here. I’ll be the first to congratulate you on the win which you’re probably still gloating over at this very moment. I am also more than ready to sit through the imminent, hour-long monologues of you purely discussing that victory in particular. I do hope in return that you don’t rely on said victory as leverage in your argument of repeating that same occurrence again on Voltage against me, I really do. I don’t want you to make the foolish choice of many before you Drake and underestimate the power of a man bouncing off of a loss. It’s not like that happens often with yours truly though, which is good news for everyone else just as much as it is for me personally. Howbeit when it does, it kinda’ ignites an inexplicable desire in me to just make whoever handed me that loss - regardless of how he went around doing it – regret it with every heavy breath he will eventually struggle to Inhale. You see, I don’t feel comfortable with the moniker bestowed upon my name in the EAW Universe. Deranged? Masochistic? CRAZY?! As far as I’m concerned, those are just superficial labels that serve as the input of those who cannot fully grasp what Carson Ramsay essentially stands for. However, while most of the nicknames are poorly chosen or in a desperate need for some overhauling, they do strike a interesting nerve in what I do; I do not know how to stop. Whether it’s pummeling my opposition half to death or pummeling my opposition half to death for the sake of achieving a lucrative goal, I do not cease the act. I still go on and on until that opponent who I once aimed at beating halfway to the graveyard gets placed in a casket and that lucrative goal that I’d probably already have jotted down as one of my career defining accomplishments gets CROSSED OFF anyone else’s to-do list. It’s a habit, one that has raised me into becoming the survivor who I am today. I would’ve never made it out of the streets alive if I didn’t adapt that mentality, nor will I ever get to cement the proper legacy for myself in the EAW history books if I don’t carry on that same message. Drake Jaeger, be it intentional or not, you’ve put a dart on your head last Sunday and thus you’ve thrown yourself into that pool of opponents. Come Voltage, whether I can control it or not, I will be looking to fit you in a box. I don’t care if it drastically messes up the plans Fighting Spirit 2 BUT when you go out there, know that I will be aiming to give your monologue of a career an epilogue for the ages.

With Reasonable Doubt, Showdown's PPV, just around the corner The Rex Master seeks to do the what many won't even fathom to think for a second that he could do. The Rex Master seeks to make a name for himself, or in the very least put his name on the Showdown map, by throwing six other hapless losers over the top rope. Yeah, some of them might have something to offer. Though the others? I can't say that much about them cause they haven't made even a dent in the EAW landscape.  Which is good...don't get me wrong. It gives someone like me the opportunity to move into the spotlight.

Cypher Sharp, who is real new, comes in with a fresh look and a round and pound type of style that can take anybody to their limits on any given night just as was the case when he went toe to toe with, the now former EAW Champion, Jamie O'Hara. Let's see how he fairs in a battle royal when six other ferocious competitors are looking to send him over the top rope.

Aiden Diemos, a potential star in the making I guess. A guy that the company could push once he starts showing consistency. A loss to Aren shouldn't discourage him one bit, but will someone who fancies himself more than anything or anybody else help him win a seven man over the top rope battle royal? Doubtful, but reasonable I suppose.

Then there is the three stooges, Dache, Eusford, and Piff.  Of course that doesn't really do justice for Mr. DCW Maxwell, now does it? I mean Dache shows the tenacity of a little Sprite, but overall I don't see him posing much of problem in this match. He was also in the last battle royal I was in where he got eliminated four times before they finally deemed him so. However, if you want some of ole' Rex here, Maxwell? Come Saturday you bring it!

Eusford? He is untapped potential just like Brett Kennedy. He poses a threat, no doubt. Though this is not about going crazy-insane on your opponent Eusford. We all have heard of your other side. Some have seen it. Which is the same reason why nobody seems to understand how Mr. Dache got into your head. Well, I realize you've tried to rid yourself of the DCW stigma.  This Kerry....this match, should you win? It has the potential to do that for you.

