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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
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For the first time since the inception of the flagship programs, Sandro Zhang had effectively forced Vince McMahon's hand. Utilizing the immense financial backing and boardroom pressure of his father, Jack Zhang, Sandro demanded that the WWE roster be given a true holiday break.
Instead of forcing the exhausted talent to travel and broadcast live shows during the final week of the year, RAW and SmackDown aired special "Best Of" compilation episodes, featuring classic matches and highlights from the year.
Even the developmental brand, NXT, followed suit, airing legendary bouts from the ECW and WCW tape libraries. The talent roster was absolutely overjoyed. They were finally allowed to go home, rest their battered bodies, and actually enjoy the New Year with their families, while still receiving a specialized holiday pay stipend.
Vince McMahon and the upper management team were, predictably, furious. They despised the idea of giving up live television revenue and control. But their hands were entirely tied.
Jack Zhang had personally greenlit the initiative from the Nexum Core boardroom, and had even wired the necessary funds to WWE corporate to cover the specialized talent payouts, ensuring Vince couldn't use financial losses as an excuse to cancel the break. The billionaire patriarch had bought the roster a week of peace.
Sandro took full advantage of the hard won time off. He flew straight back to Orlando, Florida, desperate to retreat to the massive, sprawling Zhang family estate to spend New Year's Eve with his parents, Jack and Taylor Zhang.
But he didn't travel alone.
AJ Lee, Alexa Bliss, and Nikki Bella accompanied him on the private Nexum Core jet. Sandro had sat the three women down earlier in the week, making it explicitly clear that they were entirely free to fly back to their respective hometowns to spend the holidays with their own families.
He offered to personally cover all their first class travel expenses, wanting them to have a normal holiday if they desired.
All three women had adamantly refused. Their lives, their careers, and their hearts were entirely intertwined with his. They wanted to ring in the new year exactly where they felt they belonged, by his side.
The Zhang mansion, usually a quiet, cavernous fortress of corporate power, was suddenly filled with life, laughter, and warmth.
Taylor Zhang, Sandro's mother, was absolutely thrilled to have the girls in the house, fussing over them and ensuring they were treated like absolute royalty. Even Jack Zhang, the notoriously stoic billionaire, seemed to soften slightly, enjoying the rare opportunity to have his son home and safe, far away from the violence of the squared circle.
On New Year's Eve, as the clock ticked dangerously close to midnight, Sandro and his three queens escaped the noise of the indoor gala. They stepped out onto the massive, marble balcony overlooking the sprawling, manicured estate and the dark Orlando sky.
The crisp winter air felt refreshing against Sandro's healing ribs. He stood in the center, dressed in a sharp, casual suit, his arms wrapped securely around the waists of the women who shared his chaotic life.
From inside the mansion, the muffled sounds of the countdown echoed through the glass doors.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
The exact second the clock struck midnight, officially welcoming the year 2011, the dark Orlando sky erupted. A massive, professionally choreographed fireworks display, paid for by Jack Zhang, lit up the estate in brilliant explosions of gold, red, and silver.
Sandro turned to his right, gently tilting Nikki Bella's chin up, and kissed her deeply under the flashing lights. He then turned to Alexa, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her lips, before finally turning to AJ, pulling her in for a passionate embrace as the fireworks thundered above them.
He pulled back slightly, looking at the three women who had stood by him through the grueling rise to the top of the industry.
"I hope this new year brings us even more good things," Sandro said softly, his voice barely audible over the explosions. "More happiness, more success. Professionally... and personally."
AJ smiled, resting her head against his chest. "We already have all the gold in the WWE, Sandro. What more could we possibly want?"
"Everything," Sandro smirked, his ambition never truly sleeping.
The girls laughed, nodding their heads in agreement, perfectly content in the eye of the hurricane.
The brief, peaceful respite vanished in the blink of an eye. The calendar flipped, the holidays ended, and the unforgiving grind of the professional wrestling industry roared back to life.
It was Monday. And it wasn't just any Monday.
It was the special New Year's Eve edition of Monday Night RAW, and the WWE had spared no expense. The broadcast was being held in the most famous arena in the world, Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The sheer historical weight of the building added an incredible electricity to the air. The fans had flocked to the Garden in massive, record breaking numbers. They were braving the freezing New York winter for one specific reason, they wanted to see the God King in the flesh.
Sandro Zhang, the newly crowned Triple Champion, was walking into MSG as the most untouchable, powerful entity in the history of the company, leading the most decorated faction the business had ever seen.
