WrestleMania is upon us, and the crowd are alive and buzzing, with background music keeping them entertained around SoFi Stadium. The commentators are chatting away to the audience at home, hyping the night's matches and keeping the atmosphere on a positive.
It was at that point that the lights seemed to .. flicker. At the same time, the music became a little distorted.
Bemused amongst themselves, murmurs began amongst the crowd, as the commentators turned to each other.
"What happened there, then?"
"I've no idea, maybe just an electrical issue!"
"Perhaps, now let's move on to talking about the main event for the evening. Tonight we see-"
The lights flickered again, the music cutting off this time. The crowd suddenly became louder, people turning and looking around the stadium, wondering what was going on.
The commentators tried to keep the conversation going but they, too, were a little perplexed at the events occurring. Surely at WrestleMania of all nights the tech crew would have done their job right?
The hair on everyone's arms suddenly started to rise as a snippet of a song came over the PA system.
I push my fingers in to my eyes..
It's the only thing that slowly stops the aaaache..
But it's made of all the things I am-
[Duality - Slipknot]
The music swiftly cut out, the PA going silent once again.
Fans stood on their seats and looked around the arena, wondering what was going on. They all looked towards the stage, but no one seemed to be emerging from behind the curtain.
The start to another song began.
Work it, make it, do it
Makes us harder, better, faster, stronger
N-n-now that that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger
[Stronger - Kanye West]
It seemed that some of the crowd were beginning to put together a puzzle, as an image quickly flashed up on the titantron. It was a flash though, and most people seemed to have missed it. But, before conversation could begin, a third song came over the PA.
Gimme fuel,
Gimme fire,
Gimme that which I desire!
Oooh!
[Fuel - Metallica]
The guitar riff played for a few seconds before fading out again, immediately replaced with trumpets beginning another song.
Something's tearing me down,
And I..
Can't help but feel it's coming from you,
She's a gunshot bride with a trigger cries,
I just wonder what we've gotten ourselves in to..
[Propane Nightmares - Pendulum]
The beat was beginning to kick in, but the song was swiftly replaced again.
The original fire is died and gone,
But the riot inside moves on,
The original fire is died and gone,
But the riot inside moves on..
[Original Fire - Audioslave]
A techno guitar riff cut off the previous song, with just two lines of lyrics coming over the audio
I know we will be free again..
Bring it on home
[Propane Nightmares - Pendulum / Celldweller Remix]
A hard hitting guitar riff took over, as many fans were now standing up and cheering, a lot of old-school fans knowing exactly who these songs belonged to.
This next song played for a while, but no lyrics came through, just the band behind it.
[Self vs Self - Pendulum / In Flames]
This song was replaced by the sound of .. a ticking cog and wind in the background. Quickly kicked in the dirty, deep drums and guitar, which played for around twenty seconds before a hoarse voice sang the lyrics.
Beams of fire sweep through my head,
Thrusts of pain increasingly engaged,
Sensory receptors succumb,
I am no one now, only agony
My crimson liquid so frantically spilled
The ruby fluid of life unleashed
The guitar continued for a few more seconds before the song cut off completely.
[Bleed - Meshuggah]
The crowd were all on their feet now, cheering and whooping, they knew exactly what was going on and who this was signalling.
For what seemed like a full minute the audio and lights didn't return, the crowd increasingly becoming hyped, some smaller chants and shouts being heard by the people back home.
The next lyrics were .. new. Not a new song, but unexpected from the series of songs that had played previously.
Can you tell by the look in her eyes?
(We're going nowhere)
We live our lives like we're ready to die!
(We're going nowhere)
Can you tell by the look in her eyes?
(We're going nowhere)
We live our lives like we're ready to die!
(We're going nowhere)
A moment passes before a hard hitting beat hits, as Shadow Moses by Bring Me The Horizon pumps out from the PA.
[Shadow Moses - Bring Me The Horizon]
A series of pyros blast out from the sides of the stage, sparks dropping from the top of the titantron, as the buzz in the arena was palpable.
Walking out from under the sparks to the quite possibly the biggest cheers of his life..
Nuke Fusion.
