[LONDON] (5) The Sergeant vs. (12) The Wraith

[TH]

First round match held at Patrick Gym, in Burlington, VT on the University of Vermont's campus.

RP deadline is 3/10/08, 11:59:59 PM EDT, give or take a second. No RP limit. One fall to a finish. All other regular rules apply.

 

[Linguistic]

March 5, 2008. 4:36 PM. Springfield, MO. The TEAM Invitational Tournament is right around the corner.

The Sergeant leaves MWCW headquarters for the evening with thoughts of other organizations and other events in his head. Dressed in formal business attire which is in direct conflict with his typical desert military-styled gear, he addresses the camera, which has obviously been waiting for him. It's promo time.


Sarge: You know, things have really been falling into for me since I returned from a... well, for lack of a better term a "self imposed exile" from wrestling. It was right after I was destroyed in the first round of the TEAM Invitational Tournament last year when I decided that things were beginning to fall apart. My rookie year was a tremendous success and I had nearly beaten James Irish in the first round of the first TiT, but it all seemed so far in the past. Hoyt Williams made it all seem like a dream when he dispatched me easily in the first round the very next year.

I won't go into all of the details of my exile, but a large part of it was to take care of personal business. The other piece of the pie had to do with my willpower and overall mentality. I had come into the business as a naive Army combat veteran that sought to pursue a competitive venture where I wouldn't be depending on anyone else but myself. I soon came to realize that I was depending on others more than ever. Battles with the Highland Park Social Club in A1E, siding with Ultimate Championship Wrestling in a successful takeover attempt of Major Championship Wrestling. My career was in other people's hands, and I didn't like it.

I was at an all time low when I half-heartedly entered that second TiT. I'm not throwing up lame excuses... okay, so maybe I am... but the fact of the matter was that my head wasn't screwed on straight and I knew it. I needed to dig down and get back to the essence of who I was, and that was... and STILL IS... the combat tested, mother approved juggernaut.

Upon my return, I quickly proved that I had found the winning formula. I defeated Karl Brown and Troy Douglas in dramatic fashion to become the Empire Pro Wrestling Intercontinental Champion, a title that holds a tremendous amount of prestige due to the legendary Karl Brown holding onto it for two whole years. The title was the initial goal I set before myself upon entering this crazy world called professional wrestling, and due to hard work and some long hard looks at myself, I had achieved it.

My attitude had to change, and in that change I found something that had eluded me for a very long time: true success. These days I am more than the rule-following fan favorite technician that I originally set out to be. I can't deny my combat history anymore than I can deny my own family history and the blood that pumps through my veins, so my metamorphosis into an "any means necessary" combat veteran should have been a no brainer. Now I get to channel that shift in attitude and strategy that has made me the number two man in EPW, and focus it toward another competitive outlet: TEAM.

This tournament represents so many different things for so many people, but to me it represents the next level. It represents the old Sarge being eclipsed by the new Sarge. It represents my goal of being listed among the greats in this sport.

First, I have to get through the first round... something that has eluded me since the inception of the tournament. That means I've got to go through another guy with the big "The" at the beginning of his name: The Wraith.

Wraith is a true monster in every sense of the word, and there is no denying the man's size, wrestling and athletic ability, or his willingness to inflict pain on his opponent. As far as big men go, the man is the total package. Unfortunately, the gloom and doom he'll be expecting to bring to the first round of the tournament kinda hit a rough spot in the road that will roll him into disaster. That rough spot in the road is none other than yours truly.

People are finding out each and every day that The Sergeant is no longer a free ride to victory. You can't just break all of the rules and play the role of "heel" and have me be outgunned, because now I'm willing to take what you dish out and raise it by a thousand!

Wraith, my man, they say that all is fair in love and war... and there isn't anybody out there that knows more about either than the combat tested, mother approved son of a gun.

Ask my former squad members about the latter. They'd have told you what I'm capable of long before I laid Troy Douglas and Karl Brown out to win the EPW Intercontinental belt.