Then their is Piff.  I will be honest there isn't a whole lot I know about the guy accept that he likes smoking pot and teaming with El Landerson to comprise the Piff & Landerson Experience. A team that has had moderate success at best. However, this is not a tag match Piff. This is an over the top rope battle royal. No friends, no help in sight for you. You are left to fight for yourself, for your survival. You have this reputation as being a comic relief. Need look no further than that awful display of shenanigans that you pulled on Showdown in your tag match against Kerry and Landerson.  I mean really? Pull out a joint right in the middle of a match? Yeah, no forget it. I got no respect for that kind of hijinx in the ring. Needless to say, but half-cocked performances and smoking pot aren't the way to get noticed in a positive light. It certainly doesn't get you a win on Saturday either.

Then lastly but certainly not least there is Merek Blackfyre. A man trying to bring prestige to EAW. Well, we will just say more prestige to EAW.  I've been in the ring with this man already. Does this give me an advantage going into a battle royal? Honestly, I don't know. Though I do intend on showing this man what The Rex Master is all about next time we come face to face in that squared circle. Merek mentions how he has amassed a perfect 3-0 record since debuting a month ago, and mentions by name who he has beat. Let me put it out there so there is no mistake about it Merek. NOBODY CARES.  I mean going 3-0 to start your EAW career is nothing really. You beat me? So what. You beat Chris Elite, who has dropped the ball and left the company more times than anyone cares to count anymore. You beat Chris Elite? So what. Zach Genesis? I threw Zach Genesis' sorry ass over the top rope in the last battle royal I was in.  That man has dropped the ball more than once and really hasn't been able to get back on track after being the Interwire champion or at least flirting for a time with being a contender for the Interwire Championship. You beat Zach Genesis? BIG DEAL. So what.  Nobody cares what you did yesterday. They only care about what you will do today and going forward. Merek, you are tough, I will give you that. I got to find that out first hand one on one in your debut match. This time will be different Merek, I can promise you that. How you ask? Growth, improvement, and success.  I have tasted success since we last faced off and I'm going to taste it again after I throw you and the other six competitors over the top rope this Saturday. Irish born? Doesn't matter. You will find out how much different it is to fend off six men as opposed to one at Reasonable Doubt.

It's when the odds are against you and that you find out truly what you have in you to fight those odds and ultimately beat those odds. I've got everything to gain from a win like this and it will be more rewarding knowing that I did it against the odds.  Bring your best fellas and do your worst. Ta, Ta for now losers.

Well, the feeling is mutual, Cyclone. This was all so easy to foretell, so easy that I am actually disappointed in you, old "friend".  I'm disappointed but not for the mere fact you haven't changed one bit but rather because you have shown no remorse for what you did. It appears you're content with my perception of you. You probably haven't realized this yet but the EAW universe will inevitably open their eyes sooner or later and their perception of Cyclone will be parallel to my perception of Cyclone. They will see you for what you truly are: a coward. Not a legend, not an icon not even an top tier elitist. A coward. Because only cowards do what you did. You're under the impression that these fans clamor for me, that they root for me in a weekly basis out of pity. You certainly are mistaken, Cyclone. I have been working my ass off for years. I haven't taken any intermissions. Through thick and thin my presence has been felt within the realm of EAW. THAT is why they got behind me, THAT is why I have been blessed with their unconditional support. But what do you know about hard work? You came back and the powers that be instantaneously positioned you in the main event of Dynasty. A privilege you didn't earn. You don't know a damn thing about courage and determination either. When things get bad, when dark clouds locate themselves above EAW  or even when they make their way into your life you vanish off the face of the earth, you hide under a rock, you surrender without hesitation. I've been valiantly fighting for my dreams, for my personal convictions. I haven't stopped and I will not stop, I will not cease what I started until my dreams finally take shape. This match represents an opportunity for both of us, Cyclone. You have the opportunity to prove you still have what it takes to tangle with the very best this business has ever seen, the best EAW has to offer. And I have the opportunity to prove you and every single doubter, critic, non believer across the world wrong. There's some people who don't want to see me experience success, there is some people who try really hard to beguile themselves into believing that I don't have what it takes to become World Heavyweight Champion. I have to prove them wrong. I want to piss them off and the best way to do that is by accomplishing everything I set out to accomplish the first day I stepped foot inside an EAW ring. What this match represents to everyone of us elitist or fan or staff is the commencement of a new age in this company. The beginning of great things to come. Because, Cyclone, believe it or not I acknowledge how good you are. You're one hell of a competitor and no one can take that away from you. When you pit two mastodons against each other, two of the very best to ever step foot on elite soil, probably the greatest talents from their generation great things are sure to happen. Let's show these kids how it's done, Cyclone. Let's show them who runs Dynasty. Don't let me down again. 