Walking out wearing an open-collar suit, straps in place of a blazer, and a pair of aviator glasses on, the WWFG Hall of Famer was back at the biggest stage of them all.
Walking forward to the top of the ramp, he looked left and right, soaking in the atmosphere and sheer thrill of the crowd as the music behind him continued.
I thought I'd buried you,
And covered the tracks,
You'll have to take this with your cold dead hands,
I thought I'd buried you!
(What's dead can never die!)
Walking to stage-left, the man himself didn't look much older than he did when he was last seen in WWFG. He smirked and nodded his head, taking it all in as he turned and walked to stage-right, doing the exact same thing.
Each movement was slow, deliberate.. he knew he might never get another pop like this ever again.
I thought I'd cut you loose,
Severed the feeling,
I slipped through the cracks and you caved in my ceiling,
I thought I'd buried you!
(What's dead can never die!)
...
F***!
Nuke began making his walk down the long ramp towards the ring, his eyes looking left and right as the fans reached out to try and touch him. The hard music gave him a swag to his walk that he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
Can you tell from the look in our eyes,
(We're going nowhere!)
We live our lives like we're ready to die,
(We're going nowhere)
You can run but you'll never escape,
(Over and over again!)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere!)
As he reaches the end of the ramp he pauses, looking up and all around him. The lights were going crazy in sync with the song, flashing off his dark-tinted shades.
This is Sempiternal!
Will we ever see the end?
This.. Is.. Sempiternal!
Over and over, again and again!
Rise from the dead, you say
Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave
Signal the sirens, rally the troops
Ladies and gentlemen
It's the moment of truth!
Making his way to the ring steps, he took his time slowly walking up them, almost feeling the energy within them with each precise footstep placed down. As he got on to the apron he ran his hands across the top rope, gripping them for a moment before making a visible deep breath inwards.
Stepping in to the ring through the middle and top rope, he slowly walked to one side of the ring, looking out at the crowd. Deliberately he turned and did the same to each other side, nodding his head and acknowledging the adoration from the crowd.
Can you tell from the look in our eyes,
(We're going nowhere!)
We live our lives like we're ready to die,
(We're going nowhere)
You can run but you'll never escape,
(Over and over again!)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere!)
You can run but you'll never escape
(Over and over again)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere)
Can you tell from the look in our eyes?
(We're going nowhere)
We live our lives like we're ready to die
(We're going nowhere)
You can run but you'll never escape
(Over and over again)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere)
This is Sempiternal!
Will we ever see the end?
This is sempiternal!
Over and over, again and again!
Standing in the middle of the ring and waiting for the entire song to play out, the man himself waited and said not a word as the audio faded .. and the SoFi Stadium went crazy. The cheers continued.. and continued.. and just kept on going.
After what seemed like five minutes (but was more like two), the man in the ring walked over to the ropes and reached down, taking a microphone from a stage hand. Gripping it in his hands, the classic 'W' adorned around it, he nodded and breathed in again.
Taking some slow steps back, he went to talk in to the microphone before he was cut off by the crowd.
Nuke! Nuke! Nuke! Nuke!
Taking a moment to look down and smile, he composed himself before looking back up at the crowd, albeit through his tinted shades.
"For those who .. don't know me. Let me introduce myself.
My name .. is Nuke Fusion."
The crowd gave off a massive pop, as the chants and cheers continued.
Nuke! Nuke! Nuke!
Welcome ba-ack!
Welcome home! Welcome home! Welcome home!
Lowering his microphone for a second, Nuke laid it down on the ground and took his time to go to each side of the ring again, this time raising both hands above his head and clapping the fans around him.
He walked back after going to each side, picking up the mic and continuing.
"Now, that was one hell of a return pop you guys just gave me, I can honestly say one thing in return to that.
That reaction will never, ever, get old. You guys are the reason I am back here today, standing in this squared circle, and holding a microphone.
You are all the reason why I put my body on the line week in and week out, all those years back.. and here we are again, my friends."
He took a pause as the pops continued again, knowing that giving the crowd this time to thank him back was needed and more than fair.
"Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to showcase what I had to offer. Thank you all for helping me become WWFG's first-ever Grand Slam Champion. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me become a Hall of Famer in this illustrious and amazing establishment."
