Extreme Reminiscence, Part Two

After a brief appearance by Alex Kross's logo...

a video began, this one of better quality than the last. It showed an older, more experienced Alex Kross approaching the ring in flashier tights emblazoned with a silver dragon wrapped around a flaming cross. Confidently he somersalted over the top rope and into the ring, bowing mockingly to the crowd as they booed him and threw half-full cups of beer at him. He went to his corner and waited as the thickly accented commentator announced the arrival of Kross' opponent, David Hoyle, the famous British bare-knuckled brawler and champion of the people. The crowd cheered and waved English flags as David, wearing simple black trunks and boots, his hands taped for the fight, entered the ring and stared with venom at Alex Kross.

Kross hopped down from the turnbuckle where he'd perched, bouncing on his feet as he prepared for the bell to ring. When it finally did, he charged in, dropping at the last minute to slide along the mat past Hoyle, then hopped to his feet and delivered a trio of sharp kicks to the back of Hoyle's knee, dropping the people's hero to his knees. Going for the quick finish, Kross fired himself against the ropes and came back, attempting to deliver a shining wizard to the back of his opponent's head, but the wily brawler had seen the move before. He threw himself to the mat, reaching up and tripping Alex as he flew overhead. He kept a hold of the leg, pushing Kross facefirst into the mat. Holding the leg for leverage, he began reigning vicious left-handed blows to the back of Lex's head and neck. Alex did his best to protect himself, but Hoyle switched it up again, releasing the leg and wrapping his arm around Alex's throat to clinch a rear naked choke. Alex had a few years in the ring at this point, and had enough experience to avoid trying to get out of the choke by rolling over. He knew that if he tried, Hoyle would lock in the grapevine, and getting out would be a lot more difficult. Instead, he rose up, crawling to the ropes on his elbows to the thunderous boos of the audience.

As Hoyle released the hold and backed off, Alex slid out of the ring, taking a moment to collect himself. Hoyle would have none of it, he slipped out between the second and third rope and came at Alex, but the younger fighter was ready. He lashed out with a kick to the shin, tripping Hoyle who careened face first into the metal steps. Alex Kross leapt to his feet, holding his arms in his now-familiar cross salute. A cup of beer (hopefully?) hit him in the side of the face, but he merely shrugged it off as he reached under the ring, producing his favored weapon, a chain whip.

Hoyle was struggling to get to his feet, so Alex demonstrated his skill with the weapon, spinning it expertly in an impressive kata... then he pointed at Hoyle, who had finally made it to a standing position. The crowd roared "NO!" in unison, but Lex nodded wildly and spun the chain once more, taking the Brit's feet out from under him. Lex whipped the downed opponent a few times, then tossed the chain into the ring. Reaching down, he grabbed Hoyle's head and began pulling him back to his feet. Hoyle delivered a few weak blows to Kross's gut, but Lex was not to be dissuaded now that he felt victory was at hand. He pulled Hoyle up into position, and delivered a brutal piledriver onto the mat outside, then picked Hoyle up again and tossed him into the ring like bag of garbage.

Now smiling, feeling he was in control, Lex climbed the ring steps and then jumped onto the ringpost, then delivered a brutal split-legged moonsault kneedrop. Garbage rained down on the ring, but Lex seemed to think they were roses being thrown at a triumphant matador from the way he paraded around, arms raised, patting himself on the back both literally and metaphorically. He mounted the turnbuckle again, this time to deliver his famous somersalt legdrop (aka the Detroit Drop or the Downtown Breakdown, known to WCW fans as the Harlem Hangover). As he came down, however, Hoyle rolled away, and Alex slammed down into the ground on his tailbone, at first his face registered surprise, and then intense pain. He rolled around on the ground, and Hoyle cocked back his right hand to deliver his Finisher, the knockout blow. Alex got slowly to his feet and turned around just on time to see the punch coming at his left temple. Ever cagey, Lex Kross grabbed the wrist, deflecting the blow, but also holding onto the arm. With a single fluid motion, he used his foot to kick the chain whip into the air, grabbing it with his free hand and wrapping it around Hoyle's wrist. He pulled Hoyle to the corner, wrapping the chain around the turnbuckle, effectively tying his opponent to the corner.

Hoyle tried to fight back, swinging with his left hand, but Kross knew the battle was over, and danced around, pointing and laughing mockingly. He began slipping in toe kicks, debilitating (and torturing) Hoyle. When the other man was finally no longer to even remain on his feet, Alex, grinning like a wild man, grabbed Hoyle by the leg and flipped him over the rope, leaving him dangling there as he went over to the referee and forced the man to count Hoyle out of the ring. When the count reached 10, Lex ran to the corner and stood shouting at the crowd...

That was a dark time for me. I had... people, voices in my ear, telling me I was going to be the next biggest thing in this sport, and I believed it. I can't excuse my behavior, but I won't deny the result, either. Just like now, I was willing to do whatever it took then, and just like at Barbed Consequences, the outcome was inevitable. All due respect to the other fellas in the Battle Royal. They're a great bunch of competitors, most of them... but at the end of it all, when the bell rings, the name plate going on that belt will read Alex Kross.