jimsub81: Taylor vs Derrick...

Martin was working out alone in the TW gym following his loss of his title jacket to Hilario. He couldn't believe he had been fool hearty enough to take on a challenger that was totally unknown. He wound up paying the ultimate price, the loss of his championship jacket. He vowed to get it back. But right now he aimed to make the next opponents he faced in the ring suffer for his loss.

Everyone avoided him as he tossed the weights around with a look of pure intensity on his face. Even his friend Elton didn't get too close. But the cocky Taylor walked right up and pressed Martin's buttons, "Hey Marty. How's it feel to be called EX CHAMP?" Martin dropped his dumbbell and got right in Taylor's face saying, "First off, the name is MAR-TIN. Second, I don't plan to be EX Champ for long. I suppose you think it was pretty slick you getting your buddy into a match with me? But remember it was MY choice. I fear nobody. I don't see you taking any matches where you don't know your opponent!"

Taylor remained cool. He knew he had Marty going, "Man I'd take on any middleweight in the division regardless of record or ring time." Martin looked at the rather tall figure that just walked into the gym sporting a buzz cut and carrying a gym bag. He had not been seen before. Martin said, "How bout that guy?" Taylor looked and said, "Who the hell is it. He's probably just delivering a pizza or something." "Carrying a gym bag?!!!", said Martin. Then Martin said, "Hey buddy." The boy who looked about 17 walked over with a smile on his face and said, "Hi, what's up?" Taylor said, "You a wrestler. I never seen you here before." The stranger said, "My name's Derrick. ( Check out Derrick's picture on the first set of middleweights second page #24) My folks and me just moved here from Iowa. I never was to a big city before. I heard about this place and thought I'd give it a try." Martin said, "You have to pass a physical and have a parental permission slip." Derrick smiled even wider and held up the necessary papers, "Got them both...sorry I didn't catch your name." "My name's Martin." Derrick said, "Wow your the middleweight champ aren't you. That would be my division." Martin looked dour and Taylor relished telling the newcomer that Martin was the "EX" champ. Derrick apologized and Martin accepted. He asked the best way to go about getting a match.

Both Martin and Taylor noticed the bulging biceps and the well formed pecs that shown through Derrick's tight fitting New Balance T-shirt. Martin decided to set Taylor up. "Well, Derrick, you just have to find someone you want to take on and find an open slot in a coming card. Sometimes it helps to know people to get your match on the card. But if you prove yourself you can pretty much get matches whenever you want as long as you find opponents." He turned and said, "As a matter of fact, Taylor here has been looking for a good singles match. Maybe he'd like to be your debut opponent." Derrick looked wide eyed and excited at the thought, "Really Taylor, you'd take a match against a guy that just started?" Taylor knew what Martin was doing and didn't like being maneuvered but he did need to keep winning matches. Derrick looked strong but Taylor though he could take the good natured "hayseed" down. Taylor looked at Martin but said to Derrick, "Yeah, I'll take a match with you. First you have to give those papers to the officials then come find me and we'll sign the match up." Derrick beamed a wide smile and said, "Gee, thanks guys. Wow, I just walked in the door and already made two friends! I'll catch up with you in a minute Taylor." Taylor just waved him an "OK" sign.

Martin was smirking at Taylor as Derrick walked off. Taylor said, "You think your funny. You just signed that poor hick's death warrant!" Martin said, "I don't know he looked pretty ripped for a hick!" Taylor stayed cool, "You keep playing your games Mr. EX CHAMP! I still plan on taking you down in the ring. Whether its for the title or not, I'm gonna rip your ass in half!" The anger returned to Martin and said, "Looking forward to it BEAST!" He said the word Beast condescendingly and Taylor walked away imagining standing over a destroyed Martin!"

The night of Taylor's match with Derrick arrived. Taylor stood with Posse mates Corwin, (in one of his seldom seen appearances without Drew) Rusty and the tag team of Jed and Luke. They wished Taylor the best. Taylor flexed as Corwin rubbed his back and awaited his intro.

Derrick was standing alone. He had been given the procedure but was nervous beyond belief. He glanced about nervously. Elton saw the boy's fright and walked up to him and said, "Take a deep breath." Elton patted the teen's back. Elton was impressed at the hardness of it. Derrick stood in green trunks showing his incredible physique. Elton and Derrick introduced themselves to each other. Derrick closed by saying. "I never met a black fella before." Elton was not insulted. As a matter of fact he had to hide a laugh at the terribly naive boy and said, "Well I never met someone from Iowa either so I guess were even. Listen Derrick, I don't know what kind of wrestler you are but you're about to face one of the toughest and meanest, maybe THE toughest and meanest guys in the league. You watch your step out there." Derrick was genuinely thankful to Elton for his advice but didn't know why he though Taylor was mean.