He took another pause, pacing the ring a little, a mix of jitters and clear excitement to be back in the ring again. Another round of cheers erupted.
You deserve it!
[Clap, clap, clap clap clap]
You deserve it!
[Clap, clap, clap clap clap]
You deserve it!
[Clap, clap, clap clap clap]
Nuke smiled, raising a hand in the air to acknowledge the crowd's adoration, cheers and chants.
"Trust me, you guys always let me know what you thought of me, and I always.. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I always appreciated you for that.
From the times when I was being an outright a*****e, you guys jeered and booed me out of the arena. Hell, I even had to keep security with me at airports, some of you hated me so much it almost seemed personal.
But that just made me know that I was doing my job right. It made me know that when my music hit and I walked out from behind those curtains, the chorus of jeers would immediately follow, and I was getting just the reaction that I was aiming for."
Taking a moment to lower the microphone and slowly walk around the ring, it was almost like he was reminiscing the old days here in the right. It also seemed like a huge amount of the crowd were doing exactly the same with him.
The camera panned, even now, to some stunned faces. Fans who had clearly been watching for years were looking between themselves, amazed at this unexpected return.
There was even a couple women in the crowd who were crying and had their arms around each other for support.
"Now I come back to a hero's return, redemption, and standing on top of my legacy I have built myself. I know that there are still those here today who were here when I was around, and I can't wait to formally catch up with them again. Whether that be in the back, or out here on the mic, in front of you all.
Now, if I told you that I didn't exactly know why I had returned, I'm not sure how you'd all react, but that's just the truth.
For too many years I have been gone, for too many years myself and my family have all disappeared. We handed over the keys to our own company a long time ago, and we have all been focusing on ourselves and our family.
My brother, Chase, was once Managing Director for WWE: Evolution. He's now off travelling the world, and actually tells me stories of meeting fans like yourselves, who are nothing but amazing and kind to him.
My son, Avari Fusion, was an up-and-coming Superstar back in the day. He has been on the indy scene, both as a wrester and a backstage figure, and has built up a name for himself in that scene.
Both of them, and the whole rest of my family, we all miss you. That break was needed, because without it there would have been a burn out from both myself and with you guys, our fans.
There's only so much being an a*****e one man can do, before that becomes his real life persona. Today I return as a spectator.. and, oh boy, what a time to return as one.
Tonight we are at WRESTLEMANIA!"
The crowd gave off a massive pop, as Nuke pointed up the huge WM logo above the stage.
"Tonight we see an almighty card of matches, including two open challenges, Snypa's last-ever match, and the World Heavyweight Championship fought over between Dean Johnson.. and Drako Damone!"
Nuke smirked at the the cheers he was still getting, as he raised his hand in the air to try and calm the crowd a little.
"It's good to be back, and let's just say that this won't be the last you'll be seeing of me, or my family.
I was once called many things.. The Prodigy, Mr MVP, The Uncrowned Champion, Magnum Opus, some even referred to me as a God.
Now, monikers are great and all, but legacy proves a man's worth in this life. Perhaps my story is complete, perhaps there are no more chapters to write.
But, sometimes, sequels aren't as bad as they're made out to be. I will be watching over WrestleMania with a keen eye, and I will watch to see if anyone in the back there impresses me.
Call me what you will, but Nuke has his eye on everyone in the back.
I'll bring the heat, you guys bring your own bombs. Fusion out."
To the cheers of the crowd, he places the microphone softly down in the middle of the ring.
Racing to one of the ropes, he pulls off his glasses and throws them in to the crowd, to a massive cheer. Raising his arms above his head he nods with a massive smile on his face, before dropping and rolling out of the ring.
Whilst usually music would play as someone exits, Nuke walked backwards up the ramp to the sound of the crowd singing and chanting his name, his expression one of great appreciation and happiness.
As he reaches the top of ramp and steps up on to the stage, the shower of sparks from the top of titantron drop again, leaving a shining curtain behind him.
Beating his chest with his fist, Nuke turned and walked to the back.
In the moments after his exit, the crowd weren't settling down. He had set the stage for WrestleMania, the crowd warmed up and excited, ready for the hottest spectacle of the year.
