AGGRESSION 53: KOTC Rd. 2 - "Triple X" Sean Stevens (c) vs. The First

[DBrunkGXW]

For the EPW World Title.

Post all RP here.

 

[The Great Eye]

(FADEIN: A poorly lit room. In the low light we can see The First walking on a treadmill. First is wearing a black T-Shirt, black shorts, and a blindfold that covers his eyes. “King of the World” by Angelfish plays in the background.)

FIRST: A King declares he’s fleeing the state he’s lived in his whole life for a shot to win a title with friends, a supposed ‘superteam’ that even before it’s formed, is still judged by experts to be inferior to the current champions…

Another King goes from his posh living spaces, private jets, and million dollar cars to a rat infested cell…From having a loyal minion do his bidding to and nearly kill Rocko Daymon…To having that man now rebel, declare himself to have control over the King….That he decides the King’s fate…And that if he so desires it….That he will cost the King his title…Award it to me at, just to show who has the power…

The world changes so quickly and we all struggle to keep up…We all seek the answers to what the future will hold…A nation held it’s breath and watched in horror as an octopus used it’s powers of scrying to reveal to them that tragically, they would be defeated…And it’s vision was revealed to be truth…

Yes…A nation of well educated people were reduced to begging an octopus to tell them the future…That is our world…It’s so random, so unpredictable, so scary that we seek comfort in anything that can tell us what is to be….Even if that thing is a tiny invertebrate who randomly eats treats out of boxes…

I told the world my future after Black Dawn...Or at least how I observed it…I’d either be World Champion or I’d be yesterday’s news…And I was defeated…And before I could even leave ringside I got to hear Lindsay Troy’s music…And her return heralded the end of my efforts to be World Champion…I was to be relegated to fighting the Cameron Cruise’s of the world while the King and the Queen battled for the EPW World Title…

Or so I thought…

No I doubt the octopus would have seen King of the Cage coming…Seen that the brackets would break down such that I’d be merely one match away from having another chance at glory, another chance at being EPW World Champion…I really doubt anyone would have expected I’d pay for my victory by losing my sight…But that was the price demanded and I paid it gladly…Because now I’m back where I want to be…In that ring, fighting you Trip…

The King in a cage…The King degraded…The controlled environment of your normal life melted away, replaced by filth and oppression…rabid rats and rusted bars…Well get used to being locked inside a cage…Because that’s exactly where you’ll be when we fight…And I’m not a little rodent…No I’m a far bigger threat than any little animal…

You look at me Trip…(Points to his blindfold) and know that this is damage I’m willing to suffer…Abuse I’m willing to take…I fought a Prophet , preaching hellfire and brimstone, thumping a bible of salvation against a culture of corruption…And he allowed me move on in this tournament, but he took his price…No it wasn’t a coin to the ferryman on the river Styx…But my eyes that he wanted…For he wanted me to see the truth…

One time about a month ago I was going to go out to the store, and I could not find my glasses, and I was looking right at them…When I did notice them my wife laughed at me and said that I had looked without seeing…Now I see without looking…Now I understand the truth…And the truth is that inside that steel cage at Aggression 53…I must unleash total war upon you…I must do anything and everything I can, not just to beat you…But to destroy you…

Because that is what you have done in your reign as King…Destroyed everyone who’s faced you…Not just beaten them, but retired them, shattered them…Joey Melton, Marcus Westscott, JA…All gone after you defeated them…Rocko Daymon sent on a downward spiral he never escaped…Lindsay Troy only now having returned from your long ago vanquishing of her…

Nobody…Nobody you’ve fought for the World Title except me has lasted into the second round of this tournament…Everyone else is gone, be it from fear or lack of ability, they are all gone…Only I remain…Only I endure…

And you will never be rid of me Trip...There are three things in this world you count on Trip…Death, Taxes, and The First…The King will always have to defend his throne against the Outcast…The Outcast who before would have forsaken that throne…But now understands…EPW must always have a King…

And at Aggression 53 inside that steel cage…I shall take your title…But that shall only be the beginning, for then I shall defend that title twice more and win the King of the Cage…And with that…I shall take everything from you…

Then you will have no choice but to call me Champion…

Then you will have no choice but to call me King…

(FADEOUT)

 

[TSiegel]

"....I was to be relegated to fighting the Cameron Cruise’s of the world..."

(Fadein, Cameron Cruise in front of a standard block-lettered, EPW Backdrop, dressed in blue jeans and a solid blue T-shirt with matching shades.)

CRUISE: Allow me to clarify myself first, First, with two words: FUCK. YOU.

'Lest you forget, despite what you cry foul of...I BEAT YOU with a title on the line, so you're not "relegated" to ANYTHING but to where everyone else is on the playing field and to what you are, especially after Black Dawn.

A Retard.

And everybody knows, you NEVER go full retard.

The fact is First...regardless of whether or not you lasted just alittle bit longer than I did in that Main Event, at the end of the day I STILL fought just as hard, STILL worked the Champion just as much and STILL proved that what you could do I could do as well.

But I doubt I would need six more shots at Sean to prove to him that I could hang with the Champ at the Champs' level....MAYBE even BEAT him.

But you??

You're nothing but a liar and a fatmouth.

You talk and talk and talk until you're blue in the face....even when no one gives a damn....you STILL keep talking....

And in the end...after it's all said and done what happens is nothing but a borderline EPIC FAIL.

Now...I might not be in the 2nd round of the King of the Cage tournament after being eliminated but the fact is First....I'm okay with it.

Yeah, I'm out of a chance to win a shot at Sean's title or even the Tag titles....but being that the person that beat me is someone whose general workethic is RESPECTABLE...

I'm over it.

I might not be scheduled to compete on Aggression 53, but I've got other business to tend to there so, I'll be watching, as well as waiting for what bullshit line you have this time for leaving the arena, not only without the World Heavyweight title, but out of the King Of The Cage Tournament.

And lastly, without your dignity.

Why??

Because that's a REALITY CHECK that you just...won't like.

FADEOUT

 

[jayshort]

(FADEIN: A poorly lit room. In the low light we can see The First walking on a treadmill. First is wearing a black T-Shirt, black shorts, and a blindfold that covers his eyes. “King of the World” by Angelfish plays in the background.)

