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ROLEPLAY NUMBER: 01
NEXT OPPONENTS: MATT MENARD & ANGELO PARKER
EVENT: ECW ANARCHY
DATE: 12/15/2024
STIPULATION: STANDARD TAG
CHAMPIONSHIP: GFTG FIRST ROUND
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Extreme Championship Wrestling...a lawless land where depravity thrives, and principles and morality go to suffer an agonizing death. It's a place where treachery lurks around every corner, a place where "justice" goes to the highest bidder. In these parts villains are glorified, and do-gooders are inevitability run out on a rail by their ruthless gang of thugs. Chaos rules with an iron fist. That's the way it always was, and that's the way it always would be. 'Least, that's what we thought...'til those two heroes rode into town...



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Static jump-cuts give way to a shot of two of ECW'S newest signings, but definitely no strangers to the company, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes and "The King of Old School" Steve Corino. They are both fully dressed in their boots and gear, complete with hat and bull rope, and looking out tentatively from the corner of what seems to be a relatively large room.

DUSTY RHODES - "I'm tellin' ya, thith ith a RIB, Thteve! You really think E Thee Dubya hath a FILM thtudio? Or that they would shoot a WETHTERN therieth...and give UTH a thtarrin' role? I mean, ME I would believe, I’m like John Wayne..but you? YOU?! Come on, read me that piethe of mail you got one mo' time.."

STEVE CORINO - "Woah, woah..what do you mean, ‘me, ME’?! I’ve got Hollywood potenTIAL…I’ve got star qualiTY…I’m ruggedly HANDsome!”

DUSTY RHODES - "HA! Yeah, and you gettin’ more RUGGED by the DAY! READ the damn letter…”

Corino smirks and rolls his eyes, throwing his bull rope around his neck before reaching into his back pocket and producing a folded piece of paper. Opening it, he clears his throat and begins reading.

STEVE CORINO - "'From the offices of ECW Studios'...you notice all those nice..crisp 'S' sounds in there.."

DUSTY RHODES - "Yeah, KITH my ath.."

STEVE CORINO - "'Mr. Corino and Mr Rhodes'..my name's first..'Now that you have officially signed with Extreme Championship Wrestling, we would like to immediately begin making use of your name, image, and likeness. As we have recently branched out into the cinematic sphere, we are excited to extend you a unique oppor-' blah blah blah...let's be honest...YOU don't really understand any of these words, DO YOU?”

DUSTY RHODES - "Do YOU underthtand a thlap in the HEAD?"

STEVE CORINO - "Come on, this is MONEY, we'll be SO over! I mean, you were IN WCW for the White Castle of Fear...you remember how sweet THAT was.."

DUSTY RHODES - "Oh Jethuth..."

Just then a man in a cheap looking suit steps into frame, a plastic smile resting under his plastic hair as he clasps his hands together in front of him.

????? - "Here they are, here they ARE..the STARS of our show. Hi, my name is Winston and I represent ECW Studios. If there's ANYTHING at all I can get for you, please don't hesitate to ask. I, uh, trust you gentlemen have been memorizing your LINES? We're just about ready to shoot your first scene!"

STEVE CORINO - "Oh, MEMorized! Memorized and REmemorized, sir.."

DUSTY RHODES - "Yeahwelllook, Thmokey...them LIIINETH ith thomethin' we need to dithCUTH. If you think you' gonna get ME to thay-"

????? - "PLACES, EVERYONE!"

Rhodes is interrupted by the call coming from another part of the room. Corino's brow furrows slightly as he peers around the camera to try and get a better look at the man, seeming to recognize his voice.

WINSTON - "That'll be the director..it's SHOWtiiime. Go take your places and wait for your cue...and break a leg!"

As suddenly as had appeared, Winston vanishes from sight, leaving the two to their own devices once again.

DUSTY RHODES - "We shoulda THTARTED with HITH."

STEVE CORINO - "Let's go..I'm ready for my CLOSE-up.."

Corino and Rhodes also walk out of camera shot, leaving only a blank wall that slowly fades to black as the scene ends.


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Dramatic old-timey piano music sets the stage as the cameras begin rolling on the scene; a saloon in disarray. Chairs and beer mugs litter the now mostly empty room as two masked thugs work over the cowering barkeep…played by Jack Victory. Dragging him out from behind the bar they slip one of their lassos around him, tighten it down, and escort him to one of the tables.

VILLAIN #1 - "Alright, Jake, the jig’s UP…where’d ya hide the GOLD?!”

JAKE - "Gold? WHAT gold?! You got the wrong GUY, fellas!"

Jake squirms in his chair as the second assailant takes a seat next to him, pulling the revolver from his hip and placing it on the table in front of him.