As far as the former, she knows who I'm talking about.


Sarge pushes the camera out of the way in an aggressive, almost angry manner.

Scene fades.

 

[The Wraith]

(Fade into a dimply lit gruesome room where an obnoxious smell can be sensed lingering through the air. The floors appear to have blood stains located at different areas and the walls are damaged and cracked from the abuse it must have received. In the middle is sat a man on a steel chair looking down towards the earth, his hair draping over his shoulders and dangling towards the cold floor. He throws his head up slinging his hair backwards to show the wicked mask of The Wraith.)

WRAITH - Do you think I want to be apart of this event? It doesn't bother me in the slightest. My new guider Anubis put me into this event for exposure and to make my name be heard loudly all over the world. It was him that came up with the idea and it was him who put me in the situation I find myself in now. For so many years I had been alone, but then he chose to join me on this journey of suffering and pain. For the past couple of weeks my trust in him has begun to grow, so if he asks me to take part in this tournament and to not only beat, but destroy any person who stands in my way... you best believe that I'll do just that. I'm a monster who can end the match in just a couple of minutes with devastating results but my master enjoys the scenes of punishing my opponents slowly and sending them through a nightmare they are unlikely to forget anytime soon. My master has asked me to step up and show my worth and now I'll obey his command. Any man who stands in my way will be taken out harshly and promptly in my efforts to reach the top. That will be when The Wraith's name will be heard loud and clearly.

(A smirk slowly appears under his mask but then quickly disappears straight after.)

WRAITH - All this time my aim has been to climb to the top and become one of the most recognized icons in the wrestling world. Three years ago I made my presence known when I stepped into the underground scene and competed in XOW, becoming the first ever and three-time Heavyweight Champion. It didn't take long for me to establish myself as a force to be reckoned with. It was almost three years later I stepped up into mainstream wrestling and already I'm taking it by storm. I stepped into A1E and people have quickly realized just what this monster is all about. Having destroyed and hurt anybody who stood in my way, I will now transfer this and do exactly the same in this tournament. After this tournament, the name and force of The Wraith will be known a lot more powerfully and a lot more clearly. This invitational is nothing more then another chapter to my legacy. And it begins by stepping into the ring with the EPW Intercontinental Champion.

(He stands slowly to his feet whilst his eyes remain fixed towards the camera.)

WRAITH - This is exactly what I wanted. To take down all the big names straight away to show my superiority. What's not a better way to make an impact then to take down champions? Especially in the first round match. This is my first tournament outside the normal environment I am use to. I've won tournaments in the past, I became the 2005 Memorial Cup winner and have reached finals of many others. Now I step into a ring I have never stepped into before, and face competition I have never even seen. It's not the comfort zone, but it doesn't matter in the slightest as The Wraith gets the job done exactly how he wants it done. I will make sure that I leave this tournament with an impact and will do exactly what I have done all along, and create carnage. The Sergeant may have taken part in these events before, but that does not give him any sort of advantage. He has been eliminated from this tournament from every year it has took place, and as he will probably say it gives him the desire and the fire to come back and do better, he couldn't have asked for a worse opponent. If the other years you couldn't make it, then this time you have no chance at all. You step up to a monster you have never experienced before, a monster that differs from everybody else, a monster that only few can put down. After your encounter with The Wraith, he'll make sure you can't come back next year and relive the exact same fate.

(He cannot help but evilly laugh to himself slightly but then the seriousness quickly returns.)

WRAITH - The point you want to prove to yourself is something nobody knows. You've got to admire your passion to come back after leaving the tournament so early on both occasions. But then again, you've also got to look at your stupidity. Let me be the person that tells you straight that you do not have what it takes to be in this ring. That you do not have what it takes to make something out of yourself or have what it takes to survive. You have already said so yourself, that you are and will always be in second place. That's the story of your life. You said you have climbed to become the number two man in EPW and the truth is, that's all you will ever be. You do not aim high enough, and then you fail miserably. The Wraith aims as high as he can as the sky has no limits. Why does he do this? Because he can. He has the capabilities and the awesome power to do so. You on the other hand are a man who will always fall behind and never be known as the best. And that is the reason why this tournament is not the place for you.

