Dusty smiled warmly, his eyes glinting with pride. "I know y'all will. Just remember—don't let them dictate the pace. Keep them on their toes, use your speed and teamwork. And Sandro, when the time's right, hit that Dragon's Shot. That move's gonna be the difference-maker tonight." Sandro nodded, appreciating the advice. Dusty had been a mentor to him in more ways than one, and his guidance meant the world.
"Got it, Dusty," Sandro said.
After Dusty left, the two tag partners took a few moments to collect themselves before heading to the gorilla position, where wrestlers waited just before their entrance. As they stood side by side, the familiar hum of the crowd grew louder, signaling that the show was underway. Match after match passed, and the tension for the final continued to build.
Backstage, April, Nicole, and Brianna watched from a monitor. Each of them had their reasons for being invested in the night's outcome. April, now the reigning FCW Divas Champion, had a deep connection with Sandro, and she couldn't help but feel nervous for him.
She knew how much this match meant to him, and despite the conversation the three women had shared a few days earlier, tonight wasn't about feelings or personal entanglements—it was about supporting Sandro and Kofi as they aimed to achieve something monumental.
Finally, the moment arrived. The lights in the arena dimmed, and the familiar pulse of Dragon Boom's entrance music filled the air. The crowd erupted into cheers as Sandro and Kofi made their way to the ring, their confidence evident in every step.
The fans had embraced the team wholeheartedly, and the energy was electric as the two men slapped hands with the crowd, their matching red and black gear gleaming under the arena lights.
As they stepped into the ring, Sandro glanced around at the thousands of fans chanting their name. This was it. Everything they had worked for had led to this moment.
Moments later, Nick Nemeth and Shawn Spears made their entrance, flanked by the jeers of the crowd. They walked to the ring with a swagger that exuded arrogance, clearly looking to redeem themselves after their previous loss to Dragon Boom. Nemeth, with his bleach-blond hair and cocky smirk, exchanged words with Sandro as they faced off in the ring.
The referee called for the bell, and the match began. From the outset, it was clear that Nemeth and Spears were out for revenge. They moved with an aggressive intensity, isolating Kofi in their corner and delivering a series of hard strikes and quick tags to keep him down. Sandro watched from the apron, his fist clenched in frustration as he reached out for the tag, but Kofi was too far away to reach him.
"Kofi! Come on, man!" Sandro shouted, his voice drowned out by the roaring crowd. He could feel the momentum slipping, but he knew they just needed one opening to turn the tide.
After several minutes of being dominated, Kofi finally managed to break free from Spears' grip, delivering a high kick to the side of his head. The crowd exploded as Kofi made a desperate dive toward Sandro, stretching out his hand.
The tag was made.
Sandro leaped over the ropes, his adrenaline surging as he charged at Nemeth, who had just tagged back in. He hit Nemeth with a series of quick strikes, driving him back into the ropes before whipping him across the ring and hitting a devastating clothesline that sent Nemeth crashing to the mat.
With the crowd firmly behind him, Sandro continued his assault, delivering a spinebuster that left Nemeth gasping for air. Spears tried to intervene, but Kofi was back on his feet, intercepting him with a flying forearm that sent both men tumbling out of the ring and onto the floor.
This was the moment.
Sandro knew the timing was perfect. With Nemeth groggy and struggling to stand, Sandro positioned himself in the corner, signaling to the crowd that it was time for his finisher. The fans roared in anticipation as Sandro stalked his opponent, waiting for just the right moment.
Nemeth slowly got to his feet, and as he turned around, Sandro exploded forward, kicking Nemeth on the knees and delivering his finisher move—the Dragon's Shot. The impact was thunderous, and Nemeth's body went limp as he hit the mat.
Sandro quickly hooked the leg, the referee dropping to the mat for the count while the crowds shouted loudly as they counted the numbers together.
One.
Two.
Three.
The bell rang, and the arena erupted into deafening cheers. Dragon Boom had done it. They have become the number one contender for the FCW Tag Team Championship.
The crowd let out loud cheers as Sandro and Kofi's hands were raised by the referee, declaring them the official winners of the match. Their victory solidified them as the number one contenders for the FCW Tag Team Championship, and the crowd's energy was electric, feeding off the sheer excitement of Dragon Boom's triumph.
Sandro and Kofi embraced the moment, standing tall in the ring as their music blared through the speakers. The journey they had been on, from their early days as a team to this night, felt vindicated by this victory.
Across the ring, Nick Nemeth and Shawn Spears stirred slowly, their expressions a mixture of frustration and grudging respect. They had given everything they had in this match, but Dragon Boom had risen to the occasion, besting them.
The two begrudgingly made their way to the ropes, clutching their sides and limbs as they limped out of the ring. The crowd jeered them slightly, but there was an underlying respect for their efforts. As heels, Nick and Spears knew the importance of their role in elevating Sandro and Kofi, and they had done just that.
When they reached the backstage area, a group of producers and wrestlers were waiting. Dusty Rhodes and Steve Keirn, stood at the front of the group. They greeted Nick and Spears with pats on the back and appreciative nods.
"You two did fantastic out there," Dusty said, his Southern drawl warm and encouraging. "You made Sandro and Kofi look like a million bucks."
Spears wiped the sweat from his brow, letting out a tired chuckle. "That's the job, right? Make the next guys look good while keeping ourselves in the mix."
Steve chimed in, "And you did just that. This match will be talked about for a while. It's one of those moments that people are going to remember as the start of something big."
Nick gave a small nod, though a hint of disappointment lingered in his eyes. "Yeah, well, we'll be back. Don't count us out yet."
