Beyond The Mat.. "Jihad and Szaban"

[The One]

WHEN CHAMPIONS COLLIDE

It will go down in history as the single most famous controversy of a pro wrestling to spread over a wide number of federations in the modern era. Twenty or thirty years from now this story, more than any famous wrestler jumping promotions, more than and prominent death, and more than any record setting house, will be remembered vividly by all who watched it live, and remembered as legendary from all who hear about it later. Rivalries are what makes a business competitive, but what two men had lasted the better part of a decade. Finally, when you have a champion and a returning legend there is only a match between the two could decide who the better man truely was.

November 13, 2000 - The soon to be "Jihad" sat on a bed in a modest hotel room. Greg Sullivan was changing into his business suit preparing to walk into the Extreme World Wrestling federation and make his mark on the world. The EWW just two weeks later would place a ban on their World Champion Matthew Szaban after a confrontation in regards to the World Champions future. Sullivan got dressed and made his way to the EWW Headquaters in Tampa Bay Florida and signed documents that would undoubtedly send him spiraling into a world of hate and pain. Greg signed the papers after agreeing that he would no longer go by the vanilla flavored birthname he carried and instead was dubbed Jihad.

February 10, 2003 - Past met present when the ban on Szaban was lifted and Szaban made a return to EWW and found that his World Title that was never lost, had now been placed around the waist of the one now known as Jihad. Szaban was furious as he continued to call himself Champion and still wore his title around his waist. After being back for a mere couple of weeks Szaban and Jihad were slotted to face one another to finally clear up who the true and rightful champion was. Sadly this match set a precident for the next four years between these two men as the EWW closed it's doors the week before this match would transpire.

December 16, 2003 - Rey 2 Jericho, The Don Makaveli ran what was known as World Championship Xtreme Federation. Jihad Sullivan and his Violent New Breed were battling it out as headliners against the stable Dead on Arrival. Szaban was at his Massachusetts home when he received a phone call from the Don himself asking him to join the roster and represent the WcXf brand of wrestling. Szaban told Makaveli that he was already employeed and was very comfortable where he was at this point in his career. Makaveli attempted to sway Szaban's desicion but it had no affect, that is until Makaveli told Szaban about the competitors that he could see in the ring mentioning Jihad and the VnB. Szaban quickly changed his demenor and verbally agreed to show up on WcXf's Thursday night show Underground.

January 6, 2004 - Szaban was officially a member of WcXf and entered the federation with a head full of steam. Jihad had already shown the world that he was top dog when he finished WcXf Superstar Corpse with an Unholy War and pin for the WcXf Universal Championship. Szaban on this day would start down a path that would ultimately lead to his capturing of the vacated Universal Title, and after a two month hiatious a showdown with the returning Jihad Sullivan.

June 22, 2004 - Jihad versus WcXf Universal Champion Szaban was lined up, both undefeated in WcXf till this point. However, just like before this match would not come to pass as the WcXf just as the EWW folded up and closed it's doors. Szaban and Jihad were going crazy each one leaving and returning to the ring, hoping to be able to finally face one another. Now keeping with the trend it was not going to happen as Makaveli ran into money problems and was running from people who turned problems from money.

July 4, 2004 - Szaban was sound asleep when he awoke due to the phone ringing just after three in the morning. Szaban confused and disoriented answered the phone and to his surprise it was Sullivan. Trish Sullivan, Jihad's Queen and wife. Trish was the talent manager for the rocket started federation known as Xtreme World Wrestling Association and having worked with Szaban for the past five years knew that they needed to wrap him up quickly and she did just that. Szaban was offered three quarters of a million dollars to sign with the XWWA for five months. Szaban may have been tired and confused but the math was right, and he returned a signed contract via fax becoming a XWWA Superstar.

