Judas

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Ben M
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Judas

Post by Ben M »

Monday January 21st, 2020: Warfare
A few minutes into his tag match against Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho decided that he just couldn't wait any longer. Chavo was down on the mat, and Jericho looked across at his partner, The Miz. Jericho signalled for the Lionsault... but instead, he charged towards the corner and hit Miz full force in the face with a spinning elbow strike. Jericho moved so quickly that Miz couldn't stop it. The crowd reacted with a stunned silence, which was exactly what Jericho wanted. Just like The Miz, they hadn't seen it coming. As Jericho hit Miz with repeated chair shots, the crowd turned against him. They were angry. Miz was angry too. He tried to fight back, but Jericho took him down with a swift kick to the groin. He continued the assault, then finished it off with a move he hadn’t used in a long time... the Lion Tamer. Content that the damage was done, Jericho made his way to the back. As he walked through the backstage area, he was stopped by Cathy Kelley and a cameraman. Jericho looked at her, confused.

Chris Jericho: Oh hey Renee! Did you do something with your hair? Listen I'd love to talk, but I've got a flight to catch...

Cathy Kelley: It's Cathy, actually. And I'm sure you want to get out of here quickly after what just happened in the ring, but don't you think you owe everybody an explanation?

Chris Jericho: You know you have some nerve, Renee. You change your hair, you change your name, and then you have the audacity to demand an explanation from me? What do I need to explain? I had a problem, I took care of it. I mean maybe The Miz wants an explanation, but he's not here right now is he? The trainers are probably still trying to pick him up off the canvas where I left him laying.

Cathy Kelley: So that's it? You're not going to talk about why you betrayed a guy who thought you were his friend?

Chris Jericho: Renee, I'm a huge star and I just shocked the world. When I talk, I need an audience. And by an audience, I don't mean you and a camera guy who won't stop staring at your ass...

Cathy looked at the cameraman, and the camera shook as he protested his innocence. The whole thing seemed to amuse Jericho.

Chris Jericho: Oh sorry buddy, did I make you blush?

Jericho turned back to Cathy Kelley.

Chris Jericho: Who are we even filming this for? The show's over. Are you trying to bring Tout back from beyond the grave? Or are you just working overtime so you can afford to dye your hair again? You definitely looked better blonde...

Cathy shook her head in disbelief and went to walk away, but Jericho stopped her.

Chris Jericho: Cathy, wait. I'm sorry, I'm being a bit of a jackass aren't I? You're just doing your job. You're more than just a pretty face, you're an investigative journalist! So let me give you an exclusive. I'm going to need to borrow camera guy though, so can you hold the camera for a second?

Cathy Kelley: Whatever...

Cathy sighed, then took the camera from the cameraman. The cameraman walked forwards and stood next to Jericho.

Chris Jericho: What's your name, kid?

Cameraman: Erm, it's Stacey sir.

Chris Jericho: Stacey?! Oh wow, no wonder you wanted a job behind the camera. No one is going to take a guy named Stacey seriously. For the next five minutes, you're Steve. So Steve, Cathy, here's your exclusive. In the ring, when I knocked The Miz off the ring apron and damn near broke his nose, I wasn't just dissolving our partnership, I was also debuting a new move I've been working on. I call it "the Judas Effect". And in case you've forgotten, it goes a little something like this...

Jericho quickly spun around and hit Stacey with the Judas Effect! Cathy Kelley let out a little scream as the cameraman hit the mat.

