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 Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 10:34 am
On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha
You can listen to the engine moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman or the girl you knew the night before
But your thoughts will soon be wanderin' the way they always do
When you're ridin' sixteen hours and there's nothin' there to do
And you don't feel much like ridin', you just wish the trip was through
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
On the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page Backlash was going so well, it almost didn't need any further star-power -- but honestly, could anyone be surprised? "Turn the Page", this time the Metallica cover as opposed to the voice of Bob Seger heard at Wrestlemania, began to play. The fans would cheer heavily, a deafening pop responding to the first cords of the song -- it was clear that despite the bizarre and awkward display at Wrestlemania they were still very happy to see Hiro Shin-Mozas had returned from his not-so-permanent retirement. The Ethnic Enigma would emerge from between the curtain, a smile on his face as he was still riding a high that he couldn't have stolen from him: his life had again found meaning and he was surrounded by thousands of people who actually wanted to see him. Hiro would take his time going down the ramp, high fiving several fans, signing a kid's official WWF:G Hiro Shin-Mozas FUNKO! pop figure, and stopping for a half dozen selfies. The former world champ wasn't dressed to compete tonight, which led some folks to feel trepidation within the moment: Could something have happened at Wrestlemania? It was a mess, the Midnight Marauders International had come out to again make Hiro Shin-Mozas the target of their ridiculousness and what could have turned into an all time classic between Hiro and Brantley Summers had become a side-show. It was of course possible that Hiro, after that match, had either suffered a physical or mental injury and was no longer going to continue his career as planned -- and the thought of that caused some to remain silent. Hiro finished his world tour of the ringside area as his song was getting dangerously close to looping, so he decided it was time to get in the ring with a microphone and do what he'd showed up to do: update the world following his return. Hiro got into the ring rather swiftly with a bit of pep in his step, which was a good sign. The music cut away, but it's not like it was silent -- Hiro stood in center ring microphone in hand was showered by applause and cheers. He again decided to take it in for only a few moments -- but he'd had his fill at Wrestlemania of the love, and decided this time to cut to chase right away. "Don't think for a second that I don't love you guys -- because you'd be wrong. I would have enjoyed nothing more than giving you guys a chance to get all that out like I did at Wrestlemania, but I had to get a lot off my chest tonight and if I don't start now, they're gonna probably have to start wrestling the next match around me while I talk! So, I'll start with the elephant in the room...I apologize for what happened during my return to the ring. You guys deserved better than that, and the fact that I allowed everything to just...go to hell in a handbasket, it's a bit inexcusable. I should have known, and maybe I did deep down, that making an open challenge had the potential to go wrong. I suppose a bout with vanity is to blame, I simply didn't want it to commit to anything until that night in Los Angeles, and to do that I had to accept the fact that I wasn't going to be facing anyone in particular. So, I'll take the blame, the mess of a match I had with Brantley Summers is more on me than on MMI. From here on out, I'm going to work a little harder to secure myself matches with the right guys, and to keep myself as far away from MMI. I was intrigued to be in the ring with Brantley, and while we barely got to really do anything, I'll say this much: the guy is still a world champion, he's still got it in there. I don't know if he's going to be here tonight, or when you'll see him and his...motley crue of weirdos again, but the wrestling business is better with him competing in it....before I move on from MMI, because I mean it, I'm gonna do whatever I can to separate myself from them as far as I possible can...I want to address a final note." Hiro would take a deep breath, putting a hand behind his head and rubbing it a little bit. Clearly, whatever he was thinking about saying here was weighing on him: from the outside looking in he seemed uncomfortable, perhaps as if he was really unsure about bothering to address whatever was plaguing him. He stepped around the ring a little and looked out at the crowd which responded in cheers, willing him on themselves to continue. Hiro looked down, back to the crowd, and then up, finding the last ounce of affirmation he needed to continued. "I know better than to trust the words of a Marauder, but if what Brantley said at Wrestlemania is true, and Freakshow has indeed died...Then that's truly a shame. I did what I could Freakshow, tried to show him that the way he treated people and the life he lived would lead him right to the premature end...but of course, you can't do too terribly much for a guy who's end goal is to have ended up the way he did. That's a part of my life, one way or another, that's gone now -- so Shah, rest in peace. I know there was a special place in hell set up for you, but while it may not be the throne, hopefully it's enough to meet your standards. As for the kid who got stabbed at Wrestlemania...I hope that blade snapping served as the same snap back to reality it did for me a long time ago. I don't know who you are, just heard your name was Nicky, but look at what happened as a fresh start for you. Maybe you'll come back and let Russo know that the more you chip away at someone but don't finish the job, the harder they become. Go ahead and break the cycle, subvert some expectations...much like I'm trying to subvert expectations here tonight! As you can see, I'm not dressed to compete, I learned better after my return -- so you'll have to just deal with listening to me talk, as scary as that can be! Since I was quite literally confronted with my past on my first night back, I decided this time, I will be doing the confronting. I know that Nuke Fusion, an old pal of mine, made his own surprise return at Wrestlemania! It was very cool for all of you to see, and when I went back and looked over the show, I was pretty happy to see it myself. I've always respected Nuke, thought of him as a great guy who ran a nice promotion and did well for himself both in and out of the ring...that much was definitely confirmed when his son Avari went up against Marcus Damone! I've gone at it with both their fathers in this ring and the fact that they both showed they've got potential to outshine a god and a dragon...SHEESH, it made me wonder if there really was still a place for me on this roster! It's both a feeling of being incredibly excited and very inadequate, if you catch my drift. That's irrelevant to my point though, I want to talk to Nuke Fusion here tonight because it's been about...seven, yeah, seven years since I last heard from him. He came out to this ring, and unfortunately, decided it would be best to help Fiscal Responsibility in making my life hell, when he was supposed to be there to make sure everything was fair. I want to leave those things in the past, but they've got to be addressed first...so Nuke Fusion, buddy -- come on out!" The fans cheered loudly at Hiro's call out of the all-timer -- and it was true, they hadn't interacted in over seven years now, but it wasn't as if Nuke had come out at Wrestlemania as anything more than an all-smiles dude. He was a real jerk to the Ethnic Enigma at a pivotal moment in his career, but would we truly see the hatchet buried tonight at Backlash?
