*After the opening bout of Precision's Backlash, the lights in St. Louis' Scottrade Center dim slowly to darkness, as the ambient crowd noise fades with them. The silence is momentary, lasting only until the pale, bruised, masked face of Jack Rogue appears on the titantron to a cacophony of boos in the blackness. His perverse excitement is inferred from quick, heavy, raspy breathing emerging from the bright, fang-filled decal on his half-mask*
Jack: Since last week's edition of Precision, the world seems to have chosen an irrelevant observation to remember and emphasise from my match with Joseph Diamond, over the headline. I proved myself right. I said that Joseph Diamond wasn’t good enough to sail in and avenge his poor, maimed brother in victory and I was right. I said he'd have his emotional storm, I was right. And I said I would withstand it and strike him down like the moronic animal he is – I was
right! And may the world
never forget it.
*Despite Jack appearing only by video, the audience continue to boo him and his words, nearly drowning him out*
Jack: He had his “dark” little thoughts in his tiny, boring brain about all the things he'd do to me, to repay me for what he caused. For a long time he had the upper hand because
of course he did. But he did no lasting damage, and poor little Joey couldn't close. He tried to come at me with
my weapon, was poor enough at it to get caught up with the referee. I took my chance and about dented the canvas with his skull. Just like that, I cracked my second Diamond. My tear since TLC continues, and still you all refuse to believe that I will walk the blood soaked path I build with my promises. Tonight, I take another step.
Jack: Jordan Bull, to his credit, has so far been the most resilient of my victims. I took him out of action back at TLC by wounding his right arm, in our first match I submitted him with the Rogue Lock and did further damage to it. Now, sure, he’s not cleared to compete, but he signed a waiver and will face me tonight, under No Holds Barred. That was brave, and certainly resilient, but also extremely stupid. Walking into any wrestling match, any fight, with any injury less than 100% is like crawling into the ring to hand your opponent the bow to shoot that bullseye with. To do so while not even medically cleared is to render yourself unable to put that inevitability off... and to do so against a man who broke your body and spirit when it
did function, where he has licence to use whatever means take his fancy, is to commit suicide on international pay-per-view.
Jack: Tonight, Jordan Bull will face the Backlash of his stupidity. I will add the briefest of finishing touches to my handiwork. I will cave in his skull and snap his arm in half, and I won’t have to break a sweat to do it. I'm walking into a playground of destruction with a physical and emotional wreck. Make no mistake: I don't need seven matches... this ends at Backlash. Tonight, Jordan Bull – for the final time in his career – will face total Annihilation.
*The video cuts, the lights spring back on abruptly and a frustrated crowd prepare for the second match of the show*
-End of segment-