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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
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The violent, chaotic uprising of the Nexus had been forcefully, brutally put down, not by locker room unity, but by the swift, terrifying hand of a returning dictator. The Capitol Punishment Pay Per View faded to black with the image of the God King looking down upon his the ring, leaving the entire wrestling world to wonder what dark, terrifying designs Sandro Zhang had planned next for the universe he had just saved.
But while the television feed was over, the noise inside the Capital One Arena, and across the internet, was only just beginning.
Within minutes of the Pay Per View going off the air, Twitter and the WWE Official Forums were slammed with an unprecedented wave of traffic. social media platforms and online wrestling communities collapsed under a massive wall of traffic, as the servers struggled to handle the surge as hundreds of thousands of fans rushed online to dissect every single frame of what had just transpired in Washington D.C.
The trending sidebar was completely dominated by wrestling topics: #CapitolPunishment, #GodKingReturns, #LesnarVsLashley3, #BrieBella, #KaneICChamp, #CrymeTyme, and #ZigglerSoleSurvivor.
The online discourse began at the top of the card with the steel cage war between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley. Wrestling forums were filled with glowing reviews for the match structure. Fans praised Paul Heyman's clever last minute pre match stipulation, which required the contest to end strictly by pinfall or submission, completely eliminating the easy escape route through the cage door.
"That steel cage match was pure art," one popular user posted on the Official WWE Forum. "Having the cage door burst open when Lashley went through it was insane, but keeping the rule that they had to finish it inside the ring made the beatdown mean so much more. Brock going 2-1 in their series feels like the definitive end to this war. Now that Lashley is taken care of, Lesnar needs to jump straight into the world title picture."
Twitter echoed the sentiment, with fans agreeing that the three match series had accomplished its goal. Lesnar had emerged as an absolute force of nature once again, and viewers were eager to see the Beast move on to new targets.
Further down the card, the tag team championship match between Cryme Tyme and the duo of Sin Cara and Hunico received high marks for its dynamic pacing. Fans online expressed genuine excitement over JTG and Shad Gaspard retaining their titles.
Ever since Cryme Tyme had shocked the world by dethroning Rated RKO on SmackDown several weeks ago to begin their second reign as Tag Team Champions, the audience had rallied behind them.
"Cryme Tyme needs a long, dominant title run," a trending tweet read. "The brawler versus luchador dynamic tonight was awesome. JTG and Shad have improved so much, and taking the belts off Edge and Orton wasn't just a fluke. Give them a year with those belts."
The women's division also generated a massive wave of emotional discussion across social media. Brie Bella's victory over Natalya to claim her very first Divas Championship was hailed as a brilliant piece of long term storytelling.
Fans recalled the bitter, months long feud between the Bella Twins that had fractured their bond, leading to Nikki Bella aligning herself with Sandro's Undisputed System while Brie was forced to rebuild her career from scratch as a singles competitor.
"Brie escaping the Sharpshooter and hitting the Bella Buster gave me chills," a top comment on Reddit's wrestling hub stated. "She spent months being labeled the lesser twin sister, surviving her sister's heel turn and all the trash talk. Seeing her hold that butterfly belt with tears in her eyes felt completely earned. A true redemption story."
Meanwhile, the Intercontinental Championship match provided one of the night's biggest shockwaves. Kane's surprise victory over Sheamus had social media buzzing. While nobody had predicted the Big Red Monster to walk out of D.C. with the gold, the online community was thrilled to see the veteran holding singles gold again.
"Kane as Intercontinental Champion in 2011? I am 100% here for it," one fan tweeted, garnering thousands of retweets. "Sheamus put up a fight, but seeing Kane absorb a Brogue Kick and hit that choke slam was nostalgic perfection. The IC title just got a massive injection of star power."
However, all of those discussions were merely a warmup compared to the digital explosion surrounding the main event.
The nine on nine elimination tag team match was analyzed down to the smallest detail. Fans praised the relentless, fast paced booking, highlighting Dolph Ziggler's surprise return as the mystery ninth man. Ziggler's arc, from being brutally betrayed and knocked out cold on NXT by Wade Barrett and Ryback, to standing as the final, battered survivor for Team RAW, was widely celebrated as a masterclass in building a babyface hero.
