On The Road to The Showdown

by Jason Spade Tue Feb 27, 2024 2:51 pm

As Shockwave rolls on, CMV Hall of Famer Jason Spade's music hits. The man himself makes his way out to the ring, high fiving fans along the way, as the arena erupts in cheers. Once in the ring, Spade grabs a microphone.

"So... This is awkward."

A pause.

"About six months ago, I came out here and told you guys I was done. And I meant it, at the time; I was messed up. I was tired. Everything hurt, and frankly, most of it still does... But I couldn't be away from this business that I love and, let's be honest, a guy's gotta eat... So I took some backstage roles here in CMV. Producing, media, all that boring shit that you guys don't see. Then, one day, the brass needed a guest commentator. I said sure, why not? Been a while since I called a match, but I'm sure I still have it in me. And then, to my surprise, people loved it! So when it came time for Dashing to leave the booth and step into the squared circle himself, I was called upon again... For almost an hour and a half, I sat in that booth, blew my vocal cords to hell and back, and called the Tug of War exactly as I saw it. Thinking my night was over, I helped myself to a fine Justice Family hot dog, being careful not to get any of the fixings on my nice blue vest, and relaxed.

And then Xander Slate beat the crap out of me."

A pause; the crowd boos at the mention of the OG Dirty Heel.

"And honestly, I was ready to let it go... After all, I did say some unflattering things about him during my commentary. I said to myself, 'I'm not that guy anymore. Hell, I'm barely healed from surgery. Just take it on the chin, and move on'. But then some more things were said- some by me, some by Slate- and our gracious overlord, Pat LaFave, decided to book a match... Jason Spade vs Xander Slate."

The crowd cheers.

"At first, I was pissed, and I was sure to let Mr. LaFave know that. 'I'm not a wrestler anymore', I said, 'I'm not cleared to compete'. But then I thought about it for a while... A long while. My knee felt fine. My shoulder is stiff, but feeling alright. I'd been back in the gym for a few months by then, so maybe... Maybe I could do this. I went back to my wrestling school, and I walked up to the biggest guy in the gym, the biggest trainee, and I said, 'chokeslam me'."

A pause; the crowd murmurs in confusion.

"You're probably thinking, 'why would he ask for someone to chokeslam him?', and well, the answer is simple... We'll call it a stress test. If I can take it, if I can get my body rattled just like it used to be, and get back up... Then I can have this match with Slate, doctors be damned. So, he did it. Up I went, and down I came, and let me tell you... There's really no way I can properly describe how it feels to hit this mat. It hurts, but it doesn't... It rattles your body, right down to your bones. As loud as it is for you guys in the front row, it's amplified by a thousand for us. So as I laid there, I braced for my shoulder to pop back out, for my knee to explode, for my bones to shatter... And they didn't. I took a breath, and I stood up... And I knew that I was ready."

The crowd cheers again.

"So Slate, I need you to understand what exactly it is that you've done here. You picked a fight with a man who's done it all, a man with nothing to prove. A man who had already passed off his legacy to a worthy successor, and was ready to ride out into the sunset and live a life of peace. You brought the old gunslinger back into the fray, the legend back to the saddle. You're stepping into the ring with a man who has nothing to lose- you can beat me, but my legacy will live on, in Amber Reed and in every single one of these people who are sitting here in this arena tonight."

More cheers from the crowd, mixed with chants for Amber Reed.

"You're the baddest of the bad, Slate- you've earned the "OG" in OG Dirty Heel. You may not be the face of this company, but you are a pillar. Without Xander Slate, there is no CMV. Nobody else save for God himself could've brought me back into this ring, so take pride in that, because you deserve it... And take no shame in losing on Friday, my friend. There's no shame in losing to someone who's always been better than you."

Spade drops the mic and his music hits; the scene fades to black on the sound of the crowd cheering.