Come get me
* July 10, 2002. 2:00 pm. Kickoff at the Washington State University's Cougars first home game. Kin Hiroshi watches at home with a group of friends. Although a resident of Seattle, Kin has been a Cougar fan since moving to the United States. The kick goes deep, and the Cougs bring it out to their own 40 yard line. Each person in the room cheers, and Kin walks into the kitchen for another drink. The GXW camera crew waits patiently, as Kin asked them to be present. A pair of WSU Athletic warmups adorn the Japanese Thunder. He grabs a glass of milk, and comes back to the camera crew. *
KIN HIROSHI: Follow me, it's too noisy in here to talk.
* Kin turns and the camera crew follows Kin down the hallway to his bedroom where the GXW Television Title hangs from the corner post of his bed. The camera crew enters the room, and Kin shuts the door behind him. *
KIN HIROSHI: Much better, my friends can get pretty out of control when it comes to football.
* Kin grins, and takes a sits on the bed, resting his elbows on his knees as he leans forward. *
KIN HIROSHI: Okay, I wanted you guys here so I could get somethings straightened out with my opponents, Boogie Smallz and Reaver.
* Kin leans back, still smiling, propped up by his arms. *
KIN HIROSHI: Boogie, man, you seem to think I'm some sort of joke in GXW, don't you? Sure, I make jokes, I make people laugh, and I make a fool of myself. So what? Does my attitude outside of the ring make me worse of a wrestler inside of the ring? I wouldn't say so. In fact, the title hanging on this post...
* Kin points at the GXW Television Title. *
KIN HIROSHI: ...seems to think so too. I work at what I do, Boogie. I will always try and put a smile on other people's faces as long as I'm in GXW or CSWA. Too many wrestlers have forgotten why we are in this industry: to entertain. Too many of us have gotten caught up in the spotlights, fans, and money to care about the business, and are only trying to make a name for themselves. How long will your name last in the lights? Do you have the work ethic that allows you to put over someone before yourself in the company asks it of you? Ah yes, the company. I nearly forgot about the company once when I wrestled with Super Sports Network in EWI. For me, that was my time of spotlights, fans, and money. I couldn't get enough of all three. Now though, I wrestle to better my skills, and to better the company I wrestle for.
* The Japanese Thunder clears his throat. *
KIN HIROSHI: Now, if I go into this match and lose the GXW Television Title, so be it. I won it, and I can win it again. Same goes for anybody else in GXW and anyother title, as well. Boogie, it may be your time, it may be Reaver's time, but right now, it's my time to shine because I am the GXW Television Champion. There's always going to be someone who can take the title from me. It may be either one of you, it may be another kid looking to make a name for himself somewhere down the line. However, no one's really going to know your name until you win the big prize, the Unified World Title. I caught a snippet of new comer Troy Douglas asking Dan Ryan for a title shot. At first, I was upset, I've been here a lot longer, and how many title shots have I had? None. Then I got to thinking, that's the kind of tenacity that someone needs to have here in GXW. It's a shame that too many of us seem to think that names are built on wins and loses. Big names are built on skill and the big prize.
* Kin stands, and paces the room for a moment. *
KIN HIROSHI: Now, guys, I know that you have a big bullseye drawn on me because I have the title you want. Both of you seem convinced that you will win it from me, but can you beat me and each other? I know I could beat both of you. Hell, do you know why people call me Japanese Thunder? Because in All Japan Wrestling I wrestled upwards of four matches a night. 'Lightning doesn't strike twice, but Japanese Thunder always does,' used to be my catchphrase to hook the fans. Then I came to the realization that whey do I need to have a catchphrase to hook the fans when my wrestling should be doing that? Now look at me, I have a title based on my wrestling skills.
A title that Reaver still thinks is his.
* Kin grabs a book off the nightstand, and flips through it. *
KIN HIROSHI: Possession, noun, definition one: control or ownership of property.
* Kin puts the dictionary back. *
KIN HIROSHI: Reaver, I won't deny that you were the last man to hold the GXW Television Title before me, but I hold it now, making it my belt. Finders keepers, loser is Reaver. I have possession of the title. Now that you know what possession is, maybe you won't be confused by the word anymore and will realize that it's not your belt anymore. It might be after our match, but I'm not thinking so. Sure, both of us are 1-1 against each other, but I'm taking the lead after this match. You don't like me? Good, that's the only way Kin Hiroshi wants it in this league. I don't need friends in a business of hypocrites who lie, cheat, and steal from each other.