And then came the return of the God King.
Sandro Zhang's sudden reappearance after more than two months off television sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. His striking visual change, swapping his signature dark business suits for pristine, all white wrestling gear adorned with a red and black skull and knife logo, was immediately analyzed by fan theorists.
Naturally, a small, vocal minority of hardcore fans took to the forums to complain. "Sandro comes back, beats up the Nexus in sixty seconds, and STILL hasn't defended either of his world titles in over sixty days," one thread complained. "He's holding the WWE and World Heavyweight titles hostage while wearing fancy white tights. When are we actually going to get a title defense?"
However, those complaints were rapidly drowned out by a massive wave of hype from the vast majority of the fan base. Sandro's destructive sixty second sequence was replayed millions of times across social media clips within hours of the show going off the air.
Wrestling fans were particularly obsessed with his updated move set. The lightning fast, bone crunching Last Note Elbow that knocked Ryback unconscious, the breathtaking Heavensfall Cutter off the middle rope that spiked Wade Barrett, and the brutal, unnamed electric chair driver that smashed Ryback into the canvas were analyzed with microscopic precision.
"Sandro just came back and casually dropped three of the coolest moves in wrestling history back to back to back," a popular wrestling YouTuber tweeted. "The Last Note Elbow was the perfect execution strike, that Heavensfall Cutter was smooth as silk, and whatever he called that driver on Ryback looked flat out lethal. The God King didn't just return,nhe evolved. So now, what is he planning next?"
Behind the curtain, far away from the noise of the internet, the atmosphere in the backstage area of the Capital One Arena was electric.
The moment the pay per view went off the air and the arena lights began to dim, Sandro stepped back through the heavy black curtain into the Gorilla position. He was immediately met with a warm round of applause from the road agents, producers, and crew members standing near the monitors.
Vince McMahon stepped forward, a satisfied, proud grin on his face, shaking Sandro's hand with a firm, approving nod before the young champion moved deeper into the talent hallway.
In the main communal locker room area, the mood was light, loud, and celebratory. The performers who had put their bodies on the line during the grueling main event were shedding their wrestling gear, icing their joints, and unwinding.
Sandro, still wearing his white combat boots and sweat drenched tights with his two world titles slung over his shoulder, walked into the room to a chorus of welcoming shouts.
"Look who finally decided to end his vacation!" Drew McIntyre called out with a broad, Scottish grin, stepping forward to slap Sandro on the back. "Must be nice sleeping in until noon while the rest of us are getting thrown through tables every Monday!"
Sandro laughed, tossing his gear bag onto a metal bench. "Hey, somebody had to stay home and make sure the ratings held up, Drew. But seriously, you guys killed it out there tonight."
A circle quickly formed around Sandro as his closest friends gathered. Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods of The New Day walked over, clapping Sandro on the shoulders. Wade Barrett, Ryback, and Dolph Ziggler, who was currently sitting on a trainer's table with a cold ice pack pressed against his ribs, joined the group as well.
"That new driver you pulled out on Ryback was filthy, man," Xavier Woods said, shaking his head in admiration. "We were watching on the monitor in the back like, 'Did he really just lift a two hundred and ninety pound man into an electric chair and drop him like that?'"
"I had to make sure the big guy felt it," Sandro teased, glancing over at Ryback.
Ryback let out a deep, booming laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Brother, my soul left my body for a second when my shoulders hit the mat. But it looked incredible on camera."
Sandro turned his attention to the rest of the Nexus members who were standing nearby, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Mason Ryan, David Otunga, Michael Tarver, Darren Young, and Curtis Axel.
Even though Sandro was only twenty one years old, making him younger than almost every single one of them, the young prodigy commanded immense respect throughout the locker room. He stepped over to the group, offering genuine, heartfelt praise for their work over the last month.
"Seriously, guys, you all executed this invasion angle perfectly," Sandro said, looking each of them in the eye. "The discipline, the heat, the way you handled the crowd reactions, it gave the whole brand a completely different edge while I was gone. You guys made the main event storyline work."
"We appreciate that, Sandro," David Otunga replied, speaking for the group as they nodded in agreement. "We just followed the outline Vince and creative laid down, with some form you as well. Coming from you, that means a lot, man. Welcome back."