However, there was a massive, looming question hanging over the Undisputed System. The loss of the NXT Championship. Dolph Ziggler had dropped the developmental title to Bray Wyatt just days before Sandro's historic victory, and Sandro had yet to publicly address the failure. The entire wrestling world was waiting with bated breath to see if the Showoff would face the wrath of the God King in the center of the world's most famous arena tonight.
As the clock struck 8:00 PM Eastern, the live broadcast began.
BOOM!
The opening pyrotechnics shot violently into the air, filling Madison Square Garden with thick smoke and deafening noise. The sweeping camera shots captured an incredible visual: twenty thousand fans on their feet, cheering at the top of their lungs, waving thousands of homemade signs. The energy inside the Garden was absolutely mythic.
The camera finally panned down to the ringside area, settling on the familiar commentary team of Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and JBL.
"Welcome, everyone, to the World's Most Famous Arena!" Cole shouted, a massive smile on his face, feeding off the energy of the New York crowd. "We are coming to you live from Madison Square Garden for a very special, New Year's Eve edition of Monday Night RAW! I am Michael Cole, alongside Jerry 'The King' Lawler and JBL, and we want to wish everyone watching live and around the world a very Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year, WWE Universe!" Lawler cheered, waving to the camera. "What a way to kick off 2011! We are in the Mecca of sports entertainment, and the atmosphere in this building is absolutely electric!"
"And it's electric for one reason, King!" JBL immediately interjected, his voice booming with arrogant pride. "These fans braved the cold, they packed this historic building, because they want to lay eyes on the most powerful man to ever lace up a pair of boots! They want to see the Triple Crown Champion!"
"You cannot deny the magnitude of what happened nine days ago at Tribute to the Troops," Cole admitted, his tone turning serious as graphics of Sandro's victory flashed on the screen. "We witnessed a monumental, historical moment. Sandro Zhang survived an absolute war with CM Punk. He took the Voice of the Voiceless to the absolute limit, and he walked out with the World Heavyweight Championship."
"He didn't just walk out with it, Michael, he conquered it!" JBL argued. "He holds the WWE Championship, the United States Championship, and the World Heavyweight Championship! He is the undisputed, untouchable God King of this industry!"
"But John, you have to admit, there is a massive crack in the armor of the Undisputed System," Lawler pointed out, tapping his pen on the desk. "While Sandro made history, Dolph Ziggler made a catastrophic mistake. He lost the NXT Championship to Bray Wyatt. We all saw what happened to Chris Jericho when he failed the God King. Everyone in this building is wondering: what is going to happen to Dolph Ziggler tonight?"
"The God King demands perfection, King," JBL said, his smile faltering slightly, a hint of nervous tension in his voice. "And tonight, in Madison Square Garden, the royal court will address its failures. But make no mistake... the empire is stronger than ever."
The moment those ominous words left JBL's lips, the camera snapped away from the commentary desk and focused squarely on the entrance ramp. The night was young, and WWE management had decided to kick off this special New Year's Eve broadcast with an absolute blockbuster.
The blaring, aggressive horns of John Cena's entrance music hit the Madison Square Garden PA system, and the World's Most Famous Arena completely unglued. The reaction was exactly what you would expect from the notoriously vocal New York crowd: a deafening, 50/50 split of passionate cheers and visceral, throat shredding boos.
Cena sprinted out from behind the curtain, a blur of neon green and denim, throwing his towel into the crowd and saluting the hard camera. He charged down the ramp, sliding into the ring with his signature intense energy, ready to set the tone for the first RAW of 2011.
His opponent was not going to make it easy. The heavy, thumping Irish drums and wailing guitars of Sheamus's theme song blared through the speakers. The Celtic Warrior stepped out into the spotlight, the pale skinned brawler looking like a man possessed. He beat his massive chest, letting out a primal roar that echoed through the Garden, before marching toward the ring with bad intentions.
The bell rang, and what followed was an absolute slugfest.
There was no feeling out process. Cena and Sheamus immediately locked horns in the center of the ring, trading heavy, echoing right hands that popped the crowd with every impact. It was a test of pure, unadulterated power.
Sheamus gained the early advantage, utilizing his raw, brawling strength to back Cena into the corner and unleash a flurry of devastating clubbing blows to Cena's chest. He followed it up with a brutal short arm clothesline that nearly took Cena's head off, scoring a quick two count.
But John Cena, the perennial face of the franchise, refused to be put down easily. He rallied back, feeding off the polarized energy of the MSG crowd. He countered a suplex attempt from the Irishman, hitting his signature flying shoulder tackles, followed by the twisting spin out powerbomb.
The crowd rose to their feet as Cena raised his hand, signaling for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He bounced off the ropes, dusted his shoulder off, and dropped the fist directly into Sheamus's face.