Dusty grinned, slapping Nick on the shoulder. "You're damn right. But for now, let's focus on what's next."
After a few more exchanged words of gratitude, Nick and Spears were left to catch their breath. Dusty and Steve, meanwhile, turned their attention to the next part of the plan. The night wasn't over yet.
They made their way down the hallway to where Drew McIntyre and Stu Sanders, known collectively as The Empire, were waiting. The two towering men had been watching the match from backstage, arms crossed, their expressions unreadable.
As the current FCW Tag Team Champions, The Empire was positioned as the dominant heel faction, and now that Sandro and Kofi were the number one contenders, it was time to begin a new chapter in their story.
Dusty approached the duo with a grin. "Alright, boys. Y'all ready for this?"
Drew smirked, cracking his knuckles. "More than ready."
Stu added, "It's time to show them who really runs this place."
Dusty and Steve explained the next part of the storyline. Sandro and Kofi were still out in the ring, celebrating their win with the fans. Now was the perfect time for The Empire to make their move. As the top heels in FCW, Drew and Stu would ambush Dragon Boom from behind, making a statement as the ruthless champions willing to do whatever it took to hold onto their titles.
The Empire nodded in agreement. They had been waiting for this moment, eager to kickstart what was sure to be an intense rivalry with Dragon Boom. With the plan set, Drew and Stu headed toward the gorilla position, where they prepared to make their entrance.
Back in the ring, Sandro and Kofi were still soaking in the moment. The crowd's chants of "Dragon Boom! Dragon Boom!" echoed throughout the arena, and the two men stood side by side, holding their arms up in victory. It was a moment of triumph, but in the world of wrestling, moments like these rarely lasted long.
Just as Sandro was about to say something to Kofi, the arena lights flickered. The sudden change in atmosphere caught the fans' attention, and a murmur spread through the crowd. Sandro and Kofi turned toward the entrance ramp, sensing something was about to happen.
Before they could react, Drew and Stu stormed the ring from behind, sliding under the ropes with predatory speed. The Empire wasted no time, immediately blindsiding Dragon Boom with vicious attacks. Drew hit Sandro with a hard forearm to the back of the head, sending him crashing to the mat, while Stu tackled Kofi, driving him into the corner with brutal force.
The crowd erupted into a mix of boos and gasps as The Empire laid waste to their new challengers. Sandro, dazed from the sudden attack, tried to push himself to his feet, but Drew was relentless.
He grabbed Sandro by the hair, dragging him to the center of the ring before delivering a thunderous boot to his face. Sandro fell back to the mat, clutching his jaw acting in pain like it radiated through his body.
Meanwhile, Stu had Kofi pinned in the corner, raining down punches on him with merciless precision. Kofi tried to fight back, but the ambush had caught him off guard, and he struggled to mount any significant offense. Stu grabbed Kofi by the throat, lifting him high into the air before slamming him down with a spine-shattering chokeslam.
The Empire stood tall in the ring, their expressions cold and menacing as they looked down at the fallen Dragon Boom. Drew grabbed a microphone from ringside, his voice booming through the arena as he addressed the crowd.
"You see this? This is what happens when you challenge The Empire. Sandro, Kofi, do you think one little win makes you contenders? You're nothing. You're just another stepping stone for us. And come the championship match, we'll do a lot worse than this."
Stu stepped forward, taking the microphone from Drew. "We don't care about your dreams or your little fanbase. All we care about is keeping these belts around our waists. And if you think for one second that you're gonna take them from us, then you're in for a rude awakening."
The crowd booed loudly, but The Empire paid them no mind. They dropped the microphone, standing over Sandro and Kofi's motionless bodies for a moment longer before finally exiting the ring. The statement had been made.
Backstage, Dusty and Steve watched the scene unfold on the monitor with satisfied expressions. The ambush had gone exactly as planned. This was the spark that would ignite the feud between The Empire and Dragon Boom, a rivalry that was poised to elevate both teams to new heights.
April, Nicole, and Brianna, who had been watching the match and the ambush unfold, exchanged worried glances. April's hand instinctively went to her mouth as she watched Sandro lying motionless in the ring. She had seen him take beatings before, but something about this felt different. This wasn't just a match—it was a war.
"I have to go check on him," April said, her voice filled with concern. She hurried toward the locker room area, with Nicole and Brianna following closely behind.
As the crowd began to quiet down, medics rushed to the ring to check on Sandro and Kofi. The two men were slowly helped to their feet, each of them wincing in pain but refusing to show weakness. The fans, still loyal to Dragon Boom, began chanting their names again, offering support in the aftermath of the brutal attack.
Sandro shook off the medics' attempts to help him as he leaned against the ropes for support. His body ached, and his head was spinning from Drew's boot, but his mind was already racing. He knew this wasn't over. The Empire had made their move, but Dragon Boom wasn't going to back down.
Kofi, equally battered but determined, stood beside Sandro, nodding in agreement. They weren't just going to let this go. The tag team championship match would be their opportunity for revenge, and they would be ready.
As they hobbled up the ramp together, the fans continued to cheer, showing their unwavering support. This was just the beginning of their war with The Empire, and both Sandro and Kofi knew that when the time came, they would be ready to take the fight to their enemies even if they had to sacrifice their bodies in the process of the fight.
_______________________
Name: Alessandro Zhang
Age: 18 (2008)
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida USA
Brand: FCW
Wrestling Style: Mixed Of All Style
Faction: Dragon Boom (Tag Team)
Championship History: 0