(His hands tighten up and the veins begin to appear in his arm as he brings his face right up to the camera.)

WRAITH - If you want to call yourself combat tested then we'll just have to see, because you are heading into an unreal war and you don't even know it. Forget the wars going on around the world, this is a war that is much different then any other. Ask the many fallen opponents I have taken out of this business over the years, ask the people who have been scared both mentally and physically from the hands of The Wraith. The Wraith brings the war and then when it's all said and done, he wins the war. The bloodbath that is seen all around is unimaginable and people wonder to themselves just how one person could commit himself to the carnage they see before them. Sergeant for you this a mission like none other and a mission your just not going to like. You may have thought you have seen it all, you may have thought that you have faced many opponents in the ring before but not a single one of them can be compared to The Wraith. Not understand what I mean? Not many people do, but they quickly realize as soon as the bell tongs. And when that happens, their deepest nightmare truly does begin.

(He pushes the camera away with his huge right hand and then turns his back away where he proceeds towards the darkness. The sinister cackles can be heard quietly as the scene slowly fades to black.)

 

[Linguistic]

March 7, 2008. 8:02PM. Springfield International Airport. Springfield, MO.

The Sergeant is patiently waiting for his flight to start boarding, so that his TEAM adventure can beging. He's no longer in a business suit, but isn't in his typical attire, either. Instead, he's in a light blue button down shirt tucked into black dress pants, with a dark red tie to put the whole look together. His shoes are leather, and immaculate.

He continues to check his cell phone, looking to see if he has missed any messages, but once he notices the camera he quickly stashes the camera and speaks. He looks startled for a split second before immediately regaining his composure and preparing to speak.


Sarge: Let me get this straight. I am wrestling with a mountain of a man who is supposed to be all about gloom, doom, decay, and destruction... but somehow he's worried about making a name for himself? Something tells me that I've perhaps OVERestimated The Wraith. I was expecting a guy who was seriously brain damaged and had no problem murdering an opponent in cold blood in the center of the ring. Instead, I am wrestling a gimmick.

The "blood" stained walls. All of that background. All of that drama. Yet, when you boil this guy down to his essence, he's more concerned with winning this tournament and championship belts than I am.


Sarge pauses for a moment, mockingly whiping at his forehead.


Sarge: Whew! For a moment there I actually got worried.

Wraith compares my combat experience with what he is about to put me through, and thinks that combat is the lesser of those two evils. Give me a break!

I'm not going to sit here and defend my past, and I am most definitely not going to try and convince Wraith that I am qualified to be in this tournament. Both of those insinuations were ridiculous... borderline ludicrous... and I think the wrestling fans watching this at home are intelligent enough to overlook them.

However, I do want to point out that while it seems I have overestimate Wraith, he has obviously UNDERestimated me. It's plain to see that Wraith hasn't been watching any tapes of me in action... hell, the guy spends most of his time with the setup of his background for his promos... and if he HAD seen me in action he'd be doing a little less talking and would spend a little more time training for our match.

He's a big guy. I'll give him that.

He's won a few underground wrestling titles. I'll give him that, too.

Unfortunately, he's bitten off a little more than he can chew. I can't think of a better way to kick off this tournament than to step into the ring with a "Dungeon of Doom" reject, make the reject tap to a little bit of CORRECTIVE TRAINING, and advnace to the second round for the first time in three tries.

I think I've already said that I am a different man than the first two tries, but evidently it fell on deaf ears.


Sarge pats the cloth case on the ground next to his seat. The case is in the shape of a championship belt... presumably the Empire Pro Intercontinental Championship.


Sarge: Wraith will hear me soon enough, though.