FIRST: A King declares he’s fleeing the state he’s lived in his whole life for a shot to win a title with friends, a supposed ‘superteam’ that even before it’s formed, is still judged by experts to be inferior to the current champions…

Another King goes from his posh living spaces, private jets, and million dollar cars to a rat infested cell…From having a loyal minion do his bidding to and nearly kill Rocko Daymon…To having that man now rebel, declare himself to have control over the King….That he decides the King’s fate…And that if he so desires it….That he will cost the King his title…Award it to me at, just to show who has the power…

“Brian, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish in a minute, but Triple X is the Greatest Wrestler of ALL TIME! ….OF ALL TIME!” <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>

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<o> </o>​

<o></o>
FADE: The King, on his throne, royal scepter in hand, crown atop his head, EPW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP around his waist, completing his entire ensemble with a purple robe. He looked regal, he looked rugged, he looked rich, and most importantly, he looked focused. <o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: Ladies and Gentlemen, we interrupt, yet another Brian Nadalny: “Blahblahblah, IthinkIcanIthinkIcan, washrinseREPEATCYCLE” session to ask the question that everyone has been wondering: …Where in the FUCK is Kanye West whenever this motherfucker’s microphone needs to be snatched?!”<o></o>
<o></o>
Kanye shrug.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: And, to be completely truthful, I almost feel cheated, Brian. From the very moment I began beating your ass, up until the very last, I made it crystal clear to your adoring public, that you were nothing more than a manipulative little con artist, who sweet talked his way into a position he had no business being in, in the first place. I’m no longer mad about that, in fact, at the end of our last war of words, I gave you the respect that you deserved for turning your fifteen minutes of fame into a successful career. <o></o>
<o></o>
“But, see … my biggest weakness is thinking that other men are cut from the same cloth as I am, and I take them at their word. At Black Dawn, you fought your ass off, I give you that. You proved your mettle, your desire, and showed the world how much heart you have, so to say that I’m surprised that you beat Copycat would be a lie, despite what I said to you at “fifty-two”. But, pleasantries aside, we learned one more thing about you that night, Brian. We learned that, no matter how much you train, no matter how much you study, prepare … No matter how good you are … I. AM. BETTER. <o></o>
<o></o>
“Unequivocally, without a shadow of a doubt. I have always been better, I will always be better, you know it, *I* know it, your fans know it, and in case there was any lingering doubt, I proved it, once more, in front of the entire world, on one of our biggest pay-per-views ever.<o></o>
<o></o>
“And, I know the rules, Brian … I know tha—<o></o>
<o></o>
“—wait, stop recording. My throat hurts.

“I’m parched.”<o></o>
<o></o>
Looking off camera, Stevens snapped his fingers, signalling for someone to bring him a bottle of water to cure his thirst. <o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: Um, today sometime please! …I have a fashion shoot in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Milan</st1:City></st1lace> that I need to catch a flight for, I don’t have all day!.”<o></o>
<o></o>
Professional Wrestling’s King signaled off camera to begin recording once more, with an "ok" sign.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: So, like I was saying—<o></o>
<o></o>
“—wait, now I have to use the bathroom. Cut to a commercial, or another one of The First’s boring ass promos. I’ll be right back.”<o></o>
<o></o>

<o> </o>​

<o></o>
The scene re-opened with Triple X, back in his position on the throne, with a look of satisfaction on his face.
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: I know the rules, Brian. I know the law of averages, and I accept the fact that, with you being younger, there will be a point in time where your career lives on, after mine dies, but that day is nowhere near upon us, and as much as the thought clutching this belt in your arms, falling to your knees as the confetti falls from the rafters, and the announcer calls you the "NEW CHAMPION!" makes you foam at the mouth, you need to force reality on top of your delusions of grandeur, and understand that I’m not interested, nor will I EVER willingly pass my torch, just because Pop Culture thinks that I should let someone else have a shot. <o></o>
<o></o>
“And, that's not to say you don't deserve it, Brian. The desire is there, I see it in every promo you cut, and in every match that you wrestle. But, at some point, you have to look in the mirror and realize, that while desire, and heart are a part of the ingredients needed in order to be the best, talent is the ultimate barometer. And, as long as I'm champion, you don't measure up.
<o></o>
“So, stop falsely accusing me of wanting you to disappear. You’re lying to yourself, and your people. A champion is only as good as his competition, and my legacy is what it is, because of all of the obstacles I've had to clear in order to keep my title. If you can take me to my limit, then by all means, bring it on, I welcome that challenge. I guess that's why I always identified with Kobe Bryant. But, what you’ve failed to realize is, that while you did your thing at Black Dawn, it was not the “Thrilla in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Manila</st1lace></st1:City>”, I was nowhere near my limit, and you are not the toughest obstacle I’ve had to overcome. Oh, you were good. And, that match was definitely no walk in the park, but for you to constantly convince yourself that you're a threat to my title as the best in the game, when you have no championships, and haven't risen to the occasion in the fashion in which I have, as many times as I have, is ridiculous.
<o></o>
“I don’t want to get rid of you because you’re too hard to conquer, First. I want you out the championship picture, because you gave the entire world your word that you’d find something to do, other than riding my coattails to the main event, for the second year in a row, if I beat you fair and square, and I did. <o></o>
<o></o>
“Fuck the excuses. Fuck Lebron James, his snaggle tooth, and his receding hairline ... and, that World Cup predicting Octopus means nothing more than a Sushi dinner to me. THIS, no YOU are the perfect example of what this world has become. GOOD GUYS are now the liars, bad guys are despised because they tell the truth, and royalty of my ilk are disrespected week in and week out by management, who toss out impossible obstacles for them to overcome, just because the family that owns this federation has a vendetta, that they’re too afraid to address with their fists. <o></o>
<o></o>
“Brian, no matter how you try to twist, tangle, justify, or spin it, you’re a liar. And, before you were an EPW superstar, and there was an EPW Championship for you to covet, you were a man. Or atleast I thought you were. Once you realized that you and I would be meeting in the King of the Cage tournament, it became your duty as a man of your word, as a role model to all of the little kids that show up at shows with their faces painted, because they saw their “hero” do it, to back out of the match.<o></o>
<o></o>
“But, you couldn’t do it, could you? You couldn’t turn away from the bright lights, the billboards, and the attention. Two weeks ago, you lied to hundreds of thousands of fans on a weekly basis, when you promised them something you couldn’t deliver upon. Then, you looked in the mirror and lied to yourself, until you began to believe that the reason you lost to me was because you made the mistake, opposed to me being the better man. And, if a habitual liar is who I have to be in order for the fans to cheer me full time, then I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life being booed, because unlike you … hell, unlike them, I have integrity.<o></o>
<o></o>
“And, at Aggression, I’m going to prove one last time why I am the Greatest Wrestler on the Planet, and if you think for one single, solitary second that I’m going to let a vision-less, watered down version of you, do what a completely healthy, one hundred percent version couldn’t, you’re sadly mistaken. <o></o>
<o></o>
“You like to brag about still being here. Rocko, JA, they were here for a match or two after as well. You’re no different. You’re just a confused, lost, little boy, looking for motivation, and the meaning behind all of your heartache and suffering. I never was a fan of the quick kill. I destroy people in the same fashion as Aids. Initially, you feel alright, but then your body begins to break down, you become sick, and you soon realize that you can’t cure it. You’re in the “feel alright” stage, Brian. After I beat you at Aggression 53, you’ll begin to feel sick, and then you’ll realize you can't recover, forcing you into exile. <o></o>
<o></o>
“Just like everyone before you, just like everyone after you.”<o></o>
<o></o>
FADETOBLACK<o></o>

 

[TSiegel]

(Fadein, Cameron Cruise at home, on the phone, unknowingly to cameras.)