VILLAIN #2 - "We've been checkin' UP on ya, JAKE. You're doing pretty WELL for yourself...built up a nice FAMily. Now, it would be a SHAME if Mrs. Dafitte had to raise those two beautiful girls all by herSELF...don't ya think?”

JAKE - "That would be VERY shameful, but-"

VILLAIN #1 - "So we'll ask one more time. Where...is the LOOT?!"

Just then the saloon doors swing open and in walks Dusty Rhodes with both pistols drawn, almost crushing Corino as the two squeeze through the threshold simultaneously.

VILLAIN #2 - "ConSARN it..it's Rusty Dodes!”

VILLAIN #1 - "And his sidekick, Reno!"

RENO - "GYAH, my..SHOULder...HOLD it right THERE!”

RUSTY DODES - "HANDTH UP, ATH HOLETH!"

????? - "Uh, stick to the SCRIPT, PLEEASE...let's keep ROLLing.."

Dusty gives an irritated look out into the darkness before clearing his throat and redelivering his line.

RUSTY DODES - "What in-...WHAT in THAM HILL'TH BLUE BLATHETH ith GOIN' ON heaah?!"

VILLAIN #2 - "Never you mind, Dodes..this is between us and the 'keep. You two just turn around NIICE and slow, walk back out that door, and we'll pretend we NEEVER SAW each other...”

RUSTY DODES - "Hmm...now that ITH ONE pothible tholution to thith little imPATHE...but I believe I prefer the version where I shoot that THICKTH gun of yourth off the table...ya BOYfriend lotheth hith TRIGGA fingaa..and THEN I thashay my way on over, and I shove the end of MY gun up-"

????? - "Alright, CUT! CUUUT!"

The cast let out a collective groan before the mysterious director finally appears from out of the darkness, oddly trying to conceal his identity with glasses and a fake nose and mustache.

????? - "Okay, Mr. RHODES...what seems to be the trouble? Are we having difficulty remembering our LINES?"

DUSTY RHODES - "Uh, NO...WE ain't having trouble rememberin' NOTHIN'. Thee, I TRIED to tell ya boy Cranthton over there 'while aGO..I am NOT thayin' that 'rootin', tootin', rompin', thtompin'' Toy Thtory HORTHE CRAP, and if that'th a PROBLEM for you, then WHY don't you try kithin' my fat white ATH?!"

????? - "..........it's Winston..."

Corino, finally able to get a good look at the director, immediately sees through the thin disguise and rips the man's glasses off, confirming his own suspicions.

STEVE CORINO - "CYrus.."

DUSTY RHODES - "Oh hell no...HELL no. YOU' in charge of thith FIATHCO? Hell no. Where'th my phone, I'm callin' Paulie.."

CYRUS - "No, no, WAIT...okay...look. ECW Studios is sort-of, uh...a FREElance project of mine...OFF the books, so to speak. Paul HEYman has no idea any of this EVEN HAPPening.."

STEVE CORINO - "But why not? Wouldn't he be the one who could actually, you know..FUND a film studio?"

CYRUS - "Uh, yeah, and he'd also be the one to take all the CREDIT. That FAT hog makes all the announcements..does all the VOICE-overs while the REAL visionary is relegated to being a human MICROPHONE STAND? Heh, not if I can help it. See, when I pitch this pilot to HBO, they'll have no CHOICE but to recognize my creative genius...and then comes the SERIES..the MOVIES..sky's the LIMIT. I'll get in good with the HIGHER-UPS...THEN we'll see who has the STROKE around here, HAHA. So...whaddya think?"

Cyrus peers out from under his eyebrows, rubbing his hands together in a manner that couldn't be more evil if he tried.

DUSTY RHODES - "Oh, what do I think? Well...I think you' BAT shit CRATHY...I think yo' THCRIPT is perPOTHterouth...and I think I'm LATE for LUNCH, tho BYE!"

With that Dusty turns and walks off of the set, effectively ruining any chance at a productive shoot. Corino watches after his tag-team partner as Cyrus takes a step closer.

CYRUS - "Now don't tell YOU'RE going to make the same rash decision...I mean, YOU KNOW what I'm saying is the truth...you DO remember..DON'T you, Steve?...The Network?...How powerful we were?...How DOMINANT we were?...We can be that AGAIN...I can-"

STEVE CORINO - "Just SHUT UP, Cyrus…come on, Jack...”

Jack begins wriggling free of his restraint as Steve walks off after Rhodes, never again making eye contact with his former associate.

CYRUS - "Hmph...he didn't say NO..."

Cyrus chuckles as he turns and slowly disappears back into the darkness, leaving the two villains alone and confused on set.


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It’s the classic setup for an ECW interview: a locker room, a camera, and “Miserlou” by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones playing softly in the background. “The King of Old School” and “The American Dream” are our subjects on this occasion, with Jack Victory standing by as usual for moral support.