Sarge motions for the camera to leave, reaching back into his pocket for the cell phone he was nervously checking earlier.

Scene fades to black.

 

[The Wraith]

(Fade into an almost empty gym where the cameras spot one man throwing lethal punches hard into the punch bag in the distance. As the cameras move across the various other equipment and towards the man, he turns around to show his devilish smile that creaks through his haunted mask. The Wraith returns to his training where he continues to throw powerful punches with his mighty strength, each one becoming harder then the last. He finishes the series off with one final punch and then turns himself to face the camera where he breathes heavily with intensity.)

WRAITH - Afraid now? Now can you sense the fear? I can only hope you are not the same as the other poor souls that step into the ring with me not knowing what to expect. It quickly becomes clear what they have not be listening or paying attention to all along. Sergeant you must have misunderstood me when I spoke to you before and you must have come across the wrong message because when hearing you speak, you really don't sound like you know just who I am at all.

(He nods his head from side to side.)

WRAITH - All my opponents hide their fear and try and look at me as nothing. They see me as man living in my own little world that will trouble nobody. That is where they are wrong. I may live in my own little world, but when I come to visit yours it becomes a time of torture and pain. It becomes unforgiving once they have stepped into the ring. Because the truth is, when they step into the ring, they step into my world. I welcome them to a world unlike none other. I welcome them to a world they will not want to be apart of ever again. If you want to look at me stupidly and with so little thought, then you can expect to pay the price just like everybody else has done in the past. Battered, bruised and wondering how they got themselves into this position in the first place.

(He moves beside the punching bag so the camera can get a full view of his body. The sweat runs from his arms and the veins emerge under his skin.)

WRAITH - Knowing who I am doesn't change a damn thing anyway. You will receive the same beating just like every body else but the only difference is that you will expect it. You will be able to come into the match prepared to take a torturous beating whilst most people come in and get a quick surprise. You must be wise to think highly of me and look at me as a threat which most fail to do. Deep down inside they all know what I am capable of but like to hide it away until they get into the ring and then finally experience it for themselves.

(He cracks his neck before he continues to speak.)

WRAITH - You think this is all a gimmick? There's no gimmick in looking into another mans eyes and seeing the fear. There's no gimmick about beating people senseless and sending them through hell along the way. I've probably released more blood from one man then you have in a lifetime. The place I spoke to you last, is one of the places I call home. My other home is in that ring and that's the place that I like being in the most.

(A sadistic smirk appears through the cracks in his mask followed by a brief snicker.)

WRAITH - What am I worried about? Nothing in particular. My only aim is to live up to my masters expectations. He has asked me to go into this tournament and take down any man that stands in my way. He wants to see me tear them apart and then look down on their broken body after the match with a satisfied smile. It's true that I'm more concerned on winning this tournament then you are, but I'm equally as concerned in getting the job done the way both me and my master want it done. What is the point in winning a tournament if your opponents walk away from a fight with just a few scratches and bruises?

(He pauses for a couple of moments to allow people to ponder his thought.)

WRAITH - Winning this tournament is second priority. Promoting the bloodbath and the carnage will always come first, and has always come first... that's where my name will be recognized. Not about winning but about leaving an impact nobody will forget anytime soon. It has never been about winning, it's about punishing and watching the other man suffer. When that's complete then a win is inevitable. Just like this tournament. One by one they will come, and then they will never walk away the same.

(He lets off a small snigger before finishing with his final words.)

WRAITH - They say I'm insane, but I just do what I always have done... and I enjoy doing it. Now I have even more reason to, and have so much more to gain through the pain I inflict. I can only hope you come to realize just who you are going up against and that your estimations begin to make sense. Soon you will be known as the first man to fall before The Wraith and in a devastating fashion. Remember what I said, winning is only second priority. The suffering comes first. Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust... may you not be forgotten...

(He begins to walking away from the camera and into the distance as the scene slowly fades to black.)