August 24, 2004 - Trish, before the show at Memphis Pyramid, told Szaban that the money situation in the company had changed and they would have problems paying him everything promised in his contract. Szaban told the Sullivans that the only way this was going to be accepted and he realign his contract is if Jihad would come out of retirement and face him for the XWWA World title that was strapped around Szaban's waist. The Sullivan's and Szaban went back and forth all day long until a comprimise was reached. If Szaban could defeat Fade Gordy, Jihad would come out of retirement - something he did not want to do, not because he was scared but because Jihad was a strong businessman who believed he should not compete in his own company - and face the XWWA Champion

August 29, 2004- Szaban faught the greatest match of his life to this point and defeated Fade Gordy. After twenty-seven minutes Szaban and Fade fell from the top turnbuckle into the security wall, both bouncing their heads off of it. Szaban made it into the ring, and Fade did not.


September 3, 2004- Jihad was livid as he and Szaban sat down and worked out the new dollars and matches for the new contract. XWWA signed the match, and booked it for what was going to be the biggest PPV of the year. But once again, misfortune would take hold as the XWWA was doomed to fail. Jihad had a few outside men taking care of getting sponsors and advertisement deals done for the company. But embezzlement reigned supreme as the XWWA nearly caused Jihad to go broke and ultimately sent the company crashing.

October 11, 2004- Jihad was resting in his compound throne room when he was paid a visit by none other than the Don Makaveli. Jihad was astonished that after all this time Makaveli would walk into his home and expect to receive something from him. Makaveli explained to Jihad about being reborn, and how WcXf would rise from the ashes like a pheonix. Jihad would listen to every word that Makaveli had to say, but in the end even after being promised the opening match would be against Szaban for the World Title. Jihad declined saying he had nothing left for the ring or for Szaban. On this day however, Szaban was already in action explaining to his ex-wife that he was going away. And away he went spending everyday of the next six months on the road. Szaban battled and carried the WcXf every step of the way, continuing to read any blog, any mail, any piece of paper that would tell of the return of Jihad.

April 2, 2005 - Makaveli was at it again. This time the Don simply stated "I am done." And said that he was closing down reborn. This time it was not going to be allowed. Szaban the reigning WcXf Champion along with Ironman showed Makaveli out of the company and ran it strong. Szaban held no punches as he made reforms and built the company stronger than it had ever been. Szaban vacated his title and made tournaments to crown true champions of this resurrected federation. Szaban became the boss, and under him Corpse would regain the Universal Title, Halo would capture the International Championship, Raven won the historic Xtreme Title, and DoA was crowned the first ever WcXf World Tag Team Champions. Szaban lead the federation to a high note and it took him less than a month to accomplish the revamping of a dying fed.

May 3, 2005 - Szaban had signed with the military and was leaving in seven days. Szaban gave all control of WcXf to DoA and believed that any and all decisions they made would be fair. Szaban said his fairwells and went on his way to say goodbye to his daughter and go do what he felt he needed to by fighting in a war that he had not started.

May 10, 2005- Szaban was gone, and this would start the quietest year and a half the industry of wrestling had seen in the past five years.

The wrestling world continued, but it did not conquer.

[The One]

The Story goes on

January 2007- Dreams would happen again as Jihad 'The Ruler of All' Sullivan would return to professional wrestling. Not as an active wrestler, but he was around just the same. Jihad brought with him his longtime friend Fade and earned the rights to Dark Halo after Fade defeated her in a match that would cause Halo to become a member of the VnB. Johnny Mental was soon to follow giving the VnB and their ruler Jihad the upper hand in the company as they could easily dominate anyone or any aspect of the business they so desired to.

February 22, 2007 - There is no question that the power of on-line services when it comes to influence of pro wrestling was established this past week. It was generally portrayed that it was a power struggle between Makaveli and Jihad, that Jihad had won out, and to a lesser extent Makaveli was losing confidence over the direction of the product. In the vast majority opinion on-line from people who really had no clue as to what was really going on, Makaveli and Jihad were coming off as major heels. With no true face for the company many marks of the brand were starting to doubt the revival of nis new Xtreme Vicious Intent. Makaveli was not liked by the men and women who watched his product, but he knew what it would take to continue filling the seats. Makaveli sent an email to Szaban at his government email address to officially invite Szaban to the ranks of XVI. Szaban was coming up with a decision to reenlist in the Military after two years or to seperate Honorably. Szaban seperated and once again placed himself in a wrestling ring after almost two years. The XVI was revived as Szaban started several heated feuds in his first few days back.