CRUISE: ...I don't care though.....if not Dan Ryan, Paul Freeman, Alaina...WHOEVER...no...no, I really don't care...just find someone that's in charge at the moment and fix it because it sounds awful.....yeah, the sound off of his promos is WAY OFF....how??...WHAT DO YOU MEAN HOW???.....look, all I'm saying is that it's pretty abundantly clear to me that there's an ECHO in his promos.....listen pal, if you don't know where, then I suggest you look for another line of work......that's fantastic, then....okay....bye.

FADEOUT

 

[The Great Eye]

(FADEIN: The First now with Muse hovering over him…She’s applying the finishing touches on his Prince Nuada face paint which covers all of his face that isn’t under his blindfold…”Bulletproof” by La Roux plays in the background.)

MUSE: OK, you’re all pretty for the camera now…I guess I’ll go hang out in the real world where blind men ranting and raving about matches inside a steel cage isn’t happening…

(Muse gets up and leaves.)

FIRST: Thanks, you’re a sweetheart…Man Kanye is even calling me Brian? I’d thought a guy in the rap industry, a business just riddled with folks with stage names and what have you, that he’d have more respect for the business…

Of course that bit is pretty friggin’ dated…And hell, I talk Latin for crying out loud, so I do know a thing or two about stuff being dated…But really, Mr. West doing his trampling on other people act, as fun as that all is...It wasn’t the main thrust o’ Mr. Triple’s X’s speech…The main point of all this is…You calling me a liar…I’ve been called worse names…But that’s what you decided to go with, attack my credibility, attack me as a man, and say I lied about Black Dawn being my last chance at the EPW World Title…That’s fine…What can I say about that charge…

Well, the promise I made to end my quest for the EPW World Title…That was a promise I made to HOPE…To Shawn Hart, Anarky, and Layne Winters…A promise I made so they understood that I wasn’t going to hold them back…Wasn’t going to hog the spotlight…Then Black Dawn came…And Anarky told me to drop dead…Layne Winters attacked Shawn Hart and somehow I got blamed for it all…And then Winters was at my throat also, his mind in a twisted rage over Hart getting a crack at the World Title ahead of him…Next thing I know HOPE is dead…The men I made that promise to now all vowing to cut me down…

So if you want to call me a liar because I honor my commitment to all my fans who want to see me win the EPW World Title, instead of a promise I made to a group that doesn’t exist and the former members of that group all hate me…Then sir, I am a liar…If you say not giving up on your dream sets a bad example for all the little souls out there painting their faces and supporting me…Then I’m a bad role model…If you want to say I’m less of a man because I want to get into a steel cage and fight for the most important title in this industry…And trying to win that title from the guy that all the experts tell me is the best wrestler in the world today…Well then I guess I’m less of a man…

You want to say that I can’t give up the main event and the spotlight and fighting with the eyes of the world upon me…Guilty on all those counts…Lock me up and throw away the key…Because I live for this, and anyone in this business who doesn’t live for it should get the hell out of it…Greatness should be aspired to and if you can do it…Greatness should be obtained…

Tell me you have integrity…You have to be joking…A champion is a man who’s supposed to never take a backward step, fight all comers, put that belt on the line and honor it…You bailed out at Aggression 50…You flat out GOT BEAT at Aggression 42…And you still look into that camera and lie…Tell me how much honor, how much respect you have…You’re pathetic…This is one of those political ‘turn your weakness into a strength’ tactics…But we both know the truth…You just say these mean, oh so hurtful things, just to upset me…You don’t believe them at all.

You tell me that in the grand scheme of your career I’m just another opponent, just another notch in your holster…I could believe you…If I was an idiot...Back when I could see…I did watch the tapes…I did see you beat Joey Melton and Lindsay Troy for the belt…And then beat JA for it…Then overcome JA and Rocko…And then Westscott…But only at the end of Black Dawn…Only when you finally, on your third attempt against me, when you finally beat me such that I couldn’t do anything but tip my cap and call you the better man that day…Only then did you grab a microphone and declare yourself the greatest wrestler on the face of this earth…Only when you finally overcame me did you decide you had made it, and were the best in this industry…

So you sit there and tell me I’m nothing special…But you’re the one lying to yourself…Cause deep down you DIDN’T WANT to be me…Yet it is me…You wish the defining moment of your career WASN’T finally beating some skinny kid in make-up who’s got a crazy story in his head about the nature of humanity and his place in this and the next world…But it was…You got up and shouted to the heavens after beating me that now you finally had arrived…You HATE the fact that the man you call Brian Nadanly is the man that’ll forever be linked to you…You resent the fact that you can’t get rid of me because you WISH I wasn’t good enough, you want so badly for me to be unworthy…That one of the so-called legends you revere and respect would be your great enemy in this industry…But you got me instead…

I know you Trip…I know the man behind the legend…I know the flesh and bone mortal behind the press clippings and media hype…You get knocked down just the same as the rest of them…You bleed just the same…You might be tougher than the rest to put down for those three seconds…But you can be pinned all the same….I don’t walk into that cage wondering how on earth am I going to achieve a victory over you…Because I know damn well I can beat you…I walk into that cage not hoping for odds, or probability or fate or any of that…I hope for a fight…I hope for the son of a b*tch who beat me at Black Dawn to show up, not the coward I fought those other two times…You bring up the “Thrilla in Manila” that’s what I want Trip, two men fighting to the last bit of energy, one final move one final blow settling things, two men laying EVERYTHING on the line for the right to be called the best…

That drive, that will, that determination, it’s inside you, but only every now and again…Only when you’re pushed…Only when you’re forced into it…You’re a diva Trip…You have all the talent in the world, but you’ll be damned if you’ll use it all unless it’s absolutely required…And well, this time it will be required…I’m going to push you one more time, and if I haven’t found your breaking point before…Well I’ll find it this time…Cause in the end, this is about will…How much pain, how much suffering, how much heartbreak can I suffer before I finally concede defeat, before I finally quit fighting those windmills, throw my hands up and say ‘enough’

It will never happen…I will not break…I am Sisyphus and you are my boulder…And if takes to the end of this mortal life to finally get that rock to the top of that hill, then I shall do it…This is the path I’ve set myself upon…A path that leads me to live and die by a word like ‘should’…Should have my vision back in a week…Should be ready to fight…I’ve come this far, given this match….You know what’s in store for you at that cage…I have nothing to lose when I fight you…

Because I can’t be any bigger of a choke artist in the eyes of my critics than I already am…I’m not the EPW World Champion right now, so why would I not seek to win the title, losing doesn’t change anything…No I have everything to gain fighting you Trip…Everything in the world…I wouldn’t want to become EPW World Champion any other way then by taking all you had to give me, suffering the worst beating of my life…And still finding a way to defeat you…

I’m not watered down…And my mind’s eye sees quite clearly…The vision you describe of me clutching that belt and falling to my knees as the confetti falls…Yeah, it sends a chill down my spine…And all it is…Is a vision…I have to make it a reality…And whatever it takes, whatever I must do to make it happen…I will…

You can not stop me…

Nothing can stop me…

(FADEOUT)

 

[The Great Eye]

(FADEIN: A Sign reading “Nadalny Gas and Auto” the camera pans down to show The First standing in front of a garage. First is wearing an “Outcast Hero” T-Shirt, black jeans and sneakers, his face still painted like Prince Nuada, his blindfold still covering his eyes. In his hands he holds a baseball cap, but we can’t see of what team. Off to the side is Muse, playing “Billionaire” by Travis McCoy ft Bruno Mars on her guitar.)

