For fans who have subscribed to Shane Helms' YouTube channel / podcast, Highway2Helms, they were treated with a special surprise on this day -- a new intro featuring highlights of Shane Helms' EBWF career, all set to his classic EBWF ring music, Ladies and Gentlemen by Saliva. The highlight package / intro gave way to a splash screen with his Highway2Helms logo, and that then gave way to the familiar face of one Shane Helms looking into the camera, vlog-style, as he began to talk.
Shane Helms: Llllladies and gentlemen, welcome to a - well, I hesitate to use this tired old cliche, but a very special edition of the Highway2Helms YouTube show, podcast, whatever this is. Haha, watch me go and get copyrighted for using my own ring music! But, eff it, I had to throw that in there, because my friends, today is a very special day. As you may or may not know, I am once again, one more time, dusting off the ol' cape and cowl, or what have you, and will be appearing on EBWF Warfare tonight in the first round of the annual King of the Ring tournament. Now, you may be looking at me and thinking, Helms... wassupwitdat? Why today, why now? Well, I gotta admit, all this quarantine business, I've been sitting around the house getting a little cabin fever, and even for a guy like me, sitting in this luxurious home, eventually you just gotta get up and move around a little, you know? And since I've been known to wear a mask since before it was stylish, I figured I'd slide on into my man Wes Ikeda's DMs and be like, hey.... what up? King of the Ring is coming up, you got a spot for your old boy Helms? And he did, and so here we are.
SH: Now, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you -- It's been a minute. I'm a little out of the game. I don't really know who's who, what's what, who's dating who, who's the champ, who's a good guy, who's a bad guy, all of that. But to be honest, I don't feel like I need to know that, when I know myself. When I know that I can go hop in that ring, and be the same Shane Helms I've been all my life, bring what I bring to the table, it doesn't really matter to me who's who or what's what, or who's dating who, or who's the champ, or who's a good guy or who's a bad guy. What matters is that I'm still Shane Helms, EBWF World Champion a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. And I may be a few years older, a little more seasoned, these tires may have a few more miles on them, but it matters not. Because I can still walk into that ring and bring the same passion and fire I always have, I can hand out shining wizards all night long if need be.
SH: But let's talk a little bit about my opponents anyway. Tonight, I step into that ring with Jay Briscoe, and Chavo Guerrero. Let's start with Briscoe. Now, I'm not going to pretend to know much about you, but I don't have to. I know what I need to know -- that while I've been out here living life in the Carolinas for the 45 years of my existence, you've been up here playing up all the worst stereotypes of a good ol' southern boy to get yourself over on TV. And I mean, that's fine, we all do a little of that, it's the nature of our business. But it's not going to stop me from bringing a real, honest, good ol' southern whoopin' to that ass! I mean, you deserve it just for the way you fly that idiotic Confederate flag, but hell, I don't think YouTube would give me enough time to talk about everything I want to say about that. Just know that "dem boys" are gonna get "dem" asses whooped from one side of the ring to the other!
Shane's demeanor and tone softened slightly.
SH: Chavito, on the other hand, well... I'll be honest with you, man. I have nothing but love and respect for you and the entire Guerrero family. I'll even excuse Vickie now and then, if I have to. You and I go way back, we've been all over the world together. And I consider it an honor to step back into the ring, one more time, with someone I consider a measuring stick in this industry. I want you to bring that Latino Heat like it's never been broughten, because I want to know, and feel, when that bell rings at the end of the match, win or lose, that I went toe to toe with one of the all time best and we left it all out there on the canvas. Just promise me that, man.
SH: Whelp... I hate to cut this one short, but I do believe I have a plane to catch. Whether you're there in person, watching online or on TV, I ask one thing of all of you -- keep your eyes open. Watch everything. Be there, be in the moment with us, enjoy the time we have together. Because when the superstars of the EBWF get up there in front of the eyes of the Extreme Best Wrestling Fans in the world, well...
He tilted the camera down slightly to show his Hurricane mask, which he'd been fiddling with in his hands this whole time.
SH: ...you just never know who might show up. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you tonight.