"Cena is dialing it up!" Cole shouted over the roar of the fans. "He's looking for the Attitude Adjustment!"
Cena hoisted the massive frame of the Celtic Warrior onto his shoulders, but Sheamus fought tooth and nail. He threw wild elbows to the side of Cena's head, forcing his way down, and immediately bounced off the ropes to deliver a sickening Irish Curse Backbreaker.
The match was a phenomenal, hard hitting opener that had the fans on the absolute edge of their seats. The false finishes were masterful. Cena managed to lock in the STF, bending Sheamus's massive body at a painful angle, but Sheamus managed to drag his body across the canvas to reach the bottom rope.
The climax arrived with shocking brutality. Cena, exhausted but determined, charged at Sheamus out of the corner. Sheamus sidestepped him, hitting the ropes to build momentum, and launched his heavy boot directly into Cena's face.
CRACK!
The Brogue Kick connected perfectly. Cena collapsed to the mat, his eyes glassy. Sheamus scrambled for the cover. One! Two!
Cena kicked out! The Garden exploded. Even Sheamus looked stunned, pulling at his red hair in frustration.
But the Celtic Warrior didn't waste time arguing with the referee. He stalked his prey, retreating to the corner, beating his chest and waiting for Cena to slowly, groggily push himself up to a kneeling position. The moment Cena reached his feet, Sheamus charged again.
CRACK!
A second, catastrophic Brogue Kick nearly took Cena's head clear off his shoulders. Cena hit the mat like a sack of bricks, completely unconscious.
Sheamus hooked both legs, making absolutely sure. One. Two. Three!
"He did it! Sheamus just pinned John Cena clean in the middle of Madison Square Garden!" Cole screamed, absolutely shocked by the outcome. "What a monumental victory for the Celtic Warrior to open out the year!"
"That is what it takes, Michael!" Lawler added, shaking his head in disbelief. "It took two devastating Brogue Kicks to keep Cena down, but Sheamus proved he is an absolute monster!"
The broadcast hurtled forward, maintaining a blistering pace. The matches, backstage promos, and intense segments that followed kept the New York crowd buzzing with excitement.
Fan favorite superstars picked up victories, new rivalries began to take shape for the upcoming Royal Rumble, and the Divas division showcased a deeply personal, fast paced bout.
Yet, beneath the surface of every single segment, an undeniable undercurrent of tension gripped the entire broadcast.
The fans were excited, yes, but they were primarily filled with an anxious, suffocating anticipation. They were waiting for the arrival of the God King.
The commentary team couldn't help themselves, between every match, during every replay, and coming back from every commercial break, Cole, Lawler, and JBL steered the conversation back to Sandro Zhang.
"We are tracking the situation backstage," Cole would mention in a hushed, nervous tone. "The door to the Undisputed System's private locker room has been guarded all night. Nobody goes in, nobody comes out. We still don't know when the Triple Crown Champion is going to grace us with his presence."
"Let them wait!" JBL would boast, a smug grin plastered across his face. "The God King operates on his own schedule! When the monarch is ready to address his subjects, he will do so!"
The anticipation built to an absolute fever pitch for two straight hours. The entire roster seemed to be walking on eggshells, hyper-aware that the most powerful, unhinged tyrant in the history of the company was lurking somewhere in the bowels of the arena.
Finally, the clock ticked toward the final segment of the night. It was time for the main event.
The camera swept across the sold out Madison Square Garden crowd. The fans were on their feet, holding their breath.
Suddenly, the arena was plunged into absolute, pitch black darkness.
A terrifying, metallic screech tore through the massive stadium speakers.
"SHOCK THE SYSTEM"
The reaction from the New York crowd was nuclear. It was a deafening, visceral wave of boos that practically shook the concrete foundation of the historic building.
They loved to hate him, and they poured every ounce of their vocal energy into letting him know. The industrial noise transitioned seamlessly into the gritty, heavy guitar riff of the Undisputed System's theme song. The entrance stage was suddenly flooded in deep, opulent, blinding golden light.
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Name: Alessandro Zhang
Age: 20 (2010) ➝ 21 (2011)
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida, USA
Brand: WWE - RAW
Wrestling Style: Mixed Of All Styles
Faction: The Undisputed System
Championships History: 1x FCW Tag Team Champions, 1x FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion, 1x TNA World Heavyweight Champion, 1x TNA X Division Champion, 1x WWE United States Champion, 1x WWE Champion, & 1x World Heavyweight Champion
Other Achievements: 1x Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale Winner, 1x Mr. Money In The Bank, Youngest WWE Champion, PWI Top 500 (No.1) - 2010, & 1x KOTR (2010)
Wrestlemania Record: 1 - 0