DUSTY RHODES - "Eva thinth the pay-puh-view last Thundaay...people been GUETHin'. People been THPECulatin'. People been...ponTIFIcatin', if you WEEL...ath to jutht WHY The Ameuhcan Dream would choose to reTURN to E Thee Dubya, MUCH LETH..team up with the liketh of The King uh Ol' Thcool, Thteve Corino, welllemmetellyathumpm. I may be a few more yearth down the ROAD than I wath lath time...and yeth, there may be a bit more DUTHT on that road...but if you think THITH big ol' boy can't thtill kick a few more ATHETH..and take a few more NAMETH? Well then YOU, my friend, are THERIOUTHLY mithtaken!"

STEVE CORINO - "Yeheah!"

Steve throws his fist in the air, getting into the promo just as if he were a young fan again. A quick side-eye from Dusty, however, tempers Corino's enthusiasm as The Dream continues his train of thought.

DUSTY RHODES - "Ya thee, when I caught WIND of the fact that Paul E. Dangruthly wath givin' thith THANG anotha GO, wath bringin' back the Land of EckthtrEEEME...I knew that THITH would be the plathe I would have to thtake my necktht CLAIM. I knew that I wath DETHtunned…for PhilaDELPHia. Then Paulie thay, 'Dream, we got BIG planth for ya...we got ya figguhd IIN, but...we tryin' to thet the THTANDUHD of the tag team division tho, we need ya to chooth a PARTNAA.' Well, I gotth to thinkin'.."

Dusty smiles slightly and taps the side of his head, actions that are mirrored by Corino and Victory in unison as they nod in approval.

DUSTY RHODES - "I got to thinkin' about my firtht run in thith organiTHATIOON, and when I ATHKED mythelf who I would could trutht to have my BACK...when I pictured mythelf, in my mind’th eye, thteppin' into the warthone that ITH E Thee Dubya tag team wrethlin’...there wath really only ONE man I could imagine thtandin' BETHIDE me. Thee, he’th the only man that had the GUTTH…the only man that had the THPIINE… the only man that had the BALLTH enough..to thmack Duthty Rhodeth in the FATHE! If you can do THAT? Thon, thereth thomethin’ THERE that can be molded, can be SHAPED for GREATneth, and I’m talkin’ about thith man right here, Thteve Corino.."

The camera momentarily zooms in on Corino, who points up with both index fingers at the ear-to-ear smile on his own face.

DUSTY RHODES - "Tho there’th a round-robin TOURNAMENT…a grind for the GOLD, if you weel. THICKTH teamth, twelve men. Fifteen MATCHeth, and at the end there can be only TWO championth…and the Ol’ Thcool Heroeth draw in the firtht round..a couple of Chrith Jericho’th THYCOPHANTH?"

STEVE CORINO - "Oo, nice WORD..”

DUSTY RHODES - "Ith thith the THAME Chrith Jericho that juth...tucked tail and RAAN in the main event at Behly LeGAL? THATH the type of shenaniganth you two wanna repreTHENT?! Boyth, you can appreciate whoEVER you want, ath MUCH ath you want…and if I were you, I would REALLY reconthider my theLECtion…but one thing you DAMN sure gonna appreciate ith thethe BUTT whippinth we ‘bout to thtart handin’ out! Thee, you clownth mighta found a little thucctheth here and there…hell, you even held VINTH’th thtrapth at one time, but THITH AIN’T-”

STEVE CORINO - "Wait a second, wait a second…they never had any STRAPS in the WWE..”

DUSTY RHODES - "Oh, they DIDN’T? Well that’th too bad…okay then..A E Dubbya. You fellath mighta tathted a little GOLD down in All-Elite, but THITH is-“

STEVE CORINO - "Nope, NOOPE…they never had AEW gold either.”

DUSTY RHODES - "THERIOUTHLY?! Okay, umm...lemme think, lemme…OH, they were in that, that whath it called…Conthtruction Thone Wrethlin’!”

Corino turns his head momentarily, almost cracking at Dusty just being Dusty.

STEVE CORINO - "That’s COMBAT Zone, Dust’…and that ALSO strike THREE…”

DUSTY RHODES - "HWAT?! Even THINGLETH titleth?!”

STEVE CORINO - "Even THINGLETH titleth.”

DUSTY RHODES - "I’ll be DAMNED! Tho, the JACK ATH thothiety ith gettin’ the RUUB…and the FANTH are gettin’ to thee the HEROETH…but, what do the HEROETH get?”

Steve looks at Rhodes for a moment, then glances down as he slowly brings his hand up in the form of a peace sign.

STEVE CORINO - "…Two points?”

DUSTY RHODES - "TWO POINTH! I KNOW THAT’TH RIGHT! aHA!”

Dusty and Jack both join Steve in throwing up the peace sign, and the music picks up momentarily as we cut to the next promo.