"Our next match is a middleweight matchup. First making his debut here at TW, standing 6 feet tall and weighing in at 178 pounds...DERRICK"

Elton swatted Derrick's butt and said, "Go get em tiger and remember what I said." Derrick nodded a yes to Elton and ran to the ring. Half way down he tripped over his own feet and fell face first in the middle of the isle. The audience laughed and the embarrassed boy got up blushing and took the ring. The audience was still laughing but they still took note of Derrick's incredible build. "And, his opponent, standing 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing in at 164 pounds...TAYLOR!" The crowd booed him soundly as he strutted to the ring taking his time about it. He brushed off the insults with waves of his hand. He slowly crawled through the ropes and faced off with the newbie.

Taylor was as impressed with Derrick's body as everyone else. But Taylor sported one of the best in the league himself. His abs were a rippling 8-pack and his pecs were super defined. He stared Derrick square in the eyes and showed not the slightest bit of fear. Derrick was more than a little intimidated. Elton's words were ringing through his mind and Taylor's intense appearance had Derrick literally quaking in his boots. Derrick extended his hand. Taylor looked at it for a moment then barely touched it with his fist. The bell rang...

Derrick had seen but a single match. He knew nothing about wrestling except for what he had done with his brothers on their farm in Iowa. He had grown strong working the farm and had no formal weight training. Taylor introduced him to the world of TW wrestling in a big way. As Derrick walked toward him Taylor plowed a foot as hard as he could into Derrick's rippling stomach muscles. Derrick was caught totally by surprise and doubled over gasping for breath. He though, 'Damn, that really hurt.' Taylor moved in on him fast and slammed forearm across the side of the teen's head. Derrick went staggering across the ring. The ropes prevented his fall and a smirking Taylor closed on him.

Derrick struck out wildly at him. Taylor ducked with ease and came up inside his reach landing three hard shoes to the midsection. Derrick started to speak but Taylor shut his mouth with a knee raise to the lower belly. Derrick doubled over and another knee raise to the chest sent the taller boy down flat on his back. Taylor dropped a full force knee to the belly and Derrick's face turned red as his wind was driven from him. Taylor slammed the back of his head to the mats and got up only to come back with a driving elbow to Derrick's well toned chest. Taylor shot another fist to the stomach as he raised Derrick.

Whipping Derrick's dead weight actually took a bit of effort but Taylor did it sending the new boy to the ropes. Derrick was amazed at how the taunt cords flung him back with such force. He was even more amazed to find himself becoming airborne as Taylor caught him up in a powerslam. Derrick's back hit the canvas with a ton of force. A tingling sensation radiated throughout his body. Before he had time to react Taylor had dropped the full weigh of his body into a double knee drop that smashed into Derrick right above the waist band of his trunks. He gasped and had tears come to his eyes as Taylor crushed his guts. This was turning out not to be as much fun as he thought it was going to be!

Taylor then grabbed the boy's arm and twisted it back causing Derrick to flop over onto his stomach. Taylor secured in his armbar and yanked it tight. Derrick at last made a cry of pain. Taylor was whipping the crap out of him. Taylor relished in the dominance he was showing. He jerked the shoulder one more time then dropped with a driving knee to the lower back. The blow to his back really hurt Derrick and he arched up grabbing at his back with both hands. Taylor moved around the front and slammed in two big boot toes to the firm pectorals of the farm boy. Derrick went over to his back and Taylor sunk three big stomps to the belly. Derrick was writhing in agony as Taylor stood over him. He had had his fun and now was ready to end this match.

Martin had been watching with Elton. Martin confessed that he had suckered Taylor into this match and Derrick was paying a hard price. Elton had taken a real liking to the new boy and was a little disappointed that Martin would set up a naive kid like Derrick in a match with the likes of Taylor and told him so. Martin hung his head. He would do what he could to make it up to the newbie assuming he came back after the beating he was taking tonight.

Taylor pulled Derrick up. The beaten kid's world was spinning as Taylor powered him to the turnbuckles. Taylor stood in front of his defeated victim and gave him a bitch slap across the face. Derrick's eyes grew wild with fury. He fought off the pain in every bone in his body and lunged out at Taylor with both hands catching Taylor's chest and sending him to the mats on his butt. He was getting up but the suddenly enraged Derrick landed on him planting a knee to the chest. Taylor struggled over to his front to raise up but Derrick sent a fist to Taylor's back. Taylor felt it crush into him and he fell to the mats again. Derrick pulled him to his feet. He used no wrestling moves what so ever but simply shoved Taylor full force to the turnbuckles. Taylor hit them chest first and turned only to be met by the charging body of Derrick. The heavy shoulder crushed into his upper abs and Taylor found himself winded.