Regardless what I say you will continue to view yourself as my superior, as a god to these people and to myself. However, maybe there is something I can do to deprive of your arrogance, your god complex. And that is to not only beat you but BREAK you. I know you're dangerous. There's a reason you won Grand Rampage, there is a reason you headlined Pain For Pride, there is a reason you became a successful World Champion. But I am dangerous as well, Cyclone. And if you didn't know that you will find out come Dynasty. If I have to utilize every move in my repertoire I will. If I have to use my ultimate weapon, the Samoan driver I WILL. Actually, I know I will have to use it. I'm not trying to bypass blatant facts about you like you are doing towards me. You don't think I am in the same league as you, you don't view me as your equal but you will. In fact, you will think I am in a league of my own, you will see me not as your equal but as your SUPERIOR when the smoke clears, when the dust settles. I have no other option but to show you I am better in a devastating way and it's nobody's fault but your own. I don't know what the future generations will think of me, I don't know how I will be remembered but one thing is certain to me: I'll make footprints on the sands of time. I have to. I won't settle for mediocrity. I'm not the type of elitist to do that. Hence why I haven't given up despite the fact I have been told and advised to. You don't know who I am. You think you know me but you don't. And that makes you weak, vulnerable in my eyes and in THEIR eyes. I know YOU though. You haven't changed one bit. You're still the same arrogant, egotistical prick you were years ago. You think you deserve to get handed everything on a silver platter, you think this is your world and we're all just living in it. You don't deserve anything. You don't deserve these people's love and admiration, you don't deserve to headline Dynasty this week when there are far more deserving guys on the roster. It's set in stone nonetheless. There's nothing I can do except for kicking your ass and sending you back to wherever you were hiding. I don't want you to praise me, I don't need you to praise me. I understand I am not worthy of praise after all the failures I have endured. But let's face you're not too worthy of praise either. Hell, you shouldn't even be treated respectfully after what you did. I may not be the perfect example of a hero, but you are the perfect example of a villain. I never followed anybody around. There's been a powerful reason for every alliance I have cemented. I wasn't dependent on a mentor unlike you. I achieved what I achieved on my own, without anybody's help. Yeah, being dependent on someone to make it big diminishes your accolades. It's like your success is their success and it takes away from every historic moment you were the protagonist of. You say I am a failure but at least I was never anyone's bitch. I will not fall.. I will RISE. I'm going to shut you up and those who still don't see me as a credible elitist. You asked for this, Cyclone. Now get ready because I AM.

 
It’s only right that we spend time talking about history this week, right as we’re on the verge of making history. This is a special match for both of us. If you win it proves, at least at this moment, that you are EAW’s best Vixen. If I win, it means that this Specialist Championship stands on it’s own. It means I’m the better champion.
 
I think the purpose of you bringing up or past is to make me feel some kind of contempt. Almost like you expected some sort of undue credit or you were looking for some other way to make me feel bad. Instead, I just smiled. Is it not incredible that we came here together in July and that it now feels like ages ago. We’re still rookies by so many definitions, but we’ve been fighting like veterans for months. Our debut was a fun one though. I’m glad you brought up that match, but I remember it a little bit differently. We were the underdog team, actually, do you remember that? You got the pin for us, but I remember it being more like we were fighting 2 on 3. Remember that Starshine girl, she was almost non-existent for us. But neither one of us had any doubt we could win despite her. We’ve both come a long way since that point. We’ve both evolved through our decisions and grown and developed into the wrestlers we are now. You see yourself as such a superior wrestler, while I see as far more equal than you would ever care to admit. This is the kind of match that could go either way. I am willing to admit that. I’m confident that I can win, while remaining realistic that we both possess the kind of talent that can change a match in an instant. Neither of us are so invincible that we can’t be caught by one of those moves. Yes, you beat me one-on-one in the past, but are we talking early October? Things have changed so much since then.
 
