User Poets
The Shadow Pope
- Joined
- Jan 6, 1995
- Messages
- 2,192
- Points
- 36
- Age
- 44
- Location
- Top of the Pile
- Website
- www.valeriansgarden.com
I'm in darkness, waiting in the wings.
It's my big coming out party, and I've been ready for this since December 29th, 2012.
(CUE UP: "Army of Slaves" by PUi.
Live.
FADEIN... Somewhere at the back of the Gramercy in Manhattan. We're at the end of PUi Ritual V, and their lead singer and guitarist is an old friend, and he's about to do me a huge favor.
PUi is an unsigned band that just released their debut album a few months back; they sell out every time they headline a venue, not just with incredible music but by making it an event.
'Ritual.' It's not just an apt term for what they do, it's incredibly smart marketing.)
"We have a surprise for you tonight," said NC, as the band left the stage, "A longtime member of the Tribe, a local boy from Washington Heights by way of Amsterdam."
They cheered. Maybe someone saw me and Rose come in, maybe they're wrestling fans and know how to read a map; maybe they're cheering because they're drunk and/or stoned and heard 'Amsterdam.'
"Will you please give it up for one of the People of the Moon... the World Champion of New Frontier Wrestling--"
That convinced the rest of the crowd who weren't sure yet, what was happening.
"RANDALL KNOX!"
That was my cue. I walked out, shook NC's hand, gave him a hug, and held my belt above my head while the people cheered.
And he gave me center stage. At his show. Incredible.
"Thank you," I said.
And they cheered more.
"I won the title in Australia, I carried it all across Europe... but what matters the most to me is right now. The fact that I can stand here in front of the people who supported me from the start and say thank you for that support."
More cheers. I nodded my appreciation.
"Now, if you need me, I'll be at the bar."
I hopped down from the the stage and walked through the crowd, recognizing more faces than I didn't.
That was the beauty of living in New York and being part of the art scene - everyone supported everyone. Musician? You came to my gig so I'll come to yours. Artist? You supported me so I'll definitely come to your gallery.
Wrestler?
You celebrate the scene, you use your public face to give exposure to your friends, you always hang out when you're in town and you've never had that 'asshole celebrity' vibe.
You bet your ass we support you.
Later...
Goldskull for the afterparty. I've made a quick stopover at the apartment to drop off the title belt, and now I'm back.
With voices in my head. NC and Siren set me up in the studio and gave me some privacy. Like I said before... the scene looks out for itself.
"I'm all healed up."
I was healed up months ago.
"And the Marathon Age starts now."
"Do I worry that I won't be able to live up to the precedent set by Joe the Plumber and Castor Strife?"
"I hope I don't live up to them. I hope I am nothing like either of them."
"Why would I want to be Joe the Plumber? A man who doesn't have the respect to defend the belt or vacate the belt; instead, he sends it back in a box, makes a few more token appearances, then leaves the New Frontier behind with nobody even realizing it."
"Why would I want to be Castor Strife? Hubris ended his championship reign, and I was fortunate enough to be his opponent when it happened. I hope I never forget that nobody is bigger than the sport, and that my championship is in jeopardy every time I step into the ring."
Will I be a Champion in the vein of Castor Strife and Joe the Plumber? No, I would prefer to be a Champion... for the New Frontier.
"I respect Castor, but I hope he's learned a touch of humility. It could save his life."
"I respect Castor a lot more than I respect Alex Austin or the rest of the Guild."
Which is to say: not at all.
"As the appointed - self, or otherwise - Profit of Castor, it makes sense that he would want to keep the Messiah's name in print. It makes sense that he would defend the House of Castor against the Windham Wannabes."
"What doesn't make sense is that Alex Austin would call for my title to be stripped when I defeated Castor Strife in a match that Castor called for with stipulations that Castor decided."
"Are you calling your god accident - prone?"
"What also doesn't make sense is why Alex Austin would call for my title to be stripped instead of adding his name to The List."
"As of last night, Alex Austin had still not stepped up to the plate."
Scared? Maybe he's just a realist.
"What does that say about a man who claims to be the greatest technical wrestler in the New Frontier when - instead of trying to take the World Title, he demands that the man holding it be stripped?"
