Alex Kross Fusion Debut!

Darkness again, cut only by the first strains of a single electric guitar. Slowly, as if the viewers eyes were adjusting to the dark, the camera revealed an arena, the lights out, row after row of seats empty. There was only the stillness, and the music. Then the screen above the ring flickered to life...

A young Alex Kross walked nervously toward the ring. Even though the match hadn't even begun, he was visibly sweating. He wore only simple black trunks, knee pads, and boots. The fabulous mullet he sported told those who didn't already know that this was the infancy of Alex's career. Thousands of Japanese sat silently in the stands, glaring at the gaijin who almost shook with fear, his eyes wide as he viewed the legend in the ring. Alex rolled into the ring, and a series of quick, clever cuts showed him moving through a series of matches, executing all of his most famous moves, ending with him standing triumphantly at the end of his time in Japan, holding aloft the Super J Cup he won.

Back in the arena, the camera landed on the ring, where Alex Kross stood alone, playing his guitar. As the song ended, he took the guitar off and set it gently in the corner, then turned to face the camera. He was an image of placid calm as he turned toward the camera and rolled out of the ring. He walked past the camera, and the view swung to follow him as he moved to the barrier, jumping over it and then seating himself in the front row. He nodded to himself as if all was right with the world. After a long moment, he spoke.

Immortal. Icon. Showstopper. The Game. American Dream. Excellence of Execution. Best in the World. Nature... WOOOOOOO! Boy. Superstar.

Not just nicknames. Honorifics. Shows of respect. I've got my share of them. Some would say more than my share. In my Fusion debut, I'm set to take on "The Awesome One." I'll be honest; I've watched a lot of AWO, and I have no idea what this guy has done to deserve being called awesome, but just to be sociable, I'll go with that. He's... awesome. Apparently, not so awesome that he doesn't need a bunch of other guys to jump his opponents, but hey, who am I to judge?

Alex Kross smiled widely, laughing along with his audience.

So here we are. The Awesome One... and plain old Alex Kross. You keep saying you're better than everyone? Well, I'm offering you a chance to prove it in the center of the ring, on your own, like a man. Unlike your friends, though, I don't surprise attack my opponents, so here I am right here, looking you in the eye, and telling you...

On Friday, you'll have to be better than Awesome. You'll have to be better than you've ever been before. You're going to have to dig deep down inside yourself, and find that part of you that used to care about what we do, the part of you that would rather lose a match than disappoint the fans or win like a coward. Do you have that in you? I'll be honest; I don't think you do. I think you've forgotten what it is to be a man. I think you're so afraid that you can't even stand on your own anymore. Let's be real with each other here, man. Nobody ever earned being called "awesome" by carrying the bags for somebody else.

Alex's gaze slipped away from the camera and toward the ring. For a moment, he looked like a fan, wide-eyed and ready to experience the endless possibilities of a wrestling show.

This is where it started for me. Sitting in these seats, begging for autographs. Where did it start for you, Mike? More importantly, where is it going to end for you, and when you're gone, what are they going to say about you?

Maybe you don't care. Maybe you just care about the gold that Cole Scorpio will NEVER let you hold, or maybe you just want to be part of a club. I guess it doesn't matter. Ultimately, the thing is this Mike Cole. You think you're a submission specialist? I don't tap. Ever. So bring your A-Game, or don't show up at all. Either way, you're only going to be remembered as the first guy to lose to Alex Kross on his way to the AWO Title!

He hopped over the rail, grabbed his guitar from the ring and unplugged it from it's amp, and slung it over his back. He walked up the ramp, looking at the empty arena as he went. At the top of the ramp he stopped, and looked back at the camera, his veneer of calm suddenly gone.

Oh, and HEEL? If you stick yourselves into my match... I will make it my personal mission to end you.