FIRST: This was supposed to be my life…Working on cars, being called a grease monkey, not a spot monkey…Dad started this business before I was even born, I grew up around cars my whole life…College was never really even thought of…Cause I already had a job that made me good money…I had an argument with my dad today, told him I’d do an oil change blind on my next promo…He didn’t want me touching a car without me being able to see…I’ll get him to crack sooner or later…

That’s before I decided to try my hand at this industry, before I heard the first of countless ‘you’re too small’ comments…Before I was told I was too weird, to strange to ever get the fans to support me…I’ve heard it all and then some…

And now I can’t beat you Trip…That’s the new one they tell me…I’m the guy who can’t get it done when it matters most…I’m a product of marketing…I was invented in a backroom by a bunch of suits…Or that Dan Ryan and Lindsay Troy looked at The Forsaken and decided I was the ‘safe one’ the PG rated one they could market to the kiddies, so I got the chance at fame and Felix got kicked to the curb…

Those are the easy labels to slap on people, easy way to make things fit into the boxes you want them to go into, truth is I’ve worked my ass off to get anywhere in this industry…I’ve had to fight scrap and kick to get anything…I’m in this ring fighting for the EPW World Title at Aggression 53 because I’ve earned it, because I got in the ring with a mountain of a man who wanted to end my career, and I overcame him…A man who cost me glory in the past and viewed me as a cancer now…He’s put me on a weeklong diet of darkness and anti-biotic eye drops…

I lost at Black Dawn…Now as a reward I live in the Black Dawn, day and night blend together…I guess this is day four of the seven I am to wear this blindfold…I’d love to tell you about some great insight I’ve gained in this time I’ve spent without vision…To share with you the secret of my heightened hearing or maybe that food tastes REALLY good now or something…But really all I can tell you is being blind sucks…There is no fun in it…But if I have to suffer this to beat you Trip…It’s worth it…I’ll relish every second of it…

Cause you my dear friend…You’re the bell of the ball…Even now Layne Winters is begging to get his hands on you…Well he doesn’t get to have you…Cause you’re not making it past me…We’ve had too much history, too much violence and brutality…Far too much has transpired between us for me to let you escape from that cage…To let you get away from me one more time…To have you deny me that title yet again…(Shakes head) I can’t let that happen…

No, I get things right in that cage with you Trip…That’s what this all comes down to…Finally changing my fate once and for all…From being an up-and-comer with all the potential in the world…To being a champion who’s arrived…From being the guy who’s given you a run for your money…To being the guy that BEAT you…That’s what happens in King of the Cage…This is the time it all changes…

And I know you’ve heard it all before, and I know my threats fall on the deafest of ears, and I know when that crowd sees you kick out of some near falls, they too shall doubt…We’ll be in Minnesota, a city that knows it’s heartbreak in sports if there ever was one…So they know what it’s like to give their hearts to a team, or to a fighter, and watch them come up short…They know to have their guard up for the potential heartbreak…

And that’s what makes the payoff all the sweeter, when knowing defeat is so very possible, it makes victory all the more glorious…It’s what will make finally vanquishing you, the conquering King of this sport…So very special…

Like the Red Sox who suffered all those years, I grew up in the shadow of Buckner, of Bucky bleeping Dent, of Clemens never getting it done for us and then selling out to the Yankees…Of Aaron Boone…But then Dave Roberts stole second…And 86 years of being choke artists, of 1918…It all went away…One victory…One title…Changes everything…All my past failures will be swept away when I defeat you in that cage…A friend told me something once…It made me laugh…But it’s very true…

(First puts on the baseball cap, it’s a 2004 World Series Champion Red Sox hat.)

Victory…Never goes out of fashion….

(FADEOUT)

 

[jayshort]

FADE: The scene opened up inside of “The Batcave” – EPW World Heavyweight Champion, SEAN “TRIPLE X” STEVENS’ personal workout facility on the bottom floor of one of his many palatial palaces, this one in particular, an eight point five million dollar, loft style apartment building in the Tribeca area of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Manhattan</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">New York</st1:State></st1lace>. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
“You can coddle shit, sprinkle salt and pepper on it, and decorate it with risotto and at the end of the day, it’s still shit, and, it still stinks.”<o></o>
<o></o>
The reigning EPW King of the Cage was shirtless, drenched in his own sweat, after a lengthy workout. His hair had grown about an inch longer since Black Dawn, and he had a three week old beard. <o></o>
<o></o>
Somewhere, teenage girls were fainting.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: You can repackage your message, paint your face a different color, ape quotes from a different character from a different movie, and at the end of the day, being Sean Stevens still trumps being whoever it is you’re trying to be. And, as much as I hate to keep reminding you that I’ve been kicking your ass for an entire year, that our “feud” is pretty one sided, and that every single promo you cut is the equivalent to nails scratching a chalkboard, I will continue to pull the curtain back on your little act, expose you for the fraud that you are, call you out on your bullshit, your revisionist history, and delusions of grandeur, with cold, hard facts, until you either get sick of hearing my voice, or use the verbal bitchslaps, and public embarrassment as a source of inspiration to go back to the lab, get creative, and invent some new material.”<o></o>
<o></o>
Stevens rolled his eyes.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: Yeahyeahyeah, this time is going to be different, right? I’m a coward, I couldn’t beat you at Aggression forty-two – even though I beat you – I was afraid of you at Aggression fifty – even though I beat you again, convincingly, leaving nothing up in the air, at Black Dawn … but, Black Dawn was luck, and this time is going to be different, so technically Black Dawn doesn’t count, even though it counts, doesn’t it? Bitch, sit the fuck down.