It was at that point that the lights seemed to .. flicker. At the same time, the music became a little distorted.
Bemused amongst themselves, murmurs began amongst the crowd, as the commentators turned to each other.
"What happened there, then?"
"I've no idea, maybe just an electrical issue!"
"Perhaps, now let's move on to talking about the main event for the evening. Tonight we see-"
The lights flickered again, the music cutting off this time. The crowd suddenly became louder, people turning and looking around the stadium, wondering what was going on.
The commentators tried to keep the conversation going but they, too, were a little perplexed at the events occurring. Surely at WrestleMania of all nights the tech crew would have done their job right?
The hair on everyone's arms suddenly started to rise as a snippet of a song came over the PA system.
I push my fingers in to my eyes..
It's the only thing that slowly stops the aaaache..
But it's made of all the things I am-
[Duality - Slipknot]
The music swiftly cut out, the PA going silent once again.
Fans stood on their seats and looked around the arena, wondering what was going on. They all looked towards the stage, but no one seemed to be emerging from behind the curtain.
The start to another song began.
Work it, make it, do it
Makes us harder, better, faster, stronger
N-n-now that that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger
[Stronger - Kanye West]
It seemed that some of the crowd were beginning to put together a puzzle, as an image quickly flashed up on the titantron. It was a flash though, and most people seemed to have missed it. But, before conversation could begin, a third song came over the PA.
Gimme fuel,
Gimme fire,
Gimme that which I desire!
Oooh!
[Fuel - Metallica]
The guitar riff played for a few seconds before fading out again, immediately replaced with trumpets beginning another song.
Something's tearing me down,
And I..
Can't help but feel it's coming from you,
She's a gunshot bride with a trigger cries,
I just wonder what we've gotten ourselves in to..
[Propane Nightmares - Pendulum]
The beat was beginning to kick in, but the song was swiftly replaced again.
The original fire is died and gone,
But the riot inside moves on,
The original fire is died and gone,
But the riot inside moves on..
[Original Fire - Audioslave]
A techno guitar riff cut off the previous song, with just two lines of lyrics coming over the audio
I know we will be free again..
Bring it on home
[Propane Nightmares - Pendulum / Celldweller Remix]
A hard hitting guitar riff took over, as many fans were now standing up and cheering, a lot of old-school fans knowing exactly who these songs belonged to.
This next song played for a while, but no lyrics came through, just the band behind it.
[Self vs Self - Pendulum / In Flames]
This song was replaced by the sound of .. a ticking cog and wind in the background. Quickly kicked in the dirty, deep drums and guitar, which played for around twenty seconds before a hoarse voice sang the lyrics.
Beams of fire sweep through my head,
Thrusts of pain increasingly engaged,
Sensory receptors succumb,
I am no one now, only agony
My crimson liquid so frantically spilled
The ruby fluid of life unleashed
The guitar continued for a few more seconds before the song cut off completely.
[Bleed - Meshuggah]
The crowd were all on their feet now, cheering and whooping, they knew exactly what was going on and who this was signalling.
For what seemed like a full minute the audio and lights didn't return, the crowd increasingly becoming hyped, some smaller chants and shouts being heard by the people back home.
The next lyrics were .. new. Not a new song, but unexpected from the series of songs that had played previously.
Can you tell by the look in her eyes?
(We're going nowhere)
We live our lives like we're ready to die!
(We're going nowhere)
Can you tell by the look in her eyes?
(We're going nowhere)
We live our lives like we're ready to die!
(We're going nowhere)
A moment passes before a hard hitting beat hits, as Shadow Moses by Bring Me The Horizon pumps out from the PA.
[Shadow Moses - Bring Me The Horizon]
A series of pyros blast out from the sides of the stage, sparks dropping from the top of the titantron, as the buzz in the arena was palpable.
Walking out from under the sparks to the quite possibly the biggest cheers of his life..
Nuke Fusion.
Walking out wearing an open-collar suit, straps in place of a blazer, and a pair of aviator glasses on, the WWFG Hall of Famer was back at the biggest stage of them all.