Chris Jericho: Judas... a name synonymous with betrayal. Cathy, you said I betrayed The Miz, but the truth is I betrayed myself. In 2016, I made history by becoming the first ever ten-time EBWF World Champion. And what have I done since then? Fade into the background, letting guys like The Miz, PJ Black, Jimmy Havoc and Aiden English take the spotlight. Two months ago, when I fought against Legion, I wasn't doing that to help The Miz. I was showing the world that I am still a fighter. But the powers that be, they saw me and Miz and they thought "hey, those two guys would make a good tag team!" And suddenly I'm back to being a tag team wrestler. The Tag Team Titles are irrelevant now... they have been ever since Legion won them. I don't want to be irrelevant, I want to be the most relevant guy on the roster. I want to be the World Champion, and I want to win my 11th World Title at Wrestlemania. So I danced to Miz's tune, teamed with him for a bit... but as the saying goes, at the Royal Rumble it's every man for himself. People turn on each other at the Rumble all the time, because they see that big Wrestlemania sign and they dream of glory. I just thought I'd get ahead of the curve. And after the beating I gave The Miz, he might not even make it to the Royal Rumble. There's your explanation, Cathy. I did what I did to The Miz to remind everybody what I'm capable of, and to make sure the entire EBWF roster knows that at the Royal Rumble, I will do whatever it takes to be the last man standing. Are you happy now?

There was an awkward silence as Jericho waited for Cathy to answer. Cathy looked down at Stacey on the ground, pulling the camera downwards as she did so. Stacey was out cold. Jericho pulled the camera up so it was focused on him again.

Chris Jericho: The truth is, Cathy, I don't care if you're happy. I don't care about you, or Stacey, or The Miz, or Chavo or Rey Mysterio or anybody! Except me. I've freed myself from the Judas in my mind, and now I can be who I was meant to be.

Jericho walked away and Cathy Kelley switched the camera off, then checked on Stacey the cameraman.


Saturday January 25th, 2020: EBWF Live Event

It was the night before the Royal Rumble, and EBWF had organised a house show for developmental talent at the University Area Community Center in Tampa, Florida. The center was just 11 miles from the Amalie Arena, and 600 fans had packed out to see the next generation of EBWF superstars. The first match after the interval was a tag team match between four wrestlers from around the world. In one corner was Australian Mikey Nicholls, formerly of TM61, and New Zealander TK Cooper. They were teaming up to take on a Spanish tag team known as "Team Whitewolf" – A-Kid and Carlos Romo. Just as the match was about to start, "Judas" by Fozzy hit and the crowd erupted as Chris Jericho made his way to the ring. Jericho had a microphone with him, and upon entering the ring, he began to speak.

Chris Jericho: I bet you weren’t expecting to see me tonight, were you? Well I'm sorry to tell you this, but your match just got bumped. I've got something to say, so get out of the ring and let me say my piece.

The crowd booed, and both tag teams appeared reluctant to leave the ring. This seemed to anger Jericho.

Chris Jericho: Are you disrespecting me? Have you forgotten that I'm Director of New Talent Development, you stupid idiots? The only reason any of you are in this ring right now is because I scouted you. So leave, before I make you leave.

TK Cooper looked at his partner, then pointed across the ring at Team Whitewolf. Cooper beckoned A-Kid and Carlos Romo towards him, then asked the ring announcer to pass him a microphone.

TK Cooper: I've got a lot of respect for you Chris, but we were promised a match and I think these people want to see that match.

The crowd cheered, agreeing with Cooper. Jericho shrugged as if to say "I don't care".

TK Cooper: And as for making us leave... there are four of us, and only one of you.

Cooper smirked, then all four men began to surround Jericho. Jericho held up his hand to stop them.

Chris Jericho: Wait! Wait! First of all, you stupid idiot, I am the greatest wrestler of all time. I could take all four of you without breaking a sweat. Besides, if any one of you laid a finger on me, you'd be fired just like that.

Jericho clicked his fingers to emphasise his point.

Chris Jericho: But I've got to be honest, you've got guts kid. So I'm going to make the four of you a deal... we'll have ourselves a mini Royal Rumble, right now. If any of you can throw me over the top rope, I'll guarantee you a spot in the 30 man Royal Rumble at the Amalie Arena tomorrow night. But remember... it's every man for himself. Which one of you wants to get fast-tracked to the main roster, huh?

