TPT: HRZNS17

[Travis Pierce]

We see a darkened set, with silhouettes visible of a table. A voiceover is heard from Rob Cartwright.

Cartwright: Ladies and gentlemen, he is the host of The Piercing Truth, you know his name, the Icon of Entertainment, the King of Charisma, he is...TRAVIS PIERCE!

“You Know My Name” by Chris Cornell begins to play, and the lights come on to show a chair sitting backwards behind the desk. A monitor behind the chair shows the logo for The Piercing Truth. The chair slow turns around, revealing Travis Pierce.

Pierce: Welcome to the show! I am Travis Pierce, and welcome to The Piercing Truth, where we must look to the Horizons...and behold! Top stories!

Travis switches to Camera B.

Pierce: President Donald Trump made America great this week by throwing the Middle East into complete turmoil when he officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. While Palestine declared the move was deplorable and unacceptable, Trump insists it will advance the peace process, and even upset his own false teeth, which appeared to summarily fly out of his mouth. Doubtless bodies will be flying all over the place at Horizons in the Chaos Championship, in large part because Zane Scott has the potential to just wreck shit all over the place until he gets bored and Jessica Mathis is eighty pounds soaking wet with her own blood. As Travis Pierce is not afraid of the sight of other people's blood, this would appear to give him a distinct advantage.

Travis switches to Camera A.

Pierce: Beleaguered Senate candidate from Alabama, Roy Moore, tweeted out this week that his opposition is afraid he will bring Alabama values to Washington in what might rank up there as one of the most tone-deaf statements made recently. The Court has promised to restore power to the old guard here in UGWC, but there is a problem with that, namely that none of them are supporting Travis Pierce, who was the power in UGWC before any of them could say the same. Travis Pierce was the World Heavyweight Champion before anybody had heard of Eden Morgan or Killian King or Gabriel Baal, and Travis Pierce will one day again be World Champion and you’ll have long forgotten all of them.

Travis switches to Camera B.

Pierce: We’ll be right back with our first special guest of the evening, right after this word from our sponsor.

Fade back in on Travis at his desk.

Pierce: Please welcome my guest at this time, the Lord of Pain, Donovan Hastings!

The 8-bit synthesizer plays "Invidia" as Hastings comes out and takes a seat on the couch.

Pierce: Welcome to the show!

Hastings: I can't believe you still do this.

Pierce: I can't believe you're getting another World Title shot while the Consortium keeps letting me languish, so I guess we're even. Let's talk about that. In just a few short days at Horizons, you will face Jet Somers in the main event, and let's face the piercing truth, we've already seen how this one ends. Jet beat you at Horizons once before, he's going to do it again. This entire year has been a downward spiral for you. When are you going to give in and just embrace your status as a washed-up has been?

Hastings: When are you going to embrace the "Charisma King" character and revitalize your languishing career?

Pierce: I've always been and always will be the King of Charisma. Rob even uses the moniker in the opening of the show, that makes it true. What is also true is that your career could be over in a matter of days. We've known each other for ten years, over that time there have been a number of people that have been true friends of this program, and you've been on it too. Do you have a favorite memory of The Piercing Truth?

Hastings: I like it when people blow up your set.

Pierce: Dilly dilly, you're a dick. Let's just jump right to the Piercing Question From the Fans, shall we?

Hastings: Oh good, you typically do that right before you end the interview.

Pierce: Why did you even come on?

Hastings: Contractual obligation for being in the main event.

Pierce: Whatever, here we go.

Travis shuffles through his index cards.

Pierce: How do you really feel about someone giving you a thumbs up?

Hastings: It's superior to the fist bump as it doesn't require me to make physical contact with the peasantry.

Pierce: I would wish you good luck at Horizons, but I don't want to.

Hastings: And I hope Zane drops you on your head repeatedly.

Pierce: We'll be right back with more Piercing Truth, after this!

Cartwright: And now, A Quiet Moment With Travis.

Fade in on Travis sitting in a rocking chair in front of a bookshelf, a blanket on his lap and a pipe in his hand.

Pierce: Eden Morgan. I think it’s time we had a word.

Travis blows some bubbles out of the pipe.

Pierce: You were jealous of my success with the Piercing Media Network, jealous of the friendship and bond between Opie and myself, that's why you undermined me and stole it away. Eden the Odds wasn't enough for you, you needed it all to yourself. Then you had the Syndicate, Eden Morgan and her peoples, but what happened there? Vain became the megastar, what was supposed to be all about him instead became all about you, so you broke it apart, destroyed your own creation because it wasn't what you wanted it to be. Now you have the Court, which is clearly once again Eden and her peeps. Syndicate 2.0, you just replaced Zane's role of "bitter dude that doesn't quite fit in" with Baal and Vain's role of "outshines everybody else even though he isn't supposed to" with Jet. I wonder, when will you get tired of being forced to play second fiddle to the people who were meant to prop you up?

Travis blows some more bubbles from the pipe.

Pierce: At Horizons, sure, there are two other people in the match. Zane Scott. Jessica Mathis. They are window dressing, people that have nowhere better to be, nothing else to do. This is about you and me, Edie. This Horizons seems to be all about blasts from the pasts, sports entertainment sequels. Hastings/Somers. Deimos/Rydell. You and me. I’m the person who has served you your just desserts in the past. History has a way of repeating itself.