You're more of a wannabe than JJ DeVille, and that's almost unheard of.
"Oh, JJ."
"JJ."
"Jay Jay."
"You don't even have to ask for a match with me, JJ. You're on The List, along with the rest of your boy band."
"But you haven't claimed it."
"None of you have."
"I know why, I just wish you'd be honest with the people. You see, you learned a lot from Troy Windham. You learned how to take limited talent and blow it up with controversy. You learned how to run your face time into the ground to maximize money and TV time long past the point of anyone caring what you do."
At this point, you'd get more done going door to door and telling people that you're going to take over the New Frontier. You'd find the same number of people who consider you a threat, and we'd have more television time for athletes.
"Most importantly, you've learned how to gather a group of like - minded, similarly talented individuals, form a SOOPA GROOP, throw around challenges and accusations, then, when nobody cares, you fade away."
Troy's Highwaymen really made a splash, and at least three quarters of the New Frontier's audience just went to The Google to look up what I'm talking about.
The Windham Clan just sort of faded away. I guess Troy realized he really is irrelevant?
"That's why I put you and your boys on my list, JJ. Because I knew none of you would accept."
"Not even when you've still got viable plot armor against the Guild."
"No, I'm sure Spot Three will remain static for the next year or so, at which point the Hellfire Club will have faded away with a whimper like the limp, impotent group it is."
"I have no problem running out the clock on you, JJ... because the entire world will see that the match never happened because you're scared."
"Because the narrative you're pushing so hard - how everyone hates Impulse for being the worst wrestler on the roster - has been laughable. Because the fans at Reloaded Sixteen will be chanting my name for the entire show. Because the fans at Reloaded Seventeen will be chanting my name for the entire show."
Unless they stop to tell the fans to change the channel during your match. It's already been decided, anyway.
"The Marathon Era is here, and the Eye of the Storm is open for anyone who thinks they can end it."
"Jack Harmen stepped up and took his shot, because he wants to challenge himself. Jack Bryant evidently accepted my offer, because he wants to see if he's the best."
"It's a shame that, so far, the rest of my peers in the New Frontier are almost as spineless as the Hellfire Club."
And we're through.
It's my big coming out party, and I've been ready for this since December 29th, 2012.
(CUE UP: "Army of Slaves" by PUi.
Live.
FADEIN... Somewhere at the back of the Gramercy in Manhattan. We're at the end of PUi Ritual V, and their lead singer and guitarist is an old friend, and he's about to do me a huge favor.
PUi is an unsigned band that just released their debut album a few months back; they sell out every time they headline a venue, not just with incredible music but by making it an event.
'Ritual.' It's not just an apt term for what they do, it's incredibly smart marketing.)
"We have a surprise for you tonight," said NC, as the band left the stage, "A longtime member of the Tribe, a local boy from Washington Heights by way of Amsterdam."
They cheered. Maybe someone saw me and Rose come in, maybe they're wrestling fans and know how to read a map; maybe they're cheering because they're drunk and/or stoned and heard 'Amsterdam.'
"Will you please give it up for one of the People of the Moon... the World Champion of New Frontier Wrestling--"
That convinced the rest of the crowd who weren't sure yet, what was happening.
"RANDALL KNOX!"
That was my cue. I walked out, shook NC's hand, gave him a hug, and held my belt above my head while the people cheered.
And he gave me center stage. At his show. Incredible.
"Thank you," I said.
And they cheered more.
"I won the title in Australia, I carried it all across Europe... but what matters the most to me is right now. The fact that I can stand here in front of the people who supported me from the start and say thank you for that support."
More cheers. I nodded my appreciation.
"Now, if you need me, I'll be at the bar."
I hopped down from the the stage and walked through the crowd, recognizing more faces than I didn't.
That was the beauty of living in New York and being part of the art scene - everyone supported everyone. Musician? You came to my gig so I'll come to yours. Artist? You supported me so I'll definitely come to your gallery.
Wrestler?
You celebrate the scene, you use your public face to give exposure to your friends, you always hang out when you're in town and you've never had that 'asshole celebrity' vibe.