April 1, 2007 - A Fool's Revenge would set Szaban up in back to back matches against two very capable opponets and would set in stone Szaban's greatness. Corporal Punishment a man who played the part of what Szaban had lived for the past two years, and the Icon himself Johnny Mental who was the acting leader of the VnB. Szaban would pass through Corporal Punishment rather swiftly and then Szaban, just as expected would go to war with the XVI Champion and one Bostard Drop later would be crowned XVI's World Heavy Weight Champion - Szaban still holds the longest XVI Title Reign to date. But Szaban won more than just the XVI's World Title. Szaban won his second match against a VnB member and just kept edging closer and closer to finally realizing the past seven years and reaching a comprimise that would take Jihad out of retirement and into the XVI World Title Match.

May 14, 2007 - Makaveli was growing tired of Szaban seemingly growing more and more powerful in the company. And with the VnB having disappeared Szaban really did not have anyone that could stop him if he wanted to go unscaved. Szaban would lie down to advance the likes of Rachel and Jordan Glass but never in a high priority match. Szaban liked to put over wrestlers that he thought deserved it but now he had been called out by the boss. Makaveli had set up a contract signing live on Side Effect and Szaban was excited to get his hands on the boss. Szaban went out to the ring in his flamboyant style and signed the contract without so much as a word. Szaban was estatic that this was going to happen, but Makaveli seemed a little more reluctant as he had something up his sleeve- An Ace of Spades. Jihad would infact take the place of Makaveli for this match. Szaban and Jihad were both excited and determined to get over the match that had been the talk of the past seven years of their lives.

May 28, 2007 - Highway to Hell brought pain and agony to many superstars. But tonight two legends would enter the ring, and one undoubted champion would stand above all else and leave the ring with all those years being glorified. Jihad would be this man. Jihad would win this match, but it was not close as Jihad would have liked it to be. Szaban had the match won, as did Jihad when the near falls continued to sway back and forth. Jihad finally was able to walk away as champion, tag team champion after making a deal with Makaveli. And Szaban was barely able to walk away.

The Match: People on the inside were watching this as close as on the outside. Would Szaban do the job? Would Jihad do the job? Would Jihad give Szaban a real beating before putting him over? The Ford Center was packed with more than 30,000 rabid fans, who up to that point had seen a largely lackluster undercard. It appeared that about 10 to 20 percent of the crowd knew Jihad and Szaban would never follow a wrestling script and would never put the other one over in a match. Szaban wanted to prove to himself that he was capable of going the distance in a battle with a true competitor like Jihad. Jihad after almost three years out of competitive wrestling wanted to prove that he still had it, that he was still the greatest to ever step into the squared circle and that Szaban the face for the millenium was not capable of standing toe to toe with him.

June 5, 2007 - Jihad and Halo as the UnHoly Alliance were celebrating being the new and first ever XVI World Tag Team Champions as their celebration was cut short by the return of Szaban's cousin Wolfe. Wolfe and Jihad would go back and fourth until Jordan Glass came out to make his impression felt on everyone saying that he was the one that was the future and that they need to start giving him his respect. The four XVI members continued to explain in great detail how great each one was until the arena and the wrestlers themselves were rocked by the surprise return of Szaban. Szaban held no punches as he passed by his cousin, and Glass and stood in the ring right next to his long time advesary Jihad Sullivan. Szaban and Jihad would once again mix words until XVI owner the Don Makaveli stepped out from the curtains and surprised everyone when he made a thunderous announcement of Szaban versus Jihad part two, this time the match would be held in a cell. Makaveli had a clear hatred for Szaban, but now it grew into a respect as he was able to handle the beating the Jihad laid on him. Szaban came back and was able to take more and more. Jihad however fell less favorable in the eyes of Makaveli since he did not keep up with his end of the bargin even though he had already received his payment being the tag team champion. The match was set and now everything has been placed in motion as Szaban and Jihad are once again headed into a brutal world of pain. Nobody knows where this one will end up. The only thing for sure is that if not both, then one of these men will need assistance by an ambulance after this one is said and done.