One… Two… Three! The bell rang, and the entire arena exploded in celebration. Dragon Boom had done it. They had defeated The Empire in the main event of FCW Monday Night Live, and the fans were going wild. Kofi, barely able to stand, collapsed into Sandro's arms, both of them grinning from ear to ear as they soaked in the adulation of the crowd.
The referee raised their hands in victory, and the noise of the fans was deafening. Despite the beatdown, despite the odds, Dragon Boom had prevailed. They had proven that they weren't just here to compete but they were here to win. And tonight, they had done just that by proving themselves that they could beat the tag team champions in a nontitle match.
But even as they celebrated, they knew this wasn't the end of their war with The Empire. Drew and Stu would come for them again, as part of their storyline, and next time, it might be even more brutal. But for now, they basked in the glory of their hard-fought victory, the tag team division watching closely, knowing that Dragon Boom was a force to be reckoned with.
As the show went off the air, the energy backstage was still buzzing. Sandro and Kofi were greeted with pats on the back, high-fives, and congratulations from the other wrestlers and crew members. Dusty and Steve approached them with wide grins.
"You boys tore the house down," Dusty said, slapping Sandro on the shoulder. "That's how you make a main event, baby. The fans were with you every step of the way."
Steve nodded in agreement. "The timing was perfect. You two have something special. Keep this up, and those tag titles won't be out of reach for long."
Sandro and Kofi smiled, exhausted but proud. They had given it everything they had, and it had paid off. But as they sat down in the locker room to catch their breath, they knew the road ahead would only get tougher.
April, Nicole, and Brianna soon found them, having finished their own segment earlier in the night. April, still holding her FCW Divas Championship, grinned at them.
"You guys killed it out there," she said, her voice full of admiration. "That was a main event for the ages."
Kofi smiled, shaking his head. "Thanks, April. But you better watch out—Nicole and Brianna are coming for you."
April rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm not worried. I've got this. The twin sisters have nothing to scare me."
Nicole and Brianna exchanged a look, smirking. "We'll see," Nicole said. "Enjoy your moment while it lasts."
As the group chatted and the adrenaline from the match slowly wore off, Sandro found himself reflecting on the night. He and Kofi had survived the ambush, endured the beatdown, and came out on top. But this was only the beginning.
The war with The Empire was far from over, and they knew that Stu and Drew wouldn't take this loss lightly. The next time they faced off, it would be even more intense. But Dragon Boom was ready. They had the fans behind them, and they had proven they could hang with the best.
As Sandro looked around the locker room, at his friends, his partners, and his opponents, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. Wrestling was about more than just winning titles. It was about telling stories, about making people believe in the struggle, in the triumph, in the fight. And tonight, they had done just that.
Sandro and Kofi exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them. They weren't just a tag team anymore—they were a force. And the FCW Tag Team Championships? They were coming for them, hot and ready.
Returning to his apartment after the whirlwind of the night, Sandro's body ached with exhaustion, but his mind was still racing from the adrenaline of the main event. The lights of the city outside twinkled through his window, a sharp contrast to the chaos he had just left behind in the ring. Dragon Boom had just taken down The Empire in one of the most brutal matches of his career. It was a nontitle match, but the victory still felt monumental.
Sandro sat down at his desk and fired up his computer, the hum of the machine a familiar comfort. He logged into the FCW forum, a place where fans discussed the ins and outs of every show, dissecting matches, rivalries, and storylines. As expected, the boards were alive with excitement.
"Dragon Boom pulls off a miracle!" one post read.
"Sandro and Kofi prove they're the real deal," another fan commented.
He skimmed through the various reactions. It was gratifying to see so many people talking about their victory, debating if Dragon Boom had what it took to win the tag titles. As he scrolled further, his eyes caught a thread discussing The Empire's inevitable revenge. Sandro knew they were right.
Drew and Stu wouldn't let tonight's loss slide because he was sure that Dusty and Steve had planned a revenge match or confrontation for Drew and Stu.
Still, the positivity from the fans boosted his spirits. It reminded him of why he started this journey. He wasn't just fighting for himself; he was fighting for everyone who believed in him, who followed his career, who saw him as an underdog rising through the ranks.
He was also fighting for his family—his parents, who had always supported his dreams in wrestling, and the legacy they were building outside of the ring.
Switching tabs, Sandro checked on the stock shares and various investments he and his father had been monitoring. Due to the memories from his past life that he possessed, knowledge passed down from his father alongside experience, and sound investment strategy, he and Jack had made some smart moves in the market, including several tech startups and real estate projects that were growing in value even though the economic crisis still hit hard.
The stocks that he had invested in had risen steadily over the past few months, and today had another sharp uptick. He smiled to himself, knowing they were making the right moves, not just in wrestling but in the business world too.
His phone buzzed on the desk, breaking his focus. It was his mother, Taylor. Her contact name lit up the screen, and Sandro's heart warmed as he answered the call, bringing the phone to his ear.