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 11:39 am
A huge cheer from the crowd came as Nuke's name was called out, a face that hadn't been seen in a long time who was shown at WrestleMania. Those first few moments turned to a few more, then a few more.. the crowd were starting to get restless..
A guitar riff cuts across the crowd, as Black Flame hits the PA
[Black Flame - Bury Tomorrow]
Here I stand, alone, with hate
Here I stand, too long, too late
All I know, is you will leave us all
Here I stand, alone, to fall
A flurry of fireworks shoot in an arc on either side of the stage, going back and forth several times before simmering down in to a low 'fizz' that keeps going.
Avari Fusion, the son of Nuke Fusion, steps out on stage to a loud pop from the crowd. Wearing jeans, boots, and a flourishing blue jacket, he stands on top of the ramp and looks out across the sea of people.
Oh my Brother, how could you?
Not look into the eyes of your fellow man
Who stood with you, through it all
And feel nothing in your heart but hate
Avari walked out to the edge of the stage, looking over the ramp and at the crowd left and right, who were still buzzing for the spectacle.
Making his way down the ramp, Fusion slaps the hands of fans on either side, taking in the adoration.
Red stain on the blade
All sense of worth has been washed away
Sacrifice was all in vain
Where's the sense of guilt? Where's the shame?
Eventually reaching the ring, Avari slides under the bottom rope and rolls, standing up on his feet. He takes a walk to one of the corners and hops up on to the turnbuckle, raising a fist in the air to another pop from the crowd.
Lost soul in the unmarked grave
We have given a name
Black flame
In death we are all the same
Remain, black flame
He takes the time to go to each turnbuckle and repeat the process, soaking in the crowd as he does so.
Eventually the music dies down as Avari slowly gets down from the last corner and reaches down through the ropes, a stage hand passing him a microphone.
He looks over at Hiro and raises the microphone to his lips, right before he's cut off by the crowd chanting.
Fusion! Fusion! Fusion
He smiled and waited a moment before trying again.
"Even these days, the name 'Fusion' just hits as hard as it used to, doesn't it?"
The young man smiled and nodded as the chants continued again for a few moments.
"I knew that making my debut here at WrestleMania of all places would surely put some questions on if I deserved that chance, that opportunity to showcase my talents on the grandest stage of them all.
I knew that my wrestling name, the Fusion name, the legacy that my father built.. I knew that would go one of two ways, if I didn't handle the situation correctly. Either people would assume that the only reason I got a match at WrestleMania was because of my lineage, or that the weight of my lineage would put such a high bar on the expectations of my debut match.
What I had to do was simple. Win or lose, I had to go out there and create a spectacle, I had to put on the greatest show that these people had seen in a long time. I had to lay my life, my body, on the line against a dominant and formidable opponent. I knew that, win or lose, I had to leave a lasting impression on the WWFG Universe."
The crowd gave off a massive cheer, appreciating the match that Avari and Marcus had put on at Mania.
"So.. Hiro.."
Avari stepped forward towards the man in the ring, leaving a couple of strides between them, and looked him up and down whilst nodding and smiling.
"I have to be honest with you, because that's just the kind of man I am. My father is here today, but he's in the back sorting some business out. No, he didn't ask me to come out here on his behalf, either, but I thought that it would be rude for you to be left hanging like this.
There was a time when I was younger, a boy watching his father from the crowd. In that time you were younger too, a fresh face to the wrestling scene, and Nuke Fusion showed you little to no respect. Everyone knows he was an a*****e, it was his thing, and let's be honest.. he was pretty good at it as well.
It's what put him on the map, it's what shot his career in to the stars, and it paved the way for my own future in professional wrestling.
Now, I really do appreciate my own name drop, and I have to be honest again.. it feels real good to know that my match at Mania even caught the attention of legends such as yourself.
Putting aside my father for a moment, I would like to take his place here. What is it that you want, Hiro, is it to settle differences like men and shake on it?"