“Different make up, slightly different hair style, same old broken record, filled with empty threats, broken promises, and bold faced LIES. <o></o>
<o></o>
“And, you have the audacity to insinuate that YOU are my biggest nemesis?! That my defining moment was beating you?! Don’t make me laugh, you stupid, little insignificant clown. Lindsay Troy came and stole – what was supposed to be – your spotlight, and once again, your little scrawny ass had to battle your own insecurities, every time you looked in the mirror, and come to the realization that no matter how hard you try, you just never quite measured up. I didn’t grab that microphone and tell Dan Ryan to kiss my ass because I was proud that I beat you. Beating you was a formality, I wasn’t shocked, nor was I surprised. It’s nothing new. It’s just another day at the office, and you’re just another asshole lined up in front of me. <o></o>
<o></o>
“Black Dawn was never about any of that bullshit you want to make it about, yet you’re too dense to realize that. Black Dawn was about the first family’s attempt to stick it to me, and my actions afterwards were ME telling THEM to try harder. And, they did … which led to Lindsay coming down and interrupting my celebration with her halitosis. And, the audience … your audience ... it’s funny how quickly they forgot that their quote-unquote hero had just lost the match he guaranteed them he’d win. How quickly they dried their tears, and blew the roof off the joint in anticipation of a match between the two greatest EPW World Heavyweight Champions, since this company’s inception. And, what’s funniest is how quickly you became yesterday’s news.<o></o>
<o></o>
“But, that’s showbiz, kid. Sorry.”<o></o>
<o></o>
The champion shrugged. <o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: The audience is fickle, and they’ll only allow you to screw them so many times, and to be truthfully honest(?), as much as you’ve failed them? Each and every EPW fan that’s chanted your name should’ve atleast received a box of chocolates, but that’s neither here nor there.<o></o>
<o></o>
“Fast forward to the present, I’m still the EPW World Heavyweight Champion. I’m still the baddest motherfucker on the planet, and the best wrestler in the entire world. I’ve inspired a generation of confused, lost, souls to follow in my footsteps and realize their potential. Nobody was concerned with being King until *I* made being King have meaning, and Brian … listen to this next part very carefully … Even if you were to slip out of that cage before me, and go on to win the rest of this tournament, you’ll never be a King like I am, and you'll still be seen as nothing more than a cheap imitation of … me.”<o></o>
<o></o>
The champion ran his fingers through his sweaty locks, and continued. <o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: And yeah, you’re right … winning one championship can erase years of being a choke artist, but considering the fact that the Yankees have won twenty-seven Championships to the Red Sox two since their rivalry began in 1919, it's obvious it takes more than a title to be a CHAMPION. <o></o>
<o></o>
“And considering all of the examples in your last promo were all against the Yankees, it's obvious that the Red Sox completely define themselves as opposite the Yankees, similarly to how you completely define yourself opposite of me, whereas both the Yankees and I survive and thrive just fine if you, or the Red Sox – our so-called rivals – ceased to exist.<o></o>
<o></o>
“But, hey … who am I to talk or suggest anything? All I’ve done is lay out the foundation, and the blueprint for you wrestlers to follow, and pretend you did it all on your own. All I’ve done is do what you’ve always dreamed of doing aseffortlessly as anybody who has ever done it. <o></o>
<o></o>
“There’s a fine line between courage and stupidity and you’ve somehow managed to get stuck somewhere in between. You put all of your eggs in one basket, and then had to watch helplessly as I stomped on that bitch, smashing them all, turning your life into the complete mess that it currently is. And, now … you’re looking about as stupid as you’ve ever looked.<o></o>
<o></o>
“But, I’m not a complete hater, Brian. Unlike you, I won’t lie and pretend like seeing you fail doesn't please me, when it does. And, I’ll swallow my pride, and fully acknowledge that anything is possible, and that you very well could be EPW World Heavyweight Champion someday.<o></o>
<o></o>
“…of course, in order for that to happen, Exile Pro Wrestling would have to accept your application.

“Victory never goes out of style, but beating you, making you miserable, and raising the Empire Pro Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship above my head, as you look up from the mat and sulk into a state of depression never gets old. I was so busy reminding Dan Ryan that he didn't have what it took to break me, that I never got to enjoy that look after I beat you, Cameron and Hart. I plan on fully enjoying it after I beat you yet again, at Aggression. Where this chapter finally comes to an end.”
<o></o>
FTB<o></o>

 

[The Great Eye]

(FADEIN: The First sitting in darkness in his living room. His face still painted like Prince Nuada with the blindfold over his eyes. He’s got on an Outcast Hero wife-beater and black shorts. “King Nothing” by Metallica plays in the background. In the background is a poster from the Spawn comic series of the character Nyx sitting in meditation in the middle of a circle showing the cycles of the moon. Around the circle it reads. “The fool rises by fortune’s hand until he becomes a king, But as soon as he claims his throne, he is doomed…He falls, cast down from a great height…Reborn into darkness to begin again as…)

FIRST: I feel like we’re an old married couple at this point, I know what you’re gonna complain about and you know what I’ll say about those complaints…And you pretty much know what you’ll say after I’ve said my piece…So we yell and b*tch for a while and then go out to that little diner down the block cause it’s Tuesday and that’s just what we do on Tuesdays…

The truth is in all this time I’ve spent arguing with you, hell, arguing on your side, I do remember that night we tagged up and kicked Anthology’s ass…Weird how that all happened, isn’t it? I’ve learned that you’re a miserable person Trip, just a bitter, spiteful man who’s only thought when he wakes up is that somebody on this earth is trying to get one over on him and you'll be damned if you let that happen…

I said you were the better man at Black Dawn, because you were, fair and square you beat me…YBut I guess you didn't hear that, cause I hear you now claiming that I was complaining about getting unlucky…That I was making excuses about what happened…I guess you need that chip on that shoulder, you NEED to feel slighted, offended…I told the truth that you won, I lost, and that I had no excuses for it…And you could not have that register in your mind, because dammit, Triple X has to suffer injustice, Triple X has to be the victim of a world out to get him.

You told me that Black Dawn wasn’t what I thought it was…Then you tell me that Black Dawn was a set up…An attempted hit on the King to cost him his glory…You tell me that Black Dawn wasn’t all about me…It was all about you…Funny how we’re all the protagonist in the story of our own minds…And because the result went your way, well you believe it all the more that this world revolves around you…A world where Dan Ryan lives only to take you down…

Hearing you say that, complaining about a conspiracy to take you down and ruin you…Well it makes me fear I’m in for another batch of eye rakes and gouges…Since that was all I dealt with in my last match…Everyone’s always the victim of a scheme or a plot, some great scandal…You, you’re on top of the world…You have everything anyone could want…And yet you sit there, seething, thinking that someone or something is plotting to rip it all away from you…That unseen forces seek to rob you of your glory…

You tell me you grabbed that mic not to celebrate your greatness, but to condemn Dan Ryan for his attempts to cost you your title…It sounds so pitiful…That you declared yourself the greatest of all time, not out of joy, not out of a celebration of achievement…But out of rage, that in your moment of victory all you could think to do was grab a mic and scream “F*CK YOU!” to the world…Because that’s all you have in your soul, just a burning resentment of everyone.