TK Cooper immediately charged towards Jericho, but Jericho was ready for him and he took Cooper down with a clothesline. Mikey Nicholls then grabbed Jericho and hit him with a series of punches. Jericho fought back with some right hands of his own, then grabbed Nicholls and threw him out of the ring. At this point, TK Cooper was back on his feet and he ran at Jericho, going for a running knee strike. Jericho ducked out of the way, then spun around and hit Cooper with the Judas Effect! Cooper fell to the mat, but just as Jericho was about to drag him to his feet, he was attacked by Team Whitewolf! Carlos Romo and A-Kid worked together, pummelling Jericho with a series of punches then setting him up for a double suplex. Jericho blocked it, hitting A-Kid with a knee to the midsection then grabbing Carlos Romo and hitting the Codebreaker! Jericho threw Romo and TK Cooper over the top rope, then turned his attention to A-Kid. Jericho set A-Kid up for a powerbomb, and lifted him up... but A-Kid countered with a hurricanrana! Both men got to their feet, and A-Kid hit Jericho with a dropkick, knocking him backwards onto the rope. The crowd cheered with excitement, and A-Kid charged towards Jericho... but Jericho pulled down on the ropes, sending A-Kid to the outside. Looking slightly relieved, Jericho picked up the microphone and continued speaking.

Chris Jericho: You see, no matter what the odds, I always come out on top. Because I am the best in the world. In case you didn't hear what I had to say after Warfare, the person you're seeing right now is the real Chris Jericho. And the real Chris Jericho is a guy that only cares about winning. It was that drive, that ambition that took me all over the world, winning championships everywhere I went. It was that drive that led EBWF to sign me almost twenty years ago, that same drive has kept me here all this time. And it is that continued desire to be the very best that will allow me to outlast 29 other superstars tomorrow night and once again win the Royal Rumble. I am walking into that match with a target on my chest, because after what I did to The Miz on Warfare, everyone knows I am a threat. Rumor has it that The Miz is going against the advice of the EBWF medical team, and he will be competing in the Royal Rumble tomorrow night.

The crowd cheered, and began chanting for The Miz. Jericho shook his head.

Chris Jericho: Of course, that's assuming I don't get to him before then. If I run into him backstage, in the hotel, at Starbucks, anywhere... I will lay him out again, and this time I'll make sure he ends up in the hospital. People think it's personal, that I'm trying to get revenge on The Miz, but the truth is I don't care enough about Miz for this to personal. I needed someone to make an example out of, and The Miz fit the bill. After all, he's really nothing more than a Chris Jericho wannabe... if he doesn't make it to the Rumble, it's no great loss. And if he does make it to the Rumble, for him what happened will be personal. Which will make him angry, and angry people make mistakes. If Miz slips up when I'm around, I can guarantee I'll take full advantage of that. Besides, he'll be so focused on trying to get me out of the match, someone else might take advantage and eliminate him for me. Either way, The Miz will be a goner, and it will be... awesome.

The crowd booed. Jericho grinned, then continued speaking.

Chris Jericho: One of my favourite things about the Royal Rumble match is that you always get a few surprises. And by that, I don't mean the guys who aren’t announced beforehand... if you haven’t realised it yet, those guys are the same people every year. Just take a look at the Alumni page on EBWF.net and you'll be able to figure out who's been called to action. Alex Shelley, Syxx, Shane Helms... they'll probably all be involved. Maybe even Sting if he can sneak out of his nursing home. If we're really lucky, he might bring Bret Hart with him – get a WCW has-beens 2 for 1 special. No, the surprises I'm talking about are the people who are announced and when you look at them you can't help but think... why? Because it just seems like a waste of time. People like Maxwell Jacob Friedman, also known as MJF. If Miz is a Chris Jericho wannabe, MJF is something much worse... a Miz wannabe. Even The Miz doesn't want to be The Miz, so if someone else wants to be that Real World reject then that's seriously MJ-effed-up. Maxwell, I hope you bring that lovely scarf of yours to the Rumble with you... so I can choke you with it before I throw you over the top rope. Scarves are so 2016...