I don’t fault you for taking your mentors offer to join Hexa-gun. It’s a learning experience you’ll never be able to trade. Even you, as the relative low-woman on their six-person totem pole, reap the benefits and rewards from the power they’ve been able to hold over the rest of EAW. I don’t fault you for that. I only questioned why you were so closed off before. But again, I now see that as part of our evolutions. I was shuffled into the lineup of the Iconomy when I came to EAW. It didn’t take too long for me to realize I was capable of bigger things without them. It wasn’t about being a team player. It’s not a comparable situation to what you’re in now. That’s why I shed that group and focused on me. You decided to focus on something else. It’s gained you more time between title fights and the illusion that you have some sort of power or choice over these matches. I was told well before you showed up to reluctantly agree to this match, that it was going to happen. I was under the impression that neither of us had a decision in this. You’ve been on a roll, I’ve been on a roll, so it was about time our paths met at the same place.
 
Let me be clear on this, too. I would never say that the Specialist’s title is more important than the Vixens title. You’re holding a title that is rooted in this company’s history. I’m building this legacy myself. I’m proud of what the Specialist’s title is becoming. I know it is subject to ridicule from a very few, but even those who mock it seem to put so much extra effort into holding it. That’s because when it comes down to it, people want to be champions. They want to have that moniker of accomplishment next to their name. You don’t have to defend your title as much as me and you think it’s because you call the shots. But I’m a fighting champion and I defend this title like a champion every time I fight. I get everyone’s best shot. I get such desperation from Vixens in this company who see this as a stepping-stone, but realize it’s more of a mountain to climb than they ever realized. So I’m just as proud of this as you are of that. This will never be able to catch up to the history of the Vixens title, but it’s here and it’s building its own history. So my message to everyone who is too worried about comparing these two titles is to get over it. Do we honestly waste time comparing all 19 of the titles the Elitists fight over? This is just an excuse for us girls to be catty and bitchy and try to get under each other’s skin. It doesn’t bother me, though. Because like I said, for all the crap that is talked about this title and me as a champion, I show up every time and turn away every single challenger.
 
We are much in the same that we grew up watching EAW as fans and we now see ourselves as competitors. We were fans of the same wrestlers and we both learned how different it was to actually be here. Even in other places before I came to EAW, the lifestyle didn’t compare. To make it here, to be successful here, you have to manage both your love for everything this is, with the hard work and seriousness it takes to continue improving and building your name. Look out at that concourse when our merchandise is flying off the racks. When we came here in July, they wouldn’t have put our faces on the side of a toilet stall, but now they put our names on marquees and are pictures on programs and posters. And all the while, I truly believe the ones who will last the longest are those that can remain both hungry and humble. Your own humility carries with it a sense of delusion. To say you were underrated is a bit of a stretch. You made an impact from day one, you feuded with an Elitists, you wiped out the best side of the Empress of Elite tournament and then you ended the short reign of Madison. You were always set up for great things. I always knew that. And now you’re a fully strapped member of this company’s true power players. But before you waste another breath getting upset at me for making comments about your precious Claudia, consider what her ultimate goal is once Hexa-gun is finished. That precious title you carry around your waste, she’s going to want to come for that. Because that history you talk so much about, she can make it if she wins that title again. She can become untouchable among all those Vixens she grew up in this company around. I have no fears of poking Eris the lovable bear. So let me just cap our HBG discussion by saying your girlfriend is just a bitch, and if she wants it she will try to take it.

You can even admit how similar we are. From title matches to great moments and everything that’s happened along the way. But the only difference between us is that your ego has grown out of control. With your championship you’ve allowed yourself to bloat up to high levels, just asking to be grounded. Allow me to reintroduce myself to you at Reasonable Doubt where I will, without a Doubt, bring you back down to earth. You’ve explained no real ways that you are better than me, and I’ve only offered ways to show that you’re not so rock solid like you pretend to be. Let’s put this out there. I tend to be arrogant. I’m stubborn, too. I can be proud, sarcastic, reckless, but I have taken all of my flaws and accepted them. These are what make me the person I am. Have I made mistakes in my career? We both have, because we’re not all that different. The only difference now will be who comes out on top this weekend. But let’s be honest, this is hardly the last time we’ll meet in out careers. We both have aspirations to stand among the best in EAW history, so our paths are intertwined until the end.
 