You want to know the real reason I went to CSWA, guys? Because I was no longer comfortable wrestling in GXW. You try to trust someone who is willing to kill you because you have 20 pounds of gold wrapped around your waist. From the top of the ladder to the bottom, you get a target on your chest, and on your back. Did I ride the coattails of Evan Aho? No. You could just as soon accuse me of riding the coattails of my former mentor, Eddy Love, into CSWA. We have a lot of principles in the industry we are in, but none of us seem to remember the principles by which we live our lives.
Thou shalt not kill. I'm sure some of you remember that one. Now, I'm not one to preach religious views to anyone. That's just not my bag, but you, Reaver, seem to be ready to serve a life sentence for 20 pounds of gold. Believe me, as a buisness man in today's age, gold isn't worth what it used to be. You want to kill for platinum now. However the golden rule is more valued than platinum, unless you are a wrestler.
Treat people how you want to be treated. I once remember a term in our business called a reciept. How many of you live by the trusting rule of a reciept? I hit you hard, you can call a reciept and lay one into me? Remember that rule in our business? Believe me, you try to kill me, and I'll come back when I healthy and call a reciept on your ass so big that you'll be in pain for the rest of your life.
* Kin sits on the bed again, and falls back, staring at the ceiling. He folds his arms across his chest. *
KIN HIROSHI: Boogie, you seem to be the closest in this business to following what I've laid down: wrestling for the business while bettering yourself, treating others how you want, or expect to be treated, etc, etc. You're a good wrestler, no doubt about it. You've accomplished a lot as half of Hip Hop Express, but you've done d*ck as a singles. You want me to show you the ropes in GXW? Sure, I'll show you the ropes, and then, I'll show you the mat, and then I'll point out all the lights on the ceiling as I get a three count. Or maybe, Reaver, you want to go hardcore with me? Wrap a chair around my head? How does that sound to you? Sure, hit me with what you've got, because it's going to take everything you can throw at me, as well as everything Boogie can throw at me to get me down long enough to pin me.
Sure, there's some bottom of the barrel wrestlers that want a shot at Kin Hiroshi, namely Johnny Styles, but that's not a problem for me. Styles can do what he wants, he's a big boy. But he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can interfere in my match. Hey, if I were him, I'ld focus on Christian Sands, and let me focus on Boogie and Reaver. Styles wants a piece of me, sign me up on the dotted line, and I'll take him out, and next it will be Dan Ryan.
Boogie, you keep smoking the reefer, and keep it real, dawg. But when your eyes are too glazed over to see my foot flying into your face, you may want to quit for a while. Now, I'm not hatin' on you, do what you do. Smoke if you wanna smoke, that's your thing man, it ain't mine. My thing is, like I've said, making people feel better about their lives by wrestling the match of my life night after night. I'm sure you know that feeling everytime Hip Hop Express wrestles. Hell, you guys are legends, but remember that it makes two of you to be a one legend. Can you beat me, Boogie? Hell, I'm not claiming to be anything I'm not, but I am a legend in my spare time. The rest of the time? I'm giving this business what it needs, ratings. In the GXW/CSWA dispute, there's only one way to prove is better than the other, draw the crowds.
Reaver, you need to work on drawing the crowds that watch television. I'm pretty sure that everytime you step in the ring, people fall asleep, which would explain the lower than average ratings I had when I wrestled you.
* Kin stands, and crosses the bed. He grabs the Television Title from the corner post, and slings it across his shoulder. A loud cheer comes through the wall, and Kin smiles happily. *
KIN HIROSHI: Touchdown by the Cougs. Now, if either one of you think you can take this belt away from me, and live up to the expectations that come with it, you know where to find me. I don't care who it is, whether it's Reaver, Boogie, Styles, my mother, your grandmother, I don't care. I've wrestled on nearly every card that GXW has had since winning this title, and I've been on nearly every card that CSWA has to offer since then as well. I'm on a winning streak, and nothing is going to stop me. I'll stop both of you in your tracks. I don't need any help from Cameron Cruise this time, but what that man does is his own decision. Reaver, you think that Cruise and I are close friends? I'm as close a friend with Cruise as I am with anyone else in this business. You don't need friends, because sooner or later, you'll have to wrestle each other, and that's when sh*t goes down. You get my drift? What Cruise did was his thing, not mine.
In closing, Reaver and Boogie, you'll need every ounce of determination that you can muster. Bring everything you can to this match, and you can believe me when I tell you that it could have match of the year written all over it. Only realize that whoever wins will have bragging rights, and I love to brag about my titles. Beat me if you can, cheat if you want, but I'll still be there in your face next week and the following until I'm the GXW World Champion.
* Kin tosses the Title on the bed, and leaves the room. The camera focuses on the belt as...
FADE TO GOLD *