Walking forward to the top of the ramp, he looked left and right, soaking in the atmosphere and sheer thrill of the crowd as the music behind him continued.
I thought I'd buried you,
And covered the tracks,
You'll have to take this with your cold dead hands,
I thought I'd buried you!
(What's dead can never die!)
Walking to stage-left, the man himself didn't look much older than he did when he was last seen in WWFG. He smirked and nodded his head, taking it all in as he turned and walked to stage-right, doing the exact same thing.
Each movement was slow, deliberate.. he knew he might never get another pop like this ever again.
I thought I'd cut you loose,
Severed the feeling,
I slipped through the cracks and you caved in my ceiling,
I thought I'd buried you!
(What's dead can never die!)
...
F***!
Nuke began making his walk down the long ramp towards the ring, his eyes looking left and right as the fans reached out to try and touch him. The hard music gave him a swag to his walk that he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
Can you tell from the look in our eyes,
(We're going nowhere!)
We live our lives like we're ready to die,
(We're going nowhere)
You can run but you'll never escape,
(Over and over again!)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere!)
As he reaches the end of the ramp he pauses, looking up and all around him. The lights were going crazy in sync with the song, flashing off his dark-tinted shades.
This is Sempiternal!
Will we ever see the end?
This.. Is.. Sempiternal!
Over and over, again and again!
Rise from the dead, you say
Secrets don't sleep 'til they're took to the grave
Signal the sirens, rally the troops
Ladies and gentlemen
It's the moment of truth!
Making his way to the ring steps, he took his time slowly walking up them, almost feeling the energy within them with each precise footstep placed down. As he got on to the apron he ran his hands across the top rope, gripping them for a moment before making a visible deep breath inwards.
Stepping in to the ring through the middle and top rope, he slowly walked to one side of the ring, looking out at the crowd. Deliberately he turned and did the same to each other side, nodding his head and acknowledging the adoration from the crowd.
Can you tell from the look in our eyes,
(We're going nowhere!)
We live our lives like we're ready to die,
(We're going nowhere)
You can run but you'll never escape,
(Over and over again!)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere!)
You can run but you'll never escape
(Over and over again)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere)
Can you tell from the look in our eyes?
(We're going nowhere)
We live our lives like we're ready to die
(We're going nowhere)
You can run but you'll never escape
(Over and over again)
Will we ever see the end?
(We're going nowhere)
This is Sempiternal!
Will we ever see the end?
This is sempiternal!
Over and over, again and again!
Standing in the middle of the ring and waiting for the entire song to play out, the man himself waited and said not a word as the audio faded .. and the SoFi Stadium went crazy. The cheers continued.. and continued.. and just kept on going.
After what seemed like five minutes (but was more like two), the man in the ring walked over to the ropes and reached down, taking a microphone from a stage hand. Gripping it in his hands, the classic 'W' adorned around it, he nodded and breathed in again.
Taking some slow steps back, he went to talk in to the microphone before he was cut off by the crowd.
Nuke! Nuke! Nuke! Nuke!
Taking a moment to look down and smile, he composed himself before looking back up at the crowd, albeit through his tinted shades.
"For those who .. don't know me. Let me introduce myself.
My name .. is Nuke Fusion."
The crowd gave off a massive pop, as the chants and cheers continued.
Nuke! Nuke! Nuke!
Welcome ba-ack!
Welcome home! Welcome home! Welcome home!
Lowering his microphone for a second, Nuke laid it down on the ground and took his time to go to each side of the ring again, this time raising both hands above his head and clapping the fans around him.
He walked back after going to each side, picking up the mic and continuing.
"Now, that was one hell of a return pop you guys just gave me, I can honestly say one thing in return to that.
That reaction will never, ever, get old. You guys are the reason I am back here today, standing in this squared circle, and holding a microphone.
You are all the reason why I put my body on the line week in and week out, all those years back.. and here we are again, my friends."
He took a pause as the pops continued again, knowing that giving the crowd this time to thank him back was needed and more than fair.
"Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to showcase what I had to offer. Thank you all for helping me become WWFG's first-ever Grand Slam Champion. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me become a Hall of Famer in this illustrious and amazing establishment."