We’ve fought twice. It’s like ancient history now. Our one on one matches are all that matters in this conversation. Those two matches occurred before we ever accomplished anything. The truth is, you won one close match. And here you are referencing a match from months ago like it defines us. That’s just a joke. You say you’re willing to do whatever it takes to make yourself happy? Prove it at Reasonable Doubt where I will do anything in that match to do the same for myself. We aren’t so different, Eris. But as you flail about looking for ways to end me, I will be the one with the game plan that catches you when you least expect it. I will be the one that puts the Vixens champion on her back. You keep talking though, because it’s only a matter of time before our paths cross for that Vixens title. And when that happens, your legacy as champion will be over. Don’t worry though, at least you still have your teammates to cry to. For now.

I was mistaken, Lucian Black.

It has not even been a week and I've already been betrayed so effortlessly. When I found out that I was facing you, a part of me believed maybe there was something finally different about you and that I wasn't going to face an old friend, that this match wouldn't be so predictable as if you're doing an old routine and I knew your every move. Your match against Y2Impact was supposed to be your swan song, and your resolve to stop the walls from closing in made me root for you just as much as any fan, only to find myself slowly distancing myself from you like any fan. Over the years when your refusal to learn from your mistakes lead you to continue to start at the same spot Y2Impact left you in, I still found myself cheering for any form of progression out of limbo, but not out of genuine respect but out of pity like a bystander wanting an injured dog to suddenly rise up on its feet. Now replace that bystander with several thousand and you get an audience witnessing your life story develop. I asked you a while ago why do you fight because I want to know what this match means to you. For some of that audience, it represents the changing of the guard and thus ideology, for others it represents accepting the company's innate problems as what's reasonable. What every single spectator confidently believes with every fiber of their being, however, is that what this match ultimately represents is the people's hero facing the behemoth who once represented this brand. Did you pay close attention to my return, Lucian? They really do love me, but it pales in comparison to how they gloat about their rightful champion. Because like I told you before, you're able to masterfully mold yourself into whatever they're looking for in an elitist. However, they're not being manipulated into liking you, they're not stupid, but what they are is emotional, and so they look at this bout and come to the conclusion there must be meaning and that is all they get excited for. They get too comfortable which only exacerbates their frustration that there is none---so they find their own.

Lucian, after all these years, your brutish and therefore flawed way of thinking finally paid off and got you to rise up to your feet, high enough to be able to be in my presence. It really does make me sad to see it work out in the end, not due to jealousy or even just one more person competing with me for the World Heavyweight Championship, but because it means you're unaware that means a swan song really is in motion. When most people are slotted together for a match, they enthusiastically hurl insults at each other as most of them are not confident in their own abilities. After all, when you realize just the plethora of people who have walked in and walked out of EAW never to return, doubt must slowly begin to creep up on you as you wonder just what is your place. What will people you have never met think of you, years from now? Will your name be lost to time? Or will time only help your name grow more important? Look at me with a straight face and understand I don't need to rely on insults---to say I do would be the biggest one because it implies I need to break you in order to beat you when I want to battle you at your most bullheaded, not because it makes the match a lot easier, but because that is who you tragically are. That's your nature and that's what irks me because I came back and for one second, betrayed myself as I let myself believe the now confirmed tall tales that you're different now. No, what's different now is that I'm not going to praise your half completed goals or go the other direction because while I don't need to rely on insults, I also never uttered one. It's not an insult to show doubt that you're any sort of hero after breaking your recent promise of winning King of Elite. It's not an insult to laugh at you faking it till you make it when you talk down on me for having a mentor as if that diminishes any of my accomplishments, but used to follow Captain Charisma around like a lost dog. In the end, you're still that feeble dog who has people going wild the second you manage to walk. Will you ever get tired of your way of thinking? When it fails you more than it protects you? Will they ever get tired of your routine?

They will stay till the end

only to watch you fall.

Stay till the end

to watch you fall.

 
 










 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I am willing to maximize my happiness and my pleasure to the expensive of others.
 