Avari cocks his head to the side slightly and purses his lips, before smiling and offering his arm for a hearty handshake.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 12:08 pm
Hiro was rather surprised to see Avari answer the call meant for his father -- this was supposed to be Hiro's chance to talk with Nuke, not to ask him why but instead to tell him that things were all good on his end. There wasn't any animosity in this ring today...and yet, as odd as it was, it seemed like with the arrival of Nuke's son brought with it an aura of negativity. It didn't make a lot of sense, and perhaps Hiro was the only one who actually felt that way, but something seemed off. Regardless, he intently listened in on the young man's words, expressing his desires for his Wrestlemania debut, and the fact that he seemingly met that by leaving it all out in the ring in a loss to Marcus Damone. There was a lot to like about this kid, but something stood out to Hiro. As Avari offered his hand, with a sense of caution, Hiro would accept the handshake, the Shin-Mozas and Fusion hatchet of previous mention seemingly buried as Avari had come to atone for the sins of the father at the alter of the former God of Will. "You know Avari, I remember seeing you when you were younger, out and about backstage in WWE:E. It does my heart well to know I'm able to be here to share the ring with a man like yourself. Now, as you said, your dad is a busy man tonight and I can respect that! When you've got plans and you suddenly get called out, it can be hard to respond. I've got no ill-will towards your father, but there is one thing you got wrong there -- your dad did show me a healthy amount of respect. He gave me a job, wrestled me on several occasions when others didn't want to, and even came to work for me and the Lethal Wrestling League when we needed the jolt of star power. The last time he and I saw one another, he definitely didn't treat me the way I wanted to be -- but the years that have gone by have definitely healed those old wounds. I hope I get the chance to talk with your father again anyway sometime soon, and then maybe even share the ring with him too -- there's still a lot of money to be made in a Hiro and Nuke clash, so I've heard! So, I suppose the fans might be a little disappointed here, but it looks like my business is all but settled, now! I came out here with just one thing on my mind, and this is as good as it's gonna get when it comes to seeing it through. Thanks kid, and good luck with whatever you've got going on! You'll keep that eternal nuclear light glowing for a long time." Hiro would reach out to pat Avari on the back as he walked past him, the fans surprised at how quickly and seemingly...peaceful this whole interaction went. It was a far cry from how things were at Wrestlemania, and for some they were almost disappointed that it looked like there was no way they'd see Hiro getting physical here tonight. That was no big deal for the Ethnic Engima though, in reality he wanted to leave Avari in the spotlight alone here -- give him the chance to be in the ring alone and not hampered down by the issues a man may or may not have had with his father.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 12:16 pm
Avari's hand was taken by Hiro and then, out of nowhere, Hiro gave him a light tap in the back and went to walk off. For a moment Avari looks confused, but turns and speaks in to the microphone before Hiro steps through the ropes.
"Hey, tell me Hiro, there is just one thing that's been bugging me. You seem to crave my father's attentions, almost like you were missing a strong father figure in your own life growing up.
Seems to me like you just needed a hug from my old man.."
The crowd let off a an audible 'Ooooh' as Avari licked his lips a little and continued.
"Back in the day you chased his tail like a little lost puppy, and when he left you actually grew up and became a man. I watched you when you came up on the YouTube highlights, Instagram reels and even in the dirt sheets. But now that big dog Nuke is back in town, it looks like you've reverted back to being a lost little b***h again."
The crowd let off a much louder 'Oooooh' this time, as Fusion lowered his microphone and waited to see if Hiro would reply.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2023 12:50 pm
"Huh...." Hiro was stopped dead in his tracks as Avari's implications rang loud and strong. He turned slowly, looking back at the younger fusion as he was called a b***h, here live at Backlash. The fans 'Ooooh's' cause Hiro to smirk, surprised that Avari was going edgy here. Hiro stepped back, turning to face the young Fusion once more and would raise the microphone very close to his lips. "I appreciate the fact that you've got the young rookie trope down pat -- means you've got an even better future than I thought you did. Don't get the relationship between your dad and I twisted -- I love my father, and I never needed anyone else to step into his role. I tried that once, and it got my arm broken down in Mexico...though, to be fair, it also got me to the main event of Wrestlemania. I don't know what backwoods media you're consuming online right now, but I hate to say you've got me wrong here. I understand what's going on here, you call me a b***h, I take some offense, the program kicks off...but that's not what I want. I didn't even want your dad to explain himself to me, but I found it important to let him know I have no hard feelings over him costing me the Legacy Championship. He's a good man after all, and I have a feeling you will be too. I can tell easily right down to what you've said here that you're right from under his learning tree, and that gets me excited. However, for now, I'll just get out of here and you can focus on whatever match you've got tonight, alright? Just remember, as you say stuff like this...the fans here, they know you're just trying to get a rise out of me, they're not hating you or anything like that. However, it's a fine line between being a good guy...and being a jerk. You're walking it right now, so watch your step, okay? Hiro would flip the microphone over to the corner, making sure he wasn't going to respond again regardless of what Avari would say. He would walk past the rookie to exit the ring again, this time not putting a hand on him.
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