When did it sink in Trip, that all the titles, all the money, all the fame, all the women were not going to make you happy? All any of it does it let you sneer at the world, let you tell everyone you’re better than them…Because that’s what matters, making sure everyone in this world knows that they need to kiss your ass, that Triple X is so damn great everyone needs to bow down to him…

Thing is, even if we all bowed down to the King, it wouldn’t make you happy, somebody wouldn’t have bowed deep enough…They wouldn’t have gotten on their knees fast enough…You would find fault, you would find a reason to be upset, that’s all you know, it’s all you have…It’s what drove you to become champion…That you needed to get everyone’s attention, and then let them know they are inferior to you…

It’s funny that I sit here, dressed in black, embracing the stereotype of a goth, the symbol of brooding angst in our culture…And yet I have a smile on my face, my life is a lucky one and I am grateful for it…That I sit here with the chance, just a chance at becoming EPW World Champion…That I get you inside a steel cage, that I get to fight the greatness of Sean Stevens…That’s fun, that’s stuff people only dream about doing, and that’s my life…Why wouldn’t I smile…

I get to stand in the middle of an arena with over 10,000 people cheering for me…And I get to punch you in the face…Who wouldn’t be happy with that set up…(Smiles)…You beat me, I get blinded, I suffer, but I don’t break…No, who I am won’t be changed by what you do to me…Just cause you lose doesn’t mean you quit…Just cause you get hurt doesn’t mean you stop fighting…As long as you’re still on this earth more punishment is going to come your way…So you better stand up like a man and dish out some of your own…Never let this place get to you, cause in the end, it’s all temporary anyhow…

Now I suppose you think this is where I’d ask you to turn over a new leaf, to embrace this world and the people in it…To hell with that, you want to be a miserable bastard, you go live your life the way you want. You try to find enjoyment in bitterness and being a malcontent…Maybe later on when your body can’t do what you need it to do so you can keep dominating people, you’ll mellow out, warm up to the nostalgia pops you start getting…You’ll think to yourself that being a jerk maybe isn’t the best way to spend your time here on earth…

Or maybe it’ll just drive you all the more crazy when the game passes you by, maybe you’ll keep screaming that you’re still the king, still the greatest of all time, still begging people to pay attention to you, not because you want their affection, but because you want to throw it in their face that you were good, that you mattered…Maybe you’ll never get over the demons that drive you to act like this, to do these things…

See you always bring up what I can’t do in this match…I can’t become a greater King than you, I can’t become a bigger legend than you, I can’t knock you out of the conversations on internet forums and barber shops about who’s the greatest of all time…This is all you have in this world, this is your pathetic lot in life, to reassure yourself that you’ll still matter even when you do lose, that you’ll still be able to throw your greatness in people’s faces even when the belt is gone and others battle in that ring for the honor of wearing it…

You would like me to leave wouldn’t you…Go to into Exile…A fitting place for an Outcast I guess…But no, I want to stay in the Empire and to dethrone it’s King…To have him fall from grace and spend his time lashing out at the world he hates…Not as a feared champion, not as a great legend…But as the scared, paranoid, broken little man that he truly is…

I used to think you wanted a glorious battle to end your reign…I used to think you wanted to go out guns blazing, fighting till you couldn’t fight anymore, seeking glory in battle and honor even in defeat…But now I know the truth…That’ll you’ll cling to that title, cling to your throne, cling to anything you can hang on to just to stay relevant, to stay meaningful in the world…To be allowed for one more day to look down your nose at everyone else and tell them how great you are…Aggression 50 should have sunk that lesson into my head, but I guess I really needed to hear you talk one more time to truly get the message.

So I enter that cage knowing I’m going to have to pry that title from your cold, lifeless body, that I’m going to have to deal with just about every underhanded chickensh*t stunt you can pull…Cause you will fight like hell, not out of pride, but out of fear…Fear of not having a belt to shove in people’s faces, fear of no longer being King…Fear of a world that no longer needs to listen to your hate filled bile and anger…

Fear of just being another subject…In MY Empire…

(FADEOUT)

 

[jayshort]

“I haven’t been undefeated in twelve years, Brian, and I’m okay with that. Eli Flair beat me nine times in a row, at one point, before taking me under his wing, and I listened, learned, and then used everything he taught me to beat him six times in a row. So when you go on your long winded rants, telling me what’s going on in my mind, pardon me for having the overwhelming urge to slap the shit out of you, and spit last night’s dinner in your eighty thousand year old face.”<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
FADE: The footage was renegade style, nothing like we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from EPW World Heavyweight Champion, “BLUE-EYED BADASS” SEAN STEVENS in the past, as the reigning King of the Cage sat on his airline seat, in an unbuttoned white dress shirt, with his sleeves rolled up, as he stared out the window of the private G5 jet, enjoying the night’s beautiful sky. On his lap, was the same diamond encrusted championship belt that made him Public Enemy Number One, the EPW Championship.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: Have I done fucked up shit in the past? Yes, I have. Will I do more fucked up shit in the future? If need be. But, why is it of any concern to you, when I’ve proven that I don’t need to lie, cheat, or resort to any illegal antics in order to render you unconscious long enough to pin your shoulders to the mat? Who gives a flying fuck about you tipping your cap, or acknowledging that I’m the better man on that day, because ultimately, it’s still a slight, and it’s still disrespect, and it still took me to have to beat you and two other superstars for you to swallow your pride and give it to me. <o></o>
<o></o>
“Brian, to be perfectly honest, you and I have nothing else to talk about. Black Dawn was our big blow off. You came into that arena, at your absolute best – and, I know this because you gave us your word that if you didn’t get it right this time, you’d fade to black – and your absolute best wasn’t close to enough.<o></o>
<o></o>
“I wasn’t the better man that day; I’m the better man point, blank, period. And, Black Dawn was the end of our discussion. <o></o>
<o></o>
“But, you’re great at twisting words around, so it looks like you’re the bigger more sympathetic figure. You’ve really grown comfortable in this sugary sweet, good guy role, I carved out for you, even if you still haven’t figured out how to get over, and be successful without having the Big Bad Wolf to play off of.”<o></o>
<o></o>
The camera lost focus, as the plane began to experience heavy turbulence. Unflinching, unwavering, unafraid, the champion continued.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: Maybe if you spent as much time studying my ability as you do my psyche, you’d have actually beaten me by now. Maybe if you spent as much time, in the gym honing your craft as you do loitering around the halls of your dingy old high school gymnasium in some sad, pathetic attempt at redemption, you wouldn’t have the glaring holes in your arsenal, that lead to all of the tactical errors you make, that any real wrestler with real ability would be able to pick apart as easily as I’ve done.”<o></o>
<o></o>
Triple X shrugged.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: From what I can see, your biggest problem is the fact that, in order for you to succeed, you need me to be this character that you’ve created in your mind … and because I’m not interested in playing along in your little fairy tale, you and your little clique have me typecast as this demon child, when in all actuality, I’m something else entirely, something else a lot less dramatic – the ultimate competitor.<o></o>
<o></o>
“And, this? …This is chess, not checkers. <o></o>
<o></o>
“You see, you’re right about one thing … I did come into this industry battling some serious stereotypes that I had to overcome. You’re labeled a scrawny, little talentless shitstain, I was the blonde hair, blue-eyed soft as cotton pretty boy, and I did everything in my power to shed that image, not because I was concerned about what people thought about me, but because I had worked entirely too hard to earn my spot, while seven foot tall assfags like Dan Ryan got free passes while their enablers looked the other way, as they shot needles in their ass cheeks. <o></o>
<o></o>
“I bumped my head up against that glass ceiling so much, that I have permanent neck damage, so if you think for one single, solitary second that I’m just satisfied with going out guns blazing, and passing you my torch coupled with a friendly handshake and a hug, you’re out of your fucking mind. <o></o>
<o></o>
“I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again – you’ll have to paralyze or kill me to take this title from me, Brian, and your syrupy sweet persona won’t allow for that type of violence. You and I? We’re a different breed of competitor, and it’s why we could even end up playing for the same side someday, and we’d never be friends. You’re PG, I’m Rated R. I am the hardest working man in this industry, and you’re the guy that sits around and talks about how hard he works. I busted my ass to earn my spot, and I have yet to cheat to keep my spot, so fuck you and anybody else who has the audacity to question my character, just because none of you can beat me. <o></o>
<o></o>
“So yeah, I am overprotective of my place, Nadalny. Unlike you, I’m not satisfied with just being here, I’m proud that I could retire tomorrow knowing full well that I made my mark on this industry, and if that makes me angry, or obsessed, then I’d rather be a crazed winner, than a happy go lucky, painted up, loser like you. I’m criticized for my willingness to do anything to remain the top dog in this industry, yet you don’t seem to be able to grasp the fact that maybe I’m the normal one? I squatted and took a king sized shit on your perfect happy ending, the last time we wrestled. I disrespected your life, your wife, your lady friend, and everything in between, then I had the audacity to back all of it up by walking into Aggression forty-two, fifty, and Black Dawn, beat you senseless and walk out as champion.