Cailin, I sincerely appreciate you re-telling our adventurous journey since our debut in EAW. We’ve had a lot of history; a few great matches and a whole lot of great moments all together. Although, I can’t, I just can’t keep this big mouth shut when I say that your story is definitely one sided. As I’ve stated before, we’ve known one another for quite some time. I still remember seeing your beautiful face glaring at me as I wore my torn up jeans and dirty “Vixen Killer” T-shirt to our group contract signing. I will admit – when I first saw you, I was too excited to make judgement on you. I didn’t think twice of Ms. Future Specialist champion as I heard you make your smug remarks about my physique as I passed through you and Starshine, remember her? I think that was her name. When we were all booked in the tag team match on our debut, I remember talking to you backstage before our match happened. I walked up to you with so much energy and enthusiasm. I looked you in the eyes as you stared back at mine. You saw hope, empathy in warmth in me as I saw envy, hatred in you. I knew from the very beginning, the very moment we locked eyes I KNEW that you were nothing but trouble. You came in here acting as if this division owed you something. In our match you pushed me aside wanting to make the biggest impact out of the six women in that match. No one saw it coming and no one probably remembers it, but in that match I was the one who got the pin. I was the one who put our team on a positive note. I, ERIS LECAVA, was the one who put US on the map. And from that day forward, that seems to be a reoccurring theme in the Eris LeCava and Cailin Dillion saga.
 
Fast forward to Shock Value, I did something that no one from the original three rookies did – I became a success. I didn’t win some silly tournament and I didn’t win Vixen of the week for the tenth time in a row; I won the Vixens Championship. Oh God, Cailin, I just KNOW what you’re thinking “You’ve said that a million times, give me a break!” Do you want to know why I brag about my win so much? Do you even have an idea as to why I shove my win into people’s faces as much as I can? I can’t even put into words how much people cry and even die for this title. This title that is MINE, this title that the rightful owner of is ME, is something that has been held by so many breathtaking Vixens. We’ve seen women who have broken so many barriers and have paved the way for us Vixens today. The fact that I have achieved something they did in their respectful careers makes me so hopeful for the future. Oh – not “our” future, I mean MY future. I know that destiny has so many amazing things in store for me, I just know it.
 
I appreciate all of my fans and supporters- well, the one’s I have left, however I never needed you or anyone else for that matter to be in my corner “cheering me on” in the first place. Do you think it pierces my soul when you tell me that I’ve “changed?” Sure, when I was first in EAW I had a completely different mindset than I do now. Back then, my only priority was to get close to those who I admired the most. Tarah Nova was one of those, so was The Heart Break Gal. But once I entered this completely different atmosphere, so many things changed. I was so used to being a viewer and a fan of EAW. I only saw things from the outside and viewed Vixens and Elitists as the way they were portrayed on the three shows. If there’s one thing that the outsiders don’t know, is that EAW isn’t just a job. Being a Vixen in this grand roster isn’t a nine to five job, it’s a life style. You put in so much work and eventually, our end goals is to make an impact on this company. We want our names to be on the tip of everyone’s tongues. We want our names to be the most searched keyword on EAW.com. When I finally captured my Vixens championship, I felt something different. I felt so much power, I felt like such an authoritative figure and you’re right – I didn’t know what the fuck to do with myself. I went from being the most underrated Vixen to the woman in charge of our division. I still considered myself as a rookie, as a newbie if you will. I didn’t have much experience because my official pro wrestling career had just started. So when I saw that my idol, my love, my life, my EVERYTHING decided to lend me a hand you really think I was going to say NO? I don’t understand why people view my decisions as so detrimental to my career. I’ve learned so much from my Hexa-Gun members. And you’re almost right when you say that HBG’s attitude has rubbed on me – good and bad. It doesn’t matter if you perceive me that way because I know for a fact you won’t advocate for me on my behalf. You know who will do absolutely anything for me? HBG. You know who will go out of her way to make sure I’m treated the way I DESERVE to be treated by management despite our rocky relationship with them? HBG. So for you to insult HBG in front of me is like slapping me across the fucking face. How about you stop trying to poke the bear before you really get the ugly side of Eris LeCava. The side you’ve only gotten a preview of, I know for a fact you don’t want the full thing, baby.
 