Jericho stopped to laugh at his own joke.

Chris Jericho: Let me quickly run through the other losers before I forget their names... Heath Slater, the prime example of a guy who is so forgettable we keep forgetting to fire him. I thought for sure now PJ Black has retired, we'd finally be wishing Heath Slater the best in his future endeavours, but he's still here making up the numbers in the Rumble. Maybe Wes has a soft spot for him, who knows. Then there's Chavo Guerrero, a man who is desperately trying to make a name for himself. Chavo, you've tried and failed to beat me twice now... you haven't been relevant since Aiden English decided he wanted nothing to do with you. When are you going to realise that being a big star is never going to happen? You're average, a C+ at best. But hey, a C+ is a lot better than an F... which is what I'd rate the fat Scottish failure known as Grado. The fact Heath Slater still has an EBWF contract is something I find quite funny... but Grado having a contract just makes me angry. Because at least I know guys like Heath Slater and Chavo Guerrero actually try, Grado is nothing more than a joke that stopped being funny. I swear if Grado is still on EBWF's payroll by the time we get to Wrestlemania, I will break into Wes' office and fire him myself.

Jericho rolled his eyes, then pulled a list of his pocket.

Chris Jericho: Who else am I forgetting that only deserves a passing mention... oh of course! Hardcore Holly is back! Last I heard, he was trying to make it in Hollywood... so I'd imagine we'll probably see him in the background of an adult movie any day now. His friend Bobby Lashley is also scheduled to appear, but for all those muscles, he doesn't have any brains. Lashley is so stupid, I'm tempted to put a bet on him eliminating himself. Spare a thought for Holly and Lashley's mouthpiece, Lio Rush. Rush thought when Hardcore Holly handed him the Breakout Title, it would be his time to shine, but I don't think I've seen him on TV since. I've heard him – every time I go to a show, I can hear him hyping himself up and making that stupid annoying laugh... Lio Rush is legitimately the most annoying person in the EBWF locker room, and for that reason I expect he'll be eliminated almost immediately. There will be guys fighting to take credit for that elimination!

Jericho pulled a pen from his pocket, and crossed a few names off his list. He then counted the names that were left.

Chris Jericho: There are still 14 confirmed entrants I haven't even mentioned, and so few of them are worth mentioning. Kicking things off at number one, we've got Elias Samson. Elias got beat up by me at Christmas Eve of Destruction, and then when he tried to beat up Chavo, he got beaten up again! I don't think he's won a match in EBWF since he was feuding with that jobber tag team, the Tennessee Toy Boys or whatever they were called. When I saw Elias had drawn the number one spot, and Braun Strowman had drawn number two, I couldn't help but sense a conspiracy. Clearly someone at the top doesn't like Elias, and they decided the best way to kick off the Royal Rumble would be to have him get beaten up by Braun Strowman for a couple of minutes. It's a nice idea, although they seem to have forgotten that since Jimmy Havoc left, Braun Strowman seems to have lost himself. For a guy that big to fade into the background is really quite something... and speaking of big guys, Erick Rowan has drawn number three! So hopefully him and Braun eliminate each other. I really don't want them to still be in the match when I enter... not because I'm scared of them, I just think the stench of their swear will make me want to hurl!

Jericho pretended to gag, then crossed a few more names off his list.

Chris Jericho: Drew McIntyre... see he's another name I should have listed as the surprises. When you look at Drew McIntyre, you can't help but think he's a killer. And let's be honest – he almost killed Jimmy Havoc at the Royal Rumble last year. It was actually pretty great to watch. But like Braun Strowman, McIntyre seems to have disappeared. He's proof that looks can be deceiving... because Drew McIntyre is not nearly as much of a threat as he looks. The same goes for Tommy End's Legion lackey, Michael Dante. Dante looks intimidating, but you can tell he's entirely dependent on Tommy End. The guy can't even think for himself. End and Dante are boring enough as a tag team; can you imagine if Dante somehow won the Royal Rumble, and got a match against End at Wrestlemania? I genuinely can't think of a worse Wrestlemania main event, and I was here the year Kenny from the Spirit Squad won the Royal Rumble.