“And, you're still happy.

“See, ultimately what it all boils down to is, there are champions, and everybody else. Champions aren’t just satisfied with their name being on the billboard, they’re satisfied with results. I ripped your heart right from out of your chest, and yet you still walk around with that stupid ass grin on your face, because, in your mind, you’ve made it, simply by being here.

“You know what kind of people smile all the time, even when bad things happen, Brian? Retarded people. <o></o>

“So yeah, I do think every wrestler in the game is after my title, because, THEY ARE. You don’t like mentality? Do something about it. Stop talking, stop lying, stop bitching, and for the love of God, stop promoting those lame ass t-shirts you wear, and be the badass that you keep telling us you are. Otherwise, go to the nearest bridge, jump, do one of those triple, quadruple, six-one-nine, shooting star, suicide flippy things you like to do, and do us all a favor and land on your neck.”<o></o>
<o></o>
Pausing, the champion briefly shut his eyes, visualizing his last request. A smile surfaced.<o></o>
<o></o>
TRIPLE X: Or you can take your talents to whatever rock Felix Red crawled under, and ride his coattails to another Tag Team Championship, because you’ll never be my peer, my superior, or my champion. And, this King won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”<o></o>
<o></o>
FTB<o></o>

 

[The Great Eye]

(OORP: I wrote and cleared all the comments said by non-First characters with their handlers.)

(FADEIN: A computer, we see “Millwood EW Torch Insider” Podcast on the screen.)

FIRST V/O: Not a lot of faith in me in the media

(The podcast fires up with Millwood in mid conversation.)

MILLWOOD: Let’s check an E-mail, Nemisys from the forms writes in to ask “Stevens Vs First in KotC, who you taking?” Well…Stevens has to be the pick here, I mean we’ve seen this match three times and there were excuses at Aggression 42 and 50, but Black Dawn was supposed to be the end of all this, and in the end Stevens won, he won big…We’ve seen what First has and it’s not enough to unseat Stevens, and that’s when he’s healthy, we don’t know what condition he’s going to be in for this show.

(Podcast cuts out.)

FIRST V/O: The locker room isn’t high on me either

METALLIC FEMALE VOICE: You have 1 new voice mail, received at 6:31 PM…

WINTERS: Listen clown, I want to make this VERY clear to you, when your pathetic, worthless offense fails to get the job done, and it’s clear you’re going to lose YET AGAIN…I want you to man up and just accept defeat, accept the fact that YOU AREN’T VERY GOOD…Because if you DARE try to win that match by escaping the cage…If you f*ck me out of my shot at Stevens and the World Title…Losing your sight for a few days will be NOTHING compared to what I’ll do to you…You don’t fear death?! Well you better FEAR me, because I’ll cripple you, you’ll spend the next 50 years in a wheelchair! You hear me?! You screw me out of my shot at the belt and I’ll break your f*cking back!

(The call is cut off.)

FIRST V/O: It kept going for 15 more minutes of that…

(The camera turns to show The First he’s got on the Prince Nuada face paint, blindfold, a black “Outcast Hero” wife-beater, black gi pants. If he’s in his room or the locker room it’s hard to tell with the surrounding area so dark. “Ecstasy of Gold” by Ennio Morricone plays in the background.)

FIRST: I get it, I get the doubt, the disrespect, the scorn and mockery…I get what you say, I hear it and all it rings true…You were right, Black Dawn was to be our curtain call and I gave it all I had and came up short…I thought I was going to fade to black…

Then fate stepped in and made other plans…And you complain about all that, but honestly Trip, would you have turned King of the Cage down? You tell me how hard you work, how much you suffer, you give everything you have and then a little more just to be the best…You telling me you could have walked away from one more chance at your dream, one more chance to be King?

If you tell me you would have, I’d know you’re lying…I’d know you were bullsh*tting me…You don’t quit, you don’t stop…You couldn’t beat Rocko Daymon in the ring so you destroyed him outside it…You do everything you can, pull every trick in the book just to stay in control, to keep your power…

So here we are again, somewhere we didn’t think we would be, across the ring from each other once more time for the EPW World Title…This wasn’t expected…And well maybe…Maybe the cynics and the doubters are going to get a result they don’t expect…(Smiles) I happen to know how motivated and determined the challenger is…And I think he’s got a shot at beating you…

We fools who live and die in this sport, fighting over tiny slices of time, pushing these fragile mortal bodies to their breaking points and beyond…Everything is so razor thin…Everything is so close…My whole career was redefined by an X-Factor you missed by inches…If by that much…You hit that move, I’m nothing, nobody…As it was, I was the guy that took the champ to the limit…Even if he wouldn’t admit it…

And when those inches, those seconds go our way…We celebrate ourselves, and are celebrated, we’re hailed as champions, heroes, legends…When they go the other way, we’re has-beens never-will-be’s, second rate…So cruel these games we play, so foolish we are to think we control them…

And in the end, that’s you and I Trip, two men separated by a second, by an inch…An unbeatable King and fool who doesn’t know when to quit…That’s the story they tell now…That’s the way the world sees us…And to you, you’ll tell them all it’s accurate…That a more pure truth could not be found in this world…

But when you sit there in your Bat Cave doing your push-ups, when you run your treadmill…When you push your body again and again…You know deep down that you have to keep improving, you have to keep getting better, because you know I’m at your throat, you know how dangerous I truly am…And you know your title could slip away…(Snaps fingers) just like that…

So walk out to that ring with your swagger and your dismissive sneer…Act like you are not about to get into the fight of your life…Show the people how little you respect me…Once that fight gets going good…You’ll change, you always do…You’ll be deadly serious when the battle gets going, because me and you, is a deadly serious game…One mistake and you lose Trip…I found that out at Black Dawn…You should have found that out at Aggression 50, but Jared Wells bailed you out…But this time there is no Anthology…There is no back-up…Only me, you, and cold unforgiving steel…

You are the King of the Cage, that is your official title…That is what you won all that time long ago…It is only fitting that your reign both as Champion, and as King comes to an end inside a cage…I will be invading the very throne room of Triple X…Attacking him in the very construct that gave the title of King and it's glory to him…And this time, that steel, that metal, shall give me it’s benediction…It shall bless me with the honor that comes with being EPW World Champion…

I shall enter that steel to obtain gold…Metal for metal…Blood for blood...