You’ve had many successful title defenses just like I have. You’ve had a lot great matches throughout your EAW career just like I have. You’ve made career-altering decisions just like I have. You know, after reflecting on all of this I’m actually pretty stocked for our match. We’ve had a similar career, but now lies the question: who has done it better? I can sit here and tell you many, many ways as to how I’m better than you, but what’s the point, right? What’s the point of wasting my breath on someone who is willing to point out all of my flaws in order to make herself better? Hah, and they call me the selfish one.
 

Moral of the story is, we’ve had impressive matches but I’ve always come out on top. This time will be nothing different. As I’ve said before, I’ll do whatever it takes to maximize my pleasure and happiness to the expense of others. My happiness is winning, my pleasure is beating my opponents. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that continues to happen… even if that means completely taking you out of the equation. Looks like EAW will need to find a new Specialist Champion to fill in the void, huh?!

Same old stuff from Tiberius Jones. To his credit, he said it in very entertaining fashion, with his poems or raps or whatever they were. I know that Tiberius is many things, but I never would've guessed he'd be a homeless man's Madison Kaline. That's all right, though - the young people need to express themselves. That's what the younger wrestlers have been raised on: expressing themselves, reading into basic comments, and trying to twist people's words into some sort of agenda. I'm somehow betraying myself because I made an analogy about eating grass?

I found myself by experiencing myself and the world. I have a better idea of myself now than I ever did before. I claimed to know myself in 2009. I claimed to know myself in 2010. Same for 2011 and 2013. I didn't know myself, for everything around me was continuing to change, and it's what's around me that shapes me. I know myself better now - it took me years, and EAW was a big step in helping me do that. How can you claim to know what I'm all about? How do you know what part of myself that I'm betraying? Who made you this philosophical authority over me? Was it an English teacher? It haaaaaas to have been an English teacher. Only those guys can convince you that you're a genius if you go out on a limb to find a hot take that may or may not even make sense. Only those guys can tell you to take somebody you don't like and compare him to an establishment politician. You've experienced a sliver of the world with your "slickness" and whatever, and you're suddenly the brightest bulb in the room.

I've heard it all before. All of these new discoveries you're unearthing to smear my character have been tried on me by wrestlers you don't even know. Guys who have retired, guys who are wrestling overseas and haven't been heard from in years, they've all talked about how I'm lying to myself and everybody because my attitude isn't arrogant enough or "real" enough. So many people have found it hard to believe that I want to identify with fans as well as win for them. They can't imagine that a person with a different objective in their wrestling exists. It just goes to show that oftentimes, the arrogant are the most narrow-minded. You know nothing, Jones. You've been taught a few things by your group of colleagues, and it's automatically gospel. One of these days, you'll find out how the real world works. I'm not sure if I'll be your teacher, but you will have one. The lesson can be easy or difficult. That's up to you.

But nah, you'll just talk about how I'm insecure about my own mentality again. You'll talk about how you suddenly have me wrapped up in philosophy when I've got a wrestling match in a few days. You and Drake might ramble on about how I'm nothing but a fake person, and how that'll lead to an easy win over Carlos Rosso and myself. Or, maybe you'll realize that I'm still dangerous because of what I realize about those tag team belts. Are you going to continue to act like a sage who knows me better than I know myself? Are you going to backtrack and realize that you know nothing? Who knows what you'll do. Who knows what I want you to do. Continued arrogance, or that seed of doubt. Most of my opponents here have had to make that choice. They've always made the wrong one.

---The scene opens in Hollywood, California at Set 4 where Terry Chamber's movie is filming and the cameraman shows a pass and walks in and it focuses on Terry Chambers filming a scene on set with Jessica Alba and they kiss and the director yells cut and both Terry and Alba both say good job to each other and walk off set as Terry yells for the intern to bring him some water and as he takes a sip of water he notices the camera and begins to speak---