That got a laugh from the crowd.

Chris Jericho: A few more names to add to the "also rans" category... starting with Andrade Cien Almas. I struggle to understand much of what Liv Morgan says, but she summed up the return of "Royalty" pretty nicely on Twitter... nobody missed you, Andrade. Speaking of guys that no one missed... Matt Hardy is making his return. A guy that was so desperate to stop people calling him the less talented Hardy Boy, he gave himself brain damage and started referring to himself as a vessel. I know people that have travelled time and killed tigerbears, Matt – I know you're a fraud. So don't pretend otherwise. And on the subject of frauds, I have to stifle a laugh every time I hear "Psycho Killer" play for Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa, before you signed for EBWF, you probably earned that moniker. But in EBWF, you've barely even hurt a fly. You've been here for a long time now, and apart from a brief feud with Braun Strowman I can't remember anything of note in your EBWF career. Since we're in Florida, maybe you should head over to Full Sail University and see if they'll take you back... at least there you might actually be relevant.

Jericho smirked to himself, and crossed a few more names off his list.

Chris Jericho: Wow, we're almost there now. Let me give a brief mention to two more guys who are hardly worth mentioning, and then I'll actually be left with the guys I really want to talk about. First, it's the other guy I beat up on Monday... Rey Mysterio! Come on Rey, give it up already. Your son Dominic is literally twice the size of you, isn't it time you retire and let Dominic have his chance to shine? And then, how could we forget this guy... The Rock. He shows up two times a year – Royal Rumble and King of the Ring – he never wins, he normally gets eliminated straight away, but still he keeps coming. We must have him locked into a contract or something...

Jericho looked at the names left on his list, and counted them on his fingers. He then held up four fingers.

Chris Jericho: There are four more superstars confirmed for tomorrow night, arguably my four biggest threats going into the Rumble. Entering just after me at number 20, it's Brock Lesnar. I am sure Lesnar will want to take me to Suplex City, but he hasn't realised he'll be blocked by the Walls of Jericho. And if that doesn't work... well, everyone who's in the ring can work together to push that giant SOB over the top rope! Then there's CM Punk, who was determined to destroy the Ikeda family this past summer. It didn't work, and Blaine marked his in-ring debut with a win. Punk, you're one of those guys that talks and talks and talks... you try to encourage people not to drink, but a lot of the time people need a drink to be able to stand you! I know how much it hurt you getting beat by Blaine Ikeda, but I can promise you now, there's sure to be more humiliation in the future. How soon into the future depends on how close you get to me.

Jericho took two of his fingers down, leaving the last two.

Chris Jericho: I'm saving the best until last... Edge and Randy Orton, aka Rated RKO. You know for a long time, I couldn't stand either of them. They were my rivals, then hate turned to respect... and while I don't think I would ever count them as my friends, I do enjoy stepping into the ring with them. On their day, they can beat anyone... they've beaten me plenty of times. And yet these days, everything seems to be a joke to them. They want to have fun, which is fine... but they won't win the Rumble by just having "fun". Maybe they need to take a page out of my book, and be true to themselves... after the Royal Rumble, of course.

Having crossed out all of the names on his list, Jericho threw the list away and looked directly into the camera.

Chris Jericho: Let me remind you one last time... this is me now. No friends, no alliances, just the world's greatest fighting to stay alive. I want that Wrestlemania spot, and I don't care who I have to hurt to get it, or how badly I need to hurt them. So if you're stepping into the ring with me tomorrow night, don't say I didn't warn you.

"Judas" began to play and Jericho made his way to the back. Could this finally be his year to return to the top? He hoped so.
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