You bet your ass we support you.
Later...
Goldskull for the afterparty. I've made a quick stopover at the apartment to drop off the title belt, and now I'm back.
With voices in my head. NC and Siren set me up in the studio and gave me some privacy. Like I said before... the scene looks out for itself.
"I'm all healed up."
I was healed up months ago.
"And the Marathon Age starts now."
"Do I worry that I won't be able to live up to the precedent set by Joe the Plumber and Castor Strife?"
"I hope I don't live up to them. I hope I am nothing like either of them."
"Why would I want to be Joe the Plumber? A man who doesn't have the respect to defend the belt or vacate the belt; instead, he sends it back in a box, makes a few more token appearances, then leaves the New Frontier behind with nobody even realizing it."
"Why would I want to be Castor Strife? Hubris ended his championship reign, and I was fortunate enough to be his opponent when it happened. I hope I never forget that nobody is bigger than the sport, and that my championship is in jeopardy every time I step into the ring."
Will I be a Champion in the vein of Castor Strife and Joe the Plumber? No, I would prefer to be a Champion... for the New Frontier.
"I respect Castor, but I hope he's learned a touch of humility. It could save his life."
"I respect Castor a lot more than I respect Alex Austin or the rest of the Guild."
Which is to say: not at all.
"As the appointed - self, or otherwise - Profit of Castor, it makes sense that he would want to keep the Messiah's name in print. It makes sense that he would defend the House of Castor against the Windham Wannabes."
"What doesn't make sense is that Alex Austin would call for my title to be stripped when I defeated Castor Strife in a match that Castor called for with stipulations that Castor decided."
"Are you calling your god accident - prone?"
"What also doesn't make sense is why Alex Austin would call for my title to be stripped instead of adding his name to The List."
"As of last night, Alex Austin had still not stepped up to the plate."
Scared? Maybe he's just a realist.
"What does that say about a man who claims to be the greatest technical wrestler in the New Frontier when - instead of trying to take the World Title, he demands that the man holding it be stripped?"
You're more of a wannabe than JJ DeVille, and that's almost unheard of.
"Oh, JJ."
"JJ."
"Jay Jay."
"You don't even have to ask for a match with me, JJ. You're on The List, along with the rest of your boy band."
"But you haven't claimed it."
"None of you have."
"I know why, I just wish you'd be honest with the people. You see, you learned a lot from Troy Windham. You learned how to take limited talent and blow it up with controversy. You learned how to run your face time into the ground to maximize money and TV time long past the point of anyone caring what you do."
At this point, you'd get more done going door to door and telling people that you're going to take over the New Frontier. You'd find the same number of people who consider you a threat, and we'd have more television time for athletes.
"Most importantly, you've learned how to gather a group of like - minded, similarly talented individuals, form a SOOPA GROOP, throw around challenges and accusations, then, when nobody cares, you fade away."
Troy's Highwaymen really made a splash, and at least three quarters of the New Frontier's audience just went to The Google to look up what I'm talking about.
The Windham Clan just sort of faded away. I guess Troy realized he really is irrelevant?
"That's why I put you and your boys on my list, JJ. Because I knew none of you would accept."
"Not even when you've still got viable plot armor against the Guild."
"No, I'm sure Spot Three will remain static for the next year or so, at which point the Hellfire Club will have faded away with a whimper like the limp, impotent group it is."
"I have no problem running out the clock on you, JJ... because the entire world will see that the match never happened because you're scared."
"Because the narrative you're pushing so hard - how everyone hates Impulse for being the worst wrestler on the roster - has been laughable. Because the fans at Reloaded Sixteen will be chanting my name for the entire show. Because the fans at Reloaded Seventeen will be chanting my name for the entire show."
Unless they stop to tell the fans to change the channel during your match. It's already been decided, anyway.
"The Marathon Era is here, and the Eye of the Storm is open for anyone who thinks they can end it."
"Jack Harmen stepped up and took his shot, because he wants to challenge himself. Jack Bryant evidently accepted my offer, because he wants to see if he's the best."
"It's a shame that, so far, the rest of my peers in the New Frontier are almost as spineless as the Hellfire Club."
And we're through.