Terry Chambers: Why hello there, I see your shirt says "EAW" and I am very glad you are here because guess what....my new movie has just finished up filming and you just saw me film the final scene so you got the spoiler for the end of the movie..congrats! I am glad you are here because since my blockbuster film has just finished filming...that frees me up to return to return to where I BELONG....that squared circle in the biggest wrestling company in the world....ELITE ANSWERS WRESTLING! I wasn't gone that long so nobody should not know who I am..hell even if you've never seen me compete in EAW before....I have competed against pretty much anybody there is in pretty much any wrestling company there is so anybody who watches wrestling should know who the hell I am! But for some god damn reason you don't...I am TERRY FUCKING CHAMBERS....I am the greatest actor and wrestler walking this planet! I have been the best wrestler on this planet ever since I was 9 years old when I was teaching myself the basics of wrestling with my mom not giving a shit and my dad never around! I have competed in some of the most brutal matches against some of the greatest wrestlers and I haven't even began to scrape the surface of the wrestling industry even as a 15 year veteran! I know here comes the question of people asking me why did you have to come back to EAW after 2 failed attempts? Why would you want to come back when you could be making a living in Hollywood as the top actor there? Well I wouldn't say my first 2 attempts weren't failed because my first run, I dominated the developmental scene here in EAW and I even capped it off with a win at Pain for Pride 7 in my hometown of shitty Detroit, Michigan and became the last ever Young Lions Cup holder! After Pain for Pride I was rising to stardom but then tensions rose between management and me and I decided that they didn't deserve me so I went and became the biggest movie star all across Europe for about a year then EAW gave me a call to return and it was an offer I just couldn't refuse so I came back and I was dominating again and had big wins over names such as Mr. Dedede and Heart Break Boy but I felt after all those impressive wins and dominating the younger kids I wasn't getting the proper treatment so Hollywood called me and asked me to be the lead role in this summer biggest blockbuster hit and I accepted and decided to give it a try and that's why I'm standing here right now! But after filing this movie I felt acting is fun, but its not the same as kicking ass inside of that squared circle, so I am telling you right here and now, the third time will b e the charm for the Barbaric Carnivore as I WILL rise to stardom and I will be at the top of EAW in no time! The other question was why would I wanna come back when I'm the top actor in Hollywood right now? Because not a day goes by where I don't think I dominated everywhere in this world when it comes to wrestling except for the big time...which is EAW...and I am also back to scratch a major itch and that is I have never won a world title in my career and that will change sooner rather than later! Oh and don't think that my attitude has changed a bit either because it might have gotten even worse because I care for nobody and I don't care if you got a broken arm from our match or if you are just a kid dying from cancer...I don't give a fuck about nobody but TERRY CHAMBERS!

---Terry goes to shower and an hour later he comes out wearing a suit wearing his blue Beats headphones and he checks his hpne and he sees his first match back is against somebody named Daniel Marshall and then he smirks and begins to laugh and looks into the camera and begins to speak---

Terry Chambers: EAW Management is very nice I see! They wanna welcome back who's soon going to be their biggest box office draw with a warm up opponent! Ok Daniel, I believe you are just one of those kids who watched EAW as a kid and hoped and prayed their dream would come true and atleast get a tryout with them and guess what kid? Your dream has came true! But the sad part is you are going to be making me look good and that's your one job and if you succeed at it I may spare you the injuries but I won't make any promises! I believe if I remember, I saw one of your matches in the indies and you are just another wrestler short of mediocrity! Your personality, your charistma, your moveset is all just bland and it made me want to throw up! Kid, you don't belong in this business and you are going to find that out come Battleground this week when you are standing across the ring from the Barbaric Carnivore Terry Chambers and I see piss running down your leg when the bell rings! I hope you have a plan B cause I am going to make you realize that this isn't for you...I have made some of the all time greats realize this wasn't for them after stepping into the ring with me and I can see crystal clear right through you! I know when you see the tape of me your going to be scared, you should be because I wasn't even really trying...if you think that's scary then just you wait and see what I bring to the table in EAW on my third run! I will see you in MY kingdom known as the squarred circle this week kid...give me a challenge will you? But just a warning if you do...it's a deathwish! Just make me look good....can you do that for me?

---Terry Chambers is boarding his private jet and he walks in the sticks his head out and takes off his sunglasses and speaks into the camera slowly---

Terry Chambers: To all the EAW elitists in the locker room...Terry Chambers is here to stay...so get ready...I'M COMING!

---Terry Chambers slips his sunglasses on and boards his private jet and a few minutes later it takes off as the camera fades to black---