"Mom!" he said, leaning back in his chair, his voice lighter than it had been all night. "Did you watch the match?"
"I did!" Taylor's voice came through, full of pride and excitement. "You were incredible tonight, Sandro! I'm so proud of you. Your father and I were cheering so loudly in the living room, that I think the neighbors might file a noise complaint!" She laughed, the sound filled with genuine happiness.
Sandro chuckled, amused by his mother's orfs because their house was so big that her laughter would never reach their neighbors. "Thanks, Mom. It was a tough one. The Empire really brought their A-game, but Kofi and I pulled through."
"You always do. I just wish we could be there in person more often." Taylor's voice softened. "We miss you, you know. Your father and I were talking, and we'd love for you to come home soon, even if just for a day. It feels like forever since we've had any time together as a family."
Sandro felt a pang of guilt at that. He had been so busy with wrestling and managing his investments that he hadn't made enough time for his family. He hadn't been home in months. "I know, Mom. I miss you guys too. I promise I'll come home soon. Things are just a little crazy with the schedule right now, but I'll make time. I'll be there."
There was a pause on the line, and then Taylor's voice returned, brighter than before. "That's all I needed to hear, honey. We'll hold you to that. Your father wants to talk to you, too. He's been hovering here the whole time, waiting for his turn."
Sandro smiled at the thought of his dad eagerly waiting to talk. "Put him on."
A moment later, Jack's deep voice came through the phone. "Hey, champ. Great job tonight."
"Thanks, Dad. It felt good. I'm exhausted, though," Sandro admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I bet. But you should be proud of yourself. Not just for tonight's match—everything you're doing. You've come a long way since you first told me you wanted to be a wrestler."
Sandro could hear the pride in his father's voice, and it meant the world to him. His dad had always been supportive, even when Sandro's dream of becoming a professional wrestler seemed far-fetched, and at first, Jack told him to change his career path.
But Jack had encouraged him every step of the way after knowing that he turkey hellbent on becoming a wrestler, while also teaching him the importance of thinking beyond the ring.
"You've been making good decisions with your money, too," Jack continued. "I wanted to let you know that I had submitted many paperwork today to create our company, the Nexum Core Enterprise making it officially set up. We've got the resorts under it, and your mother's law firm is now part of the company as well. It's all moving forward."
Sandro sat in stunned silence for a moment, letting his father's words sink in. The Nexum Core Enterprise was now officially set up. He had known this was coming, but it was supposed to be later after the UFC deal was finalized and the negotiations with Marvel concluded.
His father's decision to move ahead with the paperwork surprised him, but not in a bad way. Jack had always been a forward thinker, someone who seized opportunities before anyone else even saw them coming. Sandro admired that about his dad, it was one of the reasons their investments had been so successful thus far because he revived his father's support.
"Wow, Dad," Sandro finally said, his voice tinged with surprise. "I thought you were waiting until the UFC deal was finalized before setting up the company."
Jack chuckled on the other end of the line. "That's my son! I knew you could see that I was going to do so. Yeah, that was the plan at first, but I figured, why wait? The UFC deal is almost wrapped up, and everything else is falling into place. Your mother's law firm is thriving, and the resorts are doing better than ever. There's no point in delaying this when we can get ahead of the curve. You'll see, it's the right move."
Sandro nodded to himself, pacing around his small apartment. His father was right, of course. Jack had always been more business-savvy, able to spot opportunities before others. And it wasn't like they were rushing into this blindly.
He is sure that the groundwork for Nexum Core Enterprise had been laid over months of careful planning by his father, and now they were ready to take the next step.
"Yeah, you're right," Sandro said, a smile creeping across his face. "I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. It's exciting, though. Nexum Core—it sounds like we're building something really big here, something that'll outlast both of us."
"That's the idea," Jack said. "This isn't just about making a quick buck. This is about legacy, Sandro. You've got your wrestling career, and I've got the business side covered. Between the two of us, we're setting up something that's going to take care of our family for generations. That's why I didn't want to wait. Every day we're not moving forward is a day we're missing out on opportunities."
Sandro's thoughts drifted to the investments they had made so far. The tech startups, the resorts, and his mother's law firm were already under Nexum Core's umbrella, but there were even bigger fish in the sea. Companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, were the future giants they had also quietly invested in. The idea of bringing those powerhouses under Nexum Core's control, even in part, was thrilling.
"Do you think we should include our shares in YouTube, Google, Facebook, and Amazon under Nexum Core as well?" Sandro asked, knowing that if they could consolidate their holdings, it would make Nexum Core even more formidable.
Jack paused for a moment before responding, clearly weighing his answer. "I've thought about it," he said carefully. "But we're not quite ready for that yet. We don't have majority control in those companies, and if we tried to pull them under Nexum Core now, it could raise some eyebrows and attract attention we don't want. People would start asking questions, and that could lead to backlash from the other shareholders."
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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