Travis blows some more bubbles from the pipe.

Pierce: I’m sure you think you deserved to be a Grand Slam Champion, that you deserved it more than anybody that preceded you. I don’t care about the Chaos Championship. It’s brought me grief more than anything else. I do care about beating you. You call yourself the Ice Queen, but the truth is you’re the spoiled princess of UGWC, and I’m going to get a head start on my 2018 resurgence by ruining your 2017, because you deserve it.

Travis winks to the camera as the image fades.

Cartwright: We’ll be right back with the Wild Card, right after this!

Fade in on Travis at his desk.

Pierce: Please welcome my guest at this time, JET SOMERS!

The 8-bit synthesizer plays "Gone Sovereign" as Jet comes out and takes a seat on the couch.

Pierce: It's a blast from the past. Welcome to the show!

Somers: Always a pleasure to return to the show I helped put back in the spotlights.

Pierce: Just so we're on the same page, no hard feelings about you being such a douche canoe the past few years.

Somers: Of course not, as long as you don't hold being your being a backstabbing ingrate against me.

Pierce: Let's get right to the piercing heart of the matter. You're once again the World Heavyweight Champion, fourth time for you. Main-eventing Horizons for the third time in your career. Must be quite a feeling.

Somers: A lot of people are motivated by having something to prove. It might be a new face proving that they belong, or a veteran proving he still has something in the tank. It might be a rival proving they are better than their opponent, or just someone proving that they deserve the next opportunity. For me, I've proven everything I possibly can over and over, so this time around, I'm done proving. It's time I simply enjoy what I've earned.

Pierce: Tell the fans why this match, a Horizons main event that we have seen before, is a better match at this time than something new like, I don't know, a match featuring Travis Pierce.

Somers: You make a fair point, Travis. A match between us would be new and exciting, something never seen before! Should I draft a Napolean's Revenge contract?

Pierce: You're such a douche canoe. Anywho, we've got some Piercing Questions From the Fans. Ready?

Somers: This is my favorite part of the show.

Travis shuffles through his index cards.

Pierce: Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?

Somers: Well, I'm a gum chewer, normally. But when I heard about these ticket things of Wonka's, I laid off the gum and switched to candy bars, instead. Now, of course, I'm right back on gum. I chew it all day, except at mealtimes and bedtime when I stick it behind my ear. Now, this little piece of gum here is one I've been chewing on for three months solid, and that's a world record. It's beaten the record held by my best friend, Miss Cornelia Prince Medal. And, WAS she mad. Hi, Cornelia. How are ya, sweetie?

Pierce: Why are you such a douche canoe?

Somers: Well, I used to just be a Wild Card competitor, but someone mentored me in becoming more entertaining.

Pierce: Yeah, sorry. That one was mine. Listen, let's get to the point. There is really only one rematch that you really need to have, and it isn't this one. You've beaten Hastings before, you're going to beat him again. This is an End of an Era match, and once you put it and him behind us all, in 2018 we give the people the main event they really want to see. Jet Somers. Travis Pierce. World Heavyweight Title. I'm throwing the gauntlet down now.

Somers: Put another rivalry to rest for good? I might have to make a hobby of this. If there's anything left of you after Eden puts your face back in order, I accept.

Pierce: Best of luck to both of us then.

He turns to face the camera directly.

Pierce: We’ll see you at Horizons, and remember! It’s not my fault that the truth...hurts.

”You Know My Name” plays again as we fade out…

['The Indestructible' Ichabod]

Holy hell... this is Travis Pierce in rare form like we haven't seen him in ages! This is that old scathing TPT style we used to see for big events, the comedy and the cuts coupled with care. <-I didn't do that on purpose. I hope this is an indicator of a resurgence of Alpha Trav in 2018! Good luck!

[Zane]

That's a much more intense and focused Pierce than we've seen in a while. Could this lead to a resurgence regardless of his outcome at "Horizons"? Time will tell.

Excellent work and good luck!

[Gabriel Baal]

I've always thought venomous Pierce is best pierce. He's a strong talker, which gives his nickname credence.

Honestly, Peirce isn't around enough. His brand of vicious honesty is sorely lacking in our weekly lives.

I liked your take on the questions, it was done in a way that was a little different to what I expect from your opponents, but standing out is what's important.

I hope this really is a resurgence for Travis in 2018.

Good job.

[DrunkenBuzzsaw]

Two things.

1 - If Hastings loses and has to retire, I push for him to be a regular co-host on TPT, because the dynamic between he and Pierce is awesome.

2 - We havent seen the 3 members of PMN together in any capacity in a long time, but in looking at Pierce's thoughts on Eden Morgan, and the back and forth between he and Jet, we really need to make that happen again in 2018.

Venomous Pierce is awesome Pierce, and this postwas quite enjoyable.

Nicely done, bro.

[Lord Hastings]

The questions that were required to be included were:

Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?
How do you really feel about someone giving you a thumbs up?
When are you going to embrace the "Charisma King" character an revitalize your languishing career?