As the Nexus guys moved toward the catering area, two heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. John Cena and Randy Orton walked up to the circle, both men wrapped in towels with ice strapped to their knees.
Cena leaned against a set of lockers, a smirk playing on his face as he looked at Sandro. "So, the God King decides to grace us with his presence again. Nice tights, by the way. Very holy."
"I thought I'd brighten the place up a bit," Sandro quipped back.
Orton crossed his arms, his sharp eyes narrowing playfully. "That's all fine and good, kid. But John and I were just talking. You've been carrying those two world titles around like personal luggage for over two months without putting them on the line. The fans on the internet are practically ready to burn the arena down. When are you actually going to give the locker room a shot at that gold?"
Cena nodded in agreement, chuckling. "Yeah, man. People are hungry. The locker room is hungry. When do we get to fight for the belts?"
Sandro took a sip from a bottle of water, smiling calmly at the two multi time world champions. "Don't worry, guys. I didn't come back just to pose with the belts. I had a two hour call with Vince earlier this week. We've mapped out some massive creative directions for the summer. Trust me, the world title picture is about to get very busy, very fast."
"Good," Drew interjected, tapping his United States Championship. "Because once I'm done elevating this title, I might just have to come after one of yours."
"You're welcome to try, Drew," Sandro replied with a sharp, confident grin.
Before the friendly banter could continue, a flurry of laughter echoed from down the hallway. Four women walked into the locker room area, chatting animatedly. AJ Lee, Nikki Bella, and Alexa Bliss were surrounding Brie Bella, who was beaming from ear to ear while proudly carrying her newly won Divas Championship over her shoulder.
Nikki was hugging her twin sister tightly, completely ignoring the fact that they were on opposite sides of the on screen storyline divide, genuinely thrilled for Brie's career milestone.
"Look at the new champion!" AJ cheered, spotting Sandro and pointing toward Brie.
Sandro stepped away from the guys and walked over to the four women. He smiled warmly at Brie, offering a genuine, respectful nod.
"Congratulations, Brie," Sandro said, his voice sincere. "That match with Natalya was fantastic. Escaping that Sharpshooter and getting the pin, you completely earned that moment tonight."
Brie smiled brightly, clutching the butterfly belt tightly against her hip. "Thank you so much, Sandro. That really means a lot coming from you. And hey... welcome back! The building almost exploded when your music hit tonight."
"It's good to be back," Sandro said, sharing a warm look with AJ, Nikki, and Alexa. "Enjoy the moment, Champ. You worked damn hard for it."
The backstage area gradually settled down as the crew began packing up the equipment crates, loading the massive production trucks for the next leg of the tour. The performers showered, changed into their travel clothes, and headed out toward their respective hotels, exhausted but satisfied with a monumental show.
Twenty-four hours passed quickly.
Monday evening arrived, bringing the professional wrestling world right back to the very same venue, the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
The gloomy rain from the weekend had completely cleared, replaced by a warm, humid summer night. Hours before the doors were scheduled to open, the streets surrounding the arena were flooded with thousands of eager fans. Tailgaters blared theme songs from their car speakers, children ran through the plaza wearing plastic replica belts, and long lines wrapped around the block.
Merchandise stands outside the venue were doing record-breaking business. The WWE had rushed out a brand new line of t-shirts overnight featuring Sandro's white, red, and black skull and knife logo, and the shirts were selling out faster than the vendors could restock them.
Inside the arena, the atmosphere was charged with a kinetic, electric tension. The fans who had attended Capitol Punishment the night before had returned for Monday Night RAW, desperate to witness the immediate fallout of the God King's return.
They wanted answers. Why did Sandro save Team RAW? What was the meaning behind his new white gear? And most importantly, now that the tyrant was officially back, who was going to step up to challenge him for the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship?
Up in the broadcast booth, Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, and JBL were adjusting their headsets, reviewing their show sheets, and preparing for the live television feed to go live across the globe. The lights inside the stadium began to flicker, the crowd's collective roar building into a deafening wall of sound. The stage was set, the cameras were locked, and Monday Night RAW was ready to ignite the nation's capital once again.
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Name: Alessandro Zhang
Age: 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 (1st - 376 days), 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: 2 - 0 Main Event: 1 - 0