We will fight and I will win…

This is how the story ends…This is how the King loses his crown…

(FADEOUT)

 

[jayshort]

Buzzer Beater

“Do you remember that Christmas, when you looked under the tree, only to realize that you didn’t get that special gift you begged Santa for when you wrote him that long Christmas list?”<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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FADEIN: The scene opened up in a classroom, inside of a rinky-dink, run down lower class elementary school in EPW World Heavyweight Champion, SEAN “TRIPLE X” STEVENS’ hometown of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Orlando</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Florida</st1:State></st1lace>.<o></o>
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Seated on a stool, with a look of utter disgust on his face, the casually dressed – cargo shorts, wife beater, Ray Ban sunglasses – reigning King of the Cage looked out into the audience, at the group of ugly, smelly, unruly, juvenile delinquents, that he was being forced to mentor as a part of his community service agreement, made when he was released from jail two weeks ago.<o></o>
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TRIPLE X: That wasn’t because you were naughty little boys and girls, it’s because there is no such thing as a jolly old fat man that climbs down your chimney and delivers toys. It’s because your parents are fucking poor and couldn’t afford it.”<o></o>
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Every jaw in the building dropped to the floor. <o></o>
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TRIPLE X: And, as for the Easter Bunny? Anybody in here like the Easter Bunny?”<o></o>
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Tension filled the room, the children didn’t know what to expect. Only a few raised their hands.<o></o>
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TRIPLE X: I liked him too, last night when my personal chef, caught him, carved him up, and sautéed him with onions, and garlic.”<o></o>
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And, just like that, the tears began to flow. A little Hispanic girl got up and bolted out of the room, her teacher chased behind her. <o></o>
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TRIPLE X: And, you … little man with the afro.”<o></o>
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A little African American kid looked on, completely terrified. <o></o>
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TRIPLE X: No matter what they tell you, that Obama shit was a once and a lifetime deal, and there is no way anything like that’ll go down again in MY country. Tell your mother Latifah, to tell her baby daddy Dikembe Leroy Tyrone Jamar Umzumbe Mutumbo Monfoofoo Jr. that I’ll pay him minimum wage, and all the grape drink he can stomach, if he becomes my personal shoe shiner.<o></o>
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“And, that Taylor Swift bitch totally deserved to get her microphone snatched out of her hand.”<o></o>
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An older, white male, presumably the school’s guidance counselor immediately approaches Stevens, attempting to snatch the microphone out of his hand, to no avail. The EPW World Champion shoved him to the floor.<o></o>
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TRIPLE X: You make forty grand a year, I spend forty grand a night at casinos … don’t put your fucking hands on me!”<o></o>
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Trip scoffed, before turning his attention back to the students.<o></o>
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TRIPLE X: You see, you kids may look at me like I’m a bad man, and I assure you, I am. I’ll kick one of you little sons of bitches in the head, if I felt like any of you were a threat to me … fortunately for each of you, I don’t feel threatened. <o></o>
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“In everything that I do, every word that I speak, every move that I make, there’s a lesson to be taught, and today’s lesson is that life isn’t fair. In a perfect world, my opponent at Aggression fifty-three would’ve been annihilated me, for my championship gold, but this is not a perfect world, where the good guys always win. This is the real world, and in the real world? Life isn’t fair. Racism, sexism, and homophobia still exists, chivalry is dead, and assholes like me never get the comeuppance we deserve for our sins, because the people brave enough to stand and fight, aren’t born with the heart, will, determination or talent to put us in our place… and, why? Because, life isn’t fair. <o></o>
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“Show me an “Outcast Hero” who actually calls himself an Outcast Hero, and I’ll show you footage of said hero getting the shit slapped out of him by the evil Emperor.”<o></o>
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The champion proudly tugged on his month old beard, continuing, hardly missing a beat.<o></o>
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TRIPLE X: For those of you not privileged enough to know who in the hell I am, I am Sean “TRIPLE X” Stevens, I am a professional wrestler, no … I am thee professional wrestler, and for the last two years I have run roughshod over every person in my path, completely obliterating the entire Empire Pro Wrestling heavyweight division.<o></o>
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“Most of you pathetic little pissants were told that you can be anything that you want to be when you grow up. Brian Nadalny, the man that I’ve been beating the shit out of for the last year plus was told he could be EPW World Heavyweight Champion if he tried hard enough. And, all of you idiots were led astray. <o></o>
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“<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">America</st1lace></st1:country-region> is in the economic decline that it’s in, because we; no YOU have become spineless, gutless cowards. Nobody tells the truth anymore. We have become a nation of enablers, and as a result, we’ve suffered. Heath Ledger had no business taking that Dark Knight role, knowing the anguish he dealt with in his personal life, but no one had the heart to tell him he was spiraling out of control, and now Matilda Rose is left without a father. <o></o>
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“Walk in a room and say the name: Sean Stevens and the entire world will know my place in this industry, even if they don’t like it. Walk in the same room and say the name Brian Nadalny and you’ll get a collective: who? Walk in that same room a third time and say his stage name, and watch as their facial expressions change, now knowing who he is, but only knowing who he is through ME. <o></o>
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“Rumor has it, Brian Nadalny wasn’t all that copacetic with what went down at Black Dawn, and called me some really nasty names behind my back. You know who calls people names after getting beat up? Females, and gay men. Brian, take your pick. I’m not the reason you’re not EPW World Heavyweight Champion, nor is my unwillingness to play your little games the reason your pop isn’t as loud as it was this time last year. YOU are the reason. Because, despite everything that I did for you to make you the ultimate hero, you never had the balls to actually be the hero, even though, deep down in your heart you want to be.<o></o>
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“You like to tell people that I’m a bad man, and I like to tell people that you’re a joke. To be honest, neither of us are correct. You’re you, and I’m me. You handle life’s obstacles by talking about what you’re going to do, and making excuses when you don’t, and I deal with obstacles by punching the obstacle in the face, and breaking it’s nose. Who’s to say who is right or wrong? I’ll tell what determines it … Success determines it. And, right now, I’m the cream of the crop, and you’re still idolizing me from afar, wishing you were in my position, still playing catch up. <o></o>
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“I’ll see you at Aggression, First. And, when I beat you this time, I’m not concerned about if you’ll keep your word and stay away, or if you’ll mention my name every five seconds, because after my hand is raised, I don’t know you, I won’t acknowledge you, and you will no longer exist to me.

“Life isn’t fair.”<o></o>
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FADETOBLACK<o></o>