Derrick was so angry that this boy he had thought of as a new friend would slap him across the face. He channeled his anger into his fists that he began driving into Taylor's upper abdomen and sternum. As the first punch hit Taylor he thought the knuckles had actually penetrated his body they hit with such force. After a fifth incredibly hard upper cut to the gut that lifted Taylor's feet off the mats he fell down wheezing and wounded.

The crowd was going nuts as this unorthodox newcomer that had gotten off to such a horrible start now had the Beast of TW down and hurting.

With his anger still flying high Derrick yanked up Taylor. Without really knowing he was doing it Derrick performed a sidewalk slam that stunned Taylor further. He pulled the Beast up again and used his incredible natural strength and whipped Taylor into a corner. Taylor was thrown with such force that actually was airborne for a moment. His back hit the turnbuckles so hard the ring shook all the way around. He was sagging in the corner when Derrick pulled him out of it. Taylor sent a punch to the gut but the hit packed a lot less force than the ones a few moments earlier had. Derrick absorbed it and rocked back on his heels and drove a punch that contained all of the young man's power and anger. It slammed Taylor's 8-pack wand ripped right through it. Taylor could barely even gasp as he had never been hit that hard before in his life. He felt the knuckles dig deep into his stomach and he folded like a sapling in a strong breeze.

Derrick then moved in behind Taylor and wrapped his big arms around the boy. He planted his left fist into Taylor's sternum and locked his right hand over it. With Taylor's arms trapped Derrick applied his bear hug. Taylor felt the bony fist crushing further and further into his body with each breath he took. But with each breath Derrick was able to squeeze just a little more. Taylor's face was turning bright red as he could barely breath now.

The referee couldn't raise Taylor's arm as it was secured. He asked Taylor if he submitted. Taylor mouthed the word NO. Derrick reared back and lifted Taylor off the mats. He shook Taylor like a rag doll. Taylor felt the fist burying in deeper into his upper stomach area. He felt Derrick's hard pecs pressing into his shoulder blades and the arms that felt like steel cables holding him helpless. As he tried to breath and was practically unable to Taylor said faintly, "OK .. enough, I give, I submit!"

The bell sounded and the announcer came on and said, "Here is you winner, by submission hold...DERRICK!" Derrick was still holding Taylor in his bear hug apparently unaware he had just won. The referee came over and said, "Let him go son, you won the match!" Derrick let Taylor go and the Beast fell in a crushed pile at Derrick's feet. The crowd was cheering him like crazy. They hated Taylor and loved seeing him lose..and to a newbie to boot!

Derrick looked down at the boy he had just beat. As quickly as his anger came to him it faded and Derrick bent over and said with all sincerity, "Gee Taylor are you OK. I didn't mean to hurt you!" He reached out to help him up and Taylor shrugged off his unwanted help, "Leave me alone you damn hayseed!" Taylor could not believe he lost. He also could not believe the power of this kid. But Taylor had underestimated him, a fatal error. The new boy had no moves and Taylor vowed revenge. Next time Derrick would get the "full treatment" and Taylor would not be taken by surprise.

As Derrick made his way to the locker room he was met by Martin and Elton. Martin apologized for getting Derrick into the match like he did. Derrick brushed it off and was not really sure why he apologizing but he accepted anyway. Martin excused himself and Elton said, "Listen Derrick, you showed you're a strong guy but its going to take more than strength to make it here, a lot more. You need to learn how to wrestle. You took Taylor by surprise out there. If you were to face him tomorrow he'd rip you limb from limb. So would most of the other wrestlers in the league now that they know not to take you lightly" Derrick looked a bit down he had know idea where he was going to learn how to perform moves like he saw the other boys in the practice ring do. He knew Elton was right though. "Well, Elton, I guess I'm gonna have a short career here cause I don't have any idea how do the things I saw in the practice gym." Elton had more time on his hands now that Patrick was spending more and more time with Joey and he almost liked the idea of taking this new boy under his wing. He slapped Derrick on the back and said, "If you want Derrick I'd be happy to help you and teach you everything I can. I'm no expert but I've learned from some of the best here. What do you say, interested?" Elton thought Derrick's smile would split his face as he said, "You bet I'm interested Elton! I can't thank you enough!" Elton just said, "Be here tomorrow after school and everyday after that. You have a lot to learn Iowa!"

They left together. Taylor and Corwin watched them exit. Taylor went on to try to explain the experience he had just been through. But anyone who had not felt Derrick's strength would be as hard pressed to understand it as Corwin was.