He took another pause, pacing the ring a little, a mix of jitters and clear excitement to be back in the ring again. Another round of cheers erupted.
You deserve it!
[Clap, clap, clap clap clap]
You deserve it!
[Clap, clap, clap clap clap]
You deserve it!
[Clap, clap, clap clap clap]
Nuke smiled, raising a hand in the air to acknowledge the crowd's adoration, cheers and chants.
"Trust me, you guys always let me know what you thought of me, and I always.. I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I always appreciated you for that.
From the times when I was being an outright a*****e, you guys jeered and booed me out of the arena. Hell, I even had to keep security with me at airports, some of you hated me so much it almost seemed personal.
But that just made me know that I was doing my job right. It made me know that when my music hit and I walked out from behind those curtains, the chorus of jeers would immediately follow, and I was getting just the reaction that I was aiming for."
Taking a moment to lower the microphone and slowly walk around the ring, it was almost like he was reminiscing the old days here in the right. It also seemed like a huge amount of the crowd were doing exactly the same with him.
The camera panned, even now, to some stunned faces. Fans who had clearly been watching for years were looking between themselves, amazed at this unexpected return.
There was even a couple women in the crowd who were crying and had their arms around each other for support.
"Now I come back to a hero's return, redemption, and standing on top of my legacy I have built myself. I know that there are still those here today who were here when I was around, and I can't wait to formally catch up with them again. Whether that be in the back, or out here on the mic, in front of you all.
Now, if I told you that I didn't exactly know why I had returned, I'm not sure how you'd all react, but that's just the truth.
For too many years I have been gone, for too many years myself and my family have all disappeared. We handed over the keys to our own company a long time ago, and we have all been focusing on ourselves and our family.
My brother, Chase, was once Managing Director for WWE: Evolution. He's now off travelling the world, and actually tells me stories of meeting fans like yourselves, who are nothing but amazing and kind to him.
My son, Avari Fusion, was an up-and-coming Superstar back in the day. He has been on the indy scene, both as a wrester and a backstage figure, and has built up a name for himself in that scene.
Both of them, and the whole rest of my family, we all miss you. That break was needed, because without it there would have been a burn out from both myself and with you guys, our fans.
There's only so much being an a*****e one man can do, before that becomes his real life persona. Today I return as a spectator.. and, oh boy, what a time to return as one.
Tonight we are at WRESTLEMANIA!"
The crowd gave off a massive pop, as Nuke pointed up the huge WM logo above the stage.
"Tonight we see an almighty card of matches, including two open challenges, Snypa's last-ever match, and the World Heavyweight Championship fought over between Dean Johnson.. and Drako Damone!"
Nuke smirked at the the cheers he was still getting, as he raised his hand in the air to try and calm the crowd a little.
"It's good to be back, and let's just say that this won't be the last you'll be seeing of me, or my family.
I was once called many things.. The Prodigy, Mr MVP, The Uncrowned Champion, Magnum Opus, some even referred to me as a God.
Now, monikers are great and all, but legacy proves a man's worth in this life. Perhaps my story is complete, perhaps there are no more chapters to write.
But, sometimes, sequels aren't as bad as they're made out to be. I will be watching over WrestleMania with a keen eye, and I will watch to see if anyone in the back there impresses me.
Call me what you will, but Nuke has his eye on everyone in the back.
I'll bring the heat, you guys bring your own bombs. Fusion out."
To the cheers of the crowd, he places the microphone softly down in the middle of the ring.
Racing to one of the ropes, he pulls off his glasses and throws them in to the crowd, to a massive cheer. Raising his arms above his head he nods with a massive smile on his face, before dropping and rolling out of the ring.
Whilst usually music would play as someone exits, Nuke walked backwards up the ramp to the sound of the crowd singing and chanting his name, his expression one of great appreciation and happiness.
As he reaches the top of ramp and steps up on to the stage, the shower of sparks from the top of titantron drop again, leaving a shining curtain behind him.
Beating his chest with his fist, Nuke turned and walked to the back.
In the moments after his exit, the crowd weren't settling down. He had set the stage for WrestleMania, the crowd warmed up and excited, ready for the hottest spectacle of the year.